Friday, December 22, 2017

Setting SAIL For the Next 100 Days








As the calendar year winds down, SAIL teams wind up for their next 100-day plans! We had the pleasure of being presented with every building's quarterly SAIL presentation over the past week. Principals were asked to place a particular focus for their presentation on the strategic use of student data (L4) as well as how these data are communicated with various stakeholders (L5) over the course of each 100-day plan. Lindholm administration was particularly impressed with our elementary schools ability to articulate the explicit connection between adult practices and the correlation to positive student outcomes (e.g., student achievement and behavior data). We are looking forward to the continued systematic work around school improvement as we SAIL into 2018. Happy Holidays, everyone! 









Monday, December 18, 2017

Data and Results

Happy Holidays to each and every one of you!

We just finished up our Principal quarterly reviews and I am thrilled to see the progress our schools are making!
We have asked SAIL teams to hold tight to monitoring a few adult learning practices that can directly correlate to seeing an increase in student growth and performance.
Focusing in this direction, over time, has shown that this feat is not impossible, but rather IMPACTFUL!





The ongoing performance of our students continues to be a critical indicator of our success as a school district. Leading with a lens of data will continue to guide our work as we deepen collaborative learning across our system.


Have a wonderful winter break! Make sure you spend dedicated time sharpening your saw and nurturing quality time with family and friends as you gear up to continue your positive impact in the 'Sha in 2018.





Friday, December 8, 2017

Supports and not things...

In the day and age in which we live, there is so much information available to us at the click of a button. With all of this access, it is easy for us to get lost in the sea of information and initiatives. Our goal as an organization is to meet the needs of our student sitting in front of us each and every day. High-quality instruction is the core of Teaching and Learning.

As a district, we are committed to exploring, implementing, and providing professional learning around curriculum, resources, and frameworks that support strong instruction. Personalized Learning, Instructional Technology, CLM, ELD, and AVID are just some of the vehicles that we use to provide common language and tools to support and enhance our instructional practices. These are all supports to instruction and not things that replace instruction. We need to remind ourselves that as we infuse scaffolds and frameworks we cannot forget that without strong instructional pedagogy and relational capacity, we will not meet the needs of all students.

Thursday, December 7, 2017

Next 100 days for deeper impact

I had the privilege of working with the Horning SAIL team this week and I am thrilled by that team's progress around their 3 priority areas; PLC's, feedback, and cultural proficiency. Every school and their 100 day plans in essence have "expired" and so in the spirit of an approaching new year (2018) and the importance of reflecting back to move forward, have your SAIL teams done just that? Have you done that, as an individual teacher, have you reflected on your growth and your student's growth as we approach the next 100 days?

Principals will be presenting their quarterly reviews to central office administrators next week and we are asking each of them to give us student performance data, adult practice data and organizational health data that communicate results thus far.

Are data and results evident in the culture of your school? I want to commend the Horning SAIL team members for having honest conversations yesterday about what they have to celebrate progress and what their next edges of growth are. This was a powerful group of teacher leaders and with their leadership, I have no doubt that the collective efficacy and the collective capacity building for all is sure to follow.

Thank you to these teacher leaders and administrators and thank you to everyone who is keeping a focused direction on cultivating a collaborative culture upon which we can all do this work better-together! 

Friday, December 1, 2017

Making the Grass Green

Sometimes we allow the outliers to creep in and cloud up our reality.  Whether it be a student's misbehavior, grade book deadlines, struggling through a challenge with new curriculum, etc. We can allow these things to negatively impact our feelings, thoughts and at times even our actions.

At the same time when we deal with things that present us with a challenge, we can shift our mindset to see them as opportunities and reflect on many things that we can be grateful for.  I have personally realized that I do not do well with negativity.  I have had to work on adjusting my mindset.

One way I am doing this is to focus on making the grass green.   I have chosen the School District of Waukesha to be my educational home because I do believe that together we have a lot to celebrate (aka "green grass") and unending opportunities to make the grass green.

