Dr. Springer Literacy Community of Practice (CoP)

On January 24, 2017, Dr. Michelle Springer convened a variety of stakeholders, school network, central office, high school, and community partner representatives to participate in a deep conversation around middle school literacy achievement for her network.  The collaborative inquiry process was used to facilitate the conversations.
literacy_cop_1.24.17.pptx
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Begin with What, Why, How

One strategy we learned about leading collaborative teams is to always start with the what, why, and how.  Dr. Springer did just that when she kicked off the meeting with the purpose, using an infographic for the why, and using the collaborative inquiry process for facilitating the conversations for the day.
springer_infographic.pdf
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Community Builder by Norman Merrifield

Norman Merrifield from 808ED (http://www.808ed.com/) facilitated us getting to know one another and starting to discuss why literacy is important.  This part of the session helped to develop psychological safety for the community of practice to then have deeper conversations later in the day.

If you are interested in accessing free lesson plans, check out his website at http://www.808ed.com/blog/.

Inter-VENN-tion

Dr. Margie Johnson facilitated participants identifying and sharing the Hopes, Fears, Successes, and Goals for supporting literacy.   This discussion served as a springboard for the discussion about Shifting the Narrative "from 'fixing the teacher' to collaborative expertise" (Hattie, 2015, p. 5)

Fishbone Analysis

After a short break, the CoP divided into three smaller groups, district, school, and classroom perspectives, to take a deeper dive into identifying barriers to middle school literacy achievement in Dr. Springer's network.  Stephanie Adams, SIP Facilitator, facilitated the Classroom fishbone analysis; Dr. Michelle Springer facilitated the School fishbone analysis; and Dr. Margie Johnson facilitated the District fishbone analysis.

Then, the groups convened to identify the top 3 barriers, which were:
  • Lack of alignment throughout curriculum and with assessments
  • Lack of differentiated, student-focused instructional strategies and resources
  • Lack of differentiated system of support for educators

Lunch Sponsored by Montage Education

Aha Moments

What is an aha point or personal connection you are making from the session?

  • Focus so it’s “not one more thing” but becomes habits of practice
  • need to get it right
  • meet student needs and challenge them
  • systems approach
  • alignment about root causes
  • tiered approach helped with alignment
  • relevant
  • ownership
  • consistent message
  • celebrating successes and leveraging them

Draft Logic Models

draft_curriculum_logic_model_jan_2017.docx
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draft_instruction_logic_model_jan_2017.docx
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draft_pd_logic_model_jan_2017.docx
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A tool used to address barriers is called a logic model.  A logic model first identifies the long term, or ideal, outcome and them backwards map to develop a road map for removing the barriers. 

Again, three smaller teams were formed and facilitated by Stephanie Adams, Dr. Michelle Springer, and Dr. Margie Johnson.

While we ran out of time, the draft logic models can be accessed below.  Volunteers were added to the planning team and evaluation planning team as the work continues.

Next Steps

  • Continue work as a network to address root causes and remove the barriers
    • unpacking standards in a collaborative environment with attention to aligning to assessment
    • collaboration to revise Scope and Sequence & to add resource alignment
    • development of an interactive, user-friendly library of digital resources
  • Collaboration between literacy teachers and content areas
  • Compile logic models and schedule another meeting for feedback and next steps
  • Continue fostering a safe culture to support risk taking and innovation
  • Compile information about CoP work, including a contact list with identified strengths
  • Communicate with principals about work
  • Use PD days to observe other classrooms
  • Identify a communication mechanism for the network
  • “Walk the walk”---exhibit positive energy and synergy

Exit Ticket Reflection

Reviewing your Inter-VENN-tion goal from this morning, what is your goal now for supporting literacy?

  • Create a library of resources—meeting needs of cultural and life relevancy.
  • My goal is to help my students, other teachers, my school, and district to help increase the level of literacy in our students.
  • Become a more effective leader in literacy—recognize ways I can support teachers more effectively
  • Resources for teachers in 1 central location
  • My goal is to inspire teachers in my school to teach students how to read by using strategies that are research-based and meet the needs of each student.
  • To assist teachers to help students to recognize the importance of reading.
  • To help MNPS to improve educational equity among clusters by establishing/maintaining norms that allow students to access/retain information
  • understand the standards enough to create effective assessment
  • My goal is to continue to be a positive resource/advocate for literacy for my school and my district.  I want to continue to learn so that I can support the literacy movement.
  • Identify a few things and plan (deep) to impact change
  • I will continue to research and provide resources for ELA teachers, but more importantly encourage teachers to innovate and collaborate in intentional meaningful ways.
  • Create pushing my teacher to try new things and hold students to high expectations with high models/supports
  • Working to provide the best quality instruction for my students
  • My goal for supporting literacy is to be present in this process
  • Work with the 7th and 8th grade ELA teachers to map out how best to immediately bring change to our students competency in literacy
  • Empower teachers by devoting more time being in classrooms in order to support literacy development
  • Understand needs at all tiers to design programs for parents to support literacy
  • To develop a community of educators that empower students with student-owned strategies
  • Now, my goal is to implement effective practices (common assessments, vertical planning, cross-cluster planning with other teachers) to enhance literacy across the board.
  • My learning goal is to support the work of group with my knowledge of assessments and data.
  • Begin developing alignment at our school related to curriculum, assessment, and instruction that supports ALL culturally and linguistically diverse students.
  • To help create a culture of literacy within my school
  • Be very clear and explicit in PD, connecting strategies to literacy targets from the district.
  • My goal is to give my students a voice in the text subjects we sue to make it relevant to their lives.
jan_24_2017_meeting_minutes.docx
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Meeting Feedback

Plus

Suggestions for Improvement
  • I loved the inspirational, vision-driven, and specific conversation about how to overcome barriers.
  • time to collaborate
  • wonderful PD session….thank you
  • great workshop
  • great structure for getting better results
  • loved the collaborative discussion in a safe community.  I felt we were geared toward positivity and growth.
  • wonderful collaboration
  • amazing ideas shared
  • great, very informative
  • agenda & timing
  • collaboration
  • diversity of group
  • group work/talk time
  • great collaboration (2)
  • great resources shared
  • dialogue and engagement
  • excellent cross-section of teachers, admin in district, and building team of committed people for the literacy of our kids
  • great collaborative discussions
  • thinking time
  • level of collaboration
  • people at meeting focused on literacy
  • good discussions
  • feel the energy
  • helped me to think deeper about MS literacy achievement
  • tackling the big issues
  • inviting diverse stakeholders
  • effective discussions about how to implement literacy
  • more time (8)
  • I wished we had done intros with the group.
  • lack of context—ideas were all over
  • not enough emphasis on network as opposed to “my class”
  • missed opportunity for video of the collaborative work
  • define the ultimate goal for the group
  • “CoP”—“What, what”
  • need to continue
  • more protocols to facilitate discussion
  • I wish more teachers, admin, & community leaders could’ve been here.