SDCO Fall Professional Newsletter No. 5, December 2007
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NSDC Conference Reflection from Sharon Jones,
"Passion persuades."
– Anita Roddick
I've just returned from the NSDC conference in Dallas, going from warm, sunny mid-60 degree temperatures to grey, cold mid-20 degrees in a matter of two hours. Though the conference days were long, and I returned to a gloomy, overcast Cleveland, I was so inspired by ideas and new learnings I wish to share that I remain energized. If you've never attended an NSDC conference, make that a priority. The offerings are both solid and inspirational, and I encourage you to attend. (Speaking of learning, I also encourage your attendance at our SDCO conference with Joellen Killion in January, explained in another part of our newsletter.)
A New Era in Professional Learning
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Registration at 8:30 AM
The Staff Development Council of Ohio is thrilled that
Ohio will
be the first to hear about Stephanie Hirsh and
Joellen Killion's newest book on Professional Learning!
Joellen Killion will be presenting at the SDCO's
annual conference at the Educational Service Center of Franklin County. Registration will be limited to the
first 160 participants; so do not wait too long!
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SDCO has the good fortune to add Deborah Tully to the board. Tully is the Director of Professional Issues for the Ohio Federation of Teachers. Prior to her current position, she was a Field Coordinator working with OFT locals in labor relations. As Director of Professional Issues, Deb deals with those matters that impact OFT members' performance in the classroom, including working with other state education organizations, the Ohio Department of Education, the Ohio State Board of Education, and legislators to promote policy that improves the teaching and learning conditions in Ohio schools.
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2007 SOAR Award for High Progress Recipient
http://battelleforkids.org/home/soar
Waggoner Road Junior High School in Reynoldsburg, Ohio was one of the 2007 SOAR Award for High Progress Recipient. Tyrone Olverson, a SDCO board member, is the principal of Waggoner Road Junior High. Last year he led both schools (Baldwin and Waggoner) under the name of Reynoldsburg Junior high School before the new building was opened in August 2007.
"Our school earned the SOAR Award as a demonstration of the impact teachers can have when they collaborate on student learning. Our teachers focused their meetings and conversations around teaching and learning and how to utilize data in driving classroom instruction. The teachers are truly to be commended for a fine job as they met the challenging question posed by Superintendent Dr. Richard Ross, Are you teaching math at the junior high school?" said Olverson.
Teacher Collaboration in Raising
Student Achievement
By Tyrone L. Olverson and Sandra Ritchey
Are you teaching math? Reynoldsburg City School District Superintendent Dr. Richard Ross frequently asked this simple question to Reynoldsburg Junior High School's administration and math teachers. The teachers, in response to the constant barrage of questioning and public criticism of not meeting the 7th grade mathematics state benchmark of 75%, met to devise a plan of action. Their action plan required that teachers, during the 2006-2007 school year, create, implement, and analyze Quarterly Common Assessments and its data as part of their department meetings. Student results from the quarterly assessments provided timely feedback.
Teachers utilized the results from the assessments to monitor which instructional strategies were more effective based on the data and academic gains. Areas of weakness on the common assessments were reviewed and discussed. General weaknesses were analyzed to determine if the clarity of the question was the cause, or whether it was an area in which a different instructional approach was needed. Individual teachers reviewed their data and assessed what more could they have done to improve student performances in mathematics. The teachers working collaboratively went about their work with an attitude of "No Blame, No Shame, and No Excuses" in assisting students toward mastery of mathematical content and skills.
Read more about teaching collaboration.
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The State Board approved a Master Teacher definition. Senate Bill 2 requires that the Educator Standards Board (ESB) develop a Master Teacher definition and criteria. It also requires that school districts report their number of Master Teachers at both the building and district level on the Local Report Card. This reporting will begin in fall 2008. In October, the State Board of Education approved the Master Teacher definition and criteria proposed by the Standards Board. The Ohio Department of Education is initiating a pilot program with eight school districts for the Master Teacher designation in November. ODE will keep districts informed of the results and the process and timelines for school districts statewide.
