A Principal Asks... Why Isn't There a T-TESS Component in PowerWalks

A Principal recently asked me, “Why don’t you have a T-TESS component in PowerWalks?”

That’s a reasonable question. The answer is that we made a philosophical and purposeful decision to not do so.

PowerWalks is a FORMATIVE observation system, designed to assist teachers in improving the quality of delivered instruction, over time, through cueing and coaching.

T-TESS is a SUMMATIVE evaluation process.  

Yes, PowerWalks is correlated to T-TESS (otherwise it wouldn’t be very useful).  Meaning that as teachers get better at implementing the best practices cued and monitored by PowerWalks, the criteria evaluated by T-TESS will be positively impacted.

But correlation is the limit. This is because the co-mingling of FORMATIVE and SUMMATIVE observation data is bad leadership practice.  And as a company, LYS will always occupy the high ground of best leadership practice.

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

An Honest Assessment of Best Practice Implementation

Today we are going to discuss the implementation of instructional best practice in the classroom.

We do a big disservice to our staff, our peers and ourselves when we start the discussion of best practice implementation with any preface along the lines of, “Now guys, this is really just a review because you know we already do this.”

The reason why this is a disservice is because it is a falsehood. We may be aware of best practice, but as a profession we implement it at neither high frequency nor high quality.

Ouch!

Now I do not present this lightly, nor am I attempting to “poke the bear.”  I’m just tired of the lip service.  Either we are willing to work to improve our craft, or we need to admit that we believe that we have arrived.  Just be honest.

Now to back up my claim.  If you were to conduct, let’s say 100,000 classroom observations across the country over the past 5 years you would find that the lower-yield instructional practices of whole group instruction, lecture and worksheets are highly over-represented.  In excess of 90%, 70% and 50% respectively.  That’s not good. 

But I’m sure we make up for it with the implementation of best practice. 

That same best practice, “That we already do everyday.”

Except when you take the data from those 100,000 classroom observations and look for the highest of the high-yield instructional practices; the written identification of similarities and differences, written summarization, recognizing academic success and reinforcing academic effort, you will find next to no representation.  Less that 5% for each one.

Which means that as a profession we either have a lack of knowledge issue, a lack of honesty issue, a lack of urgency issue, or a lack of will issue.  But the cause of the issue is really immaterial. 

What really matters is what are you going to do about 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) 
• Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation  and like Lead Your School on Facebook

Get Off The DAMN Intercom

Ok, I hit my breaking point today. After years of hints, suggestions and recommendations, I’m done. So Principals, pay attention. You and your office staff, stay off of the DAMN intercom during the school day. 

Teachers have more to teach, to student body of more diverse abilities, with greater accountability than ever before.  Every time someone gets on the intercom to make an announcement, it disrupts the education process and makes the difficult job of teaching even more so.

Today, I was on a campus that during a single 47-minute class period, there were 5 separate general announcements. That is leadership malpractice. 

Here is what you should do.

1. Have a single, 3-minute general announcement to students and staff either 1^st or 2^nd period. Extend that period by the three minutes you will take from instructional time.

2. Do not allow anyone to use the intercom to make an announcement, (unless it relates to safety, security, or a significant emergency) without your direct permission.

3. Don’t give permission to use the intercom.

If there is a message that needs to be relayed to a particular class, send an actual person from the office to that class.  Because no matter what is going on in the office, it’s not as important as teaching and learning.

But what about the (insert sport) team that needs to be called to the bus to go to a game.  That is poor planning.  The team should go to the bus at a regular class break.  And, repeat after me... Getting the team to the bus is less important than the instruction being delivered to ALL OF THE OTHER STUDENTS.

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

A Reader Writes... The Purposeful Cycle of Formative and Summative Observation - Part 1

In response to the October 6, 2016 post, “The Purposeful Cycle of Formative and Summative Observation,” a LYS Principal writes:

SC,

I’ll admit it. I’m confused after reading this post!  It sounds like you are saying that the coaching conferences we have after 15-20 PowerWalks should be 20-30 minutes?  I thought they were supposed to be short, informal conferences. 

Help!

SC Response

Let me clear up the confusion.  

1. The 20 – 30 minute time frame I was discussing was related to Summative Observations, not formative conferences. Your Summative observations (for T-TESS) should be at least 20 minutes long. This provides the teacher ample time to demonstrate a wide variety of practices and strategies.   Your Formative walk-thru's (PowerWalks) are 3 to 5 minutes. The idea is to do a lot of Formative walk-thru’s so when you do your scheduled Summative observations, your staff does everything better than they did the year before.

2. You are right. Formative conferences are often quick and somewhat informal.  It is Summative conferences that require more time and formality.  The practice that I’m suggesting and what the posted schedule promotes is for your top tier teachers (top 20%) you can complete their Summative (T-TESS) Evaluation by Christmas break (their formative visits will continue in the Spring Semester).  This is one heck of a Christmas present for both you and your best teachers.

Your middle 60% of teachers can have their summative evaluations completed by the end of February (their formative visits will continue for the remainder of the Spring Semester).

This will just leave the remaining 20% of your teachers (rookies, new teachers to your campus, and struggling teachers) that will need their Summative Evaluations completed when you return from Spring Break.

Let me know if I need to clarify anything else.

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

Top LYS Tweets From the Week of October 9, 2016

If you are not following @LYSNation on Twitter, then you missed the Top 10 LYS Tweets from the week of October 9, 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. Some kids go an entire day at school without anyone saying their name. Be the teacher who speaks to each student by name. (By @justintarte)

2. “When we eventually become a really mature, grown-up, wise society, we’ll put teachers at the center of our community where they belong.” (By @DrRichAllen)

3. Staff development without follow up is malpractice. (By @tra_hall)

4. When you’re tempted to be offended, remember, you can’t control others but you can control how you respond. (By @JoelOsteen)

5. Currently reading, The Fundamental 5 (Cain & Laird), for the third time. (By @HumbleISD_HMS) 

6. Why do some think it's cool for kids to retake a class over the summer or the next year but not cool for them to retake a test/quiz...? (By @justintarte)

7. Students not reading on grade level by the end of third grade are four times more likely not to graduate from high school. (By @tgrierhisd)

8. “Segregation is driving the ‘school choice’ charade” –Charles Luke (By @howellwright)

9. A student who is chronically absent ANY year between grades 8 and 12 is seven times more likely to drop out of school. (By @tgrierhisd)

10. I need this book. Don't let me forget. The Fundamental 5: The Formula for Quality Instruction, by Sean Cain & Mike Laird. (By @FarleyJeffrey)

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