Transcript Connecticut Trevor Yates Vice-President Cambridge Education (LLC)

Connecticut
Trevor Yates
Vice-President
Cambridge Education (LLC)
September 2007
WHO ARE WE
Since 1983, Cambridge Education has combined the expertise and experience of its permanently
employed staff with self-employed associates. We currently employ 550 full time staff and have a data
base of 7,000 associate education specialists world-wide; and have a current turnover of over $100m
Our vision is to create a lasting improvement in the quality of education experienced by the young people and
adults we support, either directly or indirectly, through our relationship with clients
Our aim is to provide professional educational
advice and practical solutions
Our objective is to contribute to and be part of the
development of every organization we work with
Our approach is to develop partnerships based
upon mutual trust.
WHO DO WE WORK FOR
Funding Agencies – Department for International Development (DFID), European Commission
(EC), Asian Development Bank (ADB), World Bank (WB), International Development Bank (IDB), UN
Agencies, Other bilateral donors (Sweden, Japan, Finland, Ireland, Denmark)
Government Ministries – policy support, planning and budgeting, capacity building,
restructuring, systems development etc
Government Institutions and Agencies –
teacher training institutions, curriculum authorities,
examination boards,inspection authorities
Districts and Schools – district reform, policy
development, leadership development, performance
management, curriculum design, professional
development.
Afghanistan
street children, non-formal
education
WHERE DO WE WORK
Ukraine
civic Education:
curriculum development
and training of teachers.
Armenia
examination systems
reform
Turkey
Basic education &
vocational education
Pakistan
pre- and in-service teacher
training, , curriculum development,
textbook development, EMIS,
assessment and examination
reform,
Bangladesh
project preparation, policy development at both primary
and secondary levels, school development planning,
inspection, curriculum development, teacher training,
headteacher training, textbook production, EMIS,
Uzbekistan
Technical &
vocational education
Nepal
project preparation,
policy development,
teacher training,
Mongolia
textbook design and
publishing, education
management, project
management
China
project design, school development
planning, teacher training, curriculum
development, inspection, headteacher
training,
WHERE DO WE WORK
Lao PDR
policy development
for teacher
education,
Thailand
integrating ICT in the
curriculum, teacher
training, institutional
development,
human resource
development
Cambodia
project preparation,
textbook
development,
production and
distribution,
Vietnam
project preparation,
sector review,
monitoring and
evaluation
WHERE DO WE WORK
Nigeria
strategic and financial planning,
institutional development,
teacher training, curriculum
development
Gambia
support to the development of a
SWAp, policy and planning,
school improvement, teacher
training,
Ghana
financial planning, institutional
development, human resource
development, EMIS
Malawi
project and sector review,
non-formal education,
institutional development
Botswana
TVET project design and
policy development
Uganda
school planning and
financing, cost-sharing
Ethiopia
support to design of a
SWAp, and development
of textbook policy
Tanzania
project design and sector
development planning
South Africa
strategic and financial planning,
institutional development, human resource
development, quality assurance, teacher
training, curriculum development, equity,
school improvement
WHERE DO WE WORK
USA
School evaluations, district
reform, executive coaching,
district accountability planning,
school improvement school
development planning,
technical assistance, charter
schools, charter management
organizations
UK
School inspection; district reform; performance
management; coaching and mentoring; school
improvement; school development planning; c.p.d.;
site-based management; children’s services; health
education; BSF; academies,ICT
Antigua
Strengthening Tech Voc
Education
Barbados
Development of language
centre
Windward Island
Dominica, St Vincent, St Lucia, Grenada
- curriculum development, assessment,
children at risk, equity, EMIS, teacher
professional development, literacy and
numeracy development
EEC
Curriculum development, leadership
training, school development planning,
language development, VET,
performance management,
Credible partner
Over 25 years experience
• 45+ countries world wide;
• developing local capacity and promoting school improvement.
Completed over 1,800 schools reviews across US
Worked in Connecticut for past six years
• 50 + school reviews
• Executive Coaching (State level)
• Effective Classroom Observation (over 100 Administrators)
• Facilitated Elementary School Principals Network (ESPN)
• Provided Technical Assistance for District Improvement and Accountability Planning
Responsible for running Local Education Authorities in UK
• Islington; Southwark; Isles of Scilly
Largest single contractor of school inspections in England
• over 2,000 inspections a year on behalf of UK Government
Trained Inspectors and Reviewers for over 15 years in
• America; Eastern Europe, Hong Kong,Thailand and UK.