Read more about Master Teacher.
Districts looking for high-quality professional development in the area of instructional technology often seek the services of out-of-district resources that may include vendors or support service agencies. Euclid Schools, a first-ring suburb of Cleveland, has thought a bit differently about professional development the past few years. The district has taken advantage of full-day in-service opportunities by taping into the wealth of knowledge and experience within their own district. Read more about the Euclid PD Conference |
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BOOK REVIEW: Change or Die: Three Keys to Change at Work and in Life Written by Alan Deutschman, Harper Collins Publishers, 2007 (ISBN: 10-06-0886897) By Rita Glavin
Read More of the Deutschman Book Review |
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Minutes from the November SDCO Board Meeting The SDCO Executive Board met on November 15, 2007 at the Educational Service Center of Franklin County. Lead by president, Sharon Jones, the Board is actively attending to its own professional development by engaging in a yearlong book study. The Board is reading and discussing Building the Bridge As You Walk On It by Robert E. Quinn. This is a reader friendly book that lends itself to insightful reflection and rich discussion. The author’s major premise is that the essence of leadership is about who we are, not what we do. The Board has found that participating in this particular book study has prompted personal revitalization and professional growth.
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TRY THIS: Which of the above best describes you? Here's a way to find out. Read the following sentence and count the number of times the letter "f" appears. Finished files are the result of years |
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Yah we know...you have 74 sick days accumulated. And the teacher next to you at lunch does that one up thing, "Oh yah, well I got 204!" Whatever, what's wrong with using one? You can feel the beginnings of the runny nose, scratchy throat, coughing and your medicine chest is empty. But then teacher reality kicks in, "If I take one day off, it will take me a week to undo what the substitute teacher did." Well, it may be too late for this cold, but what can you do about the next one?
http://healthresources.caremark.com/topic/coldquiz |
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www.k12tlc.net/front.net Great Quality! Great Value! Subscriptions Are Only $117/school/year or less! |
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WELLNESS... Stopping the Common Cold
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One of the keynote speakers, anthropologist Dr. Jennifer James, the "Margaret Mead of Modern Business," left me with thoughts to ponder. She questioned why common sense isn't common practice. Good question, right? She also provided strong suggestions, and I'm planning on concentrating on them in the new year. Allow me to share some of her key points:
- Tolerate ambivalence
- Be clear about your vocation. Ask yourself, "Why am I here?" and be ready with strong, specific answers.
- Be aware of invisible people
- Be aware of power struggles
- Build trust through integrity
My hope is that 2008 gives us many reasons to celebrate, and if we attend to Dr. James' suggestions and our professional development, we'll have a focus, which will, no doubt, lead to measurable results. I wish you a new-year rich in learning.
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Joellen Killion Workshop continued
By Sherri
Houghton
Joellen's presentation will be very informative for LPDCs and Staff Development Committees, as well as Staff Development Coordinators and Coaches. Teachers and Administrators who help plan professional learning will also find this very helpful. Districts implementing or considering implementation of Professional Learning Communities will leave with an understanding of how authentic implementation of a PLC can meet the expectations outlined in these new principles.
All participants will be among the first to receive a copy of Stephanie and Joellen's new book, which will not be available in mid December 2007. Joellen is a highly respected presenter and the day will be an excellent model of high quality professional learning. The Staff Development Council Executive Board will provide continuing support for individual participants and team by providing two follow-up sessions in a region close to participants. These sessions will be structured around the needs of the participants and will include increasing participants understanding on the new Ohio Standards for Professional Development and how they relate to this work. Participants attending all three sessions and completing a final project will be eligible to receive one semester hour of graduate credit from Ashland University for any additional $163.
Please go to our website at www.sdcohio.org to register for this conference, before it is filled. Registration forms, more information and costs are available in more detail on the website. If you have additional questions you can email sdco@earthlink.net.
an additional $163. Participants must attend all three sessions to be eligible for credit and will complete an additional project.
