Working on the Work

How the Olmsted Falls City School District has assimilated the work of the Ohio

Leadership Advisory Council with the Ohio Improvement Process in order to continue the

excellence.

PresentersDr. Todd Hoadley—SuperintendentDr. Jim Lloyd—Assistant SuperintendentMerritt Waters—Student Services CoordinatorDr. Bob Hill—Principal, OFHSDon Svec—Principal, Fitch Intermediate SchoolJanet Venecek—Teacher, Fitch Intermediate

SchoolSally Schuler—Teacher, Fitch Intermediate SchoolNeil Roseberry—Principal, Falls-Lenox Primary Michelle LaGruth—Teacher, Falls-Lenox Primary

Going from Good to Great

Greatness is not a function of circumstance. Greatness, it turns out, is largely a matter of conscious choice, and discipline.

Collins, J. (2005). Why business thinking is not the answer: Good to great and the social sectors. A monograph to accompany good to great.

Today we will:Connect OLAC to

OIPDemonstrate how

we’ve put the above connection into practice

Discuss the focused, continuous improvement of our organization

Provide you with an overview as to how the different parts of the system are working on the work in Olmsted Falls:

Dr. Todd HoadleySuperintendent & DLT Member

J_Lloyd_2008

Student Learning

Instruction

Assessm

ent

Academic Content Standards/Learning Targets

Professional Learning Community

Eliminate competing initiatives—attract and move resources towards our

hedgehog concepts and repel those that go against it

Know what you are good at and do good only at those things that you have defined is the work

“to do the most good requires saying no to pressures to stray, and the discipline to stop doing what does not fit.” --Jim Collins, 2005

The benefits of OIP helping us change district behavior and practice on a system-wide basisDLTBLT

Dr. Jim LloydAssistant SuperintendentCurriculum, Instruction &

Assessment

Assumptions for our CIP creationThings we know:

As educators we try to do too muchAs educators we know the right things to doThe right things to do in order to increase student

achievement are not easyAs a field, we have relied on programs and quick fixes

that rarely produce successThe solutions to problems that have plagued our

profession exist within our buildings

The question becomes: Do we have the courage to focus and endure in order to experience real change.

The OIP is the implementation of the OLAC’s work

OLAC ConceptsLeadership is shared

Area 1: Data & Decision Making

Area 2: Focused Goal Setting

Area 3: Instruction and Learning

OFCS’ OIP ActionsDLTs and BLTs

Starts with the use of the Decision Framework

Revised CIP is more focused

Clear Targets & High Quality Feedback

District/Building Leadership Teams

State Diagnostic Teams (SDTs) work with selected high support districts

State Support Teams (SSTs) work with districts and schools in need of improvement

Educational Service Centers (ESCs) work with other districts requesting assistance

is involved?

Teams use data tools to identify critical needs

do these teams work in districts and schools?

District/Building Leadership Teams Regional Service Providers External Vendors Higher Education

is involved?

District/Building Leadership Teams State Diagnostic Teams State Support Teams Educational Service Centers

is involved?

District/Building Leadership Teams

State Diagnostic Teams

State Support Teams

Educational Service Centers

Regional Managers

Single Point of Contact

is involved?

Review data Gather evidence of implementation and impact

Provide technical assistance and targeted professional development

Leverage resources

Work with leadership to develop research based strategies and action steps focused on critical needs identified in stage 1.

How

Who

How

Who

How

How

Who

do these teams work in districts and schools?

do these teams work in districts and schools?

do these teams work in districts and schools?

WhoSTAGE 1

STAGE 3

STAGE 2

Implement and Monitor the Focused Plan

Evaluate the Improvement Process

Identify Critical Needs of Districts and Schools

Develop a Focused Plan

Ohio Improvement Process

STAGE 4

Revised November 2008

Implementing OLAC through OIP

The OFCS’ Hedgehog

What are you deeply passionate about?

What can you be the best in the world at?

What drives your engine?

OFCS CIP General FocusIdentify, acknowledge and build upon previous

excellenceBuild on what happens within the classroom by working

to improve upon current teacher quality

Focus on those things that we can “control”Making learning targets clearer for learnersProviding learners with feedback

The only thing that directly impacts student achievement is teacher practice so we must focus on changing/improving/growing what teachers do in the classroom and provide them with time and support

How effective do we deliver our mission and make an impact relative to our resources?

While quantification of results is good, what matters more is our ability to assemble evidence (quantitative & qualitative data) to track our progress

Clear Standards-Based Learning Targets

High Quality Instruction

Assessment (formative & summative)

Alignment of things within the “black box”

Theory Into PracticeWe’ve operationalized our CIP strategies and

assimilated many concepts into a deliverable professional development sequence across the entire school district

Goal

Strategies

Action Steps (4 of them)

Tasks under the action steps

J_Lloyd_2008

Discussion of the OFCS CIP

Merritt WatersStudent Services Coordinator &

DLT Member

How does special education and student services fit into the

improvement process?

