Federal Programs Fall Directors’ Conference - PowerPoint Presentation

Slide1

Federal Programs Fall Directors’ Conference

Embassy Suites

Charleston, WV

October 12-13, 2011Slide2

Effective Team Organization and Communication

Lisa Youell

State School Improvement SpecialistSlide3

Warm

UpSlide4

C

V

T

O

M

I

B

Z

U

G

D

S

A

E

H

W

Y

F

K

N

X

L

J

Q

PSlide5

How did you do?Slide6

C

V

T

O

M

I

B

Z

U

G

D

S

A

E

H

W

Y

F

K

N

X

L

J

Q

PSlide7

Try Again

Make a planSlide8

F

J

R

N

U

L

A

O

S

P

E

V

D

X

C

Y

K

T

G

W

B

I

Q

M

HSlide9

What made

the difference?Slide10

Groups do not become

teams

by accident!Slide11

What Makes a Group a Team?

They all own shared goals

Members are

interdependent

organized around a process, each performing a critical function required for success

They work collaboratively and purposefully to achieve the goals

There is accountability WITHIN the teamSlide12

Improving Schools One Teacher at a Time

Individual

growth does not ensure organizational

growth. Organizations

need more than well-developed individuals. Effective leaders focus on developing the culture and the

collective capacity

of the organization.

Center

for Creative Leadership (2003

)

Michael

Fullan

(2007)

Richard Elmore (2006)Slide13

Individual Growth Does Not Ensure Organizational Growth

Student achievement gains and other benefits are influenced by organizational

characteristics

beyond the skills of individual staff. We saw schools with competent teachers that lacked the organizational capacity to be effective with many students.

The task for schools is to organize human resources into an effective

collective

effort.

Newmann

and

Wehlage

,(1995)Slide14

Collaboration

The purpose of collaboration--to help more students achieve at higher levels—can only be accomplished if the professionals engaged in collaboration are focused on the right work.

Learning By DoingSlide15

Case Study

Learning By Doing

First edition: pages 89 – 91

Second edition: pages 117-118Slide16

Scenario

The Principal of a middle school had worked tirelessly to promote collaboration and had taken a number of steps to support teachers working together:

He organized each grade level into an interdisciplinary team.

He created a schedule that gave teams time to meet together each day.

He trained staff in collaborative skills, consensus building, and conflict resolution.

He emphasized the importance of collaboration at almost every faculty meeting. Slide17

Teams Focused On…

the behavior of a student who had become increasingly disruptive

strategies for achieving their team goal of reducing disciplinary referrals for tardiness to class

a lively debate about whether or not members should accept late work from students, and if so, how many points they should deduct for each day late

roles and responsibilities of each member to ensure all the tasks associated with an upcoming field trip were addressedSlide18

What Advice Would You Give?

How can we provide the parameters and framework to ensure teams use their collaborative team time in ways that have a positive impact on student learning?Slide19

What are your schools’ teams doing?Slide20

Administrative Team

School Leadership Team

Collaborative Team

Collaborative Team

Collaborative Team

Collaborative Team

Focus Team(s)

Student Assistance Team

Local School Improvement CouncilSlide21

School Improvement Teams Defined

Each of the teams described has multiple functions. This document outlines only those functions that apply to school improvement.

Read over the team descriptions and discuss at your tables.

Give us your feedback.Slide22

School Leadership Team

Uses a distributed leadership model (sharing leadership responsibilities across the organization) to support the work of teacher collaborative teams. The leadership team is made up of school administrators, one member from each teacher collaborative team and others at the principal’s discretion.Slide23

Collaborative Teams

Teachers are organized into collaborative teams on the basis of shared responsibility for addressing the critical questions of learning with a particular group of students – for example, by content, course or grade level.

Team members work interdependently to achieve a common goal for which each member is mutually accountable. Slide24

Team Leaders’

Roles & Responsibilities

What is the

role

of a team leader in your district?

What are the

responsibilities

of a team leader in your district?Slide25

Roles & Responsibilities

Table Jigsaw

Table distributes

Roles and Responsibilities of Teams

amongst members

Individually read assigned section:

half read School Leadership Team and Team Leaders

half read Collaborative Teams and Team members

All read the information in the box

Come back to whole group and share out the part that resonated with youSlide26

School Leadership Team…

Takes a balcony view of the school

Assists the principal in making decisions to govern the school (shared decision making)

Ensures a focus on learning and continuous improvement

Guides the work of the collaborative teams

Supports and monitors the work of the collaborative teams

Serves as the steward of the school’s mission, vision, core values (commitments)

