IDR Assessment of Schoolwide Achievement in Instructional Focus

 

Implementation of Essential 1:

Identify an Instructional Focus to Meet Student's Needs

Explanation: The first essential element for Whole School Improvement is to identify and use a schoolwide instructional focus to meet student's needs and end project-itis.

 

 

 

 

The school's level of accomplishment in identifying an instructional focus will be assessed in the following indicators (areas):

1. Coherence The degree to which instructional Focus is implemented coherently and consistently across all classrooms.

2. Effectiveness The degree to which the curriculum is clearly articulated and its effectiveness is seen in both the written plans and their delivery.

 Accomplishment in each indicator will be scored as follows:

Level 1 = Little or No Accomplishment

Level 2 = Some Accomplishment

Level 3 = Substantial Accomplishment

Level 4 = Outstanding Accomplishment
 

 (cllick on each indicator below for more information)

 

 

 

 
 

 

Expectations for Planning of Identifying an Instructional Focus
  • Planning is designed to enhance the understanding and implementation of the school's instructional focus which includes an alignment amongst curriculum, core components of instruction, and assessment throughout the school community
  • Planning explicitly identifies procedures for the principal to take a leadership role in implementing and supporting the literacy and math initiatives
  • Planning ensures that the ILT understand and develop the necessary organizational and decision-making skills to implement the school's academic focus.
  • The principal ensures adequate, protected, and structured time for the ILT to carry out its responsibilities.
  • The curriculum is aligned with the instructional focus.

 

Expectations for Implementation of Identifying an Instructional Focus
  • School community is knowledgeable about instructional focus.
  • School community participates in awareness training related to the instructional focus.
  • ILT establishes strategic priorities within the instructional focus for implementation and further study.
  • ILT takes the lead in establishing the specific facets of the instructional focus and regularly monitors the implementation.
  
 

  

 

The following evidence must be included in each school's portfolio addressing their accomplishment in Identifying an Instructional Focus:

  1. Approved SAS
  2. Approved SMART Goals
  3. Current Formative Assessment Data Summary
  4. ILT Meeting Agenda/Minutes

 

 

 

 

Coherence The degree to which instructional Focus is implemented coherently and consistently across all classrooms.

Questions to Answer for the Visiting Team

The following are questions each school should be prepared to answer for the Visiting Teams addressing accomplishment of this area of Essential 1:

1. What is the school's instructional focus?

2. What evidence is there that the members of the school community support the instructional focus and consider it to be appropriate for them and for the school?

3. What role does the school administration play in implementing and supporting the school's instructional focus ands its core components throughout the school community?

4. What evidence is there that the ILT demonstrates the necessary organizational and decision-making skills to implement the school's academic focus? Do the team members have adequate, structured time to carry out their responsibilties?

5. What evidence is there that he school community is knowledgeable about the instructional focus? Do they participate in awareness training related to the instructional focus?

6. What evidence is there that the support for staff, including staff from all programmatic areas, around instructional focus is adequate? If not, why not?

7. What evidence is there that the support for new staff members around instructional focus is adequate? If not, why not?

 

 Outcome Rubrics for Ranking School Accomplishment

Visiting Teams will use the following rubric to assess the accomplishment in this area of Essential 1:

 

Coherence

 

Little or No

Accomplishment

(Level 1)

 

Some Accomplishment

(Level 2)

 

Substantial

Accomplishment

(Level 3)

 

Outstanding

Accomplishment

(Level 4)

School has instructional focus "on paper" but has not moved beyond that (i.e. training staff, providing resources, engaging the school community)

School is implementing an instructional focus, however, implementation is inconsistent because only certain teachers are using the approach and/or teachers don't really know enough about the approach.

The instructional focus is implemented coherently and consistently across all classrooms

The instructional focus is implemented coherently and consistently across all classrooms. Entire staff (including teaching and non-teaching staff) are active champions of the approach.

 

 

 

Effectiveness The degree to which the curriculum is clearly articulated and its effectiveness is seen in both the written plans and their delivery.

Questions to Answer for the Visiting Team

The following are questions each school should be prepared to answer for the Visiting Teams addressing accomplishment of this area of Essential 1:

  • 1. What evidence is there that the curriculum is clearly articulated from grade to grade and across programmatic areas?

    2. Is the curriculum implemented in such a way to provide opportunities for appropriate cross-disciplinary learning?

    3. What evidence is there that the curriculum is implemented so that students engage in appropriate real-life problem-solving?

    4. What evidence is there that the implemented curriculum engages students as active rather than passive participants?

    5. What evidence is there that the classroom environment provides experiences for students to connect new learning prior knowledge?

    6. What evidence is there that the implemented curriculum recognizes differences in individual and cultural values and teachers use and/or modify them to enhance learning?

    7. What evidence is there that the teacher-student dialogue encourages students to learn how to learn e.g. by the teacher asking questions such as "explain how you got that answer", "can you think of another problem that can be solved the same way", or "can you act out this problem, or make a picture of it" ?

     

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    Outcome Rubrics for Ranking School Accomplishment

    Visiting Teams will use the following rubric to assess the accomplishment in this area of Essential 1:

     

    Effectiveness

     

    Little or No

    Accomplishment

    (Level 1)

     

    Some Accomplishment

    (Level 2)

     

    Substantial

    Accomplishment

    (Level 3)

     

    Outstanding

    Accomplishment

    (Level 4)

    The school is working towards developing a curriculum that supports student learning.

    Most of the curriculum is clearly articulated, but the written plans and/or delivery require (s) further development

    The curriculum is clearly articulated, and its effectiveness is seen in both the written plans and their delivery.

    The curriculum is clearly articulated, and its effectiveness is seen in both the written plans and their delivery. Teachers, through teams/networks, are seen taking an active role in refining and tailoring the instructional focus based on what they've learned about the limitations of the basic approach.

     

    Essential 2