A Reader Asks... How About a Video

A LYS Principal asks:

SC,

Any chance of seeing your presentations on video? In Seattle, we're mighty far away!

SC Response

Not yet. But mostly due to the fact that we have been so busy we haven't had time to work out the logistics of the endeavor.

You can try to catch us at one of the national conferences. In the Spring of 2012, I'll be presenting at the NASSP Conference and the NASB Conference. Also, in early Spring I’ll be the keynote speaker at the Region 16 (Texas) Principals’ Leadership Academy and Conference. Unfortunately, none of these speaking engagements will be on the West Coast, which makes it a little tough for you and your team. But, there is always the book study route...

We also train in states all across the country. We would love to get out to Seattle and work with you and your team, just give us a call and tell us when.

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/4ydqd4t
• Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation
• Get the Fundamental 5 Lesson Plan App at the App Store – Fun 5 Plans
• Confirmed 2012 Presentations: Region 16 ESC Leadership Academy (Keynote Address); NASSP Conference; NASB Conference

A Principal Asks... So What is Your Scheduling Alternative

A LYS Principal asks the following:

SC,

So if eight and nine period days are so awful, what does a good schedule look like?

Seven periods?

I am loaded with electives, what do I do with those folks?

My E/LA department believes and have shown through scores that if they are not blocked that they cannot cover state mandated material in just 46 minutes a day. This forces other classes to be larger and just creates more issues to deal with on a daily basis?

I can see having fewer periods, more time on task, and moving from 46 minutes to more than 50 minutes a period. Is this what you are getting at?

I am at a loss and want to assist my campus in being at the top by doing whatever is required. As they say "everything is on the table".

SC Response

Excellent questions that warrant expertise beyond my pay grade. So I referred your post to the best scheduling person I have every met, former “Principal of the World,” E. Don Brown.

EDB Response

You mentioned “block” in your question. Most have a single view of "extended time learning" and many administrators see the "block" as an increase in staffing cost so it is rarely used any more.

In Texas, where I understand your campus is located, due to state course requirements (4X4 and the distinguished diploma) and testing requirements (was TAKS, now STAAR) most principals see either the block, eight period, or nine period schedule as their only options. There are other options and my favorite is the "Trimester". Some may remember it from your college experience.

The Trimester is just as one would predict. Students are scheduled into three, twelve-week sessions, each session consisting of five courses. This allows students to earn 2½ credits each trimester, 7½ credits each year, and 30 credits for the four years of high school. But most importantly, the Trimester gives teachers time to teach and students the opportunity to focus on mastering a manageable course load.

The kicker is that STAAR does not fit perfectly into the Trimester system. But TAKS didn’t fit perfectly into the traditional semester system, as is still the case with the STAAR. This requires individualized accommodations that can and should be made for students, regardless of the schedule you are running. But sadly most school leaders are not willing to do this extra work for two semesters, so doing it three times a year is out of question. Yet another example of adult convenience trumping student benefit.

Here are some basic facts about the TRIMESTER.

• Students are enrolled in 5 classes each trimester (3 trimesters x 5 classes = 15 classes or 7½ credits per year.
• Teachers teach 4 classes each trimester (3 trimesters x 4 classes = 12 classes or six sections per year.
• Classes are 70 – 80 minutes long (extended learning time periods).

As with any good foundation, there are also several hybrid schedules that can be created from this basic format.

E. Don Brown

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/4ydqd4
• Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation
• Get the Fundamental 5 Lesson Plan App at the App Store – Fun 5 Plans
• Confirmed 2012 Presentations: Region 16 ESC Leadership Academy (Keynote Address); NASSP Conference; NASB Conference

Top LYS Tweets from the Week of November 13th, 2011

And we’re back.... I hope everyone had a restful holiday.

While we were gone, an LYS Teacher asked:

SC,

Do you have an electronic version of the Fundamental 5 lesson plan template? I would love to have it to type up and save versus copying and writing.

SC Response

Completely in line our advocacy of use of bootleg technology in schools, The Fundamental 5 Lesson Plan Template is now available at the Apple App Store. The tool even maps the rigor and relevance of your planned lesson. Yes, it’s that cool.

Just go to the app store and search for ‘Fun 5 Plans’. If you don’t have an I-Pad or an I-phone, a desktop version and an android app version are in the works.

A number of you in the LYS Nation are now using your own bootleg technology devices to follow Twitter. If you haven’t done so yet, we want you to join us. To let you see what you are missing, here are the Top 10 LYS Tweets from the week of November 13th, 2011, as tabulated by the accountants at Price Waterhouse.

