Sweet Sixteen Announced 03/06/2010
 March Madness usually refers to NCAA Basketball, office tournament bracket pools, the race to the Final Four and the highlight film which is called One Shining Moment. On March 4, the U.S. Department of Education announced that 15 states and the District of Columbia will advance as finalists for phase 1 of the Race to the Top competition. The Sweet Sixteen Includes: Colorado, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, and Tennessee. Unlike the NCAA Basketball Tournament, states not qualifying for the Sweet Sixteen are eligible to reapply for Race to The Top Funding. Arne Duncan, Secretary of Education, said "I salute all of the finalists for their hard work. And I encourage non-finalists to reapply for Phase 2 in June—along with the states that did not apply in the first Phase and the finalists who ultimately do not win." The sixteen finalists are not guaranteed funding, so it is too early to cut the nets and celebrate. While every college basketball coach creates a game plan for the next round of the tournament, the sixteen finalists will spend the upcoming weeks preparing for a team presentation in Washington, D.C. The finalists will be invited to DC in mid-March to present their proposals to the panel that reviewed their applications in depth during the initial stage, and to engage in Q&A discussions with the reviewers. The purpose of the finalist stage is to allow reviewers to ensure that each state has the understanding, knowledge, capacity, and the will to truly deliver on what is proposed. The presentations will be videotaped and posted for viewing on the Department's website at the end of Phase 1. Winners for phase 1 will be chosen from among the 16 finalists and announced in April. Applications for phase 2 will be due on June 1 of this year, with finalists announced in August and winners in September. The only states prohibited from applying in phase 2 are those that receive awards in phase 1. Click here to view Arne Duncan's official announcement of the Race to the Top Finalists (Sweet Sixteen). (Length: 48 seconds) Through Race to the Top, the U.S. Department of Education is asking States to advance reforms around four specific areas:
Upcoming Webinar Hosted by Richard and Rebecca DuFour November 24, 2009 Free Webinar Raising the Bar and Closing the Gap: Doing Whatever It Takes to Improve Student Learning Hosted by Richard and Rebecca DuFour Wednesday, December 16, 2009 4:00 PM - 5:00 p.m. EST Register today! This webinar examines the practices of schools that have used the professional learning community (PLC) process to help struggling students become proficient and to enrich and extend the learning for students who are already proficient. Learn the big ideas that drive the work of a PLC, examine some of the necessary cultural shifts, identify the parameters that lead to effective intervention and enrichment, and review the results from elementary, middle, and high schools serving diverse student populations throughout the United States. School districts across the United States are making the transition from teachers working in isolation to teachers and administrators operating as a Professional Learning Community. A Professional Learning Community is more than a group of teachers having a common meeting date and location on a weekly basis. If organized properly, DuFour, Eaker and DuFour (2005) explain that the following questions will guide the work of a Professional Learning Community. 1. What is it we want all students to learn? 2. How will we know when each student has mastered the essential learning? 3. How will we respond when a student experiences initial difficulty in learning? 4. How will we deepen the learning for students who have already mastered essential knowledge and skills? In this article, I want to share how curriculum mapping is a tool which supports the work of a Professional Learning Community. Question number one asks 'what’ do we want all students to learn. Without curriculum maps, teachers have not documented ‘what’ students should learn. If teachers in one building agree on ‘what’ students should learn and teachers in another school decide on ‘what’ students should learn, then vertical alignment within the school district will be virtually nonexistent. How will we know when each student has mastered the essential learning? Once again, in the absence of curriculum maps it is difficult to know what is essential. If a Professional Learning Team develops common formative assessments, but they lack curriculum maps then how will the educators know ‘what’ to assess? Some researchers have indicated that teachers should identify the curriculum using the following descriptions: Introductory, Review, and Mastery or Understanding. Until teachers develop a curriculum map, some teachers may teach the state standards for Introductory and other teachers may teach the same standards until students develop Mastery. Wiggins and McTighe (2005), wrote, "In the absence of a learning plan with clear goals, how likely is it that students will develop shared understandings on which future lessons might build." (p. 21)? Question three asks educators to respond when students experience difficulty