A Reader Writes... (Advice for the First Year Principal - Part 12)

In response to the post, “Advice for the First Year Principal – Part 10,” the LYS leader referred to, writes:

SC,

Thanks! Funny thing with a crisis like that is that regardless how much you prepare for 'the moment' to finally come, no one really has any good advice.

The ‘lack of backbone’ piece has really opened my eyes. I've learned a lot in a very short period of time, to say the very least!

SC Response
What you are experiencing is the crucible of education leadership development, the principalship. Nothing you did before truly prepared you for it, and once you go through it, you have an edge on every other leader in education that didn’t sit in that particular chair. Because when push comes to shove, you won’t think that you can run a school, you will know that you can run a school.

When I was a principal, when the going got tough I would sometimes remind myself of the following:

1. They don’t pay me the medium sized bucks to do the easy stuff.
2. If they are going to fire me, it will be for exceeding my authority, not abdicating it.

Then later in my career, I would tell my principals the following, “We can work through the did something. I have no time for the did nothing.”

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

A Reader Asks... Special Case Common Assessments

A LYS Reader from Texas asks:

Sean,

We are implementing short-term common assessments in our district. But we just hit the wall on an issue and we don’t know what we should do. All we know is that we don’t want to mess this up. What do we do for the advanced student who is responsible for a grade level state test, but is taking a different course?

SC Response

Great question. The fact that it has come up means that you are taking the common assessment process seriously, as opposed to just going through the motions.

There is always some confusion about what to do when a student is taking a course that is not directly correlated to the TAKS test he or she is required to take in a given year. For example, an 8th grader taking geometry or a HS student taking a dual credit course at a Junior College.

In a perfect world (one without TAKS), the student would always take the common assessment for the course he or she is taking. For example the 8th grade geometry student would take the geometry test.

However, in an environment of high stakes testing, there is a need for the school to track the student's progress on the TEKS that the student will be tested on at the end of the year. We actually have worked with schools where the student received college credit for a course taken at the Junior College and failed the TAKS.

So consider the 8th grade geometry student, a district has a couple of options:

1. The student only takes the geometry test (not recommended).

2. The student only takes the 8th grade math common assessment (a viable option).

3. The student takes the geometry test on a three-week cycle, the 8th grade math test on a six-week cycle, or the reverse (a viable option).

4. The student takes a common assessment that addresses both needs on the same test (a viable option).

If it was my school or schools and I was concerned about math performance on the TAKS test, I would focus on the assessment that provided the information best correlated to the TAKS requirements of the grade. At least until I had objective data that made me confident that the TAKS was no longer an issue for the students in question.

I hope this helps.

Think. Work Achieve.

Your turn...

A Reader Submits... Curriculum Myth

One of the big brains in the LYS Nation submits the following:

Myth: Curriculum must be research based.

Fact: It must be standards based.

Conversely, it is instruction that should be research based. Why does 99% of our profession aggressively ignore this fact?

SC Response

Because by embracing the myth, I can justify whatever course of action I take. And since my actions are completely justified, any failures in my school or class are the fault of someone else.

I was speaking to a group of Superintendents and Assistant Superintendents recently and pointed out that yes, we are beginning to see progress in improving the quality of instruction in the classroom. But because there is so little meaningful focus and discipline on actual curriculum, ultimately all this means is that students are being taught the wrong things, better.

That fact ought to keep you awake at night.

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

A Reader Submits... Instructional Strategies

A LYS Assistant Superintendent submits:

After a trip to an ESC today, I realized there is much to be learned, or perhaps unlearned, around the State of Texas. I will begin this painful process with a gentle assault on one of modern educations mainstays: HOMEWORK!

Let's set the stage; homework is an instructional strategy. It is a valid instructional strategy. But that is all, it is simply a strategy. Like ANY instructional strategy, the artful instructor must examine the effectiveness of homework. But more often than not, I don’t hear teacher reflection, I hear educators complaining that students will not do homework.

Here comes the painful part: If homework is not an effective instructional strategy for your students, minimize or eliminate it, and search for an instructional strategy that IS effective for your students. That does not mean you can't return to homework at some later point when your students are ready for it. But like any instructional strategy, the use and timing of homework must be artfully determined. Despite our infatuation, there is nothing special about homework. If it is not working for your kids, take a lesson from Dr. Rich Allen: Do Something Different.

LYS Nation, lose your love affair homework. Homework can be effective, however it is entirely possible to have effective instruction successful students without it.

SC Response

If I had a dime for every time I came across a reasonable, effective and managed homework program at a school, I might have fifty cents. At most campuses, homework decisions are set by individual teachers so there is absolutely no consistency from classroom to classroom. And this is not a new phenomena. If you want to try to get some value out of the homework that is assigned on your campus then consider implementing the following procedures and actions:

1. Create a homework schedule. Example: Monday – Math; Tuesday – English; Wednesday – Science; Thursday – Social Studies; Friday – Electives

2. Limit the time that homework should take to complete to 45 minutes or less.

3. Ensure that that any homework assigned is to review concepts and skills, not to teach new concepts and skills.

4. Create homework support rooms on your campus that operate before and after school where students can complete their assignments.

5. Revise your grading policy so homework grades can only help the student, not hurt the student. That means a zero on a homework grade doesn’t matter.

I could give you five more things to work on, but just implementing the five things above will put you in front of 97% of the schools in the country.

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

Monday Housekeeping and Reader Drive

Just a quick break to take care of some housekeeping chores.

1. Take a look at the picture. That is Dr. Andy Peters, a superintendent, leading some staff training. Notice that he is in the Power Zone and notice the critical writing that is evident. The Fundamental Five: Use It; Live It

2. We have a new company website. It still has a couple of things that we still have to tweak, but the format is settled. The site address is:

www.LeadYourSchool.com

3. We’ve added some new district level report filters to PowerWalks. I used to say if you are not using PowerWalks, you are playing for second. Now according to a number of LYS principals that have switched to PowerWalks, if you are using anything else, you might as well just give up.

4. Here is a link to something new that I’m going to try for a couple of weeks. It is the 2 Minute Drill on You Tube. I’m going to answer a school leadership or operations question in two minutes or less. Here’s the fun part, the whole thing is filmed, edited and posted on-line with an I-phone. Check it out and let me know what you think.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4eJfE5Cx8E

5. Right now there are about 800 regular LYS readers, I want to get that number up over a 1,000 regular readers. So my request is that if you like the topics that we discuss here get some of your colleagues on board. Send the blog address to them and ask them to join in LYS conversation.

www.LeadYourSchool.blogspot.com

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...