Effective Instruction in a Turnaround
School- Instructional Focus
REL Appalachia
Featuring Ms. Kathy Fields
Lead Instructional Administrator
Jessamine County Schools
Introduction
• Dr. Robert Muller, Director of REL Appalachia
– About the Regional Educational Laboratory
Appalachia
– What the research says about using data to inform
instruction
– Introducing our presenter
Conducting Research and Connecting it to Practice
REL Appalachia provides Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia,
and West Virginia with research and technical assistance to:
 Raise student achievement, close achievement gaps
 Inform policymaking and classroom practice
REL Appalachia accomplishes this by:
 Conducting research on regional education issues
 Providing direct assistance to state and local educators
www.relappalachia.org
www.AskAREL.org
Bridging Research and Practice Events:
Putting Research to Work
• Participants
 Leading Researchers in the Field
 Local and State-level Educators and Policymakers
• Topics of Regional Interest
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Dropout Prevention
Turning around Low-Performing Schools
Response to Intervention in Reading
Data-driven Decision Making
• Research Vetted through Rigorous Review Process
 U.S. Department of Education, Institute for Educational Sciences (IES)
Turning Around Chronically Low-Performing Schools Practice Guide
The recommendations of the Practice
Guide:
1. Signal the need for dramatic
change with strong leadership
2. Maintain a consistent focus on
improving instruction
3. Provide visible improvements
early in the turnaround process
(quick wins)
4. Build a committed staff
The Importance of Effective Instruction in School Turnaround
• Evidence suggests that in order to achieve school turnaround
schools must maintain a sharp focus on improving instruction
Your role in improving instruction…
• Principals- school leaders must become the instructional leader
• Teachers- must change instruction to meet new goals
Successful Implementation…
With a focus on improving instruction,
teachers and school administrators will:
• Examine student achievement data
• Analyze instruction in light of progress
towards standards
• Determine specific areas of weakness in
instruction
• Make themselves highly visible in the
classroom (principals)
• Base professional development analysis
of weaknesses
• Conduct a comprehensive curriculum
review
• Continually monitor data, looking for ways
to improve instruction
A little about you…
• We’d like to know a little more about where our
participants today are coming from:
– Tell us if you attended:
 The event on school turnaround in Gatlinburg, TN on October 18-19
 The event on school turnaround in Louisville, KY on October 28
– In the question box, type in how many are watching with you if
you are watching with a group.
Presenter: Ms. Kathy Fields
• Currently Lead Instructional Administrator of Jessamine County
Schools
• Led West Jessamine Middle School in a dramatic school turnaround
resulting in movement from Tier 4 status to AYP in a two-year period
• Effectively implemented adolescent literacy model in order to
achieve school turnaround
Rigorous and Effective Instruction
When observing teaching and learning, during a walk-through or during
an evaluation, I look for the following:
• Clear learning targets that are “student friendly” and tied to a
standard.
• Lesson plans aligned to content standards that include assessment
that measure objectives.
• Examples of continuous assessment~ data used to drive instruction.
• Rigorous student work for all~ differentiated as needed but
accelerated for all.
• Actively engaged learners~ I want to see students “breaking the
academic sweat”.
• A risk-free learning environment that is framed by positive teacherstudent relationships.
• Evidence of collaborative planning (for collaborative classes).
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School-wide Content Literacy Model
Content literacy model for West Middle:
• For 5 years, West Middle had struggled and failed to achieve the
NCLB reading goal for all students.
• Third year in tier status, West Middle became part of the Striving
Readers grant.
• Through participation in a research study, “Striving Readers”, West
Middle implemented a school-wide literacy model which provided
teachers with common language, strategies, and expectations.
Through workshops provided by the Collaborative for Teaching and
Learning, the entire staff participated in an intense professional
development that included internal and external coaching.
• There was a school-wide emphasis upon “Power Verbs”.
• The literacy coach modeled strategies in classrooms and provided
“mini P.D.’s” during monthly faculty meetings.
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Using Data to Drive Instruction
• Using data effectively is critical.
Teachers must use assessment data to measure learning and to
determine what to do next if learning has not been achieved.
This is the real “rocket science” of teaching!
Teachers must isolate incidents of “gaps” and determine the individual
learning needs of their students.
• Instructional leaders must monitor data and determine the
effectiveness of interventions.
It is important that instructional leaders review school-wide and
classroom data to measure progress. Teachers must be held
accountable for student progress. Data retreats and data reviews help
school leaders take the pulse of student performance and to monitor
the effectiveness of interventions.
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Math Literacy Video (http://vimeo.com/16775048)
• Application of literacy strategies used to build
content mastery.
• Clear content connections.
• Use of the Frayer model as a consistent
strategy across classrooms. Creating a common
approach and focus.
• Rigorous vocabulary and modeling fluent use of
terminology.
• Review of prior of work with direct connection to
new learning.
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Science Literacy Video (http://vimeo.com/16775135)
• This teacher is creating a print rich environment, and honoring
student work by displaying routinely on the wall. (Word Wall)
• Students are asked to produce work on the board and to reflect on
the images/examples they see being portrayed.
• Student construct their own knowledge.
• Students are also expected to be able to explain their thinking. The
teacher does add more but allows the student to explain first.
• Rigor use of vocabulary~ Students were interacting with the
vocabulary through the Word Wall and the graffiti strategy.
• Real-life examples were student generated.
• Teacher modeled example of vocabulary.
• Teacher acted as facilitator.
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Closing Thoughts
• Instructional leaders must observe and evaluate teaching and
learning. Use tools such as professional growth, professional
support, or corrective action plans as needed.
• Our students deserve the best teacher, in every classroom, every
day. Settle for no less.
• Data must be used to drive instruction and to plan interventions.
• A school-wide content literacy model promotes school-wide focus.
• Literacy coaches are crucial when dealing with teachers who
struggle with literacy strategies.
• Literacy strategies can be applied across all content.
• Students, not teachers, should break “academic sweat”.
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About this Presentation
• Kathy Fields
Jessamine County Schools
kathy.fields@jessamine.kyschools.us
• REL Appalachia
www.relappalachia.org
relappalachia@cna.org
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Thank You For Participating
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OR
www.achievingschoolturnaround.com
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Let us know how we can continue to
assist you - Please contact us if you
have further questions at
www.relappalachia.org
Get answers to your questions at
www.AskAREL.org
Upcoming Events:
• November 30: Webinars about school
turnaround - hear from successful
principals