Thursday, February 23, 2017

IPS Teacher Leaders in Action



Teacher Leader Playbook Mid-Year Report
February 2017
Dear Ipswich Community,
This purpose of this mid-year report is to give updates to the Ipswich Public School community on progress being made towards the “Purpose Statements” of three of our teacher leader groups -- the Compass, PLC and STEAM teams -- in this 2016-2017 school year. Information is also included here on the progress of this school year’s three piloting “Interest-Based PLC’s.”
Our district's expectation this year is for us to continue to build a district-wide culture of thinking. Cultures of thinking depend on teacher leadership, so thanks especially to the over 75 teachers taking part in and represented here in this body of work. Your work is appreciated!


If you’re interested in learning more about the research these teacher leaders and I used to guide this work -- or if you’d like to see the discussion templates we’ve used (“protocols”) -- check out out the “Texts and Protocols that have Informed our Work so far” sections of the report. I’ve included links for you there.

Best,
Tracy



Compass rose with the eight ...
Compass Committee Playlist 2016-2017
MIDYEAR REPORT
2016-2017 Purpose Statement: This year’s Compass Committee will continue the work begun in IPS to facilitate and encourage curriculum design and alignment at the district, building and team level. In particular, this year’s Compass Committee will work with their colleagues, administrators and the Director of Teaching and Learning to further the use of Learning Cycles as a vehicle for curriculum alignment that showcases the creation of a culture of thinking. Additionally, Compass members will continue to participate in curriculum design professional development with a focus this year on Question Formulation Technique, deeper use of Thinking Routines, public sharing of students’ meaningful work and utilization of feedback from practices such as peer observation -- all towards the goal of bringing this learning back to their schools to strengthen curriculum to build a culture of thinking in Ipswich Public Schools. The Compass Committee’s work this year will be informed by the text Make Just One Change: Teach Students to Ask Their Own Questions  by Dan Rothstein and Luz Santana, among other texts and resources. Lastly, Compass members will continue to serve as liaisons/resources to colleagues and administrators in curriculum development.
Here’s what we’ve worked on so far this school year:
  • Reflected on and shared the supporting conditions in which “thinking curriculum” flourishes.
  • Gave input to and facilitated “8 Forces of Cultures of Thinking” jigsaws for the district PD day.
  • Looked at and gave feedback to a selection of vertical alignment pathways.
  • Broke into Elementary and Secondary Compass teams to work with principals to plan Learning Cycles this year.
  • Collaborated as Elementary (Doyon and Winthrop) Compass leaders to brainstorm tools for curriculum development and alignment and decided to focus on researching alignment by Power (Priority) Standards and/or by exit outcomes.
  • Collaborated as Secondary (MS and HS) Compass leaders to plan and introduce Learning Cycles for joint MS-HS teams. These small teams will each be facilitated by a teacher leader, and will meet three times this school year to address elements of the year’s Expectations document.
  • Served as curriculum writing supports for colleagues and principals.
  • Met regularly with the Director of Teaching and Learning to scaffold and give input to curriculum development and alignment in IPS.
Texts and protocols that have guided our work so far:
What’s next for Compass this school year?
  • Leading and supporting Learning Cycles at all schools.
  • Researching Power (more currently called “Priority”) Standards and exit outcomes as vertical alignment tools.
  • Drafting a plan for curriculum alignment using Priority Standards and exit outcomes along with Successful Habits of Mind for rigorous, district-based curriculum alignment.
  • Creating tools for curriculum writing for use by colleagues.
  • Researching what "student demonstrations of learning" might look like.




... People, Team, Teamwork
Professional Learning Community (PLC) Team Leaders Playlist 2016-2017
MIDYEAR REPORT
2016-2017 Purpose Statement: This year’s PLC team will continue the work begun in IPS to provide support to professional learning communities. In particular, this year’s PLC team will work with their colleagues, administrators and the Director of Teaching and Learning to further the use of teamwork in creating a culture of thinking. PLC team members will continue to build capacity in PLC procedures and protocols that lead to team unity and ownership in the PLC process, with a focus this year on using PLC tools such as data-review protocols, looking at student work protocols and sharing dilemmas -- all towards the goal of building effective teamwork in order to build a culture of thinking in Ipswich Public Schools. The PLC team’s work this year will include looking at the text The Power of Protocols: An Educator’s Guide to Better Practice by Joseph P. McDonald, et al., in addition to other texts and resources. Lastly, PLC members will continue to serve as liaisons/resources to colleagues and administrators in effective teamwork.
Here’s what we’ve worked on so far this school year:
  • Continued to try out new protocols as tools for using teamwork to contribute to a culture of thinking as we also develop PLC members’ skills and tool bags as trained facilitators. For example, we used the “Looking at Students’ Thinking” (or “LAST” protocol from Creating Cultures of Thinking) in vertically-aligned small groups and shared how it might be used in schools by teacher teams.
  • Gave input to and facilitated “8 Forces of Cultures of Thinking” jigsaws for the district PD day.
  • Used the “Success Analysis” and “Affinity Mapping” protocols to develop a guiding “What Makes Successful Teamwork in IPS” document and shared ways to use this guide as a tool for teamwork in Ipswich Public Schools.
  • Dove into looking at and discussing different models for peer observations, with an eye to protocols and facilitation of the observations.
  • Broke into Elementary and Secondary PLC teams and worked with principals to share different options and plans for peer observations.
  • Met regularly with the Director of Teaching and Learning to scaffold and give input to effective teamwork practices and tools in IPS.
Texts and protocols that have guided our work so far:
What’s next for PLC this school year?
  • Researching, informing and supporting peer observation possibilities, with an emphasis on facilitation and tools for successful teamwork.
  • Continuing to try out new PLC tools and bring them back to schools in order to build and enhance cultures of thinking.
  • Serving as liaisons and resources to colleagues and administrators in effective teamwork.
  • Continuing to meet regularly with the Director of Teaching and Learning to inform teamwork in IPS.




