News Brief

02/11/13

NC Principals Share Best Practices with Peers in Challenged Schools

By Michael Yarborough

The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction's District and School Transformation (DST) division has developed The Professional Development for School Leaders program. The program is designed to foster peer collaboration among the leaders of high- and low- preforming schools.

Nine schools previously identified for low achievement - elementary, middle, and high - hosted site visits in December 2012 to allow other school leaders to see how their effective turnarounds were implemented. Host schools focused on specific areas that were proven best practices.  Principal-led teams from low-performing schools chose which school to visit based on the school's needs and common interests. Host schools were chosen based on levels of success experienced over the past several years as a result of coaching and other types of DST support.

During the visits, participants engaged in activities such as school and classroom observations and focus group discussions with students, parents, teachers and other staff.  Some teams also were able to observe effective Professional Learning Communities, data analysis conversations, and other best practices in action.  Opportunities for conversation, questions, and reflections occurred throughout the day.

Specific areas of focus included:

• Instructional practices based on the curriculum standards and data increasing student participation and learning;
• Strong instructional leadership, with a student-centered focus that is modeled and actively participates in critical conversations;
• A shared sense of student achievement being a priority and evident through strategic scheduling to include data conversations during common planning, enrichment and remediation time; and,
• Creating a positive culture and climate where staff works collaboratively around student success through data-driven decisions and high expectations.

"Professional development in DST has evolved.  Now that we have turned around previously low-performing schools we can use them as laboratory sites for other schools to visit, observe and exchange ideas," said Pat Ashley, Director of District and School Turnaround for the NCDPI.  

Funding from NC's Race to the Top grant has stimulated and strengthened the state's efforts to turn around its lowest-achieving schools.  With this support, DST has been able to put into action a collaborative program that partners with low-performing schools and responds to state and federal legislation and requirements, as well as North Carolina's own judicial and executive direction. In fact, 84 percent of DST schools have shown positive results, with 39 of 107 schools already realizing performance composites of higher than 60 percent.

"As we continue to develop meaningful professional development, we will provide additional opportunities for low-performing schools to visit those schools that have successfully transformed or turned around," said State Superintendent June Atkinson.  "We would welcome the opportunity to host visitors from other states who have an interest in these model schools."

Following are examples of participant feedback:

• "Enjoyed the change to engage teachers, students and administration.  Best session thus far."
• "Great format to allow for school leaders to visit other schools and discuss the change process."
• "Awesome!  It was wonderful to see good teaching and learning! Loved the teachers being a part of the session."
•  Documentation, sharing the why and how "it" impacts mastery teaching and mastery learning.
• "This was a powerful professional development session."  (Classroom visits, PLT, Data Notebooks). 
• "This was one of the best transformation meetings that I have attended.  To hear and see ideas of a principal and school lists have and gives us a way to look at things differently."
• "I have 6 pages of notes to take back and implement.  I feel refreshed and motivated.  Thanks - I needed this!"