A Superintendent Writes... Reasonable Accountability - Part 2

In response to the January 14, 2016 post, “Reasonable Accountability – A Primer for the Texas Legislator,” an Old School LYS Superintendent writes:

SC,

Your plan is better than what we have now and obviously written with a heaping dose of common sense.  But... here is your big flaw.  You are still basing your plan on the current system.  When a house has a flawed foundation, you don't fix it by updating the curtains.  

If you strive simply to fix/change the over-testing problem ask the question, “What tests do the Feds require that all kids take?”

The answer is 3^rd and 8^th grade Reading and Math.  Why would we test more than that?  The answer is probably superstition. 

All other tests should be a local decision.  

The next question that needs to be addressed is why have a social studies test? 

Usually an answer addresses something about citizenship, knowing your heritage, etc. Well if that is the case, why not give all 8th graders a version of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services civics test? It’s rigorous and meets the above stated goal's and immigrants have to pass it to become citizens and vote. So why not do he same those of us fortunate enough to be born here?

Next, what should we do about high school testing?  If we are truly interested in college readiness, there is only one test that colleges use to measure readiness for college in Texas (and by the way, it's required now) and that is the TSI (Texas Success Initiative) test. Any other test is a waste of time and resources.  All schools should prepare their students for this and administer it during their Junior year.  

What I have just presented only addresses the number and type of tests.  It does not address the flawed testing instrument that we currently use, the flawed measures in reporting, the excessive curriculum standards, and a flawed public school funding structure and reporting requirements. This would just be the lipstick that we put on the pig every spring.

So in summary.

•                Test only what is required by the Feds.

•                Give the U.S. Immigration Services civics test to cover all social studies.

•                Prepare and administer the TSI test to high school juniors.

•                Anything beyond this should be decided on and paid for by local ISDs.

SC Response

Not surprisingly, I have no material disagreements with what you have shared.

The early accountability advocates (of which I worked for three of the pioneers: Rod Paige, Bob Brezina, Shirley Neeley) believed in the end of course exam.  So I see the current EOC system as a bastardization (or negative politicization) of the original idea. So yes, I’m a proponent of actually fixing the state’s accountability system, not abandoning it.

I also think the state should have higher expectations and standards than the Feds.  We should consider the Fed’s requirements to be the floor or the minimum standard.  And meeting the minimum standard just means that you are “Not Bad,” which in no way should be construed as meaning that you are good. All of that to say, that I’m OK with having more tests than what the Feds require.  And you and I both know if the entire accountability issue is placed in local hands, too many local communities are OK with undeserving the underserved.

I do like your idea of just having one social studies test in the 8^th grade addressing U.S. citizenship that is at least comparable to the citizenship/naturalization test that immigrants must pass.  And the idea of the using the TSI, which tests reading, writing, and math skills is worth consideration, if the TSI is aligned to the TEKS (Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills). If the TSI is not aligned to the TEKS, then that puts schools in a no win situation. One, either teach the state mandated curriculum which only tangentially prepares students for the accountability test. Or two, ignore the state mandated curriculum to prepare students to pass the accountability test.

I can’t argue that the STAAR is flawed.  Hard? Yes. Aligned? Yes. Issues with how the test is administered? Yes. Flawed? Not so much. 

I completely agree that the TEKS are too broad, as does every curriculum expert that has examined them. And the legislature did pass a law last session to narrow their scope.  But remember, our Governor, The Honorable Greg Abbott, vetoed the law due to the misguided and ignorant fear of turning the TEKS into the Common Core. Nothing like pandering to the lowest common denominator.

As for your summary solution? I could easily live with it. But I would also want to strengthen 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

A Superintendent Writes... Reasonable Accountability - Part 1

In response to the January 14, 2016 post, “Reasonable Accountability – A Primer for the Texas Legislator,” a Texas Superintendent and nationally renowned public school advocate writes:

SC,

I would think a sliding scale based on Target Revenue levels would be fair. Our current funding system often has a one school district getting up to $3,000.00 per pupil more than its neighboring district. This structural funding flaw means that the “lucky” district can get millions of dollars more in state funding... year after year,

To hold the unlucky/underfunded school district to the same learning standards as the significantly better funded school district is a farce.  A farce that implies that resources, teacher pay, etc., don't impact student learning.

Bottom line, low target revenue districts are at a massive disadvantage.

SC Response

I’d say “Preach.” But you do, loud and often.  We are on the same page with the inadequacy and inherent unfairness of our state’s education funding system.  As our mutual friend, Reverend Charles Foster Johnson so clearly states, “It is a sin.” 

