National SAM Innovation Project

• Examine your current assumptions/beliefs/priorities about instructional role that may lead you to a different level of engagement with those you supervise or support.
• Establish common language around the instructional work of leaders.
• Apply strategies for using TimeTrack and NoteTrack to support your work as an instructional leader and SAM.
• Apply strategies for using TimeTrack and NoteTrack to design appropriate interventions.
• Reflect on application of new learning to your work.
National SAM Innovation Project

“ The most exceptional school leaders succeed because of how they use their time – by spending it on what matters most: instructional leadership.”
National SAM Innovation Project

 are the things that have you working with other people
 in a focused way
 around problems of practice
 in high trust relationships.
National SAM Innovation Project

for
 30 second feedback
 5 minute feedback
 Reflective planning
 Positive reinforcement coaching
 Instructional coaching
 Small group coaching
 Teaching studies
National SAM Innovation Project

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MINI-OBSERVATIONS
1.
Unannounced
2.
3.
Frequent
Short
Feedback to improve the human dimension, adult learning:
4.
5.
Face-to-face
Perceptive
6.
7.
Humble
Courageous
Organizational details so the system runs well:
8.
Systematic
9.
10.
11.
12.
Documented
Linked to teacher teamwork
Linked to end-of-year teacher evaluation
Explained well
National SAM Innovation Project

Seven Levers of Instructional
Leadership
Data-Driven Instruction:
• Define the roadmap for rigor and adapt teaching to meet students’ needs
Observation & Feedback:
• Coach teachers to improve the learning
Planning:
• Prevent problems and guarantee strong lessons
Professional Development:
• Strengthen culture and instruction with handson training that sticks
National SAM Innovation Project

Seven Levers of Effective
Schools-Culture:
Student Culture
• Creating a rigorous, joyful student culture that drives learning and character development
Staff Culture
• Building a strong, supportive adult culture
Managing and Developing Leadership
Teams – Finding the Time
• Developing and managed additional instructional leaders who can lead implementation of the instructional levers

HOW LEADERS INFLUENCE . . .
Facilitating Work of
Coaches & Specialists
Leadership
Teams High Functioning
Content PLC ’ s
Faculty Meetings
Hall-Wall Availability
Frequent Short
Visits with CEIQ
Planning Conferences
Quality of
Teaching and
Learning
Professional
Development
Public Teaching
Formal Obs. & Reports
Study Groups
Walks
By where they show up & what they do Jon Saphier,
Research for Better Teaching

Who are the people who have influenced you as an instructional educator?

Who are the people who have influenced you in your instructional work?
Think of one of those people and briefly describe one instructional practice that you now engage in.
State the impact the practice has had on…
National SAM Innovation Project

Establish common language with TimeTrack descriptors and tools around the instructional work of educators who influence us.
Apply strategies for using TimeTrack and NoteTrack to support your work.
Apply strategies for using TimeTrack and NoteTrack to design appropriate interventions.
Reflect on application of new learning to your work.
National SAM Innovation Project

Kim Marshall
Strategies to get into classrooms/schools frequently:
A daily target
Poker chips in pocket
Rewarding oneself
A weekly target A checklist
Seeing results in classrooms
Secretary reminding
Superintendent asking, supporting
OR…
National SAM Innovation Project

Using TimeTrack to Leverage Leadership
 Using TimeTrack for Finding the Time through Building the Schedule
 Using NoteTrack for Observation and Feedback
Accountability

Locking Key Drivers into Place for You and Your Team

Task
• Create the most measurable goal for each “lever” that will guarantee the highest student achievement
Criteria for Evaluating Your Goals
• If we meet this goal, will we be using this lever for maximal benefit towards student achievement?
• Can we actually measure whether we reach this goal?

Building Your Schedule: Pre-work
Schedule Monthly District/School Events
September 2016

Building Your Schedule: Pre-work
•
•
•
Principal
Count the # of instructional leaders in the school or on your team
Figure out the leader-to-core teacher ratio
Goal is to get to 15 to 1 for weekly observations, or 30 to 1 for bi-weekly observations
If a large school: determine if principal will solely manage other instructional leaders or if principal will also manage some teachers directly
National SAM Innovation Project
Principal Manager
•
•
•
Count the # of instructional leaders on your team that could manage principals
Figure out the principal manager-to-principal ratio
Goal: 8 to 1 for weekly check-ins, or 15 to 1 for bi-weekly check-ins
Determine: who will you manage? Your deputy?
Other ILs?

