Network Winter Update

Written By Anthony Sarlo

Where We’ve Been

The network has been hard at work this winter solidifying change ideas and planning for classroom implementation. The following summarizes our recent accomplishments.

  • During our December and January meetings, 22 high schools coalesced to identify focused change areas and instructional strategies to implement and measure.

  • The CRoT team created measurement tools to support schools in collecting both teacher and student data related to each change idea.

Where We’re Going

Subsets of the larger group will be utilizing like protocols connected to three specific change ideas, and documenting their experience in PDSA (Plan, Do, Study, Act) Journals

  • This month CRoT coaches will be supporting and learning alongside schools as they begin their first PDSA cycle.

  • The network will gather again on February 21st to study the outcomes of cycle 1 and prepare for cycle 2. A list of participating schools and their change ideas can be found below.

What We’re Learning

Engaging teachers and schools across the district reveals powerful insights.

  • Collaborating to determine collective protocols and measures creates forward momentum.

  • Getting diverse stakeholders to coalesce around change ideas is both challenging and rewarding.

  • Embracing the notion that our work is "definitely incomplete and possibly wrong" helps us discover our gaps and begin to fill them in as we progress in our learning journey.

What Our Schools Are Testing

Change Idea #1: Strategically facilitate students’ academic discussions

  • Carousel Group: Legacy Options, Lincoln High School, Vista Academy

  • Decide & Defend: GW High School, Respect Academy, Northfield High School

  • Stronger & Clearer: Contemporary Learning Academy, DCIS-Baker, Prep Academy

Change Idea #2: Foster a culture of risk-taking

  • My Favorite Mistake: DSISD, Florence Crittenton High School, JFK High School, Montbello Career & Technical, West High School

  • Identify the Mistake: Denver Online, Emily Griffith High School, North Engagement Center, RF Smith STEAM Academy, Summit Academy

Change Idea #3: Create a community of feedback in the classroom

  • Student-to-Student Feedback: Bruce Randolph High School, Compassion Road Academy, Northeast Early College

Anthony Sarlo
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