WEBVTT

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[Don Davis to staff:] The CAHSEE [California High School Exit Exam] 2008 results are in,

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and we've been sharing the data with our math teachers, our language arts teachers,

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and some of our students, but I'd like to report that a new record established in mathematics.

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Ninety percent of the tenth graders took the test, passed it on their first attempt.

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A new record established in Language Arts this year.

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It wasn't on the pass rate.

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The pass rate was high but not a new record.

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But on their proficiency record: 65 percent proficiency,

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never that high before, maybe the highest in the county.

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So Language Arts teachers...

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[clapping]

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At the beginning of the year, we had our retreat, and we reflected on some of our practices.

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And we are going to revisit these ideas in our professional community time today.

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High expectations for success will be judged not only by the initial staff beliefs

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and behaviors, but also by the organization's response when some students do not learn.

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If we accept high levels of learning for all students as the fundamental purpose of our school,

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and therefore are willing to examine all practices in light on their effect on student learning.

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This actually helped frame our new vision statement.

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Here's a definition of collaboration that we find in the literature:

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a systematic process in which we work together, interdependently,

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to analyze and adapt professional practice in order

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to improve our individual and collective results.

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So, what strikes you about this definition?

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Are there aspects of it that you agree with it, or maybe are there things that you'd change,

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or that you need further clarification?

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The next question is-or statement-has to do with collaborative cultures,

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which by definition have close relationships, are indeed powerful,

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but unless they are focused on right things, they maybe end up being powerfully wrong.

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And if we make progress when we move from a language of complaint to a language of commitment,

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from a language of "they" to a language of "we," from focusing on what we can't stand

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to focusing on what we stand for.

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What I'd like for you to do is reflect on that.

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Take those two statements together, and what should we be guarding against at Waterford,

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and what should we be trying to promote here?

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And then the final reflection has to do with the content

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of our professional development time later, which is on higher-order questions.

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We had some higher-order thinking training earlier delivered by our staff members.

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So, implementing the higher-order thinking activities can improve student learning.

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But teachers report, however, that it is difficult to infuse higher-order questions

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"on the fly," and therefore need to be planned ahead of time.

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So, I want you to, as you get to that and you get to this statement, reflect,

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respond to the statement one to another,

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and then the final question was how have you implemented higher-order activities

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into lessons this year?

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What did you find helpful?

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Was it difficult?

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Were there challenges?

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How did you implement it in the planning time?

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The higher-order question component is going to lead into our next aspect of our staff meeting

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which is our professional development time

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with Mr. Frey who's put together some more opportunity for us-or greater opportunity

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for us-to learn about higher-order thinking activities and questions.

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So, Mr. Frey, come on up.

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[William Frey:] Just a reminder, there really is research to back

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up higher-order thinking activities and tasks, and we are actually thinking about making

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that the next instructional norm.

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How can we bring higher-order processes and thought into our classrooms?

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And I really think the more I have reflected on it, I think, talking to other teachers,

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and I think if you reflect on it as well, that's really the best way to build concept-is

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by asking questions that really look at things from different angles.

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Has anyone ever had that experience where you are teaching something,

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and you teach it this one way and then on a test,

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they get it a different way and the students fail at it?

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They got it the way you taught it,

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but they see it from a different angle, and now they're completely lost.

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I think that has a lot to do with the concept.

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It's not really fully developed.

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So I think higher-order questions is a good way to develop it.

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[Teacher:] The kids come up with different answers,

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and that sharpens their response because then they have to defend it.

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They are forced to defend it because if I say, "No, you are not responsible,"

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and my neighbor says, "yes, you are," then you have to start defending.

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[Frey:] Absolutely.

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And I come back to something constantly, which is why-my teachers would complain

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about when I was in high school-why can't these students write an essay and defend it?

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If you really ask yourself that question, as a teacher,

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you say maybe it's because they never really defend anything that they give an answer for.

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It's always readily available in the book or right easy to find the answer.

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They don't ever really have to work hard at defending.

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If you give them more opportunities and they are answering questions to defend their answer

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and to make explanations, I think that will help.