Register Now! Learning for a Change Summit XI

I’m excited to make the following announcement!

Learning for a Change Summit XI

Best-selling author, national presenter and Texas educator, Sean Cain, makes complex education problems solvable and transforms education theory into systematic practice. In his Lead Your School workshop, the audience will participate in a three-part, power-packed day of learning:

1.    The Exciting World of Instructional Infrastructure: Addresses the three foundation infrastructure components necessary to leverage teacher capacity and increase student achievement.

2.    Cultivate to Great: Describes the process for creating an environment that encourages teacher growth and accelerates their skill acquisition.

3.    Fundamental Change: Shares the lessons learned from observing great teachers and how the increased use of The Fundamental 5 has a powerful and positive impact on instructional rigor and the overall classroom dynamic.

Book and training materials included.

February 6, 2017

Austin, Texas

Crowne Plaza Hotel – Austin Central

Click HERE to register. 

I look forward to seeing you at the conference!

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 
• Upcoming Conference Presentations: TASSP Aspiring Principal Workshop (Multiple Presentations), Learning for a Change Spring Summit (Keynote and Multiple Presentations) 
• 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

The High Failure Rate Teacher at a Typical School

I was recently looking at some data from a campus assessment I did 5 years ago. I realized the findings might be useful as campuses are planning for the Spring Semester. 

The back-story: A Principal at a large, urban high school called me during the Christmas break because he had a problem.  No, his school wasn’t in “trouble.” Overall, student performance was satisfactory.  But there was an anomaly.  At the end of the Fall Semester, seven teachers had class failure rates above 20%.  No one else on staff had a failure rate higher than 10%.  The Principal was trying to decide between writing growth plans, reassigning classes and/or extensive professional development for the seven teachers in question.  I suggested he wait and let me come observe the campus for a couple of days as soon as school got started again.

So the LYS Team went to assess the campus in early January.  Here is what we found.  In almost every case, you could not distinguish between the high failure rate teachers and the low failure rate teachers (which is why the Principal called us), except in 2 areas (revealed by PowerWalks):

1. The High Failure Rate Teachers spent significantly less time in the Power Zone. 16 percentage points less time.

2. The High Failure Rate Teachers used worksheet assignments a lot more often. 19 percentage points more often.

So here is what we suggested. 

1. The High Failure Rate Teachers take 2 steps away from the board, moving towards the students.

2. Implement “No Worksheet Wednesday.”

Did the High Failure Rate Teachers like this? No. They hated it... At first.  Then it became a habit.

The results:

1. The high failure rate teachers from the end of the Fall Semester were still the high failure rate teachers at the end of the year.  This makes sense; they started out behind the 8-ball. But...

2. All of the high failure rate teachers cut their failure rates by at least half.

3. No one needed to go on a growth plan.

4. No one got fired.

5. The Principal was happy.

Teacher location and authentic academic tasks matter... A LOT.

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 
• Upcoming Conference Presentations: TASSP Aspiring Principal Workshop (Multiple Presentations), Learning for a Change Spring Summit (Keynote and Multiple Presentations) 
• 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

Legendary Leadership Badge (November 2016)

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 2016/2017 school year (as of 11/30/16).

Monta Bonham: November 2016

Kenneth Bryant: November 2016

Michelle Casas: November 2016

Christopher Collins: November 2016

Susan Finkle: November 2016

Tra Hall: November 2016

Christal Hammond: November 2016

Brian Odom: November 2016

Tisha Piwetz: November 2016

Donna Price: November 2016

Angie Quinn: November 2016

Christina Spears: November 2016

Gina Vilches: November 2016

Patti Ward: October 2016

John Speck: October 2016

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 
• Upcoming Conference Presentations: TASSP Aspiring Principal Workshop (Multiple Presentations) 
• 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

PowerWalks Hero Schools (November 2016)

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 – 210 PowerWalks Observations

Middle Schools / Junior High Schools – 150 PowerWalks Observations

Elementary / Intermediate / Combined Campuses – 135 PowerWalks Observations

Alternative Schools – 40 PowerWalks Observations

Since December is a short month for schools we’ll adjust the targets.

