M A S BOS E P T E M B E R 1 3 , 2 0 1 2

PUTTING THE SYSTEM IN PRACTICE

VALVE HANDBOOK FOR NEW EMPLOYEES

Risks (What if I screw up?)

“Nobody has ever been fired at Valve for making a mistake. It wouldn’t even make sense for us to operate that way. Providing the freedom to fail is an important trait of the company-we couldn’t expect so much of individuals if we also penalized people for errors. Even expensive mistakes, or ones which result in a very public failure, are genuinely looked at as opportunities to learn. We can always repair the mistake or make up for it.”

PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEMTRANSLATION

Risks (What if I make a mistake?)“Nobody has ever been fired in our school district for making an honest mistake in an effort to benefit students. It wouldn’t even make sense for us to operate that way. Providing the freedom to try new methods or ideas, and fail is an important trait of our organization-we couldn’t expect so much of individuals if we penalized our staff for taking risks and not succeeding. Even costly mistakes, or ones which result in a very public failure, are genuinely looked at as opportunities to learn and grow. We can always repair the mistake or make up for it.”

PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT TRANSLATION(CONTINUED)

“Making mistakes is a great way to discover that your assumptions were wrong or that your method was a little bit off. As long as you update your method and move forward with an improved way, you’re doing it right. Look for ways to test your beliefs and values. Never be afraid to pilot a new idea or collect more data.”

“It helps to set goals and benchmarks and anticipate what would happen if you do not reach those goals. Ask yourself, “What would I expect to see if I am right?” Or “What would it look like if I am wrong?” Then ask yourself, “What do I see? What do I hear? What do I say?” If something totally unexpected happens, try to figure out why.

PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT TRANSLATIONCONTINUED

“There are still some bad ways to fail. Repeating the same mistake or using the same instructional strategy over and over again without it benefitting our students is one. Not listening to feedback from peers, supervisors, parents, or students before or after a mistake is another. Never ignore the evidence or the data; particularly when it says you’re wrong.”

“Remember, our overall collective goal, PreK-12 is to prepare all students to succeed in this ever-changing complex world that awaits them after high school. In other words, we need to prepare them for college and/or career readiness. The only way that we can do that is to continue to experiment with new ideas, make mistakes, learn from those mistakes, and grow from the experience.”

“WE ARE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER”

“IT WILL NOT BE PERFECT”

“WE WILL BE MAKING MISTAKES ALONG THE WAY.”

“WE NEED YOUR HELP TO MAKE THE PROCESS BETTER.”

http://rpseducatorevaluation.wikispaces.com

/

READING PUBLIC SCHOOLSEARLY ADOPTER ACTIVITIES

• Piloted• Educator Plan• Principal/Assistant Principal Evaluation• Superintendent Evaluation

• Contract Language Approved• Created Several Forms• Self Assessment• SMART Goal Development Workbook• Educator Plan• Formative Evaluation• Summative Evaluation• Unannounced/Announced Observations

• Developed an Electronic Portfolio System

READING PUBLIC SCHOOLSEARLY ADOPTER ACTIVITIES

• Presented at Several Workshops• Blue Ribbon• NEC/SEEM• MASS • Brookline Public Schools• Peabody Public Schools• Harvard Public Schools

• Professional Development for Administrator, Team Chairs, Department Chairs, Directors• Difficult Conversations Workshop• SMART Goals/Supervision/Teacher Rubric Workshop

• TAP Committee Meetings• Review of Forms• Discussion of Process

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5 Step Evaluation Cycle: The Heart of the System

Continuous Learning

Foundation for the model

Every educator is an active participant in an evaluation

Process promotes collaboration and continuous learning

Adaptable for all educators

Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary

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AN EXAMPLEM A S B O W O R K S H O P

S E P T E M B E R 1 2 , 2 0 1 2

EXAMPLE

• Bob Smith• Business Manager for Sunnydale School District for 10 Years• Suburban• PreK-12• 4800 students• 6 Elementary Schools• 2 Middle Schools• 1 High School

• Per Pupil Expenditure: $12,500• Average Budget Increase over last 5 Years: 2%• Self-Directed Growth Plan

DISTRICT STRATEGYSUNNYDALE SCHOOL DISTRICT

• Learning and Teaching• Deepen and refine our focus on the instructional core to meet

the academic, social, and emotional needs of each child.• Performance Management• Build a system that measures school performance and

differentiates support based on need and growth.• Investment and Development• Compete for, support, recruit, and retain top talent while

creating leadership opportunities and building capacity within our staff.

