Change Is A Process

A few years ago, I was introduced to W. Edwards Deming.  William Edwards Deming was an American engineer, statistician, professor, author, lecturer, and management consultant.  Our professional development was focused on management and how his work in the auto world can relate to the work principal do in schools.  After hearing some of his thoughts and discovering his work on the PDSA (Plan-Do-Study-Act) plan, I became a fan.  One of my favorite quotes by Deming is below.

That is so true.  If you can't describe what you are doing you really don't know what you're doing.  If students can not explain the why behind their answer choices then they TRULY do not know the what.  That is one of the reasons why our EOG Parent event on May 23rd, for students in 3rd-7th grades, will be focused on students teaching their parents what they have learned during Boot Camp.


Now, this quote can also relate to us as educators.  If we can't describe what we are doing in our building, then we are in the dark as well.  One process that we will be undertaking next school year is the transition from RtI to MTSS.  RtI can be described as:

"... the practice of providing effective instruction and intervention across three tiers to all students. Assessment, progress monitoring, and data-driven decision making are all components of successful RtI implementation. The hope is to reduce the number of students being referred to Special Ed and to provide research and evidence-based, high quality instruction in all tiers. "

MTSS is more comprehensive and actually encompasses RtI and more.  Here are a few details on how it differs from RtI.

• MTSS addresses academic as well as the social, emotional, and behavioral development of children from early childhood to graduation. 

• MTSS provides multiple levels of support for all learners (struggling through advanced).

• MTSS aligns resources and support for students receiving instruction AND for teachers and other support staff who are delivering the instruction.

• MTSS framework is an educational systems change paradigm continuously focused on overall school improvement that is sustainable.

• MTSS models strive to ensure that practices, policies, and programs are aligned on classroom, school, and district levels.

• MTSS benefits from continued support for teachers in delivering instruction, utilizing and developing effective curriculum, administering assessment, and using data to guide instruction. 

• MTSS requires a greater focus on collaboration between general education and special education within each school as well as between the school and the district office. 

• MTSS also includes a focus on intervention but has a stronger goal of prevention than perhaps RtI does. 

• MTSS is more likely to produce professional development that is aligned across school and district settings. 

• MTSS requires that teachers, administrators, district personnel, and student support specialists change the way that they have traditionally worked together to include a more collaborative and cohesive culture. 

You can also look at the pictures of the two processes to identify the differences between the two processes.

RtI (Response to Intervention)

MTSS (Multi-Tiered Systems of Support)

 MTSS will call on the adults in the building to look at what we do to see how it is impacting our students.  This can be painful and hard...but we can do it together.  MTSS is a process and everything does not need to be crystal clear right now. 

What does need to be clear is that what happens at TCEA needs to be a process understood for all.  By deciding to work at TCEA, you have committed to seeing education differently than most of the other educators in NC.  You believe that all students can learn through the integration of the arts with core curriculum.  This process is much harded than the other educators that plan instruction for their students.  When each of the plan, you have to know the curriculum and then think of the best art form to incorporate to reach your diverse learners and then create a plan to successfully merge the two to create one meaningful lesson.  I know this process is hard but it is what we do at TCEA. Change is a process and I know that the processes we have developed this year has moved us closer to our ultimate goal of being the school that gives all our students the education they deserve while creating an environment where we (students and staff) inquire, innovate, imagine, and inspire.

Thanks to each of you that have been a part of the process of change at TCEA!

- Angela

Week of May 7-12, 2017

Reading 3D EOY Assessments Begin

Monday, May 8

• SIT Mtg in Cafe' at 3:30 (all staff come to discuss HW from last week's blog for first 10 minutes)

Tuesday, May 9

• 3rd and 4th Grade Field Trip to Botantical Gardens
• PLCs (Review Roster Verification and EOY Check Out)
• 5th, 6th, 7th 8:30-9:30
• Kindergarten 10-11
• 1st and 2nd 12-1
• 3rd and 4th 1-2
• Support Staff 2-2:45

Wednesday, May 10

• Admin Mtg 1-2:15

Thursday, May 11

• Hill out at Spring Federal Program Update in Jacksonville 7:00-2 PM

Friday, May 12

• Hill Leaves at 2 PM (please turn in Bootcamp Assessment to my box before then)