Here are a few of the areas of "green grass" from my perspective:

  • All SDW schools are using the SAIL process for school improvement and student impact
  •  When I am out in buildings or on an ESAIL and I have the opportunity to be in the classrooms to see the joy taking place with teachers and students
  • Language Workshop texts and planners were added to the Elementary Curriculum 
  • I have teachers who have reached out to meet about problem solving areas of concern or how to increase their leadership within the district
  • I learned how to be on Twitter (thanks to Dennis Griffin) and everyday I read/see educators across the district sharing the amazing things happening in their classrooms and schools
  • For the second year the Teaching and Learning Department and Students Services Department meet and work together as one team as we strive to better serve the district
  • 30 minutes of Play Workshop is back in our Kindergarten framework


Each one of you makes our grass in SDW green.  Please join me in celebrating our "green grass"!

Thursday, November 30, 2017

Connecting Data to the Stories they Represent

Connecting Data to the Stories they Represent


On these eves of upcoming quarterlies, most of us are doing some profound thinking about L4 and L5 and exactly what our data sources tell us about the impact we are having on student learning.  For most of us, our approach lies in the “data rush”, which like a gold, technology or housing “rush” has put us into a sort of frenzy of grabbing and amassing large amounts of data in hopes that these data “place holders” reveal a story that confirms that the decisions we have made were and are the right choices.  Our data kind of serves as the oracle telling the prophecy of student learning.

But how data is analyzed is just or more important that what the data says at all.  And unlike housing, gold and technology, our analysis of data for a growing demographic of students has real, and generational consequences for students if our prophecies are not getting us deeper to addressing actual root causes.  So what are some things to keep in mind?

“... experts say…..[access to achievement data]....have mostly resulted in small pockets of innovation or incremental shifts to existing practices, rather than systemic transformation.
One big reason: Big chunks of the data currently in use are either stored on paper or in teachers' heads. And much of the digital information in use is generated via students' …[scheduled exams]..., which even those in the ed-tech world acknowledge can capture only a limited slice of what constitutes real learning.
Other barriers exist, too. Even when new technologies have been introduced into classrooms, teachers have been slow to change the ways they teach. Districts have struggled for years to integrate data housed in separate silos. The education sector is embroiled in debates over how student information should be appropriately collected, shared, and used. Cite

After watching a few TED talks on the subject of BIG data analysis, I came across an article that offered a few simple suggestions in terms of positioning our thinking around data analytics.  
  1. First, what I think I am learning from this is that the most important thing about data is that its potential to tell the story of our organization is risky if we are not ahead of it by asking the the right, rather focused, questions.  One article said very explicitly that “The decision is in the question” Cite.  If we start with the question first, there is a higher likelihood that we will have a sharper focus in our data mining and analysis and this may lead us to using our data with greater value.  The question will also help us to mine that data that is going to be truly meaningful to us, meaning it will confirm that the choices we make are impacting the learners we serve (this helps us affirm our decisions are the right ones).
  2. Second, using data that is simply available, may not tell the stories of the experiences of the learners we serve and we run the risk of the data determining the questions, leading us to narratives and root causes that may not be capable of, or won't, tell the whole story.  A local example of this scenario might be a school with a healthy State Report Card, students are growing-so everything we are doing is good to great and we celebrate.  Deep within the data, there may be other experiences we are missing.  Again, if the question leads the inquiry, the data has the opportunity to reveal.  Using available data may lead us down a path that does not confirm causality but only correlation….BIG data on medical trials must respect this truth about using “available data” for correlation rather than causation.  Here is an example, drowning deaths increase when ice-cream consumption increases-not causal, it is summer after all.
  3. Third, our data is mostly limited to or positioned around the "IQ type" rather than the "EQ type" (emotional intelligence).  Most of what we are learning about learning is that is it a highly relational, voluntary process and that a student’s wellbeing, extent to which basic needs are met, their ability to persevere, the extent to which they believe their teacher believes in them, and self regulation etc. are the actual characteristics that determine long term success we call agency, yet our data sources fall short in measuring these realities for students.  Could our subgroup ACT scores reveal, rather than academic achievement, perhaps emotional thriving and other indicators of wellbeing?  Check out an interesting article on EQ
Well, if you have gotten this far, my purpose of writing this blog is to provide some opportunity for reflection on some of these points as we move into a season of telling our stories with data and positioning the work of teams to build capacities in our schools to do this work the best we can-happy questioning! (DIY Hacks for Data Story Telling)




Friday, November 17, 2017

Innovation

Our definition of Innovation in the School District of Waukesha is:
Actions that significantly challenge key assumptions about schools and the way they operate; to question the "box" in which we operate and to innovate outside of it as well as within.

