A Superintendent Writes... Sometimes It Pays to Play the Game - Part 4

In response to the 7/9/2103 post, “Sometimes It Pays to Play the Game – A Necessary Revision,” a LYS Superintendent writes:

SC,

I find this all interesting. I was thinking of moving a few things around to. How about US History to 9th grade since 8th grade U.S. History should preview the tested content?

Is our only purpose to move tests away from 9^th grade?  I would think at least one test in a grade is better than none.

I’ll respond to your answer.

A.P.

SC Response

I would argue that the dual purposes of proactive scheduling are to better prepare students for academic success and graduation (primary importance) and to protect the school/district from draconian sanctions that inhibit the ability to teach and lead effectively (secondary importance).  The course offerings I have shared will effectively address both purposes.

Here is why I work to protect 9th graders from high stakes tests…  As you well know, if you randomly select a group of high school students you will find that Fragile Students are overrepresented in the 9th grade. For those of you who need objective proof, this fact manifests itself in when campuses have 500 9th graders and 300 seniors. This isn’t because 200 students graduated early. It is because fragile 9th graders become mired and eventually drown in academic failure.  Your strongest 9th grade students are ONLY dealing with transition issues, social issues, and lack of content experience issues.  Then throw into that mix the students who been previously retained and/or have failed any 8th grade courses. So my challenge is this, “Why would any rational educator subject this group of students to ANY test that has life changing implications and repercussions?”   

Bottom line, I wouldn't.  I would create a teaching and learning buffer to better prepare ALL of my students for success. This means altering traditional student schedules that grease the rails of a state mandated testing system that in the best-case scenario borders on Social Darwinism.   Let Social Darwinism drive the enrollment / retention practices of private schools (as is their right).  In public schools let’s embrace our sacred, democratic mandate of purposefully increasing opportunities for every student that walks through our doors, not just in word, but in practice.

And the burden of occupying your chair is that you are the one person in the system in best position to make this happen.  Unleash your inner Brezina!

I look forward to your response.

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/Fundamental5 
• Call Jo at (832) 477-LEAD to order your campus set of “Look at Me: A Cautionary School Leadership Tale” Individual copies available on Amazon.com!  http://tinyurl.com/lookatmebook 
• Now at the Apple App Store: Fun 5 Plans (Fundamental 5 Lesson Plan Tool); PW Lite (Basic PowerWalks Tool); PW Pro (Mid-level PowerWalks Tool) 
• Upcoming Presentations: The Fundamental 5 National Summit (Multiple Presentations); NASSP National Conference 
• Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation  and like Lead Your School on Facebook

A Superintendent Writes... A Drop In Scores

A LYS Superintendent writes:

SC,

I need some therapy.  We received our STAAR scores today.  We saw some slight improvements in some areas, and some slight decline in others.  Of course what we want to see is significant improvement in all areas.  What troubles us is significant decline in several areas.  This comes after we have worked really hard to assess and revise instruction throughout the year. 

I know what to do from the ground up, but have never experienced this.  What advice can you give us?

SC Response

There are a number of factors at play in the shift from TAKS to STAAR.  And what confuses people is the vain attempt to find a correlation between TAKS and STAAR scores.  They are vexed by the same patterns you have experienced, TAKS scores on an upward trajectory while there is essentially no pattern to STAAR scores.  Here is the short version of why this is the case... TAKS and STAAR are different games, so you have to change how you play the game.

The TAKS test was aligned to the TEKS.  The TEKS that were tested stayed primarily in the low to mid-rigor area and from a pacing standpoint, clustered towards the middle of the year.  We had release tests to confirm this and about 9 years to adjust instructional practices to point where most schools could get most students to meet minimal performance standards.

The STAAR test is aligned to the TEKS.  The TEKS that are tested are primarily in the mid to high-rigor area and from a pacing standpoint, clusters towards the end of the year.  And we have no release tests to guide instructional planning. This means if we do what we have always done (and what was seemingly working), we are guaranteed to fail at the new game.

ASIDE: This is like the IRS changing the Tax Code and telling the taxpayer, “Take your best guess and good luck.  Oh, and if you guess wrong, be ready to lose your savings, house and career.”  Remember this when you head back to the voting booth.

So what to do?  As with so much that we deal with, the action plan is easy to comprehend and exceedingly difficult to execute.

1. We have to teach the right thing.  This means we must follow the scope and sequence with fidelity.  Anything less is unacceptable.

2. Pacing is now king.  Every grade must move at full speed in order for every grade to cover the content that will be tested.  In short, if the test is weighted towards days 120 thru 150 of content, we better get there or else our students will suffer.  Note that inadequate pacing is the hidden cancer of instructional delivery.  Almost universally, we start the year slow and then get slower. 

3. The rigor of student activity must increase.  Which means if we don’t have more students operating at the upper levels of cognition for longer periods of time, we are only creating the illusion of forward progress.  An illusion that is shattered when the test results come back.

