Establishing Focus and
Coherence- Ensuring
Personalized Learning
1
“What does focus
mean in practice? It
means something as
elementary as it is
rare: pursuing one
major change at a
time per person and
per work group.”
Schmoker, 1999
2
Coherence
•
•
•
•
Consistency
Logic
Reason
Unity
3
Criteria for Effective Goals
Specific
Measurable
Attainable
Results-oriented
Time-bound
4
A SMART Goal?
The percentage
of all students
scoring proficient
or above in math
will increase from
36% in 2011 to
50% in 2012.
5
Keep In Mind
“If a goal can be accomplished without
students learning at higher levels, it is not a
SMART goal.”
DuFour, DuFour, Eaker, and Many, 2010
6
Need for Short-term Goals
“A team that establishes a goal of improving
student performance on a state test receives
neither feedback nor reinforcement for
almost a year unless it establishes some
short-term goals.”
DuFour, DuFour, Eaker, and Many, 2010
7
Need for Seeing the Impact
of Our Efforts
“If we consistently analyze what we do and
adjust to get better, we will improve. . . . This
plan hinges on our ability to see the impact
of what we are doing. . . . continuous,
incremental improvements are the real
building blocks of sweeping systemic change
that is rapid-and attainable.”
Schmoker, 1999
8
Breakthrough to Improved Performance
A simple, but
powerful principle:
Small, measurable
successes achieved in the
short term (weekly,
monthly, quarterly) can
release the energy and
enthusiasm required to
reach shared goals.
Schmoker, 1999
9
Routine Collection and Analysis
of Student Performance Data
• Patterns of strengths and weaknesses in
teaching and learning
• Leverage points for improvements
• Incremental improvements
• Concrete evidence of accomplishment
10
PDCA
Plan
Act
Do
Check
11
Questions to Address
1. What is it we want our students to learn?
1.5 -- What CORE instruction will best facilitate the learning?
2. How will we know if each student has learned it?
2.5 -- What evidence will be collected as evidence of
understanding and/or to guide next steps?
3. How will we respond when some students do
not learn it?
3.5 -- What TARGETED or INTENSIVE instruction will likely
have the most impact, given the evidence of student
learning?
4. How can we extend and enrich the learning for students
who have demonstrated proficiency?
4.5 -- What projects or collaborative studies will likely have
the most impact for enrichment or acceleration, given the
evidence of student learning?
DuFour, DuFour, Eaker, and Many, 2010
12
Schmoker’s Effective, Time Efficient
Meeting
• Before the meeting
• During the meeting
• After the meeting
13
Five Critical Elements to Effect Change
• Established and shared student learning goals
• Indicators that measure success toward meeting
those goals
• Assistance from capable others
• Leadership that supports and pressures goal
attainment
• Setting that allows staff to meet
– Regularly scheduled place and time
– Knowledge of how to use the setting effectively
Saunders, W. & Goldenberg, Cy (2005)
Gallimore, R. Ermeling, B., Saunders, W. & Goldenberg, C. (2009)
14
Overload: The Great Enemy
“One of the greatest dangers to a
successful improvement effort is losing
focus, which results from trying to take
on more than we have the time and
resources to realistically achieve.”
Schmoker, 1999
15
Reviewing Innovations
Lead a brainstorming session-ask school
staff to identify all innovations on their
school’s “radar screen.”
16
Categorize the Innovations
• Seed (under discussion; just beginning)
• Blossom (new project; has not yet born
fruit)
• Fruit (Implemented fully, producing results,
and supported by faculty)
• Withering (has “lost its bloom”; does not
receive much attention)
• Compost pile (discontinued use or
unknown by many faculty members)
17
Fruit
Blossoms
Withering
Seeds
Compost Pile
18
References
Bernhardt, V.L. (2004). Data analysis for continuous school
improvement. Larchmont, NY: Eye on Education, Inc.
Blanchard, K. (2007). Leading at a higher level: Blanchard on
leadership and creating high performing organizations.
Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Block, P. (2000). Flawless consulting: A guide for getting your
expertise used. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass/Pfeiffer.
Carroll, T. (2009). The next generation of learning teams. Phi
Delta Kappan, 91(2), 8-13.
DuFour, R., DuFour, R., Eaker, R., and Many, T. (2010). Learning
by doing: A handbook for professional learning
communities at work. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree.
19
References (continued)
DuFour, R., & Eaker, R.(1998). Professional learning communities
at work: Best Practices for Enhancing Student
Achievement. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree.
Elmore, R. (2003).School reform from the inside out; Policy,
practice, and performance. Boston: Harvard Education
Press.
Fullan, M. (2001). Leading in a culture of change. San Francisco,
CA: Jossey Bass.
Hargrove, R. (1999). Masterful coaching: Extraordinary results by
impacting people and the way they think and work
together. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass/Pfeiffer.
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References (continued)
Harvard University. (2003). The CLG concept of the change
coach. Unpublished paper.
Kaser, J.,Mundry, S., Stiles, K., & Loucks-Horsley, S. (2002),
Leading every day. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Knight, Kim. (2011). What good coaches do. Educational
Leadership, 69(2), 18-22.
Lencioni, P. (2005). Overcoming the five dysfunctions of a team:
A field guide for leaders, managers, and facilitators. San
Francisco: Josey-Bass.
Nidus, G., and Sadder, M. (2011). The principal as formative
coach. Educational Leadership, 69(2), 30-35.
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References (continued)
Schmoker, M., (1999). Results: The key to continuous school
improvement (2nd ed). Alexandria, Va: Association for
Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Senge, P. M., Kleiner, A., Roberts, C., Ross, R., Roth, G., & Smith,
B. (1999). The dance of change: The challenges to
sustaining momentum in learning organizations. New
York: Doubleday.
Speck, M. (1996, Spring). Best practice in professional
development for sustained educational change. ERS
Spectrum, 33-41.
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