Tis The Season

The Holiday Season amidst Sound Instruction and Deep Learning.

In the month of December, I share a two-fold message. One, I want to share my gratitude. 


This is my fourth year living in Lowerlake and working in Konocti. What to say. Lowerlake is very impoverished yet filled with beauty; beauty in the land, in the people, and the wildlife. Who can say when driving down a highway, they saw a bald eagle, deer, and elk? Amongst all the signs of generational poverty, there are more displays of people upholding the importance of education and the value of community. One teacher shared in my interview, "the people of Konocti are really a family." I concur. Even in our corky and roundabout ways, I can say with confidence, we sure do want to make a difference via a strong education that equips students with the knowledge and motivation and the skills to thrive in their future endeavors and in their future world. 

And, the second part of the two-fold message is that I tend to reflect. In doing so here is what runs through my mind.    

1.) Remember the direction of the district = The Goal = 1+ for all students and staff alike
Konocti lays the groundwork with strong relationships amongst its staff and students.
In an inviting and welcoming environment, staff can, then, embark on several fundamental practices and ignite that deep learning in students, measured as one year's growth or more. (Knowing people use more than just these four practices) 

2.) Recall how we are supposed to meet this goal = Some fundamental action steps to cause this 1+:
a.) Strong relations and welcoming-inviting surroundings
a.) Clarity - clear expectations through the learning intention and success criteria

b.) Always knowing one's impact based on student progress
c.) Other high leverage strategies within these two instructional pillars such as formative assessment and feedback.



3.) Review different data points to asses our progress and my impact 

3A.) Teacher Clarity and Student Clarity can double the rate of learning. 

3B.) State Reading and Achievement Data

3C.) Local Reading Growth and Achievement Data for K -12

Stayed for the results in January

3D.) Possible High School Final Data - growth and achievement data from some courses/classes

Stayed tuned for results in January

 My personal and professional goal, actions, and progress/impact.

My purpose statement is the following:

** Educate students so as to deepen their content knowledge, develop their cognitive skills, and gain their own learner strategies so as to prepare students in a way that lets them thrive in their future endeavors and in the ever-changing world.

My goal is to ensure students make one year’s growth or more for each year of school

My action steps to achieve my goal and contribute the district goals are the following:

1.      Effective execution of some fundamental instructional practices (particularly clarity……formative assessment…….feedback)

2.      Clearly communicate the instructional plan, the actions, and progress

3.      Plan and participate in professional development and collaboration

4.    Regularly monitor my impact with various data points

I will measure/track my progress toward my goal by using the following methods: 

++ Visiting schools where staff display visible attributes of these fundamental instructional practices (use the walkthrough forms which includes the instructional checklist and student response form) 

++ Interviewing stakeholders about their level of understanding regarding the direction and progress (use the interview questions).....in the progress now

++ Participation by staff and engagement from the staff at the scheduled professional and collaborations (attendance rates, observe and listen to the conversations, gather artifacts, gather feedback, gather minutes). I have all of this - see me for my analysis of this information)(also I track my influence in working with the principles.Again you can ask my about this information and interpretation and next steps)

++ Assessing student local and state results (Star, HS pre and post-tests, CAASPP Interim Block Assessments, teacher evidence of student learning each month)........all of these data points are in the works and so stay tuned as I assess and analyze more formally in January.

"Believe with all your heart that how you live your life makes a difference" - Colin Brown

The Fall Happenings of Konocti Unified

November in Konocti

 Kids learning even after the school day

The "littles" learning how to read and to read for understanding

The Vision for our Kiddos = Work in partnership with students to develop: 
+ Content knowledge especially literacy
+ Cognitive skills
+ Capacity in the way of gaining learner strategies  and problem-solving skills 
so as to be ready and well-adjusted folks to succeed in their future endeavors and for the what the future holds.

