capacity building focused on results educators summer symposium-2009 dr. timothy m mitchell
TRANSCRIPT
Capacity Building Focused on Results
Educators Summer Symposium-2009
Dr. Timothy M Mitchell
Where were we at?
Spring 200327% of Native American students tested were
Advanced/Proficient in Math45% of Native American students tested were
Advanced/Proficient in ReadingNative American subgroup did not make AYPElementary & Middle School on NCLB
ALERT
Where are we now?
Spring 2008
67% of Native American students tested were Advanced/Proficient in Math
80% of Native American students tested were Advanced/Proficient in Reading
Native American subgroup makes AYP
CSD 7-1 has 1st Clean NCLB Report Card
Where were we at?
Spring 200349% of Econ/Dis Adv students tested were
Advanced/Proficient in Math62% of Econ/Dis Adv students tested were
Advanced/Proficient in ReadingNative American subgroup did not make AYPElementary & Middle School on NCLB
ALERT
Where are we now?
Spring 2008
63% of Econ/ Dis Adv students tested were Advanced/Proficient in Math
74 % of Econ/Dis Adv students tested were Advanced/Proficient in Reading
Eon Dis/Adv subgroup makes AYP
CSD 7-1 has 1st Clean NCLB Report Card
Where were we at?
Spring 2003
7% of SPED students tested were Advanced/Proficient in Math
22% of SPED students tested were Advanced/Proficient in Reading
SPED subgroup did not make AYP
Elementary & Middle School on NCLB ALERT
Where are we now?
Spring 2008
37% of SPED students tested were Advanced/Proficient in Math
51% of SPED students tested were Advanced/Proficient in Reading
SPED subgroup makes AYP
CSD 7-1 has 1st Clean NCLB Report Card
Building Capacity
“Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed” (Diamond, 2005)
Study of societies that failed after surviving for long periods
Not by being conquered or succumbed to disease
They perpetuated practices that led to their own demise
Building Capacity
The fate of these societies were sealed by leaders who were unwilling to examine both beliefs and practices and consider more adaptive and effective alternatives
The Key-which core values do you hold onto and which ones to discard and replace with new values, when times change
Building Capacity
“A Sense of Urgency” (Kotter 2009)
The #1 Problem-creating a sense of urgency and that’s the first step in a series of actions needed to succeed in a changing world
Theme
“Building Capacity Focused on Results”
Michael Fullan-2008 AASA NCE
Building Capacity
Fullan (2006) defined capacity building as an action based and powerful policy or strategy that increases the collective efficacy of a group to improve student learning through new knowledge, enhanced resources, and greater motivation on the part of people working individually and together.
Building Capacity
To create conditions for people to succeed by helping people find meaning, increase their skill development and their personal satisfaction while they make contributions
that simultaneously fulfill their own goals and the goals of the organization
Building Capacity
If a job is satisfying, then the result will be commitment to the organization
The average person learns under proper conditions not only to accept but to seek responsibility
Imagination, creativity, and ingenuity can be used to solve work problems by a large number of employees
Building Capacity
Use of methods based upon research To train and develop each worker Communication, Cooperation and
Collaboration to ensure methods are implemented
Building Capacity
What it takes to keep good people
According to a survey by the American Management Association, here are the four most cited incentives:– Sending employees to conferences and seminars– Tuition Reimbursement– Skills Training– Pay for Performance
Building Capacity
“How the World’s Best-Performing School Systems Come Out on Top”
McKinsey and Company (2007)Three things matter most: getting the right people to become teachers developing them into effective instructors ensuring you deliver the best possible
instruction for every child
Building Capacity
“The top performing school systems recognize that the only way to improve outcomes is to improve instruction…which interventions are effective in achieving this:
Coaching classroom practice Moving teacher training to the classroom Developing stronger school leaders Enabling teachers to learn from each other”
Building Capacity
“The stakes for failure have been raised high…that high reliability has become an important aspect of school success. Schools are now challenged to prevent practically all failures and to close achievement among student groups–in short, to ensure highly reliable learning for all students”
Bellamy, Crawford, Marshall, and Coulter (2005)
Building Capacity
Characteristics of HROs: Clear goals and constant monitoring of the
extent to which goals are being met An understanding of the necessary
conditions under which these goals are met Immediate corrective action when goals
are not being met
Steps to Making Professional Development Work
1. Gather and analyze the data and identify gaps in student learning
2. Set student learning goals and align school improvement efforts with those goals
3. Define instructional strategies that address learning goals4. Identify what staff need to know and be able to do in order to
implement new strategies5. Define professional development initiatives and develop an
action plan6. Create professional development evaluation plan
Building Capacity
Instructional Leadership-Three-Tiered Evaluation**Personal Professional Growth Plans**
Preservice/Inservice/Days Built into Calendar Summer Retreats & WorkshopsAfter School WorkshopsTuition Reimbursement ProgramMasters Degree Program National Board Certified TeachersNational Convention AttendanceEarly Release/Late StartFaculty Meetings
New Research
South Dakota Public School Superintendents’ Perception of Innovation
New Research
South Dakota public school districts that are the most innovative and
those that have the ability to sustain school reform and organizational
change have greater professional development capacity.