We take huge pride in touting ourselves as being an innovative district with innovative practices and programs happening for our learners. So, what really is innovation and why is it important?

Innovation in the business world is linked to survival. Organizations are finding that they need to continuously adapt and transform to the rapid changes around them. I might argue that this continuous improvement mindset isn't as nearly as important as discontinuous improvement. We all know that new does not necessarily equate to better. Innovation without a clear vision and systematic structures is just another adaptation without purpose.

How can we all innovate while achieving our organization's mission and vision?
What is your readiness towards a culture of innovation?

As inferred in our definition, innovation involves challenging existing practices and mental models in order to adapt to our existing environment. We need to seek innovation as a means of helping our schools adapt and transform and that leads me back to my original question, why is innovation important? If you know your why, your how becomes much more impactful.


Friday, November 10, 2017

What is Coaching?

The School District of Waukesha has invested in our growth and development through opportunities for professional learning as well as through coaching. However, as we work to better our practice and skills through coaching, we begin to ask ourselves, what does it mean to coach.

As a district, we have defined coaching through the work that coaches do. In Elena Aguilar's book, The Art of Coaching, Aguilar shares many excellent strategies for coaching. More importantly, she outlines in the beginning of her book what coaching is not. From her book, Aguilar shares that coaching is not about enforcing a program, fixing people, being a therapist, or being a consultant. Coaching focuses on growing teaching capacity through feedback and reflective questioning. To build consistency, or coherence, across our district coaches, coordinators, and principals have been engaged in professional learning on coaching. While as a district we continue to refine what coaching looks like, our goal is that the practice and art of coaching become institutionalized within our district.

SAIL and our Daily Theories of Action

All of you should be familiar with the term SAIL.  It is a school improvement framework that uses a theory of action written as an if/then statement.  Part of the director team's theory of action is "If we collaborate and coach around a common understanding of an efficient, effective SAIL framework...then we will have an increase in leadership performance and system coherence that will ultimately lead to increased student achievement."  In addition to our main director role, we each support three schools as a SAIL coach.  We support the school's theory and 100 day plan.  As a SAIL coach, we ask reflective questions and lend an outside perspective to the work.

Do you know your school's theory of action?  How are you living out your own theory of action as it relates to the school's theory?  Any time you plan a lesson or an instructional strategy, you are living out a theory of action.  We do it all the time.
     💬  If I start with this energizer activity, then more students will be engaged and ready to learn.
     💬  If I approach this concept from this angle, then I will reach all learners.
     💬  If I create an intellectually and emotionally safe environment, then students will be willing to take risks.

The school's SAIL team also analyzes data and makes adjustments to the 100 day plan as needed.  We, too, analyze data in real time to make adjustments.
     💬  The class seems restless.  If I continue with my original plans, I may lose some learners.
     💬  My formative check demonstrated a lack of understanding.  If I move on anyway, core skills will be lost.

When we make adjustments, we need to take the time to dig in to why the original plan did not work.  We also need to reflect on what went well, similar to the Analyzing Student Work (ASW) process.  Sometimes the answer is not right on the surface.  But knowing the cause informs future decisions and allows students, your classroom, your school, and the district to grow as we move forward in making a positive impact on all of our learners.  The SAIL process helps to build coherence among the many layers.

Thank you for your thoughtful approach every day with our learners.  YOU make an impact. 




Thursday, November 2, 2017

What do we value?

In each of your buildings, you will see our Waukesha values on display. Have you ever really taken the time to absorb what these values really mean? Are you walking the talk and talking the walk when it comes to your leadership around these values?
I have included the visual as well as the link below from our website. You are a valuable part of the School District of Waukesha because you have exhibited these values. During those days when you forget your purpose, reset yourself and dig into living out these values. In your classrooms, in your daily life, with students, with colleagues, with family members...having a core set of values that drives what you do, is an important moral compass for all of us to reflect on this month.

Innovation: Those actions that significantly challenge key assumptions about schools and the way they operate; to question the "box" in which we operate and to innovate outside of it as well as within.

Rigor: Using inquiry-based, collaborative strategies to challenge and engage all students in content resulting in increasingly complex levels of understanding.

Teamwork: Cooperative effort by the members of a group or team to achieve a common goal.

Communication: A means of transferring information and ideas that is clear, consistent, concise, comprehensive and accessible.

