Whitman Elementary - Tulsa Public Schools

Elementary Schools were added to the group. The following timeline summarizes Focus on
Results’ work with these schools from January 2011 until the present time.
January 2011 – June 2011
Creating a Culture of Improvement
Engaged entire staff in the identification of an Instructional Focus:
■ Created a student friendly slogan
■ Made the focus visible
■ Relentless communication of the focus
■ School begins to align decisions around the instructional focus.
The Instructional Leadership Team begins to lead the improvement effort:
■ ILT team meets regularly – twice monthly
■ ILT had developed norms, agendas and minutes
■ ILT had established two‐way communication systems
■ ILT plan and leads teacher collaboration meetings and staff meetings
■ ILT assumes responsibility for professional development in the building.
The staff has identified a narrow set of best teaching practices in the instructional focus:
■ Narrow set of best practices are communicated
■ Targeted professional development is planned and implemented to build teacher expertise.
Teacher collaboration teams meet regularly to carry out the improvement effort:
■ ILT members plan and lead the collaboration meetings.
Data is displayed in classrooms and hallways to keep the focus on the improvement effort:
■ Students are setting individual improvement goals
■ Grade level teams determine appropriate data displays.
1 day per month of Professional Development for the ILT
2 coaching days per month by a coach who has been a building principal and led a successful
improvement effort with results to show.
August 2011 – May 2012
Living A Culture of Improvement
Entire staff is “living” the Instructional Focus:
■ The instructional focus is the lens for decision making gains in achievement are reached in
the instructional focus area and beyond.