The Countdown Officially Begins, T minus 30

Yesterday, Dr. Laird and I approved the final digital proof for our book, “The Fundamental Five: The Formula for Quality Instruction”. This means that we will get the hard copy draft in our hands within 10 days and the book will be available within 30 days. To say that we are excited is an understatement. And as many of you have already requested, we promise that there will be a release event and a book signing or two, so watch the blog and the LYS Nation Twitter feed for more details.

Since we noticed some data anomalies a little over four years ago, the Fundamental Five has taken a life its own. Dr. Laird and I have conducted over 15 national presentations to thousands of board members and district administrators. There have been over two hundred campuses that have adopted the Fundamental Five as its core instructional framework. And LYS has trained over ten thousand of teachers on how to seamlessly integrate the Fundamental Five into their daily routine. The results have been nothing less than stunning. But as a LYSer, you already know that.

Which brings me to a favor that I want to ask the LYS Nation. Send me your Fundamental Five anecdote, success story, or endorsement. When I share with the world the success of the LYS Nation, I’m often accused dealing in hyperbole. No one wants to believe that they are not already working at the peak of effectiveness. So let me attach some more names and schools to this continuing story of student, teacher and school success.

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

Coming Soon! "The Fundamental 5: The Formula for Quality Instruction" www.TheFundamentalFive.com

Follow Sean Cain on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation

June 11 (TASB) - The Fundamental Five; Improve Now!

June 15 (TASSP) - Improve Now!

June 16 (TASSP) - Conference Breakfast, hosted by E. Don Brown (LYS travel tumblers for the first 1000 attendees, last year we ran out); Fundamental Five

June 17 (TASSP) - PowerWalks

June 18 (TASB) - The Fundamental Five; Improve Now!

A Reader Writes... (Poisonous Staff - Part 7)

In response to the 2/10/2011 post, “Poisonous Staff – Part 5,” a LYS Assistant Principal writes:

Expectations and expertise must be visible in an assistant principal as well. I hold myself to high standards and knowledge. I constantly want to learn what I don't know or haven't experienced. When an individual holds themselves to such high standards, the leadership of the principal and assistant principal is at its best.

SC Response

I know that the principal that wrote the comment that you are responding to wasn’t disparaging assistant principals. My interpretation was that it is to be expected that APs might have some difficulty explaining the “what and why” for many decisions due both a lack of experience and lack of access. But principals aren’t afforded that crutch, even if it is valid. Which is why the principalship is different.

But that doesn’t let APs off the hook. More than any other position in education, the AP job is all about sorting. Principals and central office are constantly evaluating who is effective, efficient, a problem solver, a hard worker, a team player, etc. APs that look for ways to continue to grow, distinguish themselves, network effectively and add value to their team get promoted over APs that don’t do those things. The fact that you hold yourself to a high standard is why you were a candidate for your current job. The key is to keep pushing yourself to get better, make sure that your teachers and students are successful and don’t turn down the opportunities that are not quite perfect.

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

Follow Sean Cain at www.Twitter.com/LYSNation.

Coming Soon! "The Fundamental 5: The Formula for Quality Instruction" www.TheFundamentalFive.com

Plan to attend the LYS presentations at TASSP and TASB in June

Can School Turn-around Survive Changes in Leadership

I recently read an article where the, “I’m going to take a broom to this school” principal left mid-year for a higher paying, lateral move job, in another district. This is after firing several teachers and support staff and bringing in people that he had worked with before. The premise of the article is that when the hero principal leaves - the positive change dies.

First of all, the principal in question, isn’t a hero, he’s a braying ass. And obviously, the changes he attempted to implement will die. But for a different reason than what most people seem to believe. His improvement efforts, as are those in most districts, are based on a “talent-driven” model. The talent driven model assumes that success and failure is based on the talent of the individual. An unsuccessful school means that the individual actors in the system lack talent, so the answer is to replace them with actors of greater talent. What the braying ass found out (but still doesn’t recognize), is that if the majority of actors in the system are not successful, the problem is the system.

