The McKnight Foundation

Education and Learning Initiative

Phase II Planning
SAINT PAUL PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Presentation to the Education and Learning National
Advisory Committee
September 25, 2014

Key Accomplishments to Date in Phase I of Implementation

Retention of teachers is 90-95% for those involved in the
McKnight grant.
Culture of coaching is becoming the norm.
Ownership of instructional decisions and use of reading data in
instructional practices is gaining traction.
PreK-K grade teachers understand the trajectory of oral
language development and now use the OL assessment data to
plan instruction.

Professional Capacity and Human Capital Management

SAINT PAUL MUSIC
Implementation Stage:
Strengths

Increased collaboration of
classroom teachers
Classroom teachers are leading
PD at staff meetings
Classroom teachers are seeking
coaching

Areas for Improvement

Creating systems for teacher

leaders to lead the work of
monitoring progress monitoring

WELLSTONE
Implementation Stage:
Strengths

Areas for Improvement

Retention of all classroom

teachers involved in the Pathway
initiative
Teachers are sharing their
learning at staff PD

More teacher leadership

Creation of structures to allow
for more teacher input in the PD

District Goals for Phase II:

Broaden the capacity of developing key instructional practices and professional development to the work of teacher leaders
Create a shared responsibility for professional development between district staff and consultants
Systematizing the work of progress monitoring our school continuous improvement plan

Leadership
SAINT PAUL MUSIC
Implementation Stage:
Strengths
Coaches are learning from UEI
coaches
Teachers are creating the
PD/PLC calendar

Areas for Improvement

Increase focus, streamline
initiatives

WELLSTONE
Implementation Stage:
Strengths

Communication and alignment of

coach/admin work PLCs, PD, SCIP,
and coaching.
Teachers are taking ownership of
PLCs.
Kindergarten has a strong
foundation of working on
instructional practices in response
to data.
MLL teachers are part of the
McKnight PD and PLCs .

Areas for Improvement

Create structures for leadership

team to take more responsibility
to do the work that coach/admnin
team did last year (aligning PLCs,
PD, coaching, SCIP)

District Goals for Phase II:

Expand leadership team responsibilities to include aligning PLCs, professional development, coaching, SCIP
Determine opportunities for teachers to take on leadership roles with instructional practices and racial equity
Share professional development among leadership team, specialists, community partners

Data Management and Diagnostics

SAINT PAUL MUSIC

WELLSTONE

Implementation Stage:

Implementation Stage:

Strengths

Strengths

Areas for Improvement

Coach/admin. team analyzed the

5E data in 13-14 and uses it to
drive the work of racial equity,
SCIP, PLCs, PD, coaching.

We need to involve whole

leadership team and teacher
leaders on the analysis of the 5E
data.

Teachers are open to using new

data systems to assess what they
really need to know for
instructional implications (i.e.
they are open to using STEP
assessment).

We need to learn how to use the

STEP tools and make better
instructional decisions based on
this data.

Teachers created PLC agendas

and PD calendar agendas.
Teachers are using the OL
assessment and Mondo
dassessment ata to discuss
strategies and plan instruction

Areas for Improvement

Using student work to understand
where students are in their
performance of understanding
Use STEP and progress monitoring
tools to make instructional
decisions

District Goals for Phase II:

Involve whole leadership team and teacher leaders on the analysis of the 5E data
Understand the STEP data management tools and use data analysis to make better instructional decisions

Effective Instruction for Dual Language Learners

SAINT PAUL MUSIC
Implementation Stage:
Strengths
Teachers learned how to use
the OL assessment
Teachers use strategies for
Levels 1 & 2 ELs using English
Now

Areas for Improvement

Seeing dual language learners
language that is brought to school
as a strength, understanding how
to use WIDA tools to deliver
instruction
Increasing intentionality of
language production activities

WELLSTONE
Implementation Stage:
Strengths

Dual language program includes

reading instruction in both
Spanish and English
MLL staff are sharing at staff
development and PLCs about
effective language production
strategies and sheltered language
techniques.
Language production strategies
are part of our key instructional
practices. We have
administrators and coaches who
understand language acquisition
and are providing PD.

Areas for Improvement

Seeing dual language learners

language that is brought to school
as a strength, understanding how
to use WIDA tools to deliver
instruction
Increasing intentionality of
language production activities

District Goals for Phase II:

Continue to increase understanding of language acquisition and capacity of teachers as experts in this area
Increase language production strategies as a part of key instructional practices
Support the equity of multi lingual learners by shifting beliefs from language learning being a deficit to being an asset

Improved Use and Extension of Instructional Time

SAINT PAUL MUSIC
Implementation Stage:
Strengths

Areas for Improvement

WELLSTONE
Implementation Stage:
Strengths

Offering PD to the
Students schedules are
maximized for literacy
instruction

Tighten rituals and routines in

some classrooms

paraprofessionals This PD is
aligned to our McKnight work,
and we will be going deeper this
year into the PD for paras and tie
it to instructionally supporting
students' learning.
The new special ed. coach will
begin aligning PD, coaching for
special ed. staff with our
leadership team.

Areas for Improvement

Paraprofessionals don't get to

see the big picture.
We haven't aligned our work with
the special ed. department yet.
Build capacity and align the work
of the paraprofessionals and the
EDL staff.
Improved schedules to reduce
transition time and increase
blocks of time for literacy

District Goals for Phase II:

Create a consistent structure for communication of instructional practices and individual student goals between teachers, specialists,
extended day teachers and family members.
Use STEP data to create materials and opportunities to extend student learning with paraprofessionals, specialists, extended day programs
and family members.

Aligned Pathways, Pipelines and Programs

SAINT PAUL MUSIC
Implementation Stage:
Strengths

Results!
-PreK 40% met
benchmark (Oral Language)
-Kdgn 72% met
benchmark (Oral Language)
-1st Grade 52% met
benchmark (Text Level)
Growth!
-PreK decreased the
lowest scoring students from
50% down to 13% (a gain of
37%!) in 6 months time
-Kdgn Oral Language
12% gain from 56% to 72%
proficiency

WELLSTONE
Implementation Stage:

Areas for Improvement

Strengths

Areas for Improvement

Challenges
-STEP implementation
-New Learning flexible
groupings, matching
books to reader,
scheduling systems for
groupings, guiding
reading, prompting
-SPPS numerous initiatives
Teacher Development
and Evaluation (TDE),
Personalized Learning
Barriers
-PD time for PreK/K

District Goals for Phase II:

Expand our learning from PreK-3 to 4th and 5th grade
Continue enrollment pipeline through 5th grade ()
Increase retention of PreK students into the dual immersion K program by creating a system for transportation that supports a clear dual
language pipeline

Family and Community Engagement in Instruction

SAINT PAUL MUSIC

WELLSTONE

Implementation Stage:

Implementation Stage:

Strengths

Strengths

Take your Parent To School Day

events are well attended

Areas for Improvement

Using data to inform parents
more consistently and
systematically

Home visits are happening for

many PK-3rd grade families;
almost half
Many families come for literacy
and math events and engage in
make and take activities as well
as take your parent to school
days

Areas for Improvement

The same families attend the
various events
Using data to inform parents
more consistently and
systematically

District Goals for Phase II:

Use STEP data to share materials and activities with families that support individual students STEP level.
Create opportunities for family members to engage in academic conversations with their school staff and child
Have deep conversations with parents to LISTEN and develop strategies that support student achievement

Questions for the Education and Learning National Advisory Committee

Questions