Teams of three or more are encouraged to register for this training with the fourth registration being free and a reduced rate for teams. This would be ideal professional learning for LPDC's and building or district staff development committees. The follow-up study groups can be tailored to fit the needs of the individual teams. SDCO Board Members will serve as coaches or facilitators for the follow-up sessions. This will be a perfect extension of the Coaching training that Joellen presented last year. Staff Developers, Administrators, and Classroom Teachers will all benefit from this learning experience.
Individual registrations will be $285 and teams of three or more will be $230 a participant with the fourth registration free. Joellen's presentation on Jan. 30 will be from 9-4 at the ESC of Franklin County at 2080 Citygate Drive, Columbus, Ohio 43219. All participants will receive a complimentary year of membership in SDCO. Continental breakfast and lunch will be served for Joelle's presentation, and all participants will receive a copy of the new book, The Learning Educator: A New Era in Professional Learning written by Joellen Killion and Stephanie Hirsch, new Executive Director of NSDC.
Registration information will soon be available on our website or request additional information and/registration forms by emailing sdco@earthlink.net Please put January 30 on your calendar! Registration will be limited to 160 participants. Last year the conference closed early with 175 participants. So plan to register early.
Tully has worked extensively with the Ohio Federation of Teachers as a trustee of the Building Fund, the Coordinator of Field Services, OFT liaison with the Ohio Department of Education, president, vice president, secretary, member of its executive council, member of its leadership team, member of its negotiations team, and building representative.
Her teaching experience includes instructor at AFT Great Lakes Union Leadership Institute, trainer for OFT at various conferences, and a teacher at Mad River-Green Schools. Her twenty-three years of teaching experience came in grades K-2, with seventeen spent teaching 7th grade language arts, dealing with adolescent literacy on a daily basis.
Deb received her BS from Boston College in Psychology and Sociology in 1974 and an MA in Early Childhood Education from Wheelock College in 1975.
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SOAR Award for High Progress continued
Battelle for Kids Launched the SOAR Award for High Progress in 2006. This award was designed to acknowledge Ohio schools participating in SOAR, Battelle for Kids' school improvement collaborative, for making high academic progress in multiple grade levels and subjects over three years.
The 2007 SOAR Award for High Progress recipient schools are among approximately the top 3.5 percent of schools (out of 435 eligible SOAR schools) making exceptional growth with their students (2005-2007).
Teacher Collaboration in Raising Student Achievement, continued
By Tyrone L. Olverson and Sandra Ritchey
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Out of the math meetings came about three types of math intervention programs. One program featured a hands-on mathematics approach where select students were targeted by prior student achievement data during the summer of 2006. The teacher individualized her math instruction to meet the needs of each child in her class. She investigated each child's learning style and incorporated specific instructional strategies to meet the differentiated learning styles. Her classes were filled with a variety of engaging activities that promoted student interactions and participation. The class was run as a learning community where every student was expected to participate in the learning process, as each student brought a special talent to the class.
Another intervention program consisted of two intervention teachers who targeted a small group of students who received a second class period of mathematics daily. Many of these students, based on prior years' school data, just missed being proficient on the state achievement test. Specialized instruction was provided in hopes that the students would be successful during the next state testing. Teachers in these classes taught mastery skills designed to fill academic skill gaps. Teachers provided one-on-one support, whole group instruction and reviewed building-wide content deficiency areas. These teachers created and shared lesson plans that targeted building-wide mathematical weaknesses and frequently assessed items.
The last intervention was a change in our enrichment program designed as an Action Research project to accelerate student achievement of students already exceeding state minimum standards based on their achievement history in mathematics. The teacher working with the enriched students reorganized her classes so that she could teach Algebra I to the 7th grade students who demonstrated mastery of 7th grade standards from the start, and were ready for a more rigorous course. In the past, only a few students were accelerated through the standards to take Algebra I as 7th graders and then geometry as 8th graders. Historically, the school sent roughly five students to the high school for Geometry instruction.