WHAT RESULTS DO WE ACHIEVE
Islington LEA – since 2000, when Cambridge Education took over responsibility, Islington LEA has
moved from being considered a failing authority to the top quartile overall and top 5% of LEA’s for
SEN, according to UK Government inspections - in 2 of past 3 years recognised as the most improved
LEA in England.
Islington schools - in 2000 Ofsted Inspections identified 20% of
schools in either special measures or
serious weakness. In the Autumn of 2005 0% of schools were in either of these categories - and the 7
schools inspected under the New Inspections arrangements were rated:
3 outstanding, 2 very good and 2 good.
Achievement of boys…for the past three years, CEA@Islington have consistently succeeded in
raising the achievement levels of both boys and girls, while reducing the gap in performance between
girls and boys.
Ethnic minority pupils…African Caribbean, African and Bangladeshi pupils in Islington are
outperforming their counter parts in the rest of the country – in tests at 11, 14 and 16.
Purpose of Quality Reviews
The School Quality Review program is a central component in the
State’s strategy for promoting continuous school improvement.
It is designed to enable and assist:
• schools and districts to have a clear view of their strengths, areas
for development
• the School Board and the Connecticut State Department of
Education to have a clear picture of the quality of education
provided in each district and individual schools
A commitment to a cycle of monitoring, evaluation, review and revision
(MERR) by the school’s leadership and staff is vital in creating a
dynamic organisational culture of continuous improvement
A five-stage cycle for school improvement
STUDENT
ACHIEVEMENT
Key
Focus for School Quality Reviews includes
:
•
The academic performance levels achieved by students in the school.
•
The quality of the education provided, including the quality of teaching and
its impact on learning; the curriculum; community and parental
involvement
•
How well the school uses data to inform instructional decisions at building
and classroom levels
•
How well the school provides for student’s personal character
development.
•
How well the school is led and managed.
These mirror the components of Connecticut’s Accountability for Learning
Model.
The Criterion for School Quality Reviews
1: Student achievement in the core subjects
2: The quality of instruction through teaching, learning and curriculum
3. Students’ personal character development
4. Effective leadership and management
5. Partnerships with parents and community
Key Focus for District Quality Reviews
The District Quality Review process is designed to
address three central questions:
1. What service and support does the district
provide to the schools in its system?
2. How well does it provide these essential
services and functions?
3. To what degree is the district a high performance
system—as a whole and in key functions?
The Criterion for District Quality Reviews
1.
ATTAINMENT, LEARNING TEACHING, CURRICULUM & ASSESSMENT
2.
LEADERSHIP, CULTURE, & ACCOUNTABILITY
3.
MANAGEMENT OF HUMAN & FISCAL RESOURCES
4.
OPERATIONAL SYSTEMS
5.
STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT & SATISFACTION
The grade levels
There is a 5 point scale
Grade
Achievement
Overall and Criteria judgments
5
advanced
excellent
4
goal
exceeds minimum requirements
3
proficient
meets minimum requirements
2
basic
needs improvement
1
below basic
needs substantial improvement
Quality reviews have 3 stages
Stage 1 - Pre – site visit
Stage 2 - Site-visit.
Stage 3 - Feedback.
Stage 1 Pre-Assessment Visit
Preparatory work is the foundation of a successful Quality Reviews.
Each district and every school will be asked to complete short Self-Evaluation Forms
(DSEF and SEF)
– summarize the district’s and school’s own perception of how well they meet the
Quality Review Criteria.
Prior to the review the State and / or District and will provide Cambridge Education with
key student achievement data.
At the start of the visit the district / school will provide the lead reviewer with:
– the latest version of the district / school’s development (improvement) plan;
– copies of reports of any internal evaluation undertaken during the past two years;
– organizational charts which highlights any recent the changes made, including
roles and responsibilities,
– details of the staff professional development program.
The lead reviewer will be able to use this information alongside the SEF to gain an
understanding of the school context, its history and most importantly actions, which have
taken place during the past two years.
DSEF
SEF
Stage 2 Site visit – School reviews
The reviewer(s)will be in the school for two days, during which time
they collect evidence, through:
•
•
•
•
meeting with Principal and School Leadership Team ;
observing teaching and learning;
examining students’ work;
discussions with teachers, students, parents and other members of
the school community.
This evidence provides them with a thorough understanding of
the range and quality of the school’s work.
Site visit – District reviews
The district review team will normally consist of 4 reviewers:
• 2 from Cambridge Education and 2 from State Department of Education
The review team will spend 1 week reviewing each district
Day 1 will be spent at the State Department, reviewing and analyzing data
The remaining 4 days will be spent in the District.
