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Component 2: School and Classroom Leadership
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Districts/district leaders:
Create alignment and coherence.
Take action in relation to improving collaborative instructional leadership in schools.
Assist educators in developing sophisticated understandings of effective instruction for students.
Establish ambitious and realistic goals for student achievement and well-being through board improvement planning (BIPSA).
Monitor the implementation of both the BIPSA and individual School Improvement Plans (SIPs).
Review student progress and support improvements in instructional practice.
Provide differentiated professional learning opportunities in response to the needs of educators, identified through the School Self-Assessment Process.
Establish policies and practices that promote positive student behaviour and well-being.
Promote and support a collaborative learning culture (e.g., a commitment to continuous improvement, a collective focus on student learning for all, deprivatization of practice and reflective dialogue).
Indicator 2.1: Collaborative instructional leadership builds capacity to strengthen and enhance teaching and learning.
At the school:
School Improvement Planning:
involves all staff in planning, implementing, monitoring and refining the SIP, based on analysis of the current needs assessment that is drawn from a variety of data sources e.g., perceptual, demographic, program, achievement.
identifies areas requiring an instructional emphasis (e.g., through the development of a small number of goals based on current student achievement data). The School Effectiveness Framework K–12 17
communicates progress in improving student achievement and meeting targets to parents and the school community (e.g., newsletters, school council agendas, school website).
informs the school budget.
is supported by school leaders through “open to learning” classroom visits and conversations.
includes the review of student achievement data, including evidence from collaborative inquiries at specific times throughout the year, to ensure that schools can demonstrate progress in meeting the targets and goals in all classrooms and for every student
includes student input.
A school improvement team supports the principal/staff to collaboratively develop and monitor the goals in the school improvement plan and to complete the School Self-Assessment, based on the School Effectiveness Framework.
Collaborative planning, design of common assessments and unit plans, use of resources and culminating activities occurs within and across grade levels and courses of study.
Professional learning priorities are based on needs that emerge from the analysis of student work and are aligned with the goals in the SIP.
Structures are in place to ensure that school leaders actively co-learn with staff.
A collaborative learning culture (e.g., a commitment to continuous improvement, a collective focus on student learning for all, deprivatization of practice and reflective dialogue) is evident.
Parents are engaged through ongoing communication and dialogue to support a positive learning environment at home and at school.
In the classroom:
Planning, instruction and assessment align with goals identified in the SIP.
Student achievement data are used to identify and plan for instruction that continuously moves students from current levels of achievement to applying new knowledge and skills independently.
Evidence-based teaching practices, modelled in professional learning, are used in classrooms.
Collaborative learning, inquiry, co-planning and/or co-teaching inform instructional practices to meet the needs of students.
Students:
Confidently engage in the learning process by using accountable talk, being on task, self-advocating, demonstrating curiosity, self-regulating, persevering, and taking ownership for their learning/classroom.
Access and demonstrate the intended learning.
Indicator 2.2: Processes and practices are designed to deepen understanding of the curriculum and refine instruction to improve student learning and achievement.
At the school:
The learning environment supports professional dialogue about the big ideas and content in the curriculum and how to implement instructional practices that lead students to deep conceptual understanding.
Professional learning is continuous and responsive to student learning needs, identified by a wide range of data and informed by ministry policy, resource documents and board guidelines.
Access to expertise and professional learning resources is provided in response to the range of student needs.
System resources are accessed to support professional learning.
Structures, processes and practices that have been collaboratively established at the school and school community are used to determine day-to-day decision-making, based on student needs e.g. pyramid of interventions/tiered approach.
In the classroom:
Input from students on the effectiveness of instructional approaches is used to address next steps.
Professional learning supports the growth of a wide repertoire of evidence-based instructional strategies and their appropriate use.
Ongoing communication and action regarding prevention and interventions support student success.
Rich and relevant tasks advance learning, creativity and innovation.
Students:
Access and engage in the intended learning as individuals, in small groups and as a whole class.
Independently apply knowledge, skills, concepts and processes in different contexts.
Indicator 2.3: Organizational structures are coherent, flexible and respond to the needs of students.
At the school:
The learning environment is intentionally organized to optimize learning time.
Timetabling is strategic and facilitates learning for all students and the appropriate allocation of human and other resources.
The allocation of human and other resources is responsive to changing student needs.
