A Reader Writes... EOCs, Credits and Transfers - Part 1

In response to the 5/23/2012 post, “A Principal Asks... EOCs, Credits and Transfers,” a LYS school leader writes:

I think the issue is far from moot. The issue is if credit has been granted OR denied by another institution, it is impossible to change the grade on the AAR (Academic Achievement Record, AKA transcript).   That is, my school district can't change the PEIMS inputs from another district that exists on the AAR.  Cain's suggestions would be problematic for this reason.  Try explaining to a parent that credit appearing on their child's AAR doesn't count because you don't want it to.  Good luck with that one.  If a child has credit earned on an AAR, it is considered a grave error to re-enroll the child in the same course again as you can only get credit for a course one time.  I have seen children with two credits in Algebra 1 before, and I have dealt with the people who made the mistake severely, as it is a manifestation of incompetence and malpractice.  

If the credit was denied on the AAR from another district, the new district would have no choice but to either re-enroll the child in the same course or place the child in credit recovery.  Dealing with a failing grade on an AAR is much more straightforward than dealing with a passing grade from another district on an AAR.

So my take is different than Cain's: 

Case #1: If credit appears on the AAR and the child passed EOC the new district is stuck with it and must honor it.  

Case #2: If the child passed the course but failed the EOC, the district would place the child in some form of RTI course and would have to retest the child, of course.  The passed course cannot be retaken for credit (there are other options, of course, like course number stacking).  

Case #3: If the credit is denied on the AAR for any reason, including attendance or failure, the new district is stuck with that too, and the child must either re-take the course or enter credit recovery.  If the child failed the course in the previous district but passed EOC, I would place the child in credit recovery and maybe some RTI for the next course in the 4x4 sequence and be done with it.  

Case #4: If the child failed the course and failed EOC, I would have the child retake the course and EOC with a healthy dose of RTI included, the obvious solution.

I think my solutions are the only solutions that are acceptable.  I think if a receiving district tried to suppress or supplant the passing grades on an AAR from a previous district, the issue would go to the Commissioner, and I think the analysis I have presented here would prevail.

Of course none of this has anything to do with class rank or GPA, which is a local issue that can be recalculated.  I do believe that the issue of course credit has to be dealt with as I have described above, with some small variations allowed of course.

SC Response

We are actually discussing the same issue at two distinct points in time.  So instead of our opinions differing, they are the same.

I tackled the problem based on the student transferring to a district BEFORE a credit in a particular class was officially granted or not granted. Which was the original context of the question, though based on a cold read of the blog post, that was not clear.  In that case, the logic outlined in the original post is completely valid (as we agreed, in our phone conversation).

You tackled the problem based on the student transferring to a district AFTER a credit in a particular class was officially granted or not granted, which is a reasonable assumption and a regularly occurring situation.  In that case, the logic outlined in your response (above) is completely valid (as we agreed in our phone conversation).

So for the reader, as is it with so many things in education, timing is everything.

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

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A Reader Writes... (Morning Homework/ Support Lab - Part 3)

In response to the posts on “Morning Homework / Support Lab,” a reader writes:

“Working with teachers is not a bad idea, but this idea puts us back to focusing on the needs of adults instead the needs of kids. We definitely need to focus on the needs of adults, but I think Cain was pointing out that when the kids are at school, it is prime time to focus on kids.”

SC Response
Thanks for reminding me of my original premise, which I will summarize:

1. Failure prevention is infinitely more powerful that credit recovery.

2. The key to failure prevention is timely intervention.

3. There is considerable down time in the morning, when students are just waiting for school to start.

4. School starts when the students arrive, not when the adults decide to start working.

5. With a little planning, initiative, and flexible staff scheduling, morning homework and support centers could operate daily, before school starts.

6. The morning support would extended the instructional day and help to prevent student failure.

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

A Reader Writes... (Morning Homework / Support Lab - Part 2)

In response to the posts on “Morning Homework / Support Lab,” a reader writes:

"Why couldn't this time also be utilized for administrators to work with teachers? I believe as instructional leaders we have to model what we want from our teachers and what better way than to work with them on best teaching practices. I see so many teachers who are struggling to implement some of the strategies we are asking them to utilize...who are definitely in the category of can't versus won't-I think we need to do a more effective job in assisting those teachers in the early stages, than to watch and wait while the impacts are directly felt by their students. Just a thought..."

SC Response
I can’t disagree with the idea that administrators should be involved on some level. How big of a role, of course, would vary from campus to campus. In fact, if I was a teacher who needed an internship project or an AP wanting some better experience, I would take this project and run with it. After all, how often in a career do you get the opportunity to create a solution that fixes a problem that confounds every school?

