Monitoring Report

December 15, 2010

To:Board of Trustees

From:Dean Lindquist, Superintendent of Schools

Subject:Alberta Initiative for School Improvement (AISI)

Originators:Kurt Scobie, Supervisor Learning Services – Technology and AISI

RECOMMENDATION:

That the Board receivean AISI Cycle IV update, as information.

REPORT:

Kurt Scobie will present the year one report of the AISI Cycle IV Project: Balanced Assessment Practices.

The AISI Cycle IV project runs from September 2009until June 2012. Currently GYPSD is in the second year of AISI Cycle IV which continues the Marzano Instructional Strategies work in addition to focusing on balanced assessment practices.

AISI Cycle IV- Year One Project Results for

Balanced Assessment Practices

Overview

This project improves student learning by providing strategic professional development for instructional leaders and teachers. This professional development is focused on balanced assessment strategies that promote excellence in learning for all students through effective implementation of Marzano's 9 instructional strategies. Teachers develop capacity in planning instruction, identifying the key outcomes of the curriculum, and providing a variety of assessment techniques to gain a clear understanding of what students know and what they need to know. Teachers develop strategies to enhance learning opportunities for all students and also develop capacity to use effective, descriptive feedback with students. This project is building upon the successes of the lead teacher model, developed in AISI Cycle III.

Students are an important focus in this project. Studentsare involved in clarifying learning outcomes, developing assessment criteria, interpreting exemplars of quality work, and using this information to self-assess in order to improve their learning.

Also critical to this project are the leadership roles of the principals and assistant principals. Structured time has been established during principal meetings to develop leadership capacity in assessment. School leaders aredetermining what to look and listen for when doing classroom walkthroughs. Principals are involved in discussions to develop and encourage appropriate feedback language in schools.

Divisional administrators supportthe implementation of balanced assessment practices by:

  • allocating time for AISI at principal meetings (DLT)
  • providing common PD days
  • supporting embedded PLC time
  • supporting common timetables
  • using Docushare as a digital repository
  • encouraging focused classroom observations by administrators on balanced assessment

