School-wide Analysis Topic #2

Topic 2: Leading School-wide CRCT Analysis Leading a Team Through School-wide CRCT Analysis

Updated 5/13/2011 Page 20 of 44 ©2013 Georgia Leadership Institute for School Improvement, Inc. (GLISI). All rights reserved. Not to be used or reproduced without written permission.

Topic 2: Leading School-wide CRCT Analysis

Leading Teams Through School-wide CRCT Analysis

Oftentimes, teachers work in silos, concentrating on their work with the children, and not communicating about students with other adults in their school…others who could positively impact their student performances. Even if teachers work as a team on their grade level, many do not interact with or even know all of the teachers and support staff in grade levels above and below them.

Everyone in the school is responsible for student achievement.

When students are tested on one grade level, their performance on that test is a combination of all the instruction they have had in grade levels prior to the one in which they are being assessed. Student knowledge, skills and performance build from prior grade experiences, especially when the typical spiral curriculum is used from grade-level to grade-level.

A performance-based curriculum is established upon specific standards that define the knowledge and skills that must be mastered at a level of performance taught by a rigorous and aggressive instructional design and evaluated by an assessment or rubrics which are aligned back to the curriculum. Each ensuing grade level is defined by a set of specific performance standards.

Education in a school is a collective responsibility. Thus, it is critical for all adults in the school to clearly understand the performance of all students in the school, and to work together as a team to improve student achievement school-wide.

In this topic you will facilitate the process of analyzing school-wide CRCT data.

Why Should the Data Analysis Be School-wide?

The activity is designed to allow all staff members to work together to analyze, question, and make suggestions for further study or improvement to positively impact school-wide achievement.

When teachers come together as a team, they often work in grade-level teams. This activity, in contrast, outlines a structure to engage the staff in discussions across grade levels, so that they are learning about the strengths and abilities of their colleagues in other areas of the school. It also develops a community-at-large within the school where all consider it their responsibility to lead students to attain greater academic achievement.



When Do I Begin This Task? (Cues)

Begin this task after you have completed the leader’s initial preparation and analysis, and when you feel ready to lead a cross-grade-level team of teachers through the process.

What is the Leader’s Role?

Your role is to facilitate the meeting, provide instructions on how to perform the activities, and use your pre-analysis to provide direction and provocative questions for discussion.

What Resources Are Required?

You will use the materials you prepared in Topic 1.

How Do I Do It? Read through the steps in the step-action table (see next page)

Study any accompanying examples

Complete the practice exercise

Share the results with your Performance Coach



Step-Action Table

Step Action

1. Prepare the meeting space

Hang the sets of Grade Level Data and Reflection Posters around the room, leaving enough space between each set that the teachers have enough space to view and write without disturbing other groups.

Place name tags around the room to indicate where participants should sit. Teams should sit together. Place the appropriate colored marker with each team.

2. Convene the meeting

Give staff instructions where to sit by marking tables with the same color used on their name tags.

3. Review the purpose

Explain the purpose of the activity and how the groups were structured.

The purpose of the activity is to give all staff opportunities to review the Georgia CRCT school results by grade level, to contribute to the interpretation of the results, and to give input for celebration and improvement.

Share that the written responses on the charts will go back to the grade level for input into their grade-level improvement goals.

Explain that the groups were structured to allow cross grade level or department collaboration – a way of sharing various perspectives. Each team includes at least one representative from each grade level and each subject area analyzed, who can help answer specific curriculum questions. Additional observers are being employed to listen to conversations and report back during the debrief.

4. Give instructions for the activity

Direct each team to select a facilitator and recorder. The recorder should be the keeper of the colored marker. The different colored markers will tie back the comments listed on the charts and to the group that made them.

Assign a starting place (poster set) for each group. The group will have a designated time (usually 5-7 minutes) at each station to discuss the data display and complete the questions posed on the flipchart. The recorder should record their input.

Explain that the observers will be posted at several locations around the room to listen to discussions and report back at the end of the session. (Observers do not rotate.)

5. Call time when groups should rotate

Each group should review the data and the previous comments documented by the groups before them. The leader should keep the groups moving after approximately 5-7 minutes at each station.



Step Action

6. Facilitate debrief discussion

When all groups have visited each poster, lead a wrap-up session with the entire group. Facilitators of each group should share their group’s overall reaction to the complete set of data highlighting common observations. Observers should also share their experience at this time.

Based on your own preliminary data analysis, pose provocative questions that may encourage group discussion include:

What did we learn from the data?

What did we learn from the process?

How can we use what we learned to improve our instructional effectiveness in the school?

