ern webinar handout what you need to know and do to

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ERN WEBINAR HANDOUT

What you need to know and do to makeyour school Walkthrough-ready Dr. Donald Kachur

TEN NATIONALLY OR REGIONALLY KNOWN WALKTHROUGH MODE LS

1. Data-in-a-Day (http://www.aimcenterseattle.org/motivation/diad)

2. Downey’s Three-Minute Classroom Walkthrough (Downey, C.J., Steffy, B.E., English,

F.W., Frase, L.E., and Poston, Jr., W. K. 2004)

3. Instructional Practices Inventory (IPI) Process

http://education.missouri.edu/orgs/mllc/4A_ipi_overview.php

4. Instructional Rounds network (City, Elmore, Fairman & Teitel, 2009)

5. Instructional Rounds (Marzano, Frontier, & Livingston, 2011; Marzano, 2011)

6. LearningWalk® Routine (http://learningleadershipstudy.org/LLS/Learning_Walk.html)

7. Look2Learn (http://colleaguesoncall.com/look2learning.html)

8. McREL Power Walkthroughs® (http://www.mcrel.org/powerwalkthrough)

9. Teachscape Classroom Walk (http://www.teachscape.com/classroom-walkthrough)

10. UCLA SMP Classroom Walk-Through (Martinez-Miller & Cervone, 2008)

A comparison of these national or regional walkthrough models are found in Figure 3.3. Data-in-a-Day provides a structure for teams of classroom visitors to observe teaching and learning throughout a school in a single day. Data-in-a-Day uses four focus questions from the Motivation Framework for Culturally Responsive Teaching to help educators get a practical view of what teaching and learning looks like in their school. Teams of visitors are sent on a selected day into the school’s classrooms once or twice a year to take “snapshots” of the teaching and learning occurring. The teams of visitors may consist of teachers, parents, community members, students, and any other participants. Teams work together to summarize and chart the observation data and present their findings to the entire school staff. Downey’s Three-Minute Classroom Walk-Through offers a practical, time-saving alternative that impacts student achievement by cultivating self-reliant teachers who are continuously improving their practice. This walkthrough model will answer the questions most important to principals: (1) Is the work of my teachers aligned with the district curriculum? (2) Are my teachers using research-based “best practices?” and (3) Are my teachers choosing the instructional strategies that will promote student achievement? This is a non-evaluative model that relies heavily on the observer asking teachers to reflect on their practices. Instructional Practices Inventory (IPI) Process provides the opportunity to systematically observe over a full day student engagement across the entire school setting and

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involves the school staff collaboratively studying the summarized engagement profiles. The IPI process requires mandatory training so that observers capture valid, reliable data for profiling student engaged learning. Unique features of the IPI Process are: (a) educator focus on student learning rather than teaching; (b) IPI profiles created as the basis for collaborative teacher study, reflection and problem solving, and (c) IPI profiles serving as formative data about student-engaged learning to help faculty focus on continuous change in school-wide learning and related instruction. The Instructional Rounds network is an adaptation and extension of the medical rounds model used routinely in medical schools and teaching hospitals to develop the diagnostic and treatment practices of physicians. This rounds model combines three common elements of improvement: (1) descriptive, analytical, non-evaluative classroom observations; (2) an improvement strategy for what a school or district could do to make progress in a problem area; and (3) a network of educators engaged in the inquiry process of the instructional rounds (often cross-functional groups that include teachers and administrators or multiple roles across a district). Instructional Rounds is a label used for another model that represents a practice for small groups of classroom teachers to make brief observations in other classrooms. This model allows teachers to compare their own instructional practices with those of the teachers they observe. Upon completion of the rounds, the observing teachers engage in a facilitated discussion reflecting on what they observed. Instructional rounds end when participants identify for their own use teaching practices they observed other teachers using effectively. The observations also enable the observing teachers to reexamine their own instructional strategies and evaluate their effectiveness. LearningWalk® Routine is the signature tool of the University of Pittsburgh’s Institute for Learning (IFL). The LearningWalk® is an organized walk through a school’s halls and classrooms using the IFL’s Principles of Learning, condensed theoretical statements summarizing decades of learning research in cognitive psychology. The focus of the walks is on the instructional core: how teachers teach, how students learn, and what gets taught to whom. One of the hallmarks of the LearningWalk® is observation of the instructional core through the eyes and voices of students. In order to acquire a better understanding of teaching and student learning, walkers examine student work and question students about their work and about classroom practice. Rather than drawing conclusions from their observations, walkers formulate wonderings or thought-provoking questions. These are designed to encourage reflection and new practices that will lead to increasingly higher quality teaching in individual classrooms and in the school as a whole. Look 2 Learning (L2L) is a research-based tool whose focus is on students learning rather than teachers teaching. Using a non-evaluative design and simple recording format, observers make frequent classroom visits to collect information about student learning, engagement, and work. A L2L software option is available to provide electronic data collection that is forwarded to a web-based analysis program. The results are displayed graphically and comparatively to enable the school personnel to understand and target student learning issues to be improved. McREL Power Walkthroughs® of the Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL) enable observers to collect classroom observation data using most handheld devices including iPad™/iPhone®/iPod Touch®, BlackBerry®, Android™, and Tablet PC. The handheld applications include a variety of research-based “look-fors,” such as indicators of