4. We must extend time on task, especially for the students who have been exposed to slower paced, lower rigor instruction for multiple years.  This does not mean “During the day interventions” where we pull students out of the content to catch them up on the content.  This is perhaps the most asinine practice currently in play across the country.  Extending time on task means before school, extended period, during lunch, after school, extended week and extended year instruction. And this extended time instruction must be aligned with points 1, 2 and 3, otherwise don’t bother.

Now some will say the test is defective (doubtful), or the test is unfair (debatable), or some students will never achieve at the demanded level (defeatist).  What I say is this, “If we know we aren’t following the scope and sequence, aren’t on pace and aren’t having students operate at the appropriate level of rigor, then external factors are moot.  Because we know that WE are creating a significant level of slack in the system.”

This isn’t an indictment, just an understanding that we still have room to step up our game. The vehicle for achieving this? The implementation and continuously improved execution of the Foundation Trinity and the Fundamental 5.  So your scores are disappointing, it happens. The adversity you, your staff and your students WILL overcome will simply make the inevitable success taste that much sweeter.

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/Fundamental5
• Call Jo at (832) 477-LEAD to order your campus set of “Look at Me: A Cautionary School Leadership Tale” Individual copies available on Amazon.com!  http://tinyurl.com/lookatmebook
• Now at the Apple App Store: Fun 5 Plans (Fundamental 5 Lesson Plan Tool); PW Lite (Basic PowerWalks Tool); PW Pro (Mid-level PowerWalks Tool) 
• Upcoming Presentations: The Fundamental 5 National Summit (Multiple Presentations); NASSP National Conference
• Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation  and like Lead Your School on Facebook

A Reader Writes... Sometimes It Pays to Play the Game - Part 3

In response to the 6/26/13 post, “Sometimes It Pays to Play the Game,” a LYS Assistant Superintendent writes

SC,

Amen brother... I LOVE THIS!   We are literally meeting about making these changes. 

Thank you for the ideas.   Keep them coming and GOD bless you.

SC Response 

Thank you, and I can always use some extra blessings.  There are few uses of our time this summer that are better than making structural changes to the schedule that actually benefit students.  When you complete the process send us an update.  Since you are ahead of the curve on this, the work that you and your team are doing will go a long way towards reducing the learning curve of the campuses behind you.

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/Fundamental5
• Call Jo at (832) 477-LEAD to order your campus set of “Look at Me: A Cautionary School Leadership Tale” Individual copies available on Amazon.com!  http://tinyurl.com/lookatmebook 
• Now at the Apple App Store: Fun 5 Plans (Fundamental 5 Lesson Plan Tool); PW Lite (Basic PowerWalks Tool); PW Pro (Mid-level PowerWalks Tool) 
• Upcoming Presentations: The Fundamental 5 National Summit (Multiple Presentations); NASSP National Conference 
• Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation  and like Lead Your School on Facebook

Top LYS Tweets From the Week of July 7, 2013

A number of you in the LYS Nation are now Twitter users.  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 July 7, 2013.

1. Congratulations to LYSer, Jerry Gibson! He is the new Superintendent in Coldspring-Oakhurst CISD. Who will be next?

2. Congratulations to LYSer, Tim Harkrider! He is the new Superintendent in Willis ISD. Who will be next?

3. Congratulations to LYSer, Victor Saldana! He is the new Principal at West Avenue Elementary School (NEISD). Who will be next?

4. Revisiting the Fundamental 5 book (Cain & Laird)!  Just good common sense!  Must make these 5 things a daily teaching habit! (By @jenniferzsch)

5. I'll take a well-trained, dedicated teacher over a smart board, new textbook, new software bundle, or iPad cart any day of the week. (By @JaredBigham)

6. Who gets summer reading assigned to them? The honors students. Who needs summer reading the most? The struggling readers. (By @KellyGToGo)

7. No one is perfect. Improvement is driven by increasing positives and decreasing negatives. We need reminders and reflection on both.

8. Always over-plan. It's better to run out of time than to waste it. Nothing is worse than ten minutes of dead time with thirty, 18-year olds. (By @dianedfrost)

9. Save time by starting your year off with nothing as decoration and allow the students to decorate the room with their creative work. (By @tra_hall)

10. Lowering rigor levels in the classroom will not get sustained results. Students’ grades might improve, but is that a true reflection of learning? (By @fosterbkay)

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/Fundamental5 
• Call Jo at (832) 477-LEAD to order your campus set of “Look at Me: A Cautionary School Leadership Tale” Individual copies available on Amazon.com!  http://tinyurl.com/lookatmebook 
• Now at the Apple App Store: Fun 5 Plans (Fundamental 5 Lesson Plan Tool); PW Lite (Basic PowerWalks Tool); PW Pro (Mid-level PowerWalks Tool)
• Upcoming Presentations: The Fundamental 5 National Summit (Multiple Presentations); NASSP National Conference
• Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation  and like Lead Your School on Facebook