OUR WORK - Partners in School Innovation

OUR WORK
A SNAPSHOT OF A PARTNER SCHOOL AND DISTRICT
* GLOSSARY
Results-Oriented Cycle of Inquiry (ROCI):
The discipline of data-driven school and district
PartnersSI teams spend four days per week inside urban districts and lowperforming
schools to focus, support and guide the daily work required for
sustainable school improvement. The calendar below represents a snapshot
of what PartnersSI’s work looks like inside a partner school and district.
improvement involving repeated cycles of data analysis,
planning, action, accounting for results, and adjustment
based on those results. The ROCI enables teams to identify
areas for improvement and engage in continuous learning
to achieve measurable results for students.
Focal Instructional Strategy:
A high-leverage, research-based teaching strategy
selected based on student learning needs and designed to
accelerate student learning.
Focal Students:
Three to five students in each classroom who are reading
below grade level. Their learning needs are diagnosed
using qualitative and quantitative data. Teachers pay
particular attention to accelerating their learning as a
means to improve their teaching in the whole classroom.
Lab Classroom:
Structured observation of a lesson delivered by an outside
expert, literacy coach, or teacher using a focal instructional
strategy. Grade-level teams and/or literacy coaches learn
from the demonstration and provide feedback.
8:25 – 9:00
Classroom Observation
(daily)
PartnersSI team member observes
literacy lesson with particular attention
on focal students* and teacher’s use of
focal instructional strategy*.
11:00 – 12:00
Principal Coaching
(weekly)
MONDAY
PartnersSI senior staff member
coaches principal on results-oriented
leadership and school improvement.
Today’s Agenda:
Selecting focal students* using
data and determining topics for the
leadership team meeting.
TUESDAY
8:25 – 9:00
Classroom Observation
(daily)
PartnersSI team member observes
literacy lesson with particular attention
on focal students* and teacher’s use of
focal instructional strategy*.
1:30 – 2:30
Leadership Team Meeting
(twice monthly)
The principal, literacy coaches,
grade-level leaders and PartnersSI
team meet to discuss school
improvement and leadership
issues.
Today’s Agenda:
Assessing progress toward meeting
instructional goals. PartnersSI team
member provides data analysis and
facilitates discussion.
2:00 – 2:30
Lesson Planning
(weekly)
PartnersSI team member works with
teacher to debrief observation and
plan her next lesson and instructional
goals based on data.
2:30 – 3:30
District-level Coaching
(weekly)
PartnersSI senior staff member
coaches district superintendent or
senior administrator.
Today’s Agenda:
Setting growth targets to close the
achievement gap in the district by
2010 and discussing implications for
teacher professional development.
8 | Innovation.Improvement.Impact.