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student engagement, level of knowledge taught (from basic recall to higher-order thinking), and instructional strategies of Classroom Instruction that Works (CITW). Data from handheld devices can be uploaded to the McREL website and summarized for the school in a variety of charts and graphs. This information is used to determine the CITW strategies teachers are using, the ones they want to implement, the ways teachers and students use technology to teach and learn, and how well students are able to articulate their learning goals. Teachscape’s Classroom Walk offers both a process and the technology to help instructional leaders promote, support, and sustain data-informed instructional improvement and higher student achievement. The process provides a framework for the walk and for the reflective discussions, data analysis, action planning, and progress monitoring that follows. The classroom walkthrough technology provides easy-to-use data collection, standard or customized reports of walkthrough data, and an analysis system that tracks improvement relative to research-based indicators. UCLA SMP Classroom Walk-Through is a protocol used for teachers to observe students at work and then debrief their observations in order to identify patterns of successful learning. This non-evaluative protocol generates useful data about student learning and aligns it to effective instructional practices. During post-observation conversations, participants identify patterns of practice that result in high levels of student learning and identify patterns and trends in student data that suggest areas for professional inquiry. The art of questioning in professional inquiry is practiced to build trust, provide new perspectives, and establish priorities for focused, collaborative action across multiple school initiatives.

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Examples of Purposes of Classroom Walkthroughs

A summary of the purposes that appear in many of the schools that have classroom walkthroughs include:

• Capturing snapshots of teaching to familiarize teachers with research-based instructional strategies;

• Improving instruction by observing the levels of use of a new instructional or curricular initiative (e.g., literacy, higher order questioning, use of technology, Classroom Instruction that Works);

• Giving individual teachers feedback on a specific concept or instructional strategy they are implementing;

• Determining if a given direction in school improvement is evident in the classroom; • Focusing on what students are learning across the school in order to identify gaps in

learning that need to be addressed;

• Measuring the nature of student engagement in various instructional practices across the entire school;

• Gathering and utilizing data for professional development planning;

• Creating a culture of collaboration; • Developing a school-wide community of teachers engaged in professional conversations

about best practices; • Promoting teacher self-reflection and self-assessment with their own level of proficiency

in particular instructional strategies;

• Supporting new teachers in becoming better teachers by observing exceptional and experienced teachers; and

• Evaluating teacher performance.

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Focus and Look-fors

It is reasonable to continuously evaluate, adjust and change the focus of your walkthroughs as additional school needs and directions occur.

Some examples of focus areas by schools include • Common Core State Standards • Equitable teaching practices

• Differentiated instruction • Guided reading

• Writing across the curriculum • Reading across the curriculum

• Literacy instruction • Formative assessment • Response to Intervention (RTI)

• Student engagement • Learning styles

• Higher-order questioning • Use of technology • Classroom management

• Learning environment • Evidence of learning

Aside from a focus area being a descriptive statement, you can write your focus area as a guiding observation question for teacher observers. In other words, what question(s) are we seeking to answer from walkthroughs about teaching and learning in our school? Some examples of focus questions are

• What evidence illustrates that we are integrating the Common Core State Standards into our curricular and instructional strategies?

• What evidence demonstrates that we are using effective questioning techniques to assist students in developing high-level thinking?