STEAM Team Playlist 2016-2017
MIDYEAR REPORT
District STEAM Vision Statement: STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) education engages students with a sense of wonder about our ever-changing world  through questioning, collaboration and innovative problem-solving.
2016-2017 Purpose Statement: This year’s STEAM Team will continue to foster, align and celebrate STEAM work and vision in Ipswich Public Schools. This year’s STEAM Team goal will be to create opportunities for Ipswich teachers to engage in and publically share STEAM curriculum and instruction. The STEAM Team will explore STEAM curriculum and instruction both in and out of the district. Throughout, we will endeavor for the district STEAM Team to be a model of effective teamwork and to support the district in developing a culture of thinking. Finally, the STEAM Team will bring the STEAM vision to fruition by supporting a district-wide culture of thinking.
The STEAM Team will continue to be comprised of community/business leaders, district leaders, an administrator, teachers (with representation from each school and STEAM disciplines), a School Committee member, a parent and students.
Here’s what we’ve worked on so far this school year:
  • Reviewed prior accomplishments of the district’s STEAM Team to make sure that we are building on past successes and best practices.
  • Identified a focus for this year’s STEAM Team: developing and producing a district-wide STEAM Team Exposition to highlight and celebrate STEAM teaching and learning in our district while also generating a list of problems teachers might write STEAM curriculum around. In short, we want to promote STEAM curriculum and instruction as a pathway to problem-solving.
  • Used the “Success Analysis” protocols to develop a guiding “What Makes a STEAM Success” document and shared ways to use this guide as a tool for STEAM work to develop and showcase in our district’s STEAM event this year.
  • Broke into three STEAM subcommittees (Logistics, Communications, Problems and Solutions) to work on the STEAM exposition and other STEAM resources and outreach this year.
  • Met regularly with the Director of Teaching and Learning to scaffold and give input to STEAM in Ipswich Public Schools.
Texts and protocols that have guided our work so far:
What’s next for the STEAM Team this school year?
  • Working together to plan, publicize, invite and celebrate our district-wide STEAM Showcase on April 11, 2017, 5-7 PM.
  • Serving as liaisons and resources to colleagues and administrators in using STEAM to problem-solve.
  • Continuing to investigate STEAM tools and best practices and share with colleagues and administrators in the development of a culture of thinking.
  • Meeting regularly with the Director of Teaching and Learning to inform STEAM teaching and learning in IPS.


Interest-Based PLC’s 2016-2017
MIDYEAR REPORT
2016-2017 Purpose Statement: Ipswich Public Schools supports teachers who are engaged in meaningful, authentic inquiry around key objectives. As such, groups of teachers may apply to form and lead Interest-Based PLC’s that are created and facilitated by teachers with the support of the Director of Teaching and Learning. Team Leaders support their PLC’s work by using the action research cycle (developing a clear guiding question, researching solutions and trying them out, problem-solving and revising, and celebrating and sharing). Interest-Based PLC Team meetings are held in addition to school and school meeting hours.

Interest-Based PLC's in Action: This year, we are piloting Interest-Based PLC's with three teams:

#1: Elementary Math PLC: Math Writing, Mindsets and Practices (at Winthrop & Doyon Elementary Schools)
Guiding Question: How can we develop our students' abilities to explain their mathematical thinking orally and in writing?

 #2: Using Socratic Seminar through a Humanities-Based Approach to Reading Instruction (at Ipswich Middle School)
Guiding Question: Will a student's close reading skills improve through the use of Socratic Seminars and a humanities-based approach to reading instruction?

 #3: Maker Space Curriculum Connections (at Winthrop Elementary School)
Guiding Question: How can we integrate maker space activities into our current curriculum mandates?

What’s next for these Interest-Based PLC's this school year?
  • Continuing to move through their action research cycles, with the goal of trying something new, reflecting on it and making a plan for the future.
  • Facilitators continue to work with the Director of Teaching and Learning to support their work.
  • Presenting work to the Ipswich School Committee this spring as a way to showcase findings to the Ipswich community.
Whew! That's a lot -- which makes sense because cultures of thinking depend on supporting teacher leaders to ask probing questions, to dive into research and theory, to problem-solve and, ultimately, to create the tools and resources we need to move forward together.

 These teacher leader initiatives lead the way in furthering Ipswich Public Schools as a district where teacher leadership is valued, fostered and supported.



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