A Reader Writes... Primary Campus Lesson Frames - Part 1

In response to the January 19, 2016 post, “A Reader Writes... Primary Campus Lesson Frames,” a reader writes:

SC,

I agree with Lesa’s response to the query about Framing the Lesson.  However, just recently I watched a teacher begin a small reading group by asking students to recall what their particular goal was in reading.  Each of the students chose from fluency, comprehension, accuracy, or expression and re-stated what their goal was as they were working with the teacher.  I thought this was an excellent way to help each student have a specific focus for their reading while they were working with the teacher.  

SC Response

What you observed the teacher doing sounds great. And the described practice aligns with what is known about the positive effect of student goal setting.  But it shouldn’t be considered an alternative to Lesson Framing.  Lesson Framing is a separate, purposeful and more powerful practice. Imagine how awesome it would have been if the teacher had done both.

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 Principal Asks... How Do We Stack Up (Part 2)

The following is the follow-up conversation between a LYS Principal and myself that began with the April 28, 2015 post, “A Principal Asks... How Do We Stack Up?”

SC,

Good stuff.  But you get to see a lot more schools and classrooms than I do.  I want some targets, either to chase someone down or expand our lead.

SC Response

Fair enough.

In regards to the implementation of the Fundamental 5, here are some numbers to consider.

Typical Practice (sample size – nearly 1 million classroom observations)

Lesson Framing: Less than 5%

Power Zone: Less than 45%

Recognize & Reinforce: Less than 10%

Small Group Purposeful Talk: Less than 15%

Critical Writing - Less than 5%

Good Practice (significant separation from the typical classroom)

Lesson Framing: 85%

Power Zone: 60%

Recognize & Reinforce: 20%

Small Group Purposeful Talk: 20%

Critical Writing: 15%

Great Practice (significant separation from the good classroom)

Lesson Framing: 95%

Power Zone: 75%

Recognize & Reinforce: 40%

Small Group Purposeful Talk: 40%

Critical Writing: 25%

Your Campus Practice - Fall Semester (612 classroom observations)

Lesson Framing: 64% (Better than typical; not good; not great)

Power Zone: 43% (About typical; not good; not great)

Recognize & Reinforce: 11% (About typical; not good; not great)

Small Group Purposeful Talk: 27% (Better than typical: Good; not great)

Critical Writing - 11% (Better than typical; not good; not great)

This is the important thing to communicate to your staff.

It is not about where we are right now.  It is about where we are going. 

We must continue our hard work and keep improving our instruction throughout the Spring.

If improving the quality of delivered instruction were easy, then typical instruction would be a whole lot better than what it is at this time.

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... Reasonable Accountability - Part 4

In response to the January 14, 2016 post, “Reasonable Accountability – A Primer for the Texas Legislator,” a reader writes:

SC,

I totally agree with this.  Who will take up the gauntlet??

SC Response

Now that is the million-dollar question.

The “hold schools accountable” politicians are about weakening public education and public schools.  Regardless of their rhetoric and posturing to the contrary.

In the face of this very real political threat, the vast majority of pubic school educators have positioned themselves as anti-accountability proponents.

This leaves the public educators arguing the merits of reasonable school accountability a truly rare breed.

But I argue that the true public school advocate has to be a proponent of accountability.  But not the accountability that we have now.  Instead accountability similar to what we see in medicine.  We have to have processes to determine what works (as defined by student performance) and structures to ensure that every student is provided this evolving “what really works” instruction.

So at the very least, you and I will continue to beat this drum.  We’ll have to see who joins us.

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... Reasonable Accountability - Part 3

In response to the January 14, 2016 post, “Reasonable Accountability – A Primer for the Texas Legislator,” a reader writes:

SC,

First, let me also state that I too am a public school advocate and proponent for accountability. With the proposed accountability revisions, I offer the following for consideration:

Use the ACT as the exit level assessment for high school graduation.

SC Response

Actually, this is not a bad idea, in theory.  In practice it has a rather significant flaw. But a flaw that can be easily corrected.

First the flaw.  The ACT is not aligned to the mandated state curriculum (TEKS).  Because of this, if a campus were to teach only the TEKS (which should be done), ACT questions not addressed in the TEKS would be difficult to answer.  Meaning that a student who met state curriculum standards could miss meeting state testing requirements.  Also, though I won’t walk through the reasons why in this post, such a system would put low SES students at a significant disadvantage to high SES students.

Now the fixes.

Fix number one would be to align the TEKS to the ACT.  This wouldn’t be hard to do.  In fact there is a great blueprint for doing this. It’s called.... the Common Core.  So I guess fix number one isn’t going to happen.

Fix number two is more workable.  Allow two accountability pathways. 

Pathway One – Pass the required STAAR/EOC tests.

Or

Pathway Two – Earn a predetermined ACT (or SAT) score.

If the student does either one, for graduation and school accountability purposes, the standard has been met.

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 17, 2016

If you are not following @LYSNation on Twitter, then you missed the Top 10 LYS Tweets from the week of January 17, 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. Leadership is about holding yourself accountable. You can't tell someone to do something you aren't willing to do. (By @justintarte)

2. Leadership is not dependent on your title, but on your ability to inspire people to follow you. (By @tgrierhisd)

3. Learning to say “No” is the most effective way to get out of and pay off debt. (By @clwilkens)

4. As a leader, it's your job to protect your team so they can do the work they're meant to do. (By @tgrierhisd)

5. If you know you are under-serving your most academically fragile students, then the same is true for academically more able students. (By @LYSNation)

6. Teachers should moderate all (political) debates. No one's better at keeping loud, disruptive and immature children on task than a teacher. (By @NicholasFerroni)

7. If you are enjoying your lesson, the students probably are too. Same goes if you are bored. (By @BluntEducator)

8. There's tough. And then there is outside recess when it is 19 degrees. Well played, Wyoming. Well played. (By @LYSNation)

9. Clarke Middle School faculty are geared and motivated to be a part of the "2% Best Lesson Closers" in 2016! Go Cowboys!! (By @WClarke_MS)

10. Great read to start a new semester. The Fundamental 5 by Cain & Laird. (By @DCS_Sec_CTE)

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