7. Summarize the data

After the meeting, have all charts summarized and produced for the entire staff. The original chart sets should be given to the appropriate grade level to use as they develop grade level and individual goals for improvement.

Use the meeting’s findings to update the Comprehensive School Improvement Plan for each grade.

Share minutes from the meeting with participants and stakeholders.



Practice Exercise

Instructions Complete the steps in the Step-Action Table for this topic

Fill out the Practice Worksheet and/or forms, listing results that are realistic based on the information in the practice scenario below

Check your work

Meet with your Performance Coach to review the results and decide what to do next

Practice Scenario Recruit a small group of teachers to help you with this Final Practice. Your team should include at least one teacher from each of the 2 grade levels you selected to work on in Topic Practice 1.

Recruit 1-2 additional volunteers to serve as observers during the meeting. Their role will simply be to observe the process as it is performed by the other participants, and to report their findings to the rest of the group during the debrief.

Use the materials you prepared in Topic Practice 1, as well as the data analysis you did on your own during preparation.

Facilitate a meeting with your “volunteer” team in which you lead them through the process of analyzing school-wide CRCT data (including follow-up activities).



Topic Practice Performance Checklist

Select one: Performer’s self-assessment Performance Coach’s observations

Performer’s Name:

Performance Coach’s Name:

Date of Performance:

Check off each criterion that is observed. If the performance meets criteria with satisfactory quality, mark Yes. If not, mark No and provide feedback (use the back of the page for more space). Enter this performance into your portfolio when all items are marked Yes.

Evidence Criteria Proficient? Give Feedback.

1. Meeting preparation is complete

Data displays are posted with adequate space for groups to assemble

Sufficient number of colored markers, charts, and other materials are in place

Communication of staff group assignments is made

Name tags are available

Yes

No

2. Meeting purpose is reviewed

Clear explanation is offered as to the purpose of a school-wide analysis of CRCT results

Explanation of how and why groups were structured is offered

Yes

No

3. Clear directions for gallery walk are provided

Facilitator and recorder are selected

Use of colored marker is made available

Assigned starting point

Moved groups at appropriate times

Yes

No

4. An effective observation of the activity is executed

Employed additional observers

Observers noted themes of conversations

Yes

No




5. Debrief discussions take place

Each team given opportunity to report experiences during activity

Each observer given opportunity to report observations

Leader prompted discussion using provocative questions and leader’s own preliminary data analysis

Yes

No

6. Debrief discussion and follow-up are facilitated

Collected notes from observers

Summarized charts typed and distributed to staff

Charts distributed to appropriate grade levels

Prepared summary data to share with school leadership team

Shared summary data with school’s leadership team

Yes

No

Final Practice Leading a Team Through School-wide CRCT Analysis


Final Practice

Instructions Perform this practice, referring to the topic step-action tables as needed.

Complete the Final Practice Worksheet, listing results that are realistic based on the information in the practice scenario.

Check your work.

Meet with your Performance Coach to review the results and decide what to do next.

Completing this Final Practice requires meetings with a small team of peers. Prepare for these meetings by:

o Communicating the time and location of the meeting to the participants in advance

o Preparing and providing copies of a meeting agenda

o Being prepared with all the necessary materials and resources

Practice Scenario Recruit a small group of teachers to help you with this Final Practice. Your team should include at least one teacher from each of the 2 grade levels you selected to work on in Topic Practice 1.

Recruit 1-2 additional volunteers to serve as observers during the meeting. Their role will simply be to observe the process as it is performed by the other participants, and to report their findings to the rest of the group during the debrief.

Use the materials you prepared in Topic Practice 1, as well as the data analysis you did on your own during preparation.

Facilitate a meeting with your “volunteer” team in which you lead them through the process of analyzing school-wide CRCT data (including follow-up activities).



Final Practice Performance Checklist

Select one: Performer’s self-assessment Performance Coach’s observations

Performer’s Name:



Check off each criterion that is observed. If the performance meets criteria with satisfactory quality, mark Yes. If not, mark No and provide feedback (use the back of the page for more space). Enter this performance into your portfolio when all items are marked Yes and all Feedback Form (next form) items are marked 3 or 4 (or Not Applicable).