• What inquiry-based laboratory activities are our students using to learn science content?

• What evidence shows that our instruction is more student-centered than teacher-centered?

• What evidence do we see that formative assessments are being used to track student learning of the Common Core State Standards?

• How are our English language learners adjusting and actively engaging in classroom learning experiences?

• How is technology being integrated into our instruction and student learning?

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Examples of Focus Questions and Associated Look-fors Focus Question: How widely and effectively is guided reading being used by the teachers in working with small groups of students helping them learn effective strategies for processing text with understanding? Look-fors: The teacher… • selects appropriately leveled reading materials for the group; • assesses students’ prior knowledge about the selection’s topic and vocabulary; • clarifies the purpose for reading a particular selection through prediction, vocabulary introduction, or discussion of ideas that provides readers background knowledge required for understanding the text; • observes students as they read the text softly or silently to themselves; • provides guidance and coaching to students by providing prompts, asking questions, and encouraging attempts at the reading strategy application; • asks questions to ensure text has been comprehended by readers; • praises students’ efforts in reading text; and • addresses second language learners’ needs. Focus Question: What evidence demonstrates that the amount of student writing across the curriculum is increasing? Look-fors: • students are able to explain the writing process; • students are maintaining writing journals; • examples of student writing are posted on classroom walls; • exemplar writing samples are posted on bulletin boards; • prompts for journal writing are posted on white boards; • lesson plans include writing assignments; and • students share drafts of writing with each other.

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Sources for Identifying Focus and Look-fors

There is a wide range of sources from which a school can draw upon for identifying the focus and look-fors in walkthroughs. The sources used by schools to help identify the areas of focus and look-fors include

• Research on effective teaching and learning (e.g., Classroom Instruction that Works; Principles of Learning; Student Learning Protocol; Danielson’s Framework of Teaching)

• Professional development training • Curricular and instructional initiatives • School improvement plans

• District-wide improvement plans • School district strategic plan

• State learning standards and policies • Student performance data • Data from previous walkthroughs

• Feedback from teacher surveys

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Teacher Walkthrough Observation Checklist

WALK THROUGH CHECKLIST

Class ________________________________________________ Period ________ Classroom Activities Observed ____ Lecture / Note Taking ____ Quiz / Test

____ Whole Group Discussion ____ Silent Reading

____ Work in Pairs ____ Oral Reading

____ Small Groups ____ Labs

____ Student Presentation / Performance Assessment ____ Games / Hands-on Activity

____ Movie / Film Clip ____ Exit Slips

____ Worksheet / Book Work ____ Questioning Students

____ Other __________________

If questioning of students was observed, please check the level of questions you observed: ____ Knowledge Based (Who or What is…?) ____ Analysis (What is the then?)

____ Comprehension (Put in your own words.) ____ Synthesis (What changes would you make?)

____ Application (How would you use?) ____ Evaluation (What is your opinion?)

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11-Item Classroom Walkthrough Checklist/Comment Observation Form Teacher: Grade: Subject:

Date: Begin Time: End Time:

Behavior Yes No Comment(s)

Objectives posted for students

Students engaged/on-task

Students respond in complete sentences

Teacher feedback appropriate

Teacher circulates the classroom

Students grouped for instruction

Teacher talk dominates lesson

Classroom environment is orderly

Teacher verified student understanding of lesson/task

Higher level of questions used in discussion/lesson

Student(s) can identify lesson objective and state why it is important

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Classroom Walkthrough Observation Form Common Core Standards

Observation Date: November 3, 20xx Subject/Grade Level: High School Algebra I Conceptual Category: Numbers and Quantity Domain: The Real Number System Unit Title: Relationship between quantities Standard Clusters: Reason quantitatively and use units to solve problems Mathematical Content Standard: Define appropriate quantities for the purpose of descriptive

modeling. .

