OUR WORK - Partners in School Innovation
OUR WORK - Partners in School Innovation
OUR WORK - Partners in School Innovation
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<strong>OUR</strong> <strong>WORK</strong><br />
PARTNERSSI SYSTEM FOR CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT<br />
TEACHING<br />
“…it is <strong>in</strong>creas<strong>in</strong>gly clear that teacher learn<strong>in</strong>g is<br />
a l<strong>in</strong>chp<strong>in</strong> of school reform...only teachers who<br />
are both knowledgeable <strong>in</strong> their content areas<br />
and extremely skillful <strong>in</strong> a wide range of teach<strong>in</strong>g<br />
methods can respond appropriately to diverse<br />
students’ needs and enable them to succeed…”<br />
- L<strong>in</strong>da Darl<strong>in</strong>g-Hammond<br />
LEADERSHIP<br />
“In some parts of the country nearly 60 percent<br />
of pr<strong>in</strong>cipals will retire, resign, or otherwise leave<br />
their positions over the next five years. In other<br />
parts of the country the issue has less to do<br />
with dw<strong>in</strong>dl<strong>in</strong>g supply than with the <strong>in</strong>equitable<br />
distribution of qualified candidates <strong>in</strong> suburban<br />
and affluent communities. In California, for<br />
example, the problem is not a shortage of certified<br />
adm<strong>in</strong>istrators, but a shortage of highly qualified<br />
adm<strong>in</strong>istrators with a commitment to work<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong><br />
underserved communities and schools.”<br />
- <strong>School</strong> Leadership Study: Develop<strong>in</strong>g Successful<br />
Pr<strong>in</strong>cipals (Stanford Educational Leadership Institute for<br />
The Wallace Foundation)<br />
Dramatic, susta<strong>in</strong>able public school improvement is a complex, multilayered<br />
challenge. Without a comprehensive approach, programs run<br />
the risk of offer<strong>in</strong>g narrow solutions that work on the marg<strong>in</strong>s of the<br />
fundamental issues. That said, a comprehensive approach that lacks<br />
depth, implementation strength or focus has little chance for last<strong>in</strong>g<br />
success. <strong>Partners</strong>SI offers an <strong>in</strong>tegrated, results-oriented system that<br />
cont<strong>in</strong>uously improves teacher practice, leadership, and student learn<strong>in</strong>g.<br />
This system targets the most powerful levers for system-wide, susta<strong>in</strong>able<br />
school improvement. If “pushed” strategically with<strong>in</strong> the system, these four<br />
levers will accelerate the learn<strong>in</strong>g of low-perform<strong>in</strong>g students and raise<br />
overall student achievement:<br />
1. The focus and quality of teach<strong>in</strong>g every year<br />
<strong>Partners</strong>SI’s system provides the structures and strategies to support<br />
a collaborative, data-driven learn<strong>in</strong>g community of skilled teachers.<br />
Ongo<strong>in</strong>g formal and <strong>in</strong>formal literacy professional development is<br />
a critical component.<br />
2. The focus and quality of district and school leadership<br />
<strong>Partners</strong>SI’s system builds results-oriented leadership at all levels of the<br />
system from the classroom to the district office. Results-oriented leaders<br />
are motivated to achieve dramatic student learn<strong>in</strong>g ga<strong>in</strong>s and capable of<br />
lead<strong>in</strong>g the transformation of low-perform<strong>in</strong>g schools.<br />
3. The school’s capacity for cont<strong>in</strong>uous improvement<br />
<strong>Partners</strong>SI’s system develops the structures, processes, and culture to<br />
enable districts and schools to cont<strong>in</strong>ually improve on their own.<br />
4. The school’s commitment to all students succeed<strong>in</strong>g<br />
<strong>Partners</strong>SI’s system re<strong>in</strong>forces <strong>in</strong> district and school staff an unwaver<strong>in</strong>g<br />
commitment to accelerate the learn<strong>in</strong>g of the lowest-perform<strong>in</strong>g students<br />
– particularly African American and Lat<strong>in</strong>o students and English language<br />
learners – while rais<strong>in</strong>g the level of achievement for all students.<br />
RESULTS-ORIENTED CYCLE OF INQUIRY<br />
The core method employed <strong>in</strong> <strong>Partners</strong>SI’s system is the Results-Oriented<br />
Cycle of Inquiry (ROCI) – the discipl<strong>in</strong>e of data-driven school and district<br />
improvement <strong>in</strong>volv<strong>in</strong>g repeated cycles of data analysis, plann<strong>in</strong>g, action,<br />
account<strong>in</strong>g for results, and adjustment based on those results. The ROCI<br />
enables teams to identify areas for improvement and engage <strong>in</strong> cont<strong>in</strong>uous<br />
learn<strong>in</strong>g to achieve measurable results for students.<br />
6 | <strong>Innovation</strong>.Improvement.Impact.