Transforming Schools:
Leading and Learning,
One Step at a Time
Charles Wilson
Deputy Network Superintendent for Middle Schools
Oakland Unified School District
Today’s Goals
• Learn from a case study: Understand the path
that one school took to dramatically improve
teaching and learning;
• Reflect on key practices that any school can take
to begin / continue its on transformation;
• Identify one or two key practices that each
participant can take back to
her/his own school or district.
Roles for Today
• Mine:
• Present information on our work
• Facilitate discussions
• Yours:
• Stay engaged in the discussion
• Participate fully
• Ask questions
Today’s Agenda
• Data on the Fred T. Korematsu Discovery
Academy (KDA)
• What Were our Key Steps in Transforming KDA?
• Brainstorming / Selecting Ideas to Continue or
Start Your Own Transformation
• Let’s Talk it Out!
• Wrap Up / Appreciations / Exit Ticket
Today’s Norms
• Assume Positive Intent
• Share the Air
• Stay Engaged / Limit Electronics to sessionrelated business
•
•
Who are the Students of KDA?
2011/ 2012 = 381 Students, K-5
White, 2.1% Other,
1.5%
Asian, 1.0%
Filipino, 0.3%
African
American,
17.0%
Pacific
Islander,
1.3%
Asian
Pacific Islander
Filipino
Latino
African American
Latino, 76.6%
White
Other
Who are the Students of KDA?
2011/ 2012 = 381 Students, K-5
Family Income
0.8%
98.2%
Language Status
Qualify
for Free
Lunch
Program
Do Not
Qualify
for Free
Lunch
Program
English
Language
Learners
(ELL)
26.5%
59.8%
13.6%
Fluent
English
Proficient
(FEP)
English
Only (EO)
KDA’s Academic Performance
API Scores
1000
900
788
800
735
700
600
568
592
2007
2008
641
685
500
400
300
200
2009
2010
2011
2012
KDA Performance on ELA CST
ELA Pro. / Adv.
ELA FBB / BB
70%
61%
60%
60%
49%
50%
45%
41%
41%
40%
26%
30%
20%
15%
23%
35%
17%
13%
10%
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
KDA Performance on Math CST
Math Pro. / Adv.
70%
60%
57%
53%
48%
46%
50%
39%
40%
30%
20%
20%
Math FBB / BB
67%
32%
25%
23%
15%
12%
10%
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
KDA’s Key Steps in Transforming
Teaching and Learning
Respond to the Social and Emotional Needs of the
Community
• Increase Counseling Services Through Partnerships
With Community Organizations;
• Look At All Work Of The School Through The Lenses
Of Social And Emotional Learning Competencies
(Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional
Learning (CASEL);
• Establish A Common Approach And Language For
Building A Supportive, Rigorous Academic
Environment ( “Caring School Community”:
Developmental Studies Center”).
KDA’s Key Steps in Transforming
Teaching and Learning
Social And Emotional Learning Competencies from CASEL
KDA’s Key Steps in Transforming
Teaching and Learning
Establish a Unity of Focus and Unity of Student Experience
• Applying Research-driven Behavioral and Pedagogical Models
• Classroom Behavior Management: Universal Use of Assertive
Discipline (Noah Salzman’s “I Understand” / “No Nonsense
Nurturer”: Center for Transformational Teacher Training)
• Pedagogical Model for
Content Delivery: “The KDA Direct
Instruction Model” (based on our
collective reading of Better Learning
Through Structured Teaching;
(Fisher and Frey, 2008)
KDA’s Key Steps in Transforming
Teaching and Learning
Break Boundaries to Provide Acceleration
• When Is A Grade Level An Important Category For A Student
And When Is It A Boundary?
• Targeted Reading and ELD Interventions across grade levels:
• Language for Learning / Language for Writing
• Systematic Instruction in Phonological Awareness, Phonics, & Sight
Words (SIPPS)
• Leveled Guided Reading
• Reciprocal Teaching
• Literature Studies Circles
KDA’s Key Steps in Transforming
Teaching and Learning
Break Boundaries to Provide Acceleration
• When Is Traditional Teacher-driven Instruction A Vital
Resource And When Is It A Boundary?