Quantitative Measures
06-08 / 2007-2009 / 2008-2010 / 2009-2011
measure / baseline / target / actual / Target / actual / Target / actual / +/-
% of students dropping out of school as indicated by the 3 year rate.
The baselinewas determined by the 2006-2008 rolling average. / 6.8 / 6.3 / 5.3 / 1.5
07-09 / 2008-2010 / 2009-2011 / 2010-2012
measure / baseline / target / actual / Target / actual / Target / actual / +/-
Overall diploma acceptable result of the 6 exams based on the number of students writing.
The baselinewas determined by the 2006-2008 rolling average. / 80.9 / 81.4 / 81.8 / 0.9
07-09 / 2008-2010 / 2009-2011 / 2010-2012
measure / baseline / target / actual / Target / actual / Target / actual / +/-
Overall PAT acceptable result based on the number of students writing.
The baselinewas determined by the 2006-2008 rolling average. / 78.3 / 78.8 / 78.6 / 0.3
07-09 / 2008-2010 / 2009-2011 / 2010-2012
measure / baseline / target / actual / Target / actual / Target / actual / +/-
Difference between the average teacher awarded mark and the provincial mark in the diploma exam courses.
The baselinewas determined by the 2006-2008 rolling average. / 10.9 / 10.4 / 10.4 / 0.5
Survey Measures
07-09 / 2008-2010 / 2009-2011 / 2010-2012
measure / baseline / target / actual / Target / actual / Target / actual / +/-
Percentages of teachers indicating that their school and schools in their jurisdiction have improved or stayed the same the last three years.
The baseline was determined by the 2007-2009 rolling average. / 79.8 / 80.3 / 82.7 / 2.9
Jan 2010 / June
2010 / June
2011 / June
2012
measure / baseline / target / actual / Target / actual / Target / actual / +/-
Percentage of teachers who indicate an increased confidence and capacity in using balanced assessment practices in their classrooms. Those choosing a rating of 3 or 4 in a four point scale will determine the result. The baseline was determined by a January 2010 survey. / 62 / 62.5 / 80.6 / 18.6
Feb
2010 / October
2010 / June
2011 / June
2012
measure / baseline / target / actual / Target / actual / Target / actual / +/-
Percentage of principals who feel they demonstrate instructional leadership by collaborating with AISI lead teachers and providing opportunities for in depth work on balanced assessment practices. Those choosing a rating of 3 or 4 in a four point scale will determine the result.
The baseline was determined from questions 1, 2, 3, and 5 on the February 2010 survey. / 90.3 / 90.8 / 91.5 / 1.2
Survey Measures
Feb
2010 / October
2010 / June
2011 / June
2012
measure / baseline / target / actual / Target / actual / Target / actual / +/-
Percentage of principals that feel they give frequent, timely, and descriptive feedback to individual staff in relation to the evidence collected regarding the classroom use of quality balanced assessments. Those choosing a rating of 3 or 4 in a four point scale will determine the result.
The baseline was determined from question 4 on the February 2010 survey. / 60 / 65 / 39 / 21
07-09 / 2008-2010 / 2009-2011 / 2010-2012
measure / baseline / target / actual / Target / actual / Target / actual / +/-
Percentages of parents indicating that their school and schools in their jurisdiction have improved or stayed the same the last three years.
The baseline was determined by the 2007-2009 rolling average. / 69.5 / 70 / 71.3 / 1.8
07-09 / 2008-2010 / 2009-2011 / 2010-2012
measure / baseline / target / actual / Target / actual / Target / actual / +/-
Percentage of parents satisfied with the overall quality of basic education.
The baseline was determined by the 2007-2009 rolling average. / 75.9 / 76.4 / 78.7 / 1.8
07-09 / 2008-2010 / 2009-2011 / 2010-2012
measure / baseline / target / actual / Target / actual / Target / actual / +/-
Percentages of students indicating that their school and schools in their jurisdiction have improved or stayed the same the last three years.
The baseline was determined by the 2007-2009 rolling average. / 76.2 / 76.7 / 78.7 / 1.5
Qualitative Measures
GYPSD prior to 2009 / Desired Change / Evidence of Success
Parents have varying levels of knowledge in regards to how teachers gather assessment data and report student learning. / Parents understand how classroom assessment data is used to determine and report student achievement. / In school and classroom newsletters, some schools did send home monthly examples of balanced assessment strategies with a focus on the vocabulary their child learns within the classroom context (January-June 2010). The majority of schools did send home an end of year communication note regarding the changes in assessment at their school. They highlighted how the student's daily assessment and programming now look and how it will look in the future
Locally developed parent surveys were not completed in Year 1. Through oral and anecdotal feedback from administrators, AISI lead teachers, and staff members it was decided that these surveys would be given in January-February of Year 2. Staff felt they needed time to understand the vocabulary and the assessment methods utilized to date before moving forward with the parent population. Assessment of, for and as terminology can be confusing and needs deep analysis of daily instructional strategies and programming to ensure accurate communication.
GYPSD prior to 2009 / Desired Change / Evidence of Success
Assessment practices vary within and between schools. In some cases, assessment practices contradict with what the literature and research says about assessment for learning. / Consistent effective assessment practices are used in all schools.
Teachers are confident and competent learners engaged in their own learning by participating in ongoing professional growth related to balanced assessment practices. / All school continuous improvement plan presentations include a section on how the balanced assessment project is being implemented at the school. Teacher and student observations, conversations and products are shared during these reviews with an emphasis on the change that is taking place at the classroom level. These reviews are very positive in nature and the goals of the AISI project are well represented.
All principals collaborated with their lead teachers and completed an assessment plan for the school. This document has made it easier for the targets to be met and schedules to be followed. It also ensured that assessment was not simply an AISI lead teacher initiative, but a collaborative process at the school level.
Data collected by lead teachers has included lessons, Understanding By Design unit plans, curriculum mapping documents, rubrics and "I can statements". These artifacts are shared during monthly lead teacher meetings as well as between schools. Additionally, lead teachers journal monthlyabout their assessment journey. The template has the lead teachers journal in four areas. These areas are "your classroom practice", "as a lead teacher", "working in PLC's", and "the school's AISI direction". There is also a spot for ah-has. This has been a great way for central understanding of what is taking place at each school and for communication with the AISI group.
We are starting to see administrators look at how their supervision model can include effective assessment feedback to their teachers in a timely fashion. All schools have a flip video camera and have been experimenting with using this to give immediate assessment feedback. While this is an area of growth, recording teachers and students and using the video clips as an assessment tool is starting to take place. The principal in one middle school is working with HD video and has shared his recordings of teacher lessons and student explanations of concepts as a prompt to create focused staff conversations around balanced assessment.
Finally, the use of Docushare as a digital repository is slowly moving forward. The lead teacher coordinator has stored book covers and tables of contents for our AISI literature. Lead teachers know a little about each resource before they delve into it. Lead teachers have been storing their monthly journals since April. Many items are stored so they can be easily shared; school assessment plans, meeting agendas, resources, video clips, instructional coaching materials and planning documents. Additionally, "I Can" statements for grades one to six and quality rubric samples for all divisions are available in Docushare.
GYPSD prior to 2009 / Desired Change / Evidence of Success
Administrators have varied levels of understanding of balanced assessment, differentiated instruction, and coaching. Administrators require focused professional development and time in order to better enable collaboration between and mentoring of teachers. / Administrators are confident and competent learners engaged in their own learning by participating in ongoing professional growth to support the implementation of balanced assessment practices by:
- using classroom observations and conversations with teachers to support changes in assessment practices
- making a commitment to ensure that appropriate resources are in place for successful implementation
- actively participating in professional learning communities at the school and division levels
- providing descriptive feedback to support teacher growth and implementation of balanced assessment practices. / Through analysis of the data it is apparent that administrators support the AISI project and all schools have made their professional learning community time AISI focused, the majority being 100% focused on balanced assessment and instructional strategies. Some professional learning communities are subject based and some (especially in small rural schools) are vertically aligned as they move through balanced assessment principles. Most schools have narrowed the field regarding balanced assessment principles to share a common school focus to target for this year and next year based on survey results. (both administrator and staff surveys)
Many AISI leads felt the survey to staff assisted them to communicate a clearer vision of balanced assessment and could pinpoint practices more easily. The three headings integral to this project are:
Where are we going?
Where are we now in relation to where we need to be? How are we going to close the gap?
Many Lead Teachers are actively engaged in working with staff members on Instructional Strategies but require more professional development in the areas of balanced assessment, differentiated instruction, and coaching to better enable collaboration with and mentoring of teachers. / Lead Teachers are confident and competent learners engaged in their own learning by participating in ongoing professional growth in balanced assessment practices by:
-engaging in book studies and other professional reading
-becoming knowledgeable about balanced assessment
- learning coaching techniques to better enable collaboration with and mentoring of teachers
- developing clear assessment goals for the school
- developing a common assessment language for the division
- actively participating in professional learning communities focused on balanced assessment at the school and division levels
- provide descriptive feedback to support teacher growth and implementation of balanced assessment practices
- working with teachers to unwrap essential learner outcomes for students in user-friendly language
-working with teachers to develop and utilize student-friendly rubrics to clearly communicate expectations / At the end of year one, each school was required to build an assessment plan that reflects programming to support the growth of teachers'utilization of utilize consistent, effective assessment practices for year two. By the end of year one, most staff havethe basic knowledge of what balanced assessment means but lack the time to put those practices into play within the classroom context on a consistent basis.
The use of rubrics has increased as well as the use of "I can" statements and formulating clear learning targets in teacher planning and instructional phases.
AISI lead teachers attended many sessions with Jim Knight that developed their ability to work with all quadrants of "The Big Four". In various schools there is evidence of curriculum planning ideas such as concept maps to help students and teachers make learning targets visible.
GYPSD prior to 2009 / Desired Change / Evidence of Success
Many students struggle with identifying learner outcomes, self and peer assessment and how to use this information to create goals and focus their own learning. / Students are confident and competent learners who are engaged in their own learning by:
- understanding learner outcome(s)
- creating and using criteria to reflect on the quality of their work
- peer feedback
- using results of feedback and assessment to improve learning / From the twelve question survey administered in June 2010, many students understand what they are supposed to learn and are well prepared for quizzes and tests. In addition, many of these students report that teachers use a variety of methods when teaching concepts. This data supports the teachers' affirmations that a variety of balanced assessment practices are being implemented in GYPSD classrooms.
Two specific examples are; In a grade 5 French Immersion class, a teacher has converted all of her units into Smart Notebook files that include all of the outcomes in student friendly language. The students from this class have commented on how they always know what they are working on, what they need to do next, and how they can improve their work. The combination of effectively integrating technology with sound balanced assessment practices is making a difference in these students' lives. In high school physics, another teacher is working with the students to highlight the verbs when generating "I Can" statements and then adding evidence in the form of "I know this because I did"sections. A specific example is: I can EXPLAIN, qualitatively, that momentum is conserved. I know this because I did two dimensional collisions to test it. Students then talk about how to get better at concepts that they do not fully understand. These specific examples are mean to illustrate some of the excellent work done by teachers that are positively affecting student learning.