Research Base
The process of adopting new innovations has been studied for over 30 years, and one of the most popular adoption models is described by Dr. Everett Rogers in his book Diffusion of Innovations (2003).
Research Base
He first published the theory of diffusion of innovation in 1962. Since that time, he has updated and changed his theory and has published the most recent edition (5th Edition) in 2003. Diffusion is the process by which an innovation is communicated through certain channels over time among members of a social system.
Superintendent Characteristics
– Age– Gender– Years experience– Educational level– Professional development practices– Professional organizational membership
Conclusions
younger more likely to be female found in schools with larger enrollments greater financial resources higher educational degrees greater professional development capacity more organizational memberships
School District Characteristics
– Enrollment– Financial resources– Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) Status– Professional development capacity– Average years of teaching experience– Percentage of teaching staff with advanced
degrees
Conclusions
found in schools with larger enrollments greater financial resources greater professional development capacity teachers with more experience more teachers with advanced degrees
Recommendations for Practice
This study has shown that leadership is critical in innovative public school districts and that resources are needed by public school districts to develop leadership and organizational capacity to sustain innovation. Policy makers should note that investment in building capacity in leadership and organizational capacity is a critical factor in fostering innovation.
Recommendations for Practice
Public school district superintendents need to consider the importance of building their own leadership capacity through professional development, securing advanced degrees, and establishing intra-personal networks through memberships in professional organizations.
Recommendations for Practice
This study indicates that funding is critical in innovative public school districts and resources are needed to sustain the teaching staff, to provide professional development activities to build leadership capacity, and to provide professional development activities to build organizational capacity.
Recommendations for Practice
This study indicates that the size of the public school district, the amount of available fiscal resources, the investment in professional development activities, and the experience level of teachers can be factors in promoting innovation in public school districts. Policy makers and public school districts need to pay extra attention to these factors and be prepared to invest resources in these areas as they try to promote innovation in public school districts.
Recommendations for Practice
This study indicates that public school district superintendents with higher educational degrees and a greater involvement in professional organizations perceive themselves as more innovative. Public school districts, policy makers, and federal agencies need to invest in life-long learning for public school district superintendents and provide the resources to join professional organizations.
Building Capacity
“Educational change depends on what teachers do and think—it is as simple and complex as that”
Fullan
Building Capacity
“Schools improve when purpose and effort unite. One key is leadership that recognizes
its most vital function: to keep everyone’s eyes on the prize of improved student
learning”
Mike Schmoker
Building Capacity
The best way to improve a school or district is by
developing the people within it
Building Capacity
Accenture Tiger Woods ad:
“relentless consistency 50%; willingness to change, 50%”
Recommendations for Follow-Up
“The Six Secrets of Change: What the Best Leaders Do to Help Their Organizations
Survive and Thrive”-M. Fullan Love your employees Connect peers with purpose Capacity building prevails Learning is the work Transparency rules Systems learn
Thank you!
Questions and comments