Mathematical Practice Standard: Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them

Observation Notes

Ideas and Questions

Interactions with Students (Notes)

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ROPED UP 3/29/2011 Trapper Instructional News

Fort ~ Working Together ~ One Step at a Time

For t’s Plan ~ Upcoming Dates Great instruction impacts our students….Our students deserve our best! Wed, 4/13, Instructional Meeting Wed, 4/20, Learning Team Meetings Wed, 4/27, Instructional Meeting Thurs, 4/28, Building Wide Learning Walk #4

Research – Learning Targets Learning Targets enhance student learning and achievement only when educators commit to consistently and intentionally sharing them with students. The single best way to share a learning target is to create a strong performance of understanding – a learning experience that embodies the learning target. When students complete the actions that are part of a strong performance of understanding, they and their teachers will know that they have reached the target. From “Knowing Your Learning Target” Ed Leadership March 2011. Questions to think about: Would your students say that you consistently and intentionally share learning targets with them? What does a “strong performance of understanding” mean?

Learning Walk #3 – After a snow day in February we were able to complete our 3rd learning walk as a staff. Currently 68 staff members have participated in at least one walk and 33 outside guests have contributed as well. Below is some data from the three walks related to student engagement.

66.1

22.6

44.4

29.6

79.3

19

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

Very Somewhat

14-Oct

2-Dec

10-Mar

What does this data mean? Reflecting on the classes you teach, are students engaged more in the learning now than earlier in the year?

Building-Wide Learning Walk 4/28 This will be our last building wide data collection day for the year. We will again be focusing on the following indicators and also exploring students’ performance of understanding related to the learning target. 1. Learning target is evident 2. Class activities are aligned to the learning target 3. There is evidence that students are engaged in the class activities One of our building goals was to get everyone to participate in a learning walk. Please take advantage of this final opportunity.

Research - Formative assessment & Learning Targets Formative assessment practices both motivate students and increase student achievement, students need to know the learning target, know where they are at in regards to the learning target, and know what they can do to close the gap. Research suggests that for each formative assessment used student learning increases dramatically; therefore, formative assessments should be used for all learning targets. Examples: Non-graded quizzes, pretests, minute papers, exit tickets, written assignments, concept maps, interviews, progress monitoring, performance assessment scoring guides, weekly reports, focused questions, journals, learning logs, learning probes, checklists, surveys, and item analyses of summative assessments

Research - Learning Targets and Literacy There is significant research that points to the fact that students in American schools do not receive enough intentional instruction in reading and writing, in all subjects. The first Washington State Learning Goal reads as follows: Read with comprehension, write with skill, and communicate effectively and responsibly in a variety of settings. David Conley, author of College Knowledge writes “If we could institute only one change to make students more college ready, it should be to increase the amount of quality writing students are expected to produce.” This work goes hand in hand with an increased opportunity for reading in all subjects. With that in mind may we each consider our targets of instruction? As we consider what our core concepts are and how to help students achieve mastery, let us consider how to do this with literacy in mind. As we have developed and progressed as a school around the area of learning targets, let us consider how adding a literacy element to each target may shift some focus to that critical area that will enhance our students’ college readiness.

Indicator 3 Students are engaged in

their learning

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"A Maryland School of Excellence"

Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle School 4545 Ammendale Road

Beltsville, Maryland 20705 February 16, 201

Dear MLK Staff, Thank you for your participation in the Third Quarter Learning Walk of the 2011-2012 school year. The focus of the Learning Walk was Academic Rigor in a Thinking Curriculum. Specific look fors were: High level questions (High Thinking Demand); Arts Integration through music, visual arts, and dance and Socratic Seminar discussions (Active Use of Knowledge). All have been topics of discussion throughout the year and it was evident from the Learning Walk and debriefing that an increasing number of teachers have implemented related instructional strategies. Staff reflection, during the debriefing session, was positive. It was evident that staff members enjoyed observing the activities in their colleagues’ classrooms and that they were interested in replicating them with their students. While it was noted that an increasing number of teachers are engaging students in higher order thinking (HOT) strategies there remains a need to build capacity in framing HOT questions and making them part of daily instruction. The Learning Walk experience continues to strengthen collegial relationships and encourages interdisciplinary professional conversations. The following are key observations and wonderings associated with the Third Quarter Learning Walk: In every subject students are regularly expected to raise questions, to solve problems, to think, and to reason (High Thinking Demand):

• Teacher asking leading questions to promote discussion and encourage students to think and “dig deeper”

• Students were analyzing the details in a novel, particularly the author’s choice of words to develop characterization

• HOTS used in analysis, compare and contrast, and requiring evidence to prove response Students in each subject are challenged to construct explanations and to test their understanding of concepts by applying them and discussing them (Active Use of Knowledge):

• Use of content-rich vocabulary

• Group leaders (students) in the center running and monitoring the discussion

• Creating comic strips, songs, and writing descriptions of a trial

Wonderings included:

• I wonder if it would help for students to have examples of HOT questions on the wall.