• Collaborative Learning Structures to Promote Academic
Discussion and Critical Thinking
• Blended Learning in Classes and As Part of an Extended Day :
• Achieve 3000
• Fast ForWord and Reading Assistant
from Scientific Learning
• Khan Academy Math
• SD Math
KDA’s Key Steps in Transforming
Teaching and Learning
Data, Data, Data (and more Data)
• Precise cycles of formative data collection and analysis
throughout the year (DIBELS / IDEL, SRI, Fountas & Pinnell
Reading Levels, Math Benchmarks, Language Arts
Benchmarks, Process Writing Tests, etc.)
• Tracking data for each student, not just by groups
• Teacher-selected data (work samples, videos, exit tickets)
• Weekly grade-level PLC meetings with
Principal and every teacher
• Frequent school-wide sharing and
celebrations of student academic
performance.
KDA’s Key Steps in Transforming
Teaching and Learning
Set Goals With Students and Families
• Every child, no matter how young, can understand how to set
a goal
• Every family wants to support their child’s growth; they want
honest answers and direct solutions
• Teachers, students, and parents must
always see themselves as a team
• Frequent check-ins to monitor
progress are essential
• Take time from the school’s
busy schedule to allow for robust
student / parent / teacher
conferences
A Sample of Goal-Setting with Students
and Families
Juan's SRI Lexile Reading Scores
540
3rd Grade Reading Level
520
520
500
480
460
??
440
420
400
420
September November
January
March
April
Juan's Goal
for June
YOUR TURN!
• Break into groups of 10 people (if you’re with a group of
colleagues from the same site or team, all the better!).
• Think back over the categories I used to describe the work at
KDA (or come up with some of your own):
•
•
•
•
•
Respond to the Social and Emotional Needs of the Community
Establish a Unity of Focus and Unity of Student Experience
Break Boundaries to Provide Acceleration
Data, Data, Data (and more Data)
Set Goals With Students and Families
• Write down ideas to support school transformation on cards
(Try to be general enough to serve the group’s purposes but
specific enough to serve your own purposes: e.g. “Get Mary to
talk to Paul about PLCs” is TOO specific, so “Focus Leadership
Teams on PLCs” is probably better for this context.)
YOUR TURN!
• Once everyone has generated 2 or 3 (or more) ideas, use the tape to
gather all ideas on the wall (or large flat surface) nearest you.
• Now, you’re going to silently read all of the ideas from your group.
Take several minutes to really read them through.
• Here’s the tricky part: We’re going to engage in dot-voting, thinking
about whether each idea is a feasible and will accelerate student
learning:
1.
2.
3.
Count the number of ideas in your group. Example: Our group has
23 ideas.
Divide the number of ideas by 3 and round up. This is the number
of dot-votes each person in your group is allotted. Example:
23÷3=7.6 rounds up to 8. Each person in this group would get 8
dot-votes.
Use your markers to “spend” your dot-votes. Spend no more than
3 dots per idea, and spend all of your dot-votes.
YOUR TURN!
• As a group identify, organize, and discuss the 4 ideas that
received the greatest number of dot-votes. Why did these
receive the greatest number of dot-votes?
• Assign a spokesperson for your group to share out which ideas
received the greatest number of dot-votes. Explain your
group’s thinking in selecting these ideas.
• If your idea received few or no votes, don’t despair! Stick with
it, polish it, share it, and think about how to “sell” it.
Remember: “Vox clamantis in deserto” (“The voice of one
crying out in the desert”). It worked for John the Baptist!
Let’s Talk it Out!
Let’s Stay in Touch
Please feel free to email or call me if you have questions or
would like to talk more:
Charles Wilson
Deputy Network Superintendent for Middle Schools
Oakland Unified School District
1000 Broadway, Suite 680
Oakland, CA 94607
charles.wilson@ousd.k12.ca.us
(cell) 415-794-3837