Olmsted Falls Quick Facts

2007-08 ODE Report CardStudents with Disabilities made adequate

yearly progressStill far lower than all other subgroups in

reading and math achievementStudents with Disabilities comprise 11.8% of

our student population

OIP & Special EducationOLAC Focus Area 1 – Data and the Decision

Making ProcessShared discoveryShared responsibilityStill need to gather data about at-risk kids

OIP & Special EducationOLAC Focus Area 2 - Focused Goal Setting

ProcessInclusive, aggressive district goalFamiliar territory for special educators Still need to align individual student growth

expectations with district goal

OIP & Special EducationOLAC Focus Area 3 - Instruction and the Learning Process

Sharing ideas/materials faster help for students

Strong instruction, not commercial programs

OIP & At-Risk Students•The problem-solving model vs.OIP•We don’t call it RTI, but…

Need more universal screening-academic and behavioral

Need more Tier 2 & 3 interventions-all grades

Need increased progress monitoring

Dr. Bob HillPrincipal of Olmsted Falls High School

& DLT Member

How does a building leadership team operate?

Excellence In EducationRanked “Excellent” 9-Years Running

SPDG and Change“A competitive world has two possibilities for

you. You can lose. Or, if you want to win, you can change.”

--Lester C. Thurow (1938- )American economist and educator

Building Organizational StructureInstructional Leadership Team (ILT)

Team composed of department heads Art Business Foreign Language Health/PE Language Arts Library Math Music Social Studies Special Education Science

SPDG and ChangeCultural DivideThe Healing ProcessChoosing a BLT

“Our journey has never been one of shortcuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted—for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the

doers, the makers of things—some celebrated but more often men and women obscure in their labor,

who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.”

President Barack Obama

Where Are We Now?BLT FormedDecision Framework Near CompletionData and the Decision Making Process;

Focused Goal Setting; Instruction & The Learning Process The Heart of Our

CIP

Neil Roseberry &Michelle LaGruth

Falls-Lenox Primary Schools

What is the role of a DLT member from the principal & teacher perspectives and how does the DLT work with the BLT?

Benefits of DLT MembershipGet to have a voice

The district’s first attempt at real whole group collaboration between all groups.

Collaboration with others across grade levels

Provides opportunities to visit classrooms from different buildings and grade levelsTeachers sharing effective practices

DLT Liaison

Working as a DLT & BLT member provides me with a unique opportunity to intertwine DLT learning and connect that to help our building make improvements.

Work across grade level and within my buildingI’ve been able to explain the data that the DLT

analyzed to building to develop understandingCurrent BLT focus has been on analyzing data

from subgroups (ESL & Spec Ed)

JLloyd_2009

Learning CommunitiesIn first yearRe-structured building layout from grade level

hallways to clusters of 1st, 2nd and 3rd grade teachers on a team

CollaborationMeet 1 time per month for community meetings

Talk about instruction; observe each other in classrooms; discuss new ideas and how to help kids academically

Everyone has lunch at the same timeMore opportunities for class buddies and multi-

level class get togetherKids more comfortable with teachers from other

grades

Language Arts

Math Science SocialStudies

PowerIndicators

R - √W- √

√

Unwrapping Indicators

Collaboration/ Full Day

3rd- Dec. 19/Jan 142nd- Dec. 16/Jan 12

1st- Dec. 18/Jan 13

K- AM Dec. 3/Jan 15Pre-K /Jan 16

Full Day March

3rd- 2nd-

1st-

K-

Pre-K

StudentFriendlyLanguage

Finish up anything in these two boxes at February at the February Grade LevelMtg.

Bench-Marking(report card)

February Inservice Day (Feb. 13)

FLIP – Falls Lenox Improvement Plan

Assessment (formative and summative) – Ongoing during mapping mtgs.

Once LA is complete, continue to work through the process with math then science and social studies.

Don Svec, Sally Schuler &Janet Venecek

Don—Principal and DLT MemberSally—5th Grade Teacher and BLT

MemberJanet—4th Grade Teacher and

Learning Team Participant

JLloyd_2009

How does a building incorporate the use of learning teams into its BLT Process?

Assessment For Learning

“Quality assessment is indistinguishable from effective classroom instruction.”

-Rick Stiggins: Portland Oregon

Assessment for LearningWhere am I going? (Alignment with District CIP Action Step 1)1. Provide a clear and understandable vision of the learning

target.2. Use examples and models of strong and weak work.

Where am I now? (Alignment with District CIP Action Step 2)3. Offer regular descriptive feedback.4. Teach students to self assess and set goals.

How can I close the gap?5. Design lessons to focus on one aspect of quality at a time.6. Teach students focused revision.7. Engage students in self-reflection, and let them keep track

of and share their learning.

The Learning Team ProcessReading and reflecting on new classroom

assessment strategiesShaping the strategies into applicationsTrying out applications, observing, and

drawing inferences about what does and doesn’t work.

Reflecting on and summarizing learning and conclusions from the experience

Sharing and problem solving with team members

Assessment for LearningWhere am I going?1. Provide a clear and understandable vision of the learning

target.2. Use examples and models of strong and weak work.

