Five Big Ideas for Leading a High Reliability School by Solution Tree

S c h o ol

I m p rove m e nt

Five Big Ideas Leading Total Instructional Alignment

“ Five Big Ideas will be the catalyst for school transformation. Anyone involved in the education system could use this book. School administrators and teachers will find a systematic approach to ensure that no child is ever left behind. Lisa’s Total Instructional Alignment and Five Big Ideas are must-reads for every educator who wants a practical, systematic, and effective way to change the way we do business in our schools.”

“ Both teachers and administrators will love reading this book. Five Big Ideas paints the bigger picture of what is needed to bring about true and lasting school transformation . . . . Ultimately, students will come out the winners.” — Kathy Kennedy, Executive Director, Cumberland County Schools, Fayetteville, NC

School transformation happens by focusing attention on a few critical ideas. As Ms. Carter notes, this focus generates amazing power; by focusing the rays of the sun, a small magnifying glass can start a fire. The ideas in this book will help teachers and administrators achieve the laser-like concentration they need to transform their schools. Lisa Carter, Ed. S., has served as an elementary school teacher and as an administrator in both urban and rural schools. She helped establish the Mayerson Academy for Human Resource Development in Cincinnati, Ohio, and served as its executive director. The author of Total Instructional Alignment, she is a noted presenter and consultant.

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Lisa Carter

he sequel to Total Instructional Alignment, this book peels back the complex layers of the change process to reveal the five big ideas at the core of successful schools. Five Big Ideas shows how focusing on these foundational ideas can simplify decisionmaking and help eliminate many of the petty day-to-day distractions that do little to promote effective teaching and learning. Teachers and administrators alike will appreciate author Lisa Carter’s straightforward approach to making sense of school improvement. Drawing on her experience as a practitioner and consultant as well as respected educational reseach, Ms. Carter outlines the contextual framework and process that will transform any school into a powerful teaching and learning organization: • Institutionalize the Total Instructional Alignment process. • Create a totally effective learning environment. • Focus on the quality of the teacher. • Redesign and align time for learning. • Learn and adjust based on data. Ms. Carter also describes the critical role of leadership, including the five big leadership characteristics that are essential to building deep and lasting commitment to school transformation.

Five Big Ideas

Leading Total Instructional Alignment

— Cheryl Pickering, Career & Technical Education Coordinator, Northwest Arkansas Education Service Cooperative

Five Big Ideas

E d u c at i o n

Leading Total Instructional Alignment

Lisa Carter

Materials appearing here are copyrighted. With one exception, all rights are reserved. Readers may reproduce only those pages marked “Reproducible.” Otherwise, no part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without prior written permission of the publisher and the author.

Printed in the United States of America

ISBN 978-1-934009-23-9

Table of Contents About the Author . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vii Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ix Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 School Improvement vs. School Transformation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Developing a Shared Vision . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Developing a Shared Sense of Organizational Purpose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Organizing for Transformation and Change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 About This Book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Big Idea One: Institutionalize the Total Instructional Alignment Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Alignment of the System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Alignment of Standards, Curriculum, and Assessment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Alignment of Instructional Practices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 A Conceptual Model for Understanding Total Instructional Alignment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 From a Good Idea to Institutionalization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Total Instructional Alignment Creates Equal Opportunity to Learn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Big Idea Two: Create a Totally Effective Learning Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 People and Processes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 What Is a Totally Effective Learning Environment? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Big Idea Three: Focus on the Quality of the Teacher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Quality Teachers Make Complex Jobs Look Easy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Quality Teachers Make Quality Decisions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Solution Tree

Five Big Ideas Quality Teachers Deliver Quality Instruction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Quality Teachers Actively Engage Learners in Learning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Quality Teachers Inspire Students and Learning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 For Quality Teachers, Success Means Student Success . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Quality Teachers Show Genuine Care and Concern . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Attract, Recruit, Hire, and Retain Quality Teachers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Provide Opportunities for Quality Teachers to Grow and Develop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Develop Quality Teacher Leaders at All Levels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 Big Idea Four: Redesign and Align Time for Learning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 Creating a New System of Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 The Research on Aptitude . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 Opportunity to Learn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 Ways to Increase Time on Learning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78 Big Idea Five: Learn and Adjust Based on Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81 Why Is Data Important? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82 Using Assessment Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84 Data and Classroom Instruction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85 Data and the Work of the Professional Learning Community . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 Disaggregation of Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92 Managing the Data Mountain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94 Flexibility and Change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95 Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96 Conclusion: Leadership and the Five Big Ideas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99 The Top of the Puzzle Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100 Five Big Leadership Ideas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101 Five Big Leadership Characteristics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105 Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109 References and Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113

About the Author Lisa Carter, Ed.S., is a nationally recognized presenter, author, and educational consultant. She helped establish and served as executive director of the Mayerson Academy for Human Resource Development in Cincinnati, Ohio, recognized for its professional development work with teachers and administrators. Lisa has been an elementary school teacher and administrator at elementary and secondary levels. She received her baccalaureate in early childhood education, masters degrees in early childhood education and school administration, and an educational specialist degree from East Carolina University. She is also the author of Total Instructional Alignment: From Standards to Student Success (Solution Tree, 2007), a practical guide for aligning standards, curriculum, instruction, and assessment. Practitioners nationwide have benefited from Lisa’s straightforward approach to this daunting task.