The Goal = 1+ for all students and staff alike
Konocti lays the groundwork with strong relationships among-st its staff and students.
In an inviting and welcoming environment, staff can, then, embark on several  fundamental practices and ignite that deep learning in students of one year's growth or more. (Knowing people use more than just these four practices) 

Some fundamental action steps to cause this 1+:
1.) Clarity - clear expectations through the learning intention and success criteria

2.) Always knowing one's impact based on student progress
3.) Other high leverage strategies within these two instructional pillars such as formative assessment and feedback.

Teacher Clarity and Student Clarity can double the rate of learning. Here is how we are doing.

October 24 All Day Staff Development Day

 The goal of the day was the following:

** Learn some new high-leverage strategies specific to one's content area

** Time to process and plan with their colleagues

** Long-term outcomes:

          * See the new learnings discussed in collaboration

          * See the enhanced instruction through the growth and well-being of the students

Feedback from a representative teachers and presenters as well as my observations in alignment with the purpose of the day.

     1.)    Some of the feedback was less favorable, mainly for these two reasons

a.)     Differentiate more about the content. (Example - one preferred the presenter show us " how" instead of telling us how).

b.)    The training was challenging and new in the way I am use to teaching. (Example - little notice to prep with little clarity around the expectations, and would have enjoyed learning something from others. Another example: when and how can I organize this new pedagogy?) 

   

     2.)    Most of the feedback was favorable for two reasons:

a.)     Viewed the trainers as professional and viewed as expert in their content area.. (Example - felt as though they were able to focus on what was most important for their department)

b.)    Appreciated the time, the time to process- talk about the new learning with their colleagues in the same content area and to talk vertically with colleagues as the workshops were grades 6 -12. (Example - wanted time to collaborate with peers, time to debrief, unpack everything that was introduced to us)

Response or resolution for the next All Day Staff Development Day

**Return of the presenters that came valued– internally and externally so as to continue with content, with new learning, processing and planning time with colleagues.

**Add more presenters for departments and so as to differentiate the content for folks (example – foundational skills and then close reading…………….Others wanted more about close reads and other reading strategies like guided reading when unpacking complex text with students).

** Ensure time in the workshops for collaborating – talking – planning time with peers and colleagues.

  

Evidence of the importance of school and educators as we see one student, of many enjoying the gift of reading and the pure curiosity of children.

As John Locke shared, "Curiosity in Children ia but an appetite for knowledge".

                       

Konocti in October

KONOCTI with a Focus on Reading and the Future Endeavors of our Students

 
  Mrs Oranje's class reading their new Scholastic Books. And when they finish this book, they

Grade 1 feeling  empowered by their literacy skills, thinking skills, their confidence to soar their confidence to soar into their future and future endeavors

"Believe with all your heart that how you live your life makes a difference" - Colin Brown

CAASPP Results for the 2017-18 School Year

Konocti Unified continues to climb as 27% of the students can now read at or above grade level. A 7% increase in 2 years.
Grade 3 and Grade 7 and Grade 11 made significant gains in their reading levels as well. The 11th grade increased from 29% to 38% now reading at or above grade level.
Over 50% of the students grades 3 -7, grade 8 and grade 11 showed over one year's growth on the CAASPP Exam.
Over 90% of the students K -2 showed over one year's growth in the local reading assessment, which proves to be a reliable predictor for their performance on the CAASPP exam.

Yes we measure student success using an array of measures in addition to the annual state exam. We teach and assess students in the area of cognitive development and, in the procurement of learner disposition. We teach and assess students in their acquisition of social and civil traits.

We capture growth in these other areas of student development through:
** The responses we record to the three fundamental questions asses these other attributes.
** The focus group interview responses
**Video taping classroom instruction and student learning
** Growth data - using effect size - to see students making one year's gain or more in reading, and in other content areas.

Stay tuned as these different points of evidence are shared, assessed, and responded to.

