Professional Documents
Culture Documents
A Culture of Learning
Summary of Best Practices Observed During the RCSS Instructional Rounds
The curriculum division visited all 31 of our schools during the 2014 2015 school year with the primary goal of creating
an educational culture to support professional growth and collaboration. The interdisciplinary teams were also working to
determine what strong instructional practices were consistently observed in classrooms throughout the district and what
areas needed additional support or resources. Principals were also asked to identify, based on their own schools data,
the area of focus (problem of practice) for their own school prior to the visit. Having an area of focus helped the teams
narrow their attention throughout the day at each school. Many best practices were observed throughout the K-12
schools in our district.
After visiting all of our schools, the curriculum team members have identified several strong K 12 instructional practices
that are consistent across the district:
Evidence of collaborative instructional planning among grade level and/or content teachers
Students participating in academic conversations with the teacher and each other
Opportunities for student collaboration through the use of various groupings/settings
Good management and use of instructional time - including agendas, bell-ringers, early finishers, and smooth
transitions
Well-planned lessons and activities
Well-maintained, safe and clean learning environments
Walls that teach (Academic Vocabulary/Word Walls, Anchor Charts, Display of Student Work)
The team members have also identified instructional practices that are areas of need throughout the district. These practices should become our priorities in the school system and in each school over the course of the next school year:
Evidence of data analysis and progress monitoring teachers using data from common assessments and formative assessments for daily instructional decisions and students tracking their own data and developing their own
goals. This evidence can be documented through MTSS minutes, data team minutes, data walls, data notebooks,
lesson plans, etc
Differentiated learning opportunities that address the strengths and needs of individual learners in all classrooms.
This can be through personalized learning, small group instruction, collaborative groupings, scaffolded lessons,
etc
Student engagement in challenging problem based learning activities and academic conversations.
Students leading discussions and citing text as evidence to support their own ideas.
Technology being utilized by students to research and create.
As we move forward into the 2015- 2016 school year, the curriculum team will continue the instructional rounds process.
The goal will be to conduct unannounced visits at all schools during first semester and conduct abbreviated visits during
second semester. Principals will be given the dates, but we do not want the staff members to know when the teams will
visit each school. The teams do not want to disrupt the instructional day at the schools and want the day to be as normal
as possible. Instructional rounds are valuable learning experiences for those involved and it is strongly recommended
that principals also conduct instructional rounds within their own schools through peer observations and classroom
walkthroughs. Vertical instructional rounds within a quadrant and horizontal instructional rounds between grade levels
will be an expected professional practice as a way for principals to connect with each other and grow as instructional
leaders. If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself. (Henry Ford)
We have great teaching and learning happening across our district! Working together toward these instructional priorities
will move Randolph County School System from Good to Great!
Examples of
Best
Practices
Observed
2014-2015
May 27-June 9
Keep the focus on creating a calm environment for students and staff
Flexible grouping based on results of common formative assessments. (Who already knows
it and/or can do it?)
Learning centers yes- even in middle and high school!
Whole group, small group, facilitating, workshops, acting, singing, moving, drawing, reading,
writing, calculating, etc...
Student choices in the types of assignments they complete.
Keeping data on skill mastery and re-teaching those who need it, while challenging those
who do not.
Different types of delivery, processing, student output, and grading.
Students receive feedback on a regular basis (systematic approaches).
Cooperative learning.
ENT
MORE
OR
EVERY
FEWER
OWN
DIFFER-
ABILITY LEVEL
differentiation;
classroom organization;
hooking reluctant learners; and
advice for new teachers and much more!
To find out more about the project and view the interviews, just participate in the mini-module through Home Base
or visit the project website at http://rt3nc.org/ncvideo. If you are interested in sharing your best practices, please
contact Educator Effectiveness Web Manager Andrew Horne at andrew.horne@dpi.nc.gov.
* Global Educator Digital Badge for Teachers Archived Webinars - The principal and teacher archived webinars presented in January on the Global Educator Digital Badge for Teachers are now posted. You can access the webinars
along with the Implementation Guide and FAQS on the process at http://www.ncpublicschools.org/globaled/actions/
item1-2.
* Global Ready Schools Designation Application Now Available - The State Board of Education approved the GlobalReady Schools Designation Rubric at its January meeting. This designation fulfills one of the action items from the
SBE Task Force on Global Education Final Report, and provides the measure for the SBE strategic plan objective to
track the number of schools designated as global ready. The spring 2015 application and a presentation on
the application process for schools wanting to attain this designation are posted. For a copy of the Global Ready
Schools Designation Rubric, the application and the presentation, please visit www.ncpublicschools.org/globaled/
actions/item4-2.
* New Resource for Parents on 21st Century Learning
and Citizenship - P21 has created a free digital
toolkit to help parents support their learners in becoming 21st century leaders and citizens. The three-part
toolkit was developed with National PTA as a family
engagement advisor, and provides an overview of 21st
century learning and how citizenship has changed in a
digitally and globally connected world, tips and strategies for families, and real world examples of 21st century learning in action. Find out more at www.P21.org/
Parents.