Compass PD Podcast Episode 50: Refocusing for Results

In this episode, Dr. Carrie Hepburn shares how a single-minded focus on a key goal can significantly improve student learning. Learn how simplifying your approach transformed state test scores and empowered teachers to confidently lead.

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Simplified Approach

Speaker 1 0:14

Hello and welcome to the Compass PD podcast , where we dive into evidence-based practices that empower educators and leaders to make a difference in student learning . I'm Dr Keri Hepburn , your host , and today we're tackling a topic I know that resonates with many of you the emotional and practical changes that come with state test scores and how , sometimes , less can be more . Let's get started . There is an emotional impact that comes when we receive our state test scores . I mean , that's just a reality . Every year , the release of the state test scores triggers a wave of emotions . Of the state test scores triggers a wave of emotions . For those of us that are deeply invested in education , these numbers can feel like a judgment on our efforts , our dedication and our passion to student learning , and sometimes there are years that it feels like validation . It's not always negative . I remember vividly the disenheartment that swept through our district when we saw the scores . Despite all of the positive changes we made adding resources , hiring interventionists the results just weren't reflecting the hard work our administrators and that the teachers had put in . And to top it all off , in a couple of our buildings the beginning of the year , screening data for reading didn't look any better than the scores . It showed that half of our students required reading intervention . This was just overwhelming , not just for the teachers and then the administrators , but everyone who cared about the students . A sense of defeat was strong , but it also made us realize that something wasn't working and we had to take a closer look . We were overwhelmed by good intentions , were overwhelmed by good intentions . Like many districts , we were laser focused on improving literacy . The English language arts district team , along with building principals and curriculum staff , had had countless discussions on what was going wrong and why we were seeing these kinds of results that we saw reflected in our state test scores . And it wasn't all of our buildings . It was in our neediest buildings , right Like the kids who needed the most support . Those were the ones that were struggling , and as we were diving deep into this , we discovered that we were just doing too much .

Speaker 1 3:12

What happened was we were implementing numerous strategies and interventions and along the way , it all happened with the best intentions , but we just kept like piling on more people , more pullouts , more resources , and the sheer volume of what was happening was staggering . Actually , instead of it helping , we were creating like this whirlwind that teachers and students couldn't navigate . We had students being pulled every single day multiple times for interventions . Rarely did they have time to practice what we were teaching them . That's when we decided to get back to the basics and later , as I started learning about wildly important goals or wigs from the Hovey organization , I discovered that that's basically what we were doing , but we didn't know that at the time . So what we realized was that by trying to do everything , we were actually accomplishing very little .

Speaker 1 4:21

So we decided to get really focused . We made a bold decision . We decided to stop trying to juggle everything and focus on just one essential goal for the year . And it wasn't easy , because you know what it's like in schools . We have all of these things that we need to balance . We have all of these goals that we need to have . I have all of these goals that we need to have . I mean , we need goals in literacy and we need goals in math and we need goals in social emotional learning . We need goals in culture and we need goals in science and we need goals in social studies and in health , like in physical education . But In these particular buildings we really needed to get laser focused and we knew if we didn't prioritize , we were going to just fail at everything . So we chose our one goal . We did this , we focused on this goal and we decided that our big goal was to improve student outcomes and reading . To improve student outcomes and reading . So we began by defining our primary goal what do students need to know , understand and be able to do in reading ? And from there we built our plan . We decided to use that as our focus . We simplified the approach . We simplified everything . What do students need to know , understand and be able to do as readers ? Simplified everything what do students need to know , understand and be able to do as readers period . So , based on this new approach , it was going to be simple and focused .

Speaker 1 5:52

Every month I dedicated a full day to working with each PLC in those buildings . So these particular buildings were elementary . So I worked with the kindergarten first , second , third , fourth , fifth grade PLCs and I worked a full day with each of them . During our sessions together we reviewed their curriculum , scope and sequence and we focused on one priority standard for that month , still taught the other standards , but our goal was really to make sure that we focused on this one priority and that that was front and center and we use the others as supporting . We spent hours each month diving into that standard . We defined the key terms , we understood the hierarchy of skills and we used that information in our planning to learn how to bring the standard to life in the classroom .

