CAR — The Connected Action RoadmapCARdiagramMultiColor-whitebkgrd-432px

Empower Your PLC to Drive This Process of Shared Leadership to Improve Student Learning

What is the Connected Action Roadmap?

CAR is a process of school improvement that brings coherence to the work of educators by connecting standards, student learning, assessment, professional learning, educator effectiveness, and school climate and culture to the work of professional learning communities. The focus is on how educators collaborate to assist students in reaching the highest level of achievement. Guided by a common language and specific conversations, CAR creates a coherent plan for systemic implementation of effective practice, and makes curriculum development a priority – a shift from program to practice.

Without CAR, Professional Learning Communities can lack purpose and effectiveness. Emphasis is on compliance rather than practice; educators stay in their silos and do not collaborate; opportunities to grow are lost; and professional learning does not translate into student learning.  CAR ensures that the conversations you have with your team will be meaningful and purposeful. It is simple, straightforward, effective, and most of all, coherent. CAR takes all of the mandates and best practices and helps you and your PLCs reach your destination of student learning through a viable curriculum that properly uses assessments and navigates the terrain to get you where you need to go.

CAR is making a big difference in how school leaders work together to increase student achievement in New Jersey. Now, we can bring CAR to schools across the country.

To learn more about the Connected Action Roadmap and how to use its blended online learning modules in your school, call us at 609-860-1200 or e-mail Donna McInerney at dmcinerney@njpsa.org.

 

Click here for a brief overview of the CAR Framework

car-metaphor

These videos explain how the CAR process can help you empower PLCs to achieve real change in your schools:

Overview of the CAR Framework

 

From the CAR Pilot Districts

Hear what the leaders in the CAR pilot districts had to say about CAR training and the difference CAR has made to the effectiveness of their professional learning communities:

Former Emil Carafa, Principal of Washington School in Lodi, NJ.

Joshue Falaise, Interim Chief Academic Officer, Trenton Public Schools

Kristin O’Neil, Ed.D., Superintendent of Swedesboro-Woolwich School District

What other educational leaders in the CAR pilot schools have to say about the CAR training programs offered by FEA:

Presenters maximized the time and provided valuable information to ensure that participants are successful in their implementation of CAR.

The focus on Culture was very important and gave us a perfect way to start off our school year in the fall.

I liked how we were presented information and then given time to talk and figure out how the information applied to our school! Overall, the workshop was great!

I enjoyed having time to work with my colleagues on our next steps with the CAR program. Everyone involved in the workshop was very positive and enthusiastic about the program and the work we have done so far.

Using the resources from CAR and modeling how to use those resources was powerful and allowed teams to engage in deep conversations around the topic and the usage of tools.

I enjoyed how the presenters used the modules. Each session helps me to become a little more comfortable using the online portion of CAR.

How can you bring the Connected Action Roadmap to your school?

Call us at 609-860-1200.

We will train you and your team and show you the best ways to use the Blended Online Learning Modules to maximize the effectiveness of your PLCs. You will then have the necessary tools to lead the conversations and train others in the CAR process. We also offer ongoing coaching assistance for PLC teams and curriculum leaders.

Get familiar with CAR and its language

The Destination: Student Learning

The Vehicle: The PLC – Teams of teachers who develop, implement, reflect on, and continuously revise a standards-based curriculum

The Map: A viable curriculum – Composed of units of study that contain the basic components of effective practice

Guideposts:   Assessments – Focus on ongoing formative and summative assessments

Terrain: Culture – The model focuses on the following components of culture:

  • Climate (student-to-student, adult-to-student, and adult-to-adult relationships)
  • Shared Leadership (teacher leadership, collaboration, shared responsibility, and shared ownership)
  • Communication of Connections and High expectations (coherent vision and a connected plan to achieve the vision)

Drivers:  Teacher and Principal Effectiveness – The framework provides the context for evaluation and supports:

  • A common language
  • Development of shared understandings
  • Self-assessment and reflection on practice
  • Structured professional conversation