A Reader Writes... Assessment vs. Benchmark - Part 2

In response to the 11/17/2011 post, “Assessment vs. Benchmark – Part 1,” a reader writes:

SC,

One year on my grade level, in my content, we spent 25 instructional days (out of a total of 172) on district and state tests. It is a shame that the time for instruction is wasted. Any competent teacher is assessing all day long and can tell which student needs what. I wonder what would happen in classrooms if the district and administration would back off and let teachers teach. Especially, if the teachers would receive a significant monetary bonus for improved scores.

SC Response

I agree that we spend entirely too much time testing. And this is from the guy that advocates for the use of short-term common assessments. Every district and campus needs a testing calendar, and for a test to have a slot, the test must provide relevant and timely information that informs and improves decision making. Sadly, the aligned and integrated testing calendar is about as common as unicorn sightings. Outside of a handful of LYS campuses, I have not come across one.

As for bonuses for improved scores, that’s a whole other discussion. One that I will tackle in an upcoming blog post. As with most every simple idea, the execution is anything but...

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

Top LYS Tweets from the Week of October 9, 2011

The latest roadblocks I have heard in regards to the use of bootleg technology in classrooms are variations of, “Well, not every student has a device,” and “We don’t want to be unfair or make kids feel bad.”

When I hear comments like that, I know why the school is struggling. Those comments are indicators of no problem solving desire and no courage to separate from the herd.

Not every student has a graphing calculator, but schools compensate. Not every student can afford lunch, but schools compensate. Not every student has a private ride to school, but schools compensate. And not every student has an involved parent, but schools compensate. The whole idea behind the use of bootleg technology is to better adapt and compensate.

Every student does not have a device? You let students share and collaborate. Every student does not have a device? You let the students who have their own device use it and let the students who do not use the school equipment. Every student does not have a device? You purchase a few and let students check them out for longer projects. We issue textbooks and let students check out books from the library (many of which are now more expensive than bootleg technology) but somehow we think a technology device is different?

As with any implementation of new practice, there are roadblocks to overcome. But in the case of bootleg technology, 98% of the roadblocks are of our own making.

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 October 9, 2011, as tabulated by the accountants at Price Waterhouse.

1. @LYSNation, First campus conversation over Fundamental 5 today. Encouraged by feedback. Know there is some reluctance among teachers. (By – @Blitzkrieg607)

2. @blitzkrieg607, You can get through that by setting a reasonable implementation expectation and then monitor and support. What also helps, use PowerWalks and you can create campus, team and individual Fundamental 5 reports.

3. @blitzkrieg607, Don't forget that teachers still have to follow the scope & sequence. Teaching the wrong thing better doesn't improve student performance.

4. Improvement initiatives without goals and timelines allow "hard" work by adults to be the rubric of success. Not an optimal solution for kids.

5. A redesign plan that requires AUTOMATIC removal of campus staff should also include removal of central office staff. Leadership does matter.

6. Run Thought: The solutions developed for early adopters are rarely appreciated by the laggards.

7. The idea that you need to have "buy in" to improve a school means that under serving students is an acceptable course of action.

8. If more than 50% of a group earns the "merit" bonus, it sounds like merely meeting expectations is meritorious.

9. Did you register to vote in the November election? As a reminder, every republican in Austin voted against education.

10. My 76-year old mother-in-law just sent me an article on bootleg technology. By regular mail.

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

Attend the LYS presentations at the Texas School Improvement Conference on 10/27/11

• Improve Now – 8:00am
• The Fundamental Five – 9:45am
• You Can’t Fix What You Can’t See – 10:15am

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

Confirmed 2012 Presentations: NASSP Conference; NASB Conference

Top LYS Tweets from the Week of July 17, 2011

So you have been thinking, “This Bootleg Technology idea sounds intriguing, but why should I go through all the hassle when I have so many other things on my plate this year, such as accountability, budget, and staff reductions?”

Why? Because bootleg technology addresses all three of those issues and more. As it relates to accountability, bootleg technology puts a powerful and accessible instructional resource into the hands of almost every student. Raising the rigor of instruction to the levels of analysis, synthesis and evaluation is all about student product. The product is better when the quality of the raw materials is better.

In regards to budget, what’s cheaper? Buying another cart full of laptops or letting your students reach into their backpacks and pull out their phones, I-pods and I-pads (which are already there)? And if you had to hazard a guess, which technology device do you think the students will take better care of, yours or theirs?

In regards to staff reductions, consider this. When you had a computer lab teacher, every student didn’t use the lab, every period. Now that you don’t, how often do you think the lab will be used? But with bootleg technology, every student, in every class has the opportunity to embed technology use in the assigned instructional activity. My question is in today’s educational environment, how are you not already all over this?

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 July 17, 2011, as tabulated by the accountants at Price Waterhouse.

1. Congratulations to LYS Principal, Dr. Michael Seabolt. He will be the new Superintendent for Louise ISD! Who will be next?

2. Let's quit calling the anti-public school faction, "Reformers." Let's call them, "Dismantlers." It is more honest and better frames the debate.

