Comments to the Facilitator
A challenge to anyone who receives data on their school’s teaching conditions is what to do with the data once you have it. The survey results contain data on a wide variety of aspects of school conditions and it can often be overwhelming to know where to start and how to proceed in a manner that maximizes participants’ time. To assist with this challenge, a series of tools have been developed to provide you with a system to organize and approach the processing of your school’s data, help you reflect on those variables that contributed to your score, and ultimately engage in meaningful and safe discussion about ways you can address and ultimately improve your school’steaching conditions.
The materials have been organized into three sections. The Facilitator’s Guide is the first of the sections. It contains the outline and scripting for a drilldown process of examination and discussion of the survey results. It includes facilitator strategies for approaching the process, descriptions of how to utilize handouts and worksheets, and written facilitator prompts to lead discussions with school staff. To further aid in the facilitation, a Facilitator’s Addendum has been included with tips for moving the meeting along smoothly.
The second section contains the Facilitator’s Handouts. This section includes all the documents referenced in the Facilitator’s Guide and tools that help participants better understand how to read and interpret the survey data. In cases where worksheets are complex, examples have been included to assist the learner development.
The final section is the Individual Item Prompts. These tools are available for participants once they have gotten to a point in their data reflection that an examination of specific survey items is required. The tools include descriptive information on many of the survey items, instructions for how to use the materials and a series of question prompts to stimulate thought and dialog around the survey item being addressed. The section is divided up into the eight survey Construct areas and each Construct area includes a Construct Item Worksheet to aid participants in the selection of which items to examine (instructions for their use are included in the Facilitator’s Guide).
In addition to these materials being available in this large text format, the three sections can also be accessed on the survey website individually. It is the hope of the writers that these tools will prove invaluable in the promotion of discussion among school staff on the conditions of their school and ways to improve them.
Checklist to Facilitate Discussion
A.To Do
□Computer with Digital Projector and Screen
□Internet Access
Or
Downloaded PDF file of the survey of the specific school for discussion
□Set computer internet or PDF file of school to Construct section
□Chart Paper
□Markers
□Small Sticky Notes (yellow and blue) for all Participants (packs on each table)
□Copies of Participant’s packet Handouts for all participants
□(Optional) Copies of Power Point Presentation
□(Optional) Consensogram Chart for Construct Selection
□Norms Poster (See Facilitator’s Addendum)
□What’s Working Poster (See Facilitator’s Addendum)
□Enough copies of the school results to provide one copy per table group
□Copies of each item prompt worksheet (see Item Prompts) per participant (not handed out right away. Specific ones handed out once they determine which Construct and Item they would like to focus on)
□Copies of the school improvement initiative template
□Timer
Facilitator’s Guide
School Level Drill Down Presentation
Objectives:
- Become familiar with your school’s TELL data and Website
- Understand the drill down process in order to analyze the data
- Be able to unpack, disseminate and discuss teaching conditions data to create action items for school improvement
- Engage in a process to improve teaching conditions in the school for all teachers
Time / CONTENT / Materials
30 -60
Min. / Set Up and Preparation:
Room should be set up so participants can work in small groups.
Posters:
Consensogram
What’s working feedback poster
Meeting Norms Poster
Large versions of the School Improvement Initiative poster should be available for each table
Both the handout packet and the worksheet packet should be on tables.
Post it’s (yellow and blue) should be on the table.
**** Information in (parenthesis) is for the facilitator ONLY. Do not read aloud !
------indicates a situation that needs to be contextualized and /or modified for your district or school. Please have these modified before presentation time. /
- Name tags
- Power point
- Participant’s packets
- Copies of the summary report
- Timer
- Chimes
- Post it’s
- Posters
25 min.
total / Welcome and Connector:
STEPS:
- Welcome and Introductions
- Check on availability of Summary Report
- State Objectives
- Review Agenda
- Establish meeting Norms
- Create Day and Night Partners
- Connector - Construct Reflections Activity
- To become acquainted with the presenters
- To give the big picture and establish a learning environment
- To activate thinking regarding teaching conditions in schools
Thank you all for coming so promptly today. Before we begin, let’s be sure you all have a summary report (and /or) detailed report. If not, please see -----
(Introduce yourself if necessary.
Introduce co-presenter, if applicable.
You and Co-presenter need to give whatever background information needed to explain the purpose and goals of the meeting.)
I’m facilitating this process today, and in the future because ------.
(**The Principal is not always the best facilitator. Not everyone feels comfortable talking honestly and may hold back critical information. It is often a good choice to have a Guidance Counselor, Instructional Coach or other more neutral party in this role. There is more about this in the Facilitator’s Addendum.)
