Top LYS Tweets from the Week of February 12, 2012

This week, in the midst of conducting over fifty classroom observations (a normal occurrence), I realized something. There is a huge difference between traditional technology and bootleg technology. Traditional technology is expensive, intrusive and teacher–centric. Everyone gets expensive, but by intrusive I mean its use requires the subtraction of another activity (there are only so many minutes in the classroom). By teacher-centric I mean the teacher uses it, controls it, or manages nearly every aspect of student use. After all, the equipment and software is expensive and the activity better be useful because there is a lot of content for students to master in a very short amount of time.

Bootleg technology is convenient, embedded and user-centric. With bootleg technology the teacher doesn’t have specifically plan for its use. It’s just there, used as a resource during the course of teaching and learning. Don’t know a fact, look it up. Need to remember an assignment, put it on your e-to-do list. Your buddy is absent, text him the assignment and remind him to get to school, etc, etc. I am the consummate student. I observe, collect analyze and report. Only my classroom is just the entire school. And now 75% of my work is done on my phone. I observe and collect raw data with my phone. I take notes on my phone. I look at the aggregated and disaggregated results of my data collection on my phone. I think about what I saw, what I wrote and how it all fits together and write a summary/analysis report with full color charts and graphs on my computer. But then I put that report in a cloud server or e-mail it to myself. Then from my phone, I present and share that report with others. If while doing so, if I notice a typo in the report I can make my edits with my phone. Your students have access to this same tool in their lockers, backpacks, purses and pockets right now. They are using this tool everyday between the hours of 3:00pm and 8:00am. It behooves us to figure out how to get that tool academically focused between the hours of 8:00am and 3:00pm.

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 February 12, 2012, as tabulated by the accountants at Price Waterhouse.

1. Ms. Stewart (Cottonwood Creek ES) shifted rigor from knowledge to application at the snap of her finger with small group purposeful talk.

2. Best 1-hour session I've attended in a long time... Thanks Sean Cain, you’ve already spurred great conversation among our administrative team. (By tlonganecker)

3. Further proof that IQ is fluid: Research indicates that an additional year of school is equal to 3.7 points.

4. Its ironic when we claim that "relationship" is critical for school success, yet we talk to students like they're dogs throughout the day.

5. I propose a 5th R - Resiliency. The critical survival tool for all the kids that adults don't want to build relationships with.

6. To not close the lesson because you don't know to, is understandable. Because you choose not to, is inexcusable.

7. The problem with most plans is that the planner forgets that the World plays defense.

8. The teacher argument that the classroom is overcrowded rings hollow when 20-30% of floor space is devoted to teacher furniture.

9. Game On! Fever...catch it! (By @cheadhorn)

10. Anyone who claims to support job creation in Texas must support our public schools. Not Dem or Rep issue – it’s about the future of Texas plain and simple (By @SadlerTX)

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: Oklahoma Association of Middle School Principal’s Mid-Winter Conference; NASSP Conference; NASB Conference

Top LYS Tweets from the Week of February 5, 2012

I was recently talking to an assistant superintendent about the issues facing her district (which were many). During our conversation, she said something that I had to quickly address. In her assessment of the district, she felt that if there were more technology in the classroom the academic performance issues in the district would quickly be solved. She believed that the root of the district's ills could be found in the lack of student engagement and motivation. The cure - more computers. Instead of concurring (surprising from a Bootleg Technology advocate), I instead reminded her of the reality of the situation. The roots of the problem in the district are a haphazard use of a common scope and sequence, a weak common assessment program, unreliable classroom observation data, poor to non-existent leadership coaching, and low quality classroom instruction. In short - adult practice. Technology, bootleg or otherwise, is merely a tool that leverages adult practice to enhance student learning. I didn’t want to rain on the assistant superintendent’s parade, but the stakes are too high to lose focus on what is critical to student success.

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 February 5, 2012, as tabulated by the accountants at Price Waterhouse.

1. Working on helping my faculty understand any change in teacher behavior must occur before any meaningful change in student outcomes is seen. (By @blitzkrieg607)

2. If after reviewing your data you don't quit something, add something or do something different, why would you believe things will improve?

3. Game On! is Moneyball for schools! (By @CabidaCain)

4. The reason why you post a closing product is so when you close the lesson you have proof of learning. But first you have to close the lesson!