• I wonder how to prepare students for discussions/Socratic Seminars.

• I wonder how to prepare students on how to answer questions.

• I wonder if answers will be discussed during class so students can explain/understand why a correct answer is the RIGHT answer.

The Third Quarter Learning Walk provided the staff with an opportunity to observe their colleagues as they implemented instructional best practices. The debriefing feedback not only revealed areas of growth, since the previous walks, but also patterns where professional development will be helpful. The debriefing discussion indicated the following as possible next steps:

• Dedicate a wall to higher order thinking questions or stems

• Professional development in regard to how to work effectively with small groups of students

• How to teach discussion techniques in order to prepare students for Socratic Seminars Thank you for opening your classrooms to your colleagues. I look forward to observing best practices as they are replicated in daily instruction. Your commitment to excellence in teaching is to be commended. Sincerely, Robin J. Wiltison

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Principal

Teacher Involvement Concerns There are four areas of teacher concern with teacher walkthroughs: (1) the teacher walkthrough protocol, (2) colleagues observing, (3) the actual observations, and (4) the follow-up.

Concerns about the Teacher Walkthrough Protocol • Unclear as to purpose of the walkthroughs

• What observers are looking for

• A “gotcha” experience catching teachers at their worst teaching moment

• Being another form of teacher evaluation

• Required of all teachers

• Lack of clear direction on how to observe

• Expectations of teachers observing and being observed

• Making accurate observations in such short periods of time

• Walkthroughs not being announced in advance

• Scheduling time to visit other classrooms

• Preparing lessons for the substitute teacher

• Having a substitute teacher who is less than adequate

• Precious time away from classroom instruction

Concerns about Observations by Fellow Colleagues • Observers selected to do the observations

• Observers engaging in gossip or “tattle tales” about what they observed

• Observers not liking specific teachers personally and/or professionally

• Observers comparing teachers to other teachers

• Observers not being credible or respected

• Observers concentrating on what teachers are not doing instead of what they are doing

Concerns about the Actual Observations • Number of observers at one time

• Disruption to classroom instruction

• Observers in the room during a “crisis” moment when instruction is interrupted

• Students trying to entertain or interact with the observers

• Observers not having a comprehensive picture of the instructional setting

• What is to be observed is not occurring at the time of a walkthrough

• The lesson plan did not go as intended

• Observers taking notes while observing

• Consistency of walkthrough observations across all grades and/or subjects

Concerns about Follow-up • What happens to observation data

• Evaluative or judgmental comments about the observations

• Negative disclosure of a teacher’s performance to the faculty as a whole

These concerns are addressed and largely defused when teachers are involved in all aspects of walkthrough development—initial conversations, observing walkthroughs in action, planning the focus and look-fors for

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observers, deciding who will be observers and who will be observed, protocol details and plan for follow up conversations and next steps.

Classroom Teacher Survey Regarding Classroom Walkthroughs

The purpose of this survey is to acquire a profile of the teaching staff’s views about classroom walkthroughs

that would be helpful in the potential design and implementation of classroom walkthroughs.

Directions: Please respond to each of the questions below. For each question, you are given the opportunity

to add any further comments.

1. What should be the PURPOSE(S) of classroom walkthroughs? CIRCLE THE LETTER FOR ALL ITEMS

THAT APPLY.

a) Collecting additional data on teaching practices and students’ learning to supplement

knowledge about how the school and students are performing;

b) Collecting data to assist in decisions regarding continuous school improvement needs.

c) Sharing collected data with teachers as a means to foster collaboration;

d) Promoting collegial conversations that become part of the school’s professional learning

culture;

e) Increasing school-wide reflection on best practices to increase student achievement;

f) Appraising how professional development initiatives are being incorporated into classroom

practices;

g) Identifying professional development needs of the faculty and staff;

h) Other? (Please specify)___________________________________________

Comments:

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. What should be the FOCUS of classroom walkthroughs in our school? CIRCLE THE LETTER FOR ALL

ITEMS THAT APPLY.