What you describe seems more like a formal class with opportunities to teach actual lessons (is that what you were thinking?). I never envisioned the morning support labs in that fashion. That doesn’t mean it couldn’t happen, but it would ramp up the level of complexity.

But even in a more informal instructional setting, administrators would be able to view first hand what concepts students and teachers are struggling with; connect with students and teachers on a different level; and break down the "us vs. them" mentality between teachers and administration that exists on many campuses.

I also agree with your last point. As a profession, we are often guilty of waiting for disaster before we actually try to do anything meaningful. When we do a better job of addressing the little issues, the big problems never seem to occur.

My advice, now that you are aware of a deficiency and an opportunity, is come up with an interim solution, implement it, and then make as needed adjustments on the fly.

That’s just one idea, LYS readers, where are the rest of them?

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

A Reader Writes... (Morning Homework / Support Lab)

In response to the post, “Morning Homework / Support Lab,” a reader writes:

“Cain pointed this out to me a while back, and I must admit I was embarrassed to have not seen it myself. It is so incredibly simple, yet profound. When you have a captive audience, make the most of it.

In order to make this work it seems to me you need two things. One, you need teachers willing to volunteer or you have to be willing to assign these morning sessions as duty. The problem with duty assignment is, as Covey says, people volunteer their best. Of course you could come up with some financial incentives, but that will run into your second need.

Second, you need people who are intrinsically motivated to work with kids. Paying teachers may get them there, but getting their hearts and minds is another issue (of course this is true during the instructional day too, so this may be a non-issue). It seems to me you would not get much at all from adults assigned to this as morning duty.

And I suppose we can top this off with a third issue: the leadership had best be there too. You can’t lead from the rear, so if you ask others to be out front, be prepared to be there yourself. I think Cain is on to a good idea here, but I am fishing for ways to effectively implement this. Anyone?”

SC Response:
Again, LYS readers, chime in if you have some ideas.

First, like we discussed, don't beat yourself up because you can't see everything. No one can, hence the value of fresh eyes and external support.

Second, I think you may be over-thinking this. There are a couple of obvious answers. You could just schedule it as duty. I think there are staffers who would volunteer to come in early if they could leave early. I know I would have. I think another option would be to use counselors, department chairs and AP’s. With extra pay comes extra responsibility. But what I would do is toss this project to my department chairs. Empower them to schedule it, staff it and make sure it runs smoothly. After all, student success in their core area is their responsibility. And, if they don’t think it is their responsibility, you need a new department chair.

Third, I don't think that motivated adults is critical in the beginning. In fact I wouldn't even worry about it. Just make sure they show up and there are kids who need support. As the students respond and improve, so will adult attitudes.

Third, you are absolutely right. Leadership has to take an active interest in monitoring and supporting this. If we don’t, things will quickly return to exactly what we have right now – nothing.

This is the time to set this up, with implementation no later than the than the 3rd day of school. Some of you may wonder, “Who needs support by the third day of school?” How about every student who failed a class last year, every new student to the school, and every student who forgot to do their homework the night before, just to begin.

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

A Reader Writes... (Credit Recovery - Part 3)

In response to the post, “Credit Recovery / Failure Prevention,” a reader writes:

“The credit recovery issue is like 'shutting the gate after the cows are gone.' You cannot wait one year, two years, or certainly not a third year to implement a freshmen credit recovery strategy. 80% of the third year freshman will have already dropped out before the third year starts. In fact, according to research, only 20% of freshman students who have failed Algebra I and one other core class will ever graduate.

Here are some suggested freshman recovery strategies:

A. Have your best teachers to teach your most "fragile" freshman instead of assigning the "last one hired" to teach freshman.

B. Do not keep freshman classified as freshman for a second year. Almost always they have new administrators and counselors who take most of the year to identify their problems. The second year freshman gets lost in the shuffle and never recovers. We lay the blame on the student, and staff moves on and leaves their mess for the new staff.

C. Assign failing freshman to an Accelerated Learning Team (ALT), or group of highly skilled communicators and highly motivated teachers, who can monitor their academic participation and social progress throughout the day. Allow 2nd year freshman to work daily on recovery with these teachers and do not expect or depend on computer based instruction or extra time after school to make up credits. These students must be taught, monitored, and coached daily by the ALT leaders.

As Sean mentions this is the Achilles Heel and it is compounded by school leaders who initiate a program, regardless of effectiveness, and feel good about it, regardless of the student losses.”

SC Response
Excellent comment with a number of valid points and suggestions. If you have time, send us more on your ALT concept.

The more I assist campuses with this problem, the more I become an advocate for failure prevention. Schools have plenty of data that warns them that students are in academic danger; prior year state test results, progress reports, test grades, missed homework, and attendance are just the most blatant examples. Yet, in the face of this mounting evidence, we generally do one of two things. We either wait, or we blame the student. Let me be a blunt, when we do this, as educators, this means that we are either ignorant, apathetic, or incompetent. None of which is a label I want used to describe me, my staff, of my campus.