5. Practicing research-based instruction provides us a moral high ground that establishes teachers as respected professionals in the community. (By @tlonganecker)

6. Either improve front line instruction or find a program to replace it. But doing nothing as students fail is darn near negligence.

7. I'm always a little skeptical of the successful school model that has entrance requirements for students.

8. Texas School Funding Formula Inequity: Districts rated Exemplary $6,580 per WADA; Recognized $5,751; Acceptable $5,662; Unacceptable $5,538 (By @DrJerryRBurkett)

9. Teach to the depth and complexity of the SE not to the test. The one constant is that the curriculum has not changed. (By @DrJerryRBurkett)

10. Simple Rigor Gauge: If students are not deconstructing, building, talking academically or writing critically - Rigor is low.

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); Oklahoma Association of Middle School Principal’s Mid-Winter Conference; NASSP Conference; NASB Conference

A LYS (and Game On!) Principal Shares... The Cleaning Fairy

A LYS Principal shares a team memo from her Game On! campus. If you are new to the blog, the Game On! campuses are LYSers on steroids. Their performance is legendary. Now the memo:

The Cleaning Fairy made a few stops this weekend! I know you LOVE it when she comes for a visit :)

Just a few things to note before our visitors on Wednesday....

1. Check the corners of things on the wall.... all corners should be tacked down.

2. Check the anchor charts.... all charts should be level.

3. Check for Junky Corner Disease.... if you have corners that are beginning to look like a storage facility, clean them out.

4. Check the for THE PILE-UP...You know, those things that become "piles" in your room :)

The Cleaning Fairy will be stopping by daily... make her proud!

Bell's Battalion will RISE to the Challenge!

SC Response

If you think the focus on cleanliness and appearance is over the top, you should see how a Game On! campus attacks and devours performance data.

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: Oklahoma Association of Elementary School Principal’s Mid-Winter Conference; Region 16 ESC Leadership Academy (Keynote Address); NASSP Conference; NASB Conference

A Reader Asks... Modeling Examples

A LYS Teacher asks a question concerning my comments concerning schools that model expected behaviors:

SC,

I would love for you to share some examples of modeled student expectations you have seen and liked.

SC Response

This is a great time to answer this question. Here are a couple of examples that I observe every time I’m at a Game On! school or Estrada Academy.

1) Model the student dress code. If there is an expectation that students adhere to a dress standard, then one of the most powerful practices a staff can do is to model that expectation. First, this act says that the dress expectation is important. Second, this act says that the campus family is one, staff and students. But most importantly this act separates you from every other adult in the life of the student. This act says, “Do as I do,” instead of “Do as I say.”

2) Be prepared for every class. We have the expectation that students be completely prepared for every class, every day. We should model that. Which means when the bell rings, we start instructional activities right then.

3) Say “ma’am, sir, please and thank you” to students. If we want students to speak respectfully to us, and others, then we need to show them the same respect and make sure they are over-exposed to the language of respect. We have our students for eight hours a day. To overcome the toxic language of media and pop culture, as a staff we must speak with one, respectful voice.

4) Never yell, never threaten, and never be sarcastic to any student. But even more importantly, do not tolerate this from any adult on campus. Address it and support your peers on the rare occasions they have reached their breaking point.

5) Join your students at breakfast, lunch, and PE. Relationships are not built during the delivery of instruction. Relationships are built in the margins of academic activities. Students know that you care about your content area. What they don’t know is that you care about them. They find that out when you show up where you are not expected and engage with them.

What better time to begin these practices than at the start of school.

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

Doc Seabolt Clarifies... (Common Assessment Data Analysis - Part 3)

In response to the 4/22/2011 post, “Common Assessment Data Analysis – Part 2,” Doc Seabolt continues with:

When I say at first let kids choose their level of differentiation, the operative words are "at first." Combined with a concept like Game On, most kids will strive for more. However, if a student is observed consistently choosing below their ability level, the instructor must step in and make better decisions for the student. I recently saw a classroom doing TAKS review problems on fire with competition, and the instructor wasn't even trying to make the kids compete, they did it naturally. The good use of formative assessment and reinforcing effort and success immediately and energetically lit the students on fire. Of course the teacher leading the class is truly extraordinary, but any teacher can learn the techniques.

SC Response

Great clarification. Student failure, often the result of student choice, is the equivalent to the check engine light signal on a dashboard. Something needs attention and adjustment.

