The Davis Report: PowerWalks and The Fundamental 5

Recently, Dr. James Davis completed a study on the effect of The Fundamental 5 and PowerWalks on instructional rigor.  Interesting reading and the findings validate what we had been observing in the field.  But Davis added a wrinkle to his study that we weren’t expecting.  Along with all the performance indicators, Davis also asked teachers for their opinion.

I know... Crazy.

Davis asked teachers if they believed that the campus use of PowerWalks had a positive impact on their ability to implement The Fundamental 5.  63% answered affirmative, about 22% were neutral and only about 15% disagreed.

The same teachers were then asked if they believed that using The Fundamental 5 increased the rigor of delivered instruction.  79% answered affirmative, about 11% were neutral and less than 10% disagreed.

Two teacher comments were particularly enlightening.  One teacher shared, "I very seldom receive any feedback on the PowerWalks (SC Note: This should not be the case), therefore it doesn't really impact me. I believe in The Fundamental Five, so I practice them."

Another teacher shared, "I agree but that does not mean I like them."

Improving one’s practice is not easy, but what the report points out is once teachers are aware of what is right vs. what is easy...  Overwhelmingly, they do what is right!

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 (Keynote Presentation) 
• Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation  and like Lead Your School on Facebook

PowerWalks Hero Schools (August 2014)

In furtherance of a LYS Nation tradition, we will take this time to tip our caps to the campuses that have embraced the most important step in creating and maintaining an action oriented professional learning community.  These are the campuses that have conducted an extraordinary number of formative classroom observations in a given month.  Since this is the beginning of the school year, any campus that conducted even a single PowerWalks observation is to be considered a Hero Campus.  Next month, as you can see below, the bar will be raised a little bit higher.

Your September Targets

Big Schools – 325 PowerWalks Observations

Medium Sized Schools – 225 PowerWalks Observations

Small Schools – 125 PowerWalks Observations

Very Small Schools – 65 PowerWalks Observations.

Now without further ado, here are your twenty-one PowerWalks Hero Schools for the month of August 2014.  Congratulations!!!

Elementary Schools	Junior High & Middle Schools	Alternative Schools	Combined Campuses	High Schools
Rennell ES (CFISD – midsized school)	Magnolia JH (MISD – midsized school)		Louis Schools (LISD – small school)	Iroquois HS (JCPS – large school)
Goliad Es (BSISD – small school)	Big Spring JH (BSISD – midsized school)			Fairdale HS (JCPS – large school)
Bon Lin ES (BSPS – midsized school)	Lomax JH (LPISD – midsized school)			Mayde Creek HS (KISD – large school)
Curtis ES (WISD – small school)	Winona MS (WISD – small school)			Kennedale HS (KISD - midsized school)
Indian Springs ES (CISD – small school)	LaPorte JH (LPISD – midsized school)			Mathis HS (MISD – small school)
	Clarendon JH (CISD – very small school)			Winona HS (WISD – small school)
	Cumberland Academy MS (CAPCS – small school)			Dublin HS (DISD – small school)
	Dublin IS (DISD – very small school)

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 Timer (Fundamental 5 Delivery Tool); 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 (Keynote Presentation) 
• Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation  and like Lead Your School on Facebook

Top LYS Tweets From the Week of August 24, 2014

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 August 24, 2014.

1. "The Court further finds that the Legislature has failed to meet its constitutional duty to suitably provide for Texas public schools... ...because the school finance system is structured, operated, and funded so that it cannot provide a constitutionally adequate education" (By @MoakCasey)

2. "Sure, America believes in education: the average teacher earns more money in a year than a professional athlete earns in a whole day." (By @DrRichAllen)

3. Be aware of the teacher-talking and student-talking ratio in class. Those who do the talking tend to do the most learning. (By @justintarte)

4. If adults look to Internet to find answers they are resourceful; if kids do that, they are cheaters. (By @gcouros)

5. New PowerWalks format is awesome.  Enjoying the information tool.  Very helpful to new personnel. (By @coachwommack)

6. As late as 1992, written word was said to be dying. Internet resurrected essays (blogs), aphorisms (tweets), and letters (email). (By @pmarca)

7. Judge: Texas "has buried its head in the sand” while schools’ problems get worse (By @PatrickMichels)

8. You aren't a valuable member of a team if you never change your mind... (By @justintarte)

9. Looking forward to implementing Fundamental 5. (By @drjolly)

10. The number that's now officially in the rearview mirror, over 65,000 copies of The Fundamental 5 (Cain & Laird) sold! Thank you, LYS Nation! (By @LYSNation)

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 Timer (Fundamental 5 Delivery Tool); 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 (Keynote Presentation) 
• Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation  and like Lead Your School on Facebook