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Preface Someone once asked me to describe those things that I believed are most important when it comes to the success of Total Instructional Alignment and ensuring quality learning for all students. That one simple yet complex question caused me to pause and to reflect on my life over the 2 decades I’ve devoted to the field of education. I thought about my own experiences as a student, a teacher, and a principal. I thought about the things I have learned from some of the most respected researchers and educators in the country, and the many interesting and innovative educational programs I have seen during my travels. Of course, I also thought about all the dedicated teachers and administrators I have encountered along the way. In the end, I came to focus on five ideas—five really big ideas—that when implemented, create the conditions for the success of Total Instructional Alignment. The five big ideas presented in this book embody those things that I have learned that truly make a difference when it comes to the successful implementation of Total Instructional Alignment and successful teaching and learning. When properly implemented, these ideas can transform any school into a powerful teaching and learning organization. These five big ideas would indeed become the focus of any school I was charged with leading to excellence. Please keep in mind that the five big ideas are not necessarily five new ideas. Most of us have been in education long enough know that so-called new ideas are seldom actually new. Often as not, they tend to be ideas that are rooted in respected educational research. Many of the principles and practices outlined in this book are grounded in Solution Tree

Five Big Ideas

the well-known research of effective schools and of Madeline Hunter, Benjamin Bloom, and others. The five big ideas are the important ideas that lay a solid foundation for an excellent school. They are the ideas that, when embraced and acted upon, bring about meaningful and lasting educational change. My philosophy is, keep it simple—focus on doing the right things in the right way. When it comes to teaching and learning, I believe we must focus our energy, attention, and passion on those ideas that will yield quality educational experiences. My first book, Total Instructional Alignment: From Standards to Student Success, outlines the tools and processes necessary to achieve complete and total alignment, the necessary prerequisite for successful learning for all students. However, the TIA process must be embedded within the right conditions if it is to be totally effective. Like any other process, it must be understood in light of the context in which it is implemented. The five big ideas in this book create the context that will allow the Total Instructional Alignment process to flourish. My personal work has allowed me to meet a great many exceptional educators and to establish many long and lasting personal and professional friendships. Working with those exemplary educators, I have learned as well. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those people that have helped me to grow and who believe in my work. I would also like to give a special thanks to my family and friends for their unconditional love and support. I have also been blessed throughout my life with excellent educational opportunities. I believe every child deserves those opportunities, regardless of who they are and from where they come. They deserve not just to be educated, but to experience success through a total quality education. It is my greatest hope that the information presented in Five Big Ideas will continue to support and help teachers and administrators in their important work. As educators, you not only touch the future, you indeed help to shape it. x

Introduction The idea of ensuring that all students meet and exceed rigorous learning standards as determined by mandated assessments is daunting for many educators. In fact, our most enduring educational challenge has now been made into a law: The No Child Left Behind Act has brought national attention to the need for change and accountability. We are now being asked to deliver on the very premise on which our educational system was founded, “education for all.” With strong, legislated accountability measures now in place, ensuring learning for all is no longer an option. It is now a mandate. Educators are searching frantically for ways to meet this educational challenge. Even traditionally high-performing schools recognize the need to improve to ensure that all students demonstrate mastery of the intended curriculum. Obviously, most educators have always been concerned about those students who struggled to learn and did not succeed in school. Caring teachers and administrators have continually sought ways to reach and teach all children. This concern has translated into countless educational reform efforts in our schools. Yet there always seem to be those students who just don’t make it, who fall between the cracks. Although we regretted their lack of success, up until about the late 1980s, students who were unsuccessful in school could usually still find gainful employment somewhere in the workforce. There were still plenty of manual labor jobs available. They could help out on the family farm or perhaps work in a factory doing manual labor that required little more than a strong back and the ability to perseSolution Tree

Five Big Ideas

vere in repetitive tasks. Now, with growing advancements in technology and changes in the world economy, unskilled jobs that pay well enough to keep an individual out of poverty have largely disappeared. Those unskilled jobs that have not been entirely replaced by machines have been squeezed by the competition of a global labor market until they no longer pay enough to provide even the most meager living. Indeed, most basic technology jobs once considered the “jobs of the future” are being shipped overseas. If students are to be successful in the workforce of tomorrow, they will require solid education credentials and the ability to think and process information at an increasingly demanding level. Today, we simply cannot afford for one student to fall between the cracks of our system. Although NCLB has been around since 2001, no clear direction for education reform has emerged. “Educational reform” seems to imply that you can simply take the educational system currently in place, make some technical tweaks and adjustments, and fix it until it results in learning for all. However, the traditional educational system was never designed to deliver those results. For example, consider the inflexibility of the traditional school schedule: a fixed school calendar of about 180 days, school day of about 6½ hours, and class periods of about 50 minutes for everyone. How can a system designed around the inflexible use of time meet the learning needs of students who learn at different rates and enter school with such a variance of knowledge and ability? School Improvement vs. School Transformation Educators who have been around awhile are extremely familiar with the term “school improvement.” However, there seem to be many different viewpoints when it comes to its meaning. For some educators, those words may conjure up painful images of more work, more time, and more meetings! For others, the idea is simply dismissed because the constant profusion of new and often conflicting school improvement strategies has led to an attitude that “this 2

Introduction

too shall pass.” In fact, one often hears educators describe mandated school reform initiatives as “this year’s new thing,” as temporary and ephemeral as last year’s new thing and next year’s new thing. Then, of course, there are those who seem to view school improvement as something that is packaged neatly in the form of an elaborate program or kit, an add-on to the current system. Others view school improvement as a plan written by a special committee, presented and discussed with much fanfare, and then invariably laid to rest somewhere on a shelf. Perhaps worst of all, some educators view school improvement as simply working harder at what they are currently doing, even though what they are doing is not producing the results they are after. It is no wonder that teachers and administrators often become skeptical when a new educational initiative begins. Noisy educational bandwagons have rolled past our schools decade after decade, many claiming to have the cure for all our woes. We have jumped on, and we have jumped off! In reality, we know that true school improvement does not come in a program or kit. It does not show up in the form of a product, and it certainly does not roll in on a bandwagon. Meeting the mandates of No Child Left Behind will actually require much more than reforming schools. It will actually require transforming schools to meet the learning needs of all students. School transformation is not a technical tweak or adjustment to the current system. Real transformation ultimately will change the way our schools look, function, and operate. Instead of an add-on or an attempt to fix the current system, school transformation will require redefining, redesigning, and aligning a system of education that will meet the learning needs of all students. School transformation is an ongoing process that takes educators on an incredible journey. The transformation process is not about programs and innovations. It is about people and ideas!

