Strategic Planning

Chicago Public Schools + VIVO Foundation + Fry Foundation + MacArthur Foundation

320,000 students — Multilingual Learners

1 year

Chicago Public Schools - Office of Multilingual Multicultural Education

Developed training and coaching for multilingual leaders by designing train the trainer professional learning and a parallel coaching process for district and school ML coaches to improve the ML support across CPS campuses.

Results

  • 83% of Specialist & Instructional Designers could apply what they learned in their practice

  • Created learning cycles which co-developed coaching and ML instructional methods for school based ML coaches.

Take Away

  • Coherence is key - not just in content but in experience. Having district leaders engage in parallel learning experiences allows them to more deeply understand and lead school based ML coaches.

“Whoever is doing the talking is doing the thinking. And whoever is doing the thinking is doing the learning.”

Mario Valdez, Math Unmuted Podcast

Madelia Public Schools + Southwest West Central Service Cooperative + MDE

600 students — PK - 12

2 years

Madelia Public Schools + Southwest West Central Service Cooperative

Co-developed an instructional focus with school leaders and local service cooperative by using classroom walkthrough data to identify instructional priorities and create alignment across instructional programs and teacher development.

Results

  • 92% of teachers felt more prepared to support students with chosen indicators.

  • Process developed for service cooperative to use classroom walkthroughs as an entry point into developing coherence across programs and initiatives.

Take Away

  • We must know why we are asking teachers to change. When there is a specific instructional priority, new initiatives do not feel disparate but aligned and purposeful leading to higher investment.