High Expectations for All: Expectations that overcome biases and belief systems that lead to low expectations; verbal and nonverbal behaviors that challenge all students and communicate to all students that they are capable learners.

https://sdw.waukesha.k12.wi.us/domain/547

Professionalism: Competency within one's profession, demonstrating effective collaboration with others, integrity, and an awareness of diversity in service to students and the profession.

Shared Responsibility: Collaboration between educators, families, and other parts of the community will ensure that all children are encourages and supported through the educational process. The contribution of each may not be separable from that of the other(s). 

Personalized Learning:  Fosters a deep approach by considering the core proficiencies, authentic learner engagement, student choice, quality continuums of learning and the role of technology.


Thursday, October 26, 2017

Leading for Coherence

Coherence in a word is impact.

One of my main leadership priorities is to help create conditions so that as a system we have the capacity to continue in a strong direction when it comes to our school improvement efforts. SAIL has helped build this leadership capacity through common structures and continuity across our district. We need to build a focused direction..where less is actually more.

How are you personally building your leadership competencies for whole system improvement?



Leadership as Learning



Leadership as Learning 

"Insanity Is Doing the Same Thing 

Over and Over Again and Expecting Different Results"


 Through No Child Left Behind, the federal government encouraged our investment in  an unproven but ambitious belief that if we test children and hold educators responsible for improving test scores, we would have almost everyone scoring as “proficient” by 2014. Thus, we would achieve “equality.” This approach has not worked-it isn't working.  For many of us the National Crisis of education impact on students of color and others, suggests that we might be missing something. 
Here in SDW there are Leaders and Educators coming together to take a deeper look at the ways educators approach teaching and how practice directly impacts learning.  Pictured above, Coordinators, Teachers and Administrators collaborate around instructional rounds-engaging in deep conversation around access to learning.  These leaders are in a unique setting as they examine accessibility for students who are multilingual-and as such, these leaders are putting themselves into multilingual environments through the eyes of students and one of the predominant ways these students learn: through Oral Academic Language.  Academic Language Learners are all of us; however, the invisibility of the language needs of seemingly fluent speakers has caused the potential where the expectation and supports do not lead to learning.

See the Oral Academic Language Adult Learning Continuum HERE

The commitment and collaboration to this work will create the skill and the will to LEAD for access and equity.


Friday, October 20, 2017

SAIL & Serving ALL students

The way we teach individual students can vary greatly based on many factors.  How does the student learn best?  

Access - auditory, visually, kinesthetic, etcetera
Expression - speaking, writing, art, movement
Engagement - connection to the content, relationship with the teacher, social-emotional needs

Addressing individual needs can be daunting when there are 25 or more individual minds in the room and then some of those students have Individualized Education Plans and others are English Learners, and some have social-emotional needs, and others are gifted and talented. . . .

If we keep our head ‘in the game’ and consider the possibilities, what can we accomplish?  Consider your mindset and how that can affect your own engagement in the work.

Across the district, several school SAIL plans include components of inclusive practice.  The mission is to foster collaboration to narrow the achievement gap.   Consider how the Growth Mindset can impact the mission of every teacher in the school . . .

IMG_0191.JPG

Thursday, October 12, 2017

Leadership for Equity and Excellence

Chris Hedstrom and myself are in the midst of visiting all first year staff and I am just thrilled to see the hard work happening across classrooms and schools in our district! In my second year as Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning, it feels so much better this year getting into more classrooms across our system. Last year at this time, I was helping to support 14 new Principals, but I am happy to say that our Administrators have stabilized and as we continue to support their leadership, we are also better able to integrate into classrooms to see the wonderful teacher leadership happening there as well!

SAIL teams remain focused on the clear instructional priorities set up for their schools and this consistency is helping bring coherence throughout our system. Our responsibilities as educators is huge and the only way that we can tackle the achievement gaps that persist, is through teamwork and a tight collaborative environment.



The climate of high expectations for all is a core value in the School District of Waukesha. To create equitable and excellent classrooms and schools, we need to make the commitment to this important work at the heart of all of our efforts.  Every day, every week, there might be an excuse that creeps in that poses a potential barrier to our high expectations for all students. However, those who succeed at any great endeavor know that we must be the ones to stay positively focused on changing the life trajectory for each student that comes before us. When we provide caring, respectful, appreciative, high-quality instruction for our learners, they respond. Thank you for leading with equity and excellence!