Solution Tree

Five Big Ideas School Transformation Is Inclusive

The school transformation process requires that we recognize the fact that it takes all stakeholders to transform a school. Past thinking seemed to be that if we improve instruction, we improve the school. Therefore, most school improvement efforts were directed toward the classroom teacher. Other adults in the building who did not have direct responsibility for the instruction of students were often left out of the improvement process. School transformation requires a collaborative effort on behalf of all stakeholders in the school: staff, students, parents, and community. Everyone has to be involved in the process at some level because everyone to some extent contributes to the overall effectiveness of the school and its learning environment. In the school transformation process, all stakeholders must have a clear picture of an effective school in which all students meet or exceed learning expectations. Allowing people opportunities to meet together, to dream, and to share their greatest hopes and aspirations for the school is one way to make this happen. Developing a Shared Vision Vision is more than just our ability to imagine a brighter future. The school transformation process begins with our ability to clearly articulate three important perspectives in time: knowing where we want to be, recognizing where we currently are, and valuing where we have been. The transformation journey takes us along a charted course that leads from the current reality toward a shared vision of what could be while honoring the work and accomplishments of the past. The first step in the school transformation process is creating a shared vision throughout the organization of what a school looks like when no child is left behind. This is important because, as with any journey, you must begin with the final destination in mind. Teachers and administrators are so caught up in the current reality 4

Introduction

of their day-to-day work that they seldom take the time to step back and ask, “Where do we eventually want to be?” I learned a lesson about the importance of shared vision many years ago when I became principal of an inner-city school in Fayetteville, North Carolina. The school served students from four housing projects, and nearly all the students lived in poverty. This school had a long history of low academic performance. Each year, the average score on the California Achievement Test, the assessment used by the district to determine academic achievement, was usually around the 24th percentile—the kind of score you would expect when students are merely guessing at answers. Most of the teachers had been at this school for many years. Parent involvement was almost nonexistent. Nearly everyone in the school and in the greater community had come to accept low performance as par for the course. After all, we had every good excuse to fail. The teachers and I heard about another school, with a student population very similar to ours, where students were not only doing well but were excelling. The reaction of my staff was, “We’ll believe that when we see it!” So, along with six staff members, I went to visit this school in Landover, Maryland. We spent the day visiting classrooms and talking with teachers, administrators, students, and parents. On the return trip home, we were excited and filled with anticipation because we had seen a picture, a vision of what could be at our school. As we symbolically threw our excuses out the van window that afternoon, we made a commitment to learning for all, whatever it might take. Recognizing the Current Reality

A picture of a bright future alone is not enough. It’s also important to take a clear-eyed look at your current reality. This second picture is also an important and necessary part of the school transformation process because it defines our starting point. Having a Solution Tree

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clear idea of what actually is helps us to see where we are in relationship to what could be. The journey to school transformation is the course we chart between these two distinct places. In order to do this, we must develop an accurate way to assess where we are in relationship to where we want to be. Therefore, we must have a way to accurately measure our current place if we want to transform our school into a powerful teaching and learning organization. For example, if our shared vision is that all third-grade students should read at or above grade level by the end of the school year, we have to begin by knowing how many of our third-grade students are actually reading at or above grade level now. The greater the distance between these two points, the more road we have to travel in the school transformation process. Valuing the Past

All too often, when an educational change occurs, the focus seems to be on those things that are not working and need to be changed instead of those things that are working or have worked in the past. With so much attention on what needs to be changed and the need to look forward, it is natural that educators sometimes forget to reflect on and honor past accomplishments that have helped improve the school. However, this is a very important part of the school transformation process. Many of the current staff members may have been a part of the school for several years. There is a rich history of relationships, hard work, and effort on behalf of the people who have been a part of the school family in the past. It is critical that everyone understands that this past work has been significant and is valued; otherwise, people may feel as if their work was not seen as worthwhile. If we want to have everyone on board in the process, school transformation must not be viewed as an indictment of past practice. School transformation is an ongoing process that builds on past successes. Teachers 6

Introduction

and administrators must be given the opportunity to discuss and share what they have done in the past and examine what seemed to work well. Honoring past effort on behalf of the existing school community gives those educators that have been a part of the organization permission to come aboard the school transformation process. Their knowledge, expertise, and experience are invaluable. Developing a Shared Sense of Organizational Purpose Once we have developed a shared vision of what could be, coupled with a clear picture of our current reality, it is important for stakeholders to develop a shared sense of organizational purpose. Organizational purpose is the vehicle that drives the school transformation process, the shared purpose of learning for all. In order to establish purpose, many schools write a mission statement. However, simply writing a mission statement is not adequate to ensure a deep sense of purpose. Almost every organization, including the local Jiffy Lube, has a mission statement. The real question is whether or not the people in the organization possess a strong objective that truly directs their behavior. For example, Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) is a powerful organization with a strong sense of organizational purpose. You don’t have to read their mission statement to know what their purpose is; you simply watch the behavior of the members of the organization. Their behavior clearly communicates their purpose: to remove every drunk driver from the road. It also communicates the fact that they won’t consider their work to be complete until they have accomplished the mission. I often ask educators, what if every adult in this school had that same drive and determination to make sure each and every student is learning? All students would indeed learn, because no one would stop striving until it was accomplished! That is what is meant by organizational purpose. It is the intense passion and desire that drive our behavior and affect our day-to-day decisions. Solution Tree

Five Big Ideas Creating a Common Language for School Transformation

In order to understand our purpose, we must have a shared language. I once had surgery for a broken ankle. This was my first hospital experience, other than having been born in one, and I was anxious and quite nervous. Just before surgery, I remember the orthopedic surgeon and the anesthesiologist talking about my pending operation. I had no earthly idea what they were saying, but they seemed to understand one another quite well. Because they both had a common understanding of medical terminology, they were able to act quickly, precisely, and as a team. Most professionals have a common language specific to their work. Those of us who are not part of the profession may have trouble following their conversation, but their common language allows them to communicate effectively about important issues. An important part of the school transformation process is the development of a common language through which educators can communicate, share, and discuss important educational issues and ideas. As educators begin to work collaboratively and discuss the Five Big Ideas identified in this book, a common language will emerge, and along with it will come a powerful understanding of how to create a true teaching and learning organization. Having the Courage to Commit