Anybody can deliver content. But the artistry in the classroom occurs when every students “chooses” to engage and strives for success. The more at-risk the student, the bigger the role of the teacher in that “choice” equation. Which is why you have to put your absolute best teachers in front of your most difficult students. To not do so places the comfort of adults ahead of the needs of students.

Making that particular staffing decision is one of the first critical steps in the transition from good principal to great principal. Survive it (yes, this does come with some risk) and the discussions and actions of the campus inherently become more student-centric. Avoid it and your campus is always leaving performance on the table. This idea is not unique. It mirrors the exemplar business practice of putting your best people in the areas with the most untapped potential. Which is a very profitable way to operate and continuously grow. If we simply viewed student results as “profits,” then a lot of our decision-making would be more cut and dried.

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

The First Day of the School Year and Horne Elementary

Ask a premier coach in any sport when the next season begins. His or her answer will be, “The day after this season ends.”

The staff Horne Elementary (a LYS and Game On school) understands this. The 2010/2011 school year that ended on Thursday, June 2, 2011 wasn’t to their liking. For this 1,100 student, Title I campus, Recognized left a bitter taste. The pictures I’m sharing with the LYS Nation are from the voluntary staff training and planning session held on Friday, June 2, 2011. These teachers reviewed and recommitted to implementing the Foundation Trinity and executing the Fundamental 5. Then they spent the rest of the day planning instruction for the first week of the 2011/2012 school year. Knowing that next year will be tougher due to increased class sizes, a more rigorous accountability test and decreased district support, the Horne staff is starting right now in their quest to be one of the top schools in Texas. Follow their lead and when you hear someone spouts off about “fat-cat, lazy teachers” getting a summer vacation just forward them these pictures.

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

Louise ISD is searching for a Superintendent. Application details at www.LeadYourSchool.com

Follow Sean Cain on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation

Upcoming Event / Presentation Schedule

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

June 15 thru June 17 - TASSP Conference

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

June 16 (TASSP) – Book Release Event for “The Fundamental 5”

June 18 - TASB Conference, Fort Worth

Top LYS Tweets from the Week of May 1, 2011

I regularly have educators tell me that they want me to advocate for their district to provide them with cell phones, laptops and now I-Pads. And I always respond by telling them I can think of no idea that could be more career damaging. Not to my career, but to theirs. For years I have been explaining to educators that they need to use their own e-mail accounts, their own computers and their own cell phones. This is not because I don’t trust educators. This is because if you use district issued accounts and equipment, everything that you do becomes public information. And out of context, everything you receive and send will be used against you, if someone has an axe to grind. And right now, there are a lot of nut jobs out there with a perceived axe to grind. So understand, when I advocate the use of bootleg technology (cell phones, tablets, notebook computers, etc.) I want you to use your own equipment. Yes, I understand there is a personal cost involved, but think of it as a personal insurance policy as you become more integrated in the digital age.

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 May 1, 2011, as tabulated by the accountants at Price Waterhouse.

1. I’m holding the final printer's proof of "The Fundamental 5: The Formula for Quality Instruction" in my hands. Book available for all in 2 weeks

2. Congratulations to LYS (and Game On!) assistant principal Jae Simpson- Butler. She is the new principal at Hemmingway Elementary!

3. Tonite's run thought: Great schools understand that May is the first month of the Fall semester.

4. Tonite's run thought: Elite LYS campus leaders conduct over 600 documented classroom observations a year. What's your number?

5. I’m at a large (1,000+ students) Title 1 LYS school. This year they have averaged less than 1 office referral a day. The power of Foundation Trinity & the Fundamental Five!

6. I’m at a LYS school (Austin Elementary) - initial TAKS scores increased 5 points in both math & reading. Plus, they had a 5-point increase in commended rates. (P.S. – They were Exemplary in 2010)

7. Morning meeting with teachers worried about increasing class size. They asked for solution, but didn't like my answer - Vote against republican incumbents (since they vote against us).

8. One explanation for the current quality of our political leaders: Less than 25% of 12^th graders scored "proficient" on the civics section of the NAEP.

9. The mission of a LYS Elementary School: McFee guarantees a solid academic and social foundation to inspire individuals to achieve their true potential.

10. Worried that parents won't support bootleg technology? Don't be. The Speak Up Report found that 67% of parents would buy a device for their child, if school use was allowed.

