At The BERC Group, we visit many schools for many reasons. More often than not, they are struggling and under-performing. This fall, I had the privilege of visiting a once-failing school in a high poverty neighborhood. Despite its almost 100% free/reduced lunch status, extreme diversity, and high level of academic needs, the school had made great strides in improving student performance. Reflecting back upon many other schools I have visited, I wondered how the vibe at this particular school could be so different. Where were their excuses? Weren’t they frustrated by the deficits of the clientele they serve? Why didn’t they blame their circumstances like so many other schools?

One of the biggest differences I could identify comes down to a simple shift in philosophy: the leaders of this school ran it like a business, and everyone behaved like a professional. This is not to say that administrators and teachers at other schools are not professionals, but many schools do not adhere to such high standards. Let me see if I can explain the nuances of this difference.

How can an entire school change its instructional practices? How do we create a culture and climate where teachers can comfortably collaborate with each other and are inspired to reflect on their own practices on a consistent basis?

In Part 1 of A Story of Change, we listened to Sedro-Woolley School District staff members talk about their district-wide focus on instruction. In Part 2, we look at one school in particular, Mary Purcell Elementary.

[Related: Sedro-Woolley educators discuss their decision to choose the STAR Framework (Part 1)]

Working with Dr. Duane Baker, teachers were given professional development opportunities to see different forms of instruction, talk about it with their colleagues, apply their observations to their own teaching, and reflect on their practices. With our help, teachers were able to develop a common language around instruction, enabling them to speak openly and clearly to each other about goals and standards. With these practices, teachers will be able to continually improve instructional habits that showcase Powerful Teaching and Learning in the classroom.

Our video team gave teachers and staff at Mary Purcell the opportunity to discuss their work with The BERC Group and also recorded whole classroom lessons so that other schools can practice the same reflective process. We are grateful for their openness and support as we aspire to help all students experience Powerful Teaching and Learning.

Check out the video below to hear teachers and staff members discuss the process of change:

The services provided for Mary Purcell Elementary School included:

• Classroom Observation Data Collection – The data provides a snap shot of the current instructional practices of the school.
• Learning Walks – Teachers observe instruction at other schools and on videos to reflect on their own classroom practices in a safe, collaborative environment.
• Executive Coaching – School administrators and teacher leaders learn how to continue to inspire and sustain instructional growth after the professional development.
• Lesson Planning – Teachers learn how to develop lesson plans with colleagues focused on pedagogy, not content.

A Story of Change: Sedro-Woolley Case Study (Part 1)
Teachers and administrators in the Sedro-Woolley School District realized that improving instruction was key to improving student achievement. Using the standards provided in the STAR Framework, they successfully developed the common language and understanding necessary to improve all schools in the district.

When we started working with the Sedro-Woolley School District, they were facing the same challenges as many other districts. Student achievement was stagnant and they were not reaching Annual Yearly Progress (AYP) goals. Despite their extensive planning and efforts to reform curriculum and testing, Sedro-Woolley still wasn't seeing the improvement that it was looking for.

Determined to achieve progress, administrators decided to shift the focus from their previous methods toward finding ways to modify and strengthen teaching practices. That's where we came in.

We helped walk the district's Instructional Improvement Team (made up of principals and central office staff) through the process of improving instruction as a whole - assisting in an area where making changes can be overwhelming and take up more resources than the district may be able to provide. Using our STAR framework, staff members began using the tools we've developed through years of research to begin implementing Powerful Teaching and Learning in the classroom.

Our video team went to Sedro-Woolley to listen to their story:

The services provided for Sedro-Woolley School District included:

• Classroom Observation Data Collection – The data provides a snap shot of the current instructional practices of the school.
• Learning Walks – Teachers observe instruction at other schools and on videos to reflect on their own classroom practices in a safe, collaborative environment.
• Executive Coaching – School administrators and teacher leaders learn how to continue to inspire and sustain instructional growth after the professional development.
• Lesson Planning – Teachers learn how to develop lesson plans with colleagues focused on pedagogy, not content.

Part Two will explore how the staff members at Mary Purcell Elementary developed a common language to better understand the ins and outs of good instruction and learned to effectively collaborate to put new practices aligned with Powerful Teaching and Learning in place. Stay tuned.

Eisenhower High School (a.k.a. "Ike") in Yakima, WA made a significant turnaround in the five years from 2003-2008. Even with a change in student population and with poverty on the rise, graduation rates and test scores at Eisenhower rose. During this turnaround, Ike worked with The BERC Group to implement Powerful Teaching and Learning using the STAR Framework. This is the "Ike" story.

You can also view the case study video series one our YouTube channel.

We published a new case study video series to our YouTube channel that chronicles Sedro-Woolley's implemention of Powerful Teaching and Learning.