A Reader's Review... The Fundamental 5

The following is an abridged version of a principal’s review of our book, “The Fundamental Five: The Formula for Quality Instruction”.  You can read the entire post on her blog at www.theessentialprincipal.blogspot.com

Sean Cain and Mike Laird co-wrote this book outlining 5 very simple steps to significantly alter the landscape of a classroom.

The five steps they identify are all characteristics of good, solid teaching. When used together and intentionalized, student engagement and achievement are profoundly impacted.

How does this impact me as an educator? Intentionalize. Intentionalize. Intentionalize. We must focus and make decisions in our classrooms that are intentional and meaningful. Marzano measured these intentionalized practices in terms of percentile gains. As Cain and Laird noted, these percentile gains can add up to become sustained student achievement.

Sustained student achievement is not accidental - it is fundamental.

SC Response

First, thank you for the kind words and great review.

Second, everyone in the LYS Nation have a SAFE and restful Thanksgiving holiday.

Third, the blog posts will resume on Monday, November 28, 2011.  Unless something really exciting happens.

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

Call Jo at (832) 477-LEAD to order your campus set of “The Fundamental 5: The Formula for Quality Instruction.” Individual copies available on Amazon.com!  http://tinyurl.com/4ydqd4t

Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation

Confirmed 2012 Presentations: NASSP Conference; NASB Conference

A Reader Writes... (Assessment vs. Benchmark - Part 1)

In response to the 9/21/11 post, “Assessment vs. Benchmark,” a reader writes:

SC,

I disagree. A benchmark test on what has been taught to a certain point is a diagnostic test. Correct me if I am wrong.

SC Response

It’s a matter of definition. 

LYS defines an “Assessment” as a test of content that has been previously been covered.  The appropriate (though exceedingly rare) use of an assessment is to determine how much of the covered material was effectively taught. 

LYS defines a “Benchmark” as a test of the entire course curriculum.  Benchmarks are often (inappropriately) administered prior to the entire curriculum being covered.

The problem with administering an early benchmark as a diagnostic instrument is that I have yet to witness any school that actually accelerated instruction due to students demonstrating mastery of material that had yet to be covered.  Instead, the pace of instruction slows because based on the benchmark results the campus has already “arrived.”  As for identifying students that need support and instruction, the benchmark only confirms what classroom teachers could already predict with near perfect accuracy.  Thus, the benchmark is an unnecessary and irrelevant encroachment on already limited instructional time.

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

Call Jo at (832) 477-LEAD to order your campus set of “The Fundamental 5: The Formula for Quality Instruction.” Individual copies available on Amazon.com!  http://tinyurl.com/4ydqd4t

Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation

Confirmed 2012 Presentations: NASSP Conference; NASB Conference

A Superintendent Asks... Central Office PowerWalks

A LYS superintendent asks,

SC

I find myself struggling to be on campuses and in classrooms as much as I would like to or need to.  Perhaps some clarification would help me set an expectation for myself.  The last time we talked you mentioned that administrators should complete four to five PowerWalks each day.  I equate a campus administrator doing PowerWalks to that administrator being in the Power Zone. 

How often should superintendents and central office administrators be on campus?  Has that been a part of the LYS discussion?  Is the Power Zone for us on campus or in the classroom? 

I look forward to hearing your thoughts.

SC Response

Great question! In the grand scheme of things the Power Zone for a teacher is among the students.  For the campus administrator, it is in the classroom.  For the central office administrator it is on the campus.

Now for the central office administrator, ‘On The Campus’ means in the halls and in the classrooms, not in the principal's office (as so many central office administrators are apt to do).  Brezina taught me to conduct my meetings with my principals while walking in the hallways.  The principal gets to show off his or her campus and you get to coach on specific things that you are both observing live.  It is still an excellent practice that we recommend to all central office administrators and one that I still use on a regular basis when I'm coaching principals and assistant principals.

But Brezina honed his craft before the power of frequent classroom observation was understood.  So we have evolved.  We now meet with principals in the halls and pop in on a couple of classes while we are doing so.  When central office administrators (especially the Superintendent) conduct regular classroom observations it clarifies for everyone that the delivery and support of effective instruction is the primary focus of the entire organization.

So to specifically answer your question, we coach that central office administrators who were once teachers and now either support or supervise instructional staff should do five to ten classroom walk-thru's a week. I also believe (and E. Don Brown concurs) that the majority of these walk-thru's should be done with a campus based observer, be it a teacher to the principal. I can think of no more powerful practice for creating a sense of shared purpose, mission and esprit de corps. 

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

Call Jo at (832) 477-LEAD to order your campus set of “The Fundamental 5: The Formula for Quality Instruction.” Individual copies available on Amazon.com!  http://tinyurl.com/4ydqd4t

Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation

Confirmed 2012 Presentations: NASSP Conference; NASB Conference

A LYS Principal Submits... The Updated Lesson Cycle

A LYS Principal shares the following with the LYS Nation.

SC,

At the conference last week, along with catching your sessions, I listened to another presenter who reminded us about the effectiveness of the Madeline Hunter lesson cycle. I decided to synthesize a lesson cycle that incorporated The Fundamental 5 and other student-centered activities into the traditional Hunter lesson cycle.  If you think it would be useful, feel free to distribute this to anyone in the LYS Nation that you believe would find it helpful. 

