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The Art and Science of Teaching A Comprehensive Framework for Effective Instruction: I used this book because it has great insight on creating and tracking learning goals for students, I felt the same idea could be used for the teachers (instead of students) at Hickory Ridge. Marzano, R. J. (2007). //The art and science of teaching a// // comprehensive framework for effective instruction //. Virginia: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

This article described surveys and interviews as an assessment tools for tracking progress.

Darling-Hammond, L. (2006). Assessing teacher education: the

usefulness of multiple measures for assessing program outcomes. //Journal of Teacher Education//,//57//(2),18. Retrieved from [|http://go.galegroup.com.ezproxy.fgcu.edu/ps/i.do?action=interpret&id=GALE|A143062815&v=2.1&u=gale15690&it=r&p=EAIM&sw=w&authCount=1]

__ Strategies for Gauging Staff Success __

The teachers and staff at Hickory Ridge have a variety of expertise in their respective field; the veteran teachers know and understand the culture of the local community, the rookie teachers are entering Hickory Ridge with the most up to date knowledge on technology and best practices in education. If both groups of teachers can learn to work together rather than in spite of each other, Hickory Ridge will not only see an improvement in academics but also an improvement in the overall school community. The current reform plan for Hickory Ridge including the use of team building, Kagan exercises, and parental involvement has the potential to truly make an impact no only on student learning but also change the culture of the entire school community.

Productive approaches for assessing outcomes are becoming increasingly important; to begin with teachers and staff at Hickory Ridge must first evaluate their current teaching practices (Darling-Hammond, 2006).This can be accomplished in the form of a simple survey or an in-person interview; before the implementation of the school reform at Hickory Ridge Mr. O’Conner could ask his staff to rate their current level of expertise as well as their willingness to collaborate with other teachers both at their current grade level and within their school. After the team building, Kagan exercises, and staff development workshops Mr. O’Conner could have his staff complete the same survey or meet privately with each staff member to discuss any changes in their attitudes. The results of both the surveys and/or interviews could be analyzed to determine if the teachers and staff have changed their views in regards to working collaboratively with their colleagues.

Robert Marzano, the author of The Art and Science of Teaching explained that in order for students to be successful, they need a learning goal that they’re working towards, a scale to measure the goal, and a tool to track their progress (Marzano, 2007). The same theory and practice can be applied to the teachers and staff at Hickory Ridge, they have a learning goal (collaborative teamwork) that they are working towards. A scale/measuring tool needs to be developed in order for teachers and staff members to track their individual progress towards meeting their goal. Marzano suggest creating a rubric for each goal and using that rubric as a scale to measure progress over time. Once teachers know and understand what is expected they will be better able to accomplish their goals. Mr. O’Conner would be responsible for collecting the data from his staff and tracking the progress of the school as a whole.

As the superintendant of the Wingfield School District I would also perform several observations at Hickory Ridge both before the implementation of the school reform, during the school reform and again at the end of the school reform. I would keep track of the changes in the school community during each visit, paying special attention to the tone of the teachers as they work with each other. I would make sure to visit during staff meeting days as well as during team and leadership meetings. With the use of surveys, interviews, checklists, and teacher observations, the effectiveness of the school reform at Hickory Ridge can be measured accurately.

Works Cited

Darling-Hammond, L. (2006). Assessing teacher education: the usefulness of multiple

measures for assessing program outcomes. Journal of Teacher Education,57(2),18. Retrieved from [|http://go.galegroup.com.ezproxy.fgcu.edu/ps/i.do?action=interpret&id=GALE|A143062815&v=2.1&u=gale15690&it=r&p=EAIM&sw=w&authCount=1]

Marzano, R. J. (2007). The art and science of teaching a comprehensive framework for

effective instruction. Virginia: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.