Olmsted Falls City Schools
Teacher-Based Teams at Work
OLAC Statewide Leadership Summit
June 14, 2010
http://bulldogcia.com
Presenters
Suzanne Gross
Mark Kurz
Dr. Jim Lloyd
Diane Norris
Chris Odon
Lisa Williams
8th Grade Social Studies Teacher
OFMS Principal
Assistant Superintendent
8th Grade Social Studies Teacher
8th Grade CBI Teacher
Title I Instructional Coach at OFMS
Conference Focal Points
 OLAC Focus Area 2—Focused Goal Setting
 OLAC Focus Area 3—Instruction & the Learning Process
 Using collaborative structures and processes (TBTs)
Presentation Objectives
 Learn what the role of the central office administrator,
building administrator and teachers are in this process
 Learn how collaborative teaming can be a powerful way
to establish a common instructional language
 Observe the application of our professional development
 Understand how the district created a greater degree of
focus and applies its common instructional language
within a specific subject area
Greatness is not a function of
circumstance. Greatness, it turns
out, is largely a matter of
conscious choice, and discipline.
-Jim Collins, Good to Great in the
Social Sector
OFCS Demographics
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20 miles southwest of Cleveland in Cuyahoga County
Top LRC rating for 10 years in a row
3,800 enrollment
5 schools
 O.F. Early Childhood Cntr (PreK-K)
 Falls-Lenox Primary (1-3)
 O.F. Intermediate School (4-5)
 O.F. Middle School (6-8)
 O.F. High School (9-12)
 1 building in S.I Year 1 and another At-Risk
Establishing District
Curriculum, Instruction &
Assessment Coherence
Dr. Jim Lloyd, Assistant Superintendent
CIA Coherence
Our Job Embedded Professional Development
Curriculum
High Quality
Instruction
Balanced Assessment
(formative & summative)
Programs
Establishing Coherence
Professional Development Products
 Considerable curriculum mapping
 Identification of most important learning targets
 Identification of instructional anchors through Big
Ideas & Essential Questions
 Common framework for instructional unit design
Professional Development Application
 Building level commitments to make learning clarity
a reality (learning targets v. teacher activities)
 A district commitment to formative assessment as a
matter of instructional practice
Building Focused Capacity Through…
Job Embedded Professional Development
 Vision was established, planned and adhered to
across the system
 Purposeful, focused, systematic and on-going
Macro-educational strategies
 Clarity of learning targets
 Formative assessment of programs
 Student feedback
Formative Assessment Framework
Where am I going?
1. Provide a clear statement of the learning target
2. Use examples and models
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 focused lessons
6. Teach students focused revision
7. Engage students in self-reflection; let them keep
track of and share their learning
Chappuis, J. (2009). Seven strategies of assessment for learning. Portland,
OR: ETS.
Unit Design Framework
 Served as our C.I. & A. planning tool
 Brought cohesiveness and additional collaboration
to:
 PD learning outcomes and products
 It focuses on implementation
What is happening
differently in our classrooms
as a result of the work we
do?
Olmsted Falls Middle School
Olmsted Falls Middle School
It is the vision of all staff that
by the end of 8th grade all
of our students will display
characteristics of Bulldog
P.R.I.D.E. by being:
Persistent, positive,
powerful
• Respectful, responsible,
resourceful
• Innovative, intelligent,
independent
• Dedicated, diligent,
diverse
• Empathetic, enthusiastic,
extraordinary
Teacher-Based Team Structure
 Academic Grade Level Teams
 Three 6th Grade Teams (1 team of 4 and 2 teams of 3)
 Two 7th Grade Teams (2 teams of 5)
 Two 8th Grade Teams (2 teams of 5)
 Wheel Team
 Music (Band & Choir)
 Art
 Life Skills
 Technology Education
 Foreign Language
 Health
 Physical Education Team
 Student Services Team
 Principal
 Assistant Principal
 Counselors
 School Psychologist
Horizontal & Vertical Articulation
Structures
 Same Department & Cross Grade Department
Meetings
 Curriculum & Assessment Planning
 Unit Planning
 Same Grade & Cross Department Team Meetings
 Discuss students’ strengths and areas of need
 Intervention planning
Collaboration
 Requires communication that is honest, direct, and
respectful
 Requires trust between and among all stakeholders
 Requires assistance that includes encouragement,
modeling, and recognition of implementation
approximations
 Requires support for taking implementation risks
Monitoring Implementation &
Feedback
 We want our students to monitor their own learning
for the sake of knowing where they are, where they
are going, and how they are going to get to where
they need to be
 We need to do the same and monitor our
implementation and give each other feedback that
feeds forward as a way to increase ownership for
our learning
 If it is worth doing, it is worth monitoring
Leadership Implications
 Must have faith and believe that what you are doing
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is the right stuff
If you are doing the right stuff then you must have
faith and believe that it matters
Allocation of resources (time, staffing, schedules)
Affirm efforts and approximations
Management of the storm
Be willing to take two steps back and one step
forward
OFMS Unit Design Framework

Grade Level Indicator
 (H5) Explain major domestic problems faced by the
leaders of the new republic under the Articles of
Confederation
Student Friendly Language
 To explain major domestic problems (within the nation) the
leaders of the new republic faced under the Articles of
Confederation
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
I can explain how maintaining national security (keeping our
country safe) was a problem.