LYS works to introduce and implement a capacity building system. A capacity building system, purposefully adds what works into the collective practice base while purposefully subtracting what does not work from the collective practice base. As you do this, the machine adds value to the individual and individual, at the very least, maintains the effectiveness of the machine.

Now for those of you concerned about the machine stifling the creativity of the individual, I’ll share a sports analogy. Michael Jordan was recognized as the best athlete in the NBA long before the Chicago Bulls started winning championships. But for the Bulls to compete at the highest level, they had to function as a team with a singular understanding. Individual talent was not enough; it was capacity building (in the form of the triangle offense) that created a dynasty.

So to answer the question, can turn-around survive a change in leadership - sometimes. If the turn-around has installed infrastructure and processes that support true capacity building, and there has been enough time for staff to enjoy some success though the use of the infrastructure and processes, the change can survive. If a braying ass does nothing but slash, burn and force survivors into a bunker mentality, the odds of any changes surviving a transition in leadership are slim indeed.

One final note, as you read about the slim odds of school improvement initiatives surviving long-term, I share this one fact. Of the 30+ academically unacceptable high schools that have adopted some variation of the LYS model since 2005, only one was AU in 2010. And that campus rejected everything LYS worked with them on. That would almost be humorous if it didn’t mean that a whole high school of students would actually be better off if they transferred to any other district in their vicinity and the adults still don’t care.

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

Follow Sean Cain at www.Twitter.com/LYSNation

Coming Soon! "The Fundamental 5: The Formula for Quality Instruction" www.TheFundamentalFive.com

Plan to attend the LYS presentations at TASSP and TASB in June

A Reader Asks... The Sorry Employee

A reader asks:

SC,

I have two teachers that are horrible. They are on growth plans and strict directives. There is no question that they will be gone next year. Is there any reason why I should keep doing coaching observations? All they are doing is messing up the data for the rest of the campus.

SC Response

It is my belief that the only unforgivable sin is not being coachable. If an employee proves to be un-coachable and does not respond to coaching data and feedback, then the only logical action is to move the employee into the evaluative / directive / punitive system. But you must clearly communicate this to the employee. And you must follow through. Nothing tears down morale faster than having to work next to someone who is either unwilling or unable to shoulder his or her share of the workload.

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

Follow Sean Cain at www.Twitter.com/LYSNation

Coming Soon! "The Fundamental 5: The Formula for Effective Instruction" www.TheFundamentalFive.com

Plan to attend the LYS presentations at TASSP and TASB in June

Top LYS Tweets from the Week of April 17, 2011

I'll keep it short and to the point today. Bootleg technology is the real answer to 1:1 computing, stretching limited budget dollars, and keeping classrooms relevant in an ever-changing world. Now for the LYS’ers in Texas, go kick the last TAKS week square in the teeth.

A number of you in the LYS Nation are now using 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 April 17^th 2011, as tabulated by the accountants at Price Waterhouse.

1. Fifth classroom in a row hitting 3 out 5 of the Fundamental Five! And every classroom so far is clean, organized, and purposeful. Great job, SMTC teachers!

2. Watching 150 hospitalized students line up quietly, get their lunch & converse politely in small groups while they eat. Kids will meet modeled expectations.

3. Congratulations to LYS Principal, Suzy Meyer (Crockett ES, Grand Prairie ISD) for being named a TEPSA distinguished principal finalist!

4. Run Thought - Part 1: If your early TAKS results are good, remember the immortal words of Han Solo, "Great kid! Now don't get cocky!"

5. Run Thought - Part 2: If your early TAKS results were not good, remember your Churchill, "We shall fight...we shall never surrender!"

6. I visited three schools today. One school had adults that modeled student expectations, two did not. Guess where I observed the most teaching & learning?

7. Tonight’s Run Thought: If you punish students for not following a dress code that you yourself do not model - you are a hypocrite and a bully.

8. Increasing class size without increasing support and training is a sure way to increase teacher stress and decrease the quality of instruction.

9. Tonight’s Run Though: I can't wait for the Republican primary. Then I get to vote against all the incumbents that refuse to support public education.