• Resource Allocation• Improve the alignment of human and financial resources to

achieve strategic objectives.

STEP 1: SELF-ASSESSMENT

Analysis of Evidence of student learning, growth and

achievement

Assessment of Practice against performance standards

Proposed goals to pursue to improve practice and student learning.

STEP 1-SELF-ASSESSMENT

• Strengths• II-A-2 (Operational Systems)• Creates and maintains a district environment in which

custodial and other staff take personal responsibility for keeping the campus clean, attractive, welcoming, and safe. Is able to model this element.

• II-D-1 (Laws and Policies)• Provides the resources and support for all school personnel to

understand and comply with state and federal laws and mandates, school committee policies, procurement processes and collective bargaining agreements. Is able to model this element.

STEP 1-SELF-ASSESSMENT

• Areas to Strengthen• II-E-1 (Budget Development)• Develops a budget through a process that includes

limited participation from relevant stakeholders; budget requires some revision in order to meet statutory requirements; budget is readable but is not consistently clear and aligned with the district’s vision, mission, and goals.

• II-E-2 (Allocation of Resources)• Inconsistently proposes allocation of existing resources

that inconsistently meets the differentiated needs of all students and educators; inconsistently ensures educationally sound programs and quality facilities• Compared to comparable school districts, the allocation to Regular

Day is 5-7% less.

STEP 1-SELF ASSESSMENT• Other Issues Facing District• 3 Schools are at Level 3 Accountability• Implementing new nutrition guidelines• Implementing new Common Core State Standards, Educator

Evaluation, and District Determined Measures

STEP 2-ANALYSIS, GOAL SETTING, AND PLAN DEVELOPMENT

• Areas to Consider for Goals• Improving the budget process so that it is more participatory

and involves all stakeholders.• Making non-Regular Day cost centers more effective and

efficient to allocate more resources to Regular Day to assist Level 3 schools, and Common Core/Educator Evaluation/Assessment Development

• Effectively implementing the new Federal and State Nutrition Guidelines

S.M.A.R.T. GOALS • S = Specific and Strategic• M = Measurable • A = Action Oriented• R = Rigorous, Realistic, and Results

Focused (the 3 Rs)• T = Timed and Tracked

Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary

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POSSIBLE SMART GOALS• Professional Practice Goal (Team Goal with District

Leadership Team)-During the FY14 Budget Process, we will develop and implement a budget process that is inclusionary and involves input from all stakeholders as measured by pre/post survey results and number of participants at budget sessions.

• Student Learning Goal (Team Goal with Directors)-During the FY14 budget process we will examine all non-regular day cost centers to identify areas in the budget that can be made more effective and efficient. As a result of this process, we will be able to decrease the non-Regular Day Cost Centers by at least 2% and proportionately increase the Regular Day budget to help address Level 3 Schools and Teaching and Learning Systems Implementation.

POSSIBLE SMART GOAL

• Student Learning Goal (Team with Food Service Director): During the 2012-13 School Year, we will implement the new federal and state nutrition guidelines in our school lunch program. As a result of this implementation, we will see a 10% increase in lunch sales and a 10% decrease in our offset from the operating budget.

Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary

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MAKING A S.M.A.R.T. GOAL S.M.A.R.T.ER

S.M.A.R.T. Goal Statement+

Key Action Steps+

Benchmarks (Process and Outcome)

Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary

Education31

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LAYING THE FOUNDATION1. Teams will work together to develop a completed

educator plan. 2. As a team, action steps will be identified. 3. Merge these activities into one Educator Plan that

addresses each of the goals in a strategic, coherent manner. Then document the needed supports and resources and determine a timeline.