Collaboration

The first district-wide collaboration

Konocti lays the groundwork with strong relationships among-st its staff and students.
In an inviting and welcoming environment, staff can, then, embark on several  fundamental practices and ignite that deep learning in students of one year's growth or more. (Knowing people use more than just these four practices) 

Konocti's Instructional Goal is to ensure 1+ for our students

Some fundamental action steps to cause this 1+:
1.)  Clarity - clear expectations through the learning intention and success criteria

2.) Always knowing one's impact based on student progress
3.) Other high leverage strategies within these two instructional pillars


One critical support that improves our instructional practices as a professional, and then advances students learning and well-being is collaboration.

The purpose of collaboration is just that = to improve our instructional practice and then directly impact student learning and well-being. 

When collaboration is "done well", we can advance our own instructional practice and that of the students!

The type of collaboration that serves this purpose is one where the conversation is deeply focused around evidence of student learning and the"effective" instructional practices (DuFour, 2004) :
(1.) Evidence: Such a conversation is steeped in evidence of student progress and achievement,
(2.) Analysis: The team members identify and share the instructional strategies that contributed to such progress and achievement - success -  sharing - Eureka!
(3.) Analysis: The team taps into their collective wisdom and makes refinements to current strategies and/or adds new instructional strategies to the repertoire
(4.) Action: The team commits to instructional strategies that are causing substantial learning in some students, and that can cause student learning in even more students.

Such a conversation both affirms and enhances our instructional practices to then implement, continuing the success with students already improving and achieving as well as reaching kids never before reached - the light bulb turns on; the caliber of work surpasses their own expectation; there is a new level of involvement and excitement.

Just as staff collaborate regularly on site and as a whole school district, the principals and I also collaborate two times a month. Once a month our collaborations also strategic in nature. The conversation is steeped in evidence of adult growth and student improvement. The principals and I evaluate our impact based on staff instructional success, and then based on students' academic and social emotional success = 1+ for all of us.

You are welcome to ask me anytime - what am I working on? How am I doing? How do I know my progress and impact?

September Times in Konocti Unified

Life-long learners - Adults and Students

                

Konocti lays the groundwork with strong relationships amongst its staff and students.
In an inviting and welcoming environment, staff can, then, embark on several  fundamental practices and ignite that deep learning in students of one year's growth or more. (Knowing people use more than just these four practices) 

Konocti's Instructional Goal is to ensure 1+ for our students

Some fundamental action steps to cause this 1+:
1.)  Clarity - clear expectations through the learning intention and success criteria

2.) Always knowing one's impact based on student progress
3.) Other high leverage strategies within these two instructional pillars


One critical support that improves our instructional practices as a professional, and then advances students learning and well-being is collaboration.

The purpose of collaboration is just that = to improve our instructional practice and then directly impact student learning and well-being. 

When collaboration is "done well", we can achieve such an essential outcome.

The type of collaboration that serves this purpose is one where the conversation is deeply focused around evidence of student learning and the"effective" instructional practices (DuFour, 2004) :
(1.) Such a conversation is steeped in evidence of student progress and achievement,
(2.) The team members identify and share the instructional strategies that contributed to such progress and achievement - success -  sharing - Eureka!
(3.) The team taps into their collective wisdom and makes refinements to current strategies and/or adds new instructional strategies to the repertoire

Such a conversation both affirms and enhances our instructional practices to then implement, continuing the success with students already improving and achieving as well as reaching kids never before reached - the light bulb turns on; the caliber of work surpasses their own expectation; there is a new level of involvement and excitement.

Just as staff collaborate regularly on site and as a whole school district, the principals and I also collaborate two times a month. Once a month our collaborations also strategic in nature. The conversation is steeped in evidence of adult growth and student improvement. The principals and I evaluate our impact based on staff instructional success, and then based on students' academic and social emotional success = 1+ for all of us.

Welcome Back Konocti

The First Days of School; Nervous yet Dancing on the Inside

      
With the the first few days of school, I invite you to tap into that childhood wonder and thrill as we prepare for our first few days of school (by time you read this, school may already be underway)

In the welcome back message, our superintendent, Donna Becnel shared that Konocti is here to ensure one year's growth or more. She shared personal guiding statement on we improve as an entire organization. We do so by implementing systems that yield a sustainable culture of innovation, collaborative community and high achievement through inquiry, impact, and continuous improvement.

