creating a culture of achievement for all students: empowering staff and students sue szachowicz sue...
TRANSCRIPT
Creating a Culture of Achievement for
ALL students: Empowering Staff
and Students Sue SzachowiczSue Szachowicz
Principal Brockton High
Now what?Where to begin?
Third Key TrendThis conference is almost over
Closing Agenda• FAQs: Frequently Asked Questions
and Answers• Strategies for Empowering Faculty• Empowering and Engaging the
Students• FMEs: Frequently Made Excuses• Results: Changing the Culture, It’s
ALL about the Relationships!
Questions, questions,
questions…FAQs
Third Key TrendWhen we work with schools…
How did you figure out
where to start?
Third Key TrendFAQs
We used the data. Our best data
question: What did you notice?
And, sometimes we were wrong, took missteps, had to regroup and try again.
Third Key TrendFAQs – OUR ANSWER
What did you do about the
nay-sayers?
Third Key TrendFAQs
Lessons Learned the Hard Way Tip:
Put all your negative folks
together in a group so they don’t spread
their toxic fumes.
Third Key TrendFAQs – OUR ANSWER
I’m not sure about this, it sounds like a “cookie cutter”
approach…
Third Key TrendFAQs
So when you make cookies and use a
cookie cutter, don’t the cookies come
out better???
Third Key TrendFAQs – OUR ANSWER
How did you get buy-in???
Third Key TrendFAQs
We didn’t wait. If we waited for buy-in, we’d still
be waiting!
Third Key TrendFAQs – OUR ANSWER
We moved Forward!
Remember the Great
Book Burning!
Many People did not
buy in!!!!!We used the small groups to determine the focus = Literacy
We used the interdisciplinary groups to train faculty on a how to use a literacy strategy and followed up in every department
…adult educators engage in continuous improvement of instructional and supervisory practices. Coaching, observing, and sharing make it difficult for individuals to avoid the change process…
Leadership That…Embodies the Capacity to Teach and Motivate Adults
Ron Ferguson, Closing the Achievement Gap
Strategies to empower and engage faculty
You can use these right away in your schools
Third Key TrendMore Take-Aways from Today
17
It’s about teaching, stupid…
Says Mike Schmoker in Results Now
18
“The single most influential component of an effective school is the individual teachers within the school.” Robert Marzano
“…the single greatest determinant of learning is not socioeconomic factors or funding levels. It is instruction.”
Results Now by Mike Schmoker
It’s All About InstructionIt’s All About Instruction
Our Professional Development Formats Large Interdisciplinary Groups – Literacy
training that is often our first step to introduce an instructional method to all faculty
Departmental Meetings – follow up to literacy training with a content specific focus
Small Interdisciplinary Groups – In depth discussions about a targeted issue
World Café – More informal, allows topics to be introduced without going into great detail – builds collegiality
Faculty Expo – PD activity like a mini conference; teachers presenting to colleagues
20
Structured Interdisciplinary Discussion Groups (for more in-depth discussions around important issues in the school)
Facilitated by Restructuring Committee members
Guide questions provided
A powerful strategy to empower faculty
21
1. What would you cite as the primary reason(s) why students fail?
2. What procedures/ techniques/ strategies have you used that you feel have been most successful for our 9th and 10th graders in terms of academics and behavior?
3. We have been successful at helping students over the MCAS “passing bar;” now we must move our target to proficiency. What do you see as the major obstacle our students face in achieving this goal? What suggestions would you make to help our students overcome those challenges to reach proficiency?
Structured Interdisciplinary Discussion Group Questions:
2222
1. What do you see as the major obstacle our special education students face in your class?
2. What procedures/ techniques/ strategies have you used that you feel have been most successful for our students with disabilities in your classes?
3. What do you think you need to help your students with disabilities be successful in your class?
We were struggling with a higher failure rate for our students with IEPs.
Faculty Feedback: VOICES of the FACULTYMay 2008
ISSUE: The Attendance PolicyNote: There was very strong support for the attendance policy, but frustration with the amount of paperwork generated by waivers and buybacks, etc… Subcommittees of the Restructuring Committee will look at both waivers and buybacks to address some of those concerns.• The number of allowable absent days is fair, but have the attendance days count by semester rather than term. That might help to control the amount of paperwork, and help with students who were sick, but did not go to a doctor.
Faculty Feedback: VOICES of the FACULTYMay 2008
ISSUE: The Attendance Policy (cont)• Have the nurses verify a student who went home sick, but didn’t necessarily need to see a doctor. (THAT SHOULD BE A WAIVED ABSENCE)• There should be no limit on the buyback days – when students participate in the buyback policy, they are attending, doing their work, and behaving.• The air quality in the classrooms is poor, and the custodian hasn’t cleaned my room for two days.• These waivers and buy back days should be automated; they should show up on the portal.