in learning. It is difficult to respond when students struggle with learning, if each teacher is aiming for a different goal. Some educators struggle with this approach and argue that a common curriculum is a scripted curriculum. What I am describing is a common curriculum which outlines the enduring understandings, key concepts, key skills and power standards. If we can clarify what we want every student to know and be able to do, then we will be able to support students when they struggle with the essential learning(s). ‘How’ a teacher chooses to lead students to understand essential skills and concepts is not dictated by a curriculum map. The best educators understand that student learning styles and readiness levels vary from one class to the next. One teacher may teach a concept differently in first period than she does in second period. A curriculum map will help educators organize the district’s common curriculum. Marzano (2003) calls this the ‘guaranteed and viable curriculum’ and his research led him to believe that this is the number one factor which impacts student achievement. The fourth question asked in a professional learning community allows educators to challenge each student at their respective readiness level. If a student is ready for the next level of learning, then teachers can use the curriculum maps to guide their instructional decisions. It is difficult for teachers to differentiate instruction if they do not share a common starting point to differentiate from. Curriculum maps provide teachers with a starting point. Vertical alignment helps teachers see where students will take their learning at the next level. If a concept is taught for Introduction in the third grade, but two students are ready to move to the next level then teachers can create learning experiences which challenge those students and teach the introductory level of knowledge to the rest of the class. The attached resource was developed by Steven Weber (2009) and it shares the curriculum mapping process. If your staff operates as a Professional Learning Community, but you do not frequently discuss a common curriculum you may also benefit from Unpacking Standards – The Process. References: DuFour, R., Eaker, R., & DuFour, R. (Eds.). (2005). On common ground: The power of professional learning communities. Bloomington, IN: National Education Service. Marzano, R.J. (2003). What works in schools: Translating research into action. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Wiggins, G., & McTighe, J. (2005). Understanding by design:Expanded 2nd edition. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. 
If We Can, Should We? 10/04/2009
A good activity for teacher teams is called "If We Can, Should We?" See Examples Below: If we can build a guaranteed and viable curriculum, should we? If we can meet as a vertical team once per month, should we? If we can raise student achievement through curriculum alignment, should we? If we can gain greater clarity about 'what' to teach by unpacking the standards, should we? If we can help more students through differentiated instruction, should we? If we can help students develop critical thinking skills through writing essential questions, should we? If we can improve curriculum development and instruction through data analysis, should we? If we can develop a rigorous curriculum through teacher collaboration, should we continue to work in isolation? The goal is to have teacher teams develop the questions, rather than having a list of questions for the teacher teams to answer. There are multiple variations that teacher teams can use with this activity. While the questions may sound like someone is challenging the group or individual members of the group, the intent of the activity is to help teachers begin a conversation which has the potential to improve teaching and learning. When we begin to realize that our collective efforts can drastically improve each student's future, it is worth the time and effort to have this initial conversation. A good follow-up activity is to begin developing SMART Goals. SMART Goals will help teacher teams stay focused and will require a commitment to action. How to L.E.A.D. Teams 09/26/2009
 Fran Rees (1991) wrote How to LEAD Work Teams: Facilitation Skills. While this book was not written for the field of education, it has resources that can improve our collective efforts as curriculum developers. Curriculum development is a collaborative effort and it requires multiple perspectives. This article will describe how Rees’ book can help school districts as they continue to develop, revise and reflect on the curriculum in K-12 schools. Our school district has embraced the professional learning community model. A professional learning community consists of a group of teachers who meet on a weekly basis to identify what each student should know and be able to do. In an elementary school, a team could consist of each third grade teacher in a building. At the secondary level, a team could be all of the Algebra teachers in a high school. Ongoing reflection and scheduled team meetings help teachers learn strategies which are effective. Curriculum development and craft knowledge are shared in