Student Learning Goal(s) and Professional Practice Goal(s) Planned Activity

Action Supports/Resources From School/District

Timeline/Benchmark or Frequency

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PRINCIPAL EDUCATOR PLAN EXAMPLESample Professional Practice Goal for a Principal: I will manage my time more effectively in order to increase the frequency and impact of classroom observations by learning how to do 10-minute observations with feedback and, by the start of the second semester, conducting eight visits per week, on average, that an increasing percentage of teachers report are useful.

Student Learning Goal(s) and Professional Practice Goal(s) Planned ActivityAction Supports/

Resources From School/District

Timeline/Benchmark or Frequency

1. By September 1, I will develop a schedule and method for logging at least eight classroom observations with feedback per week between October 15 and Memorial Day.2. By October 15, I will study with colleague principals and my administrative team how to conduct 10-minute unannounced observations and write brief, useful feedback.3. By January 1, I will share at least five samples of feedback with colleague principals and collect their feedback.4. By January 1 and again on June 1, I will solicit anonymous feedback from teachers about their perceptions of the usefulness of the unannounced visits and feedback.

Superintendent to facilitate teams of principals to collaborate on enhancing the observation and feedback process. Superintendent will help identify teams and provide scheduled time to hold study groups and conduct feedback sessions.

1. September 1—schedule developedJanuary 15/March 15/May 15—check in to determine if eight observations per week (on average) have been completed2. October 15—documented study time with colleague3. January 1—five feedback samples will be shared with colleagues4. January 1 and June 1—will have collected feedback via teachers regarding their perceived value of the process

*Evidence provided through principals’

logs and example artifacts

STEP 3IMPLEMENTING THE PLAN

• Key Action steps from Educator Plan are carried out• Data and evidence are collected• Benchmarks are monitored

POSSIBLE EVIDENCE FROM GOALS

• Goal 1 (Budget Participation)• Pre/Post Survey from Stakeholders• Agendas of Budget meetings• Focus Group Sessions with Stakeholders• Attendance sheets of budget meetings• Completed budget• Announced and Unannounced observations of budget meetings and presentations

• Goal 2 (Budget Efficiency)• 3 Year Snapshot of each cost center • Agendas of meetings with Directors• Programs implemented to increase cost efficiencies in each cost center• Regular Day programs funded as a result of cost efficiencies• Announced and Unannounced observations of budget meetings and presentations

• Goal 3 (Food Service Implementation)• Menus• 3 year Snapshot of Food Service budget including offset from operating budget• Point of Sales data• Pre/Post Survey Data• Announced and Unannounced observations of budget meetings and presentations

STEP 4FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT/EVALUATION

• Educator collects and presents evidence on goals and standards of the rubric• Standard 1: Instructional Leadership• Standard 2: Management and Operations• Standard 3: Family and Community Engagement• Standard 4: Professional Culture

• Educator meets with Supervisor mid-cycle to refine goals, if necessary• Formative report completed and given to educator

STEP 5SUMMATIVE EVALUATION

• Occurs at end of cycle• Supervisor meets with educator• Educator presents evidence to goals and performance

standards• Future goals and direction are discussed

• Summative Evaluation Completed

EXAMPLE OF A TWO-FER OR THREE-FERSUNNYDALE SCHOOL DISTRICT

Student and

EducatorGrowth

Goal 1: Budget Participation

Goal 2: Reallocation of Resources

Goal 3: Food Nutrition Guidelines

FINAL THOUGHTS

TED PRESENTATIONREGINA DUNCAN

• http://www.ted.com/talks/regina_dugan_from_mach_20_glider_to_humming_bird_drone.html

QUESTIONS

• “What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail? • “What could we as a school district attempt to do

for students if we knew we could not fail.

QUESTIONSM A S B O P R E S E N TAT I O NS E P T E M B E R 1 3 , 2 0 1 2