The reorganization of the classes was supported and driven by data. As a result of the reorganization plan, the teacher ended up with an additional 20+ students receiving Algebra I within our junior high building. The reorganization of her classes proved to be fruitful and wise as the lowest of her enriched student sections received an additional 15 minutes of instruction daily. The academic gap between the lowest and highest performing enriched students based on common assessment data were less than 5 points. The notion of accelerating the top and bottom student groups while strengthening the middle group of our highest achieving math students was a critical piece in the math department improvements.
Data from 2006-2007 was utilized in creating our 2007-2008 math schedules as well. Based on the reorganization of the math program and how we look at data, we (Waggoner Road Junior High School) currently have 31 8th grade students taking Geometry and 40+ 7th grade students taking Algebra I. The numbers in the enrichment program have grown; however, it will change due to having two junior high schools now.
Overall, teachers of the math intervention program have utilized "teach to mastery" instructional strategies. Math teachers working collaboratively and using data from common assessments drove instructional practices that raise student achievement. Due to the efforts of these dedicated teachers, Battelle recognized Reynoldsburg Junior High School this fall for Kids for our progress in raising math achievement. In the 7th grade, math scores increased over 20 points (36% increase) from 58% (Spring 2006) to 78% (Spring 2007)! Teachers have worked on their CRAFT increasing student achievement. CRAFT is teachers collaborating on teaching and learning, reflecting on their practice, adapting instruction to meet the needs of the students, and using data in a timely manner to focus attention. We now know what works, so our next challenge is to utilize CRAFT in raising our science and social studies achievement scores. We know we can produce similar results to those of the math teachers, who collaborated to make a difference for kids.
Below are the criteria required for the SOAR Value-Added award:
Reynoldsburg Junior High School (Waggoner Road Junior High School & Baldwin Road Junior High School) is being recognized and awarded on behalf of Battelle for Kids for the 2007 SOAR Award for High Progress. This annual award is designed to acknowledge Ohio schools participating in SOAR for their high academic progress in multiple grade
levels and subjects over the past three years (school years 2005-2007).
As an award recipient, we are among approximately the top 3.5% of schools (out of 435 eligible schools) making exceptional growth with our students.
2007 SOAR Award for High Progress Award Criteria: To qualify for the 2007 SOAR Award for High Progress, schools must be part of the Battelle for Kids' SOAR school improvement collaborative and show:
- A minimum of 18 indicators of school effectiveness in the three most recent school years (2005-2007). Each grade and subject analyzed represents an indicator.
- Above average growth in the three most recent school years (2005-2007). Average growth is measured by averaging three years of cumulative gain index (CGI) scores (CGI = School Effect / Standard Error). An average CGI score of 2.0 or higher is required.
- Consistency in school effects across grades and subjects, which is validity by ensuring there is a 95 percent certainty that the average cumulative gain index is at least 1.5% or higher.
- Above average school effects on common state-administered tests in the most recent school year. An average CGI of 1.0 higher is required.
- Minimal negative school effects in the most recent year's analysis. Less than 25 percent of the most recent year's school effects are below average.
The Ohio Department of Education, continued The eight Ohio districts participating in the Master Teacher Pilot:
By Julia L. Simmerer
Director, Office of Educator Standards
Euclid Teach 2.0 Technology Conference, continued
By John Schweitzer
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They have begun to utilize this day for sharing best practices. This past November, the Instructional Technology Department organized a professional development opportunity titled "Teach 2.0" for over 500 teachers and administrators. Planning for the event started in the spring when promotion of the Euclid Summer Institute began.
"The Summer Institute is a crucial part of the success of Teach 2.0," said Ted Lysiak, Director of Instructional Technology for the district. "During the summer we offer a great deal of training to our teachers on technology. We just implemented a 1:1 laptop program for all of our teaching staff and wanted to support that with some intense training."