Understanding our shared organizational purpose is only effective when we commit to that purpose. Have you heard the old joke about the difference between being involved and being committed? They say it can be compared to a plate of ham and eggs. The chicken was involved in the process, but the pig was committed! The school transformation process does not call merely for the involvement of stakeholders. It requires their commitment to the process, their willingness to do whatever is necessary to achieve the vision. Since by definition school transformation is not business as usual, there certainly will be turbulent times along the way. Those who have the courage to commit to the process realize that you do not jump ship 8

Introduction

whenever the going gets tough. You simply adjust the rudder and paddle harder! This kind of commitment is often generated through the development of a shared sense of purpose. Each year, it is important to review and renew the commitment of stakeholders as new individuals come aboard the transformation process. Organizing for Transformation and Change Once, a father and son were taking a leisurely walk in the woods. They came across a snake sunning on a rock. The father took a slingshot and a small pea out of his back pocket and asked his son to watch as he slung the small pea from the rubber band and hit the snake on the tip of the tail. The startled creature awoke and slithered off into the woods. They walked a little down the path and came across a rabbit nibbling on some blades of grass. Again the father, trying to impress his son, shot a pea and hit the rabbit on the tip of its tiny foot. The rabbit quickly scampered away into a clump of nearby bushes. A little more down the path, the father and his son came upon a hornets’ nest hanging on a branch in an oak tree. The son watched as his father continued walking down the path past the tree. Puzzled, he stopped his father and asked, “Dad, why don’t you shoot a pea at that hornets’ nest?” The father replied, “Son, you don’t mess with them. They are organized!” There is a lot of power in organization. The school transformation process cannot be approached in a disorganized or haphazard fashion. It requires intentional design, organization, and leadership. School transformation requires strategic planning. These plans should be the basis of staff meetings, grade level and departmental team meetings, and professional development opportunities. And, as with any other educational initiative, leadership is the key to ultimate success. About This Book This book is designed to present Five Big Ideas, beginning with the principles and practices of Total Instructional Alignment, that Solution Tree

Five Big Ideas

will help you transform your school into a powerful teaching and learning organization. Focusing on Big Ideas can help eliminate many of the petty day-to-day distractions that do little to promote effective teaching and learning. However, just knowing these ideas is not enough. Educators must work hard to create conditions to support these Big Ideas and implement them effectively if they are to bring about meaningful change in their schools and school systems. Chapter 1 will focus on Big Idea One: Institutionalize the Total Instructional Alignment Process. Total Instructional Alignment (TIA) is the central core of the teaching and learning process. It only stands to reason that students tend to learn those things they are taught; only by making sure that our expectations for student learning are clearly expressed throughout our educational system, from curriculum development to instruction to assessment, can we ensure that students meet those expectations. This chapter will present a concise overview of the three interconnected steps of the Total Instructional Alignment process and how they impact student learning: 1) alignment of the system; 2) alignment of standards, curriculum, and assessment; and 3) alignment of instructional practices in the classroom. It will also present ways to take the TIA process from being a “good idea” to becoming established practice within the school and within every classroom. Chapter 2 will focus on Big Idea Two: Create a Totally Effective Learning Environment. The Effective Schools research, coupled with the Total Instructional Alignment process, presents an excellent contextual framework and foundation for the school transformation process. This chapter will discuss how to create an effective learning environment based on five identified characteristics, each firmly grounded in the research of Effective Schools: 1) total commitment to the mission; 2) a safe, organized, and caring atmosphere for learning; 3) great expectations for success; 4) positive relationships and organizational trust; and 5) strong support systems for 10

Introduction

students and staff. These five characteristics provide the context for the principles and practices of the TIA process. Together, they weave the intricate fabric of a Totally Effective Learning Environment. Big Idea Three is Focus on the Quality of the Teacher. While Total Instructional Alignment is a definite prerequisite, ultimately, the quality of instruction in the classroom will be what matters most when it comes to student learning. Teachers are decision-makers; the choices they make each day have a tremendous impact on student learning. Teachers must understand and apply effective instructional strategies that promote student learning. They must also be able to create exciting learning environments that motivate students to learn what they are teaching. Chapter 3 will discuss the teacher as instructional decision-maker in the classroom. Crucial characteristics of excellent instructional strategies will be addressed in this chapter, including standards/objectives-based and diagnostic/prescriptive instruction, and the monitoring and adjusting of instruction based on learning data. It will also address two critical factors in student learning, active student learning and motivation to learn. Chapter 4 presents Big Idea Four: Redesign and Align Time for Learning. Redesigning and aligning an effective school program that meets the learning needs of all students will ultimately require educators to use time in a very flexible way. Total Instructional Alignment involves aligning time to fit the learning needs of all students; an identified characteristic of Effective Schools is providing all students with the opportunity to learn. This concept breaks dramatically with traditional school programs and will ultimately be one of the most challenging ideas educators have to face in transforming their schools. How do you redesign and align a program to allow each child the time he or she needs to learn, whether that means more time or less? This chapter will address the four circles of time in our schools—actual school time, core academic time, active learning time, and extended learning time. Solution Tree

Five Big Ideas

Last but not least is Big Idea Five: Learn and Adjust Based on Data. How do we know that all of our students are learning the things they need to know and be able to do? How do we make adjustments when students are not meeting or exceeding learning standards? How do we make excellent decisions about the instructional program? Frequent monitoring of student progress is not only a characteristic of Effective Schools, it is at the very core of the Total Instructional Alignment process. Data-wise decision-making requires that teachers become active researchers in their classrooms and that the school organization learns and adjusts based on data. Monitoring student learning enables the teacher to make appropriate instructional adjustments for every student. As with any change, effective leadership is key. Without strong leadership, it is practically impossible to bring about major educational change. Chapter 6 will focus on Leadership and the Five Big Ideas. Strong instructional leadership, another characteristic of Effective Schools, is also central to success of the TIA process. This chapter will address common issues and hurdles, from bureaucratic obstacles to resistance to change. Creating the conditions for the success of all learners is more than a good career move; it is a moral and ethical obligation for all educators as well as the key to the survival of our democracy. School transformation will require courageous principals working with courageous teachers to implement the changes necessary to ensure that all students learn. School transformation does not occur through the implementation of programs, nor does it come packaged in a fancy, flashy kit. Rather, it happens by turning total attention on critical big ideas that will bring about meaningful change. It is simply amazing how much power is generated by focus. By focusing the rays of the sun, a small magnifying glass can start a fire. I hope the ideas in this book will help teachers and administrators achieve the laser-like concentration they need to transform their schools. 12

