Embedded Files
A cross-functional leadership team sets a clear vision for the school, its culture, and what teaching
and learning look like before putting technology in classrooms.
School and District Leadership
School and District Leadership
Guiding question:
How does the campus leadership team model and collaborate with each other to support campus goals?
The principal and VILS coach hold weekly meetings
These meetings provide an opportunity to:
keep each other updated on VILS-related requirements and deadlines
collaborate on strategies to support the staff in digital learning
review data from TIM-O observations and TTS
The Instructional Leadership Team holds weekly meetings
These meetings allow the school's instructional leaders to:
review relevant data, including assessment data, survey data, and student work
brainstorm strategies for addressing gaps
review interventions and supports
The Teacher Leader Corps meet semi-regularly
This meeting allows teacher leaders to:
offer ideas for integrating technology into instruction
plan for ways to support colleagues
provide confidence to open model classrooms
Guiding question:
How does the district leadership team support innovation and collaboration?
The district leadership team supports innovation and collaboration by prioritizing aspects of digital learning and future-readiness, such as:
As highlighted on the Home page of this portfolio site, Future Readiness has been identified as one of the five strategic priorities in Norwalk Public Schools' current strategic operating plan.
Furthermore, the digital learning department has expanded to include an assistant superintendent, a coordinator of digital learning, digital learning coaches, and library media specialists.
Throughout the 2022-2023 school year, the coaches and media specialists have been supported by participating in district-sponsored professional development such as ISTE certification and STEM leadership training to better support teachers in the areas of innovation and future readiness.
Through our participation in VILS, our staff has been able to receive job-embedded professional development on implementing instructional technology and digital learning, especially in the areas of digital collaboration and equity.
Guiding question:
What evidence do you have that supports policies for teacher and student device usage?
Device Care
On subsequent pages in this portfolio, you will see evidence of how the school supports policies around device care as well as safety and security, such as resources designed by the student tech team around digital citizenship and collaborations between the principal and VILS coach to utilize live morning announcements to deliver important information to students and staff related to device care and management.
Repair Ticketing
Our repair ticketing system along with the Device Data Usage Dashboard by Qualtrics provides necessary data to inform us about device care and usage. Additionally, more evidence can be seen in examples such as the system for submitting repair tickets that was created by the school's leadership team and shared by the assistant principal. It can be seen on the "Consistent Access" page of this portfolio.
Device Checks
As per our action planner document, we strived to conduct strategic device checks throughout the year. The first was held in late fall while and the second was helpd in the spring. They each provided evidence that highlighted our strength of limiting the number of missing devices. It also highlighted a weakness in the area of the large number of devices that were in need of repair. Evidence of our efforts to rectify this area of weakness has shown through a collaboration between the principal, coach, and IT team to streamline the repair process as well as to obtain and distribute more loaner devices.
Guiding question:
How have you implemented best practices gained from leadership calls, national calls, and IT calls?
Can you point to ways in which you've modified your PL and IT practices as a result of reflection and learning from others?
VILS Coach Playbook
During one of the national coach synch meetings held early this school year, a resource called the VILS Coach Playbook was shared. In that resource there were many great tips for coaches to use in their work, including 30-day, 60-day, and 90-day plans for how to get the school year off to a great start. It also included a technique called the "Listening Tour." Evidence of the implementation of these tips was seen in the VILS coach's work throughout the first few months of the school year. Examples included attending and being an active participant on the school's Instructional Leadership Team, attending and supporting teachers during teacher team PLC meetings, and conducting informal meetings with individual teachers.
Student Tech Team Implementation
On a more recent national IT call, there was a lot of information shared about how to leverage the student tech team for support with IT work. As you will see on subsequent pages of this portfolio, in the second semester of this school year, the student tech team became more active, meeting twice per week and working on multiple projects. We are also still planning to involve the student tech team more in the ticketing and repair portion of the IT process related to VILS devices. We will adopt some practices similar to the ones shared during the national IT call, such as having students sort through the devices prior to repairs and/or sorting the devices after they have returned from being repaired.
Teacher Leader Corps
Teacher Leader Corps
Guiding question:
How do the TLC members impact school improvement or student learning? If not, how can you leverage their expertise?
West Rocks Middle School values teacher collaboration and leadership through a Professional Community (PLC) model. As such, several committees exist within the school to promote teacher empowerment. The Teacher Leader Corps (TLC) is a committee comprised of 7 teacher leaders. The TLC meets semi-regularly approximately once per month.
Between formal meetings, TLC members and the VILS Coach meet one-on-one as part of coaching cycles and in small groups, when possible, to work on being ambassadors for digital learning platforms. Examples shown in the photos to the right represent members of the TLC supporting other members of grade level or content area PLC teams.
The TLC has impacted school improvement efforts and student learning by being eager to try new digital learning tools and instructional strategies. The TLC searches for ways to make learning more relevant and authentic. Additionally, the TLC models these new strategies for other teachers on grade level and content area teams.
Element Reflection
Element Reflection
Self Reflection on the Element: (Choose one: Emerging, Aligning, or Optimizing)
Aligning
Strengths: How did your campus exemplify illustrating this element?
Strengths in this element include a more dedicated effort to hold planning meetings between the principal and VILS Coach as well as including VILS in meetings with the ILT. Additionally, strengths can be seen in the efforts made around device care and building the STT up as leaders.
Next Steps: What could you have done differently to better align with this element?
The reformation of the TLC was not able to happen until November of 2022. Therefore, since the TLC only meets formally once per month in committee meetings during faculty meeting time, the TLC only met a few times this year. More work will be done to meet more regularly as well as including the TLC more as digital learning leaders.
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