Evaluating the wider outcomes of schooling: the Oasis ECHO project Raising standards through creating learning communities Ruth Deakin Crick, Stephen Barr, Howard Green
Nov 28, 2014
Evaluating the wider outcomes of schooling: the Oasis ECHO project
Raising standards through creating learning communities
Ruth Deakin Crick, Stephen Barr, Howard Green
! Background
• The Education Charter
• The Echo Project
• Three Oasis Academies
! What to do? "Here is Edward Bear, coming
downstairs, bump, bump, bump, on the back of his head, behind Christopher Robin. It is, as far as he knows, the only way of coming downstairs, but sometimes he feels that there really is another way, if only he could stop bumping for a moment and think of it"
Alan Alexander Milne The opening paragraph of “Winnie-the-Pooh”, 1926
• Systems thinking – managing complexity
• Developing resilience – becoming learning organisations
• Responding to emergence – unpredictable outcomes
• Taking responsibility for our own development
• Engaging all stakeholders in a networked improvement community
! Key Questions
• How can we measure the full range of what we value in schools?
• How can collect and manage evidence to understand the big picture as well as the detail?
• How can we lead and manage complexity?
• How can we used data for real-time leadership decisioning as well as for evaluating performance
Macro Layers and feedback loops……
Community Learning
Leaders Learning
Teachers Learning
Students Learning
Learning is a core process at multi-levels in learning organisations
Blockley, D. (2010) The Importance of Being Process, Civil Engineering and Environmental Systems, 27(3)189-199
! The complex problem of creating learning communities
! Imagine ……
What sort of design should we use to model our learning communities?
A Hierarchical Model: Defined by Purpose
Outcome 1.1 Establishing and sustaining a group of high achieving learning communities that enables everyone to realise their full potential and refuses to put limits on achievement
2. Outputs 2.1 Developing the learning of students so that they realise their full potential
2.2 Developing the learning of teachers so that they realise their full potential
2.3 Developing the learning of leaders so that they lead the learning of teachers and students effectively
2.4 Engaging parents/carers effectively in the learning activities of the Academy and in supporting the learning of their children
3. Inputs
3.1
Feel
ing
valu
ed a
nd in
clud
ed in
our
com
mun
ity
3.2
Feel
ing
part
of a
com
mun
ity th
at fo
cuse
s its
ac
tiviti
es o
n le
arni
ng a
nd a
chie
vem
ent
3.3
Kno
win
g th
at I
am b
ecom
ing
an e
ffect
ive
lear
ner
3.4
Kno
win
g th
at w
e ar
e be
ing
help
ed to
reac
h ou
r ful
l pot
entia
l 3.
5 M
aint
aini
ng a
goo
d ra
te o
f pro
gres
s at
key
tra
nsiti
ons,
for e
xam
ple,
prim
ary
to s
econ
dary
sc
hool
3.6
Ach
ievi
ng re
sults
that
mee
t my
aspi
ratio
ns
and
expe
ctat
ions
3.7
Feel
ing
that
my
succ
esse
s ar
e re
cogn
ised
3.
8 C
ontri
butin
g ac
tivel
y to
a c
omm
unity
whi
ch
focu
ses
on s
ervi
ce to
oth
ers
3.9
Con
tribu
ting
activ
ely
to a
com
mun
ity w
here
sh
ared
lead
ersh
ip is
pro
mot
ed
3.10
Pro
vidi
ng e
vide
nce
that
trai
ning
and
de
velo
pmen
t opp
ortu
nitie
s ha
ve h
elpe
d m
e to
im
prov
e m
y cl
assr
oom
pra
ctic
e an
d/or
my
effe
ctiv
enes
s as
a le
ader
and
man
ager
3.11
Con
tribu
ting
activ
ely
to a
com
mun
ity th
at
lear
ns to
geth
er, s
hare
s w
hat w
orks
bes
t and
kn
ows
wha
t it n
eeds
to d
o to
impr
ove
3.12
Fee
ling
incl
uded
and
invo
lved
with
my
child
ren’
s ed
ucat
ion
at th
e A
cade
my
and
know
ing
that
ther
e is
an
open
doo
r for
con
tact
whe
n I
need
it
3.13
Bei
ng e
ffect
ive
role
mod
els
as le
ader
s of
le
arni
ng
Sources of
evidence Students Teachers Leaders Parents/ carers
PURPOSE H
ow
data
What type of data do we need to collect to measure the core processes which fulfil our purpose?