Institutionalize the Total Instructional Alignment Process It’s no surprise: Students learn those things they are taught. This sounds simple enough, but despite all the efforts to improve schools, this important idea is too often overlooked. This brings us to the first Big Idea for school transformation: Institutionalize the Total Instructional Alignment process in your school. The TIA process must become the way business is conducted in every school, every day. This chapter will present an in-depth overview of the TIA process detailed in Total Instructional Alignment: From Standards to Student Success (Carter, 2007). Not only is TIA a necessary prerequisite for student academic achievement, it forms the central core of the teaching and learning process and is the essential foundation for school transformation. Therefore, the TIA process must become established practice in the school and be woven securely into its culture. It is crucial that teachers and administrators not only understand the direct impact the process has on student achievement, but also effectively and consistently apply the principles and practices of TIA in their classrooms and throughout the school. Too often, teachers are asked to align instruction in their classrooms without a clear understanding of what they are expected to Solution Tree

Big Idea One

Five Big Ideas

The Total Instructional Alignment process can be defined as ensuring that what we teach, what we assess, and how we teach are congruent (Carter, 2007). This is very different from the idea that alignment means simply “teaching to the test,” although the confusion between the two probably is the greatest misconception of all about the process. Teaching to the test implies that teachers know which questions will appear on the test and teach the answers to their students. Not only is this dishonest and counterproductive, it is punishable by suspension and loss of license in most states. TIA, however, involves not teaching to the test, but teaching to the tested concept. If teaching to the test is illegal, I believe that not teaching to the tested concept is immoral. It is simply unfair to assess students on concepts they have not been taught. Standards documents list the concepts on which students will be assessed. They do not state the actual questions that will be on the test. Test questions about concepts can and do change from year to year; however, the assessed concepts usually remain the same. If teachers teach the concepts well, students should be able to answer any question they may be asked about the concepts. 14

do. Most professions have commonly accepted terminology that enables them to communicate. Having a common language helps professionals share important ideas and expectations effectively and to develop common understanding. Unfortunately, educators have developed a very limited common vocabulary when it comes to teaching and learning. This can result in misunderstandings about expectations and may ultimately result in chaos and confusion. Alignment is an example of an educational term that has entered the profession with which most educators are very familiar. However, there seems to be no universal agreement on what alignment actually means. Therefore, the first step in institutionalizing the TIA process is the development of a deep, pervasive understanding throughout the organization about the term, exactly what it means, and what it looks like in schools and classrooms.

Institutionalize the Total Instructional Alignment Process

Alignment of Instructional Practice Alignment of Standards, Curriculum, and Assessment Alignment of the System

Figure 1-1: Three Steps of Total Instructional Alignment

Alignment of the System The first step of the Total Instructional Alignment process is alignment of the system. Frequently, the problems we encounter in our work do not stem from a lack of hard work and good intentions on behalf of teachers and administrators. Rather, those problems can be tied directly back to entrenched systemic issues that create barriers to our success. This is why I usually introduce alignment of the system first. Educators can make very little progress without first addressing a system that is sometimes at the very root of the problem. The first dimension of alignment of the system has to do with what teachers are teaching and what students are learning as they Solution Tree

It is useful to think of the TIA process in the context of three interconnected steps: 1) alignment of the system; 2) alignment of standards, curriculum, and assessment; and 3) alignment of instructional practices (Carter, 2007). Although they are all intricately connected in various ways, examining each of these three broad aspects helps us develop a conceptual framework for a deeper understanding of TIA. Figure 1-1 represents a conceptual model for the three broad steps of Total Instructional Alignment.

Five Big Ideas

Teachers must understand how what they do connects with the work of others to create a strong system for student learning. Indeed, the action or inaction of one single teacher may have a domino effect later down the road for many other teachers. In order to illustrate this, visualize a ladder. The top rung represents what we ultimately want students to know and be able to do upon completion of their schooling. Each teacher has the responsibility to place a “rung” representing the essential skills students are to learn at any particular level. As students move up the system, these rungs grow in complexity. One learning builds on another learning. For the student, one success builds on another success. If any teacher, for any reason, does not secure a rung in place, students have difficulty moving successfully up the ladder. The resulting holes and gaps in the ladder caused by missing rungs can cause a student to slow down, or may even stop the process of learning. Each rung represents the prerequisite skill for the next level of learning. Obviously, if a student cannot multiply, it would be difficult, if not impossible, for her to move on to learn long division. Multiplication is a rung that represents a prerequisite skill for long division. The construction of this learning ladder, then, requires vertical articulation and the coordination of efforts within the school. In the past, schools have given much time and attention to horizontal alignment issues at a given grade level or in a given subject area. It is just as important that the same amount of time and attention be paid to vertical alignment issues concerning what students are learning as they move from grade to grade or course to course. Alignment of the 16

move through the educational system. There must be a strong, connected curriculum presented in a logical and sequential order for students to learn. Too often, schools have operated as if they are comprised of independent contractors; teachers work in isolation with little regard to how their work fits with the work of others within the system.

Institutionalize the Total Instructional Alignment Process

The second dimension of alignment of the system is the challenge of redesigning the current educational system in a way that is flexible enough to meet the unique learning needs of all students. Educators are working hard in the current system to leave no child behind. However, the traditional system of education was never designed for that purpose. Our current educational system was created in the 19th century, when most of the population made their living through agriculture. As a result, the school year was designed around the farming schedule. Students reported to school in the fall of the year after the harvest and attended throughout the winter months until they were needed back on the farm to help with spring planting. This resulted in a 9-month school year—a calendar that has outlasted our agrarian economy. While the annual cycles of farming may have determined the school year, the school day owes its design to the concept of industrial efficiency. Factories seemed to be an efficient way to accomplish mass production, so the system of educating the masses was based on the model of factory design. A ringing bell signaled the start of the school day, and students were moved through a series of subject areas, with a fixed amount of time devoted to each subject. This resulted in an educational system that gave all students essentially the same amount of time to learn the established curriculum. However, logic and common sense both tell us that students do not learn that way. Obviously, students enter school with a variance of knowledge and skill levels, and they learn at different rates. Yet despite the universal cry for differentiated instruction, students are still required to fit Solution Tree

system requires that teachers ask the essential question: Do the teachers in the grade levels above and below me understand what I am teaching and what my students are learning? Teachers must not only be aware of what students are expected to learn at their grade level, but also make sure that what students are learning connects securely with what they study in the grade levels below and above them.

