Posted by:
Aaron Listhaus
K-12 Classroom teacher
Long Island, NY

Topic:
Shared Accountability and Understanding

Message:

The first step in the process was to define and articulate our goals. What do we mean by increased student achievement? The International High school was involved in defining the contents of a performance-based graduation portfolio. We then needed to develop instructional activities that would enable our students to successfully complete the performance-based assessment tasks we defined. Teachers across disciplines evaluated the instructional activities and performance tasks developed by their peers and discussed how each activity or project supported the performance standards we established. The goal of these cross-discipline discussions was for the entire faculty to assume responsibility for helping all their students be successful in all the performance tasks required.

Perhaps one reason for our success is that we developed the performance standards locally. During a faculty retreat, we decided what our students should know and be able to do upon graduation. By reviewing the New York State Regents standards, as well as the New Standards Project, we developed a list of performance-based tasks and set performance standards for each one. Because we determined the standards for which we will be accountable, there is a shared understanding among the faculty as to their importance, as well as shared ownership.

Teachers, like students, learn best in collaborative settings where they can articulate questions and share common understandings. This communicates a faith in the faculty's ability to solve their own problems and mirrors the learning process that we wish to promote in our classrooms. What works for students in the classroom works for staff development. Teachers need to fully understand what is being expected of them. This can not be done by lecturing or distributing a memo. They need to see models, have the opportunity to experiment and be given the time to reflect on their progress.

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