Feedback to Feed Forward

Amy Tepper has served as a teacher, administrator, and program director in various K-12 settings and startups to include virtual, homeschool, blended, and public schools. She held the position of Executive Director of a Sylvan Learning Center, opened an alternative 6th-12th school in Okaloosa County, FL, and later was actively engaged in Florida high school redesign and career education reform, providing technical assistance across the state. Amy had the opportunity to collaborate with a team of parents to develop the Ohana Institute, an innovative blended school, focused on global citizenship and discovery learning, serving as Director in its first year. As a consultant, she provided instructional and administrative coaching at an international school in Panama, before joining ReVISION Learning Partnership in 2013. Amy has since completed countless classroom observations through work as a peer validator evaluating practices in Newark and New Haven schools, and in providing embedded, ongoing support for instructional leaders and teachers in the areas of high quality observation, feedback, and teaching and learning across Connecticut.

Feedback that works-for leadership that makes a difference.Leaders know that feedback is essential to teacher development. Crafting the right feedback, however, can be daunting. This how-to book introduces a dynamic yet practical leadership model that helps leaders in all roles and at all experience levels conduct comprehensive observations, analyze lessons for effectiveness, and develop high-leverage action steps that change practices and outcomes. Features include Comprehensive explanations of standards and discrete core skillsExplicit think-alouds, ready-to-use strategies, and field-tested lesson examplesEvidence-collection notes-with templates-from live observationsFeedback samples across grade levels and content areasReblicable case studies for professional learning

PrefaceAcknowledgmentsAbout the AuthorsChapter 1: What does it mean to lead learning? Finding Time to Lead Learning Rethinking Evaluation Leading Change Through Educator Evaluation Core Assumptions About Current Practice Feedback as the Common Thread A Shift From Summary to Analysis Core Skills for Observation and Feedback What's Ahead?Chapter 2: How can you use an instructional framework to improve observation and feedback practices? Skill Set for Building Understanding of a Framework Deconstructing Your Framework Unpacking Expectations Using a Feedback Frame Final ThoughtsChapter 3: How can you collect evidence in the classroom to improve feedback? Skill Set for Collecting Evidence Bias in Observation Identifying Types of Data Evidence Collection: The Basics Evidence Collection: Student Engagement and Learning Using a Balance of Evidence to Feed Forward Final ThoughtsChapter 4: How can you determine effectiveness of instruction and a teacher's impact on learners? Skill Set for Determining Effectiveness Using Your Evidence to Analyze Effectiveness Understanding What We Are Analyzing Analyzing Engagement Influences on Engagement and Learning Final ThoughtsChapter 5: How can you determine a teacher's areas of instructional strength and growth? Skill Set for Determining Areas of Strength and Growth What Teachers Need to Know Using Analysis Determining Areas of Strength and Growth Citing Areas of Strength and Growth Understanding Research-Based Strategies Using Research-Based Strategies in Feedback Pulling It All Together Final ThoughtsChapter 6: How can your feedback feed forward? Skill Set for Developing Objective Feedback Bias in Feedback Increasing Objectivity Feedback to Feed Forward Skill Set for Developing Feedback as a Learning Tool Defining "Actionable" Next Steps Developing Action Steps Prioritizing Next Steps Developing Reflective Practices Pulling It All Together Final ThoughtsChapter 7: What professional learning builds your capacity to lead learning? What's Next? The Current Approach Essentials of Effective Professional Learning Design Building a New Approach Professional Learning Designs in Action Final Thoughts and BeyondStrategies ListTables and Figures ListReferencesIndex