Another great strategy for engaging the
faculty:
The WORLD CAFÉ
World Café FormatGreat way to introduce new
ideas
Promotes positive discussion
Casual, relaxed atmosphere
How to begin: 4 or 5 per group, one “Table
Host” Questions planned for two or
three café sessions Placemats with questions on
them to be used as the notes Recommended – GOODIES!!!!
Discuss Session One Questions…
Our theme for this World Café was
Rigor, Relevance, Relationships
Session 1: Relationships
a. Introduce yourself and talk about something that you’d like others to know about you.
b. What are two strategies you’ve used with your students to get to know them
AFTER 15 – 20 MINUTES: Switch groups, but Table Host stays.
Leave placemats on the table. Table Host flips over the
placemats for Session Two.
MOVE TO SESSION TWO…
Discuss Session Two Questions
31
Session 2: Rigor and Relevance
a. Introduce yourself and talk about the toughest class you ever had in school and what you did to get through it.
b. Describe something you’ve done to help a struggling student master difficult material.
c. Describe a lesson you taught that you believe the students found to be relevant to their lives.
Sometimes we conclude with a Ticket to Leave
33
TICKET TO LEAVE: 3 – 2 – 1 3: What are 3 qualities in your
favorite teacher ever that you’d like to emulate?
2: What are 2 things that you think the students want to know about you?
1: What is 1 thing that you will when you return to school to connect with your students.
For our first World Café in Sept:
1. Introduce yourself and talk about the best book you read or movie you saw this summer.
2. For our Oct. InService, we are going to schedule a Faculty Expo. What session(s) topics would you like to see scheduled. Any presenter suggestions?
For Session ONE:
For our first World Café in Sept:
1. Introduce yourself and share an example of how you used technology (smartphones, laptops, PDAs, tablets) effectively in the classroom for instructional purposes.
2. Review the draft of the proposed new language of the electronic device policy. Strengths, weaknesses, problems, issues?
3. Restructuring had a fierce debate on whether to allow students to use electronic devices during lunch: a. outside, b. inside the caf, or c. both. Your thoughts?
For Session TWO:
Session One:1. Introduce yourself and talk about the best
book on education you have read and would recommend to your colleagues.
2. If you could get each of the professionals in your school to do two or three things:
• very well • consistently • and that would impact learning positivelyWhat would those two or three things be?
Third Key TrendHere’s a suggestion for an opening World Café
for you
Session Two:1. Introduce yourself and talk about
the one area that you believe should be the focus of attack in your school to improve student achievement.
2. What is already in place to get your school moving (improving student achievement)? What do you think you need to help move the process along?
Third Key Trend
Now change tables for Session 2
Don’t forget the goodies!!!
One of the BEST workshops ever (or as we say in Brockton, it was WICKED AWESOME):
Faculty Expo
Leadership That…Embodies the Capacity to Teach and Motivate Adults
Faculty Expo Teacher to
Teacher
“Let the experts show you the way”
Faculty Expo is:1-2 hour workshops
Designed by teachers
Focused on Instruction
Using Technology
Professional Development Credit
Teachers teaching and working with teachers
Leadership That…Embodies the Capacity to Teach and Motivate Adults
Leadership That…Embodies the Capacity to Teach and Motivate Adults
Leadership That…Embodies the Capacity to Teach and Motivate Adults
“Awesome workshop, I can use the activities tomorrow in my class!”
“Colleague to colleague…I felt valued.”“Teachers as experts…loved it!”“Hands on – practical, useful, THANKS!”“Informative, in fact, this is the first time
I’ve understood special ed in 33 years!”“This helped me understand my students.”
Leadership That…Embodies the Capacity to Teach and Motivate Adults
The content may stay the same
but the ways to teach it have changed!!!
Faculty Expo 2 - Technology
First of all, ΔABF = ΔAEC by SAS. This is because, AE = AB, AF = AC, and∠BAF = BAC + CAF = ∠ ∠
CAB + BAE = CAE. ∠ ∠ ∠
Pedro NogueraPedro Noguera
“You don’t have to change the student population to get results, you have to change the conditions under which they learn.”
Brockton High School changed the conditions for students by changing the conditions for the faculty.
Parents: Drafts of Literacy
Charts sent home Now active Open
Houses. Parents receive a Literacy Lesson, complete literacy activities throughout the evenings.
Welcome Middle School Parents!
Multiple languages
Involving and Engaging
Community:When Literacy Charts were in development, we brought in the Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce.Send them everythingPublicize EVERY thingBoxer RoundupWeekly Radio segmentsDress for Success!
