1 EDA 6061 Organization and Administration in SchoolsUniversity of Central Florida Expanding Learning Opportunities for Students

2 Goals for Module 7 Each of you will have the opportunity to gain some ideas on how the savvy school leader expands learning opportunities for students in his or her school. Each of you will have the opportunity to gain an awareness of the educational leadership concepts, principles, and theories being presented by a wide variety of modern day authors and researchers.

3 Leadership Quotation one-size-fits-all approach.”“Strategic principals do not have a one-size-fits-all approach.” – Horng & Loeb (2010), New Thinking About Instructional Leadership

4 The Six Aspects of School Leadership……and the Savvy School Leader

5 Savvy School Leaders Influence Student AchievementThe savvy school leader knows that their school is only successful when student achievement continually improves. Robert Marzano, in his book What Works in Schools (2003) has found six aspects of school leadership that have a direct positive relationships with improved student achievement.

6 Review: Six Aspects of School LeadershipThe six aspects of school leadership found to have a relationship with student achievement: Whether a school has a clear mission and goals The overall culture of the school and the climate in individual classrooms The attitudes of the teachers in the school The classroom practices of teachers The organization of curriculum and instruction Expanding opportunities for students to learn

7 Six Aspects of School LeadershipWould it not make sense for a school leader to focus his or her time, energy and resources on these five aspects of school leadership found through extensive research to have a relationship with student achievement? This idea of focuses on what has proven to work in improving student achievement. This idea is what defines the savvy school leader.

8 Expanding Learning Opportunities for StudentsThe 6th component of the 6 aspects of school leadership

9 Expanding Learning Opportunities for Students: The 6th component of the Six Aspects of School Leadership “Learning occurs when students are neither underchallenged or over challenged.” Howard and Jensen

10 Expanding Learning Opportunities for Students: The 6th component of the Six Aspects of School Leadership The savvy school leader is always searching for ideas on how expand learning opportunities for all students. Not having the resources, time or staff to expand learning opportunity for students is not an excuse for the savvy school leader. The savvy school leader does as suggested by Robert Marzano (2003) “Involve students in programs that directly increase the number and quality of life experiences they have.”

11 Expanding Learning Opportunities: Safeguarding Instructional Time“A positive relationship was found between increased instructional time and learning in 97 percent of 130 studies.” Herbert Walberg (1997)

12 Expanding Learning Opportunities: Safeguarding Instructional TimeSavvy school leaders have learned how to both safeguard instructional time, and become very creative in expanding learning opportunities for the students they serve. This represents significant challenges as expanding learning opportunities for students often involves funding issues and a struggle with community interest groups over the limited time in an instructional day.

13 Expanding Learning Opportunities: Taking Back Control of the School DayThe relationship between increased instructional time and learning stated in the quotation by Walberg, does not have to be interpreted as extending the school day. I believe that there is a great deal of instructional time currently available that is being used for non instructional activities and other time wasted due to ineffective and inefficient school procedures and practices.

14 Expanding Learning Opportunities: Use of TimeLet’s re-evaluate how we use hours in the school day By re-evaluating how we use the time currently available, view school and community traditions, celebrations and holiday events as opportunities for student learning, look for alternatives to interruptions to instructional time, we can take back control of the school day. Holidays Emergency Closing Days

15 Expanding Learning Opportunities: Safe Guarding Instructional TimeSafe guarding instructional time through eliminating distractions to the teaching-learning environment: Another way to safe guard instructional time is to eliminate preventable distractions Charles, a middle school principal had conducted among the teachers in his school what he called a “Survey on Distractions to My Classroom Environment”.

16 Expanding Learning Opportunities: DistractionsTeachers communicate distractions to their savvy school leader The following represents some of the responses Charles received back from his teaching staff as a result of the survey. Temperature in the classroom Equipment, mostly computers, not in working order Lawn mowing or leaf blowing outside my classroom window Fumes from school buses, having just delivered students. Noise from teachers letting students out early from class. Custodians cleaning and doing repairs

17 Expanding Learning Opportunities: DistractionsTeachers show real concerns with distractions to instructional time The level of concern from teachers, at least in this principals experience, on the issue of distractions to classroom environment was evident in that: 100% of his teachers responded to the survey, all surveys were returned prior to the due date

18 Expanding Learning Opportunities: Hiring for DiversityHiring a diverse faculty is one way that school leaders expand learning opportunities for their students. What I mean by a diverse faculty is one with an ethical mixture, representing different national and international locations and regions, and having a variety of “outside” interests and talents.

