The Manufactured "We Must Save Students From Failing Schools" Myth

First, this is not a “There are No Failing Schools” piece.  There are.  Instead this is a discussion of the “Failing” public school and the savior “Successful” private school.

Before there was state accountability a successful school was essentially defined as a school that:

1. Had satisfied parents.

2. Had satisfied teachers.

3. Was clean and well maintained.

4. Had well behaved students.

5. Had students engaged in academic tasks throughout the majority of the day.

By this rubric, essentially all schools were successful, public and private. Note: By this rubric, essentially all schools are STILL successful.

Then the state created accountability tests, under the auspices that there is a “quality education” and all students should have access to it, regardless of the school they attend or community they live in. Note: I whole-heartedly agree with the premise of a universally accessible, quality education and have based my entire career on that premise.

Based on the administration of these tests, public schools that were considered successful when there was no accountability were now arbitrarily labeled failing.  The fact that the vast majority of these now labeled “failing” schools were serving the most difficult to reach students, due to variables outside the direct control of the school, was not considered to be a valid excuse.

Now the state has a state created slate of “failing” schools and needs a solution to fix this travesty of education.  Obviously, investing in these schools and the communities that they serve is a waste of money and effort.  Instead the only fair and equitable solution is to provide vouchers for these children to attend “successful” private schools.

But how do we know these private schools are successful?  Is it due to their success on the state accountability tests?  No, private schools don’t take the state accountability tests. 

Is it due to their success in teaching hundreds of low-SES students, ESL students, and Students with Special Needs? No, these are NOT the students that make up the majority of the student body in private schools.

So how do we know?  We know that private schools are successful because the private schools:

1. Have satisfied parents.

2. Have satisfied teachers.

3. Are clean and well maintained.

4. Have well behaved students.

5. Have students engaged in academic tasks throughout the majority of the day.

Meaning that evidently the real secret to being a “successful” school is to NOT be subject to state accountability.

Now that we know the secret to school success, all we have to do to solve the “failing” public school problem is to immediately cease state testing.

So how about it, Texas Legislators, Senators, Lt Governor Patrick and Governor Abbot? Quit testing;  it works for private schools. This one act will save the state over $500 million.  This one act will immediately make all schools, once again, successful. This one act will vacate the need for vouchers to rescue all of our poor, undereducated, victim students.

Unless “failing” schools isn’t part of the problem but instead is a part of the... agenda?

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 
• Now at the Apple App Store: Fun 5 Timer (Fundamental 5 Delivery Tool); PowerWalks CLC (Networked Formative Observation Tool) 
• Upcoming Presentations: TMSA Winter Conference; ASCD Annual Conference; TASSP Summer Conference (Multiple Presentations); TEPSA Summer Conference (Multiple Presentations); NAESP National Conference 
• Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation  and like Lead Your School on Facebook

A Reader Writes... Does the Passing Standard Matter - Part 3

In response to the posts, “Does the Passing Standard Matter,” “Does the Passing Standard Matter – Part 1,” and “Does the Passing Standard Matter – Part 2,” another LYS Curriculum Specialist writes:

SC,

I can’t stop thinking about this conversation strand.  I don’t think this should be about the teachers.  It is about the kids and what TEKS they are not learning and/or in need of intentional interventions.  A score that is low will be low no matter what grade cut-off level you use.  Teaching kids is the priority, not stroking adult egos.  Teachers need to face the reality that if they have several students who didn’t pass a particular TEKS then they need to change something in their content or delivery, not change the test. 

Stepping off the soap box…   

SC Response

I could not agree more. Keep the focus on the Iron Rule:

1. Teach the right thing.

2. Teach the right thing better

3. Teach the right thing, better, longer.

The use the checkpoint results to inform our next instructional decisions.

Be disciplined in the above and the scores will eventually take care of themselves.

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 
• Now at the Apple App Store: Fun 5 Timer (Fundamental 5 Delivery Tool); PowerWalks CLC (Networked Formative Observation Tool) 
• Upcoming Presentations: TMSA Winter Conference; ASCD Annual Conference; TASSP Summer Conference (Multiple Presentations); TEPSA Summer Conference (Multiple Presentations); NAESP National Conference 
• Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation  and like Lead Your School on Facebook

A Reader Shares... Quick Accountability Testing

A LYS district leader shares the following:

A common sense testing plan (feel free to adopt):

Any student who scores high enough on the ACT/SAT or TSI (Texas Success Initiative assessment) to gain entry to ANY accredited (Southern Association of Colleges and Schools) institution of post-secondary education is deemed college ready.  No new test needed.  No new standard needed.

Any student who earns an ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery) score that will allow them entry into at least one branch of the US Military or the Coast Guard is deemed career ready.  No new test needed.  No new standard needed.

It really doesn't have to be hard.  Nor expensive. 

SC Response

I’m all for multiple pathways and supplanting assessments.  And for high school I have no problem with success on a particular assessment negating the need to take additional assessments.  And I agree that the if a high school student scores at a certain level on the ACT, SAT, TSI, or ASVAB, and has earned enough credits to graduate then, at the very least, a minimal acceptable standard of education has been met.

However, your answer isn’t THE answer.  If your answer was THE answer, that would require aligned curriculum to the new assessments.  Thereby providing a greater number of students a greater chance of being taught the material that must be mastered to earn their diploma.

