Artifact #1-623

EDUC 623 Teacher Leadership and Professional Learning

March 18, 2014
Course Description:
This course asks students to re-examine their role as one who generates change in the education
system by engaging in self-reflection and self-assessment of his/her current classroom best
practices. In addition, students will be asked to develop a plan for future professional growth and
development, including their pedagogical strengths and their opportunities for improvement.
Students will develop a PDP as their path to continuous improvement as an educator. Finally,
teachers will produce a Teacher Performance Assessment (TPA) that will include videotaped
segments to showcase their teaching highlights. The Viterbo values of collaboration, hospitality,
integrity, stewardship, and service are expected to be visibly in student work that is submitted for
the course.
Instructor : Terry Hurlburt
Artifact title: Assessment Reflection
Course Objectives:
In order to become reflective practitioners who are committed to learning, leadership, and
student growth, students
who successfully complete EDUC 623 will be expected to have:

Accepted the belief that all teachers are leaders and examined ones role as a part in the
growth and maintenance of the education system.

Accepted the belief that teachers must identify ways to lead either informally or
formally and explored opportunities for modifications in ones own responsibilities and

plan for current maintenance of the system.

Completed a personal assessment of strengths and opportunities for improvement in
classroom pedagogy that will result in the development of a leadership plan and a

professional development plan.

Operationalized best practice strategies and goals that impact student growth and that

align with the GPE mission and values.

Described and presented techniques, methods, and materials that have proven effective in
achieving specified educational change. To be included are the following, among others:
(a) 21century skills, (b) the purpose and use of data to drive ones instruction, (c) the
ability to integrate the common core standards into ones teaching, (d) the ability to
customize learning for every student, (e) and the effective use of RtI and PBIS strategies

in ones teaching.
Developed and produced a Teacher Performance Assessment (TPA) that includes a videotaped segment of teaching, a SWOT assessment, reflections, and a summary of future
goals.

Artifact Reflection:
This artifact was chosen to demonstrate teacher leadership and professional learning by
reflecting on self-assessment. I reviewed the student population in our building and addressed
the reasons why students attend our school. Responsibilities of teachers in our building to
respond to the needs of our students were stated. Staff in an alternative education building has
numerous job duties they carry out in response to student behavior and academic progress. We
have students attending from the other two major high schools and also take in those students

from smaller areas outside our district. The teachers work with an assigned group of students that
meet during the day for a class period. My job as the oasis teacher includes phone calls to
parents and guardians. I have enjoyed the conversations with families and they appreciate
someone looking after their son or daughter during the day.
I surprise myself in the conversations, never thinking before it would be possible for me to have
a contact with a parent or guardian several times during the day. It allows me to provide sensible
solutions to students problems.
My research in Viterbo classes reflects the same reactions we use to respond to our students. In
one of my studies the schools had in place the check in and check out plan in place. It has been
successful at our school; data is collected and shared with staff. At a time if the student is doing
well then they will be slowly reduced in the contact time with the teacher. I was able to
participate in this procedure two times. Both students did well with this and appeared that they
were happy when I checked in on them during the day.
I have witnessed student satisfaction with our PBIS behavior program. A few students are very
happy to collect our SHINE cards. For a positive behavior displayed or carried out the student
will receive a SHINE card, the more cards earned, the better the chance for the student to
purchase items at the PBIS store. I am hoping this will continue next school year. The staff need
to be responsible to be on the lookout for the good behaviors.

Artifact:

This artifact has a place of relating to attaining the Master of Arts in Education. It promotes a
continuous way of interacting with students to encourage kind, positive behaviors. 623 Original .
Instructor Terry Hurlburt : Teacher Leadership Professional Learning
Submitted by Norma J. Neubauer
March 18, 2014

I am currently teaching Family Consumer Science courses on the high school level at Expo
Alternative High School. The majority of students at school are those who have attended one of
the two main high schools within the district. Students enrolled at Expo are those with major
attendance problems or behavioral characteristics that do not fit into the regular classroom.
There is a small percentage of students who are from out of the school district or chose to attend
our school.
All students do need and deserve educators who are responsive and responsible to their
academic and behavioral needs. Expo staffs are assigned a group of students who meet once a
day, every day. We personally put forth effort to work with each student during the day. A main
job duty we have is attendance, to check on our oasis students first period. The student needs to
be here. If the student is not at school a contact call to a parent or guardian is made. All phone
contacts, discussions, behavior issues are documented. Students who miss a bus and have no
other way to get to school have the option to call and ask if school personal are able to pick them
up.

We have in place student academic and behavioral support systems. Every Monday we have
academic progress report sheets to complete in first hour classes. The student has the
responsibility to turn in the progress sheet to the oasis teacher. Students who do not turn this in
to their oasis teacher could have a loss of a credit to earn for oasis. Monday after school staff
contacts parents and or guardians to discuss that students progress.
The school has another method of positive behavior support and this is through CICO, (check
in check out). The student uses a form that is set up for each period of the day and the assigned
teacher then rates that student on a specific behavior or goal. The student chooses a specific
teacher to check in and check out with. The teacher then will reward the student if the goal is
met. Data on this is collected and shared. We have a Tier 2 committee that discuss possible
incentives for Rewards, such as lunch with staff, games, time with staff members, invite a
friend or two to lunch and free time (have time limits). If a student meets their goal four weeks in
a row, the student will move to Reduced CICO. Reduced Check in check out is for two
weeks, and then the student will move to Informal CICO. Informal check in check out is
catching the student to say hi in the hallway, stopping to see them periodically, see how they are
doing for example.
I have used the check in check out with a couple of students. In order for this to work staff
must be reminded how it works and that they must be consistent with how to score, work with
the student day to day and to set a realistic goal for the student to achieve.
We have in place several other positive behavior programs such as PBIS, Academic All Stars,
the S.H.I.N.E.S program and a dress code. All directed to result in improving student behavior
and academic progress.

We are an alternative high school working to the best of our abilities and stamina to create an
environment where students learn to take charge of their academic progress and behavior. On a
side note, this April we are sponsoring the Alternative Ed Conference and a featured speaker will
be Rick Wormeli. The staff at our building will take turns attending this, some but not all will be
able to hear him speak.
The programs in place are data driven. Staff must be trained and consistent to complete
incident reports, make direct behavior ratings or check lists, perform direct observation and be
able to track student progress.