The DoDEA Learning Walkthrough was established as a method of providing timely and relevant feedback to teachers, and collect trend data about teaching and learning. It is a systematic and coordinated data-collecting method for monitoring instructional practices to gauge the level of student engagement within classrooms. The DoDEA Learning Walkthrough 1.0 was first released in SY 18-19. After being revised and improved, the DoDEA Learning Walkthrough 2.0 was released in SY 19-20. The Pacific East District created a Learning Walkthrough committee in SY 19-20 , which evolved into the Learning Walkthrough Critical Initiative Working Group SY 20-21. These team developed long-term action plans for implementing and using the Learning Walkthrough Tool, adding Instructional Rounds, determining annual focus indicators, and utilizing the data from the Learning Walkthrough.
The Learning Walkthrough Critical Initiative Working Group strives to:
Communicate in ways that build transparency and trust for all stakeholders
Establish district-wise expectations for use of the DoDEA Learning Walkthrough Tool
Co-plan with CIL for the professional learning, implementation and support of the Learning Walkthrough
Provide subject-matter/instructional expertise in instructional shifts
Provide professional learning on instructional shifts and DoDEA’s College and Career Ready Standards implementation
Engage in data analysis to inform decisions and resource allocation
Provide support for school-level leaders and their leadership for Focused Collaboration/PLCs in schools
The Pacific East has been positively impacted by the Learning Walkthrough as evidence by:
Increasing the number of administrator walkthroughs completed
Increasing the percentage observed in the focused indicators 3, 10, 13
Improving the quality and understanding of the Learning Walkthrough process for administrators and teachers
During SY 16-17, the Pacific East District developed and set its own learning environment walkthrough guidance and expectations. Senior Leadership provided administrators training on the learning environment walkthrough. Senior Leadership set Administrator guidance on expectations on how many walkthroughs would be complete, and the learning walkthrough focus is utilizing the classroom environment.
The Pacific East District continued the systemic expectation; administrators engaging in classroom environment walkthroughs to assist teachers continue improving their classroom environments.
In SY 18-19, DoDEA implemented the DoDEA Learning Walkthrough (D-LWT). In support of this implementation, the Pacific East District, in partnership with the Center for Instructional Leadership (CIL) provide training to school administrators and Instructional Systems Specialists (ISS) regarding the purpose of the D-LWT, the utilization of the D-LWT data, and engaged in calibrations regarding the D-LWT. The Pacific East District asked administrators to focus on a different cluster of indicators each quarter in order to collect data regarding instructional practices within the district.
In the fall of SY 19-20, DoDEA rolled out the DoDEA Learning Walkthrough 2.0 and again provided administrators and the ISS team with training on the tool. The Pacific East District created the Learning Walkthrough Committee. The Learning Walkthrough Committee developed a three year action plan in support of the Learning Walkthrough which included beginning a pilot school program regarding Instructional Rounds. At the conclusion of the school year, the Learning Walkthrough Committee sought input from school administrators across the district and identified three focus indicators, Indicators 3, 10, and 13, to focus on for the subsequent school year. The belief was that the three identified indicators would align with the Pacific East District 21st century objectives focusing on student-led discourse, technology integration, and project based learning.
In SY 20-21, the Pacific East District began implementing the focus indicators for the DoDEA Learning Walkthrough 2.0. In support of building administrator capacity regarding the DoDEA Learning Walkthrough, the district provided administrators with pre-packaged professional learning sessions for each of the focus Learning Walkthrough indicators. Administrators could provide 30, 60, or 75 minute professional learning sessions for their staff. Additionally, these training were developed into self-paced modules for educators who opted to engage in the training on their own. On a monthly basis, the Pacific East District reviewed district level data on the three focus indicators with administrators and provided suggestions on improving calibration with the indicators. The Pacific East District also began its Instructional Rounds Pilot School program, rolling out the process in two Pacific East Schools, providing interested educators with a half day training and an Instructional Rounds two credit college course. Based on administrator feedback, the district decided to keep indicators 3, 10, and 13 as the focus indicators for the district.
From SY 17-18, to present, the district has collected learning walkthrough evidence and collected trend data. This data has driven professional learning and greater understanding of the Learning Walkthrough Tool and its role in informing instructional practices. The total number of walkthroughs completed each school year has increased as the Pacific East District has improved and implemented expectations regarding the completion of the walkthroughs. With the emphasis on engaging administrators and ISS in walkthrough calibrations, an increase in understanding regarding the focus indicators has emerged.
Indicator 3, Digital/Multimedia has shown the largest implementation dips. With a greater understanding through professional learning, we have become more proficient in marking what we are actually observing. A more focused professional learning effort since the school year 2019-2020 of the rich description has increased the understanding of the SAMR model and learning environment expectations, including uses of digital and multimedia tools for modification and redefining traditional tasks. While a decrease has been noted in the number of times the indicator has been observed, increase in calibrations and collaborative discussions have led to an understanding that technology integration should be noted beyond the substitution level of SAMR and has led to a greater understanding in the district regarding the indicator.
