ally about individual students and their learning.” She emphasized that the most significant and rewarding test scores are not reported in the newspaper. For example, she described teachers celebrating the success of a student who moved from 7 percent profi- ciency to 35 percent proficiency. The testing timeline at Amber is rigor-
ous, but teachers have embraced it because the results for these assessments guide their practice, reveal successes, and lead to im- proved performance on the California Stan- dards Test. Testing cycles dominate teacher planning
and the instructional day. Teachers are fre- quently seen individually testing students while other students work independently. Even kindergarten and first-grade teach- ers begin preparing students for the CST by simulating standardized testing environ- ments while implementing the schedule. While Amber teachers described the strug- gle to complete testing within the windows, they do not challenge the value of the assess- ments.
Standards-aligned benchmarks Jack’s approach to implementation of a
data and accountability system as principal at Ryan School resembled that of a coach implementing a strategy to help his team meet the challenges of a new opponent. He discovered the Northwest Evaluation Asso- ciation assessment system at a summer con- ference. He thought the standards-aligned benchmark assessments would help teachers adapt their practice to the measured needs of students. He solicited teachers to preview the pro-
gram, and with their support, the system, in- cluding its regular assessments and frequent grade-level regroupings based on specific standards-aligned student needs, was im- plemented the next year. The school’s com- mitment to collaboration, especially across grade levels, facilitated the implementation. Jack was quick to point out the difference
between the regrouping his school does and “tracking.” He emphasized that there is con- stant movement in and out of groups, and students “are not doomed to be blackbirds
forever and ever.” Rather, once the next as- sessment is given on another standard, the students are regrouped again. The groups change throughout the year, and teacher judgment plays an important role. Teacher judgment in using assessment
data, a theme repeated by many teachers at Ryan School, is crucial, according to Teresa, a 16-year veteran teacher. She acknowledged that the CST results publicly recognize the good work of the teachers at Ryan, but she tempered her excitement, emphasizing that success on the CST, the API and even pe- riodic benchmark NWEA tests are not the lone goal. She said, “I played soccer in college, and I
am competitive, and I like challenges. But it is not necessarily about winning or test scores. It’s about the process of getting there.”
Collaborative school cultures Teacher interviews and observations
confirmed the powerful, unambiguous role collaboration plays in supporting teacher effectiveness, and the nature of the collabo-
34 Leadership
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40