A culture of ownership is key to elevating achievement.

Research by Michael Fullen suggests a culture of ownership…

  • Fosters intrinsic motivation of students and educators.
  • Engages students and educators in continuous improvement of teaching and learning.
  • Inspires teamwork.
  • Affects all students and educators—100 percent.

How does Elevated Achievement Group foster a culture of ownership?

We make it SYSTEMIC.

We meet clients where they are in terms of learner ownership by honoring previous work, consulting together on products and services that increase growth through a flexible framework, and ensuring integration of all supports.

We make it SUSTAINABLE.

We build opportunities for continuous development by providing stakeholders the authority, capacity, and responsibility to own their learning.

We make it SCALABLE.

We offer products and services that develop learner ownership through practical solutions, clarity of implementation, and intentional models of strategic learning practices.

Learn more about how Elevated Achievement Group can help you develop STUDENT OWNERSHIP through the following professional learning opportunities.

Students who own their learning can state what they are learning and why, explain how they learn best, articulate when they are learning and when they are struggling, and understand their role in any academic setting. Therefore, our professional learning experiences for elevating achievement are designed to support educators in giving all students the authority, capacity, and responsibility to own their learning.

This professional learning opportunity focuses on the gathering of academic climate data regarding support for student ownership specific to curriculum, instruction, assessment, and climate using the Strategic Learning Practices™. Elevated Achievement will:

  • Conduct observational walks through all identified classrooms to gather data specific to the Strategic Learning Practices™.
  • Develop an easy-to-read report showing strengths and areas for growth.
  • Offer next steps recommendations to build on current school initiatives.

This professional learning opportunity focuses on ensuring that all stakeholders have a deep understanding of the Strategic Learning Practices™ necessary to develop student ownership and elevate student achievement for all learners. Participants will:

  • Review the research regarding the value of student ownership.
  • Clarify a learning framework with the Strategic Learning Practices™ which identify the most effective practices of classroom curriculum, instruction, assessment, and climate.
  • Calibrate an understanding of each of the practices and identify the practices in classroom instruction.
  • Reflect upon and analyze their current classroom practice.

Families are a child’s first and foremost teacher and are key to educational success. This professional learning opportunity focuses on empowering parents and caregivers in cultivating home learning environments where students can continue to develop ownership of their learning. These sessions will provide practical strategies to use in building a child’s understanding of their role in the learning process—both at home and at school. Participants will:

  • Develop tips for discussing academic growth with their children—their day at school, what they learned, when they felt success, and when they struggled.
  • Receive a variety of questioning techniques to help lead these conversations, offer support, and share their own academic stories.
  • Support their children’s learning in the areas of curriculum, instruction, assessment, and their role in an academic classroom.

Students are more supported to own their learning when all learning is driven by a standards-based curriculum with measurable and achievable outcomes. Therefore, our professional learning experiences for elevating curriculum are designed to flip the emphasis from what teachers need to teach today to what students need to learn today, tomorrow, and for the rest of the year.

This professional learning opportunity focuses on clarifying the patterns within the state literacy standards that allow for the development of integrated units that lead to strong authentic culminating product. Participants will:

  • Analyze the embedded patterns found in the state literacy standards.
  • Clarify the criteria for mastery of individual standards and objectives.
  • Develop integrated units, for any and all content areas, that are driven by an authentic application of literacy (reading, writing, speaking, listening, and thinking) skills.

This professional learning opportunity focuses on clarifying the patterns within the state literacy standards that allow for the development of an integrated course scope and sequence. Participants will:

  • Analyze the embedded patterns found in the state literacy standards.
  • Determine decision criteria for an integrated literacy course scope and sequence.
  • Develop and finalize an integrated literacy course scope and sequence.

This professional learning opportunity focuses on clarifying the patterns within the state mathematics standards, both content standards and standards for mathematical practices, that allow for the development of integrated units that lead to strong authentic culminating product. Participants will:

  • Analyze the embedded patterns found in the state math content standards.
  • Analyze the embedded patterns found in the state math practice standards.
  • Clarify the criteria for mastery of individual standards and objectives.
  • Develop integrated units that are driven by an authentic application of mathematics content and practice skills.

This professional learning opportunity focuses on clarifying the patterns within the state mathematics standards, both content standards and standards for mathematical practices, that allow for the development of an integrated course scope and sequence. Participants will:

  • Analyze the embedded patterns found in the state math content standards.
  • Analyze the embedded patterns found in the state math practice standards.
  • Determine decision criteria for an integrated mathematics course scope and sequence.
  • Develop and finalize an integrated mathematics course scope and sequence.

Students are more supported to own their learning when all learning is driven by highly engaging, effective, and efficient instruction. Therefore, our professional learning experiences for elevating instruction are designed to flip the focus from what the teacher needs to do to teach the skills to what students need to do to learn the skills.

This professional learning opportunity focuses on designing lessons that allow students to take ownership of their learning on a daily basis. Participants will:

  • Examine the phases of a skills-centered lesson plan.
  • Design lessons that increase student ownership of the learning as driven by an outcome that states what is to be learned as well as how the students will demonstrate that it was learned.
  • Share practical solutions that support students in actively engaging in the learning.

This professional learning opportunity for curricular departments is developed in consultation with teachers and will be based on identified department needs. This work will allow for differentiated support that can include instructional planning based on identified gaps, review/analysis of the course scope and sequence and its alignment to benchmark blueprints, and training on specific Strategic Learning Practices™.

