Strategies and Suggestions for Using the Four Domains for Rapid School Improvement Framework and Incorporating Indigenous Knowledge Systems
This guide offers school leaders and leadership teams a supplement to the Four Domains for Rapid School Improvement: A Systems Framework and its related CALL survey system. It was developed to help focus your improvement efforts on evidence-based practices that match your school’s particular needs.
This version of the guide includes tribally informed, culturally considerate additions from Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS), intended specifically for school leaders and community members working with Bureau of Indian Education and tribally controlled schools.
The guide is organized primarily by the Four Domains framework, and its sections follow the structure in which CALL survey results are reported. Each chapter contains brief descriptions of a Four Domains practice, a school-based example, and relevant topics following the order of CALL survey reports. Sections on these topics provide strategies, suggestions, and reflection questions to help guide your school’s efforts toward rapid school turnaround.
More About the Four Domains
The Four Domains framework, developed by WestEd’s Center for School Turnaround, was created to assist states, districts, and schools as they pursue systemic efforts to improve students’ educational experiences and outcomes. It identifies critical actions that research and practice suggest can have lasting impacts across all levels of education systems.
The framework is meant to be used in ways that take into account an improvement initiative’s local context and implementation. To help tune their use of the framework, many schools and districts also draw on the related Four Domains Comprehensive Assessment of Leadership for Learning (CALL) survey and feedback system. CALL survey results help leadership teams know where to focus their efforts as they develop and implement school improvement plans appropriate to their context.
PITC PARS
Observing the Quality of Infant/Toddler Care
The PITC Program Assessment and Reflection System (PITC PARS) is a tool to use for observing, documenting, and reflecting on the essential aspects of infant/toddler group care—from caregiving interactions to the physical environment to program policies and administrative structures.
The tool is grounded in The Program for Infant/Toddler Care (PITC), a comprehensive evidence-based system that promotes and inspires quality caregiving through early childhood training, professional learning, and materials and strategies that support the healthy development of infants and toddlers. PITC is the most widely used training system for infant and toddler teachers in the United States.
PITC PARS Instrument and Subscale Guides
The PITC PARS is a means for observing the multifaceted nature of responsive, relationship-based early care. To provide a comprehensive look at infant/toddler care program quality, this tool includes five primary components, or subscales.
The Subscale Guides provide information about the intent of each sub-item, definitions of key terms, guidance for observing sub-items, and examples that demonstrate the sub-item in action. Together, these elements facilitate in-depth understanding for how to interpret each sub-item, which types of evidence to gather, and how to evaluate the evidence collected.
The PITC PARS Subscale Guides are learning resources for all PITC PARS users, including family child care providers, infant/toddler care teachers, program administrators, coaches, researchers, evaluators, and others.
Subscale I. Quality of Adult’s Interactions with Children is about the responsiveness of individual teachers’ interactions with the infants and toddlers in their care.
Subscale II. Family Partnerships, Cultural Responsiveness, and Inclusive Care is about the extent to which caregiving practices, the care environment, and program policies are responsive to cultural and family practices as well as the unique needs of infants and toddlers.
Subscale III. Organization of Group Care is about the extent to which caregiving practices and program procedures meet infants’ and toddlers’ individual needs through predictable and supportive relationships with one or two care teachers.
Subscale IV. Physical Environment is about the extent to which the program provides indoor and outdoor environments that support infants’ and toddlers’ developmental interests and needs.
Subscale V. Routines and Record Keeping is about the extent to which caregiving routines and program procedures promote infants’ and toddlers’ safety and health.
How to Get PITC PARS
BUY THE BUNDLED PITC INSTRUMENT AND SUBSCALE GUIDES
To order with a purchase order or to purchase individual subscale guides or instruments, email customerservice@WestEd.org.
PITC PARS
Observar la calidad del cuidado infantil
El Sistema de Evaluación y Reflexión de Programas del PITC (PITC PARS, por sus siglas en inglés) es una herramienta utilizada para observar, documentar y reflexionar sobre los aspectos esenciales del cuidado infantil en grupo—desde las interacciones del cuidado al entorno físico a las normas del programa y las estructuras administrativas.
La herramienta está basada en El Programa para el Cuidado Infantil, un sistema completo y basado en evidencia que promueve e inspira cuidado de calidad a través de capacitación en la primera infancia, aprendizaje profesional y materiales y estrategias que apoyan el desarrollo infantil saludable. PITC es el sistema de capacitación más utilizado para maestras de bebés y bebés mayorcitos en los Estados Unidos.
