Accreditation Support

NEASC (New England Association of Schools and Colleges) CPSS (Commission on Public Secondary Schools) Accreditation Support Learning Solutions supports schools as they work towards meeting the NEASC CPSS Standards for Accreditation. Services include coaching for the steering committee as schools prepare their self-study for their accreditation visit, as well as addressing recommendations for the four teaching and learning standards and the three support standards. Support includes development of the school's mission and expectations for student learning, rubric development and implementation, reporting systems that include individual student and school-wide progress on meeting school-wide academic expectations, alignment of curriculum and assessment with the school-wide expectations for student learning, and development and implementation of advisory or other programs that personalize a student's high school experience.

Learning Solutions also supports schools as they prepare for follow-up reports and deepen their implementation of the NEASC Standards. An annual conference for schools that will be embarking upon their self-study is offered each spring. Learning Solutions is endorsed by the CPSS as a professional service provider, and develops and facilitates annual training programs for visiting team chairs each summer.

1. Presentations to faculty, et al. on meeting the new accreditation standards
2. 1-3 day visit(s) by an individual or a team to assess the readiness of the school to meet the new standards
3. Short or long-term consulting support to prepare the school for meeting the accreditation standards

Literacy Across the Curriculum

Learning Solutions understands the need for schools to embed literacy into the curriculum in order for all students to be successful. To that end Learning Solutions assists in developing school literacy plans and offers embedded literacy coaching for individual teachers and/or teams. Literacy plans may include the development of a Writing Across the Curriculum program, motivational reading such as Sustained Silent Reading programs, and/or theuse of explicitly taught reading strategies in all disciplines.

Analysis of Student Work

Learning Solutions assists schools in developing collaborative cultures through a process of analyzing student work to inform teacher planning, instruction, and assessment practices. Through the use of protocols that ensure a productive and safe environment for conversation, teachers will use student work to analyze which teaching techniques are working well for students and the ways in which instruction might be tailored to better meet student needs. (See also Critical Friends Group training)

Professional Learning Community Development and Teacher Learning Communities

Learning Solutions works with schools to implement Professional Learning Community practices that will enhance the professional culture of the school. Development of a shared vision that expresses the school's values and beliefs, and the norms by which the school operates is the foundation for PLC work. Learning Solutions also assists with the development and implementation of PLC structures such as mentoring, effective teaming practices, incorporating CFG protocols, team literacy planning, and personalized learning experiences for students (e.g. advisory programs) in order to embed the school's mission into the daily life of the school.

Learning Solutions consultants are also nationally certified trainers for ETS (Educational Testing Service) KLT (Keeping Learning on Track) AfL (Assessment for Learning) programs. Key components of these programs are the establishment of Teacher Learning Communities; faculty teams that meet monthly to build understanding of formative assessment practices and instructional techniques to support the five key strategies of the KLT program. Visit www.ets.org for more information on the KLT program.

Critical Friends Group Training

Learning Solutions works with schools to establish and sustain CFGs by training faculty members to facilitate a variety of protocols to use for the analysis of student work as well as for other school initiatives. This training provides participants with a structure for conversations that provide equity of voice, effective use of meeting time, and productive outcomes. Examples of protocols include the text-based seminar, tuning protocol, success protocol, descriptive consultancy, micro-lab, and others.

Coaching: Teachers/Administrators

Learning Solutions provides coaching for teachers and/or administrators as a means of support and to build capacity in schools. Coaching design depends on the needs of the school and may include support for new teachers and/or administrators, for teacher leaders, for groups of teachers and/or administrators as they embark on new initiatives such as literacy across the curriculum or interdisciplinary teams.

Teaming

Learning Solutions supports schools in the implementation of grade level, interdisciplinary or content specific teams. Effective teams must be focused on student learning; we can assist with the design, scheduling and composition of teams as well as the training of successful components of teaming. Teams, once structured, will understand the importance of roles and responsibilities, setting agendas, keeping minutes, creating a calendar for meetings with those outside of the team, and how to effectively use team time to balance student issues with collaborative planning that will support and enhance student learning.

Systems Thinking

Effective schools must have systems in place that streamline the day to day management of the school and work in alignment with the school's mission to support student learning. Learning Solutions assists schools in analyzing their current systems, redesigning or developing new systems, and implementing those systems smoothly into the school community. As well, Learning Solutions will assist schools in the review of policies, practices and procedures to ensure that they are student-centered and support systemic thinking.

High School Reform

Learning Solutions works with high schools to develop and implement reform practices that are recommended in Breaking Ranks II and supported by research and best practices. Such work might include small school or school-within-a-school design, scheduling to include longer blocks of learning for students, heterogeneity in all disciplines, rigorous, relevant, and engaging learning for all students, personalized learning environments for students, graduation exhibitions, and re-culturing a school to be an adult and student learning community.

Advisory

Personalized learning environments are proven to promote student success at all grade levels. Learning Solutions assists schools in developing and implementing programs that ensure all students are known well by at least one adult in the school. Widely known as "advisory", "home-base", or "round table" programs, we work with schools to schedule this time into the regular school day, and to develop themes and/or a curricular framework around which this dedicated time will revolve. We also provide training for school personnel to understand the purpose of the program and their role and responsibilities in implementing the program successfully.

On-sight Grad Level Courses

In conjunction with a school or district's partnership with local colleges and universities Learning Solutions offers on-sight graduate level courses. Course work is usually offered for 3-5 days during the summer with 2 follow-up days during the school year, although other formats may be arranged. Topics of study might include: Supervision and Evaluation for School Leaders, Goal Setting to Inform Professional Practice, Data Analysis to Inform Instruction, Formative Assessment Strategies and Techniques, Rubric Design and Implementation, and Learning with the Brain in Mind.

Data Analysis to Inform Instruction

Learning Solutions assists schools in the analysis of data and in how to use the information to tailor instruction to meet identified student needs. In this age of high stakes testing and meeting AYP, it is important for schools to understand the data that is available to them. Along with the understanding is the need to use the information that the data provides to effect change in classroom instruction and in programming for students. Data analysis will also include formative measures such as student portfolios or other assessments particular to schools to ensure a balanced assessment practices.

Learning Solutions works with schools to develop the use of formative assessment strategies and techniques to inform instruction and improve student learning. Training is provided to assist teachers in understanding how formative assessments are used as instructional tools to lead to successful understanding of the content. Formative assessment allows teachers to differentiate instruction and meet the needs of all learners.

Learning Solutions provides schools with training in the development and implementation of graduation projects/exhibitions that serve as a vehicle for student demonstration of proficient understanding of a school's expectations for student learning. Graduation projects are designed to reflect student responsibility for their own learning, to be presented to a wide audience, and to demonstrate student readiness to face the challenges of post-high school learning.

Learning Solutions works with schools and/or districts to write grants for programs such as Small Learning Communities, Teacher Incentives, and School Reform.

Learning Solutions founders (Miller and Cleland) have extensive experience in the field of observation, having led district nationally to design, develop, and support implementation of evidence-based observation models. 

Most recently TLS has been the lead consultants for design and implementation support for observation and evaluation support in Los Angeles (LAUSD Supporting All Employees Initiative), American Federation of Teachers (AFT i3 grant partners), and numerous other districts. TLS has developed training, training-of-trainers, web-platform training, and the incorporation of measures to assess academic growth over time. As charter members of the Danielson Group of consultants they managed numerous projects nationally in which group members collaborated under their leadership to support districts in all aspect of design, development, and implementation. This included building inter-rater reliability among observers.