1. CRCT data gathered

At least one year’s CRCT data reports are gathered for each grade level to be considered:

Class Performance Summary Report (one for each teacher in each grade level being considered)

School Performance Summary Report all Student Populations in Reading, English / Language Arts, and Mathematics

System Performance Summary Report

State Performance Summary Report

Yes

No




2. Grade-level analysis reports are gathered

For each grade level being considered, all documents generated by grade-level analysis are gathered:

Form #1-A: LEADER’s Grade-level Analysis

Form #2-A: LEADER’s Grade-level Trend Comparison

Form #3-A: LEADER’s Reflection on Grade-level Analysis

Form #1-B: TEACHER’s Grade-level Analysis

Form #2-B: TEACHER’s Individual Comparison

Form #3-B: TEACHER’s Reflection on Grade-level Analysis

Form #4-B: Grade-level TEAM’s Reflection on Grade-level Analysis

Yes

No

3. Leader reflects on grade-level analysis

One School-wide CRCT Analysis Form / Poster (8.5 x 11 size) is completed for each grade level

Yes

No

4. Participants are identified

All teachers from each grade level are listed

Participants are re-rostered into cross-grade-level teams

The appropriate number of teams is created (1 team for each grade level)

Each team includes:

1 representative from each grade level being considered

1 representative from each subject being considered

1 support staff member

1 observer is included for every 1-3 teams

Yes

No




5. An appropriate room is selected

Has sufficient wall space to accommodate poster sets and team work

Has sufficient table space to accommodate team work

Yes

No

6. Invitations are issued

All participants are invited

Invitation includes date, time, location, duration

OPTIONAL: Team rosters are posted in teachers lounge

Yes

No

7. Materials are prepared

CRCT reports for each grade level are copied into poster size

School-wide CRCT Analysis Form/Poster is copied into poster size (1 for each grade level), or flip charts are used

Dots and markers in team colors are gathered

Other materials are identified and gathered

Yes

No

8. Meeting preparation is complete

Data displays are posted with adequate space for groups to assemble

Sufficient number of colored markers, charts, and other materials are in place

Communication of staff group assignments is made

Name tags are available

Yes

No

9. Meeting purpose is reviewed

Clear explanation is offered as to the purpose of a school-wide analysis of CRCT results

Explanation of how and why groups were structured is offered

Yes

No




10. Clear directions for gallery walk are provided

Facilitator and recorder are selected

Use of colored marker is made available

Assigned starting point

Moved groups at appropriate times

Yes

No

11. An effective observation of the activity is executed

Employed additional observers

Observers noted themes of conversations

Yes

No

12. Debrief discussions take place

Each team given opportunity to report experiences during activity

Each observer given opportunity to report observations

Leader prompted discussion using provocative questions and leader’s own preliminary data analysis

Yes

No

13. Debrief discussion and follow-up are facilitated

Collected notes from observers

Summarized charts typed and distributed to staff

Charts distributed to appropriate grade levels

Prepared summary data to share with school leadership team

Shared summary data with school’s leadership team

Yes

No



Final Practice Feedback Form (page 1 of 2)

Performer’s Name:



Use the rubric below to rate only the cross-cutting leadership skills on this page (including write-ins). Enter this performance into your portfolio when all Performance Checklist (previous form) items are marked Yes and all Feedback Form (this form) items are marked 3 or 4 (or Not Applicable).

Performance Levels

1 2 3 4

Emerging

Needs Study and Practice

Few/none of desired behaviors were

adequately displayed.

Developing

Needs Practice

Some but not all of the desired behaviors were adequately displayed.

Proficient

Meets Criteria and Expectations

All desired behaviors were displayed and performed correctly.

Distinguished

Could be Used as a Model to Teach Others

Eligible for Portfolio

How effective was the performer in these Cross-Cutting Skills? Rating

1. Facilitating group interaction and managing participation 1 2 3 4 n/a

2. Assisting the group to meet task criteria 1 2 3 4 n/a

3. Modeling appropriate leadership behaviors 1 2 3 4 n/a

4. Teaching others how to perform the tasks 1 2 3 4 n/a

5. Presenting information clearly and concisely 1 2 3 4 n/a

6. Leveraging technology to increase effectiveness? 1 2 3 4 n/a

7. Motivating others to achieve success? 1 2 3 4 n/a

8. Using group processes to achieve desired results? 1 2 3 4 n/a

9. Other: 1 2 3 4 n/a

10. Other: 1 2 3 4 n/a

Turn the page to provide additional written feedback (required).



Final Practice Feedback Form (page 1 of 2)

Performer’s Name:



If any element was rated less than 3, what needs to be done to score a 3? To score a 4?

What greatest strengths did the leader exhibit through this performance?

What could be done to improve this leader’s performance? Include any criteria on the Performance Checklist that were missed. Be specific.

Were there any significant issues that must be rectified (by additional practice and assessment) before entering this evidence into the Portfolio?

Documents

School-wide Analysis Topic #2