Making the Case for High School Redesign: Connecting the Community
44th Annual TASB/TASA Convention Dallas, Texas September 18, 2004
Introductions
Michele Pola, Ed.D.
Armando Alaniz
Executive Director, The Houston A+ Challenge Asst. Sup. for High School Improvement and Accountability Houston Independent School District
Lynn Parsons, Ph.D.
Parsons Associates, Houston, TX
Introductions…
Michele and Armando
Co-directors: Houston Schools for a New Society (HSNS) 24 Houston ISD high schools in a 5-year project to transform high schools to meet the new demands of the 21st century
Lynn
Project Coordinator: A+ Regional High School Redesign Project 14 high schools in 4 suburban districts in a 5year project to transform high schools to meet the new demands of the 21st century
Introductions…
You are…?
School Board Trustees? Superintendents? District office staff? Campus staff? Parents/community members?
High schools…?
3,000 or more? (28 out of 1083) 1,000 to 2,999? (371 out of 1083) > 1,000? (312 out of 1083)
Remember the good old days?
What was the best thing that happened to you in high school?
Was the “best thing” due to the actions of a single staff member?
What was the worst thing that happened to you in high school?
Was the “worst thing” due to the actions of a single staff member?
Breaking Ranks II: Strategies for Leading High School Reform (NASSP, 2004)
“Good is the enemy of great.”
Being a less than average HS is not acceptable Being a good HS represents a commitment to the status quo Being a great HS should be the individual and collective resolve for all
Understanding the urgent need for change (from Tony Wagner, Phi Delta Kappan, January 2001) ď Ż ď Ż
Silently read the passage marked Wait for instructions
Microlab protocol: ď Ż
Question 1
Tony Wagner says that responding to changes in students’ life circumstances and motivations for learning is our greatest challenge. Do you agree or disagree? Why?
Microlab protocol:
Question 2
Wagner also says that a major problem we face is how to educate all —not just some—students. How is your district attempting to reach all students in a way that you believe has promise?
Microlab protocol:
Question 3
Wagner says: “We don’t need to reform our schools; we must ‘reinvent’ the entire system. That is a very different problem and one that educators cannot solve by themselves.” What can the Board and the community do to help educators “reinvent” the educational system?
Protocols
Structured processes to promote meaningful and efficient communication and learning Debrief the microlab:
How did this work for you, individually? What would be the advantages of using this? Disadvantages? What would you want to keep in mind as a facilitator?
To transform high schools‌ P r o f e s s io n a l a n d O r g a n iz a t io n L e a r n in g
School R e s t r u c t u r in g
C o m m u n it y Engagem ent
D is t r i c t C h a n g e an d S u p p ort f o r T r a n s f o r m in g H ig h S c h o o ls
High school transformation, so that‌ ď Ż
We can optimize the performance of ALL students to ensure a seamless transition and success in the 21st century workforce and higher education.
To transform high schools…
Professional and Organization Learning: Provide ongoing, sustained, and focused professional development to teachers, administrators, central office staff, parents, and community members, so that…
School Restructuring
Community Engagement
District Change and Support for Transforming High Schools
Professional Learning Communities
Are guided and united by a common mission, vision, and commitments Are focused on learning Are focused on collaboration Are focused on results
DuFour’s three questions: 1.
What do we expect all students to learn? (By grade level, course, and unit of instruction)
2.
How will we know what students have learned? (when each has acquired the intended knowledge and skills)
3.
How will we respond to students who aren’t learning? (so we can improve upon
current levels of learning when they experience initial difficulty)
Critical Friends Groups
Provides an avenue for teachers and administrators to collaborate to deepen their knowledge of academic subject matter, examine their teaching practices and consider issues of whole-school change. A Critical Friends Group works regularly together to support increased student achievement. Members: establish and publicly state student learning goals help each other think about better teaching practices look closely at curriculum and student work identify school culture issues that affect student achievement
PLCs and CFGs
Often have a trained “coach” Often use protocols (like the Microlab) Always stay focused on student learning (rather than teaching)
To transform high schools…
Professional and Organization Learning
School Restructuring: Align all components of the school with the vision and guiding principles, so that…
Community Engagement
District Change and Support for Transforming High Schools
School restructuring: Focus on learning
Personalizing the school environment
Adult advocacy Smaller learning communities
Personalizing the learning process
Quality teaching and learning Alignment of curriculum, instruction, and assessment Coherence of learning and the student’s real world
What do we mean by personalization?
A learning process in which schools help students
Assess their own talents and aspirations Plan a pathway toward their own purposes Work cooperatively with others on challenging tasks Maintain a record of their explorations Demonstrate their learning against clear standards in wide variety of media
All with the close support of adult mentors and guides
What is adult advocacy? ď Ż
ď Ż
Adult advocacy is the intentional personalization of the learning environment that provides long term, caring adult relationships for all students. The adult advocate's role is to personally ensure that students' social and emotional needs are met through communicating with and, if necessary, referring students to appropriate support staff for assistance and to provide academic assistance and information on post-secondary planning.
What do we mean by personalization?
A learning process in which schools help students
Assess their own talents and aspirations Plan a pathway toward their own purposes Work cooperatively with others on challenging tasks Maintain a record of their explorations Demonstrate their learning against clear standards in wide variety of media
All with the close support of adult mentors and guides
What are smaller learning communities?
A way to personalize large (<1000 students) high schools
A small number of students and a common core of teachers who remain together Core team of teachers has common planning time
Individual student support Interdisciplinary learning
Personalizing the learning process
Quality teaching and learning Alignment of curriculum, instruction, and assessment Coherence of learning and the student’s real world
To transform high schools…
Professional and Organization Learning
School Restructuring
Community Engagement: Involve all stakeholders in activities developed to support the school and district restructuring, so that…
District Change and Support for Transforming High Schools
Community engagement
When you (the school board and administration) are making changes, what are the two most critical things you must do in planning in order for the community to be most supportive of proposed changes?
Individual Pair-share Popcorn out
Considerations for community involvement
Anticipate possible outcomes and issues that may arise
Include parents and community in the process from the earliest stages Maintain Board visibility through the process (While focusing on Board’s main role of policysetting and leadership, not management)
To transform high schoolsâ&#x20AC;Ś P r o f e s s io n a l a n d O r g a n iz a t io n L e a r n in g
School R e s t r u c t u r in g
C o m m u n it y Engagem ent
D is t r i c t C h a n g e an d S u p p ort f o r T r a n s f o r m in g H ig h S c h o o ls
To transform high schools…
Professional and Organization Learning
School Restructuring
Community Engagement
District Change and Support for Transforming High Schools: Create a climate that encourages risk-taking, innovation, and support. Schools will have autonomy to make choices based on individual needs.
District change and support for transforming high schools, so thatâ&#x20AC;Ś
How is your district supporting high school transformation?
Breaking Ranks II
“Leadership is not a spectator sport; it requires active and continual engagement. School leaders continue to be a significant force in the struggle for better schools and to take charge of school reform. Let us reclaim the reason why many of us have chosen to serve in education: to level the playing field for young people whose future rests in our hands.” Gerald N. Tirozzi, Ph.D., Exec. Dir. Of NASSP
Reflections
The most important thing I have learned as a result of this session is… I am committed to learning more about high school redesign by…
(Please leave us the white sheet)