Participants developed "elevator pitches" - sharing a focus in 2-3 concrete statements.  One developed was the following:  "Ensuring that all children learn and master the Iowa Core is very challenging for even the best teacher.  Therefore, professional learning for all teachers and administrators needs to occur throughout the school year, as part of the typical school day as well as during the summer.  Professional learning is essential to teacher and administrator growth."  The participants then identified 2-3 key points that supported their "pitch" and at least one story from back home that demonstrated the need.  This provided the focus of conversations with legislators in the afternoon.  The debriefing highlighted the new learnings and impact with legislators.  The participants requested ongoing support in "keeping the conversations with their legislators" in the forefront. 

Iowa ASCD Director Kevin Vidergar shares a thought-provoking summary of Unmistakable Impact: A Partnership Approach for Dramatically Improving Instruction by Jim Knight (2011) Corwin Press.

Knight recognizes that schools that have an impact on learning and teaching for that learning are built around five concepts: 

• Humanity - The educators in these schools recognize the inherent value of others and celebrate positive human values such as empathy, support, love, trust, and respect (p. 7).  The leaders recognize and celebrate the professionalism of teachers.
• Focus - These impacting schools focus on a few things and do them very well; the leaders create and share one-page instructional improvement targets.
• Leverage - The educators use specific teaching practices (i.e., content planning, assessment for learning, instruction, and community building) that have a significant impact on learning.
• Simplicity - The leaders of impacting schools remove distractions so that what remains is what matters; collaboratively they work a problem until the way out becomes clear (p. 13).
• Precision - All educators in the impacting school possess a deep, complete understanding of instructional practices and are able to explain those practices so that everyone can learn, internalize, and use them.

Knight also recognizes the power of partnerships, which require strong relationships.  He shares five simple truths about strengthening relationships on which we all need to reflect: 

(1)  People often do not know that they need help.

(2)  If people feel "one down" they will resist help.

(3)  Criticism is taken personally (there's no such thing as "constructive" criticism!).

(4)  If someone else does the thinking for them, people will resist.

(5)  People aren't motivated by other people's goals.

On pages 46 and 91-96 of the book, Knight recognizes these principles of strong partnerships.

• Equality - professional learning is done with teachers
• Choice - teachers should have a choice in what and how they learn
• Voice - teachers should have a voice
• Reflection - an integral part of learning
• Dialogue - professional learning should enable authentic dialogue
• Practice - teachers should apply their learning to their real-life practice as they are learning
• Reciprocity - we should expect to get as much as we give

Based on these principles just shared, principals in impacting schools . . . 

• work from a partnership perspective and view everyone as equal.
• use design thinking to creatively ensure the professional learning, resources, and leaders are aligned to support learning.
• create a one-page Target that summarizes both achievement and behavioral goals for the school.
• observe and monitor teacher progress, and provide meaningful feedback, toward the Target.
• model active participation in learning; each of these principals is the "First Learner" of the school.
• use a balance of 'top down' and 'bottom up' approaches for instituting changes in practice through positioning themselves as partners collaborating with fellow teachers while simultaneously serving clearly as the instructional leader for the team.

Knight goes on to share Core Questions for Impact Schools.  Take a look at these as you reflect on the level of impact your school is having on student learning.  Is your impact getting the results you want and need for your students and their learning? 

School

• Do we have a one-page instructional improvement plan that clearly describes the critical teaching behaviors that are most important for our students and teachers (i.e., the Target)?
• Is the plan focused and does it take into account the complexity of teaching and learning relationships?
• Does our school culture actively promote enrollment in ongoing professional development for all educators in the building, including aides, paraeducators, and other staff?
• Is there alignment of purpose and actions among all staff members?  

Principal

• Do I know precisely what it looks like when the teaching practices on the instructional improvement plan are used effectively by teachers?
• Do I know exactly how well each teacher is doing in implementing those practices?
• Do I know how to prompt teachers to use the school's professional learning opportunities to master the teaching practices in the Target?
• Do I know how to communicate clearly and positively so that staff are motivated to implement the Target?

Teacher

• Is the content I teach carefully aligned with our state standards?
• Do I clearly understand how well my students are learning the content?
• Do my students understand how well they are learning the content being taught?
• Do I fully understand and use a variety of teaching practices to ensure my students master the content being taught in my class?
• Do my students behave in a manner that is consistent with our classroom expectations?

Jim Knight, President of the Instructional Coaching Group, is a research associate at the University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning.

• Tutorial on LiveBinders  
• Professional Development:  Curriculum 21 and the Common Core 
• Middle School Studies Binder 

Be among the first to learn about the Iowa Department of Education's expectations for RTI!  Learn the relationships among the Iowa Core, RTI and Iowa's Blueprint!  Learn from school districts currently implementing RTI and seeing results!!  

All of this will happen at the 11^th Annual Iowa ASCD Curriculum Academy on April 11 and 12 at the Hilton Garden Inn in Johnston, IA.  

Iowa ASCD, in collaboration with the Iowa Department of Education, is featuring Connie Maxson, Dave Tilly, and the State's RTI team throughout the Curriculum Academy. Jason Glass, Director of Education at the Iowa Department of Education, will present an afternoon keynote on the relationship of Iowa's Blueprint and RTI. The Cedar Rapids, Mason City, and North Polk School Districts will provide information about their use of data teams and professional learning communities in managing RTI. Lynnville-Sully Elementary will present their RTI program which includes programs for advanced learners. East Sac School District will report on their continued progress in the implementation of RTI.   

In addition, come learn with Dr. Troyce Fisher, Director of Cohesive Leadership Systems with School Administrators of Iowa, who will address leadership, change and RTI.  Mary Schmitt, Gifted Consultant with Heartland AEA, will describe programming for gifted learners in the RTI process, and the impact of instructional coaches in RTI will be the focus of a presentation by Amy Russell from the Cedar Rapids School District.

Join your colleagues from across the state in the learning on April 11 and 12.  Iowa ASCD Director Sue Wood chairs this event and works with an advisory of Iowa ASCD members to assure the conference meets the needs of our members. 

Download the registration form now!  Space is limited! 

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Iowa ASCD is the source for developing instructional leadership. Serving more than 790 educators - teachers, principals, superintendents, directors of curriculum, technology specialists, college professors, AEA staff - Iowa ASCD strives to develop the collaborative capacity to impact the learning of each and every student in Iowa.