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

Upcoming Presentation Schedule

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; Tech Tools for the 2.0 Principal

June 17 (TASSP) - PowerWalks

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

The Awesome Work of a LYS Assistant Principal

Check out the great video that LYS Assistant Principal (and former LYS and Game On! Teacher) Kenneth Henry made with the students on his campus Holmsley Elementary. Make sure you check out the end credits. If you aren't pumped up (and choked up) by the end of the video, then at the very least you need a vacation.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLT8Wj3aKi0

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

Follow Sean Cain on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation

Coming Soon - "The Fundamental Five: The Formula for Quality Instruction" www.TheFundamentalFive.com

A Reader Writes... (Game On! Schools - Part 5)

In response to the 12/7/2010 post, “Game On! Schools – Part 3,” a reader writes:

I am all for a little competition, but this sounds just a little aggressive. I would like to know how Game On schools manage their time, and of the entire day what part of their time is most valuable to them or that they manage better than any other time? What is their secret to being so successful?

SC Response

Yes, the Game On! schools and staff are aggressive. They are aggressively chasing down excellence. Excellence defined terms of student and campus performance. Part of this chase does involve managing time. The simple version of this is that the Game On! schools work on the things that matter and quit working on the things that do not matter. That is how you effectively mange time. Your “To Do” list becomes more focused and your “Do Not Do” list becomes increasingly expansive.

At a Game On! school, what is most valuable? Teaching, learning, and measurable performance. What is least valuable? Anything that gets in the way of teaching, learning and measurable performance.

So what is the secret? The Game On! schools operate a structured PLC system that, to use a Good To Great metaphor, constantly rinses the cottage cheese. That system and the insights that it forces staff to develop, drive student performance beyond what can be expected in traditional settings. If you are interested in implementing Game On! on your campus, send me an e-mail.

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

Follow Sean Cain on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation

Attend the LYS Presentation at the National Conference on Education

Attend the LYS Presentation at the TASB Winter Legal Conference

Visit the LYS Booth at the NASSP Conference

Attend the LYS Presentation at the Texas Middle School Conference

A Reader Writes... (Game On! Schools Write - Part 4)

In response to the 11/28/2010 post, “Game On! Schools Write – Part 2,” an assistant principal writes:

I agree with teamwork, 100%. But, I have a question. What if you are designated as a change agent for your school’s vision and your Principal is no longer willing to support the change as originally agreed to? How can you continue to implement change without involving him or her directly? If you make it appear as if it is her idea how do you eventually get the credit you deserve and need to show that you nurtured the change and made it a reality? Teamwork?

SC Response

The idea of change is much more pleasant than the work of change. There are many “leaders” who talk a good game, but have neither the courage nor conviction to walk the walk. If you find yourself working for such a person, your options are limited. You can revert back to the status quo, knowing that there are students that will be underserved (I never mastered this). You can focus on making your sphere of influence better off and ignore those areas where you have no authority (I’ve done this). You can find a better leader to work for (I’ve done this). You can damn the torpedoes and charge ahead at full speed. Do know this option is job, and possibly career suicide. I’ve done this and there are repercussions, so you had best be successful.

In general, my advice is that you have to manage up as much as you manage down. If you have a skittish boss, paint the picture of the benefits and keep providing progress updates. Let your boss know well in advance if you have hit any speed bumps and what you have done to address the situation. And if the boss tells you, “No,” “no” remains the answer until you find a new solution or a new boss.

As for credit, I don’t have a good answer. Things are either better or they are not. If my kids do better than yours, I’ll show you how I did it. If your kids did better than mine, I’ll outwork you until I rectify that situation. I’m always searching for answers; credit, though nice, has rarely been part of my motivation equation.

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

Follow Sean Cain on Twitter@LYSNation

Attend the LYS Presentation at the National Conference on Education

Attend the LYS Presentation at the TASB Winter Legal Conference

Visit the LYS Booth at the NASSP Conference

Attend the LYS Presentation at the Texas Middle School Association Conference

The Power of Healthy Competition

This weekend, one of the LYS Game On! schools sent me a motivational video that a head coach made for her team. The short version of Game On! is that every component of student performance is measured and embedded into a school-wide game. In this case, one team had been coming up short in number of games in the area school pride. Hence the video.

*Note: I tried to attach the video to this post, but the file is too large. Needless to say, it is really funny.

Did it work?

After sharing the video, in just one week Ms. Roberson's team increased their spirit shirt participation by 22%, up to 91% (the other team had a 13% increase to 88%). And her 5th grade (the too cool for school kids) participation rate jumped from 49% to 96%.