a) Teacher instructional practices

b) Curricular initiatives

c) Assessment techniques

d) Student behavior and learning activities

e) Classroom environment (e.g., instructional resources, wall displays, etc.)

f) Classroom management

g) Other? (Please specify)___________________________________________

Comments:

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. Who should be the OBSERVERS doing walkthroughs? CIRCLE THE LETTER FOR ALL ITEMS THAT

APPLY.

a) Principal

b) Assistant/Associate principal

c) Teachers

d) Central office personnel

e) Department chairs

f) Certified support staff (e.g., social worker, school psychologist, dean, etc.)

g) Students

h) Parents

i) Other? (Please specify)___________________________________________

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Comments: __________________________________________________________________________________________________

4. Should classroom walkthroughs be ANNOUNCED in advance?

______ Yes ______ No

Comments: __________________________________________________________________________________________________

5. Should observers display an INDICATOR that they are conducting a walkthrough (e.g., pouch, badge,

color, clipboard, etc.)?

______ Yes ______ No

Comments: __________________________________________________________________________________________________

6. How FREQUENTLY should observers conduct classroom walkthroughs?

a) Once a semester

b) Once a quarter

c) Once a month

d) Twice a month

e) Once a week

f) Daily

g) Other? (Please specify)___________________________________________

Comments:

7. How much TIME should observers spend in each classroom during the walkthroughs?

a) 1-4 minutes

b) 5-7 minutes

c) 8-10 minutes

d) Other? (Please specify)___________________________________________

Comments:

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

8. Should observers ENGAGE IN CONVERSATIONS WITH STUDENTS about what they are learning

during walkthroughs?

_______ Yes _______No

Comments:

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

9. Should observers be allowed to TALK WITH THE TEACHER during the walkthrough?

_______ Yes _______No

Comments:

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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10. How should observation data be RECORDED during walkthroughs?

a) Observers use a checklist of observable look-fors

b) Observers take notes of what they observe

c) Observers use a combination of a checklist and note-taking

d) No note-taking or checklists should be used

e) Other? (Please specify)___________________________________________

Comments:

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

11. How would you prefer that FEEDBACK be shared? MARK ALL THAT APPLY.

a) Face-to-face

b) Feedback left on desk as observer(s) depart

c) Handwritten note or e-mail

d) Department/grade level feedback

e) Whole faculty feedback

f) Other? (Please specify)___________________________________________

Comments:

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

12. Should observers RECORD their walkthrough observations while in the classroom or after their

departure?

_______ Inside classroom _______ Outside of classroom

Comments:

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

13. Should it be MANDATED that all of the school’s teachers be observed during walkthroughs?

_______ YES _______ NO

Comments:

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

14. Should classroom walkthroughs be considered as part of the TEACHER EVALUATION process?

_______ YES _______ NO

Comments:

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Everyone is in the Know!

According to Gary Bloom, Associate Director of the New Teacher Center, University of California, Santa Cruz, "It is essential that before a school or district begins a classroom visitation program, everybody is clear about what to expect and what his or her role is to be in the process.” All stakeholders in the school setting need to know the answers to the following sixteen items:

1. Why are classroom walkthroughs being considered?

2. How were teachers involved in the design and implementation of the walkthroughs?

3. What is the specific purpose of the walks?

4. Who will participate in the walkthroughs?

5. When and how often will walks occur?

6. How long will visitors stay?

7. Will walkthroughs be announced prior to the visit?

8. What focus or look-fors will visitors observe?

9. Will there be any training connected to the walkthroughs?

10. What and how will information from the visits be recorded?

11. What will happen to the notes or checklists?

12. How will teachers receive feedback?

13. Will everyone be required to be visited?

14. How will walkthroughs complement other school improvement initiatives?

15. How will walkthroughs relate to the teacher evaluation process?

16. How will the walkthrough process be evaluated?

Bloom, G. (2007). Classroom visitations done well! Leadership, 36 (4), 40-41, 44-45.

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Examples of Classroom Walkthrough Norms

• Sit or stand quietly in a non-obtrusive place such as the back of the room or an empty chair.

• Refrain from redirecting student work or behavior (except in emergency situations) during the learning walk.

• Do not interfere with instruction.