Stakeholders Type of data Focus 1 Y7 students Numerical scores per dimension Learning power 2 Y8 & 10
Students Numerical values for each question students as learners and
values & citizenship 3 Y9 students Stories rated by researchers Personal transformation 4 Y11 leavers Numerical values for each question Aspirations, trajectories
5 Parents/carers Numerical values for each question Participation
6 Teachers Numerical values for each question Impact of professional learning on student outcomes
7 Leaders Numerical values for each question Leaders as learners
8 KPI s Numerical values of performance Behavioural indicators
9 Y11 Numerical values of performance Attainment
! The nature of uncertainty
Fuzziness Incompleteness Randomness
! .. combined with performance measures that cope explicitly with uncertain evidence
1 0
Evidence that A is successful Lack of Evidence
Evidence that A is not successful
We don’t really know what is going on!
Performing well with little uncertainty
Performing poorly with some uncertainty
Data collected to evaluate our core processes
Means & SDs Yes Uncertain No
Perimeta model
Leadership Ownership and Decisioning
Improvement Protocols Rapid Prototyping
Harnessing collective intelligence across the system
A
P
A SD
So what does our Perimeta model tell us about Parents/carers ..…an example
! Dashboard summary
! Perimeta model results
! Drilling down into the evidence to understand key issues
Statement POS I was helped and supported when I struggled 0.98 My teachers taught me well 0.90 The Academy made good use of technologies 0.90 I was valued and included 0.89 I was often challenged to do better 0.89 There were great facilities 0.89 I felt part of a learning community 0.89 I developed responsibility towards others 0.89 I had a wide range of opportunities for learning 0.89 I felt safe 0.89
Outcome Establishing and sustaining learning communities Outputs Developing the learning of students so that they realise their full potential Inputs Feeling valued and
included in our community
Feeling part of a community focused on learning & achievement
Knowing that I am becoming an effective learner
Knowing that we are being helped to reach our full potential
Statement UNC I supported activities that would improve things for other people
0.38
I led activities 0.34 I am looking forward to the move to Sixth Form, FE, training or work
0.33
My parents/carers felt involved 0.15 Everyone worked very hard to make it a great place to learn and to do well
0.15
I enjoyed my time 0.15 I could not have gone to a better school 0.14 I was offered opportunities for leadership 0.14 I never felt that anyone was putting limits on what I could achieve
0.13
My teachers accurately predicted my GCSEs 0.13
Statement NEG I am looking forward to the move to Sixth Form, Further Education, training or work
0.18
I led activities during my time at the Academy 0.17 No others above 10%
! The PerimetA toolkit supports collaborative action to improve learning
Focusing on PERFORMANCE vs broad outcomes
Understanding COMPLEX PROCESSES
Weighing up uncertainty of EVIDENCE
Informing robust CHOICES
Enabling robust & collaborative ACTION
KEY FEATURE: “Italian Flag” evidence model & rich uncertainty calculus
KEY FEATURE: Excel interface for linked data and predictive models
KEY FEATURE: Hierarchy of interactions focused on outcomes
So how do we respond to what Perimeta is telling us as a learning community?
Professional Enquiry through Rapid Prototyping to address key challenges highlighted by Perimeta….
Plan
Act Study
Do
…..within a disciplined evaluation framework
Experiential knowing, hunches, ideas
P D
SA
P D
SA
P D
SA P D
SA
P D
S A
P D
S A
P D
S A P D
S A
P D
S A
P D
S A
P D
S A P D
S A
Measurable System Improvement: New Knowledge and Know How
Bryk, A. Gomez L. Gunrow A. (2010) Getting Ideas into Action: Building Networked Improvement Communities in Education, Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teacher Education, Carnegie, Stanford.
