Turning Rigor and Relevance

Into Reality

Jim Warford, ICLE Senior AdvisorKeynote Speaker

Successful Practices Network

www.successfulpractices.org

Provide Focused / Sustained Professional Development System

• Robust Online Teacher Support Resources

• Support Transition to CCSS

• Improving Instruction / Student Engagement

• Low Cost - Highly Effective Resources

Models, Networks and Policies to Support and Sustain Rigor and Relevance for ALL Students

funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

Partnership:• Successful Practices Network • Council of Chief State School Officers• International Center for Leadership in Education• Quaglia Institute for Student Aspirations

A Five Year Study• Research Partnership• Identification of Schools• 10 States - 75 Schools• Quantitative study using multiple

measures– Learning Criteria Index (LCI)

• Qualitative study of five high performing schools

5

Qualitative Data Sources

• Focus groups of students, teachers, and administration

• Quadrant “D” student work • Classroom observations• “Shadow” students• Student perception surveys

FindingsCommon Factors Among the Five High Performing

Schools• Teachers have high expectations for students • Mission Driven – Sense of purpose• Staff focused on fostering relationships with

students• Student Opportunities – Diverse and numerous• Professional Culture

2,000 Lessons, K-12 in all subject areas

We Lead

We Teach

We Learn

We Support

We Lead

We Teach

We Learn

We Support

La Quinta High School

• 3000 students• Hispanic: 57%• White: 36% • African-American: 3% • Asian: 2%• English Learners: 9%• Poverty: 40%• Students w/ Disabilities: 7%

Our Work with SPN

• Selected as 1 of 75 Gates Initiative “Promising” Schools in fall of 2005

• Became member of Successful Practices Network

• Attended High School Reinvention Symposium in Washington D.C. Oct. 2005

• Embraced concept of Continual Improvement• Rejected complacency of “Good Enough”• Utilized nearly every resource of SPN• Experienced tremendous results

Billings Senior High School

What they wanted to do:• Develop a coherent vision for change

and empower all staff to be involved in school improvement efforts

• Increase open communication between staff, administrators and students

• Gather qualitative data from the school’s students and faculty

What they did:

• Joined the Successful Practices Network in 2008 to jump start an initiative of change.

• Administered the We Lead Whole Staff Survey and the We Learn Student Survey

Our Work with SPN

• Selected as 1 of 75 Gates Initiative “Promising” Schools in fall of 2005

• Became member of Successful Practices Network

• Attended High School Reinvention Symposium in Washington D.C. Oct. 2005

• Embraced concept of Continual Improvement• Rejected complacency of “Good Enough”• Utilized nearly every resource of SPN• Experienced tremendous results

Focus on R and R• Entire staff trained by SPN Consultant in

Quadrant D Gold Seal Lessons -High-level cognitive tasks with real-world, unpredictable applications

• Teachers enrolled in CORR (university credit helped!)

• R & R Framework Poster in every room• Staff members submit to

Gold Seal Lesson repository• Expectation set for Gold Seal Lessons• Principal walk-through questions for students

SPN Coach

Joyce McLean - Experienced EducatorValuable Source of InformationAssisted with questions about: • Block Schedules• Algebra Instruction schedule configurations• Leadership Team Dynamics• Literacy Instruction• Interaction with CDE for CTE Programs• Develop statewide professional contacts

Benefits from SPN• National perspective on education trends• Online, affordable access to research-based

school improvement strategies, tools, and information

• High-caliber, effective Professional Development• Statewide and nationwide network of contacts• Personal coach who knows my school well

provides guidance, problem-solving, networking• Community of excellence in education