19 Expanding Learning Opportunities: Co-Teaching“In a co-teaching model the two teachers give each other access to more social and material resources, which leads to increased opportunities for students to learn.” - (Jang, 2006) Co-teaching is considered a viable option for ensuring students have a highly qualified content teacher in the classroom, and in serving the individual needs of students through a differentiation of teaching strategies”. (Murawski, 2008)

20 Expanding Learning Opportunities: Co-Teaching ModelVilla et al (2004) have identified benefits of co-teaching: Students develop better attitudes about themselves, academic improvement, and social skills. Teacher-student ratio is increased, leading to better teaching and learning conditions. A sense of community is fostered in the classroom

21 Expanding Learning Opportunities: Co-Teaching ModelAffordable co-teaching model: Due to the added expense of assigning two teachers to the same classroom it may prove more cost effective to consider the co-teaching model that involves two teachers teaching a different group of students, but on the same grade level. Through this model it may be that the teachers are primarily assigned to individual but adjoining classrooms. The teachers would move between the two classrooms. (Principal Bowden)

22 Expanding Learning Opportunities: Substitute Teachers The savvy school leader expands learning opportunities for students by using qualified, well-trained substitute teachers There should be no “down time” or even “running in place” when it comes to classroom learning. It should not be expected that student learning will be considered on a “holding pattern” due their teacher being home sick or expanding his or her own learning through attending a professional conference or in-service training program. The work expected from a substitute teacher should be compared with that of the regular teacher.

23 Expanding Learning Opportunities: Substitute TeachersThe substitute teacher needs to be the “real” teacher The substitute teacher should not be assigned review or “busy work”. Students can easily pick up on the “second class” status of a substitute teacher and because of this perception students many times do not take their substitute teacher seriously, and behavior issues distract even more from the classroom learning.

24 Expanding Learning Opportunities: Qualified Substitute TeachersA savvy school leader expands learning opportunities with qualified substitute teachers Gail went to work on developing a substitute teacher training program that became both the envy and standard for the district. Her plan started at the beginning of each school year by requiring all new substitute teachers to participate in the schools new teacher induction program.

25 Expanding Learning Opportunities: Qualified Substitute TeachersPromoting qualified substitute teachers Each substitute teacher is evaluated using the same process and instrument as any other faculty member in the school. In addition, she expects all substitute teachers to also participate in professional development programs and in-service training activities offered to regular teachers on staff.

26 Expanding Learning Opportunities: Perception Of Substitute TeachersPromoting the perceptions of substitute teachers One of the strategies Gail employees to further provide quality substitute teachers includes consistency in the placement of substitute teachers for a particular teacher or grade level or department of teachers. The school website includes a description of the educational preparation and experience background for substitute teachers, as it does for all other teachers. This hopefully will provide parents the opportunity to know that their children are always being taught by highly qualified teachers.

27 Expanding Learning Opportunities: Replacing Remediation With AccelerationThe savvy school leader expands learning opportunities for students by replacing remediation with acceleration. In a traditional remediation setting a student falls further behind with the curriculum. To ever be successful in school, students need to be provided with grade level content without moving backward in the skills required by the school’s curriculum.

28 Expanding Learning Opportunities: Replacing Remediation With Acceleration“We should be getting students ready for success, not focusing on trying to fix what is broken.” - Thompson (2008)

29 Expanding Learning Opportunities: Replacing Remediation With AccelerationAn acceleration model – let’s get them ready for success Through an acceleration model, according to Thompson (2008), which Thompson refers to as “Scaffolding”. Through “scaffolding”, a student is introduced to concepts and skills ahead of the lesson, instead of continually playing catch-up. At the same time the scaffolding is providing a preview of the new grade level content, there is also an emphasis on developmental reading, vocabulary building and strengthening of writing skills.

30 Expanding Learning Opportunities: Acceleration & Foundational Skill BuildingCombining acceleration with foundational skill building To put this model in builder’s terms, the new building is being renovated, as the foundation is being shored up. He recommends a 70% and 30% ratio of acceleration, to the building up of “operational” skills.

