Presented by Building Educated Leaders for Life (BELL) at the 2014 NPEA conference in Minneapolis, MN. http://www.educational-access.org

1. Driving Quality (with a capital “Q”)
NPEA – Friday, April 25th

2. • Welcome and Introductions
• Who do we have in the room?
• Background Info
• What is BELL?
• What problem did we want to solve?
• Backwards Planning Model
• What do our mission and values “look like”?
• How do we define what Quality looks like?
• What demonstrates evidence of Quality?
• How do we prepare staff to achieve Quality?
• “You do”
• What does this look like for your school/organization?
• Wrap-up and Q&A
agenda
2

3. Transform the academic achievements, the self
confidence & life trajectories of children living in
under-resourced, urban communities.
3
• Core Essentials
• High expectations of scholars, staff, schools &
parents
• Strong partnerships
• Teaching excellence
• Exceptional leadership & environment for
learning
• Engaging & relevant learning experiences for
scholars
• Mission
BELL

4. 4
BELL
We pursue our mission through three educational
offerings targeting scholars in grades K-8
• Summer Learning
• 6-8 hours/day; 5 days/week; 5-8 weeks
• Small-group instruction in reading, writing, and math
• Enrichment courses in science, technology, arts, health, and physical fitness
• Field trips, family and community engagement
• School & community-based staff
• After School / Before School / Saturdays / Intersessions
• After school program for 2.5 - 3 hours/day; 3-5 days/week; up to 30 weeks
• Before school, Saturday, and Intersession programs customizable
• Program design tailored to specific reading, writing, math, and test prep
• (Optional blended learning using school’s technology)
• READy
• Summer program model geared toward K-3 scholars
• Literacy instruction only
• Aligned to the initiatives of the Campaign for Grade-level Reading
• Features half-day and full-day programs as well as blended learning options
• Use of Scholastic curriculum

5. 5
BELL structure
BELL
Na'onal
Program
Team
• Develop
large-­‐scale
materials
for
training,
instruc'on,
and
program
implementa'on
expecta'ons
Regional
Staff
• Work
with
partners
to
adapt
and
customize
na'onal
materials
to
meet
regional
needs
Site
Staff
• Implement
the
BELL
program

6. 6
Quality
"...if he... starts to look for options of Quality, and secretly pursues these
options, just for their own sake, thus making an art of what he is doing, he's
likely to discover that he becomes a much more interesting person and
much less of an object to the people around him because his Quality
decisions change him too. And not only the job and him, but others too
because the Quality tends to fan out like waves. The Quality job he didn't
think anyone was going to see is seen, and the person who sees it feels a
little better because of it, and is likely to pass that feeling on to others, and
in that way the Quality tends to keep on going. My personal feeling is that
this is how any further improvement of the world will be done: by
individuals making Quality decisions and that's all.” – “Zen and the Art of
Motorcycle Maintenance”
How do we define Quality and cultivate this Quality driven culture?

7. When conducting quality assurance (QA) visits at
sites in Summer 2013, we realized staff was not
clear on how to meet BELL’s expectations. How do
we define:
• data-driven instruction?
• differentiated instruction?
• welcoming environment for learning?
• college-going culture?
“You know it when you see it”, but what are we
looking for?
7
problem

8. Backwards Planning Model
Bringing the mission to life

9. 1. align quality assurance indicators to our larger
mission/values and define tangibly what that
looks like
2. determine how to identify and quantify
evidence of Quality implementation
3. identify information/resources/professional
development necessary to prepare staff for
successful, Quality implementation
4. establish a culture driven by decision making
with a focus on Quality
9
goals

10. 10
backwards planning model
Mission
&
Values
Quality
Indicators
Evidence
of
Quality
“Success
Toolkit”

11. 11
step 1: Mission & Values
Mission
&
Values
Quality
Indicators
Evidence
of
Quality
“Success
Toolkit”

12. 1. We demonstrate high expectations that all
children can excel.
2. We develop partnerships to support each child’s
success.
3. Exceptional Leadership creates an environment
for learning.
4. We demonstrate teaching excellence.
5. We provide relevant and engaging learning
experiences.
12
BELL core essentials
What do these tangibly “look like” at site and in clusters?

13. 13
step 2: Quality Indicators
Mission
&
Values
Quality
Indicators
Evidence
of
Quality
“Success
Toolkit”

14. 14
drilling down
What
does
it
mean??
“Buzz”
Words
Core
Essen'al
Teaching
Excellence
Differen'ated
Instruc'on
?
“Voice
and
Choice”
?
Data-­‐Driven
Instruc'on
?
Collabora've
Teaching
?

15. When we say “Teaching Excellence”, we should see...
in clusters:
at site:
15
QA Expectations: Site & Cluster
What is our evidence of Quality implementation?

16. 16
step 3: Evidence of Quality
Mission
&
Values
Quality
Indicators
Evidence
of
Quality
“Success
Toolkit”

17. 17
Quality Assurance Rubric
How do we set staff up to be successful?

18. 18
step 4: “Success Toolkit”
Mission
&
Values
Quality
Indicators
Evidence
of
Quality
“Success
Toolkit”

19. BELL Library – digital resource library connected to our e-Learning system where staff can
download and access additional resources, tools, references and professional development.
Observational Tool – used by our Instructional Coaches to observe instruction and provide
actionable feedback
QA Rubric – identifies the evidence of quality in both individual clusters as well as the site as a
whole
Strengthened the Managers of Regional Program (MRP) Role – greater focus and
autonomy of regional program leaders to customize and adapt training to be more regionalized
Instructional Coach – developing additional training and tools for this role surrounding how to
make regular cluster observations, what to look for, and how to provide actionable feedback to
teachers
Standards of Practice – explicit details and additional resources to support differentiated and
data-driven instruction using the specific assessment and curricula implemented by BELL
Questioning – providing additional resources and professional development on how to use
questioning strategies to scaffold instruction and promote higher-order thinking
19
on-going improvements

20. “You Do”
How can this work for you?

21. 21
steps 1 & 2
Mission
&
Values
Quality
Indicators
Evidence
of
Quality
“Success
Toolkit”
1) Identify one value to focus on
• what do you already know
about how you demonstrate
this value?
2) What does this value “look
like” in action?

22. 22
steps 3 & 4
Mission
&
Values
Quality
Indicators
Evidence
of
Quality
“Success
Toolkit”
3) How will you determine if
Quality expectations have
been met?
4) What are the tools,
resources, professional
development, etc. necessary
to meet Quality expectations?
Exactly how are you preparing
staff to be successful?

23. Cultivating a Culture of Quality
“... and in that way the Quality tends to keep on going”

24. 2424

25. THANK
YOU!
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Q&A