How can we use technology to enhance our ability to develop organisational learning through Perimeta
! An academy with systemic analytics
Strategic Progress
Learner Dispositions
Teacher Dispositions
Stories of Change & Evidence
Reflective Enquiry Blogs
Academy X
! An academy network with systemic analytics
27
Analytics Integration
Evidence Hub
Data Data Data Data
Share and debate evidence…
About…
! Systems Learning & Leadership Evidence Hub http://sysll.evidence-hub.net
! Systems Learning & Leadership Evidence Hub http://sysll.evidence-hub.net
29
Replay Oasis/Univ Bristol/Open Uni event: http://learningemergence.net/2013/07/17/deed-elli-ai-ci-systemic-school-learning
Data Sets + Data Streams
! Learning Analytics Hub (3.0)
Learning Analytics System Simulations
Recommendation Engines
Online Tools designed to measure core processes and to
stimulate self-directed change
Buckingham Shum, S. & Deakin Crick, R. (2012) Learning Dispositions and Transferable Competencies: Pedagogy, Modelling, and Learning Analytics, Proceedings of LAK12: 2nd International Conference on Learning Analytics & Knowledge, April 29 - May 2, 2012, Vancouver, BC. ACM: New York. ISBN 978-1-4503-1111-3.
! Conclusions • The ECHO Project as a proof of concept: The ECHO Project has been an attempt to weave all the evaluation strands together in order to create a whole and more balanced snapshot of the school’s performance for improvement planning … initial analyses suggest that conceptually, professionally, practically and technically there is real promise in this approach … use of the Perimeta model enables links to be established between extended self-evaluation, performance management and school improvement planning.
! Conclusions
• Further research is needed, plus drilling down into the pilot project data, particularly the relationship between qualitative and quantitative data, e.g. what is the relationship between Year 11 leaver responses (Strand 4 questionnaire) and GCSE results (Strand 9 data)?
• Traditional statistical analysis has shown that the questionnaires and interview schedules can be refined and reduced in length
! Conclusions • Evaluation of ‘teachers as learners’ and
‘leaders as learners’ is relatively new and would benefit from review and further development, e.g. addition of a 360-degree perspective to the processes
• Approaches and processes developed through ECHO offer the potential to extend and enrich the insights of senior leadership teams (SLTs) into next steps for improvement and for the Oasis group as it seeks to identify shared issues that would benefit from coordinated resourcing
! Conclusions • Perimeta feedback offers an opportunity to
celebrate and share what’s going well, to address areas of weakness and, uniquely, to explore further aspects of the school where there is uncertainty from the evaluation evidence.
Perimeta is designed to draw people into exploring and managing their own data. It is essentially a decision-making tool. It measures for the purpose of stimulating positive change according to locally defined need.
! Next steps • Reporting to and feedback from 3 pilot
Academies • ECHO questionnaires and interview
schedules to be refined, put online and rolled out across the group
• New questionnaire for Academy Councillors to be piloted in 2013/14
• Questionnaire for wider community involvement to be developed and piloted in 2013/14
! Next steps • Further development of Perimeta as a model
directly available to schools • Further research on issues arising from the
ECHO Project • SLTs encouraged to develop the rigorous and
systematic use of qualitative as well as quantitative evaluation evidence for performance review and improvement planning
• OCL to build similar approaches into performance review and improvement planning across the group
! Next steps and, finally, our thanks
• Embedding of the ECHO work within Oasis, via OCL and, possibly, OCHE/CLICT
• Wider dissemination of the ECHO results
especially, students, staff and parents/carers at the 3 ECHO Academies; staff in the Graduate School of Education at Bristol; ‘Perimeta people’; staff at OCL/Oasis Centre; Jerusalem Trust for funding
With thanks to
Students, staff and parents/carers at the ECHO
Academies
Graduate School of Education – University of Bristol
Systems Centre – University of Bristol
University of Bristol Research Committee
Oasis Community Learning /Oasis Centre
The Jerusalem Trust