And after two loses in a row, the dramatic increase in school pride was just enough for the Rockstars to eke out a victory!

What are you doing to get better today, and how many people are actually paying attention?

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

Visit the LYS Booth at the TASA Mid-Winter Conference

Hear the LYS presentation at the National Conference on Education

Visit the LYS Booth at the NASSP Conference

Have a Safe and Happy Holiday

To the LYS Nation,

Half of the school year is in the books. Time flies when you are having fun. Now is the time to enjoy some time with family and loved ones and recharge our batteries so we start the second semester at full speed. I wish everyone a joyous holiday season and the blog will return on January 3, 2011. Be safe, because we have a lot to discuss next year, starting with the second wave of “I Know the Hours are Long” comments. I leave you with a comment from Cynthia, a relatively new member of the LYS Nation and a prolific writer.

As a participant in this blog, I would like to say thank you for the invitation to comment and write in. I would also like to say thank you for taking the initiative to keep the light at the end of the tunnel lit with knowledge. I would also like to say to all who read my comment have a safe and joyous new Year - until 2011 - peace, immersion (my new word) and "Game On!"

Think. Rest. Be Merry.

Your turn...

A Reader Writes... (Game On! Schools - Part 3)

In response to the 11/28/2010 post, “Game On! Schools Write – Part 2,” a reader writes:

OK. I'm convinced!! I've been reading about Game On! for a few weeks and I really want to know more about it. My campus is very poised for this type of PLC push. Where can I find out more about the details of Game On! so that I can begin with my students and teachers? We are ready...

SC Response

I appreciate your enthusiasm, but as any Game On! school will tell you, thinking you are ready and actually being ready are two different things. There are some specific campus and staff practices that need to be in place prior to implementation.

Partially because Game On! is proprietary, but mostly because bootleg versions of Game On! fail more often than they succeed, we limit the amount of information we release publicly. However, for anyone interested (including the writer who submitted this comment), you can call the LYS office at (832) 477-LEAD or send in another comment that includes your contact information.

Here’s what everyone needs to know about Game On!

1. All things being equal, LYS schools outwork their peers.

2. All things being equal, LYS schools outperform their peers.

3. All things being equal, Game On! schools outwork LYS schools.

4. All things being equal, Game On! schools outperform LYS schools.

5. Game On! is not a game. It is a campus wide commitment to work with urgency, reflection and transparency.

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

Game On! School Write - Part 2

In response to the post "The LYS Nation in the News,” on 11/4/2010, Dr. Stephen Wurtz writes:

Game On! is an incredible system designed by Sean Cain and the Lead Your School organization. I love the systematic approach to increasing student academic achievement while fostering character development and person responsibility.

Game On! has helped to foster a truly transparent environment where everyone understands their role on the team and how that role impacts the group as a whole. It has made a real difference in streamlining hard working teachers so that everyone's efforts are pointed in the same direction... toward achieving our school mission! I highly recommend it!!

SC Response

Thanks for the kind words and you know that everyone on our side couldn’t be more excited for you and your kids! Your success makes it easier for other schools to embrace the changes that will benefit their students.

On an unrelated note, don’t forget if you are attending the Texas Charter School Conference on Tuesday, November 29, 2010, look me up. At 3:45 pm, I’ll be presenting on the first steps of school improvement. The session title is, “Broke to Better.”

You can also catch me on the TEPSA Webinar on Wednesday, November 30, 2010 at 11:00 AM (central time). The topic, “Effective Working Relationships: A Primer for Principals and Assistant Principals”

Follow the link below for more information.

http://www.tepsa.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=282

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

Some Game On! Schools Write - Part 1

In response to the newspaper article and video on the Game On! school (11/4/2010), the principals of some other Game On! schools write:

LYS Principal #1:

I just saw the video on Game On! with Wurtz. That is so cool. Congrats to the school and LYS.

LYS Principal #2

OMG - I am soooo excited. I am going to get the teachers to show this to all of our kids this so that they can see how HAIRGROVE STUDENTS changed another school all the way in Dallas. It will be a great motivator for them, too. The school and LYS should be so proud!!!

LYS Principal #3

Very cool! It is exciting to see Game On! taking off across the country. I can't wait for you come out again to see what we are doing at Rennell. Game On! is alive and well in Cypress-Fairbanks!

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

Game On! video clip

Above is a TV segment on the success of Game On! at an elementary school in Irving, Texas.

How's that for excitement?