•
Principal
Block out all the time where principal will most often be busy with student/parent/external issues
• when principal must be with students, often have parent meetings, receive tours, etc.
Principal Manager
•
Block out these time when you will have nonschool based meetings or external issues
•
CELA meetings, other CPS meetings, etc..
National SAM Innovation Project

Principal
Add all teacher/non-teacher meetings principal will have in
2015-16 (individual, team, PD)
Schedule for realistic time blocks, one hour, 30 minutes
Schedule each teacher the principal will meet with weekly
Principal Manager
Write each principal you will meet with weekly
For bi-weekly principals, write the names of two principals

•
•
•
Principal
Map out the core times when principal can do observations
Goal: observation time occurs before principal will meet with the teacher each week
Goal: 10-15 min per teacher principal will observe
Principal Manager
•
Map out the core times when you can do walkthroughs of the schools
• If ratio is 8:1 or less: schedule “Teacher 1” through “Teacher 8”
• If ratio is between 8:1 and 15:1: write two teacher names (“Teacher 1-2”, “Teachers 3-4”, etc.)
• If ratio is more than 15:1: write four teacher names (“Teachers 1-4,” “Teachers 5-8”, etc.)
National SAM Innovation Project

Principal
Identify big picture work time (2-3 hrs):
Block out 1-2 times in the week where principal can work uninterrupted
If during day, principal need to be able to practically disappear
(leave office) and have First
Responders manage anything other than a crisis
Principal Manager
Identify big picture work time (2-3 hrs.):
Block out 1-2 times in the week where you can work uninterrupted
National SAM Innovation Project

SAM Teams, discuss…
1.
Where might this schedule not work? Is there a change we could make to mitigate that?
2.
What do we need the schedules of the rest of the school’s leadership team to look like in order to support this schedule?

How can this schedule make your instructional leadership support more effective?
What about this schedule makes regular observation happen more consistently?
What are the big takeaways for building your principal/principal supervisor schedule and your leadership team ’ s schedules?

What am I afraid will be the hardest for me to maintain?
What is the one thing you believe
How can you (my
SAM) help hold me accountable to succeed in this area next year?
National SAM Innovation Project

Now that You’ve Observed,
How Do you Follow-up?

Observation & Feedback: The Four Keys:
Schedule of Regular Observations:
• Lock in frequent and regular observations

National SAM Innovation Project

Observation & Feedback: The Four
Keys:
Right Action
Steps:
• Choose the best instructional descriptors for change in each classroom/prin cipal observation

Observation & Feedback: The Four Keys:
To focus the principals on getting into classes often and having productive conversations with teachers, SAMs can ask:
 “How often do you visit classes and how long do you stay?”
[We want about 10 times a week for 15-20 minutes each. That’s doable, and they can start to do it with a little push from the SAM!]
 “What is your purpose?”
[Many valid purposes could be mentioned. A main one is to get data on how well the student learning is proceeding during that visit, and to set up a short but productive conversation with the teacher afterward.]
 “How do you get ready for your conversation with the teacher?”
National SAM Innovation Project

 “How do you pick the teachers/principals/schools you visit?”
[ There should be a variety, not just teachers of concern.
The reason is that a “visit” from the principal should not be construed as “You’re in trouble.” It is an opportunity for every teacher in the school to have a reflective dialog with an informed observer.]
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"Are there teachers you're worried about?"
"Are there teachers who deserve special commendation and a wider role?"
 “How do you ensure you can keep a schedule that gets you to classes often enough?”
[There are many time-management strategies to use, e.g., having one’s secretary block in certain class periods months in advance and fill in the teachers’ names during the current week.]
National SAM Innovation Project

Observation & Feedback: The Four
Keys:
Effective Feedback: Give face-to-face feedback that practices action steps outlined in NoteTrack

Observation & Feedback: The Four Keys:
Accountability: Create systems to ensure feedback translates to practice.

I used
NoteTrack for…
I’m now thinking about using
NoteTrack for…
National SAM Innovation Project

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Set measurable goals
Identify instructional descriptors that meet those goals
Consistently reconcile and review data/charts to measure those goals
Make a Monthly schedule
Make a weekly schedule
Be flexible
Act!

National SAM Innovation Project

Are you spending between 40 and 50 percent of your time directly working with leaders in ways that will make a difference?
If not, who is?
National SAM Innovation Project

To involve members in spreading a vision of high quality learning and teaching across an entire school.
Glickman
To increase the opportunity and the capacity of schools to make a difference for student learning.
Sergiovanni
National SAM Innovation Project