We will be using------as an attention signal today. When you hear / see this, please bring your conversations and activities to a rapid close, and look to the front.
State objectives:
As with any good teaching, we have to know where we’re going to establish a focus. Here are our objectives for our time together.
- Become familiar with your school’s TELL data and website
- Understand the drill down process in order to analyze the data
- Be able to unpack and disseminate and discuss teaching conditions data to create action items for school improvement
(Write the agenda on big poster paper for all to see. This helps participants feel more in control of the process by charting their progress.)
Here is our roadmap of where we’re going today, for those of you who like to see the big picture:
- Connecting to the data
- Setting the Context
- Drilling down into the Data
- Understanding the Constructs
- Examining items
- Analyzing and Discussing a specific Item
- Creating an Action Plan
- Closing
(If your school has existing Meeting Norms that are similar, please use those.)
In order to be on the same page, I’d like us to establish and agree upon the following Norms.
(Read the Norm, and then ask participants what each one means to them to get all ideas out on the table. This helps level the playing field and head off difficulties down the road. Below each norm is a “cheat sheet” in case the ideas do not surface from the participants.)
- Equity of Voice
- Everyone should monitor their own participation, and avoid the traps of saying nothing or of saying everything. Staying silent does not help in the long run. Shared decision making is the most effective.
- Active Listening
- Try to stop your internal monologue, the little voice in your head, when other people are talking so that you can fully hear and understand and then respond.
- Safety to Share Different Perspectives
- Remember that everyone has their own reality. Just because a situation happens one way for you, doesn’t mean that it happens that way for every teacher.
- Confidentiality
- Avoid using people’s names or other qualifiers that would identify them. Always remember that your co-workers deserve respect.
We want to give you an opportunity to have conversations with many people today. We will be working in whole group, in table groups and in several types of partnerships. Some partnerships will be structured and some will be more open. Let’s establish your Day and Night Partners.
(Model the directions as you explain them. Challenge participants to get this done in 1 minute or less. Be careful that this does not turn into a time for conversations or an impromptu break.)
Directions:
- When I say, “go”, quickly find someone not seated at your table who has a completely different job / content area/ subject level than you do.
- Write their name in your Day side on the worksheet and have them write your name on their Day side in their packet.
- Quicklymove on and find a new person to partner with. This person should have a similar job / content area/ grade level as you, but should not be seated at your table.
- Write their name on your Night side in the packet and have them write your name on their Night side on the worksheet.
- Thank them and return to seats.
We are about to begin a connector, or activator, to get you thinking about the Teaching conditions in our school.
- Hand out Construct Reflections Connector WS
- Read the constructs aloud
- Let participants know that they will ALL have different ideas of what each construct means, and that is OK.
- Read over the 1-4 rating system, noting that 4 is highest.
- Have them reflect upon each aspect of their OWN teaching conditions regarding each construct, and rate them 1-4.
- Jot down notes about their thinking on the worksheet, both positive and negative aspects.
- Take 5-7 minutes to think and write.
- Find your Day Partner and share your thoughts. = 4 minutes.
- We mentioned earlier that educators’ perceptions are their reality and that that their reality drives their decision making. Different educators in the school building can have entirely different perceptions on the same topic, and none of their positions are necessarily right or wrong. Because of this, it is imperative that educators are in regular communication with each other to better understand each other’s perspectives as well as find common ground.
Now that we’ve thought about our own conditions, let’s take a look atWHY we’re talking about teaching conditions. / Slide 2
Slide 3
Slide 4
Norms
poster
Slide 5
Day and Night
PP B
Slide 6
Construct
Reflections Connector PP C
Slides 7,8
30 min.
total / Set Context :
STEPS:
- Rationale-Why did you take the survey?
- What we know about Teaching Conditions
- Long term process, not a 1 shot deal
- Read and Discuss “Using the Survey Results Effectively” (pg. 9-11)
- To realize the importance and impact of the work
- To provide rationale for examining the data
- We know sometimes we take surveys just because we were told we have to. We don’t always realize the purpose. This time, we have a very real, immediate and relevant reason to take this survey; it gives each of us a voice to give administration, parents, community members, and district and state policy makers information about our teaching conditions.
- Explain how the survey was brought into the district.
- (Give brief highlights from the Background information to explain what the purpose of the survey, to achieve buy-in from the group, and to establish the validity and value of the survey. There is more information on the survey background in the Facilitator’s Addendum)
- *** You need to add your own reason for taking the survey and your background talking points onto a power point slide***
- We now know that it matters for kids.
