Quantity v. Quality Improvement Cycle

Whenever we train staff the intent is to increase both the quantity and quality of targeted practice.  That is a realistic expectation.  To expect both to occur at the same time is to either expect the impossible or to be boarder line delusional.

Quantity and quality can both improve over time, just not at the same time.  In recognition of this, with any training, there must be a planned for, monitored and supported Quantity / Quality Cycle.

It works like this.  The staff is trained, initially.  The expectation is that staff attempts to implement the training, with next to no expectation of quality. Just start doing something that resembles the desired practice. Jerky, mechanical, rough, and/or imperfect at the new thing are all better than not doing the new thing. The primary goal is simply to increase quantity.

Once quantity targets are being met, retrain the staff (yes, on what they were trained on initially).  Now the focus is to improve the quality of the delivered practice. What leadership must recognize is with a focus on quality, quantity will drop (but will still be higher than baseline practice). Once a realistic quality target is met (not your final goal), retrain again. This time, once more, targeting quantity.

By running through multiple Quantity / Quality cycles the staff will become exceedingly proficient in the better practice. Especially in comparison to the typical campus that does one-shot trainings, always expecting the Moon, and always ending up frustrated. 

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: American Association of School Administrators Conference; National Association of Secondary School Principals Conference (Multiple Presentations)
• Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation  and like Lead Your School on Facebook

Legendary Leadership Badge (November 2015)

There are those that don’t understand the power of reflective observation.  They mistakenly believe that there is nothing to learn after a few cursory visits to a classroom.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  In fact, the most important key to building insight and deeper understanding about teaching and learning is to engage in a steady volume of daily classroom observation.  What we have learned over the past ten years is that after about every 300 classroom observations, the observer will notice, discern, and/or learn something new... something that was previously hidden. It is the “Eureka” moment, and there is nothing else like it in instructional leadership.

In this pursuit, there is the PowerWalks Legendary Leadership Badge that is earned every 300^th PowerWalks Observation. The following instructional leaders have already earned the Legendary Leadership Badge for the 2015/2016 school year (as of 11/30/15).

Glenn Barnes:  November 2015

Esther Boateng: November 2015

Karen Ivy: November 2015

Shirley Jenkins: November 2015

Ana Lopez: November 2015

Erica Moody: November 2015

Jeffrey Smith: November 2015

Janie Snyder: November 2015

Sheila Stephens: November 2015

Sandra Wilson: November 2015

Wes Brown: October 2015

Todd Durham: October 2015

Edward Husk: October 2015

Van LeJeune: October 2015

Pattie Myers: October 2015

Steve Sherrouse: October 2015

Nassrin Spencer: October 2015

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: American Association of School Administrators Conference; National Association of Secondary School Principals Conference (Multiple Presentations) 
• Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation  and like Lead Your School on Facebook

PowerWalks Hero Schools (November 2015)

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.  For the month of November, the PowerWalks Hero School Targets were as follows:

November Hero School Targets

High Schools – 150 PowerWalks Observations

Middle Schools / Junior High Schools – 120 PowerWalks Observations

Elementary / Intermediate / Combined Campuses – 100 PowerWalks Observations

Alternative Schools – 50 PowerWalks Observations

With both the end of the Fall Semester and Christmas Holidays in December, we will adjust the targets to the following levels:

December Hero School Targets

High Schools – 120 PowerWalks Observations

Middle Schools / Junior High Schools – 90 PowerWalks Observations

Elementary / Intermediate / Combined Campuses – 80 PowerWalks Observations

Alternative Schools – 40 PowerWalks Observations

In November, all of the schools using the PowerWalks Instructional Observation System conducted a total of 11,047 classroom observations. A commendable job, LYS Nation! But now, without further ado, here are your thirty-three PowerWalks Hero Schools for the month of November 2015.  Congratulations!!!

Elementary Schools & Combined Campuses	Middle Schools & Junior High Schools	Alternative Schools	High Schools
Southside PS (CISD) - 502	Cleveland MS (CISD) - 412	Frederick Douglas Learning Center (CISD) - 53	Kermit HS (KISD) - 615
Eastside ES (CISD) - 470	Marlin MS (MISD) - 320		Cleveland HS (CISD) - 524
Colonial Hills ES (NEISD) - 422	Kermit JH (KISD) - 292		Fairdale HS (JCPS) - 301
Kermit ES (KISD) - 399	Rockport-Fulton MS (ACISD) - 130		Morton Ranch HS (KISD) - 279
McFee ES (CFISD) - 360			Borger HS (BISD) - 235
Ault ES (CFISD) - 322			Marlin HS (MISD) - 212
Northside ES (CISD) - 273			Saginaw HS (EMSISD) - 174
Marlin ES (MISD) - 237			Vernon HS (VISD) - 164
Live Oak Learning Center (ACISD) - 205			Mayde Creek HS (KISD) - 152
Veterans Hill ES (HISD) - 203
Dublin ES (DISD) - 173
Gleason ES (CFISD) - 171
Rennell ES (CFISD) - 158
Fulton Learning Center (ACISD) - 144
Borger IS (BISD) - 130
Gateway ES (BISD) - 130
Hutto ES (HISD) - 119
Cottonwood Creek ES (HISD) - 104
Raymond E. Curtis ES (WISD) - 104