31 Expanding Learning Opportunities: Accelerated VsExpanding Learning Opportunities: Accelerated Vs. Remediation Summer School Thompson recommends schools offer summer school to their low achieving students. However, the summer school would be a preview of the first 3-4 weeks of the new grade level material instead of repeating what the student already failed.

32 Expanding Learning Opportunities: Acceleration & Foundational Skill BuildingAs the scaffolding models calls for, there would also be developmental reading, vocabulary building and strengthening of writing skills included in the summer school program. Thompson says “make them successful at where they are going, not repeating where they have been”. Next class meeting we will continue to explore ways the savvy school leader expands learning opportunities for students.

33 Expanding Learning Opportunities: Differentiated InstructionA savvy school leader can expand learning opportunities for all student by differentiating instruction. Tomlinson and Allan (2000) present three principles of differentiation that need to be included in any effort to differentiate instruction: Being flexible to meet the individual needs of students Flexible grouping Teacher and student collaboration

34 Expanding Learning Opportunities: Differentiated InstructionThere has been considerable research conducted on the concept of differentiating instruction. Bruner (1996) introduced the theory of Interest Differentiation- Tapping into a students interests which lead to the student becoming a more autonomous learner.

35 Expanding Learning Opportunities: Differentiated InstructionCskentmilali and Csksentmihali introduce the “Theory of Flow”, whereby a students who are involved in an activity could become lost and lose track of everything but the area(s) in which they have an interest. Their research showed that talent development and interest had a strong correlation.

36 Expanding Learning Opportunities: Differentiated InstructionLearning profiles have been supported by both Howard Gardner and Robert Sternberg(1993) Many positive effects of teaching and learning have been connected to Garnder’s multiple intelligence theory, which supports the use of learning profiles.

37 Expanding Learning Opportunities: Problem-Based Learning“Problem-based learning provides students with real-life problems that form the basis for their exploration of various content areas.” – Kostelny and Deroche (2006)

38 Expanding Learning Opportunities: Problem-Based LearningA savvy school leader expands learning opportunities for all students through problem-based learning The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation funded a study in 2008 with the title The Silent Epidemic-Perspective of High School Dropouts. The results of the study reported that 4 out of 5 students surveyed felt the education they were receiving did not connect to their life after high school. The results of the study also reported that students wanted more real-life experiences.

39 Expanding Learning Opportunities: Problem-Based LearningAccording to Cunnigham and Corderio (2006) Problem-Based Learning begins with a practice problem that the student is likely to encounter in the real world. Subject matter is organized around the problem rather than around a discipline. As the student goes about trying to solve the problem they are guided by the problem to seek, organize, and evaluate information.

40 Expanding Learning Opportunities: Problem-Based LearningThe students learn content as they need to in order to solve the problem, and they might just learn it better because it’s patterned after real-life.

41 Expanding Learning Opportunities: Problem-Based LearningWeglinsky (2005) supports the Constructivist Pedagogical approach. This approach to learning starts with a complex issue as the reason for learning both higher order thinking skills and the basic skills. Both higher order thinking skills and basic skills are needed to arrive at a solution for a problem.

42 Expanding Learning Opportunities: Problem-Based LearningStudents, if provided with the motivation to solve the problem will see: relevance in both the learning of higher order thinking skills and the basic skills. higher order thinking skills and the basic skills will be seen as important to them, as both are needed to achieve the results they want.

43 Expanding Learning Opportunities: Problem-Based LearningThe issues and problems selected by the teacher need to be viewed as “real” to the students in order to promote this level of motivation. This puts meaning into the process of learning and provides students with an answer to their question: Why do we have to learn this stuff?

44 Expanding Learning Opportunities: School Community PartnershipsBy moving the school house walls to encompass the community the capacity of a school to offer learning opportunities has greatly expanded. The first step the savvy school leader takes in creating school community partnerships is to develop relationships with the local businesses, agencies, civic organizations, and political officials.

