Make AYP EVERY Year! Following the SAME (Social, Academic, and Moral Education) Pathway to School Success | The Urban Learning and Leadership Center, Inc. (ULLC)
Program Description
This program provides a research-supported, holistic view of school improvement by addressing all of the components of school and district culture which must be addressed if lasting school reform is to be attained, i.e. the Social Domain, the Academic Domain and the Moral Domain. As the rigor of state accountability measures increase, schools must focus their efforts to achieve and sustain academic excellence. Our approach is designed to assist schools along a vast performance continuum, from schools that are struggling to schools that are exceeding performance standards.
Social Domain: The first domain has to do with a major determinant of what it feels like to be in a school: the behavioral mores. Its elements form the ground rules for how people interact, whether they're students in the classroom or teachers working together on a collaborative pacing plan.
Academic Domain: This domain, the one we think of first when we think school, has to do with what is taught and how. Its elements include the standards that define what children need to learn, the curriculum that spells out how that content is taught and at what pace, the instructional strategies teachers employ, and the assessment that gauges students' attainment of the standards.
Moral Domain: This domain, the one often overlooked, is the belief system of a school and, in particular, the beliefs about the value and capability of each individual, the importance of the work the school is about, and how all members of the school community should be treated by one another.
Distributed Leadership: The overarching concept for school and district change is the building of leadership capacity at all levels of the organization. No meaningful and sustained change effort will be successful unless all stakeholders are involved in the development of the improvement plan.
Virginia Standard(s) Addressed
This comprehensive school improvement model addresses all five of the Virginia standards and all six of the ISLLC standards.Program Goals and Objectives
By the end of the program, participants will demonstrate the ability (1) to assess the current assets of their building or district culture within the three domains, (2) to identify areas for needed growth in the various domains or in the area of distributed leadership, (3) to collect and analyze data critical for institutional growth, (4) to develop focused, data-driven school or district plans to increase student achievement, and (5) to monitor improvement plans to maximize their potential as instruments to bring about meaningful change.Program Format
The program sessions are highly interactive, balancing the time of participants between brief lectures, video segments, simulation activities, discussion groups, "think-pair-share" activities, and reflective planning.Target Audience
Elementary, middle and high school principals, assistant principals, lead teachers, and school improvement team members, and district personnel, particularly those engaged in the school improvement processes. This program may either be self-selected by any individual interested in school improvement at the school or district level or used for individuals or groups identified by district personnel for increasing personal or team capacity. The impact of the training is increased when multiple members of a school or district team come together or, ideally, if an entire improvement team can come.Self-Selection and/or Identification Through School Division
Yes. We work with a variety of districts.Duration of Program
This program is designed to lead schools and districts into meaningful, lasting change which increases student achievement. As such, ULLC encourages leaders to plan for regular follow-up visits for coaching and feedback if the end goal is institutional change and increased leadership capacity. Following is a sample of the workshops which ULLC offers to introduce the model and to address specific areas of need based on the initial needs assessment inventory.
"Following the SAME (Social, Academic and Moral Education) Pathway to School Success" Overview of the model and its implications for school improvement, including models of schools successfully implementing SAME practices and their associated student success data. (3 hours)
Distributed Leadership Sessions
"Teaching Your Buffaloes to Fly: Leading Your Schools in Turbulent Times" Do you sometimes question why you got into this educational leadership business in the first place? Do you ever feel like all of your hard work is for naught and is not appreciated? Does the new era of accountability have you and your staff reeling? What you need is to slow down, step back, and get your perspective in line with reality. People are depending on you to provide the vision for the desired future for your organization and you cannot do that from a defensive position. This session will delve into the critical issues of leadership that are required of the principal and leadership team of any organization to successfully navigate the turbulent waters of the 21st century. (3 to 7 hours)
"The Miracle Starts Here: Building Effective Teams" Using vignettes from the film, "Miracle", participants are challenged to discover the elements that create high performing teams and to assess the collaborative nature of their own workplace in light of these elements. This session will enable teams to break down the artificial walls and remove the baggage that prevents them from achieving synergy for the sake of the students they serve. (3 hours)
"Developing Your School Improvement Plan" This workshop is designed for individual school teams who want personalized coaching on analyzing their data, identifying critical growth areas and developing a targeted school improvement plan that meets local and state guidelines under NCLB. (Length varies depending on scope of the plan, data sources, etc.)
Social Domain Sessions
"Understanding Our Families" Many of our children live in families that do not provide the emotional, social, and physical resources that they need for healthy development. Learn the characteristics of these families, how children are affected, and what we as educators can do to meet these needs. (3 hours)
"It's a Wonderful Life: Lessons in Servant Leadership" The work of an educator today can be tiring, exasperating, and too often, just thankless! This session will provide the renewal that is so desperately needed in your staff members to enable them to re-enter the educational game with the desire and vitality that made them become educators in the first place!