SAIL & Coherence - Cultivating Collaborative Cultures


“Using the group to change the group.” This is a quote that continues to stand out to me as I deepen my own learning around this important quadrant of Fullan and Quinn’s (2016) research regarding system coherence in conjunction with our collective SAIL work. This particular driver of collaborative culture is a dynamic force that leverages our collegial relationships and shared experiences in order to turn complex and fragmented “silos” of work into a focused, coherent force for positive change. There are four main components to hone in on when fostering a collaborative culture within your school building, which we can all contribute to and further develop.


  1. Culture of Growth: Growth mindset anyone? We have all heard it and hopefully by now we all are on board with the fact that our mindset can make all the difference. Every action taken by our staff, especially those in shared leadership roles, can send ripples throughout the entire school building and system. Whether intended or unintended, we must be continually conscious of our and ensure we are supporting learning, innovation, and action that builds a culture of growth.
  2. Learning Leadership: Shared leaders at all levels (system, district, school) must continually influence processes that support learning and working together in purposeful ways at every level of our school system if we want to produce great learning in students. It is essential to continually and intentionally orchestrate the work of all staff in order to maintain focus on collaboratively improving student learning (sound familiar?....SAIL!).
  3. Capacity Building: Fullan defines capacity as the “capability of the individual or organization to make the changes required and involves the development of knowledge, skills, and commitments.” Collectively, this speaks to the necessity of all educators at all levels of the system making instructional adjustments required to raise the bar and close achievement gaps for all students.
  4. Collaborative Work: Improving and entire system (school building) requires that every member of that system shift their practice in an aligned manner. Meaningful work done in collaboration with others is a natural motivator for human beings. If we want to move our buildings in a positive direction, we must pay attention to the degree of collaborative learning of the adults as well as the quality of capacity building at the individual level and as a whole.

CAL Summer Institute Returning Summer 2018




Wednesday, October 11, 2017

Global Education Quick List-Easy access links

Principals, counselors and teachers have now all been shared essential tools and resources to engage
9-12 students with the opportunity to earn the Wisconsin Seal of Biliteracy or/and the Global Scholar Award.  This year 29 States offer the Seal-our SDW students were the first in the State to earn it.

ALL SDW students have the potential to earn both or either awards.  Last year we graduates 47 students, this year there appear to be well over 100 who are already prepared to earn!

Special thanks to 9-12 School Counselors and Global Ed Leaders: Maria Meyers, Tim Smilanich, Leslie Abruzzo and Melanie Forman (these are your site contacts)

In the future, work will be underway to build the continuum of Global Education and pathway awards in grades 6-8 and K5-5th.

Global Education Quicksheet 9-12
Item
Purpose
Audience
REQUIRED student sign up link.  This sign up is the only way we will be able to ensure each student takes the required assessments.  It also serves as a communication tool between sites.
Students
Seal of Biliteracy 2017 Celebration Youtube
Celebratory video.  SDW graduates in 2017 were the FIRST and only graduates in the State of Wisconsin to earn this award.  29 states recognize their multilingual graduates.
Everyone, but particularly parents, students and staff


Information Video to stream to students with voice over, or for Staffing viewing in  preparation for Powerpoint Presentation to Parents
Students, Parents, Staff
Posters to place within schools/classrooms to publicize and inform about the two awards. Posters clearly outline requirements, criteria and courses for each award 9-12
School Community
The Official Global Education Website.  The History, Awards, Student Portfolio Resources and Forms are all here.
Everyone, public
This information is posted on the website, but this is a quick glance sheet
Staff



Friday, October 6, 2017

First 100 days of SAILING.....A Time to Reflect


With September and 1/3 of your schools 100-day plan in the rearview mirror, take a few minutes to reflect on what it is that you set out to accomplish. 
  • Theory of Action- Is it clear, concise and known by all?
  • Milestones: Are they being accomplished with each passing week?
  • Deepening Learning- Is new knowledge available for your journey toward increasing student achievement?
  • Successes- Are great things occurring as a result of your efforts? How do you know? What does it look like?
  • Celebrate your Accomplishments! Are your parents, students, and school community aware of your successes?

Thursday, October 5, 2017

Celebrating a Reduction in Teacher Turnover!

