The work supports our goal to use data to inform decisions concerning students and adults.
Development of CCSS-aligned curriculum
The WWPS utilized RTT funds to provide substitute replacement funds, and stipends for teachers to develop “Units of Study” aligned to CCSS & NGSS. Teachers participated in facilitated discussions with colleagues by grade level, and in some cases across grade levels. Teachers created Units of Study in collaborative groups using Google Drive, and added the completed units into Aspen IMS.
All teachers participated in unit development during their two embedded professional development days, and at least 100 teachers participated in additional substitute days. Over 100 teachers are participating in additional unit development guided by the PD staff. This work has resulted in deep development of the district’s curriculum maps in Aspen.
Professional Development on Data Use
The WWPS utilized RTT funds to provide substitute replacement funds for building level data teams. These data teams reviewed data points collected at the building and district level regarding their students. Data teams also made recommendations about the data that was missing from their student profiles. The work done by the data team has been fully integrated into each school’s School Improvement Team, and RtI work.
In addition to the data team conversations district PD staff incorporated data analysis best practices into their embedded professional development training. All teachers engaged in activities in which they collected and analyzed formative assessment data collected in their classrooms.
Each school created a Data Team that consisted of 5-8 individuals that included building level administrators. All teachers participated in embedded professional development days in which data collection and analysis was central to the discussion.
Educator Evaluation & Feedback
Educator evaluation is fully systematized and operational in the West Warwick Public Schools. This year support professional staff were added to the staff being evaluated. All teachers continue to receive support from professional development staff concerning educator evaluation. This support is differentiated for individual teachers depending on their previous exposure to the educator evaluation process. Teachers new to the process are given the opportunity to meet with PD staff to review the process, their responsibilities, and the responsibilities of their certified evaluator.
The district also initiated the Differentiated Evaluation Process (DEP) for educators that were effective or highly effective in their observed practice. The Differentiated Evaluation Process was integrated into the district’s Educator Evaluation Manual, and district teams met with teachers in every building to explain the new process.
The District Evaluation Committee is well established, and meets bi-weekly to discuss any and all concerns around educator evaluation.
Use of Instructional
Systems (Aspen IMS)
The
WWPS continues to invest resources into the development of our Instructional
Management System, Aspen. All teachers in the district have used the curriculum
management tools in Aspen during embedded professional development days to
build curriculum, units of study, and lesson plans.
In
addition to district embedded professional development teachers have worked in
small groups to continue the curriculum development work. This additional work
provides all teachers access to viable curriculum units of study. These units
of study are directly connected to each teacher’s course and grade book. This
tight integration allows for connected data sets between curriculum and
classroom activities for every student.
Race to the Top impacted our district by...
Development of
CCSS-aligned curriculum
This
work has strengthened the district’s distributed leadership model. Teachers
have risen to the request of rewriting the entire PK-12 curricula across the
district. The activity of curriculum revision has provided teachers an
opportunity to get a deep understanding of the CCSS and the progression
documents.
Professional Development on Data Use
This work has strengthened the district’s distributed leadership model. More teachers and administrators have gained a deeper understanding of the data that is collected district wide, and how we can use that data to analyze student growth.
This work has also supported our district’s goal to use data to inform decisions concerning students and adults in the WWPS. It has been essential to house all of our data in one data system, and this work has strengthened our commitment to Aspen.
Educator Evaluation & Feedback
The work around educator evaluation continues to positively impact the district’s culture, because we continue to use educator evaluation to strengthen our commitment to distributed leadership. District leaders continue to meet regarding our educator evaluation system, and discuss how to use educator evaluation as a mechanism to improve teaching and learning in the WWPS.
Use of
Instructional Systems (Aspen IMS)
The
biggest impact on the culture in the district has been on the idea that every
educator is a developer of curriculum. This has sparked deep discussion
regarding our understanding of the CCSS. Although it may appear that having all
teacher engage in curriculum development may be inefficient, and create uneven
results that has been our experience. Engaging all teachers curriculum
development has created a level of transparency in the district. Teachers may
initially create curricula that misses the mark, but it provides an opportunity
for deep discussions about teaching & learning aligned to the
standards. This work continues to
support our distributed leadership model, and the idea that we’re all
responsible in developing systems to support standards-based instruction.
In the future, we plan to keep this going through...
Development of
CCSS-aligned curriculum
This
work will continue during CPT, and through a coordinated effort to maximize
local, state and federal funding. Teachers will continue to write/rewrite
curriculum using Title IIA, and Title I, IDEA funds when appropriate.
Professional Development on Data Use
This work will continue during CPT, and through a coordinated effort to maximize local, state and federal funding. Teachers, school and district leaders will continue to analyze various data sets to plan for short term and long term planning in the district. Teachers will continue to use data to help plan thoughtful instruction for their students.
The district is using funding from the I3 consortium to make some of the data analysis in Aspen more user friendly for educators in the district. The district has included several other communities in this work to build capacity among Aspen districts.
Educator Evaluation & Feedback
The WWPS will continue to build on the work by expanding our initiative for Student Led Conferences. The district has worked to included student defined learning goals and evidence as a way to measure Student Learning Objectives. A primary objective of this work is to shift the responsibility of student learning to the students. Educators in the district will continue to receive opportunities for professional development regarding the implementation of Student Led Conferences in their classrooms. The district worked on creating pilot groups of teachers implementing SLCs during the 2013-14 school year. We will continue to expand this work during the 2014-15 school year.
Use of Instructional Systems (Aspen IMS)
We will continue to use Aspen IMS to grow our curricula maps throughout the 2014-15 school year. We will also work on integrating Metryx, a formative assessment data collecting tool, into Aspen IMS. This integration will allow teachers to connect formative assessment collection directly into their standards-based grade book.
Questions?
Contact Jim Monti, Director of Educational Reform, Compliance & Technology for West Warwick Public Schools at jmonti@westwarwickpublicschools.com or 401-822-8435 x1329.