That being the case, we have to use data to change the future, not predict it. Three weeks into a grading cycle, when a student is struggling, do something about it, right then. Change the future for that student and the school.

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

A Reader Writes... (Credit Recovery - Part 2)

In response to the post, “Credit Recovery / Failure Prevention,” a reader writes:

“Sean, can you (or the LYS readers) give us an elementary version of this?”

SC Response
First, LYS readers, the call has been made for your ideas. Send them in.

Now, I think the concept is similar with elementary, you just have to make sure you follow some key practices.

Practice 1: Three week progress reporting. Reviewing and reporting student progress at short-term intervals is a good practice. Responding with meaningful support and interventions for students who are either near failing, or failing, based on those reports is an excellent practice. What you have to guard against is when you mandate that “near failing” requires teacher action, grades often magically rise to just above the “action” point.

Practice 2: Common grading parameters. Whether you use a common scope and sequence, common assessments, common rubrics, or some combination of the three, you have to make sure that assigned grades are consistent from class to class. Feel good grading practices create numerous detrimental, unintended consequences.

Practice 3: Academic support center. Pick a location, staff it with somebody, and open it when students are on campus, but nothing academic is scheduled (before school, lunch, after school). Give students a place where they can complete work, ask questions, and practice skills.

For elementary schools, I would assume that the big caveats would be the consideration of developmental levels in grades K, 1, & 2, and the issue of recess.

First, I know that developmental levels are a legitimate concern. However, I have also observed that developmental levels seem to be locally determined. What is developmentally impossible on one campus is standard fare on another campus. Many developmental issues are often adult driven. For example, student nap time is actually adult rest time. But try explaining that to the staff that still schedules naps everyday.

Second, is the question of recess. I’m not for or against recess, and both sides of that debate make compelling arguments. But, what I am not for, is taking students out of recess on a regular basis to address remediation concerns. Finishing an occasional assignment is appropriate; doing math facts for a month is not. Find other chunks of time to more formally support identified students.

Again, it is much easier to fix problems earlier, rather than later. It is better for students and for your campus to prevent failure in the first place. If you are already doing something effective and pro-active, the other LYS readers want to know about it.

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

A Reader Writes... (Credit Recovery - Part 1)

In response to the post, “Credit Recovery / Failure Prevention,” a reader writes:

“As a check, you may want to monitor the number of 3rd year freshmen. I had a conversation just the other day with a school that claimed to implement all of these fantastic credit recovery programs. In a later conversation, the same person mentioned the discipline problems associated with 3rd year freshmen. A good way to monitor a credit recovery program is to include a feedback mechanism that looks for students off grade level, even after being in credit recovery. This person was proud of their program, but the ability of the program to serve students is questionable.”

SC Response
The writer touches on the Achilles Heel of 99% of school intervention programs; they are implemented too late. Meaning that they kick in after the issue is critical, in this case significant student failure. That’s why I like the concept of failure prevention.

Failure Prevention does create more work and planning on the front side, but that is when the issue is solvable. The longer the campus waits to act, the more difficult the problem becomes. Catch the disease early, and you have an excellent chance of surviving. Ignore preventative habits and treatments; miss or ignore the on-going warning signs; and once preventable death is all but assured.

Again, if you are already doing something effective and pro-active, the other LYS readers want to know about it.

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

Credit Recovery / Failure Prevention

As you get ready for the start of school, re-think your credit recovery program. Most campuses wait for the end of a semester, when the actual course has been failed (or even worse, when multiple courses have been failed) to address the issue. Don’t wait that long. Use a tiered approach, like the one below, instead.

1. Create a morning, lunch, and afternoon support center. In the center, have computers with internet access and a good curriculum software system (I prefer A+), and a teacher or aide who can tutor.

2. At progress report time, or every three weeks, whichever is shorter, identify every student who has a grade lower than 75. Inform them and their parents that the support center is open, available, and highly recommended.

3. For students who are near failing due to incomplete work, they can complete the missing work in the center.

4. For students who are near failing, due to poor grades, have them work on the computer curriculum program to remediate weak skills.

5. For students who are failing electives, have them write one page reflections related to the subject, based on internet research.

6. Let the new grades pull up the pre-existing grades.

This will take care of most of the students. At report card time, do the same thing, except make the lunch session mandatory for three weeks (or a specific number of assignments). The student can speed up the three week term by attending the other sessions.

This plan works at every grade level. It is always easier to fix problems sooner, rather than later. And, it is always better for students and for your campus to prevent failure in the first place. If you are already doing something effective and pro-active, the other LYS readers want to know about it.

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn…