Building Collective Efficacy by Marking Learning Visible

At Lead by Learning, we know that collaborative inquiry builds teachers’ and leaders’ local knowledge about how best to support their students’ and colleagues’ learning. By sharing that knowledge publicly, they develop a collective understanding of where their learners are and a vision for where to focus their energy going forward. To close the year, our partners are supported to reflect on what  they’ve learned and share it with their colleagues in presentations, posters, and reflections, while discussing the broader implications for teaching and learning in their districts and schools. Get a glimpse of how our partners at all levels of the spectrum shared, celebrated, and leveraged their learning this school year to build and harness the power of collective efficacy.

Oakland Unified School District SEL Lead Learners:

Third grade teacher Kiana Pineda from Garfield Elementary School shares her learning journey. Teachers from 14 schools across the district, representing K-5th grade, met monthly to develop their SEL leadership and center SEL in their classroom and at their school site to support students and adults. The SEL Lead Learner inquiry group provided a safe haven for SEL teacher leaders. Listen to them share how the group impacted their practice and why SEL matters in their end of year video. To learn more about SEL in Oakland, click here.

Vallejo City Unified Expanded Learning Site Coordinators:

Vallejo City Unified’s Expanded Learning Site Coordinators pause to celebrate their learning this year, right before they head into breakout rooms for their end-of-year learning synthesis presentations. Each site coordinator was engaged in continuous quality improvement throughout the year, with many of them focusing on the quality standards of Skill Building and Youth Voice & Leadership. Site Coordinators created a goal grounded in data, took action steps towards that goal, paused to check for impact, adjusted as appropriate, and took new steps. Along the way, they supported one another with observations, questions, and ideas. Last week they shared their year-long process with both after-school and school-day leaders.

Berkeley Unified School District ,Willard Middle School:

Sixth-grade math and science teacher Ryan Chinn, one of Willard Middle School’s inquiry teacher leaders, presents his inquiry learning to a group of colleagues during Willard’s Inquiry Share & Celebration. Ryan’s inquiry focused on developing math confidence and skill in his BIPOC students. Along with the 11 other members of the Willard Inquiry Group, Ryan presented his learning to the wider school community so as to leverage their learning beyond the walls of their own classrooms and to create a bridge to next year, when the inquiry work will be rolled out school-wide.

Oakland Unified School District Integrated and Designated Secondary ELD Lead Learners:

High School English Teacher Nhi Truong from Metwest High School shares her learning as part of the district wide Oakland Unified ELLMA Office secondary inquiry group. Teachers from 8 schools across the district, representing 6-12th grade and every content area explored academic language production to best support their Long Term English Learner students. Nhi specifically focused on one of her focal students to support his prewriting process to improve as a writer. Listen to Nhi share her story.

Santa Clara Unified School District, Abram Agnew Elementary School:

Founding teachers at Abram Agnew Elementary school share how their thinking and practice have shifted this school year using the collaborative structure: concentric circles. Abram Agnew educators have been focusing their inquiries on SEL integrated academics. Teachers shared how having a space to engage in inquiry together supported them to be more intentional and student centered to build classrooms full joy, agency, appreciation, and self awareness.

Oakland Unified School District Expanded Learning:

District leaders from the OUSD Expanded Learning office came together on the Mills campus to reconnect with their mission, reflect on their values and priorities, and enhance their program offerings to meet the needs of their students, families, and staff for the upcoming school year. Top initiatives include deepening TK-6 programming, redesigning summer school, supporting family literacy and mental health, and developing synergy between school-day and after-school offerings. The OUSD Expanded Learning office is committed to using an inquiry approach to adapt and meet the needs of over 70 school sites across Oakland.