Clifford Street Elementary SchoolA School in the Los Angeles Unified School District

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How Clifford Builds Staff Capacity

Use staff resources to best support students: The principal uses staff resources strategically to address student needs by pooling resources and redirecting them to students who need them most. The Resource Specialist (RSP) teacher, teacher assistants and other staff use their time to provide a �learning center� in the afternoon to provide extra support for struggling students.
Build a professional learning community: Clifford teachers participate in collaborative professional development for an hour every Tuesday after school where they work together to devise strategies to improve instruction and share best practices by reviewing lessons, student work, and test results. During professional development time, teachers focus on academic rigor, differentiated instruction, access to curriculum, and closing the achievement gap.
Provide opportunities for vertical teacher collaboration: Teachers meet in grade-level groupings (grades K-2 and 3-5) bimonthly to develop a coherent instructional plan that extends beyond just one grade level. Teachers articulate performance goals for students at all levels and work to align their practices and instruction to these goals.

Use periodic assessments to gauge student progress: Teachers administer district-mandated benchmark assessments and other examinations (e.g., end-of-unit tests, chapter tests, skills inventories, etc.) to track student progress. These data are used to develop support systems for students (e.g., referring students for counseling services outside of the school and connecting students with middle and high school tutors that volunteer at Clifford) and to help teachers tailor their instruction to meet students� needs.
Identify low-performing students: Data are used to identify struggling students and to strategically match them with appropriate strategies and support mechanisms. Teachers use data to group students, which allows the teacher to focus on a specific group of students and to provide them with additional support.
Continuously adjust strategies: Teachers constantly evaluate and reassess student progress over time and adjust instructional and intervention strategies as needed. During staff meetings, teachers review grade-level and student data and reflect on its implications for student learning and teacher practice.

Clifford�s Key to Data Analysis:

Have strategic discussions about data. Data for data�s sake are useless; data should be used to inform instruction.

Strong school leadership: The Clifford principal is visible and active in the school community. He participates in grade-level meetings and works with staff to develop strategies to address the academic or behavioral challenges students may be facing. The principal instills a belief of high expectations and not giving up on students.
Collaboration with district and other schools: Local District 4 in Los Angeles Unified School District is a regional district office that offers opportunities for staff to collaborate across grades to develop curriculum and discuss instructional strategies. The local district provides leadership in developing a district-wide vision and supporting student achievement at all schools.
District-wide professional development: Local District 4 provides schools with the tools and training to focus on professional development and accountability. District staff model new concepts and approaches to principals who share them with their school.

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