Monitors achievement, climate and satisfaction data to assure that the learning environment is producing results consistent with the school’s stated goals

Identifies gaps in performance or processes and plans for their improvement

Aligns school’s work with the district and classroomSlide27

Team Leaders

Organize and facilitate all team meetings

Must “communicate” with all team members and other teams

Hold each team member responsible for the core tasks of the team

Delegate the core tasks for equal distribution among team members

Share in the workload of the team

Extend support and encouragement to new members of the course/team – guide new team members to gradually increase participation in the team

See that time frame deadlines are met by all members of the team

Exhibit patience and a sense of humor

Make a conscious effort of appreciationSlide28

The School Leadership Team seeks to build the collective capacity of collaborative teams of teachers…

What do we need in order to conduct ourselves as a high functioning team?

What do we expect all teachers to know and be able to do?

How will we know when they are able to do it?

How will we respond when teachers already know it?

How will we develop first best instruction in our professional development and support of teachers?

How will we respond when teachers are struggling?

How will we know if our support is the stimulus for teacher’s professional growth?Slide29

Collaborative Teams…

Focus on learning and continuous improvement

Are responsible for service and program delivery

Standards

Assessment

Instruction

Manage the day-to-day services provided to students –

Those who exceed

Those who meet

Those who do not meet 

Monitor achievement, climate and satisfaction data to assure that the learning environment is producing results consistent with the school’s stated goals

Identify gaps in performance or processes and plans for their improvement

Align team’s work with the district and classroom

Align with grade level before and afterSlide30

Collaborative Team Members…

Are prepared for each meeting

Guarantee security for shared assessments

Develop assessments, and personalize others to their individual instructional style using shared resources as a guide

Share assessments, materials and ideas with all team members

Complete the assigned core tasks on time

Provide voluntary participation and seek to help the team facilitator as needed

Make a conscious effort towards appreciation of the team facilitator and other team membersSlide31

Questions

or

Comments Concerning Roles & Responsibilities?Slide32

School Leadership Team

Collaborative Team

Collaborative Team

Collaborative Team

Collaborative Team

Administrative TeamSlide33

Leadership Roles

Build:

Trust

Interdependent work structures

From “Build, Promote, Guide, Provide, Monitor” by Susan Huff in

The Principal as Assessment LeaderSlide34

Leadership Roles

Promote

:

From “Build, Promote, Guide, Provide, Monitor” by Susan Huff in

The Principal as Assessment Leader

Unwavering focus on student learning

Precise academic standards

High expectations

Common curriculum

Common assessments

Confirmed instructional practices

Systems of prevention & intervention

Slide35

Leadership Roles

Guide:

Collaborative teams

Job-embedded staff development

Collective growth

Inquiry

Shared personal practice

From “Build, Promote, Guide, Provide, Monitor” by Susan Huff in

The Principal as Assessment Leader

Slide36

Leadership Roles

Provide:

and manage data

From “Build, Promote, Guide, Provide, Monitor” by Susan Huff in

The Principal as Assessment Leader

Slide37

Sharing Data:

Beginning of Community

Collecting data is the first step toward wisdom, but sharing data is the first step toward community.

- Henry Louis Gates, Jr.Slide38

Leadership Roles

Monitor:

Student progress

Reflective dialogue

Tangible products

From “Build, Promote, Guide, Provide, Monitor” by Susan Huff in

The Principal as Assessment LeaderSlide39
Slide40

How do we do those things?

Through “gentle pressure applied relentlessly.”

Gerrita

PostlewaiteSlide41

How do we take the work of teams to the entire school district?

“Communication refers to the extent to which the school and district leaders establish strong lines of communication with and between principals, teachers and students.”

p. 46

, School Leadership That Works: From Research to ResultsSlide42

School Administrative Teams

School Leadership Team

School Leadership Team

School Leadership Team

School Leadership Team

District Administrative TeamSlide43

Communication

“Without credible communication and a lot of it, change efforts are doomed to fail.”

p. 20,

Revisiting Professional Learning Communities at WorkSlide44

CommunicationSlide45

Example of Effective Communication

The focus of administrative meetings in most districts is on managerial tasks rather than on leadership issues that impact learning. A central office could, however use those meetings to help the district staff and principals function as their own collaborative team.

p.361 Revisiting Professional Learning Communities at WorkSlide46

Team Organization & CommunicationSlide47

An Internal Focus

We make progress as

a Team when

we move from a language of

complaint

to a language of

commitment

, from a language of “they” to a language of “we,” from focusing on what we can’t

stand, to focusing on what we stand for.Slide48

Collaborative Teams Network

http://wvde.state.wv.us/ctn