Instrumento y las guías de las subescalas de PITC PARS
El PITC PARS es un medio para observar las muchas facetas del cuidado temprano sensible basado en las relaciones. Para proporcionar una vista completa a la calidad de programas de cuidado infantil, esta herramienta incluye cinco componentes, o subescalas.
Las Guías de las subescalas de PITC PARS proporcionan información sobre la intención de cada subelemento, definiciones de términos clave, orientación para observar los subelementos y ejemplos que demuestran el subtelemento en acción. Juntos, estos componentes facilitan una comprensión profunda de cómo interpretar cada subelemento, qué tipos de evidencia recolectar y cómo evaluar la evidencia recolectada.
Las Guías de las subescalas I – V de PITC PARS son recursos de aprendizaje para todos los usuarios de PITC PARS, incluidos proveedores de cuidado infantil en el hogar, maestros de cuidado infantil, administradores de programas, capacitadores, investigadores, evaluadores y otros.
Subescala I. Calidad de las interacciones de los adultos con los niños es sobre el grado de respuesta de las interacciones individuales de las maestras con los bebés y bebés mayorcitos en su cuidado.
Subescala II. Asociaciones con familias, sensibilidad cultural y cuidado inclusivo es sobre en qué medida las prácticas del cuidado infantil, el entorno del cuidado y las normas del programa son sensibles a las prácticas culturales y de las familias tanto como las necesidades individuales de los bebés y bebés mayorcitos.
Subescala III. Organización del cuidado infantil en grupo es sobre la medida en que las prácticas de cuidado y los procedimientos del programa satisfacen las necesidades individuales de los bebés y bebés mayorcitos a través de relaciones predecibles y de apoyo con una o dos maestras de cuidado.
Subescala IV. Entorno físico es sobre la medida en que el programa proporciona entornos interiores y exteriores que apoyen las necesidades e intereses del desarrollo infantil.
Subescala V. Rutinas y mantenimiento de registros es sobre la medida en que las rutinas de cuidado y los procedimientos del programa promueven la seguridad y la salud infantil.
Cómo obtener PITC PARS
COMPRE EL PAQUETE CON EL INSTRUMENTO Y LAS GUÍAS DE SUBESCALAS
Para ordenar con una orden de compra o para comprar guías de subescala o instrumento individual, envíenos un correo electrónico a customerservice@WestEd.org.
关于 PITC PARS
观察婴幼儿照顾的品质
PITC 计划评估与反思系统 (PITC PARS) 是一种用于观察、记录和反思婴幼儿团体照顾中的各个基本方面,从照顾互动到实体环境,再到计划政策以及管理结构的工具。
该工具以婴幼儿照顾计划 (PITC) 为基础,这是一个基于证据的综合系统,透过早期幼儿培训、专业学习以及支持婴幼儿健康发展的材料和策略来促进和激发优质的照顾。 PITC 是在美国使用最广泛的婴幼儿教师培训系统。
PITC PARS 测量工具和分量表指南
设计PITC PARS 的初衷是为了确认具回应性和基于关系的早期照顾的多层面的性质。因此,该工具基于婴幼儿照顾质量的五个主要部分对计划进行评估。这些组成部分被称为分量表。
PITC PARS分量表指南提供以下信息:每個子項目的意圖,關鍵術語的定義,觀察子項目的指南,以及展示該子項目在實際操作中的示例。這些元素一起有助於深入了解如何解釋每個子項目,收集哪些類型的證據以及如何評估收集到的證據。
PITC PARS分量表指南I–V是所有PITC PARS用戶的學習資源,包括家庭托兒所老師,嬰幼兒照顧老師,計劃管理員,教練,研究人員,評估人員等。
分量表 I. 成人与儿童互动的质量
是关于每个教师与其照顾的婴幼儿互动时的回应性。
分量表 II.家庭伙伴关系,对于不同文化具适当的回应,和包容性照顾
是关于照顾实践、照顾环境及计划政策在何种程度上对婴幼儿的文化背景,家庭习惯,以及独特需求给予回应。
分量表 III.团体照顾的组织
是关于照顾实践和计划程序在何种程度上满足婴幼儿的个人需求。这种需求应通过与一或两名照顾老师的可预测和支持性关系中得以实现。
分量表 IV.实体环境
是关于计划在何种程度上提供能够支持婴幼儿发展上的兴趣和需要的室内外环境。
分量表 V.例行活动和记录保存
是关于照顾例行活动及计划程序在何种程度上促进婴幼儿的安全及健康。
如何获取 PITC PARS
若要通过采购订单订购或购买单独的分量表指南或测量工具,请发送电子邮件至 customerservice@WestEd.org.