10. The question is how did attending private school influence current education reformers? Easy, they have confused peer groups and resources with teacher quality.

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

Follow Sean Cain at www.Twitter.com/LYSNation

Coming Soon! "The Fundamental 5: The Formula for Quality Instruction" www.TheFundamentalFive.com

Plan to attend the LYS presentations at TASSP and TASB in June

Doc Seabolt Writes... (Common Assessment Data Analysis - Part 2)

In response to the 2/23/2011 post, “Common Assessment Data Analysis – Part 1,” Doc Seabolt writes:

As to the first paragraph, I have to admit I am not familiar with “Test Blueprint,” however, I do agree with the writer, in theory. That is, it is certainly possible to construct an assessment instrument that tests at a variety of levels. In fact, I would argue that this is exactly what most standardized tests ATTEMPT to do. This is a very daunting task. For example, the TAKS test attempts to assess across all grade levels and ability all in a single test. Most educators yell foul, yet I have heard no other than Bill Daggett, on more than one occasion, pronounce the TAKS test is a pretty good test.

Now, going back to the premise of a teacher creating a test to reliably test across a variety of abilities, I am with Cain on this one. I think it is theoretically possible, but I also think adult bias will creep into the test, yielding self-fulfilling results. Again, test writing is a profession in it's own right. As I have said before, teachers fancy themselves as great assessment writers; in general, we are not.

However, having said that, the poster certainly speaks of a type of differentiation I am fond of: grade differentiation. That is, I like the idea of contracting for a grade as a differentiation practice. A grade of C may only require a demonstration of knowledge/comprehension mastery with very low relevance. This is the “I know the correct answer when I see it” level, which is the ability to pass a standardized test. This may use a rubric: for a C, you must do three of the following assignments. For a B, you must do the work for a C grade, plus at least 2 of these 4 assignments. The B assignments are at the application/analysis level with a relevance level at least at the application level in the content area. For an A, you must do C, B, and 1 of three possible advanced assignments. The A level assignments are at the synthesis/evaluation level, high relevance. In my mind this is using the grading policy (some kids care about this) in order to promote differentiation.

The writer's basic premise is consistent with the ASCD approach to differentiation. I don't totally reject the idea of differentiating tests, but then again, I don't embrace the idea of any test, as I see them as very limited in their ability to assess.

I am not sure what the writer means when they say “Differentiation is differentiating objectives, not interest right?” Given the ASCD model, differentiation means providing opportunities to stretch children according to their ability level. In the ASCD model, students may initially select their own level of stretch, with the teacher serving as the safety mechanism to insure students don't “slack” themselves. Certainly in the ASCD model the objectives for each level of learner is differentiated, and as I pointed out, a modified grading system is ideal to promote this idea. I would say then differentiation is providing students with various levels of rigorous instruction as defined by Bloom and relevance as defined by Daggett, Ericson, LYS, et al. Can this be done in a test? Maybe.

As Cain points out, differentiation can be interpreted as “the differentiation of strategy, practice and intervention to insure success.” I have pointed out valid methods to differentiate, which are consistent with both the writer's and Cain's interpretations. I do not reject testing as a way to differentiate, but I would certainly not embrace it due to the complexity of creating valid tests. I would prefer the assignment/project model in the classroom.

T.W.A. - Doc Seabolt

SC Response

I have to think about the concept of using a variety of assignments selections to determine a grade. It seems a little like what Glasser was writing about in his “Quality Schools,” books. Part of me likes the idea. Part of me is loath to the idea of letting students determine when they are going to stop. I can see adults using the idea of “student choice” as justification for a lack of student motivation. As you know, I’m not a fan of letting people choose not to be the best (the absence of leadership). But, in the right setting, with the right mix of staff and students, I’d pilot it for a semester.

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

Follow Sean Cain at www.Twitter.com/LYSNation

Pre-order your campus copies of "The Fundamental 5: The Formula for Quality Instruction" www.TheFundamentalFive.com

Attend the LYS presentations at TASSP and TASB in June