The team will hold meetings / focus groups with a range of individuals and
organizations including:
• The Superintendent and District Leadership Team
• The Chair and at least one other member of the District Board
• District leaders for: instruction / data-analysis / operational support / fiscal
• A range of stakeholders:
Parents / local community groups/ unions / administrators/ teachers
The team will attend district meetings and observe the workings of the district
This evidence provides them with a thorough understanding of the range and
quality of the district’s work.
Student learning and development
Evidence is collected to evaluate the impact the district / school is
having on student learning and development:
• standards achieved and progress made by students
• the impact on student development: attitudes, character and
personal growth and development
Engaging the students and staff
In schools:
Reviewers will talk with students in order to assess:
• their understanding and knowledge of different subjects
• their attitudes towards work
• their life at school
Reviewers will talk with teachers in order to judge how
roles and responsibilities are fulfilled
Reviewers will ask teachers for:
• examples of student’s work
• curriculum frameworks
• record of internal assessment
• results in external tests and examinations
The school may offer other measures or indicators of
attainment and progress
Engaging the staff
In Districts:
Reviewers will talk with central office staff in order to judge how
roles and responsibilities are fulfilled
Reviewers will ask staff for:
• examples of policies and procedures
• evidence on the quality of the services provided by the district to the
schools it serves track individual work
• evidence of the impact of the district’s work on student achievement
• curriculum frameworks
• record of district assessments
• results in external tests and examinations
• evidence of how the district monitors, evaluates and reviews the
quality of its own services and the quality of the education provided
in its schools
The district may offer other measures or indicators of school improvement
What questions underpin the review?
Quality reviews asks three key questions:
•
how well is the district / school doing now?
•
what strategies and factors does the district / school employ at
present to contribute to its success?
•
what does the district / school need to do in order to further
improve?
Sample School Schedule
Sample District Schedule
Overall judgment
How good is the district / school?
What does it do well?
What should it do to improve?
The MIC approach:
What should it Maintain?
What should it Improve?
What should it Change?
Stage 3 Feedback
Throughout the visit the reviewers meet regularly with the
Superintendent / Principal to:
• provide on going feedback on the progress of the review
• check and clarify understandings
• request any other areas of information
• give a daily overview of the observations made
The Superintendent / Principal can also direct feedback to the lead
reviewer on any issues which need following up
Final oral feedback
At the end of the visit the reviewers provide oral feedback and leave a
written summary with the school. This feedback includes:
• overview of the outcomes from the review
• outlines the main strengths of the school and areas for
development
If there has been effective communication it is unlikely that this
feedback will contain any surprises.
It is helpful for the superintendent / principal to have others from their
team and/or members of the board present at the feedback.
This enables the principal to listen, direct all his /her attention to the
message given and to ask questions.
The final report
The final written report is an analysis of the district / school’s strengths
and areas for development.
Districts / Schools have the opportunity to review the draft report for
factual accuracy before final publication, which is usually within 4
weeks of the end of the site visit
What the school does well
• The school is well lead and managed by the principal and ably
supported by many key teaching and support staff in the school.
• The literacy and numeracy facilitators lead and manage their
areas of responsibility very well and are driving improvements in
English language arts and mathematics.
• There are good systems for recording and analyzing data on
students’ achievements. This underpins the improvements,
which the school has made.
• The school is making good use of data to measure progress,
identify where it is doing well and target where more
improvement is needed.
• There is a good climate for learning and relationships between
students and adults are positive. The students’ behavior is
generally good in classes and around the school.
What the school needs to improve
• Improve consistency in the implementation of the school’s
strategies for teaching literacy and numeracy by:
– creating more opportunities for students to engage in
meaningful discussions
– improving further, the teachers’ questioning skills
– raising the quality and quantity of hands-on work that the
students undertake
– improving the interest and productivity levels of tasks that
students do in class
– ensuring senior leaders make more frequent visits through
classrooms to maintain a clear oversight of the quality and
consistency of teaching
– continuing to improve teachers’ knowledge and confidence
to differentiate work
– continuing to develop the strategic use of computerized
learning.
Post Review
The district / school can use the report to
• develop a plan of improvement
• focus on the totality of its work
• keep teaching and learning at the forefront of its thinking and
planning
When district and school evaluation is set within a culture of selfreflection, analysis of results and action, it becomes a very powerful
tool for district / school improvement
Thought of in this way a Quality Review is a beginning
District - School improvement planning
Mobilise
(the
stakeholders)
Discover
(open our minds and
behaviors to spot the
opportunities)
Improving
the district/
school
Deliver
(Establish the
enterprise)
Results
Deepen
(Evaluate and choose
the opportunities)
Develop
(Vision & Plan )
… continuing to assess
the needs of the
community
and adapt to deliver
those
needs