Empowering the students
Creating a Culture of Achievement: Empowering the Students- RIGOR Creating a Culture of Achievement: Empowering the Students- RIGOR
•Academic Expectations are Clear•Literacy for ALL – NO exceptions•Academic levels: ALL College prep•College for ALL: “WHEN you go to
college…”•College Jump Start•Learning Together
Creating a Culture of Achievement: Empowering the Students- RIGOR Creating a Culture of Achievement: Empowering the Students- RIGOR
Sometimes we empower by taking away “rights” “You do NOT have a right to fail!” “You can’t drop a level/class until you...” “You will NOT put your head down!”•Academic Success Contracts•Boxer-2-Boxer•Open enrollment AP and IB•Early graduation (student planned)•Student produced videos about BHS
58 58
Creating a Culture of Achievement: Empowering the Students - Relevance
Creating a Culture of Achievement: Empowering the Students - Relevance
•Literacy through electives•Student design teams/problem solving•Medical Interpretation•Boxer Fit Leaders•Administrative Assts.•Career pathways•Student planned theme days
1: Quick-Write: Describe a time you have been made fun of or harassed for being or looking different. How did you deal with it?
2: Have you ever teased or made fun of someone for being or looking different, or witnessed someone else doing this and didn’t speak up? Write about why you think you did that, and thinking back, what should you have done?
3: Survey on Cyber-bullying - Are you a cyber-bully?
4: Review/recommend revisions in the BPS policy
5: Quick Write: What can the school do better? What can the students do?
Student Empowerment Example: Day of Pink Activators
It’s ALL about the relationships…
We can’t forget The Third “R”
“People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Maya Angelou
Relationships
Honor Roll Assemblies – Celebrate and Laugh!
6464
Teachers say every day in every class: WHEN you go to college…Now, we
have over 90% attending.
College for ALL:Changing students’ beliefs:
Relationships: Support and Get the Word Out!
And one of the BEST examples of empowering students.
Meet our Boxer Buddies…
Empowerment through
Relationships
Boxer BuddiesA lasting friendshipA lasting friendship
We have built a lasting relationship We have built a lasting relationship which we will forever treasure in our which we will forever treasure in our
heartshearts
And in October, the MOST unbelievable moment for four of our Brockton Boxer Buddies
But not just ANY Pledge of Allegiance…
These are our hands
My Top Ten #3
Celebrate and publicize your successes, even small ones. You use the media, don’t let
the media use you. (The “bunker mentality” doesn’t
work.)
7373
They believe! Spread the word!
Changing students’ beliefs:Celebrate and Publicize!!!
Be proactive (they will find you when
it’s bad) Boxer RoundupWeekly radio segmentBillboard and bannersBusiness meetings in the cityBe your own BEST
media hound!
OK, so now what?Where to begin?
NO excuses please!
Third Key TrendThis conference is almost over
You heard about FAQs…
How about FMEs(Frequently Made
Excuses…)
Third Key TrendHow about these?
Any of these sound
familiar???
Third Key TrendFMEs
We don’t have enough time!!!
Maybe so, but are we using the time we DO have well?
We don’t have TOO much to do, we are
overwhelmed!FOCUS, FOCUS, FOCUS…we are
too often doing this to ourselves!
We have some real negative people in
the school.So put them
together and work around them!
We have no parent support.
Have you actually invited them in?
And were you specific about what you want them to
do?
We don’t have enough
technology!Are we using what we do have well?
We have too many federal and state
regulations!Focus on what you
CAN control!
The government doesn’t support us.
The government has enough problems of its own right now.
We don’t have enough money!!!Come on, when have we EVER
had enough $$$?
Our administrators keep changing – it’s
a revolving door!Maybe so, but YOU
are there, right?
We have a principal who isn’t a leader.
Leadership is about action, not position.
• Rigor• Relevance• RelationshipsALL students-and ALL means ALL!!!
ICLE and Brockton High believe
Amarr: “It’s not us
against them.”
Terrence: “No one here
would let me fail.
I know, because I tried to.”
The “REAL” results
Now what?Where to begin?
I wrote your lesson plan…
Third Key TrendThis conference is over
RECAP: Our 4 Steps
1. Empowering a team 2. Focusing on literacy:
Literacy for ALL – NO exceptions3. Implementing with fidelity and
according to a plan4. Monitoring, monitoring, monitoring
The Result = Changing the Culture
When all 3 R’s come together
Our students believe, they achieve, in EVERY way
Time to feel REAL Boxer
Spirit…Meet Samara
and Tamara
Fast forward to Friday, June 1, 2012
Feel the spirit…a special moment in time
There are NO test scores on earth that are better than that moment –
NONE!
Contact Information
Dr. Susan Szachowicz
Principal
Brockton High School470 Forest Avenue
Brockton, MA 02301508.580.7633
SUSANSZACHOWICZ@ bpsma.org
Dr. Susan Szachowicz
Principal
Brockton High School470 Forest Avenue
Brockton, MA 02301508.580.7633
SUSANSZACHOWICZ@ bpsma.org
Sharon WolderAssociate Principal for
Curriculum and Instruction
Brockton High School470 Forest Ave
Brockton, MA 02301508.894.4536
SHARONRWOLDER@ bpsma.org