From 2014-2017 the State has provided us with Waukesha data around teacher turnover. We are celebrating huge decreases in this area which we have a need to celebrate!
www.dreamstime.com

2014-15 10.64%  
2015-16  8.94%
2016-17 5.71%



The School District of Waukesha has been committed to recruiting and retaining high quality staff and our strategies and systems are working! One of our intentional strategies has been to visit all first and second year teacher classrooms in which we are doing through the months of October and November.

I love to be in gemba! Thank you Jeremy for reminding me of this term. Gemba (現場, also romanized as genba) is a Japanese term meaning "the real place." 
Our classrooms are the places where hard work and real action is occurring and so we are committed to supporting you in the place where you need it the most!

Thank you all for continuously increasing your levels of performance and engagement so that together we can increase student achievement across our system for all learners.

Friday, September 29, 2017

SAIL a Powerful Process



The SAIL school improvement framework is a powerful process for moving our practices forward and in turn, increasing student achievement and performance across the entire district.  The SAIL process aligns our work and unites us in common learning and practices within an organized frame that keeps us moving forward.  We can’t start, then lose momentum and just give up.  The continuous cycles of data review, intentional planning, goal setting, professional development, data collection, communication, and collaboration keep us on track and always moving forward.  Let’s remember to celebrate the growth we are making along the way!  

Thursday, September 28, 2017

What does it mean for students to THRIVE?



Building relationships with students is the most critical factor affecting student motivation and learning-especially for new English Learners, especially when they are speakers of languages for which we do not or cannot offer a peer community of users (think any language other than Spanish).   In order for these students to learn and to THRIVE teachers must build the teacher-student and student-student relationship.  Research implies that we are more likely to take risks, like the kinds required of students learning a new language and a new culture, if there are trusting relationships.  It appears quite simple, if the relationships between the teacher and student are good, then everything else in the classroom appears enhanced (Marzano).
So what can we do?

The best and most simple thing we can do is give students our time, spend time talking with them on a daily basis.  Getting to know a student can begin with showing empathy and connecting personally within the teacher-student relationship. This means sharing as well as asking about experiences in and outside school.  When students KNOW they matter, they THRIVE.  The Hawthorne Effect posits that people change their behavior when they know it, or rather they, are observed.  In other words, when students know they are important in the classroom and school, but most importantly to you, they act like it.

Often we think our students know they matter because we have done "this" or "that", or we base our assessment of our student's well being on other indicators like a student's behavior, attendance or other data.  So how can we really know if all of our students know that they matter?

When new English Learners don't speak or make friends, we often attribute this to the student's culture or status as an English Learner.  Our methods to teach these learners, the expectation we have for the inclusion of these students in our classrooms and curriculum, may be a mismatch.    Leveling the playing field for our students learning English requires rigorous college readiness learning opportunities, deep relationships that affirm student identity and accommodations for the ways in which students are learning language relative to the task or content, rather than a set of different or lower expectations.  Finally we level the playing field most when we build the teacher-student, and student-student relationships.

Asset thinking positions us in our work to serve learners based on what works, on opportunities to strengthen opportunities and relationships around rigorous. college readiness and learning.  Asset vesus deficit thinking lies on a foundation of beliefs, how you see the world of each student, and how you interact with that student as a result.

Are you ready to deepen a relationship, and increase the social inclusion of ALL students?  What makes good teachers GREAT? Cultivate connection with students and between students that allow them to show and to value others unique strengths and interests, positioning students who are most marginalized so they are able to offer their funds of knowledge to other learners in meaningful ways to build community cultural wealth (ie. they have something of meaning to give), seek possibilities, build on what's working, express a deep belief, an honest belief in the ability and worth of your students.

Beyond attendance and achievement, we want our students to THRIVE.

Paws off Principals....


This is just a reminder about who owns the Early Release time...

Survey says....

As our district focuses on robust communication, we continue to prioritize our efforts to engage all staff with input around our goals for learning. Part of this process relies on the importance of gaining your input through staff surveys.

Your input will help us gain a higher degree of staff engagement, balancing workload and increasing ownership and efficiencies across our system. The survey image captures this important work through our own theory of action that we wanted to forecast for you.

The why behind each of these surveys will be described at the top of each of them. We want to thank you ahead of time for the gift of your feedback as we know that your employee performance, engagement and productivity will lead to an increase in student success as defined through community, college and career readiness.