And the exit level tests do not address EOC requirements for prerequisite courses and lower grades. But let’s take the elementary and junior high testing off the table for this discussion and just look at high school.

First, we need to decide what are the minimum levels of core courses that must be passed that meet the minimum standards of a productive member of society. I think you could get away with 5 EOC tests: (Junior Level ELA and Writing; Algebra 1 and Geometry; Biology; U.S. Government). We have state standards for those courses; build the EOC to measure the mastery of those standards.  Mechanically, this is not a difficult proposition.

Then to graduate, a student must:

Earn the requisite number of credits in the requisite courses and do just one of the following:

A. Pass 4 of the 5 EOC tests

B. Score a 31 on the ASVAB

C. Score a 21 on the ACT

D. Score a 1500 on the SAT

E. Score a 370 on the TSI

If a student hits a cut score any of the non-EOC tests, for graduation purposes, EOC scores are moot.

And like your suggestion, this isn’t hard. It would be cost less to administer than our current system and be more beneficial to our graduating seniors.

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 
• Now at the Apple App Store: Fun 5 Timer (Fundamental 5 Delivery Tool); PowerWalks CLC (Networked Formative Observation Tool) 
• Upcoming Presentations: TMSA Winter Conference; ASCD Annual Conference; TASSP Summer Conference (Multiple Presentations); TEPSA Summer Conference (Multiple Presentations); NAESP National Conference 
• Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation  and like Lead Your School on Facebook

A Reader Writes... Does the Passing Standard Matter - Part 2

In response to the 1/29/2015 post, “Does the Passing Standard Matter,” a LYS Central Office Administrator writes:

SC,

I have thought a lot about these posts. I do have mixed feelings but agree with some points that you and the other writer make.

But I also hear the voices of our teachers and principals. A checkpoint (common assessment) passing standard of 70% is tough. This seems to set teachers up for failure instead of providing positive encouragement that goes miles!!

My questions:

1. Why don’t we set our checkpoint standard at the state standard?  This is much lower than a more traditional 70%. Wouldn’t this provide them some kind of small intrinsic motivation and allow us to see small gains in acceptable scores?  

2. Is there a way we can compromise and run the scores BOTH ways?

SC Response

You have to ask yourself a couple of questions. For example:

A. In my leadership role, what is more important? Student success or teacher feelings?

If student success is more important, then you focus on maximizing student success, even in the face of adult discomfort.

If teacher feelings are more important, then you focus on teacher comfort, even in the face of diminished student opportunity.

Just know in the short run, it is one or the other.  In the long run, the only way to ensure both is to focus on student success.

B. How dumb is my staff?

Small gains are small gains.  If our target is to get to 70%, then having overall scores improve from 40% of the questions answered correctly to 50% of the questions answered correctly is a 10-point increase.  Admirable growth and worthy of celebration. But, nowhere near where we eventually want (need) to be. If somehow you can fool your staff into believing that a 45% is good and that somehow we are exceeding expectations then go for it. But my teachers and principals were smarter than that and I would like to believe that so are yours.

As for compromise, in this case I’m not a fan.  It seems that in schools when we compromise on adult practice... it is our most fragile students that pay the price.

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 
• Now at the Apple App Store: Fun 5 Timer (Fundamental 5 Delivery Tool); PowerWalks CLC (Networked Formative Observation Tool) 
• Upcoming Presentations: TMSA Winter Conference; ASCD Annual Conference; TASSP Summer Conference (Multiple Presentations); TEPSA Summer Conference (Multiple Presentations); NAESP 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 February 1, 2015

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 February 1, 2015.

1. “The whole people must take upon themselves the education of the whole people and be willing to bear the expenses of it." John Adams, 1785 (By @pastors4txkids)

2. If the "culture" of your school is built by cherry picking and weeding out students, that's fine. You just shouldn't receive any public funds. (By @LYSNation)

3. The Texas Legislature has debated school vouchers for years, but research has yet to prove they (vouchers) are effective for students. (By @RYHTexas)

4. Adversity is a litmus test for understanding who stands by you only when it’s convenient and who will stand by when it’s tough. (By @blitzkrieg607)

5. Having faith does not mean having no difficulties, but having the strength to face them, knowing we are not alone. (By @Pontifex)

6. I question the agenda of educators who can better explain what they are against than what they are for. (By @DavidGeurin)

7. If you think certain rules don't apply to you don't get upset when kids act like some of your rules don't apply to them. (By @BluntEducator)

8. Leading Autism advocacy group says vaccines don't cause autism and it's time for children to get their shots. (By @Fox4)

9. The current measles outbreak is the result of allowing stupid ideas to become stupid inaction. (By @LYSNation)

10. Faith is no good if you don't exercise it! (By @Djack230)

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 
• Now at the Apple App Store: Fun 5 Timer (Fundamental 5 Delivery Tool); PowerWalks CLC (Networked Formative Observation Tool) 
• Upcoming Presentations: TMSA Winter Conference; ASCD Annual Conference; TASSP Summer Conference (Multiple Presentations); TEPSA Summer Conference (Multiple Presentations); NAESP National Conference 
• Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation  and like Lead Your School on Facebook