I shared my guiding statement with staff at various platforms: P. U.R.P.O.S.E, meaning I look to education people universally, readying people for any opportunity and situation.

We each have our own guiding principle or purpose statements as we look to improve ourselves, our students, and our organization.

Under this light, Konocti Unified created the strategic plan premised on John Hattie's research which is the largest body of research in our field of education to-date.

Konocti lays the groundwork with strong relationships among-st staff and students.
In an inviting and welcoming environment, staff and students can embark on several  fundamental practices and ignite that deep learning. (Knowing people can use more these these four practices) of one year's growth or more.

The first few days back, led by the teacher academy, the welcome back staff collaborations and welcome back message, already set the precedence for our systems of inquiry and impact around the implementation of these fundamental instructional practices. For example, more and more people are connecting their purpose and beliefs to the district direction. We have high caliber people returning and we have high caliber people joining the Konocti family.

Furthermore, as I traveled around, I was thrilled when staff asked me to pop into their classrooms so they could show me some ways they were involving students in the learning journey: a special reading center of the room for students to sit and get lost in their favorite book; a display of writing exemplars for students to assess where they are at and know what they are striving for; a progression wall where students move their marker as they improve their reading score. These are just a few examples of the many sound ideas.

In winding down that day, two teachers shared how they were going to collaborate with each student in setting the weekly academic goals and the daily tasks so students and the teacher could track progress, make adjustments, and celebrate achievement regularly. They closed the conversation by saying, "This year is going to be magical". I couldn't agree more.


As we begin this magical year of quality instruction and deep learning, I want to share my plan so you are aware of how I plan to hold myself accountable to ensure that one year's growth or more, in myself and in others.

         

I look forward to the return of our students on Monday, August 20. I look forward to visiting schools on the first two days to see you and the kids! I also look forward to witnessing and feeling the special connections being initiated and the deep learning being launched by our inspiring and skilled staff. 

Konocti in the Month of May

Here are a few video links. Some high school students sharing what strategies support their learning and what strategies they employ to support their own learning. https://youtu.be/iOC3gYTK5Vs
Here are a couple of elementary students describing their learning and progress in math. https://youtu.be/Q2ZLPYQ9d6E

What does this mean? (1.) As we (the adults) make progress in understanding and in articulating what is expected in the key concepts and skills, students too can articulate how they are progressing in their learning. (2.) With the leveled success criteria, all students can demonstrate academic success and progress (based on their journey to the destination). (3.) Classroom teachers and students are demonstrating a balance of surface learning and deep learning.

What can be some next level work within the same action steps and goal? (1.) We can continue to learn and develop in unpacking the standards – the key concepts and skills – by leveling the success criteria. (2.) we can gain in consistency in all the ways we informally and formally assess/evaluate student progress towards the different success criteria. (3.) We can continue to include the students in their knowing what they learning, and how they are learn/are learning?

In conclusion, the work is hard. And as a collective team, we can continue to marshal well-being, civility, and academic achievement! Look all around us. It is happening.






Next level work for myself from April to May 31.

My action	Representative from the target group	My measure	How will I know on or before May 31
Facilitate the bi-monthly instructional coach team, working with each of them as they write a specific plan to enhance staffs craft and then improve student learning Facilitate the monthly principal collaboration, working with the principals and superintendent as each writes a specific action around enhancing/developing their staffs craft and then improving their students’ academic	One coach from the coach team One principal and the superintendent from the principal team	The walkthru form: The coach and teacher set outcomes. Then they each gathered evidence of student learning classroom. The teacher and coach asked the students' questions about their learning and debriefed at a later time. The walkthru form: The principal and I will visit classrooms at her school. Evidence will be gathered by using the walk-thru form, when we ask students the 3 fundamental questions or so about their learning Interview responses:  Her interview results from checking in with principals to see if her impact worked Progress of the tech plan	Based on the established outcomes, the coach will share results - patterns of student learning from the student response (the coach shares this information in confidence with me ie  no teacher names)

Konocti in April

We entered the world of education to "make a difference". In making that difference, we look not only to teach literacy and content knowledge, we also look to develop critical attributes in our students so they can thrive in their future and in their future endeavors.