Five Big Ideas

Alignment of Standards, Curriculum, and Assessment The second interconnected step of Total Instructional Alignment is alignment of standards, curriculum, and assessment. This area addresses the content that teachers teach and assess. In this step, two important ideas must be addressed: The curriculum must be aligned to existing state standards, and teachers must have a very deep understanding about what students are expected to learn and how their mastery of that content will be assessed. There was a time when teachers had the discretion to teach whatever they wanted to teach. Each teacher’s curriculum might consist of whatever they thought was important for their students to learn or simply subject matter they personally enjoyed teaching. Curriculum guides were viewed merely as suggestions the teacher might use to guide instructional decisions. However, with the onset of state standards and accountability for learning through mandated assessment measures, the choice is no longer up to individual teachers. Although they may still choose to teach other things, required basic content is now defined through state standards. This required content must be integrated into the curriculum as the essential core of what teachers are expected to teach, and, more importantly, what students are expected to learn. Once the curriculum is aligned to state standards, it becomes necessary to determine that assessments are properly aligned to the 18

themselves into this antiquated system of education. Placement for instruction is based first on age and only secondarily on achievement. All students receive the same amount of time to learn the same amount of content. No wonder some children have been left behind! The philosophy of Total Instructional Alignment is that a school must align itself to student learning needs, rather than requiring students to align themselves to the arbitrary and antiquated ways in which most schools operate. This idea will require that we redefine and align instructional time in very new and different ways.

Institutionalize the Total Instructional Alignment Process

Alignment of Instructional Practices The third and possibly most important step of the Total Instructional Alignment process is alignment of instructional practices. This aspect of alignment focuses on what actually happens in the classroom once the door is closed and the teacher begins instruction. Ultimately, the quality of instruction in the classroom has the Solution Tree

curriculum. Considering the tremendous consequences of high-stakes test scores, neither students nor educators can afford to wait until the end of the school year to determine if they will hit the target. As a result, many schools are instituting a regimen of interim assessments in key skill areas to measure progress throughout the year. These assessments are intended to provide data that will help teachers address problem areas before they result in poor student performance. This is a crucial new practice; it is important that these assessments are also integrated into the TIA initiative. Interim assessments must be vertically aligned so that data can be compared from class to class at a given subject and grade level in a statistically valid way. They should also be aligned horizontally, so that the faculty can determine that each rung of the learning ladder is being properly placed. Finally, and perhaps most critically, interim assessments must be aligned to highstakes assessments, both in terms of content standards as well as the format of assessment items. Content alignment may be the most evident need; an interim assessment will be effective for making instructional adjustments only if it measures the same concepts that will appear on the year-end test. However, sometimes it is just as important that the format of assessment items also be aligned to the highstakes assessment. For example, your students’ strong ability to spell core vocabulary words when you recite them may do students little good if the year-end test requires them to identify misspelled words in a text passage. If interim assessments are to provide valid data for teachers and prepare students for high-stakes testing, they must be carefully aligned to the high-stakes test.

Five Big Ideas

The responsibility for alignment of instructional practices in the classroom, then, rests with the teacher. When teachers understand the detrimental effect that a misaligned instructional program has on student learning and are equipped with the necessary tools and processes, they will align their instructional programs eagerly. This will not be because they are required to do so through administrative mandates, but because they want to help their students be successful. Total Instructional Alignment is a prerequisite to student success, but it cannot be viewed as a panacea in and of itself. For example, in order for the TIA process to work, its principles and practices must be firmly embedded in a Totally Effective Learning Environment created to promote and maximize the teaching and learning process. Learning for all will not occur, even if the teacher is instructionally aligned, if there is chaos in the classroom. A Conceptual Model for Understanding Total Instructional Alignment Figure 1-2 (page 21) can help you better understand the concept of Total Instructional Alignment.

greatest impact on student learning (Darling-Hammond, 1997). Teaching is a very secluded act, and many teachers can still teach students anything they want to teach. Students, for the most part, have no control over the content they are taught; they trust their teachers and do not question the content presented during instruction. Even requiring teachers to reference standards in written lesson plans does not always ensure that students are being taught those things that are essential for them to learn or for which they ultimately will be held accountable.

Institutionalize the Total Instructional Alignment Process

Instruction

Curriculum

Figure 1-2: A Misaligned Instructional Program

These overlapping circles in Figure 1-2 represent what typically happens when schools or districts have not made a concerted effort to align their instructional program. The circle labeled “instruction” represents the taught curriculum—the information, concepts, and skills that the teacher is actually teaching in his or her classroom. The circle labeled “curriculum” represents the intended curriculum (in other words, the state or district curriculum), and the circle labeled “evaluation” represents the assessed curriculum. In the model, there is an incomplete overlap between instruction and curriculum. This indicates that there are some things in the intended curriculum that are not actually being taught, and that some material is taught that is not in the intended curriculum. This is certainly a reality in the classroom! Teachers need to be given this flexibility, to extend what students are learning above and beyond defined standards and benchmarks and to teach more than the content in the existing curriculum guide. Teachers should be allowed to present Solution Tree