I can explain how creating a stable economic system (trade
and currency) was a problem.
I can explain how dealing with war debt ($27 million from
American Revolution) was a problem.
I can explain how collecting revenue (taxation) was a problem.
I can explain how defining the authority of the central
(national) government was a problem.
 Grade Level Indicator
 (Gov 7) Explain how the Northwest Ordinance
established principles and procedures for the orderly
expansion of the United States
 Student Friendly Language
 To explain how the Northwest Ordinance governed
the division of the land and established principles and
procedures for orderly expansion of the United States
Identified Big Ideas and
Essential Questions
 Big Idea
 The weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation led
to the creation of the United States Constitution.
 Essential Question
 Why was the United Stated Constitution created?
Clear Learning Targets
 Strategies to make learning targets clear before, during, and
after instruction:
 Student “I can” statements produced on a handout that is
given to students at the start of the unit (see example in
packet).
 Present the unit’s essential question at the beginning and
throughout the instructional unit.
 List of key terms and concepts given to students in the form
of a study guide.
 Ask students to state the learning targets and make
predictions about the learning targets.
 Post learning targets in the classroom.
Formative Assessments
 A formative assessment is utilized for each section of
the chapter (see example in packet)
 Linked to learning targets
 Includes self assessment – predict the score and explain why
 Additional practice, instruction, and/or assignments are
given to students who do not do well on formative
assessments (see example in packet)
 Minute-to-minute formative assessments
 Provide a fact
 Use of white boards
Summative Assessments
 Common unit test (see example student answer
sheet in packet)
 All items are linked to learning targets
 Students analyze the results of their summative
assessments and make necessary corrections to
review information and earn additional credit
 Teacher use of data to guide instruction and analyze
test items
Test Item Analysis
How did the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 affect the
practice of slavery in the Northwest Territory?
(GOV7)
A) It banned the use of slaves. (130)
B) It determined a fixed wage for slaves. (0)
C) It regulated the slave trade. (2)
D) It granted slaves access to public education. (1)
130 = Correct
3 = Incorrect
Test Item Analysis
Which of the following indicates that there was an economic
depression in the United Sates after the Revolutionary War?
(GOV3b)
A) Trade laws differed across states and each state
followed its own interests. (7)
B) Trade activity was minimal and unemployment was
on the rise. (72)
C) The country went deeper into debt as it raised
taxes. (8)
D) The price of goods was rising but the value of
money was decreasing. (46)
72 = Correct
61 = Incorrect
Instruction and Student
Activities
 Learning Target: (GOV 7) To explain how the
Northwest Ordinance governed the division of the
land and established principles and procedures for
orderly expansion of the United States.
 Anticipation Guide Question
_____ 10) Ohio was part of the Northwest Territory
Pg._____Para._____Proof:_____________________
Map Activity with Questions
1) Why was the land sold to
the public?
2) What two things were
required in each
township?
3) How many people were
needed in each territory to
write a constitution and
ask to join the union?
4) Why do you think they
banned slavery in the
Northwest Territory?
5) Why was the Continental
Congress so specific with
the details of this territory?
The Northwest Ordinance, officially titled
“An Ordinance for the Government of the
Territory of the United States North West of
the River Ohio,” was adopted by the
Confederation Congress on July 13, 1787.
Also known as the Ordinance of 1787, the
Northwest Ordinance established a
government for the Northwest Territory,
outlined the process for admitting a new state
to the Union, and guaranteed that newly
created states would be equal to the original
thirteen states…
Formative Progress Report
Questions
1) Slavery was allowed in the Northwest Territory. (GOV7)
True or False
K_____ DK_____
2) What were two things required in the Northwest Territory
within a 36 square mile radius? (GOV7)
a._______________ b._________________
K_____ DK_____
3) Name one thing that was valued in the Northwest Territory.
(GOV7)________________________________________
K_____ DK_____
Jeopardy Review Game
Questions
Name one principle or law
created in the Northwest
Territory.
Borrow money
Make treaties w/ other
countries and natives
Make coins
Settle conflicts among states
Could ask for money and
soldiers
Summative Assessment
Question
 Short Answer (2 points)
The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 established
procedures and principals for the orderly expansion
of the United States. Identify one principle or
procedure that was required in the Northwest
Territory and explain its lasting impact. (GOV7)
Questions?
http://bulldogCIA.com
jlloyd@ofcs.net
mkurz@ofcs.net
lwilliams@ofcs.net
sgross@ofcs.net
dnorris@ofcs.net
codon@ofcs.net