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

The LYS Nation in the News

Click on the link below. It is about a newspaper article reporting on a LYS principal and the success he has had at his school since he took over.

http://neighborsgo.com/stories/61573

And yes, Game On! is pure LYS. Beware of bootleg versions and contact us if you are interested.

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

A Reader Writes... (Game On! - Part 2)

In response to the posts referencing “Game On!” a reader asks:

“What is Game On?”

SC Response
Game On is the LYS professional learning community on steroids. It structures the entire campus in a way to motivate students to work hard every day and provide the staff an opportunity to conduct continuous action research. This entire structure is disguised as a game. Think of Disney World, the kids are fully engaged in the task at hand, while behind the scenes every “magical moment” is entirely purposeful. Game On teachers simply work differently than their peers, but it isn’t like flipping a switch. Instead of “walking the walk,” Game On teachers are “running the run.”

And Game On works like nothing else: Here’s just a small sample of what the Game On Campuses achieved this year.

Houston - A dead school walking, two years ago it was announced that this Title I school would be closed at the end of this year (a freeway was built 100 yards from the campus). They are closing the door as Recognized (without TPM).

Austin – This Title I school, with a rookie late hire principal and a rookie late hire AP, is Exemplary for the first time.

McFee – This Title I school with the reputation of having some of the toughest students in its district is solid Recognized (without TPM).

Lee – This Title I school is Exemplary for the first time (without TPM).

Hairgrove – This Title I school (second poorest out of over 50 campuses in its district) has scores in the top 5 in its district. It too is Exemplary (without TPM).

If you are interested in Game On for your campus, just send me an e-mail and I’ll get back to you, but for now I’ll close with a Game On! Principal quote, “If we got our rating due to TPM, we wouldn’t give it back, but we would put an asterisk next to it.”

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

A Reader Writes... (Game On!)

In response to the post, “Game On!” another LYS and Game On! Principal writes:

"Thanks for sharing this awesome story! I read it over the announcements this morning and am getting incredible feedback. Game On! works if you are willing to work it yourself. Kudos to you and your staff for being brave and courageous!!"

SC Response
You hit the nail on the head. Brave and courageous are critical character traits of the Game On! school. You have to set aside ego, self interest, and fear, and fully engage in transparent, professional accountability and dialogue. Which why everyone can’t do it, and the first year is so tough. But with great adversity and great effort, comes great reward. As your school is now proving year in and year out.

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

A Reader Shares... Game On!

A LYS (and first year Game On!) Principal shares the following:

Sean,

One of my initially skeptical teachers shared the following with me this week.

“Partly because I'm the one who spoke up about negative feelings about Game On, I wanted to share something a student said today. After taking a district math quiz, one student found out that another had passed, and he exclaimed, "Way to go! You helped the team!"

I couldn't have been more floored or more proud. FINALLY, here right at the end, some are starting to get it. So now I've decided to do away with the words pass or fail... instead we will be described as helping the team or not helping the team.”

I responded, “I can't tell you how much I appreciate you telling me about this. What a great way to prove one of the key elements behind the whole Game On philosophy! This has certainly been a year of learning for ALL of us -- and it is so affirming to see that the kids are getting it. Now, we can use this type of momentum to go into next year, making even more progress. It is teachers like you who will really make the difference.”

Just thought you might want to know.

SC Response
Darn right I wanted to know. I have visited over 30 campuses this month. And they divide into two distinct groups. The large group consists of campuses where the staff is counting the days for school to end and is about to crash and burn from stress. We’ll call these campuses the self imposed victims of fate, otherwise known as non Game On! campuses.

The much smaller group of campuses have staff that are still running at full speed, working with motivated students and striving to teach and learn more before they run out of days. These campuses are disappointed that the year is coming to a close because they can sense that they are close to accomplishing something special. We’ll call these campuses the self-aware masters of their own destiny, otherwise known as Game On! campuses. The difference is as distinct as night and day.

However, as you are well aware Game On! isn’t’ for everybody. It takes one to two years of prep work just to get a campus to the point of tackling the semester of Hell that is the beginnings of Game On! Because Game On! is a pure, action oriented professional learning community. And as you have seen, though everyone talks about PLC’s, walking the walk is an entirely different matter.

So congratulations to you, your staff, and your students. It takes the first year to learn the system and see the initial results, which are career changing. From this point on, your campus is blazing a new trail into unchartered territory.

Hoo Rah!

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...