1. INSTRUCTIONAL WALK-
THROUGHS
An overview of the protocol, and applications to
leadership work.
Kim M. Bennett, Northside Consulting for CREC
4/12/2016 Administrative Council, USD #1
3. PURPOSE OF AN INSTRUCTIONAL
WALKTHROUGH
Reinforce attention to instructional practices
Gather data about instructional practices and student learning
Stimulate collegial conversation about teaching and learning
Learn from other participants
Deepen understandings and improve practices through continuous
feedback
National Staff Development Council, http://www.nsdc.org/
4. INSTRUCTIONAL
WALKTHROUGH,
DEFINED
Focused
Organized
Frequent
~ an organized observation that
requires the principal or supervisor to
frequently visit classrooms to look for
specific instructional practices.
Fink, E & Resnick, L. (2001). Developing principals as instructional leaders. Phi Delta Kappan 82(2) 598-607
5. OTHER ESSENTIAL CHARACTERISTICS
Include reflection and debrief (in various forms)
Focused on curriculum and instruction (NOT supervision and
evaluation)
Feedback to staff is in aggregate, and used as springboard for
professional development
Follow up is full-staff (not individual teacher)
Bennett, 2016
6. ESTABLISHING A FOCUS FOR
INSTRUCTIONAL WALKTHROUGHS
Example: Student Engagement
Bennett, 2016
7. SOME TIPS FOR CHOOSING A FOCUS
Alignment: What is the focus for our district/school improvement plan?
Emergent Need: What focus appears to be “on time” for our
building/district right now?
Essential: What focus, if addressed right now, would resolve several
other issues?
Capacity: What focus do we have the best ability to address with current
resources (staff, time, funding, materials…)?
Impact: What focus, if addressed, would effect the most change?
Bennett, 2016
8. WHY STUDENT ENGAGEMENT?
Assumption #1: Student engagement is
a “barometer” for a host of other
curricular and instructional issues.
Assumption #2: Non-educational
outcomes (attendance, behavior, post-
secondary success…) are better for
students who are engaged in lifelong
learning habits.
Bennett, 2016
9. FOUR (SECRET) KEYS TO STUDENT ENGAGEMENT
Jackson, R.; and A. Zmuda. 2014. Four (Secret) Keys to Student Engagement. Educational Leadership, September 2014: 19-24.
11. SUGGESTED 2-HR PROTOCOL
30 minutes: review protocol norms, review indicators for selected focus,
establish observation teams and schedule for visits.
60 minutes: 20 minute observations x 3 classrooms: teams visit
classrooms and observe for selected focus
30 minutes: debrief as a group and develop action plan
Bennett, 2016
12. Key to
Engagement Student Teacher
Clarity
What am I aiming for?
I can see how the pieces fit together.
I can see the logic of what I’m being asked to
do.
I can track my progress over time on a goal.
What am I asking students to do?
Provide clear goals and structures for each
task.
Explain the key steps and give examples.
Show students what success will look like.
Evidence:
Quantitative: # of times observed
Qualitative: description, what you observed
Evidence:
Quantitative: # of times observed
Qualitative: description, what you observed
14. TIME FACTORS TO CONSIDER
Team: Who will be on the observation team? What time constraints do
they have?
Staff: Whose classrooms will be observed? What are their scheduling
needs?
Focus: What is the focus? Do we want several observations close
together or a longer, ongoing routine?
Plan: What is our ultimate goal for this professional opportunity? Is
there a “timeliness” to this goal?
Bennett, 2016
15. SELECTED USES FOR INSTRUCTIONAL
WALKTHROUGHS
Purpose Team Scheduling
To plan building PD focus
for the year
Administrator, support
services reps, teacher
rep(s) or coaches
Several walkthroughs
close together early in
year; quarterly follow up
walkthroughs to monitor
action plan
To calibrate among
building administrators
for supervision &
evaluation
Building administrative
team
Monthly walkthroughs,
focus selected based on
administrator needs
To monitor a district-wide
focus
Administrators from
around the district
Monthly walkthroughs –
different host school,
admins opt in from month
to month
Bennett, 2016
16. EX: PLANNING BUILDING PD
Building team conducts several walkthroughs in September and October,
and discovers that instructional time is lost at the beginning of class as
student arrive.
Aggregate data are presented at staff meeting, where several strategies are
discussed for getting students engaged in meaningful tasks upon arrival.
Plan is developed to implement 2 strategies building-wide.
Staff meeting time is dedicated to learning more about anchor activities
and warm-ups.
Team conducts follow up walkthroughs to monitor implementation of
selected strategies and shares results at staff meetings.
Bennett, 2016
17. EX: ADMINISTRATOR CALIBRATION
A building has several new administrators, or an administrator who is new
to the building. They want to ensure that they are evaluating teachers
equitably during supervision and evaluation.
The administrative team chooses a focus that might be subjective (e.g.,
professionalism), and researches indicators of teachers professionalism.
Monthly walkthroughs are conducted to look for evidence of
professionalism and debrief to ensure calibration of observations, and
specific language that can be used to provide feedback to teachers during
conferences.
Focus remains on professional development of the leadership team, not on
teacher evaluation.
Bennett, 2016
18. EX: INSTRUCTIONAL ROUNDS (DISTRICT
FOCUS)
A large district is trying to establish coherence among the buildings within
the district regarding a district focus (e.g., development of a system for
addressing student behavior).
A building administrator volunteers to “host” a walkthrough at a school as a
“lab” for studying this focus.
An observation team convenes based on “opt in” of administrators across
the district.
Data are collected during the walkthrough, and shared with the host and
the district administrative team. Action items are developed as needed.
Host schools and observation teams change monthly.
Bennett, 2016
20. DEBRIEFING
Take your time: this is essential to the process
Stay focused on the focus!
Use strengths-based language(talk about what WAS)
Keep it anonymous - “Classroom 1,” not “Mr. Johnson”
Discuss aggregate data
Debrief only as a team (not during the observations)
Bennett, 2016
21. FEEDBACK CONSIDERATIONS
Host teachers Whole staff Outside groups
Do… • Thank teachers
after
• Share the “best
of” in an email
• Keep comments
aggregate
• Post concerns
as questions
• Share aggregate
data with staff
• Ask for staff
reflection on the
results
• Formulate an
action plan as a
staff
• Ask yourself if
this is
something that
needs to be
shared
• Consult experts
in the focus area
as needed
Don’t… • Confuse process
with S&E
• Have formal
conferences
• Share negatives
• Interpret the
data for staff
• Use results to
beat up staff
• Keep staff in the
dark
• Make staff feel
uncomfortable
Bennett, 2016
22. OTHER HELPFUL INFORMATION
Central Office has email templates
See suggested timetable for walkthroughs for guidance on scheduling
Contact Kim Holley if you would like to participate in this process
Bennett, 2016