team meetings and through teacher blogs and emails. Teaching is a profession where one teacher is assigned a classroom of students. Traditionally, teachers have worked in isolation, preparing lessons for students and assigning letter grades based on student achievement of the determined learning outcomes. Rees’ (1991) research shares how teachers should approach team meetings. How to L.E.A.D. Teams Leaders can use a simple four-step model: L ead with a clear purpose E mpower to participate A im for consensus D irect the process In the absence of a clear purpose or identified learning goals, students are not given the opportunity to learn essential concepts and skills which will prepare them for the next level of learning. It is comfortable and safe for teachers to come to consensus when they meet. Most teachers do not wish to end a meeting with conflict or a debate. This model is not saying that teachers should avoid debate or that consensus is the only goal of a team meeting. Teachers without a clear purpose and groups with a single leader may not be increasing student achievement simply by coming to consensus. Another valuable chapter in this book is chapter three which is titled, Getting People to Work Together. As teachers begin to work together on building-level teams and district wide committees, team building skills and facilitation skills will become an important component of professional development. We must keep in mind that teachers value collaboration, but the culture in education has taught us to work in isolation. Additional Team Resources: Five Dysfunctions of a Team Professional Learning Communities Purpose Driven Curriculum References: Rees, F. (1991). How to lead work teams: Facilitation Skills. San Diego, CA: Pfeiffer and Company. Unpacking Standards 08/24/2009
Robyn Jackson (2009) recently shared the importance of unpacking standards. She wrote, if teachers are going to use standards to guide planning, assessments, and teaching, we need to understand what each standard asks students to know or do (p. 58). This article shares research on unpacking standards, provides a process for school districts to follow, and shares next steps after teachers have unpacked the standards. Does your school district begin each year with teachers meeting to discuss and unpack the state standards or does each teacher work as an independent contractor making decisions which impact student understanding in the privacy of their own classroom? Ainsworth (2003) wrote, “Unwrapped standards provide clarity as to what students must know and be able to do. When teachers take the time to analyze each standard and identify its essential concepts and skills, the result is more effective instructional planning, assessment, and student learning”(p. 1). Several school districts have attempted to align the curriculum through curriculum mapping, aligning teacher created lessons or activities, developing common formative assessments, or other strategies. Experience has led me to believe that attempting to align the curriculum prior to unpacking state standards leads to frustration and gaps in the written curriculum. The Benefits of Unpacking the Standards are outlined below (Weber, 2008). The Power of Teams 08/13/2009
Teams demand a merging of individual accountability with mutual accountability. Few "teams can perform without investing time to shape and agree upon a common purpose, set of goals, and working approach" (Katzenbach & Smith, 1993, p. 25). Does your team have a common purpose? When teachers work together to identify key skills and key concepts students need to know and be able to do, they provide feedback and support to other members of the team. When teams meet to discuss the curriculum, it enhances students opportunity to learn. DuFour (2004) wrote, "In addition, faculties must stop making excuses for failing to collaborate. Few educators publicly assert that working in isolation is the best strategy for improving schools. Instead, they give reasons why it is impossible for them to work together: "We just can't find the time." "Not everyone on the staff has endorsed the idea." "We need more training in collaboration." But the number of schools that have created truly collaborative cultures proves that such barriers are not insurmountable" (p. 8). Additional Resources for your Team: The Power of Teamwork: Inspired by the Blue Angels View Video The Five Dysfunctions of a Team What is a Professional Learning Community? A Process to Develop High-Performing Teams References: DuFour, R. (2004). What is a professional learning community? Educational Leadership, 61(8), 6-11. Katzenbach, J.R., & Smith, D.K. (1993). The wisdom of teams: Creating the high-performance organization. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, Inc. | AuthorSteven Weber is the Director of Secondary Instruction for Orange County Schools in Hillsborough, NC. Weber has served as a classroom teacher, assistant principal, and state department of education consultant in Arkansas and North Carolina. He consults school systems in aligning their curriculum and in unpacking curriculum standards.  ArchivesMarch 2010 CategoriesAll | ||
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