3. Joe Strauss, Texas Speaker of the House, represents property rich Alamo Heights ISD. They don’t have to make cuts... that explains a lot. (By Cheadhorn)

4. Second day of Manor ISD elementary teachers (60+ volunteers) outlining curriculum scope and creating assessment items! What are you doing to prepare?

5. Tonight’s Run Thought: Change is an exponential function of getting X number of personal agendas moving in the same purposeful direction.

6. When it comes to Principals selecting staff, I follow the Bill Parcels’ rule: If you are accountable for the cooking, you get to buy the groceries.

7. How can a teacher performance bonus plan not impact student scores? What were they paying the bonuses for? Political posturing?

8. Just received notice that LYS will present at the Texas School Improvement Conference on Oct 26 & 27. Topic: The Foundation for Improvement

9. Just received notice of a second LYS Presentation at the Texas School Improvement Conference on Oct 26 & 27. Topic: PowerWalks

10. Just received notice that LYS will do a third presentation at the Texas School Improvement Conference on Oct. 26 & 27. Topic: The Fundamental 5

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

Top LYS Tweets from the Week of July 10, 2011

Three things to think about as you consider allowing the use of bootleg technology on your campus. First, it is already occurring, both by adults and students. The system is just forcing the early adopters to hide their knowledge and expertise. Second, you need to review and revise campus and district policy in order to turn your early adopters from scofflaws into trailblazers, tutors and mentors. Finally, you need to be prepared to beef up your Wi-Fi access and ensure campus-wide coverage. You may think that what you currently have will suffice, but once everybody is trying to access the system, you will immediately notice the effect of limited bandwidth. The good news is that the fix is less expensive than buying new computers or hardwiring classrooms for more internet connections.

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 July 10, 2011, as tabulated by the accountants at Price Waterhouse.

1. Just read "The Fundamental 5" today. Very informative, enlightening book. Look forward to bringing the knowledge to my faculty. (By blitzkrieg 607)

2. Options instead of "test prep." 1 - Teach the scope and sequence. 2 - Embed more reading. 3 - Embed more writing. 4 - Embed more discussion.

3. I'm ok with the idea of paying teachers for exceptional performance. But wouldn't that require at least adequate school funding?

4. I would have no problem with merit pay if it were based on the performance of at-risk students. Having all of my affluent students pass isn't extraordinary.

5. So my at-risk merit pay plan idea isn't fair to GT & AP teachers? Sure it is. They just have to teach a section of at-risk students.

6. So my at-risk merit pay plan isn't fair to teachers at schools with no at-risk students? Sure it is. Just change schools. Less risk = less reward.

7. I find it funny that our Governor and Legislators easily break their commitment to students and schools, but not to the testing companies.

8. I would like for politicians to define the level of performance expected for the level of investment. That is fair.

9. The problem is that they (politicians) won't do that. Because, it (school performance and funding) is not about value. It is about opportunism (on both sides) and greed.

10. You could have a no cost 1 to 1 technology environment on the first day of class if you allowed students to bring and use their smart phones and tablets.

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

Improving America's Schools - Letter 1, Part 1 (Performance Pay)

The following post is based on thoughts related to:

Letters to the Editor that the NY Times has recently received concerning public schools. The link is: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/17/opinion/l17educ.html?emc=eta1


Jacqueline Ancess writes, “In education, research on performance pay shows no substantive gains in student achievement, and all Mr. Obama’s policy will do is reinforce the ill-conceived notion that low-level standardized tests are a valid measure of student achievement. Instead, pay teachers a salary that signals teaching as a profession.”

The above comment has three areas that I want to address, performance pay, measuring student achievement, and professional pay. First, I will discuss performance pay.

When I was a teacher and young administrator I was a proponent and vocal advocate for individual performance pay for teachers. I believed that if my students outperformed your students that I should be paid more. Especially since as a rookie, and the lowest paid teacher on the campus, my students were some of the highest performers on the campus. Then the district I was working for at the time created a pilot program where campuses could create their own incentive programs and my campus choose to participate. We created a very objective and complicated system that rewarded teachers for individualized performance. The program was a smashing success and a dismal failure. It was a success for me personally, because as a big fish in a small pond, I gobbled up most of the incentive pay. It was a failure for the system because overall, campus performance did not change. And here is the reason why, individualized incentive plans create a disincentive to assist your peers. The bigger the financial prize for the individual, the bigger the disincentive to assist the group. So on the whole, I can not disagree with the research that Ms. Ancess references.

Unless…

Performance programs will move the needle on student performance when they are team based. That means that in order to earn the reward, the entire team has to be successful. When this occurs both individual and organizational goals align. If I want to earn the incentive then I have to help and support my peers. To do anything less jeopardizes my potential income. This is the same concept as playoff money in professional sports. Individual salaries may differ, but if the team makes the playoffs everyone gets an equal share of the reward.

My closing comment on performance plans is to point out that incentive plans are not a replacement for leadership. A campus with no plan and great leadership will outperform a campus with a great plan and poor leadership every time.

In my next posts I will discuss measuring student achievement and professional pay.

T.W.A. – Your turn…