Speaker 1 6:49

It was deep work and it really did require a lot of dedication on the part of the administrators because they had to make sure that their teachers were there , that they had sub coverage , that they were . They're going to put the time and effort into supporting and championing this work . It took a lot of time from the teachers . They had to give up that day in their classroom . They needed to come game on minds minds in the right place and with resources to be ready to think about what that standard meant and to think about what instruction could look like for their students . And then it required a lot of dedication on the coaches because they kind of organized the entire event , which is a lot . They were thinking about subs , they were thinking about resources that would be helpful for the teachers , they were thinking about setting up the space and making sure it was inviting for deep work . So there was a lot of time and effort put forth to make sure this day was valuable for the teachers , and then my job was to come in and facilitate and bring credible and reliable research and resources about what they would be teaching . I will tell you that the results of this time were worth it . I'm not going to sugarcoat it .

Speaker 1 8:17

It was hard , it was really hard . At first some people were hesitant . Some people were hesitant , even resistant . They were used to the whirlwind of activities , like the crushing whirlwind that it felt like in a school day . This level of focus and not having students pulled two , three times a day for extra support would really be impactful and , honestly , focusing on just one thing felt really risky for them . But what happened was , as we continued the work , we saw some transformations . Happened was , as we continued the work , we saw some transformations . As we translated each learning target into engaging instructional activities . You would feel the room , the energy in the room , would begin to shift , like people would start to feel more empowered , more inspired , less like they were checking boxes off the list and more like what we walked away with would be something that they could use and that would be helpful .

Speaker 1 9:36

By the end of each day , each month , our PLCs had developed a solid reading , not a . They had developed solid reading lesson plans . They had identified their formative assessments and they felt more prepared to deliver responsive teaching . So small group instruction for students based on those formative assessments and , just in the moment , data that they were seeing their confidence skyrocketed . Teachers who were once uncertain became leaders in their PLCs and in their buildings . The teachers , the administrators , the coaches , the curriculum department saw so much value in this focused approach . There was like a newfound confidence that transferred , that transformed the culture of those two buildings and really , as our organization as a whole , like we need to get back to the basics . My schools asking for this kind of time and support and , honestly , what was it ? What were we doing ? We were backwards designing .

Speaker 1 10:49

By the end of the school year in those two buildings , something remarkable happened . I no longer needed to plan the team meetings . The teachers were confidently leading this work themselves and they were leading it in the whole group days , but they were also doing this independently in their weekly PLC meetings . They were learning how to make tweaks and changes and feel confident in that and being able to do that . Our reading screening data showed a 20% decrease in students needing reading interventions . The state scores reflected this growth . This information all together really increased the confidence of the teachers , highlighting the work that they did day in and day out was finally being recognized . This really wasn't just a one-year success . That momentum continued , fueled by the staff , their commitment and their leadership commitment and their leadership At Compass PD .

Speaker 1 11:58

We believe that building organizational capacity is the key to lasting success and that this experience reinforced our belief in that this simplified approach had a profound impact not just on student learning but the entire educational community . If there's one thing I hope you take away from this episode , it's that sometimes less is more . If you're finding that , despite your best efforts , the results just aren't there , consider simplifying , go back to the basics and focus on what really matters . Think of those days that you were in college and learning about best practices , or if you got your master's in curriculum and instruction . My doctoral work was all in curriculum and instruction design . Think of things like backwards design or learning design , udl , ubd all of those acronyms that we've learned .

Speaker 1 12:53

It all starts in the same place knowing the standards , knowing inside and out what students need to know , understand and be able to do . For years , we've put our trust and belief in products and things that publishers promise us are in their resource . But that can't be the case . We have to have the knowledge to be able to discern and know how to pivot when we see that our students need something different . So this might feel challenging at first or even counterintuitive that less is more . But the rewards , as we've seen , are worth the effort .

Focused Education Journey With Compass PD

Speaker 1 13:42

At Compass PD , we're here to help you through this journey . If you need help refocusing your efforts or implementing a similar strategy , don't hesitate to reach out . We've walked this path before and we know the way . Thank you for joining me today and for your unwavering commitment to improving education . Together , we can make a difference , one focused step at a time .

Speaker 1 14:07

Quickly , let's recap what happened today . We talked about the emotional impact of state scores , the problem with being overwhelmed by good intentions , the whirlwind too many things , the power of focusing on one goal what do students need to know , understand and be able to do in fill in the blank and the long-term benefits of that simplified approach . Please feel free to share your thoughts or your experiences . I'd love to hear from you and , if you found today's episode valuable , consider sharing it with a colleague , someone who might benefit from this message . Next week , we're going to dive into a topic that's been on many people's minds lately AI , artificial intelligence . We wanna share some interesting information on using it effectively things to avoid and tasks that lighten the load but won't cause concern on impacting student learning , which I think is vital . Until next time , this is Dr Keri Hepburn reminding you to stay focused , stay inspired and keep making a difference .