Curriculum and Instruction - SAS-WASC

SAS is emerging as a stronger school from an intensive three years of curriculumdocumentation and alignment. The role of professional learning in this progresssince the midterm report is significant and wide-ranging and provides the researchbasedknowledge about teaching and learning that helps to guide the work.In subject areas and grade levels where there are clear teacher leadership structuresin place (elementary grade level teams and the core subjects of mathematicsand language arts are good examples), the professional learning is vibrant andcollaboration on unit plans and common assessments is evident, though not fullyimplemented. In other subject areas, the leadership structures have not kept pace withthe rapid growth of faculty numbers (e.g., visual and performing arts is an example).To address this area of need, teacher leadership structures and teacher leadershipjob descriptions were revised in the spring 2008 to ensure that all subject areas atSAS have teacher leaders to coordinate subject area efforts towards shared goalsand to ensure clear communication between and among grade levels, divisions andcampuses. Moving forward, the school will want to continue to review these roles toensure the structures allow clear lines of communication and effective coordinationof the work of teaching and learning.“There is a great desire amongALL constituents to make this agreat school.” - Kirk Mitchell, highschool counselor and member ofthe Student Programs Committee(SPC).In 2006-2007, the school implemented Curriculum Wednesdays – two after-schoolmeetings each month devoted to professional learning and work on curricular goals,including technology integration, in departments and teams. The main focus of thosedays in 2007-2008 was the self study and recording units on Atlas. In 2008-2009, thefocus of one after-school Wednesday meeting per month will be looking at learning.In these Look @ Learning meetings, as well as in selected team and departmentmeetings, faculty will tune unit plans, moderate assessments, look at student work inlight of our goals to further integrate differentiation, the EAGLES, technology andbest practices in assessment into the daily teaching and learning at SAS.ConsultantsDeveloping deeper relationships with outside consultants and a scholar-in-residenceover a longer term has helped nurture the growth of a positive school culture. SASis gradually emerging as a learning community in the early stages of looking at howstudents and adults learn together. An example of how consultants have contributedto this development includes analyzing how curriculum is delivered in classrooms.Scholar-in-residence Dr. Peter Relic, in his time at SAS during the fall 2005 andspring 2006 and fall 2006, visited every classroom, offering feedback to teachers andadministration on the nature of curriculum delivery he observed. In another example,Dr. Frances Hensley of the National School Reform Faculty, is conducting trainingon an ongoing bases, helping to train SAS staff to continue and expand the work oflooking together at student and adult work. As a result, reflection on practice anddiscussions of student learning are beginning to emerge with the help of Dr. Hensleyand Critical Friends Training (fall 2006, summer 2007, fall/spring 2007-2008 andongoing). A third example, Bambi Betts (who leads the Principal’s Training center)has returned to the school over the past two years to offer teacher leadership trainingas well as specialized work with developing essential teaching agreements based ofbest practices research (fall 2006, fall 2007).At the writing of this report, teachers trained under Hensley, are working incollaboration with administration and using Bambi Betts’ leadership materials as thefoundation, to design teacher leadership training for all team and department leadersin 2007-2008.Specialist TeachersSpecialist teachers in academic support and in ESOL provide an example of thepower of specialist teachers to provide professional learning in their areas ofexpertise. As an example, the ESOL program review resulted in offering ESL inthe Mainstream, recently redesigned and named Teaching English to Students in80Shanghai American School Self Study Report