- “Teacher Teaching conditions are student learning conditions.” “ With the 2008 survey data, the New Teacher Center analyzed the relationship between survey responses aggregated to the school-level, and student performance as measured by the performance composite (the percentage of students at or above achievement level III/proficient) and whether or not schools met student learning growth targets set by the state.”
- In examining the correlations between teaching conditions and student achievement, Decision Making, Leadership, Time, and Facilities and Resources are significantly correlated with higher school level achievement for elementary, middle and high schools.
- Higher teacher turnover and the percentage of teachers on lateral entry licenses are correlated with lower student achievement as measured by the Performance Composite.
- We know Teaching conditions matter for teacher retention
- Teachers with positive perceptions of teaching conditions are much more likely to stay at their current school than are teachers with negative perceptions.
- The areas of School Leadership and Teacher Leadership had the largest effect on teacher retention.
- Principals and Teachers view teaching conditions differently
- Everyone sees things differently, not just Administrators and teachers. Elective teachers have different perceptions than Core Subject teachers. Elementary teachers view conditions separately from High School teachers, and newer teachers have an outlook on their schools that differs from veterans.
- There can be many different reasons for this, ranging from ownership, to empowerment, to specific skill sets.
- What is critical about this point is the need to open dialogue about this issue and find common ground.
- This may seem like common sense, but if teachers are unhappy, and are working in a hostile, or distrustful environment, it’s only logical that this will affect their teaching.
- Our goal is to change the teaching conditions in this school for the better, so that teachers want to come to work every day, and teach ALL students to achieve at high levels.
We have a lot of data to examine and analyze, but this is NOT a one shot deal! This meeting is only the beginning of a continual process of school reform and improvement. According to new research by Linda Darling-Hammond, it takes 30 – 100 hours of professional development extended over a 6 – 12 month period to affect change in the classroom. Therefore, we are going to take small steps and study the results bit by bit, over most of this year so that we can internalize the process and create real, lasting changes and structures.
We will be using the Teaching Condition data as:
- a baseline for improvement
- a metric (a way to measure) for improvement
- a way to help us prioritize our needs to inform our school improvement plan
- This article, “Using the Survey Results Effectively,”explains how to examine your datasuccessfully.
- It was written for the state of Massachusetts, but applies to all states and districts. It was created after many districts had gone through the process independently, and so draws upon their wisdom and experience.
- Read the article, taking notes /annotating key points on the article itself, or on the Reflection Sheet. 6 minutes
- When you’re done, respond to the prompts on the sheet for your Take-away’s and thoughts. 4 minutes
- As a group, we will discuss and chart what people thought were the most important points of the article, and what ideas we need to keep with us during the process.(Debrief the group by uncovering, or asking for 5 or 6 items participants view as most important.) 5 minutes
Slide 10
Slide 11
Slide 12
Slide 13
PP D, E,F and guided questions on PP G
20 - 30
min. / About the TELL Drill Down Process:
STEPS:
- Go over the basic drill down process (graphic)
- Looking at the TELL website – types of reports
- To allow participants to understand the layout of the website and the different types of reports available to them
- To see the big picture in the Drill Down Process
- Here is a graphic of the Drill Down process. It’s shaped as an inverted pyramid to show that we start with a large mass of information that we are going to mine, or “drill down” into until we find a specific focus where we want to spend our time and energy to improve teaching conditions.
- On the next page in your packet you’ll see a list of basic vocabulary terms we’ll be using today. Take a moment to read over the definitions:
- TELL – Teaching, Empowering , Leading and Learning
- Teaching Conditions –the systems, relationships, resources, environments and people in your school that affect your ability to teach (or learn) at a high level.
- Construct – a grouping of several specific questions, all dealing with the same topic.
- Time, Facilities and Resources, Community Support and Involvement, Managing Student Conduct, Teacher Leadership, School Leadership, Professional Development, Instructional Practices and Support, and New Teacher Support
- Item – a specific individual question
- Individual Item Prompts – a series of questions that help guide a group in thinking about the data associated with one specific question
- Drill down – breaking the data into smaller pieces to analyze it for the purpose of unpacking and improving one specific teaching condition
- Rate of Agreement – the percentage of people who said they agreed or strongly agreed that a teaching condition was in place
- Neither Agree nor Disagree – the percentage of people who did not feel the teaching condition was or was not in place. They could be ambivalent, they may not have understood the question, or they may not have experience in that arena
- By the end of the day, teams will have decided on a prioritized focus, and then we will look specifically at the strengths and needs of this construct and item to come up with an action plan that addresses the needs and moves forward.