Coaching Protocol Needed at ILT

Choose to print or have this resource available in preparation for ILT  Coaching Protocol

Friday, September 22, 2017

New Teacher Support Session

Over 30 teachers came together for a new teacher support session.  It was great to dig in to Domains 1-4 and have professional dialogue.  The energy in the room was fantastic.  The next session is November 15.  Hope to see you there!

What do we mean by coherence?

So is the word of the year, coherence? 

I have heard this question, or a form of this question, a few times this year. It is natural as we continue to focus on our system, and our work, to hear a new word and think we are making a shift. As mentioned in an earlier blog post the executive cabinet and director team is being very focused on robust communication. For robust communication to occur, communication needs to be clear, consistent, concise and comprehensive.

Coherence, or bring coherence to and across our district, means bringing the pieces of our system together. Looking at what create silos in our work for our students, parents, and each other so that we can find ways to integrate; building on the strengths each brings to the table. The graphic below represents aspects of coherence that become visible when a school or district systems are aligned. 



The SAIL work that we do speaks to each of these pieces of coherence. Although the word "coherence" may be new to some, the work we do in schools and district still is focused on building an integrated system, a system of coherence, to meet the needs of our students.

Friday, September 15, 2017

Equity in Discipline

This week, our principals participated in the SAIL Quarterly Presentations.  In each presentation our principals discussed the work that our schools are participating in to close the achievement gaps that exist among our students. As I was going through a copy of District Administration (February, 2017), listening to Quarterly presentations and reflecting on the student discipline conversations that I have been a part of for the last several months, I thought I would share the attached article with you.  
Closing the Discipline Gap

Celebrating SAIL Coherence!

SAIL, SAIL, SAIL...is this a boat, a song?
SAIL stands for School Administrators Institute for transformational Leadership as the visual represents. Waukesha has chosen to use the SAIL framework and guiding principles as our school improvement process that provides all of us with a systematic approach to help transform our student achievement outcomes.

As 26 Principals presented the "state of the state" for each of their schools, this is the clearest and tightest we have been as a system with communicating a data based plan, deepening learning and cultivating self-efficacy for our staff, with a focus on ensuring excellence through systems of accountability and results.

The coherence with which I see our Principals facilitating a focus in direction with their SAIL teams has been positive and clear! This sets us up for increased employee engagement and performance, which in turn will increase student success.

Please see some school highlights here from each of our presentations this week.

I look forward to helping support our culture of growth and capacity building as we all focus on our collaborative culture in the School District of Waukesha. 👏👏👏👏👏

Tuesday, September 12, 2017

TDP ONLINE COURSE: Intro to Global Education

Dual Language Logo 123015-4.png
Course: Introduction to Global Education
2017-2018!

Google Classroom Code:tbh6ma

The Introduction to Global Education Course, offered through google classrooms in this completely online mooc, is intended for Administrators, Guidance, and Instructional Faculty,Coaches and Coordinators.

The course will guide participants through 9 modules designed to prepare participants with the knowledge and tools to frame conversations around Global Education, develop teams to support growth of Global Educational Opportunities and guide thinking around how what we do now supports global competency.  

The course presents with a shared reading from the Asia Society and Partnerships for 21st Century Learning (amongst other) and opportunities to show and share thinking, apply strategies to your context and think deeply about your next action step. (This course will not utilize a rubric for responses, nor require responses to posts that others make-but quality and collaboration are encouraged)

Course modules include:
1: Developing a Rationale for Global Education
2: Making meaning about the world from a local point of view
3: Easy shifts in Curriculum and Instruction so that students can Investigate the World
4: Cultivating the skill to recognize one’s own and other’s perspectives
5: SDW Frameworks which support Global Competency
6. Taking Action on issues of Global Significance
7. My next unit...gentle shifts towards Global Competency
8. Preparing for a School Wide Vision of Globally Competent Learners
9: Mobilizing the “people”-building the learning community
10: Recognizing Global Competency and Scholarship in SDW


The  course is accessible through google classrooms with the pin tbh6ma; however, email dmgarcia to receive an invite to participate.
Let me know if you experience any difficulty in accessibility.
UNIVERSITY CREDIT THROUGH VITERBO IS AVAILABLE.

Contact D. Garcia at dmgarcia@waukesha.k12.wi.us if you are interested in taking this course for credit.