• Leave cell phones off. • Have a non-evaluative state of mind. Stay focused on gathering data about student

learning that you see or elements of instruction that facilitate student learning. • Use open, non-judgmental body language. • If asked a question by a student during your observation, reflect the question back to the

student in order to encourage continue learning. • If appropriate and if it can be done without interrupting instruction or learning, ask

students about their learning.

• Write down exact quotes when possible, instead of paraphrasing a teacher or student. •

A few schools established what was expected of teachers after the walkthroughs were

completed. Examples of norms to govern post-walkthrough conversations include

• Challenge ideas, not people. • Listen to the perspectives of all.

• Encourage the exchange of ideas. • Ask for clarification if you do not understand what you observed. • Look for positive ideas you can take away.

• Speak consistently to the focus and look-fors observed. • Do not ridicule or discount what others observed.

• Seek to build common understanding of language; avoid posturing and positioning. • Demonstrate respect for one another and for mutual learning. • Keep the focus of comments on what was observed and what area the school wants to

improve upon. • Engage in deep questioning and conversation to inspire one another

• Be specific with feedback/comments with reference to events noted. • Ask “What if” or “I wondered” reflective questions. • Keep student learning the central focus of comments.

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Arranging and Scheduling Time for Teachers to Observe One Another

Below is a summary of ways that you might consider to use in arranging and scheduling times for your teachers to participate in walkthroughs and follow-up discussions.

• Have floating substitute teachers to cover classes of observing teachers.

• Use the principal, assistant principal, instructional coaches, mentors, or aides to cover

classes of those teachers participating in walks.

• Combine classes (with teacher agreement) so teachers can be released for walkthroughs.

• Seek approval to use department or subject, or grade level common planning time for

debriefings.

• Use individual teacher planning time when no other options are available and if teachers

agree.

• Use school staff meetings and department level meetings to share observations and

conduct reflective conversations.

• Use late start or early release staff development days for post-walkthrough discussions.

Coordinating the Walkthrough Process

The coordination responsibilities in schools tended to include one or more of the following:

• Provides or arranges for training of teachers in walkthroughs (e.g., protocols,

observation, professional conversations).

• Prepares and communicates the visitation schedule of teachers who will be observing.

• Communicates with teachers to be observed to ensure clarity.

• Helps facilitate the creation of the focus question and identification of the look-fors.

• Establishes roles and responsibilities of observing team members.

• Trains and/or assists with the software program used for observations.

• Arranges for release time when teachers are walking.

• Participates in observations.

• Prepares and/or oversees the sharing of observation data.

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Action Plan Template

Beginning (date?) ____________________________________________ the following teachers/staff

__________________________________________________________________________

will (do what?)

__________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________

(how often?)

_________________________________________________________________________

with (form? statement? report?)

_________________________________________________________________________

being submitted to (whom?) __________________________________ as a measure of commitment.

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Evaluation of School/District Classroom Walkthrough Process

The purpose of the survey is to evaluate the school/district classroom walkthroughs. DIRECTIONS: Please circle your response to each of the questions below.

1. I have a very clear understanding of the PURPOSE for classroom walkthroughs? ________________________________________________________________________

Totally agree Somewhat agree No opinion Somewhat disagree Totally disagree

2. I have a very clear understanding of the SPECIFIC FOCUS for each of the classroom walkthroughs? ________________________________________________________________________


3. I have a very clear understanding of the LOOK-FORS for each of the classroom walkthroughs? ________________________________________________________________________


4. I agree with the FREQUENCY that classroom walkthroughs are conducted. ________________________________________________________________________


5. I agree with the amount of TIME observers spend in my classroom during walkthroughs. ________________________________________________________________________


6. I agree with observers’ TIMING of various walkthroughs so that the beginning, the middle, and the closing of lessons are observed. ________________________________________________________________________


7. I agree that observers should ENGAGE IN CONVERSATIONS WITH STUDENTS about what they are learning. ________________________________________________________________________


8. I am comfortable with observer(s) RECORDING DATA about their observations while in my classroom.

________________________________________________________________________


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9. I agree with the WAY observer(s) RECORD DATA about their observations while in the classroom. _______________________________________________________________________


10. I agree with the way FEEDBACK is provided from classroom walkthroughs. ________________________________________________________________________ Totally agree Somewhat agree No opinion Somewhat disagree Totally disagree

11. I agree that walkthroughs are unobtrusive and conducted in ways that MINIMIZE the impact on classroom instruction. ________________________________________________________________________


