A Reader Writes... Reducing the Number of Re-testers - Part 1

In response to the 7/26/16 post, “Reducing the Number of Re-testers,” a reader adds:

SC,

One additional item should be added in your list (see below).

1. Get on Pace

2. Teach Better

3. Intervene Quicker

4. Red Shirt Your Freshmen

5. Lead Your Feeder Pattern

As you have advised before, the assignment of teachers to the test subjects needs to be considered.  Too often it is the new, inexperienced, and/or least prepared teacher that is assigned to Algebra I (the most critical high school math course) or English 1 (the most critical high school English course). This means the most at-risk teacher in the department faces the greatest accountability challenge as he/she is learning the trade... A horrible, yet completely avoidable situation.  

Then we see the more experienced teacher being "rewarded" with the "higher level courses".  As a department chair I had a firm belief that the experienced teacher should be teaching both a "high level" and "low level" course.  Share that hard-earned experience where it makes the greatest impact!

SC Response

Preach!

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 Power of the Aligned, Common Scope and Sequence

In Texas, the Old School LYSers know the power of implementing a common scope and sequence that is aligned to state accountability tests. We were the pioneers and early adopters that moved the common scope and sequence from a good theory to standard operating procedure in Texas.  But to be honest, the school years go by so fast that I forgot the magnitude of improvement that occurs when a campus moves from teaching anything that resembles the content to teaching the right content at the right time.

Enter a new LYS campus in a state that just now began accountability testing. The campus is aggressively implementing a new to the state instructional tool, the common scope and sequence.  Here is the impact on student performance...

Course	Performance Improvement 2015 to 2016 (Percentage Points)
9th Grade ELA	+ 45
10th Grade ELA	+ 47
11th Grade ELA	+ 41
Algebra I	+ 48
Geometry	+ 22
Algebra II	+ 35

Same students, same teachers, same principal. A new, begrudgingly implemented aligned scope and sequence.

Stunning! And further proof that a good teacher is not enough.  At the very least our students and schools need good teachers using good instructional tools.

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

Top LYS Tweets From the Week of December 4, 2016

If you are not following @LYSNation on Twitter, then you missed the Top 10 LYS Tweets from the week of December 4, 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.     Public education is a community of moral formation. That may be lost on some of our leaders – but it is not lost on our school teachers. (By @pastors4txkids)

2.     “Schools need to be places where everyone feels they belong.” (By @DrRichAllen)

3.     Anytime you as the leader voice your opinion before others have been heard, true collaboration is killed unintentionally. (By @iPrincipalJJ) 

4.     In order to be a winner, you have to look for ways of getting things done and not for reasons why things can’t be done. (By @CoachKWisdom)

5.     "Refugees often risk everything to arrive in our country… And whatever their background, they deserve our sympathy, not our contempt." –G.W. Bush (By @TheBushCenter)

6.     The correlation between Improvement Required schools in Texas and high poverty level schools is almost perfect. (By @pastors4txkids)

7.     "Like never before, Texas public schools are under attack." (By @pastors4txkids)

8.     Dr. Victor Carrion found that when children are repeatedly exposed to stress, their brains are bathed in the stress hormone cortisol. (By @tgrierhisd)

9.     “Sure, it's the holidays.  Learning, however, is always in season.” (By @DrRichAllen)

10.  Chewing the same flavor gum while studying and right before your exam will boost test scores. (By @UHouston)

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