The Lesson Cycle

With Embedded Fundamental Five and Other High Yield Instructional Practices

·      Engage (whole class)

This refers to a short activity that draws the students' attention before the lesson begins. This can be a short video, cartoon, an example problem, or a simple question.  At this point the teacher introduces the lesson frame for the day.

·      Teacher Input and Modeling (whole class)

Teacher input and modeling refers to the teacher showing and telling students how to do a particular skill, process, or explain a concept.  This direct input should last no longer than 5 to 7 minutes without engaging in small group purposeful talk.  High yield teacher practices such as teacher-to-student feedback, questions, cues, and advanced organizers, providing recognition and reinforcing effort are important to employ during this phase of the lesson cycle. 

·      Guided Practice with Formative Assessment (student groups)

Once a skill, process, or concept has been presented to the student, it is vital that the student practice that skill, process, or concept immediately. It is also vital that students are monitored for understanding using formative assessment. This is faciliated by maximizing time spent in the Power Zone. Knowing how well students understand the lesson will allow the teacher to modify instruction, re-teach, or move forward.

·      Independent Practice or Group Practice with Student-talk

Both practice and teaching someone else is are highly effective way for people to learn at higher levels of rigor and relevance with longer retention.  Once student have demonstrated that the essential skills, processes, or concepts have been achieved, they should be allowed to practice their newly acquired concept or skill either individually or by working in small groups. Group discussion, summarizing, identifying similarities and differences, non-linguistic representations are a few of the high-yield student-centered activities that are appropriate here. The teacher should stay in the Power Zone monitoring student practice.

·      Closure (individual or student groups)

A closing activity allows students to feel accomplishment by completing the objective of the lesson, or for the student to reflect and consolidate recent learning with previous learning and cultivate a broader understanding.  Critical writing is an essential part of closure.

·      Evaluation (individual or student groups)

Once enough lesson cycles have been completed to teach the desired skill set or concept, it is time for an evaluation. Evaluation involves assigning a grade to a student's performance.  This can be a traditional multiple-choice or other type of objective assessment, an essay test, or a performance assessment using a rubric previously made known to the students.  More frequent evaluation allows students to achieve incremental success and will lead to increased student performance.

SC Response

Thanks and done.

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

Call Jo at (832) 477-LEAD to order your campus set of “The Fundamental 5: The Formula for Quality Instruction.” Individual copies available on Amazon.com!  http://tinyurl.com/4ydqd4t

Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation

Confirmed 2012 Presentations: NASSP Conference; NASB Conference

Top LYS Tweets From the Week of November 6, 2011

In regards to bootleg technology I often get the question, “Where should we start?”

Here’s an idea: Ask some students.  If there are expert bootleg technology users on your campus the odds are that they are students, even at the elementary level.  So create a ‘Principal’s Emerging Technology Advisory Committee.’  Populate the committee with students who are handpicked and volunteers.   Then have the committee answer the following questions:

1.     What bootleg technology tools do students use?

2.     How do students use bootleg technology tools

3.     Where do students use bootleg technology tools?

4.     Which common bootleg technology could be used in class?

5.     How can identified bootleg technology tools be used in class?

6.     What should be the rules for using bootleg technology?

7.     What should be the consequences for using bootleg technology inappropriately?

My guess is through the process of answering these questions your students will create a reasonable and actionable bootleg technology plan that will be the envy of your district.

A number of you in the LYS Nation are now using your own bootleg technology devices to follow Twitter.  If you haven’t done so yet, we want you to join us.  To let you see what you are missing, here are the Top 10 LYS Tweets from the week of November 6, 2011, as tabulated by the accountants at Price Waterhouse. 

1. We are still our own worst enemy. A teacher union quote, "Closing empty schools won't impact the overall budget much." Blatant inefficiency steals from kids and taxpayers.

2. How can you not have one documented teacher observation at this time in the year and look yourself the mirror, much less call yourself a school leader?

3. There are 205 school days in South Korea's calendar - 25 more than in the U.S. Over an academic career, they spend 2 more years in class. (@FareedZakaria)

4. "Studies suggest students should be praised for effort..." LYS'ers are surprised by how many are surprised by this.

5. Just because the standard is hard to achieve doesn't make the standard wrong. And a try and a miss still equals a miss. So try again.

6. I’m about to lead teams of teachers on some classroom observations. Always an exciting day. This is the first real step in creating an action oriented PLC.

7. Here's the goal. Morning announcements - 2 minutes or LESS. Every extra second of instruction is valuable.

8. It is time to pull back the curtain of truth. Teachers who do not want to improve should never be considered master teachers. (@CabidaCain)

9. If you haven't read Marzano (or Schmoker, Fullan, etc.), you don't get to debate the interpretation of Marzano (or Schmoker, Fullan, etc.).

10. Can anyone show me where the weekly spelling test is in C-Scope? So how come I keep seeing spelling tests being administered?

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

Call Jo at (832) 477-LEAD to order your campus set of “The Fundamental 5: The Formula for Quality Instruction.” Individual copies available on Amazon.com!  http://tinyurl.com/4ydqd4t

Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation

Confirmed 2012 Presentations: NASSP Conference; NASB Conference