12. I agree that my teaching and students’ learning have BENEFITED from walkthroughs. ________________________________________________________________________


13. I agree that classroom walkthroughs do not need to be ANNOUNCED in advance. ________________________________________________________________________


14. I agree there is a TRUSTING RELATIONSHIP between those who observe and those observed. ________________________________________________________________________


15. I agree that ALL TEACHERS should be observed through classroom walkthroughs. ________________________________________________________________________


16. I agree that TEACHERS should have the opportunity to be OBSERVERS. ________________________________________________________________________


17. I agree that the classroom walkthroughs are working well IN CONCERT with other school improvement initiatives taking place in our school. ________________________________________________________________________ Totally agree Somewhat agree No opinion Somewhat disagree Totally disagree

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References: Classroom Walkthroughs City, Elizabeth A., Elmore, Richard F., Fiarman, Sarah E., & Teitel, Lee. (2009). Instructional Rounds in Education: A Network Approach to Improving Teaching and Learning. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Education Press (Focuses on the use of instructional rounds as a model for walkthroughs.) Cronk, Dorothy, Inglis, Linda, Michailides, Dean, Michailides, Mary, Morris, David, and Peterssen, Nancy. (2008). Walking the Talk: Instructional Talk-Throughs. The ATA News 43 (3), 1-3. Great example of teacher involvement in walkthroughs. Go to http://www.educationworld.com/a_admin/admin/admin494.shtml Downey, Carolyn J., Steffy, Betty E., English, Fenwick W., Frase, Larry E., & Poston, Jr., William K. (2004). The Three-Minute Classroom Walk-Through: Changing Supervisory Practice One Teacher at a Time. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin, Press. (Focuses on a three-minute model for conducting walkthroughs.) Downey, Carolyn J., Steffy, Betty E., Poston, Jr., William K., & English, Fenwick W. (2010). Advancing the Three-Minute Walk-Through: Mastering Reflective Practice. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press. (Focuses on the reflective follow-up conversations in helping teachers improve their practice.) Frase, Larry, & Hetzel, Robert. (1990). School Management by Wandering Around. Lancaster, PA: Technomic Publishing Company, Inc. (First book published that addresses walkthroughs although not referred by that descriptor.) Kachur, Donald, S., Stouts, Judith A., & Edwards, Claudia L. (2010) Classroom Walkthroughs to Improve Teaching and Learning. Larchmont, NY: Eye on Education. (Examines eighteen walkthrough models from across the country for the purpose of designing a model that fits one’s own school setting.) Kachur, Donald, S., Stouts, Judith A., & Edwards, Claudia L. (est. 2012) Involving Teachers in Classroom Walkthroughs. Larchmont, NY: Eye on Education. (Reports findings and recommendations in the authors’ study of 40 schools from 30 school districts in seventeen states and Canada that have actively involved teachers in the design and participation as observers in teacher walkthroughs.) Marshall, Kim. (2009). Rethinking Teacher Supervision and Evaluation: How to Work Smart, Build Collaboration, and Close the Achievement Gap. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. (Presents the use of “mini-observations” for quick snapshots of teaching and learning.) Martinez-Miller, Patricia, & Cervone, Laureen. (2008). Breaking Through to Effective Teaching: A Walk-Through Protocol Linking Student Practice and Professional Practice. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Education. (Serves as a good reference on the UCLA SMP Classroom Walkthrough model that heavily involves teachers as the walkthrough observers.) Marzano, Robert J., Frontier, Tony, & Livingston, David. (2011). Effective Supervision: Supporting the Art and Science of Teaching. Alexandria, VA: ASCD. Marzano, Robert J. Making the Most of Instructional Rounds. Educational Leadership. Vol. 68, No. 5. February 2011, pages 80-81. (Primarily a walkthrough designed for teachers to observer one another to gain their own ideas about changes and improvements they can make in their own teaching.) Streshly, William A., Gray, Susan Penny, & Frase, Larry E. (2012). The New School Management by Wandering Around. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press. Zepeda, Sally J. (2009). The Instructional Leader’s Guide to Informal Classroom Observations (Second Edition). Larchmont, NY: Eye on Education. (Provides 40 classroom observation tools for the job-embedded nature of the informal classroom observations.)

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