A Broadly Shared Mission Vision and Goals Founded

A Broadly Shared Mission, Vision and Goals Founded on aspirational images of the educated person Review of selected research with an emphasis on Goals for students

From the study of Ontario districts (Leithwood, 2011) Effect Size of Mission, Vision Goals on changes in achievement over five years: Language (gr. 3, 6, 10) =. 27 Math (gr. 3, 6, 9) =. 40 function is both “directional” and “motivational”

Key Qualities n transparently developed with multiple school and district stakeholders. n reflects parameters set by the province (e. g. , Achieving Excellence). n understood and shared by almost all staff. (Leithwood, 2011, Characteristics of High Performing School Systems in Ontario, Ontario Institute for Education Leadership, Toronto)

Key Content Includes… nnurturing student engagement nraising the achievement “bar” nclosing the achievement “gap” (equity) (Leithwood, 2011, Characteristics of High Performing School Systems in Ontario, Institute for Education Leadership, Toronto)

About Missions and Visions Morgan and Morgan (a large Florida law firm) “Our mission is you”

learning from Morgan & Morgan… “Our mission is your child” What else needs to be said?

Some Ontario Examples Confident learners, caring citizens (Algoma DSB) Extraordinary lives start with a great education (Dufferin-Peel CDSB) Growing excellence, inspiring success (Grand Erie DSB) Ignite learning, (Durham DSB)

The purpose for Mission and Vision statements A source of inspiration and a means for creating shared commitment to district goals among staff, students and other stakeholders

The “acid test” for mission and vision statements Do they increase understanding and commitment to the Goals?

Goals What goals should all districts in Ontario be developing in their students? Three obvious sources for answering this questions…. *Achieving Excellence, *Report Card Learning Skills, *21 st century skills

Ontario’s “Achieving Excellence” & The Paradigm Wars Within the Student Achievement goal: “Conventional” Paradigm & “New” Paradigm

The Conventional Paradigm Features n Specific goals n Aligned strategies n Sequenced instruction n Assessment of specific goal achievement

The Conventional Paradigm Rooted in 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Ralph Tyler Behaviorism, Behavioral objectives & criterion-referenced tests Extrinsic motivation of students Performance-oriented approaches by students to their learning SMART goals Accountability policies

The “New” Paradigm Cooperation and collaboration rather than competition among students – Big ideas, authentic, complex problems – Intrinsic student motivation – Experimentation, celebration of unexpected results – Epistemic agency (more student control)

The “New” Paradigm Rooted in… 1. Dewey, Bransford, Bereiter 2. Cognitive psychology, constructivist approaches to instruction 3. Intrinsic student motivation 4. Mastery-oriented approaches by students to their learning

First source “Achieving Excellence” Students fully engaged n Make real world connections n Perseverance and resilience n Critical thinking n Creativity n Effective communication/collaboration n

A second source Report Card “Learning Skills” 1. Collaboration 2. Independent work 3. Initiative 4. Organization 5. Responsibility 6. Self-regulation

What else? Four additions to Learning Skills from Achieving Excellence and 21 st Century Skills 7. Fully engaged (AE) 8. Problem solving/real world connections (AE, 21 st) 9. Critical thinking (AE) 10. Creativity (AE, 21 st)

Ten Goals for all Districts These 10 goals for all districts require a future focus for classrooms, schools and districts on…. Deeper Learning

New research examines benefits of “Deeper Learning” schools Bitter et al (2014), Yettick et al (2014) Zeiser et al (2014) n 3 recent large scale reports (American Institute for Research) n 10 secondary school networks focused on deeper learning vs. 13 non-networking schools n researcher-created tests and State tests

“Deeper Learning” defined… n “education that emphasizes core academic content, critical thinking, problem solving, collaboration, effective communication, self-directed learning, and an academic mindset”.

Results (academic) “…the advantage to students of attending a deeper-learning school was equivalent to moving from the 50 th to the 54 th or 55 th percentile in reading, mathematics, and science, as measured by [PISA]”

Results (non-academic) “students who attended deeper-learning schools were more academically motivated and engaged than the comparison group of students. They also had better collaboration skills”. “The two groups were similar, however, when it came to creative thinking, perseverance, and other personal traits emphasized by deeper learning”.

Results overall “On average, students at deeper learning schools had better test results and people skills. They were also more likely to graduate from high school on time and enroll in four-year colleges”.

Key Takeaways “Network schools took a range of approaches to developing the deeper learning competencies. Most schools integrated project-based learning to develop mastery of core academic content knowledge and critical thinking skills”.

Takeaways (cont. ) “Interpersonal skill development was a goal at a majority of network schools and was addressed through instruction, assessment, and internship opportunities”.

Takeaways (cont. ) “Most network schools had established structures and cultures to support the implementation of instructional strategies aligned with deeper learning”.

Guidelines for Going Deeper Local resources, for example, Scardamalia, Bereiter and the LSA project… Principles of “Knowledge Building” (for more, see A Coherent Instructional Guidance System module)

Summing up… 1. Missions/visions aim to inspire and create commitment to goals 2. There at least 10 important goals all districts should aim to accomplish with their future students 3. Achieving these goals will require a “deep learning” approach to teaching some of the time

Summing up… 4. Much to be gained and nothing to be lost with a “deep learning” approach 5. “Deep learning” combines assumptions related to both conventional and new paradigms for education