Between June and August, teachers attending the Summer Institute trainings all generated standards-based lessons, rich with technology that they were charged with implementing during the upcoming school year. These lessons became the foundation of Euclid's Teach 2.0 Technology Conference in November.
Across the district, teachers and education partners like eTech Ohio and the Euclid Public Libraries were urged to submit proposals that would showcase best practices in educational technology. Teachers then registered online for the sessions they wanted to attend.
"Teachers were able to choose from over 150 presentations by nearly 80 different presenters. Our department worked very hard to make sure that the technology was being presented in a way that supported district goals and initiatives," continued Lysiak.
Some of the more popular sessions included demonstrations of how instructional video from United Streaming can be used in the classroom, how Web 2.0 tools can enhance instruction, and sessions on how teachers are using technology to support the district's newly adopted Comprehensive Literacy Framework.
"We really wanted our teachers to walk away from the day feeling energized and with some creative ideas to bring back to their classrooms. From the conference evaluations we received, the teachers felt the day was extremely valuable" said Lysiak.
This is the second time the district has conducted such an in-service, and it is growing in popularity among neighboring districts. Several teachers from nearby schools heard about the previous in-service and inquired about participating in the professional development this past November. The district hopes these types of partnerships will continue to grow.
Euclid's Teach 2.0 Technology Conference is an example of the creativity and innovation that can arise from capitalizing on resources already at work in a district. The opportunity provided a successful forum for best practices to be shared on topics that continue to push teaching and learning forward.
Book Review: Change or Die: Three Keys to Change at Work and in Life continued
By Rita Glavin
Deutschman provides some very sensible suggestions. Through real life stories, he explains that there are many myths and misconceptions about the change process. In essence, he asserts, there are but three keys to effecting lasting change: relate, repeat, reframe. Deutschman describes each of these facets very clearly while both challenging and inspiring the reader to make positive transformations.
Each chapter ends with a very concise summary of the principles discussed and an additional case study to connect the principles to documented situations. This is a worthwhile read about making positive change, whether you have yourself or others in mind!
Minutes from the November SDCO Board Meeting continued
By Rita Glavin
The book study segment of the meeting proved to be a timely segue way into a discussion on the importance of commitment to serve. The Board members reviewed and discussed revisions to a commitment to serve form that was modeled after the NSDC format.
Time was devoted to finalizing plans for the annual conference to be held in Columbus in January. The guest presenter, Jo Ellen Killion, will connect professional development and teacher leadership to the Ohio Standards. Likewise, the follow-up sessions will key into Ohio's Educator and Professional Development Standards.
The SDCO website is in the process of being redesigned. The new look should be available this spring.
The Board finished its meeting with a discussion concerning membership. Suggestions were given for increasing the membership benefits. Members were asked to generate additional ideas and to continue to devote efforts to increasing membership.
TRY THIS: Which Are You...continued
By Larry Pfronger
People who find three or less generally read more holistically/phonetically and tend to be more creative.
People who find four or more generally look more closely at specifics and tend to be more Logical.
There are 6 letter f's in the sentence.
This works well with large groups and never fails to get consistent results. Even when people take their time to count, you will still get the percentages listed below. Here are some points to bring up in the follow up discussion.
The US population can be divided into two groups...creative and logical. The percentage of these types IN THE US is 85% creative and 15% logical (likely close to the numbers that you got above if you did the activity with a large group). It is surprising to many that most people are creative...and cooperative. Only a relative few are logical...and competitive. US schools frequently favor a logical, competitive environment, but it is changing. Keep in mind that Creative people, when put in a Competitive situation tend to back off, become quiet, and less voluntarily involved.
The critics of this view of people (students) say that if you make our schools more cooperative, where will our leaders come from? A possible response to them is that we'll still have leaders arise, but we could develop, enrich, and nurture a better group of "followers."
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Teaching & Learning Center continued
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