Improving Instructional Quality in Jewish Day Schools and Yeshivot ...

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that are not strategic, but episodic, piecemeal, and not sustained aredoomed to insignificance. Further, programs and practices that are forthe most part top-down driven, without sufficient teacher input, aresimilarly problematic. Many schools, public and especially privateJewish schools (Dorph & Holtz, 2000; Gamoran, Goldring, Robinson,Goodman, & Tammivaara, 1997), either minimize time forprofessional development to a few days a year, and/or mandateworkshops with little teacher input. Research and best practiceindicate that if changes in teacher classroom behavior are to occur,then professional development must be purposeful and articulated,participatory and collaboratively-developed, knowledge-based,ongoing, developmental, and analytic and reflective (Fogarty & Pete,2009; Griffin, 1997; Kent, 2004; Tschannen-Moran & McMaster, 2009;Whitaker, 1995; Zepeda, 2008). Therefore, models that offer one ortwo professional development workshops or seminars without followupin the classroom have not been proven effective. Moreover, a planto improve instructional excellence in schools must take into accountthe notion that building and sustaining a culture of instructionalexcellence that permeates every aspect of the school takes three tofive years, according to extant research (Fullan, 2008a; Hargreaves &Fink, 2006; Sergiovanni, 2008).Jewish school leaders need to scrutinize the amount and quality oftime allotted to the components of the tripod (Figure 1 above) and tothe instructional core (Figure 2 above). Jewish leaders are mostcertainly passionate and committed to the notion of school andinstructional improvement but may be unfamiliar with theapplication of cutting-edge supervisory and instructional practicesand/or belabored by a plethora of administrative exigencies that drawattention away from the instructional core. Daily walk-throughs, forinstance, are insufficient by themselves to address instructionallyrelatedchallenges in a school (David, 2007; Sullivan, 2006). 11 Onlyplanned and sustained instructional and supervisory initiatives thatare multi-focused have any chance of improving teaching andlearning in a school. School leaders should regularly assess theeffectiveness of their instructional program through the use ofanonymous questionnaires, for instance, that may gauge levels ofteacher satisfaction (Blumberg, 1980). Articulation of specific26
instructional goals and objectives, including methods forimplementation of initiatives are of utmost importance. Coordinatingthese goals and objectives to measures or outcomes (e.g., studentachievement levels) is fundamental. Goals are best articulated andplanned given a school’s unique needs and understanding of theschool’s context including leadership talent pool, board support, levelsof teacher experience and expertise, financial resources, among otherfactors. 12 Planning and goal setting alone are insufficient. Monitoringimplementation of initiatives is necessary. Sometimes, outsideconsultants are valuable to provide “another set of eyes” orperspective on a school’s instructional programming.Transformational change in instructional quality occurs gradually,according to the literature on school reform and change, and whencapacity is developed, nurtured, and sustained in the school building(Fullan, 2001, 2003a; Fullan & Pomfret 2008; Hargreaves, 2009; Levin,2008; Sarason, 1971; Sullivan & Shulman, 2005; Zmuda, 2010).Educational quality is achieved to the extent to which those educatorswho work within the school are empowered to focus on instructionalmatters. One example will suffice here. Mentoring new teachers isclearly supported by research and best practice (Birkeland & Feiman-Nemser, 2009). Some programs that offer mentoring programs utilizementors from outside the given school. I believe that having mentorswho are themselves teachers within the school and who have beenprofessionally educated and supported builds capacity within theschool. The teacher serving as mentor shares her knowledge withother colleagues on a continuous basis at faculty meetings, informaland formal meetings, and in other contexts. Haregreaves (2009) andFullan (2005) underscore the import of sustainability of reformmeasures by indicating that “home-grown” initiatives are more likelyto be sustained over time than use of outside consultants or mentors.The transformational school change project initiated by the YUSPin collaboration with the Azrieli Graduate School (AGS) is a multifacetedone that provides support to Jewish day schools and yeshivotin many different ways and levels (e.g., induction sites are beingdeveloped in many schools across the country). A number of YUfaculty and staff as well as outside consultants are involved in theseand other initiatives. In this monograph, I am merely reporting upon27
Page 1 and 2: Improving InstructionalQuality in J
Page 4 and 5: Appendix C: Assessing Your Role as
Page 6 and 7: others, involved in a cognate enter
Page 8 and 9: Weissberg, Walberg, & Wang., 2004).
Page 10 and 11: all. “We are never asked for what
Page 12 and 13: administrator. He was well-organize
Page 14 and 15: Sartoris, DiPrima Bickel, & Garnier
Page 16 and 17: grade conferences, etc., effective
Page 18 and 19: school’s teaching practices, the
Page 20 and 21: een made in the areas of science an
Page 22 and 23: learning is more likely to occur th
Page 24 and 25: content, and the need to ensure tha
Page 26 and 27: pattern.] I didn’t really realize
Page 28 and 29: constraints, increase in administra
Page 30 and 31: The Transformational Change Project
Page 34 and 35: my personal involvement in work wit
Page 36 and 37: schools to even greater levels of s
Page 38 and 39: was: “Well, you know, finding tim
Page 40 and 41: called direct teaching), although e
Page 42 and 43: surprised when no one can answer
Page 44 and 45: RecommendationsI. Teaching1. Teache
Page 46 and 47: standards,” a significant opportu
Page 48 and 49: decide on an area or theme they’d
Page 50 and 51: • Reflective journaling - Another
Page 52 and 53: 3. Deep instructional improvement v
Page 54 and 55: Instructional leadership is about e
Page 56 and 57: 76). Teachers who employ instructio
Page 58 and 59: short answers to two questions. The
Page 60 and 61: may become involved in cooperative
Page 62 and 63: utilized within a differentiated le
Page 64 and 65: Research-Based Teaching Practices i
Page 66 and 67: curriculum? Schools, in my view, to
Page 68 and 69: learning objectives have been ident
Page 70 and 71: Developing curriculum at the planni
Page 72 and 73: 4) Emphasize both the academic and
Page 74 and 75: An Overview of Best Practices in Su
Page 76 and 77: with practices best suited to promo
Page 78 and 79: dialogue and meaningful supervision
Page 80 and 81: • Ongoing - Too much of professio
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to do so. In fact, utilizing in-sch
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greatly to meaningful supervision a
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and amplified by James MacGregor Bu
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Leadership is predicated on the fou
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Citing Jim Collins (2002 cited by F
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Notes1. Before continuing, I sugges
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ubric of “professional developmen
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throughs, explains that according t
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members are not fully cognizant or
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AcknowledgementsI thank all the ind
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Bass, B. M. (1985). Leadership and
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Burke, P. J., & Krey, R. D. (2005).
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Downey, C. J., Steffy, B. E., Posto
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Fullan, M. (2005). Leadership and s
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Good, T., & Brophy, J. E. (2007). L
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Johnson, C. C., & Fargo, J. D. (201
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Marzano, R. J., & Brown, J. L. (200
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Popham, W. J. (2008a). Classroom as
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Shapira-Lishchinsky, O. (2009). Isr
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Tschannen-Moran, M., & McMaster, P.
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Annotated Works on Instructional Le
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This volume is an inspiring introdu
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you want to learn how to teach stud
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AppendicesAppendix A: Instructional
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Suggested responses:1. To be effect
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Appendix C: Assessing Your Role as
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SA A D SD 3. My spoken language as
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Domain 2: The Classroom Environment
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SA A D SD 13. I have a well-defined
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SA A D SD 13. I rarely desire to se
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20. This is a well managed school.
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Appendix F: Teacher Attitude Questi
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41. My colleagues and I usually dis
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