work such as vertical articulation, and said that more instructional and content support personnel are needed to effectively meet district needs. Educators at all levels said that there has been a loosening of previously tight and efficient networks for the support of teaching and learning. B. The district has not identified a process for identifying effective school practices in teaching and learning so that these practices can be vetted, modeled, and implemented among and, as appropriate, across levels. Some school-based instructional best practices are shared at administrative meetings. While school personnel are invited to observe these practices and bring strategies back to schools, the process for piloting and implementing these practices in schools has slowed down and schools are encouraged to implement at their own pace. The district often reallocates support personnel from a higher “capacity” school to one with a lesser “capacity” rating. While this practice is intended to place assets where needed, it may compromise the higher achieving school’s capacity by reducing the support that contributed to its improved level of performance. C. The district has not established a clearly articulated model for effective instructional practice for all educators in the Fall River Public Schools. District leaders and teachers use a variety of instructional models/resources to inform instructional best practice. Elements are pulled from each but common threads have not been identified among these resources to assist in defining a more comprehensive model of best practice and district non-negotiables. Administrators and teacher leaders cited several resources used to frame instructional expectations noting their use may vary by level and content area. Examples of common resources include the Rigorous Planning Cycle (visual chart), blended learning experiences, the educator evaluation rubric, and Understanding by Design. The SOTEL model (student centered, objectives, teacher as facilitator, engaging, learning outcomes), Context for Learning, New Perspectives, and Landscapes for Learning are some additional instructional resources available in the district. When asked to describe the district’s instructional model, district administrators and teacher leaders commonly identified the workshop model, accountable talk, and complex questions as components of that model. Other instructional expectations mentioned but not common included teacher as coach, students “grappling” with work, text-based questions, and use of the rigorous planning cycle (scaffold, objective, accountability, engagement, results).
work such as vertical articulation, and said that more instructional and content support personnel are needed to effectively meet district needs. Educators at all levels said that there has been a loosening of previously tight and efficient networks for the support of teaching and learning. B. The district has not identified a process for identifying effective school practices in teaching and learning so that these practices can be vetted, modeled, and implemented among and, as appropriate, across levels. Some school-based instructional best practices are shared at administrative meetings. While school personnel are invited to observe these practices and bring strategies back to schools, the process for piloting and implementing these practices in schools has slowed down and schools are encouraged to implement at their own pace. The district often reallocates support personnel from a higher “capacity” school to one with a lesser “capacity” rating. While this practice is intended to place assets where needed, it may compromise the higher achieving school’s capacity by reducing the support that contributed to its improved level of performance. C. The district has not established a clearly articulated model for effective instructional practice for all educators in the Fall River Public Schools. District leaders and teachers use a variety of instructional models/resources to inform instructional best practice. Elements are pulled from each but common threads have not been identified among these resources to assist in defining a more comprehensive model of best practice and district non-negotiables. Administrators and teacher leaders cited several resources used to frame instructional expectations noting their use may vary by level and content area. Examples of common resources include the Rigorous Planning Cycle (visual chart), blended learning experiences, the educator evaluation rubric, and Understanding by Design. The SOTEL model (student centered, objectives, teacher as facilitator, engaging, learning outcomes), Context for Learning, New Perspectives, and Landscapes for Learning are some additional instructional resources available in the district. When asked to describe the district’s instructional model, district administrators and teacher leaders commonly identified the workshop model, accountable talk, and complex questions as components of that model. Other instructional expectations mentioned but not common included teacher as coach, students “grappling” with work, text-based questions, and use of the rigorous planning cycle (scaffold, objective, accountability, engagement, results).
fall-river-comprehensive-district-review-report-2016.docx