關於 PITC PARS
觀察嬰幼兒照顧的品質
PITC 計劃評估與反思系統 (PITC PARS) 是一種用於觀察、記錄和反思嬰幼兒團體照顧中的各個基本方面,從照顧互動到實體環境,再到計劃政策以及管理結構的工具。
該工具以嬰幼兒照顧計劃 (PITC) 為基礎,這是一個基於證據的綜合系統,透過早期幼兒培訓、專業學習以及支持嬰幼兒健康發展的材料和策略來促進和激發優質的照顧。 PITC 是在美國使用最廣泛的嬰幼兒教師培訓系統。
PITC PARS 測量工具和分量表指引
設計PITC PARS 的初衷是為了確認具回應性和基於關係的早期照顧的多層面的性質。因此,該工具基於嬰幼兒照顧質量的五個主要部分對計劃進行評估。這些組成部分被稱為分量表。
PITC PARS分量表指南提供以下信息:每個子項目的意圖,關鍵術語的定義,觀察子項目的指南,以及展示該子項目在實際操作中的示例。這些元素一起有助於深入了解如何解釋每個子項目,收集哪些類型的證據以及如何評估收集到的證據。
PITC PARS分量表指南I–V是所有PITC PARS用戶的學習資源,包括家庭托兒所老師,嬰幼兒照顧老師,計劃管理員,教練,研究人員,評估人員等。
分量表 I. 成人與幼兒互動的質量
評估每個教師與照顧嬰幼兒時互動的回應性。
分量表 II.家庭夥伴關係,對于不同文化具適當的回應,及包容性照顧
評估照顧實踐、照顧環境及計劃政策在何種程度上對嬰幼兒的文化背景,家庭習慣,以及特殊需要給予回應。
分量表 III.團體照顧組織
評估照顧實踐和計劃程序在何種程度上滿足嬰幼兒的個人需求。這種需求應通過與一兩名照顧老師的可預測和支持性關係中得以實現。
分量表 IV.實體環境
評估計劃在何種程度上提供能夠支持嬰幼兒發展興趣和需要的室內外環境。
分量表 V.例行活動及記錄保存
評估照顧例行活動及計劃程序在何種程度上促進嬰幼兒的安全及健康。
如何取得 PITC PARS
若要透過採購訂單訂購或購買單獨的分量表指南或測量工具,請發送電子郵件至 customerservice@WestEd.org.
PITC PARS Instrument and Subscale Guides
PITC PARS is also available for purchase in Spanish, Simplified Chinese, and Traditional Chinese.
The PITC PARS is a tool used to observe essential components of infant/toddler group care—from caregiving interactions to the physical environment to program policies and administrative structures. The instrument enables observers to determine the extent to which family child care and center-based programs promote responsive, relationship-based care for infants and toddlers (ages 0–3).
The instrument is designed to recognize the multifaceted nature of quality for infant/toddler care programs. It includes five primary components of child care quality for infants and toddlers to provide a comprehensive look at program quality. These components, or subscales, each consist of various items and sub-items that allow for the assessment of key aspects of the program.
The Subscale Guides provide information about the intent of each sub-item, definitions of key terms, guidance for observing sub-items, and examples that demonstrate the sub-item in action. Together, these elements facilitate in-depth understanding for how to interpret each sub-item, which types of evidence to gather, and how to evaluate the evidence collected.
The PITC PARS Subscale Guides are learning resources for all PITC PARS users, including family child care providers, infant/toddler care teachers, program administrators, coaches, researchers, evaluators, and others.
Your purchase of PITC PARS will include a bundle of the instrument and the following subscale guides:
Subscale I. Quality of Adult’s Interactions with Children is about the responsiveness of individual teachers’ interactions with the infants and toddlers in their care.
Subscale II. Family Partnerships, Cultural Responsiveness, and Inclusive Care is about the extent to which caregiving practices, the care environment, and program policies are responsive to cultural and family practices as well as the unique needs of infants and toddlers.