Overall Summary of Project Practices

Challenges

Our continued efforts to incorporate technology into AISI have proven difficult in two areas. Some lead teachers still dislike storing items in Docushare even though they see the benefits. This means that information requested of the lead teacher is not always getting back to the coordinators in a timely fashion. As well, in our change from XP to Windows 7, we struggled running Smart Response on multiple platforms. This meant that many staff surveys had to be done more than once and many teachers were frustrated instead of excited by the process.

Embedding Professional Learning Communities time does not take place in all schools. This makes it difficult to consistently share and work towards improving assessment strategies.

Some AISI lead teachers are overwhelmed with other jobs and cannot always give as much time/attention to AISI as is needed.

Time is an issue for teachers. They need to take the time to try out new assessment strategies, discuss them with their colleagues and refine the work back in the classroom.

Many teachers are confusing work for process. While it is important to know what the assessment strategies are, it even more critical for teachers to be engaged in a process of inquiry that determines when/how/why these assessment strategies are the most effective in a lesson/unit/project plan.

AISI lead teacher time is fixed in most cases and it is difficult to coordinate coaching time when the AISI lead has time available but the classroom teacher does not. If support cannot happen for release time at the school level then this kind of instructional coaching cannot happen easily.

Successes

There is time/support at the division level for collaboration and sharing to drive this process of change. Examples include PLCs, AISI lead teacher meetings, monthly principal meetings, Jim Knight instructional coaching sessions, video conferencing professional development opportunities, and intervisitations.

We continue to discuss effective instructional strategies and how to link them to curriculum and assessment. These instructional strategies are embedded in school assessment plans, school continuous improvement plan reviews, lead teacher workshops, PLC templates, and data analysis templates.

Professional Learning Community time has facilitated the discussion and sharing of assessment strategies, student learning and data analysis. PLCs are conducted in a safe supportive environment where the overall goal is improvement for teachers and students.