Indicator 10, Domain Vocabulary, has been consistently observed since the school year 2019-2020 and is the most evident of the three indicators we are monitoring. Beginning in school year 2019-2020 we led a focused professional learning effort to help stakeholders understand the role of domain specific vocabulary in student led discourse. Our understanding and expectation regarding domain specific vocabulary has changed with the increased understanding of the differences in tiered language and how domain specific language is part of student-led discourse.
Over time, indicator 13 has shown greater reliability as a result of the district’s focused professional learning for teachers and administrators regarding how students cite evidence to support efforts to increase student achievement in evidence-based reading and writing tasks.
The data shows evidence that prior to theSY 19-20 there was a lack of consensus on which indicators should be a district-wide focused initiative as well as a consensus on what constitutes observed or not observed. These trends are seen more clearly through the historical data provided that demonstrate corresponding implementation dips as professional learning focused more on the learning environment as described in the DoDEA LWT.
The DoDEA LWT is an embedded practice and instructional assessment tool providing valuable data and feedback that guides the work of the district Critical Initiative Working Groups. The working groups engage teachers, administrators, and ISSs in focused collaborations on data. The groups use this data to make evidence-based decisions impacting instructional practices at the classroom level. For example, data from the SY 19-20 and the first semester of SY 20-21 indicated the need for district-wide professional learning on student-led discourse. This led to the development and implementation of discourse training on the March 4, district-wide professional development day.
The impact of the implementation and embeddedness of the DoDEA LWT has been to see an increase in students meeting math and literacy benchmark expectations, an increase in AP exams taken, an improvement in every discourse-related indicator in eleot data. The DoDEA LWT is a critical tool in consistently assessing the learning environment as it relates to district’s focus areas and provides evidence for data-driven professional learning; the results of which can be seen in a wide array of student achievement data as seen here: Student Impact Data.
Results and Monitoring Progress - Instructional Impact Data:
Student Impact Data - eleot, AP, PSAT metrics directly correlated to D-LWT focus indicators
Pacific East LWT in Power Bi - Houses district-wide data for D-LWT accomplished and observed
Learning Walkthrough Sharepoint - DoDEA-wide Research, Accountability, & Evaluation platform; narrow and wide data-dives, greater filter options, historical data
Pacific East IRV Data - channel three, tab five, shows student impacts in 11 eleot indicators correlated to D-LWT focus indicators
Pacific East AP Scores Data - shows an increase in AP exams taken over the same time as D-LWT implementation
Pacific East PSAT Data - % meeting benchmarks, EBRW and Math specific, subscores in command of evidence, words in context, etc. correlate to D-LWT focused indicators
Pacific East DCAS Interim Assessment Data - more metrics for comparing data and providing contextual evidence for results and monitoring progress of implementation strategies
Organizational Policy and Implementation Guides:
Learning Walkthrough Implementation Guide 2.0 - Professional practice and initial implementation instructions, including: roles, responsibilities, rich descriptions, job aides, guiding questions, and more
DoDEA Learning Walkthrough 2.0 Training and Facilitator’s Guide - DoDEA-wide PL from the CIL
Blueprint for Continuous Improvement - Overarching mission, vision, and goals for the organization
LWT Indicator 13 - Job aide; rich description, looks like/sounds like, questions to students/teachers
LWT Indicator 3 - Job aide; rich description, looks like/sounds like, questions to students/teachers
Pacific East District Professional Learning Tools and Implementation:
Classroom Environment Walkthroughs (2016-2018) - Administrators professional practice and coaching for implementation
Look-Fors in Physical Education - Job aide; rich description, looks like/sounds like, questions to students/teachers for Physical Education; developed by Regional ISS team
Training Options for Schools on Indicator 3 - interactive PL on implementation, integration with calibration
Training Options for Schools on Indicator 10 - interactive PL on implementation, integration with calibration
Training Options for Schools on Indicator 13 - interactive PL on implementation, integration with calibration
Monthly Data Discussions from 2020-2021 with Administrators and ISS - documentation for data usage, results and monitoring, with feedback and next steps
Learning Walkthrough Committee Action Plan - three year action plan for introducing and implementing Instructional Rounds using the D-LWT focus indicators as an improvement focus area
Learning Walkthrough Indicator Selection Process - Evidence/documentation on selecting LWT indicator cluster
Pacific East Learning Walkthrough Website - District-wide collaboration and PL opportunity through google site with google classroom link
Learning Walkthrough Sharepoint - DoDEA-wide Research, Accountability, & Evaluation platform; narrow and wide data-dives, greater filter options, historical data