Evaluation

Five Big Ideas

The circle representing evaluation partially overlaps both circles representing instruction and curriculum. This indicates that some things that are assessed are not in the intended curriculum; others did not make their way into instruction. If the curriculum and the assessment have been designed to reflect the same set of content standards, well-constructed test questions will measure student mastery of the curriculum. In many instances, however, the highstakes assessments students are required to take may not be aligned to the standards that direct what teachers are teaching. The California Achievement Tests or the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills are common examples of high-stakes norm-referenced tests that are not aligned to any specific curriculum. Our conceptual model suggests that students will be more likely to test well on material where instruction and evaluation intersect. If an objective does not make its way into the instructional circle, it is still possible for students to answer these questions correctly. However, there are only two reasons why this could happen: prior knowledge or a lucky guess! The student may have brought the knowledge into the testing situation from another source, such as a discussion at home, a show on television, exploring the Internet, or recreational reading. If prior knowledge is not the reason that the student was able to answer the question correctly, then the only other reason would be pure luck. In sum, our diagram illustrates a situation in which, because of the misalignment of curriculum, instruction, and assessment, students are not being taught all the material upon which they will be 22

those things that they believe students should know and that motivate and interest the learners. This kind of educational experience, perhaps based on content not found in the curriculum guide, may be the very thing that ignites students’ motivation to learn and stimulates interests that last for a lifetime. Teachers can organize their annual curriculum maps in a way that permits this, keeping in mind that mastery of the essential curriculum still must be priority one.

Institutionalize the Total Instructional Alignment Process

assessed. When this happens, it usually means that there are dedicated teachers working hard at delivering an instructional program that is producing only a marginal impact on student performance. The intentions are honorable, but the results can often be minimal.

Instruction Curriculum

Evaluation

Figure 1-3: A Conceptual Model of an Aligned Instructional Program

The size of the circles represents the amount of content presented, and the circles are nested in a distinct order. The instructional circle, the largest circle, encompasses both curriculum and evaluation. This represents teachers teaching more than is required by the curriculum—going above and beyond essential learning. The circle that represents curriculum is nested completely inside the instructional circle, indicating that while instruction may go above and beyond what is required, teachers must not exclude any portion of the required curriculum from their actual instruction. Similarly, the evaluation circle is nested inside the curriculum circle. The evaluation circle is the smallest of all because assessments typically do not assess everything in the curriculum. Instead, most assessments are designed to do a random check to determine whether students have Solution Tree

Compare Figure 1-2 with Figure 1-3, which represents a totally aligned instructional program.

Five Big Ideas

learned what is in the curriculum. In a totally aligned instructional system, an assessment or evaluation objective that measures what is in the curriculum must be encompassed within the circle of instruction. This is critical if we want all students to be given the opportunity to learn the information on which they are being assessed.

From a Good Idea to Institutionalization School transformation requires that the Total Instructional Alignment process become an institutionalized practice for teachers and administrators. Too often in education, good ideas are never given the time, energy, and thoughtful focus they require to become institutionalized; as a result, they never become anything more than good ideas. The TIA process cannot be viewed as just another good idea. It is a genuine prerequisite to student success, and therefore must become the way business is conducted in every school and in every classroom, every day. So how does a process move from being just another good idea to becoming institutionalized into the very culture of an organization? Develop Pervasive Understanding

Foremost, it is critical that everyone in the organization has a clear understanding of the TIA process, its importance, and its impact on student learning. Once teachers and administrators perceive this process as the key to student success, it will become the central focus of the school and will serve as an excellent filter for 24

Notice that in this aligned system, teachers are not restricted by the demands of a high-stakes test. They are not even constrained from teaching outside the mandated curriculum. Nothing in the TIA model impinges on a teacher’s creativity and professionalism in addressing the many learning needs and styles represented in a typical classroom. The essential requirement of TIA is that what is assessed is in the curriculum, and that what is in the curriculum is actually taught. It is a requirement we cannot neglect if we intend for all children to excel.

Institutionalize the Total Instructional Alignment Process

Provide Time to Develop Deep Roots

Living in an area that is frequented by hurricanes, it always amazes me to see the old oak trees that weather the storms year after year. These trees remain intact mainly because over time, they have developed deep, established roots that hold them in place. Time is one of the most important elements in successfully institutionalizing the TIA process. Too often, good ideas are never given the adequate time to develop, take root, and grow into established practice. Since TIA is central to the teaching and learning process, the necessary time must be devoted to its implementation. Staff meetings, planning time, grade-level and vertical team meetings, and planning days should provide designated time to focus on the successful implementation of TIA principles and practices. Solution Tree

instructional decision-making. In order to become established practice, there must be a depth of understanding about the principles and practices of the TIA process that pervades the organization. Teachers must be provided with appropriate professional development so they are equipped with the necessary knowledge, skills, tools, and processes to successfully implement TIA. This professional development must be thoughtfully designed with continued follow up and support in order to sustain efforts and keep the process moving forward. As new staff members come on board, they must also have quality staff development opportunities to instruct them in the principles and processes of TIA. It is simply not enough to just assume that “they’ll catch on.” Even with these professional development opportunities, the institutionalization process requires that teachers and administrators assume another important role in the organization—the role of active learners and researchers. As a team, teachers and administrators must continually work collaboratively, read, and research to learn more effective ways to successfully implement the TIA process in their school to ensure that all students learn, and learn well.

Five Big Ideas

Focus Through Communication

As with the implementation of any good idea, strong communication is crucial to success. The institutionalization of the TIA process requires constant communication designed to keep everyone aware of and focused on what is important to teaching and learning. Informed leadership must consistently communicate the TIA process as central to the effectiveness of instruction and the overall success of the school. All communications, oral and written, formal and informal, should serve to reinforce and strengthen the principles and practices of TIA within the school. Staff meetings, team meetings, parent conferences, newsletters, email messages, web pages, bulletin boards, and even casual conversations at the lunch table are all good opportunities to keep TIA the primary instructional focus of the school. However, leadership is not the only conduit of information and communication. Informed teachers must actively communicate and collaborate with leadership and with one another, both horizontally and vertically, as they work to successfully implement the process. Communication with students and parents is also essential. Administrators and teachers can ensure that students and parents 26

Leadership must ensure that appropriate time is devoted to TIA, but it is also necessary for leadership to time the changes as teachers implement the process. Teachers may begin to implement one change and, before they have a chance to be successful, another “good idea” comes along! Not only is this discouraging for teachers, it can be very counterproductive. Lack of success can create frustration, confusion, and a sense of failure. Timing major steps in TIA implementation to ensure teacher success can help to counteract negativism and apathy to the change process. It should be done in such a way that teachers are able to successfully internalize and ultimately put into practice what they are learning to ensure a totally aligned instructional program.