Subscale III. Organization of Group Care is about the extent to which caregiving practices and program procedures meet infants’ and toddlers’ individual needs through predictable and supportive relationships with one or two care teachers.
Subscale IV. Physical Environment is about the extent to which the program provides indoor and outdoor environments that support infants’ and toddlers’ developmental interests and needs.
Subscale V. Routines and Record Keeping is about the extent to which caregiving routines and program procedures promote infants’ and toddlers’ safety and health.
To order with a purchase order or to purchase individual subscale guides or instruments, email customerservice@WestEd.org.
A Brief Overview of Principal Evaluation Literature: Implications for Selecting Evaluation Models
Principals play a vital role in school improvement. How should their performance be evaluated?
This overview provides highlights from The Policies and Practices of Principal Evaluation: A Review of the Literature, a comprehensive literature review of principal evaluation systems. The review is derived from a set of primary and secondary sources from reputable publications. The review and overview were cowritten by Karen Kearney formerly of the Leadership Initiative at WestEd.
As part of the overview, Kearney and fellow researchers analyzed 68 documents, identifying themes and perspectives that might be useful to practitioners and policymakers working to improve district principal evaluation systems.
Primary-source publications provided information on the following key areas of principal evaluation:
- System implementation
- Evaluation instruments
- Portfolio-based evaluations
- Specific evaluation components, such as surveys, to identify stakeholder perceptions of principal performance
Secondary-source publications provided descriptions that target the status of principal evaluations in states and districts, commentaries about principal evaluations, descriptions of best practices, and recommendations for improving principal evaluation policies and practices.
Helping Young English Learners at Home: Simple and Fun Activities to Strengthen Language Development
As many school buildings remain closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it is even more important to engage families and caregivers to support learning outside the classroom.
This archived webinar, developed by REL West, REL Northwest, and REL Northeast & Islands, will highlight the 2014 What Works Clearinghouse Practice Guide, Teaching Academic Content and Literacy to English Learners in Elementary and Middle School and share nine activity sheets based on the practice guide as well as an associated Educator’s Guide.
The activity sheets are available in English and Spanish for parents and caregivers to use with their children at home.
Who Will Benefit
This archived webinar was designed for district and school staff working with English learner students in grades K–5 and their families.
What You Will Learn
Increase your understanding of the following:
- Research-based practices in the What Works Clearinghouse 2014 English Learner Practice Guide
- Ways the family and caregiver activity sheets (FCAs) can be used to strengthen language development of their children at home with simple and fun activities
- Ideas for reaching out and supporting families and caregivers as they use the FCAs
Presenters
- Heidi Larson, Cross-REL/TA Outreach Coordinator, REL Northeast & Islands
- Johnpaul Lapid, Senior Research Associate, REL West
- Karen Pérez, Parent
- Kelli Scardina, Senior Advisor – Equity and Systems Improvement for Emergent Bilingual Students, REL Northwest
- Lori Van Houten, Director of Analytic Support, REL West
Program for Infant/Toddler Care Module IV: Culture, Family, and Providers
WestEd’s Program for Infant/Toddler Care (PITC) has produced a series of award-winning videos and supporting materials. The products include video magazines (in DVD format), curriculum guides, trainer’s manuals, and related materials—all providing easy-to-follow techniques to ensure emotionally secure and intellectually engaging group child care. Videos are available in English, Cantonese, and Spanish. The PITC series is organized into four modules, each containing videos and print materials (see separate descriptions of each module).
Module IV Print Materials:
- Infant/Toddler Caregiving: A Guide to Creating Partnerships with Parents
- Infant/Toddler Caregiving: A Guide to Culturally Sensitive Care
- Module IV Trainer’s Manual
Module IV Videos and Video Magazines:
- Essential Connections: Ten Keys to Culturally Sensitive Child Care
- Protective Urges: Working with the Feelings of Parents and Caregivers
- Talking Points for Essential Connections
- Talking Points for Protective Urges
Supplementary Materials for Module IV:
- Addendum to Trainer’s Manual IV
- Spanish-Language Handouts and Transparencies
For a complete list of PITC products for sale, including current prices, download the PITC order form. At the end of the form, you will find instructions on how to order materials through the California Department of Education.
Moving Leadership Standards Into Everyday Work: Descriptions of Practice (eBook), Second Edition
What does effective leadership look like, not just in theory but in action?
