Central Falls Transformation Report - Annenberg Institute for School ...

5. Develop clear expectations for the use of common planning time and
a widely understood rationale for it as a key instructional support.
One of the most important steps to improve supports for teachers is the development of
a set of clearer expectations for the use of common planning time. Currently, the quality
and acceptance of common planning time varies dramatically. Teachers report that effective
use of common planning time is the exception, not the norm. We recommend
selecting, training, and supporting team leaders/facilitators for common planning time.
This can provide additional quality control required to increase the utility and support
of common planning time. Ensuring that common planning time is effective is central
to immediate improvement goals and establishing a positive staff culture focused on student
achievement. This should be a top priority.
6. Establish the performance management process as a key driver of instructional
support and individual growth.
The performance management system does have a dual purpose: for the majority of
teachers it is intended to be a support for improving practice, but it is also supposed to
identify teachers who have not made progress. Our data suggests that teachers internalized
the latter, punitive purpose, but not the former, more supportive aspect of the performance
management system. Teachers need to hear stronger messages about the
benefits of the process. The Bench should play an active role in consistent communication
of the goals of the performance management system by highlighting teachers who
have benefited from the process. The Bench should also consider improvements that will
make the process more supportive to teachers, such as expanding the Bench to address
all content areas; matching Bench members’ content expertise with the teachers’ content
areas; and providing opportunities for teachers to observe strong instructional practices.
Leadership must also be transparent about the criteria they use to assess the professional
responsibilities domain. Our data demonstrated that this portion of the review was particularly
contentious. It must be clear that this domain, and therefore the performance
management process at large, is understood as a fair, objective process, even when it
results in negative consequences for some teachers. Without this assurance, teachers will
continue to see the process as a “gotcha” scheme and question the supports the process
can provide to the majority of staff. The full implementation of a robust performance
management system requires substantial integration between teachers’ instructional
improvement needs and the supports and professional development they receive. Tying
the performance management system more closely to professional development delivery
and examining how common planning time is used will simultaneously increase teacher
support for both processes.
50 Central Falls High School FIRST YEAR TRANSFORMATION REPORT