Institutionalize the Total Instructional Alignment Process

have a basic understanding about TIA, its importance, and what it means for them. For example, clearly stated learning expectations that are aligned to high-stakes assessments can be communicated to students and their parents so they better understand the standards for successful achievement. Teachers know that if you assign homework but never check it, chances are that students will soon see doing homework as optional. What gets checked is what usually gets done. An important part of the institutionalization of TIA is to ensure that there is an effective, ongoing, systematic means to monitor and review the implementation and efficacy of the process. Total Instructional Alignment cannot be viewed as an optional practice. Principals must take an active role in monitoring the TIA process daily. This can be done through casual classroom walkthroughs, formal observations, conversations, and attendance at grade level or departmental team meetings. It can also be done through the review of lesson plans, student assessments, curriculum maps, and student work. The information gained from monitoring must be used to refine the TIA process within the building. Teachers should be provided regular and specific feedback on their progress. Any setbacks encountered along the way can be used as opportunities to learn and make adjustments in the process. The responsibility for frequent monitoring of TIA progress is definitely not limited to the principal. Teachers must also develop systems to monitor their own progress and that of their students. Students should be aware of where they are in their learning and have a developed system to review and monitor their progress as well. Finally, the principles and practices of the TIA process should serve as the basis for evaluation of both teacher and administrator effectiveness. Since TIA is at the very heart of the teaching and Solution Tree

Review Progress Frequently

Five Big Ideas

learning process, it only stands to reason that it is also essential to educator effectiveness. TIA sets forth a set of practical steps that are easily monitored and that provide an objective basis for evaluation. Increase Leadership Capacity

Recognize and Celebrate Success

The things that are checked are the ones teachers pay attention to; the things that are recognized and rewarded are the ones they come to care about. That is why a cornerstone to institutionalizing TIA is to ensure that successes, both large and small, are recognized. Taking time to celebrate accomplishments, even the small ones, helps to establish and reinforce proper practice. It also motivates and encourages teachers to continue their efforts to implement the process. Recognition and celebration build important relationships that in turn strengthen the team. Keep in mind that a series of small successes collectively becomes a big success. Not only is celebrating achievement motivational, it is fun!

Growing leadership capacity is another excellent way to institutionalize the TIA process. The more educators share leadership responsibilities at the building level, the more likely it is that the process will be successful. TIA is so comprehensive that teachers will have many opportunities to participate as leaders at all levels, whether through leading curriculum development or data analysis teams, designing flexible schedules, or creating professional development. Sharing leadership will not only deepen understanding of TIA, but will also strengthen the faculty’s commitment to the process. Intimate understanding and strong commitment provide the deep roots necessary to anchor the process so that it may weather the storms that are likely to present themselves along the way.

Institutionalize the Total Instructional Alignment Process

Total Instructional Alignment Creates Equal Opportunity to Learn

The second group of students we serve, however, presents quite a different picture. These students, growing in number, do not have the advantages in their homes that allow them to learn the kinds of things we teach and assess in school. They depend upon us as their primary source of academic knowledge. If schools ceased to exist for these children, they would not learn many of the academic concepts and skills we teach in school. Too often, this lack of access to the opportunity to learn is mistaken for an inability to learn. Both advantaged and disadvantaged students can learn well those things they are taught. For example, it is a well-known fact that scores from standardized tests that are not properly aligned to any particular curriculum have been used for years to decide whether students qualify for placement in compensatory education programs. It is no wonder that the rosters of these special programs largely consist of poor and disadvantaged students. As educators, it is time for us to step up to the plate and ask the important question: How many of the children placed in these programs and labeled as having special learning

Solution Tree

There are two distinct groups of students who attend our schools: those who do not entirely depend on us for academic learning and those who do. Many students learn a great deal while they are in school and benefit tremendously from their academic experiences. However, the reality is that school is not their sole source of academic learning. These advantaged students come from home situations in which they are afforded many opportunities to learn and grow academically. Even if they stopped attending school, these students would have resources in their lives that would enable them to continue learning. Although we might not like to admit it, these students simply do not depend on us as their sole academic learning source. If schools ceased to exist, these children would continue to learn.

Five Big Ideas

needs were placed there as a result of never being given the opportunity to learn those things on which they were assessed?

Conclusion Total Instructional Alignment provides the vehicle to begin driving the transformation process in your school. Deeply inherent within the principles and practices of the TIA process are important ideas—Big Ideas—that can bring about dramatic changes in a school to ensure learning for all. School transformation is not about programs and innovations. It is about people with big ideas, committed to the mission of learning for all. Schools that choose to focus their time, energy, and resources on the Five Big Ideas discussed in this book can transform into powerful teaching and learning organizations. It all begins with turning the spotlight on Big Idea One: Institutionalize the Total Instructional Alignment process to ensure that all students are given the opportunity to learn. The principles and practices of TIA provide the essential foundation and must become established practice in the school. This means that TIA cannot be something that is just discussed or practiced by a few wellintentioned teachers. It must become an integral part of the way business is conducted in every school, every day. However, the principles and practices of Total Instructional Alignment cannot be effective in isolation: TIA must be embedded within a Totally Effective Learning Environment, where teachers and students are able to maximize teaching and learning opportunities. Chapter 2 will discuss the second big idea to bring about school transformation: Create a Totally Effective Learning Environment.

The TIA process ensures that all students are given equal opportunity to learn those things we expect them to know and be able to do. It is important for the success of all students, but essential for the success of the students who need us most.

S c h o ol

I m p rove m e nt

Five Big Ideas Leading Total Instructional Alignment

solution-tree.com

Lisa Carter

Five Big Ideas

Leading Total Instructional Alignment

— Cheryl Pickering, Career & Technical Education Coordinator, Northwest Arkansas Education Service Cooperative

Five Big Ideas

E d u c at i o n

Leading Total Instructional Alignment

Lisa Carter