Moving Leadership Standards Into Everyday Work: Descriptions of Practice enhances the usefulness of the California Professional Standards for Education Leaders (CPSEL) by illustrating key knowledge and actions reflected in leadership that supports all students to learn and thrive.
The recently updated descriptions of practice (DOP), derived from consensus-building among experts and practitioners, show what individual elements within each of the six CPSEL look like across a continuum of practice. Each continuum, ranging from practice directed toward the standard to practice exemplifying the standard, provides common concepts, language, and examples for a given leadership element.
The DOP, which are also useful with leadership standards in other states, can serve various and sometimes overlapping purposes, including as
- A starting point for developing credentialing criteria or assessments
- A guide for planning leadership preparation, induction, professional learning or coaching
- A basis for clarifying performance expectations
- A mirror for an administrator’s self-reflection and professional goal-setting
Today’s school administrators must assume multiple roles, from catalyst to manager, from expert to facilitator. This resource, which includes a tri-fold version of the CPSEL, offers a realistic view of how those shifts translate into effective leadership.
Download the recently updated California Professional Standards for Education Leaders (CPSEL).
Support for Rapid School Improvement: How Federal Dollars Can Be Leveraged for Systemic Improvement
The system within which a school operates — encompassing both the district and the state education system — can either bolster or stall rapid improvement.
To support systemic thinking about school improvement, the Center on School Turnaround at WestEd developed a framework entitled Four Domains for Rapid School Improvement. The framework is designed to assist states, districts, and schools in leading and managing rapid school improvement efforts. As states and local education agencies begin to develop and implement a theory of action that is guided by such a framework, it is important that they also align their spending to support implementation of their improvement efforts.
This guide delves into often-overlooked federal funding sources that can be used to support local efforts to pursue rapid turnaround, and:
- Highlights three ways ESSA facilitates spending on school improvement initiatives
- Provides an overview of spending rules that apply to all federal grants, and summarizes the Title I Part A, Title II Part A, and IDEA Part B programs
- Gives examples of how districts and schools can use Title I Part A, Title II Part A, and IDEA Part B funds to support the four domains for rapid school improvement
Although focused on spending at the district and school levels, the guide is appropriate for those involved in school improvement at the state, district, or school level because policies and procedures at all those levels impact how funds are spent at the local level.
Promoting Inclusion and Engagement in STEM Learning: A Practical Guide for Out-of-School-Time Professionals
Participation in out-of-school time (OST) programs, especially in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), has been shown to be beneficial for youth, particularly youth who are underserved. These benefits include promoting academic success, health and well-being, and identity development. Many OST programs and educators seek support for how to promote STEM learning with specific youth audiences, such as Indigenous learners, emergent multilingual learners, and learners experiencing differing physical and/or sensory abilities.
This guide is designed to provide practical strategies and guidance for OST professionals—including educators, program directors, administrators, curriculum developers, professional learning providers, and education researchers—who provide STEM learning activities to youth outside of a formal classroom setting. This guide reflects the collaborative work of WestEd and Northern Arizona University (NAU) through the Planetary Learning that Advances the Nexus of Engineering, Technology, and Science (PLANETS) program, with support from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
Essential Conditions for Advancing and Sustaining Cross-Sector Collaboration: A Reflection Guide for Child-, Youth-, and Family-Serving Agencies
The work toward cross-sector collaboration has never been more urgent. Through a global pandemic, an increasingly polarized society, intensified violence locally and abroad, societal reckoning with injustices, and a surge in adolescent mental health challenges, many child-, youth-, and family-serving agencies have invested greater resources in supporting systems improvement.
These efforts include California’s recent multibillion-dollar investments in community schools and children and youth behavioral health. Such efforts motivate state and local agencies to work together across education, health, social services, and other sectors to align their efforts toward a shared, coherent purpose.
This guide from The California Center for School Climate shares strategies for creating and sustaining seven essential conditions for effective cross-sector collaboration to improve equitable access, experiences, and outcomes for young people, families, and communities:
- Collaborative Leadership Capacity
- Diverse and Inclusive Representation
- Relational Trust
- Collective Vision and Purpose
- Clear Structures and Approaches to Teamwork
- Continuous Improvement Routines and Infrastructure
- Adequate Resources and Abundance Mindsets
For each condition, the guide describes indicators of implementation that leaders and cross-sector teams can use to identify strengths, gaps, and opportunities in the design and implementation of their own collaboration efforts. The guide also offers tips for how to begin or strengthen each condition and points readers to further resources.