1. All things being equal, A System will invariably win out over No System.

2. Rigor has little to do with your lecture and everything to do with student response and product.

3. (The Fundamental 5) Great read full of sound advice. (By @kimbarker25)

4. I advocate a merit-based system for parking spaces. Those who get to work first merit the best spots.

5. When it comes to doling out parking spaces, why does the office staff always outrank the teaching staff?

6. Awesome "Frame the Lesson" teacher quote: I am their mental filter.

7. Technology is just a tool. Assessment is just a tool. Pedagogy is the vehicle for understanding. Content lines the road. (By @doctorjeff)

8. Dear State Leader: School funding is broken yet you continue to pit good Texans against one another by framing it as "rich" v. "poor." (By @tlonganecker)

9. Is this not contradictory? "There is no screening." And, "We require all students to submit application for consideration." (By @tlonganecker)

10. If you come to a training session late, without something to write on and/or write with, can you really get upset with students who do the same?

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/4ydqd4t
• Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation
• Get the Fundamental 5 Lesson Plan App at the App Store – Fun 5 Plans
• Confirmed 2012 Presentations: Region 16 ESC Leadership Academy (Keynote Address); NASSP Conference; NASB Conference

A Reader's Review... The Fundamental 5

The following is an abridged version of a principal’s review of our book, “The Fundamental Five: The Formula for Quality Instruction”.  You can read the entire post on her blog at www.theessentialprincipal.blogspot.com

Sean Cain and Mike Laird co-wrote this book outlining 5 very simple steps to significantly alter the landscape of a classroom.

The five steps they identify are all characteristics of good, solid teaching. When used together and intentionalized, student engagement and achievement are profoundly impacted.

How does this impact me as an educator? Intentionalize. Intentionalize. Intentionalize. We must focus and make decisions in our classrooms that are intentional and meaningful. Marzano measured these intentionalized practices in terms of percentile gains. As Cain and Laird noted, these percentile gains can add up to become sustained student achievement.

Sustained student achievement is not accidental - it is fundamental.

SC Response

First, thank you for the kind words and great review.

Second, everyone in the LYS Nation have a SAFE and restful Thanksgiving holiday.

Third, the blog posts will resume on Monday, November 28, 2011.  Unless something really exciting happens.

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/4ydqd4t

Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation

Confirmed 2012 Presentations: NASSP Conference; NASB Conference

A Reader Writes... (Assessment vs. Benchmark - Part 1)

In response to the 9/21/11 post, “Assessment vs. Benchmark,” a reader writes:

SC,

I disagree. A benchmark test on what has been taught to a certain point is a diagnostic test. Correct me if I am wrong.

SC Response

It’s a matter of definition. 

LYS defines an “Assessment” as a test of content that has been previously been covered.  The appropriate (though exceedingly rare) use of an assessment is to determine how much of the covered material was effectively taught. 

LYS defines a “Benchmark” as a test of the entire course curriculum.  Benchmarks are often (inappropriately) administered prior to the entire curriculum being covered.

The problem with administering an early benchmark as a diagnostic instrument is that I have yet to witness any school that actually accelerated instruction due to students demonstrating mastery of material that had yet to be covered.  Instead, the pace of instruction slows because based on the benchmark results the campus has already “arrived.”  As for identifying students that need support and instruction, the benchmark only confirms what classroom teachers could already predict with near perfect accuracy.  Thus, the benchmark is an unnecessary and irrelevant encroachment on already limited instructional 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/4ydqd4t

Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation

Confirmed 2012 Presentations: NASSP Conference; NASB Conference

A Superintendent Asks... Central Office PowerWalks

A LYS superintendent asks,

SC

I find myself struggling to be on campuses and in classrooms as much as I would like to or need to.  Perhaps some clarification would help me set an expectation for myself.  The last time we talked you mentioned that administrators should complete four to five PowerWalks each day.  I equate a campus administrator doing PowerWalks to that administrator being in the Power Zone. 

How often should superintendents and central office administrators be on campus?  Has that been a part of the LYS discussion?  Is the Power Zone for us on campus or in the classroom? 

I look forward to hearing your thoughts.

SC Response

Great question! In the grand scheme of things the Power Zone for a teacher is among the students.  For the campus administrator, it is in the classroom.  For the central office administrator it is on the campus.

Now for the central office administrator, ‘On The Campus’ means in the halls and in the classrooms, not in the principal's office (as so many central office administrators are apt to do).  Brezina taught me to conduct my meetings with my principals while walking in the hallways.  The principal gets to show off his or her campus and you get to coach on specific things that you are both observing live.  It is still an excellent practice that we recommend to all central office administrators and one that I still use on a regular basis when I'm coaching principals and assistant principals.

But Brezina honed his craft before the power of frequent classroom observation was understood.  So we have evolved.  We now meet with principals in the halls and pop in on a couple of classes while we are doing so.  When central office administrators (especially the Superintendent) conduct regular classroom observations it clarifies for everyone that the delivery and support of effective instruction is the primary focus of the entire organization.

So to specifically answer your question, we coach that central office administrators who were once teachers and now either support or supervise instructional staff should do five to ten classroom walk-thru's a week. I also believe (and E. Don Brown concurs) that the majority of these walk-thru's should be done with a campus based observer, be it a teacher to the principal. I can think of no more powerful practice for creating a sense of shared purpose, mission and esprit de corps. 

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/4ydqd4t

Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation

Confirmed 2012 Presentations: NASSP Conference; NASB Conference