Archived newsletter — November 2023. This issue preserves historical information; events, contacts, and resources may have changed.
Welcome to the 36th issue of the SIGnetwork Newsletter, published monthly for SPDG projects and their partners to learn about upcoming events, the latest relevant research, TA resources and training, and, most importantly, SPDG impact. We’re glad you're here!
Interested in reading past issues? Browse the Newsletter Archive. Was this email forwarded to you? Subscribe here.
Re-igniting of our Passion for Book Clubs
When I was approached at the SPDG National Meeting with the request to start a book club, I was not at all surprised. In fact, I had been thinking the exact same thing just moments before. I was coming from a great data discussion focused on a book study and the impact it had on the SPDG team’s ability to communicate their data.
Scott Eckman of the Nebraska SPDG explained how book club conversations allowed their team members to use their imaginations to find metaphors, stories, and examples that would make their data stickier using the SUCCESs principles.
Their book will be our book because the people have spoken. Our book club will be reading…
If you responded to the book club survey and provided your information, please look for a calendar planner from Kelsey. We will alert everyone else to the monthly times the book club chooses so that you can buy the book and join us. Happy reading!!
Jennifer
News You Can Use
November is recognized as National Family Engagement Month, a time dedicated to acknowledging and appreciating the growth and impact of family engagement in education. Please consider how you bring in family voices in your planning, implementation, and evaluation. And share what you learn!
The Secretary of Education, Miguel Cardona, as part of his Raise the Bar efforts, has provided a list of questions for families and educators to help them collaborate to provide the best education possible for their students.
Upcoming Directors’ Webinar
Georgia will share their efforts with universities and partners across the State to ensure all personnel have the skills they need to work with children with disabilities. Jennifer will share the post-event survey data from the SPDG National meeting. And Illinois will share the data that gets their Advisory Board talking!
Join us Thursday, December 7th from 3-4:30. All are welcome.
SPDG Success!
The South Dakota SPDG is closing out its project with a bang! Check out their infographic that provides summaries of their efforts, including reach, fidelity, and impact.
Improving Professional Learning
Guidance for States on Supporting District Use of High-Quality Professional Learning Providers: CCSSO’s Guidance for States on Supporting District Use of High-Quality Professional Learning Providers was developed to provide states with information, tools, samples, and templates to streamline the process of supporting districts in selecting and using high-quality (HQ) professional learning (PL) providers. In this context, “high-quality” PL providers are organizations that support districts with professional learning that is, at minimum, content-specific, and often that is specific to the curriculum the district is implementing.
How we communicate about professional learning may be as critical as the PL itself. As we learned in “Made to Stick” we have to work smarter (not harder) to get and keep people’s attention. Check out these infographics that outline the 5 Big Ideas of Beginning Reading from National Center on Improving Literacy (NCIL).
Jennifer Pierce gave us plenty of food for thought for our coaching systems as our 2nd day keynote speaker. She reminded us of the importance of:
- Defining your coaching system.
- Determining the right type of coaching data depending on skill and will.
- Asking evaluation questions that will help you interrogate the data.
Jennifer Pierce: Using Data to Maximize Your Coaching System
Spotlight on OSEP and ED-funded TA & Technology
Writing a Scale-up and Sustainability Plan for Statewide Pyramid Model Implementation:
An online, skill development workshop for Members of Pyramid Model State Leadership Teams
December 13, 2023; 1-4pm ET; 12-3pm CT; 11-2pm MT; 10-1pm PT
Applications are due December 4, 2023
Evaluators' Corner
Are you collecting District Capacity Assessment data? SISEP has provided handy questions to help your team analyze and use the data, along with an action planning template. You may appreciate this district data story which brings together the pieces of data relevant to the DCA and one district’s capacity journey.
Data Visualization: Bringing Your Evaluation Results to Life: This interactive tool from the Center to Improve Program and Project Performance (CIPP) provides an overview of data visualizations project staff and evaluators might use to present their data. Once you choose the visualization you want to create, follow the step-by-step instructions included with each visualization to create meaningful visuals using your own project data.
Tweets, Podcasts, & Videos of the Month
27 min
PLAY
#892: A solution to teacher shortages, with Kirsten Baesler
The Education Gadfly Show
On this week’s Education Gadfly Show podcast, Kirsten Baesler, the superintendent of North Dakota, joins Mike to discuss her state’s new teacher and principal apprenticeship programs. Then, on the Research Minute, Amber reports on a study that examines the accuracy and efficacy of school rating systems.
Recommended content:
“North Dakota to launch principal apprenticeship program” —The Bismarck Tribune
“An overview of Ohio’s new teacher apprenticeship program” —Jessica Poiner, The Fordham Institute
If You Have the Time
Redefining the Role of the Principal: Innovative Approaches to Empower School Leaders - The Aspen Institute
This paper examines how five districts and states are empowering principals to focus on the leadership work only they can do—cultivate positive school climates and deliver rigorous academic experiences for every student:
- Evaluate Principal Readiness Through Authentic Tasks
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education - Increase Principals’ Capacity to Focus on Strategic Priorities
District of Columbia Public Schools - Design Responsive Principal Professional Development
Cleveland Metropolitan School District - Develop Differentiated Professional Learning for Principals
Long Beach Unified School District - Support Principals with Content Specialists
Tulsa Public Schools