A
teacher leadership/distributive
leadership model program designed to
highlight and expand exemplary
school implementation of
district-wide priorities including
mathematics instruction, special
education intervention, student
portfolios, and use of technology.
Links
to Content:
Demonstration Site:
Cranston
School District
Target Population:
Central office staff, principals and teachers
Need and Intent:
Cranston had individual schools that were beginning
to excel in certain areas of practice. The district wanted to
plant seeds throughout the community to grow similarly successful
practices at other schools. The development of “Center
Schools” is a way to provide teachers and administrators
the opportunity to visit the schools with best practices in
areas of interest/need. The Center School is considered a pilot
school and encourages the enhancement of the principal as an
instructional leader. Administrators from within the districts
visit to learn about best instructional practices and/or program
implementation. Cranston is working to advance this concept
by opening Center Schools in other buildings to support, encourage,
and model other best practices. The goal is to get another school
to the same level of best practice. (See synopsis
of practice areas below.)
The purpose at the Center Schools is not to observe the teacher,
but rather to observe student learning. Constructive feedback
is brought to the faculty as a whole. Center Schools are considered
a means of providing professional development - significant,
authentic, rigorous and sustained learning opportunities - for
visitors and those being observed.
Center Schools also came from Cranston’s desire to support
successful principals who recognize the power of identifying
and nurturing teachers within their schools who fulfill or can
fulfill leadership roles. It is also understood that successful
teacher leaders constitute a pool of potential exemplary principals.
Synopsis:
The following Center Schools have been operating
and providing professional development opportunities in the
Cranston School District:
"Math Investigations" Center School
Cranston is focusing on improving math achievement and has hired
math coaches with experience in elementary and middle school
teaching. One elementary school principal oversees and mentors
their efforts to improve math instruction and achievement. The
coaches provide training in “Math Investigations”,
a way of teaching math that emphasizes conceptual dynamic rather
than just rote memorization of algorithms. The Center School
is located at an elementary school where the principal, teacher
leaders and coaches provided opportunities for other district
teachers, principals, and central administrators to observe
lessons and discuss how to improve implementation of this math
program that is being used by all elementary teachers in the
district. (Click
here to learn more about "Math Investigations".)
“Response to Intervention” Center School
“Response to Intervention” is an alternative to
the traditional model of identifying students with special needs.
It is a process of responding to children’s individual
needs by putting interventions into place and keeping track
of whether or not intervention strategies are meeting with success
by monitoring a student’s progress on almost a daily basis.
If monitoring shows student needs are not being met after an
8-10 day period, other interventions are tried. (Click
here to learn more about “Response to Intervention”
and how it is related to current special education laws.)
The “Response to Intervention” Center School is
located at an elementary school where visitors observe the intervention
team when it is in the process of collecting and reviewing data
to determine whether or not a particular intervention is working
with a student of concern. A fishbowl-style observation process
is used while the data is reviewed. Visitors also get an opportunity
to watch teachers use the AIMSweb
software, a monitoring tool that helps teachers: assess students
in reading, math and writing; organize the assessment data to
give information on each child; use the data to plan individualized
teaching and learning programs; and monitor ongoing progress.
(NOTE: The
Office of Special Education Programs has awarded this school
and two other Rhode Island schools the AIMSweb
software to help generate a national research project that will
serve as a national/international model.)
Electronic Student Portfolio Center School
As part of the district’s efforts to follow the state’s
Graduation
by Proficiency regulations, both high schools are implementing
the use of electronic student portfolios. They serve as Center
Schools for all of the schools in the district to become familiar
with how students develop their portfolios and the teacher’s
role. Because the portfolio is built over time, the Center School
uses more of a “show and tell” format, though visitors
can observe students using the software and uploading their
work.
Technology Training Center School
At one Cranston elementary school, the principal is very interested
in the use of technology in instruction. Her Center School provides
visitors the opportunity to observe the use of Smart
Boards, AlphaSmart,
Running
Records and other methods of enhancing education with the
use of technology tools.
Implementation Process:
- The concept of Center Schools was discussed at principals’
meetings, which is also where principals learned which of
their colleagues had developed Center Schools and which best
practices were to be showcased. For example, it was at a principal
meeting that the Technology Training Center School demonstrated
the use of a Smart
Board that sparked interest in the other principals and
a desire to have their staffs participate in the professional
development offered by the Center School.
- Principals are asked to consider both their school improvement
plan and the professional development interests of their teachers
to determine which Center School or Schools they will visit.
- Central administration provides funds for substitutes so
that teachers and their principals can visit Center Schools.
Enough substitutes are brought in to cover for half of the
staff so that half can go in the morning and the other half
can go in the afternoon.
- Center Schools spend a year or more on implementation before
opening their doors for observation and organize all of the
scheduling for visitors on their own to make the best and
most respectful use of their teachers’ and students’
time and resources.
- As a group, the principals visited the Center Schools first.
Then they brought or sent their staffs to selected schools.
- The visits are modeled after the Institute
for Learning’s “Learning Walks”. Visitors
are briefed on what they will see, visit one or more classrooms
implementing the program for approximately 5-8 minutes, and
then debrief with a member of the Center School faculty.
- Principals continue debriefing with their own staff at faculty
meetings where they discuss how to apply the program in their
own building.
Tips for Implementation:
- The Center School principal must work with his/her own faculty
so that they are ready and willing to open their school and
classrooms to visitors.
- The district staff, as a whole, needs to be comfortable
learning from each other.
- It is important to emphasize to the visitors that this
is a slow, gradual process – they can’t just implement
the program on their own right away.
- Visits need to be mutually convenient for the visitors
and the Center School. Of course it is important that at least
one opportunity for viewing the program in action be available
to the visitors.
- Students and teachers should be comfortable with people
coming in and out of their classrooms. Cranston has been doing
“Learning
Walks” for a while so the students and teachers
are used to this process. The principal can announce to the
students that visitors will be coming at the start of the
day.
- Visitors should not interrupt instruction.
- It is important to be careful not to overwhelm the Center
School. Visitors should only go as a group one time to each
Center School, though allowing for individuals to return if
necessary. There shouldn’t be any more than 2-3 visits
per Center School per quarter, especially if the school already
does regular “Learning
Walks”.
Program Components and Materials:
Contact for More Information:
Name: Norman Laliberte
Job Title: Executive Director of Educational Programs
& Services
Role in Project: District Administrator
Phone: (401) 270-8172
E-mail: nlaliberte@cpsed.net
Address: 845 Park Avenue, Cranston, RI 02910