Educators who are provided with the opportunity to collaborate and learn with their colleagues tend to:
implement Elevate more consistently over time,
experience greater improvements in learning conditions, and
report lasting impacts on their teaching practice.
Therefore, we recommend that Community Leads convene educators in Communities of Practice (CoP) where they can make sense of their reports together, identify areas of improvement, and celebrate progress. Teachers using Elevate typically administer the survey three or more times each school year and we recommend they convene for ~60 minutes at least four times throughout the school year: before they get started and after each survey.
Below you will find protocols designed to support Community Leads to facilitate CoP Meetings. Community Leads should preview the protocols and modify them to fit the needs & availability of the educators in the CoP. While all of the protocols are designed for use in 60-minute meetings, we recommend allocating 90 minutes when possible.
☝If you'd like to modify any of the protocols below, make a copy by opening the file then clicking File > Make a copy.
Protocol: Getting Started with Elevate Protocol
When to Use: After teachers have been introduced to Elevate and recruited to join a Community of Practice, but before they’ve started surveying.
Objective: To introduce teachers to Elevate, prepare to discuss Elevate with students, and co-create CoP community commitments.
Protocol: Cycle 1 Increase Participation Protocol
When to Use: If ≤ 65% of students completed the survey.
Alternatively, you can extend the survey window and postpone the CoP meeting to give more time for students to respond to the survey. Then, when the CoP convenes, you can instead use the Cycle 1 (Baseline) Results Protocol to review students’ survey responses.
Objective: To review participation rates & survey fidelity responses and make a plan to increase participation if ≤ 65% of students completed the survey.
Protocol: Cycle 1 (Baseline) Results Protocol
When to Use: After the first survey window has closed, teachers have received their reports, and > 65% of students completed the survey.
Alternatively, if participation is ≤ 65%, you can instead use the Cycle 1 Increase Participation Protocol.
Objective: To review baseline survey results on learning conditions and make a plan for improvement if > 65% of students completed the survey.
Protocol: Cycle 2+ Results Protocol
When to Use: After each survey window, beginning Cycle 2, and after teachers have had the opportunity to review their report independently.
Objective: To review progress on learning conditions after implementing Elevate each cycle and make a plan for improvement.
Protocol: Final Reflection Protocol
When to Use: After teachers have completed their final cycle of Elevate and have had the opportunity to review their report independently.
Objective: To celebrate progress, identify key learnings & takeaways, and make a plan to share with your school community after the final Elevate cycle.
When to Use: At the start of Elevate implementation, before teachers survey students
Objective: To co-create a safe learning space that supports open dialogue and adoption of new ideas among teachers
Coming Soon… Deepening Understanding of Learning Conditions
Objective: To help teachers understand Elevate’s learning conditions and ease anxiety about getting feedback from students.
When to Use:
If you have more than 60 minutes to introduce Elevate to teachers, this protocol can be used to make predictions prior to the first cycle.
If you notice that teachers need support to deeply understand the learning conditions when reviewing their reports, this protocol can be supportive after the first cycle.
Coming Soon... Including Students in Baseline Results & Cycle 2+ Protocols
Objective: To include students’ perspectives when reviewing Elevate data and making a plan to improve.
When to use: If you are able to invite students to review data alongside teachers.