This professional learning opportunity focuses on individualized, in-classroom, differentiated learning supports. Participants will:

  • Design a lesson with an instructional coach.
  • Observe this lesson being delivered by the coach with their students.
  • Debrief the lesson and design a second lesson.
  • Deliver that lesson while being observed by the instructional coach.
  • Receive and discuss affirming and constructive feedback, as well as next steps.

Students are more supported to own their learning when all learning is driven by regular assessment that guides instructional decision-making. Therefore, our professional learning experiences for elevating assessment are designed to flip the approach from the teacher solely determining if learning is occurring or not to the students knowing when they are learning or when they are struggling.

This professional learning opportunity focuses on how to utilize a data analysis protocol that analyzes student learning results, allows teachers to clarify why students might have scored as they did, and informs instructional decision-making. Participants will:

  • Analyze a data analysis protocol that identifies strengths and gaps in students’ assessed skills.
  • Analyze a data analysis protocol that identifies strengths and gaps in previous instruction on the assessed skills.
  • Develop alternative instructional materials, delivery methods, timing, and/or groupings to address identified gaps in students’ skills.
  • Identify additional methods to monitor student mastery.

This professional learning opportunity focuses on developing criteria for assessing student learning on a consistent basis by reviewing the patterns found in the state standards and state assessment(s), creating a purpose for the assessment system, and building a standards-driven blueprint. This blueprint will support the development of aligned assessments. Participants will:

  • Review the patterns in the state standards and state assessment(s).
  • Clarify the value and purpose of assessing student learning.
  • Determine blueprint decision criteria.
  • Build a blueprint for benchmark assessment development.

This professional learning opportunity focuses on utilizing the course scope and sequence, the aligned assessment blueprint, and the patterns in the state standards and state assessment(s) in order to develop standards-based assessments. Participants will:

  • Review the patterns in the state standards and state assessments.
  • Review blueprint decision criteria.
  • Utilize the blueprint to develop standards-based assessments.

Students are more supported to own their learning when all learning is driven by a positive academic climate. Therefore, our professional learning experiences for elevating climate are designed to flip the focus from the actions of the teacher—their rules and classroom management—to the actions of the students—their role in an academic learning environment.

This professional learning opportunity focuses on building a classroom where students are able to share ideas, build on each other’s thinking in cooperative conversations, work together in collaborative settings, and learn to respect and support the learning process for themselves and each other. Participants will:

  • Learn the research on how an academic climate is a precursor to academic growth.
  • Leverage the work regarding curriculum, instruction, and assessment to build an academic environment for students.
  • Differentiate between cooperative and collaborative activities and the value of each.
  • Develop a model for academic risk-taking.

Teachers play a crucial role in ensuring students are motivated, engaged, and learning. They are key decision-makers for developing student ownership. Therefore, our professional learning experiences for elevating achievement through instructional leadership are designed to support administrators in developing teachers who make and own purposeful decisions and develop their own teacher ownership.

This professional learning opportunity focuses on how to ensure that all stakeholders have a deep understanding of the Strategic Learning Practices™ necessary to develop student ownership and elevate student achievement for all learners.  This work will focus on ensuring that the school administration and leadership team has the knowledge and skills necessary to effectively support and reflect on school-wide practices. Participants will:

  • Review the research regarding the value of student ownership.
  • Clarify a learning framework with the Strategic Learning Practices™ which identify the most effective practices of classroom curriculum, instruction, assessment, and climate.
  • Participate in self-analysis of their individual and school-wide instructional practices.
  • Determine next steps for school-wide support.

This support for leaders will focus on ensuring an understanding of communication and thinking styles, examining individual preferences, and utilizing this knowledge to effectively communicate with a variety of stakeholders. Participants will:

  • Receive and review their individual Hermann Brain Dominance Instrument® (HBDI®) Profile.
  • Explore how each participant’s behavior reflects these preferences.
  • Discuss and explore the thinking preferences and how they affect behaviors in planning, working, and communicating.

This support for leaders will explore the value of question-driven conversations that lead to a deeper understanding of how a teacher makes decisions during planning, delivery, and reflection of a lesson. This model, along with reflective conversation strategies, will enable administrators to have meaningful and reflective conversations that push teachers’ decision-making towards increased student achievement. Participants will:

  • Clarify the power of question-driven conversations with the teacher doing the bulk of the talking.
  • Calibrate observation data-gathering practices to determine the sequence of questions.
  • Lead a feedback session that focuses on teacher decision-making.

This support for leaders will provide a schema for delegation that differentiates based on the task, the competence (skill) of the staff member, and the motivation (will) of the staff member. This schema allows for articulation of the goals and expectations of any initiative for a variety of learning styles. Participants will:

  • Analyze a schema that differentiates based on competence (skill) and motivation (will).
  • Determine the most efficient and effective delegation process based on individual data.
  • Develop delegation plans for a variety of staff members.

This professional learning opportunity focuses on how to ensure that leaders have a deep understanding of the Strategic Learning Practices™ necessary to develop ownership within their staff. This work will focus on ensuring that all leaders have the knowledge and skills necessary to effectively support school-wide practices. Participants will:

  • Review the research regarding the value of learner ownership.
  • Clarify a framework with the Strategic Learning Practices™ which identify the most effective elements of ownership.
  • Participate in self-analysis of their individual and school-wide practices.
  • Determine a plan of next steps for school-wide support.

What are people saying about Elevated Achievement Group?

Through the use of these practices, student ownership has increased tenfold! My students know what they are learning and how they are demonstrating it. Furthermore, they have become self-aware of their learning process and can identify and articulate when they are struggling, so I can adjust my teaching in order for them to reach their academic endeavors.

Interested in these or other professional learning opportunities? Contact us for a free consultation.

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