(Elementary) Sustained uninterrupted blocks of learning time are used daily for literacy and numeracy. The School Effectiveness Framework K–12 19
The budget process is transparent and reflects school priorities in the School Improvement Plan.
Communication and procedures support student learning during all transitions.
Teams meet regularly for the purpose of supporting learning for students, including those who are not meeting subject/course requirements and/or learning expectations in the Individual Education Plan.
In the classroom:
The learning environment is both intellectually challenging and developmentally appropriate for all students and is organized to optimize teaching and learning.
Student advocacy is taught and welcomed.
Students:
Advocate for conditions that support their learning.
Work in flexible and varied groupings according to the learning task and their learning needs.
Indicator 2.4: Job-embedded and inquiry-based professional learning builds capacity, informs instructional practice and contributes to a culture of learning.
At the school:
Professional learning is inquiry-based and responsive to student assessment data.
School leaders are engaged in professional learning with staff.
Conditions (e.g. time to meet and talk, common planning time) that promote collaborative learning cultures are established.
School leaders regularly visit all classrooms to engage in ongoing inquiry regarding effective instructional practices and how to increase their impact on student learning.
School leaders seek out relevant professional learning and resources (e.g., curriculum and resource documents, webcasts, monographs, podcasts, ministry websites, institutes, conferences, etc.) to support educators.
Evidence of student learning (e.g., writing samples, mathematical representations of thinking, running records, class profiles) is shared as a catalyst for professional dialogue.
Professional dialogue, based on research literature and learning in the field, supports the use of consistent language and practices.
In the classroom:
Knowledge and effective evidence-based instructional practices are shared (e.g., through co-planning, co-teaching, mentoring, inquiry and coaching).
Risk-taking is demonstrated by trying new instructional practices and strategies.
Consistent language and practices (e.g., use of graphic organizers, Bansho) are modelled across classrooms. The School Effectiveness Framework K–12 20
Students:
Articulate how instructional practices support their learning (e.g. how technology helps them extend their ideas and challenges their thinking).
Use common processes and terminology in and across classrooms, as modelled by educators
Indicator 2.5: Staff, students, parents and school community promote and sustain student well-being and positive student behaviour in a safe, accepting, inclusive and healthy learning environment.
At the school:
A whole school approach is used to engage all members of the school community in developing policies and engaging in practices that will build and sustain a safe and accepting learning environment.
Safe and Accepting Schools Teams develop and update strategies to maintain and improve the school climate e.g., bullying prevention and intervention plans.
Healthy schools policies and programs are implemented (e.g., healthy eating, increased physical activity, injury prevention)
The tenets of equity and diversity are embedded in the school culture.
Ongoing opportunities are provided to gather and act on input regarding the learning culture from staff, students and parents including a process to survey students, staff and parents regarding school climate at least once every two years.
All staff have a duty to report incidents of discrimination, harassment and bullying, including incidents involving the use of social media.
All staff are aware of their role in responding to emergencies, including those under local police/school board protocols.
School-wide approaches promote positive relationship-building between and among students and educators, using tools such as peer mediation, conflict resolution and other evidence-informed practices.
Processes are in place to support new students as they become part of the school community (e.g. student ambassadors welcome new students to the classroom/school).
In the classroom:
Classroom practice reflects safe, accepting, inclusive, caring, respectful and healthy learning environments.
The learning environment supports the diversity of learners.
Character development is an integral part of the learning environment.
Early intervention and/or progressive discipline guides students’ choices and decision-making.
In addition to the necessary knowledge and skills, the learning environment provides modelling for students to make safe and healthy decisions (e.g., injury prevention, healthy eating, physical activity, digital safety). The School Effectiveness Framework K–12 21
Students:
Engage in safe and healthy living and healthy relationships, including those developed through social media.
Behave in accordance with the school code of conduct.
Contribute to the establishment of a safe, accepting and healthy learning environment.
Respond in accordance to school policy and practices to emergencies (e.g. fire drills, lock downs).
Report incidents of discrimination, harassment, bullying and injustice and contribute to solutions.
Contribute to problem-solving in respectful, responsible ways.
Establish and lead activities that promote safe, accepting and inclusive learning environments.
Note: All content is from The School Effectiveness Framework published by the Ontario Ministry of Education in 2013. It is re-posted here only for ease of digital navigation.