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In last month's issue of EdNews, we began to explore Critical Friends Groups (CFGs), as well as other modes of collaboratively examining student work. Looking at student work together builds professional community and shared norms, increases academic rigor, and provides an immediately applicable, effective way to help teachers change practices to get different results. CFG protocols may be used to analyze student work or discuss educational dilemmas. What educators often wonder, of course, is "How are CFGs being used by other schools?" Below are a few examples:

Logan ES has used grade-level CFGs to help reduce the number of students referred to their Student Study Team, by discussing possible classroom interventions, exploring alternative instructional strategies to meet individual student needs, and sharing ways to develop academic partnerships with parents and students.

Gage MS is entering their fourth year of school-wide CFG groups. Each of these groups is led by a trained CFG coach and addresses issues of teacher and learning, using current work from students as a window on the school's programs.

Caruthers HS is in their third year of school-wide groups. They have tried different configurations, including both cross-departmental and department CFGs, with a department chair as CFG coach.

Baldwin Park HS is making a video of a CFG group looking at student work, in order to show it to their faculty. The BPHS Leadership Team also has used the Future Protocol as a tool for envisioning a "desired future" and determining priority action steps for their school.

Verdugo Hills HS has used the lesson study process to look at student algebra work. The process included collaboratively planning a lesson on a key concept, videotaping teacher lessons, and sharing the videotaped lessons ans student products to refine the lesson over time.

In Colton JUSD, CFG groups looking at student work found that there was a gap between their grade-level math standards and the work being assigned to and submitted by students.

Groups of principals have formed their own CFGs, bringing various cases to the table and conferring with other administrators. Principals, in a trusting, confidential setting with other school leaders, explore their dilemmas of instructional leadership.

The instructional transformation team at Loreto ES has used a modified ATLAS protocol with a cross-grade-level sample of English Learner (EL) student work. They have connected this with a Classroom Walk-Through, looking at EL lessons.

In addition to looking at student work, schools have used CFG protocols as a forum to discuss serious issues and dilemmas, such as sexual harassment.

For each school or district, CFG protocols -- whether implemented in a formal CFG group, amongst grade-level or department colleagues, cross-curricular settings, administrator cohorts, or other groupings -- can provide a multitude of venues for looking at student work, discussing challenging issues, examining teacher practice, and ultimately improving the work and results of our schools.

As Mike Mooko, El Segundo High School, puts it: "Now that I understand protocols, I find that their structure removes a lot of anxieties that might occur without them and discussions become more beneficial to all parties involved."

Focus questions, such as this teacher's
inquiry into a "Problem of the Week"
(P.O.W.), are often used with Tuning
or Consultancy protocols.

For this month’s topic:

"How does your school and/or district support the task of looking at student work,
whether in the form of Critical Friends Groups, or in using protocols in different settings?
What systems and processes has your school or district put in place to ensure the work of CFGs?"

Let us know some of your experiences with CFG and other techniques for looking and student work. Please click here to add your responses to this month's combined brainpower. We will share some of your ideas in next month’s EdNews.

"Across the country and abroad, school reformers have recognized the pressing need
to place actual student work formally and respectfully at the center
of both public and private conversations about school."

UCLA SMP is a National School Reform Faculty-approved Center of Activity for providing CFG New and Experienced Coaches Institutes.   Over 650 people -- mostly educators from California, but also from Washington, Hawaii, Ohio, Alaska, the District of Columbia, and Oregon -- have successfully participated in 32 offerings of these institutes by UCLA SMP. In a UCLA SMP study of existing Critical Friends Groups, the most significant changes and impact on teacher instructional practices, resulting from participation in a CFG, focused on these five areas:

• Pedagogy and Teaching Content  
• Student Assessment and Examination
  of Student Work     
• Solutions for Classroom Dilemmas
• Collaboration: Using Ideas from Others
• Classroom Management

This Fall and Winter, UCLA SMP will offer three CFG institutes (locations TBD):

• Session 1: November 15 - 19, 2004
  (THIS SESSION IS CLOSED)
• Session 2: February 14 - 18, 2005
  (A FEW SPACES REMAIN - SIGN UP NOW!)
• Session 3: February 28 - March 4, 2005
  (ENROLLMENT IS STILL OPEN FOR THIS SESSION)

For more information, please visit the
Programs section of our web site.

• Looking at Student Work <www.lasw.org>: This web site features "virtual protocol experiences," in addition to sites on student work, actual student work samples, rubrics, and benchmark research.

• Observing Practice: Classroom Walk-Throughs

• UCLA SMP's Year-End Recap

• Ask SMP / Ask Your Colleagues: In future editions, we will share our responses to some of your questions (and, sometimes, use those questions as the basis for future Combined Brainpower topics).  If you have any questions regarding your teaching practice or other issues at the school site, please click here to Ask SMP.  We will include your questions and our answers in future editions.

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A nonprofit school reform initiative of the Graduate School of Education & Information Studies and The Anderson School, the UCLA School Management Program (UCLA SMP) is devoted to the sustainable transformation of public schools into learner-centered organizations where all students can achieve at high levels.

UCLA SMP works with educators, administrators, and community members to create well-managed schools, to enhance teacher effectiveness, and to improve student achievement through professional development leading to personal transformation and community building.

Since the program was launched in 1992, UCLA SMP has worked with over 700 schools in districts throughout California.

UCLA School Management Program
1201 Hershey Hall
Los Angeles, CA 90095-7168
310.825.2488
http://www.smp.gseis.ucla.edu