Where am I now?3. Offer regular descriptive feedback.4. Teach students to self assess and set goals.

How can I close the gap?5. Design lessons to focus on one aspect of quality at a time.6. Teach students focused revision.7. Engage students in self-reflection, and let them keep track

of and share their learning.

“What is happening differently in our classrooms as a result of what we are doing and learning in our study teams?”

Recipe for Student LearningMake Learning Targets Clear for Kids

Involve kids in the assessment process.

What does this recipe look like when implemented ?

Identify the Powerful IndicatorsPut into Kid Friendly Language Communicate goals to kids and self-assess.Teach with creativity ( Hands on activities, smart

board, partnering, games, United Streaming, projects, spiral approach, Good/Ugly , practice, rubrics ,etc.)

On going student self-assessment to gain immediate feedback using rubric (“formative assessment”)

Teacher assess – (SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT)Shared results with Learning Teams (Collaboration)

Baby and the Bath Water?

Process Still Under ConstructionTeachers and Kids are retooling.

How Do We Look at How Do We Look at Assessment?Assessment?

Analyzed indicators under the Analyzed indicators under the Standard of HistoryStandard of History

ExplainExplain how Ohio progressed from territory how Ohio progressed from territory to statehood, including the terms of the to statehood, including the terms of the Northwest Ordinance. Northwest Ordinance.

ExplainExplain the causes and the effects of the the causes and the effects of the frontier wars of the 1790s, including the frontier wars of the 1790s, including the Battle of Fallen Timbers, on American Battle of Fallen Timbers, on American Indians in Ohio and the United StatesIndians in Ohio and the United States

Matched our Assessment Method with the Complexity of the Learning Target

Old assessments consisted of:• Multiple choice questions• Vocabulary• Minimal extended response

New assessments Heavily focused on the need for students to demonstrate the ability to “explain” . . . .

Clear Learning TargetsWe broke apart the historical sequence of Ohio becoming a state into 6

separate steps:

French and Indian War: (“Ohio Land” became a territory of England)

American Revolution (“Ohio Land” became a territory of the U.S.)

Northwest Territory and Ordinance (“Ohio Land” had rules for becoming a state)

Battle of Fallen Timbers (“Ohio Land” was fought over by Native Americans)

Ohio becomes a state on March 1,1803

War of 1812 (Battle of Lake Erie and the American win leads to Indian Removal Act)

InstructionUsing text, videos, primary resources and power point presentations, teachers presented each sequence as a story.Students were then asked to

write a “quality paragraph” and draw an illustration about each sequence presented.

“Quality paragraph” is one of our language arts power indicators.

New AssessmentOhio Becomes a StateDraw a picture of the main idea discussed in each unit. Write a quality paragraph (main idea and 2-3 supporting details) to tell about your picture. Make sure to include specific facts or dates.

French and Indian War (Chapter 4 Lesson 1 pages 100-105)

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Student Self AssessmentStudent Self Assessment Students rated their Students rated their

illustrations and illustrations and paragraphs using a paragraphs using a rubric before turning in.rubric before turning in.

Picture 2 1 0Topic sentence 2 1 0Supporting details 2 1 0

Power Indicators Vertical Articulation 4th Construct time lines with evenly spaced intervals for years, decades and centuries to show the order of significant events in Ohio history

**5th Create time lines and identify possible relationships between events.

6th Create a multiple-tier time line from a list of events and interpret the relationships between the events.

Arrange dates in order on a time line using the conventions

of B.C., A.D.

Clear Learning TargetsThose who aim at something will generally hit or come

close to the target.

If you aim at nothing, you will hit it.If you aim at something that is stationary, it is easier to hit

Clear Learning TargetsActual Indicator: Create timelines and identify possible

relationships between events.

Student Friendly Language:I will be able to construct a timeline using

even intervals and labeled events. Then, I will be able to tell how the events

relate to each other.

Formative Assessment What do I already know about timelines?

Define: Interval ____________________________Define: Event ______________________________Define: Year, Decade, Century, millennium

Create a timeline using these dates and events

1991 WWW 1939 Jet Plane 1902 AC1907 Plastic 1879 Light bulb 1923 Traffic

Light1983 Cell Phone 1891 Zipper 1927 TV

Why Assess Prior to Instruction?Provides feedback to students

Reinforces the learning target

Guides Instructional Practice

InstructionGood, Bad, Ugly SamplesHands On Approach - Clothes line using

intervals and eventsPractice (Obama, student, dates)Share assessment rubric with kidsPresidential Timelines using rubric for

formal assessment

Summative Assessment RubricMy Presidential timeline has: Even Intervals : 0 1 2Intervals that are marked clearly : 0 1 2Events that are marked clearly: 0 1 2Graphics that represent events: 0 1 2Title: 0 1 2Identifies relationships between events: 0 1 2Neatness: 0 1 2Visual Appeal : 0 1 2

Thank you!Questions ?