December Hero School Targets

High Schools – 175 PowerWalks Observations

Middle Schools / Junior High Schools – 120 PowerWalks Observations

Elementary / Intermediate / Combined Campuses – 100 PowerWalks Observations

Alternative Schools – 35 PowerWalks Observations

In November, all of the schools using the PowerWalks Instructional Observation System conducted a total of 22,434 classroom observations. A commendable job, LYS Nation! But now, without further ado, here are your fifty-seven PowerWalks Hero Schools for the month of November 2016.  Congratulations!!!

Elementary Schools & Combined Campuses	Middle Schools & Junior High Schools	Alternative Schools	High Schools
Southside PS (CISD) - 570	Cleveland MS (CISD) - 454		North Shore HS (GPISD) - 682
Bill W. Wright ES (WISD) - 533	Kermit JH (KISD) - 343		Valley HS (JCPS) - 599
Northside ES (CISD) - 455	Drugan School (SISD) - 271		El Dorado HS (SISD) - 417
McFee ES (CFISD) - 422	Rawlins MS (CCSD1) - 263		Cleveland HS (CISD) - 411
Eastside ES (CISD) - 393	Marlin MS (MISD) - 258		Socorro HS (SISD) - 373
Colonial Hills ES (NEISD) - 297	Rockport-Fulton MS (ACISD) - 247		Eastlake HS (SISD) - 365
Duryea ES (CFISD) - 297	Serna School (SISD) - 236		Borger HS (BISD) - 315
Raymond E. Curtis ES (WISD) - 237	Clarke MS (SISD) - 216		Fairdale HS (JCPS) - 303
Rawlins ES (CCSD1) - 235	Ensor MS (SISD) - 205		Odessa HS (ECISD) - 300
Little Snake River Valley School (CCSD1) - 226	Hambric School (SISD) - 205		Montwood HS (SISD) - 296
Live Oak Learning Center (ACISD) - 201	Kirbyville JH (KCISD) - 202		Rockport-Fulton HS (ACISD) - 236
Dublin ES (DISD) - 186	Bill Sybert School (SISD) - 189		Americas HS (SISD) - 234
Horizon Heights ES (SISD) - 163	Montwood MS (SISD) - 185		Rawlins HS (CCSD1) - 227
Jordan ES (SISD) - 162	Paso Del Norte School (SISD) - 185		Iroquois HS (JCPS) - 224
Antwine ES (SISD) - 158	Sun Ridge MS (SISD) - 182		Pebble Hills HS (SISD) - 220
Marlin ES (MISD) - 158	Slider MS (SISD) - 165
Escontrias ECC/ES (SISD) - 151	Big Spring JH (BSISD) - 159
Lujan-Chavez ES (SISD) - 150	Farley MS (HISD) - 155
O’Shea Keleher ES (SISD) - 149
Kermit ES (KISD) – 141
Cottonwood Creek ES (HISD) - 139
Purple Heart ES (SISD) - 139
Veterans’ Hill ES (HISD) - 138
Dublin IS (DISD) - 116

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 
• Upcoming Conference Presentations: TASSP Aspiring Principal Workshop (Multiple Presentations) 
• 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 November 27, 2016

If you are not following @LYSNation on Twitter, then you missed the Top 10 LYS Tweets from the week of November 27, 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. "Be the reason that someone believes in the goodness of people." (By @clwilkens)

2. "School choice" means one thing only: profiteers "choose" schools as markets and kids as commodities for their own financial gain. (By @pastors4txkids)

3. Candelaria: Public schools need support, not privatization schemes - Houston Chronicle (By @TXProChild)

4. "Ever changing education politics is doing significant harm to more children than we would ever suspect." -A Texas Superintendent (By @LYSNation)

5. Aristotle thought schools were communities of moral formation because of the system of deliberate practice. We become good by doing good. (By @pastors4txkids)

6. Exposure to more content and better instruction are what drives student performance, not participating in more testing. (By @LYSNation)

7. "Whatever its faults, the public school system is a hallmark of democracy. It is an essential part of the common good." –D. Ravitch (By @pastors4txkids)

8. A leader can be tough and still show respect. –Dean Smith (By @CoachMotto)

9. When conducting a formative classroom observation, assisting the teacher should take precedence over collecting negative information. (By @LYSNation)

10. "All men have opinions, but few think." -Georges Berkeley (By @tmhsparsonage)

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 
• Upcoming Conference Presentations: TASSP Aspiring Principal Workshop (Multiple Presentations), Learning for a Change Spring Summit (Keynote and Multiple Presentations) 
• 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