                                                     Collaboration

Konocti designs it collaboration structure after the DuFour's inquiry model. The model has withstood the test of time. There are many inquiry approaches today. High functioning teams that embed inquiry cycles ensure student improvement by garnering a collaborative spirit, and by focusing on evidence of learning.

The collaborative conversation is grounded in evidence emphasizing student learning caused by identifying "quality" instructional strategies. The four questions also address what students did not learn and what "quality" instructional strategies the team can refine or add. Such a vulnerable yet rich conversation takes high relational trust and great confidence in one another.


You can watch a collaborative team using the inquiry model by viewing this video at this link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RrPI-q6w72Y or this video at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gr7aUrra27w

You can read more about the attributes of effective collaborative teams at http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/may04/vol61/num08/What-Is-a-Professional-Learning-Community%C2%A2.aspx

Local Reading Results for K -7 as of March 2018

Over 50% of our students are on the trajectory to make over one year's growth this school year.  And with that we look to see at least a 5% increase in the % of students at or above grade level.

March Walk thru Results for the Whole of Konocti Unified

Nearly 40% of our classrooms displayed leveled success criteria. As a result, nearly 100% of our students could describe their learning and their progress. About 75% of the classrooms visited taught both the surface and deep levels of learning. In almost 100% of the classrooms, students were interacting with grade level work.

What does this mean? (1.) As we (the adults) make progress in understanding and in articulating what is expected in the key concepts and skills, students too can articulate how they are progressing in their learning. (2.) With the leveled success criteria, all students can demonstrate academic success and progress (based on their journey to the destination). (3.) Classroom teachers and students are demonstrating a balance of surface learning and deep learning.

What can be some next level work within the same action steps and goal? (1.) We can continue to learn and develop in unpacking the standards – the key concepts and skills – by leveling the success criteria. (2.) we can gain in consistency in all the ways we informally and formally assess/evaluate student progress towards the different success criteria. (3.) We can continue to include the students in their knowing what they learning, and how they are learn/are learning?

In conclusion, the work is hard. And as a collective team, we can continue to marshal well-being, civility, and academic achievement! Look all around us. It is happening.

Next level work for myself from April to May 31.

My action	Representative from the target group	My measure	How will I know on or before May 31
Facilitate the bi-monthly instructional coach team, working with each of them as they write a specific plan to enhance staffs craft and then improve student learning Facilitate the monthly principal collaboration, working with the principals and superintendent as each writes a specific action around enhancing/developing their staffs craft and then improving their students’ academic	One coach from the coach team One principal and the superintendent from the principal team	The walkthru form: The coach and teacher set outcomes. Then they each gathered evidence of student learning classroom. The teacher and coach asked the students' questions about their learning and debriefed at a later time. The walkthru form: The principal and I will visit classrooms at her school. Evidence will be gathered by using the walk-thru form, when we ask students the 3 fundamental questions or so about their learning Interview responses:  Her interview results from checking in with principals to see if her impact worked Progress of the tech plan	BasBased on their established outcomes, the coach will share results - patterns of student learning from the student response (the coach shares this information in confidence with me ie no teacher names) The evidence of student learning from talking with students during the walk-thru. (using the walk-thru form). Evidence of sharing the student learning and high-leverage instruction with the school and teaching staff. Evidence of progress on the tech plan Evidence from her principals’ responses from her interviews.ed on the established outcomes, the coach will share results - patterns of student learning from the student response (the coach shares this information in confidence with me i