45 Expanding Learning Opportunities: School Community PartnershipsExamples of results of savvy school leaders creating effective school community partnerships: American Legion or VFW - students interviewing veterans on their experiences. Local Businesses – Job Shadowing, Career Internships, Apprenticeship experiences Political Leaders – Guest Speakers, Governmental Internships, Visits to the Capital

46 Expanding Learning Opportunities: School Community PartnershipsArt Galleries – Field Trips, Artists in Residence Museums - Field Trips, Speakers, Story Tellers, Students a Docents Historical Societies - Shared web sites, Interviewing long time residents on local history

47 Expanding Learning Opportunities: Relationships with Institutions of Higher EducationA savvy school leader expands learning opportunities for students through creating effective relationships with institutions of higher education Due to the expansion of community colleges, two year colleges and the practice of large universities having multiple extension sites, the resources of higher education are in the backyard of the savvy school leader. Just as with local businesses and community organizations the savvy school leader reaches out to the higher education community, and creates the relationships that will benefit his or her school and students.

48 Expanding Learning Opportunities: Relationships with Institutions of Higher EducationExamples of the results of savvy school leaders creating effective relationships with institutions of higher education Assistants or mentors to work with accelerated students Articulation agreements for seamless K-16 education for students Student teachers, as an extra hand in the class room

49 Expanding Learning Opportunities: Relationships with Institutions of Higher EducationProfessors as guest speakers on specific research interests : Science, Technology, Social Science, etc. Use of advanced equipment and facilities available on a university campus. Motivational speakers, as in athletes, etc.

50 Expanding Learning Opportunities: Single Sex Schools / Class RoomsA relatively new initiative being seriously considered, that may have the potential for expanding learning opportunities for students is the formation of single-sex schools or classrooms. Sax (2007) has found that the benefits from single-sex education includes increases in grades and test scores, and fewer discipline referrals.

51 Expanding Learning Opportunities: Single Sex Schools / Class RoomsGewetz (2007) says - “Simply separating boys and girls holds no academic promise. Deliberate training in gender-based brain development and instructional strategies is essential”

52 Expanding Learning Opportunities: Single Sex Schools / Class RoomsThe best results with single-sex education comes from schools where teachers understand how to adjust instruction and the classroom environment to complement the gender differences. Rosemary Salomone (2006) has shown through extensive research, that single-sex classrooms have both an academic and social benefit especially for disadvantage students.

53 Expanding Learning Opportunities: Single Sex Schools / Class RoomsAccording to the National Association of Single Sex Public Education: The number of single sex schools have increased from 4 to 240 over the past seven years. Federal law No Child Left Behind legislation has made $45 million dollars available to single-six school reformers.

54 Expanding Learning Opportunities: Single Sex Schools / Class RoomsWoodland Avenue Elementary School in Deland Florida began a study of single-sex classrooms in 2008. Class sizes are the same, demographics are consistent, and teacher training is equivalent.

55 Expanding Learning Opportunities: Single Sex Schools / Class RoomsWoodland Avenue Elementary School in DeLand, Florida A comparison study of FCAT scores was conducted since 2008. The following is the results of this study: Boys in coed classes: 37% scored proficient Girls in coed classes: 59% scored proficient Boys in single-sex classes: 75% scored proficient Girls in single-sex classes: 86% scored proficient

56 End of Module AssignmentProfessional Self-Reflection on My Practice. Questions to ask yourself. In your current position: When you become a savvy school leader how will you go about exploring areas to expand learning opportunities for the students you serve?

57 End of Module AssignmentProfessional Self-Reflection on My Practice In your current position: Does your school leader continually explore ways to expand learning opportunities for the students? Or does he or she say we can’t expand learning opportunities for the students… due to a lack of funding?

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59 - Post an abstract of their school leadership book review The School Leadership Book, Abstract, Comments and Paper Are Due for the Module 7 PLC At the completion of this module it is expected that the Module 7 PLC members will: - Post an abstract of their school leadership book review - Comment on the abstracts of the members in their PLC - the school book review paper to the instructor for review and grading. Module 4

60 Module 7 PLC Members The members of Module 7 High Peaks Middle School PLC, will be posting their abstracts. Each class member is expected to post their comment for each abstract posted. The comment is to answer the following reflection question How the main concepts and theories presented in each of the book reviews presented, have the potential to enhance your knowledge and skill as a savvy school leader? Module 6