"Working With the Aggressive Student" This session provides critical skills for school personnel to maintain both personal and student safety. Based upon the proven model of the game triangle and transactional conflicts, this verbal intervention is designed to de-escalate the crisis and assist adult staff members in maintaining order. (3 to 6 hours)
"Finishing Touches: The Series (K-12)" Academic success without social competence often leads to failure in life. Learn how social skills instruction can change the climate and culture of your school and prepare students for life beyond K-12 education. (3 hours)
"Speaking Green" People are judged by the vocabulary they use and the manner in which they speak. Speaking Green is a program that allows both youth and adults to focus on professional communications skills over slang or profanity. Students are taught the differences between formal and informal speaking. This training is designed to respect whatever language is spoken at home, while teaching participants the language of the business community.
"Over The Line - When Bullying Becomes Crime" When does harmless play become crime? When it's taken "Over the Line." Who is liable for bullying? Bullying has been linked to many of the high profile weapon incidents in our nation. Know where that line is and what steps can be taken to respond to and prevent bullying. Why put out fires when you can learn how to remove the fuel? (3 hours)
"Effective Strategies to Deal with Student Threats" We need to pay more attention to those who pose the greatest threats instead of those who make the most threats. This session will help educators evaluate and respond to threats efficiently and safely. (3 hours)
Academic Domain Sessions
"Curriculum Alignment: A Critical Response to NCLB" The demand for reform in public education has led to accountability measures linked to high-stakes testing. Teachers and administrators are working feverishly to raise test scores; but with limited time, we need to be sure we are working smarter, not just harder. Content and context alignment are necessary for success in this high-stakes testing environment. This session will explore the process and the rationale for curriculum alignment and suggest strategies for accomplishing this goal. (3 hours)
"Deep Alignment: The Next Step after Content Alignment to Ensure Success in a High Stakes Testing Environment" If you have aligned your curriculum content to the state test and still are not making AYP, this session is for you. After the publication of statewide benchmark standards, localities rushed to align local curricula to the required content. While this is a necessary step to gain success for students, it is not sufficient. School districts must move to deep alignment if they are to move all students to high achievement levels, especially students who come from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. This session focuses on the theory and research base behind deep alignment and gives participants some initial practice in this critical strategy. (3 hours)
"Getting Organized for Classroom Success" How many times have students entered your classrooms unprepared to learn? This training is designed to equip students in grades 3-12 with the skills necessary for academic success in all content areas. The training will equip classroom teachers with the skills and information necessary to teach students how to be good students. (3 to 6 hours)
"Getting HOT Through Inquiry" The research is clear! Higher Order Thinking (HOT) skills are essential to success on state assessments. Learn practical strategies that you can take back to classrooms immediately to lead to dramatic improvements in student achievement. (3 to 6 hours)
"Differentiated Instruction" Having trouble addressing the multiple ability levels and learning styles in your classroom? This session will give you practical answers to this complex issue. (3 to 6 hours)
"The Amazing Power of the Brain" Experience the excitement and confidence which results from a basic understanding of the relationship between brain functions and academic achievement. (3 hours)
Moral Domain Sessions
"The Resilient Self" In the midst of adversity (poverty, family substance abuse, divorce, etc.) some children are able to rise above the difficulty while others succumb to the tragedy. Current research demonstrates the strengths children possess and provides educators with an asset-based approach to student success. (3 to 6 hours)
"Moral Minds" When we change what students believe about their ability to succeed, we change lives. Learn how character development supports academic success. (3 hours)
"Belief Systems" One cannot overestimate the power of beliefs. Do students believe they have the ability and academic support necessary to achieve at high levels? Do teachers believe that all students can be successful, regardless of their home circumstances? This session causes participants to ask the tough questions and provides research supported answers about how maximize the potential all members of the school community. (3 hours)
"Developing a High Performance Learning Culture" Schools cannot improve when the culture does not support school improvement. Often in the push to improve quickly, the school's culture is forgotten. Participants will learn what culture is and why it must be cultivated; what roles leaders play in growing the culture; and what tools and strategies are available to help leaders foster a culture that supports improvement, high expectations and the well-being of students. (3 to 7 hours)
Outcomes Measured
The outcomes of this program are effective data analysis and school improvement planning as measured by district and state personnel, improved climate and collegiality as measured by survey data, and increased leadership capacity as measured by broadened scope of responsibility for administrators and teacher leaders.
Program Evaluation
The program will be evaluated by qualitative measures (participant surveys after training sessions, pre-post surveys of attitudinal and belief changes, etc) and quantitative data (increased test scores, increased participation in rigorous curriculum, increased faculty participation in school planning and decision making, etc.)
Contact Information
Harvey W. Perkins, Ed.D.
Executive Director
The Urban Learning and Leadership Center, Inc.
(757) 599-0506
hperkins@ullc.org
John W. Hodge
Director
The Urban Learning and Leadership Center, Inc.
(757) 599-0506
jhodge@ullc.org