Which means that when we have underfunded districts that are unable to meet state accountability standards, the first, fair and logical state response should be to at least equalize resources. Sadly, when it comes to education policy in our state, fair and logical has been absent for about the past ten years. 

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

A Reader Asks... The Key to Becoming an Expert in Instruction

A LYS Assistant Superintendent asks the following:

SC,

What do you believe is the most important key to building insight and deeper understanding about teaching and learning in our classrooms?

SC Response

The most important key to building insight and deeper understanding about teaching and learning in our classrooms is high volume classroom observation, WITH REFLECTION.

By watching a wide variety of teachers, with varied skill sets, in varied settings, over extended time, one positions oneself to see patterns and connections that accelerate or inhibit instruction.  With reflection on these patterns one begins to build the required vocabulary to describe these patterns in a way that teachers can capitalize on them.  

Obviously, just having once attended a school, doesn't make one an expert in instruction (sorry, politicians).  

Not as obvious, but just as true, being a teacher or a school administrator does not automatically make one an expert in instruction.

Expertise is purposefully built.  

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

A Reader Writes... Primary Classroom Lesson Frames

A LYS Principal asks the following:

LC,

I am trying to help my K-2 teachers with Framing the Lesson.  Do K-2 teachers, or teachers with self-contained classes, at other schools write all of the objectives and closing questions for each subject they teach?  Do they write all of them in a certain location or do they change the objective/closing question as they progress throughout the day?

I am trying to get my head around this logistically so that it is not so overwhelming for my K-2 teachers as we work to better implement The Fundamental 5. 

Lesa Cain Response

Thanks for taking the time to write and ask about this.  For Kinder and 1st Grade teachers, they should write a Lesson Frame for whole group reading, whole group writing and whole group math time.  Teachers are not expected to write any Lesson Frames for stations, phonics, centers, etc.  If they did that, they would never have time to actually teach.

The best way to organize the Lesson Frame in K/1 is to write them on a chart tablet/easel or board beside where the teacher does most of her teaching. If the teacher brings students to the carpet, then the Lesson Frame should be right there beside them, pre-written ready to go.  The pre-writing is best so that teachers have it done.  If teachers try to write Lesson Frames as they teach throughout the day we’ve found that they tend to lose track of time and then nothing gets posted or verbalized and then the kids never even get to attempt responding to a closing question. Because in practice, not posted means that the closing question doesn’t exist.  

My teachers laminated half a poster board - green was reading, blue was writing and red was math - they just used a black dry erase marker to write the Lesson Frames on the poster board.  As the subject changed, then they just put the appropriate poster board on the easel and it stayed up for that period of time.  

2nd Grade is more like Grades 3-5.  The teachers should Frame whole group reading, writing, math for sure. It is a campus-wide decision whether or not to add science and social studies.  I would recommend that you do so because we need our students to know what they are responsible for learning in every subject. This decision will depends on the kind of leader you are.  Do you like to go a bit slower, or just rip the band-aid off all at once! :-)

No grade should ever Frame anything that is not whole group teaching and a core understanding for the content.  So in a reading class, phonics, word work, stations, centers, spelling, etc., generally should not have a Lesson Frame.

I hope this helps.  E-mail us if you have further questions.

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 January 10, 2016

If you are not following @LYSNation on Twitter, then you missed the Top 10 LYS Tweets from the week of January 10, 2016 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. "If you cannot win, make the one ahead of you break the record." - Jan McKeithen (By @Msjackson4real)

2. There is no magic formula. If classrooms (teachers) focus on doing the ordinary things extraordinarily well... success will come. (By @blitzkrieg607)

3. It takes a student thirteen 100’s to fully recover from one zero. (By @justintarte)

4. Managers desire authority. Leaders take responsibility. (By @mkaplanPMP)

5. True Science Literacy is less about what you know, and more about how your brain is wired for processing information. (By @neiltyson)

6. Turn and Talk - with a pre-selected question to focus discussion, is the easiest and quickest way to raise student engagement. (By @yankee_todd)

7. "I find it fascinating that most people plan their vacations with better care than they plan their lives.” - Jim Rohn (By @blitzkrieg607)

8. It is hard to "wing it" with purpose and intentionality.

9. All coaches have a powerful ally, but most are afraid to use it... the bench. – John Wooden (By @CoachMotto)

10. At what date will Dippin' Dots no longer be the ice cream of the future? (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 
• 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