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: American Association of School Administrators Conference; National Association of Secondary School Principals Conference (Multiple Presentations) 
• Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation  and like Lead Your School on Facebook

The Campus Pre-Flight Check

I grew up in a family of professional and military pilots. And I too (briefly), flew small planes.  I mention this because there is a fundamental pilot practice that I learned in the cradle that served me well as a school leader.  A practice that every school leader should make a daily activity.

Before EVERY flight, EVERY pilot does a walk around his/her aircraft.  The pilot visually inspects every inch of the plane looking for anything out of the ordinary.  If anything is not perfect, the flight does not occur. 

The pilot does not skip this task because he/she is running late or has other important things to do. The pilot does not delegate this responsibility.  The pilot does not leave this inspection to chance, so he/she uses a checklist to insure he/she didn’t miss something due to a distraction.  The stakes are too high.

So how does this translate to school leadership? Simple.  As a school leader, every morning when I got to school, I walked the inside and outside of the building.  I made sure that the physical plant was maintained and ready for the business of school.  And if something was out of place I made note of it and assigned someone the task of correcting the issue.  This simple act of checking for the little things, every day, without question made my campus safer and more effective.

My challenge to you, school leader, is to adopt this practice for a month and see if you can tell the difference. Below is a basic checklist:

Campus Checklist - Exterior

___ Grass and shrubbery maintained

___ Fences and gates in good repair

___ Signage appropriate, current and in good repair

___ Doors locked

___ Lighting adequate and in good repair

___ Windows clean and in good repair

___ Gutters in good repair

___ Paint in good repair

___ No graffiti

___ No trash

___ Other exterior maintenance issues: ______________

Campus Checklist - Interior

___ Floors clean

___ Windows clean

___ Bathrooms clean and stocked

___ Cafeteria clean

___ Signage appropriate, current and in good repair

___ Bulletin boards appropriate, current and in good repair

___ Office areas: organized, clean and professional

___ Reception areas: organized, clean, presentable furnishings

___ Paint in good repair

___ No graffiti

___ No trash

___ Other interior maintenance issues: ______________

Campus Checklist – Classrooms

___ Clean

___ Clutter-free

___ Organized

___ Furnishings clean and in good repair

___ Technology working and in good repair

___ Paint in good repair

___ No graffiti

___ No trash

___ Other classroom maintenance issues: ______________

Campus leader, it is your responsibility to make sure that your campus is ready to take off every day.  Embrace it.

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: American Association of School Administrators Conference; National Association of Secondary School Principals Conference (Multiple Presentations) 
• Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation  and like Lead Your School on Facebook

Top LYS Tweets From the Week of November 22, 2015

If you are not following @LYSNation on Twitter, then you missed the Top 10 LYS Tweets from the week of November 22, 2015 when they were first posted.  And if you are on Twitter, you might want to check out the Tweeters who made this week’s list.

1. As educators, we are in position to have a positive/negative effect on people by the smallest of gestures. Make sure yours are intentional. (By @DrJerryRBurkett)

2. Instead of fighting the data, try finding reasons to use the data to get better. (By @CabidaCain)

3. If the Principal is not leading, SOMEONE else on the staff will. Where is the proof that you are the leader? (By @CabidaCain)

4. Wanting to do better without doing something different is a waste of time. (By @vhsaldana)

5. Critical Writing and Small Group Purposeful Talking changes a classroom. (By @yankee_todd)

6. Charge up your students by teaching in the Power Zone!  (By @williamsdr4)

7. "Who's the best person to recommend a book to a 5th grader? Another 5th grader!" - Donnalyn Miller, words to live by. (By @smelville23)

8. Don't look for the big, quick fix. See the small improvement one day at a time. That's the only way it happens, and when it does, it lasts. (By @DrMetz_MJH)

9. There is a big difference in wanting to and willing to. (By @CoachKWisdom)

10. Interesting our society has more discussion about the color of Starbucks cups than ways to support education. (By @BluntEducator)

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: American Association of School Administrators Conference; National Association of Secondary School Principals Conference (Multiple Presentations)