PowerWalks Hero School for the Year

For the past two years I have published a monthly PowerWalks Hero School list.  It is a list of campuses that conducted an exemplar number of classroom observations (based on the size of the school) for a given month.  The reason why this list is important it that it recognizes a campus that is committed to a path that supports teachers in the cueing of replacement practices, improves the problem solving capacity of the campus, and creates “game film” that improves the quality of coaching interactions.  In short, the hero schools aren’t talking about improving, they are working at improving.  The 67 schools listed below are the schools that earned their way on the list for the 2012-2013 school year. 

For those setting a goal for 2013-2014 school year.  The August, just getting school started, target for all schools is 15 observations.  Then in September we will get serious again.

Until then, to the Hero 67, congratulations, one and all!

Elementary Schools	Junior High and Middle Schools	Alternative Schools	Combined Campuses	High Schools
Dean-Highland ES (WISD) 10 Times	Tennyson MS (WISD) 8 Times	Afton Oaks (JWJPCS) 6 Times	Louise Schools (LISD) 9 Times	Waco HS (WISD) 7 Times
JH Hines ES (WISD) 10 Times		San Marcos (JWJPCS) 6 Times
	Tidehaven IS (TISD) 6 Times		Munday Secondary School (MISD)	Hutto HS (HISD) 6 Times
Bell’s Hill ES (WISD) 9 Times		Hays County (JWJPCS) 4 Times		University HS (WISD) 6 Times
Kendrick ES (WISD) 9 Times	Hutto MS (HISD) 4 Times
McFee ES (CFISD) 9 Times	Indian Spring MS (WISD) 4 Times	Garza County (JWJPCS) 2 Times		Tidehaven HS (TISD) 4 Times
South Waco ES (WISD) 9 Times	Tom Bean MS (TBISD) 4 Times	Granbury (JWJPCS) 2 Times
				Fairdale HS (JCS) 3 Times
Provident Heights (WISD) 8 Times	Big Spring MS (BSISD) 3 Times	Rockdale (JWJPCS)		Smithson Valley HS (CISD) 3 Times
	Chavez MS (WISD) 3 Times
Markham ES (TISD) 7 Times	Marlin MS (MISD) 3 Times			Kennedale HS (KISD) 2 Times
Ray ES (HISD) 7 Times
	Carver Academy (WISD)			Cocke County HS (CCPS)
Alta Vista ES (WISD) 6 Times	Dublin IS (DISD)			Hull-Daisetta HS (HDISD)
Cedar Ridge ES (WISD) 6 Times	Kerr MS (BISD)			Marlin HS (MISD)
Cottonwood Creek ES (HISD) 6 Times	Lake Jackson IS (BISD)			Mayde Creek HS (KISD)
Hutto ES (HISD) 6 Times				Minot HS (MPS)
Mountainview ES (WISD) 6 Times
West Ave ES (WISD) 6 Times
Bill Brown ES (CISD) 5 Times
Johnson ES (HISD) 5 Times
Blessing ES (TISD) 4 Times
Crestview ES (WISD) 4 Times
Frazier ES (CFISD) 4 Times
Rennell ES (CFISD) 4 Times
Startzville ES (CISD) 3 Times
Brooke Ave ES (WISD) 2 Times
Dublin ES (DISD) 2 Times
Specht ES (CISD) 2 Times
Bluebonnet Trails ES (MISD)
Bulverde ES (CISD)
Garden Ridge ES (CISD)
Hilcrest ES (WISD)
Indian Springs ES (CISD)
Johnson Ranch ES (CISD)
Marlin ES (MISD)
Morningside ES (CISD)
Oak Meadows ES (MISD)
Rebecca Creek ES (CISD)

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 
• Call Jo at (832) 477-LEAD to order your campus set of “Look at Me: A Cautionary School Leadership Tale” Individual copies available on Amazon.com!  http://tinyurl.com/lookatmebook 
• Now at the Apple App Store: Fun 5 Plans (Fundamental 5 Lesson Plan Tool); PW Lite (Basic PowerWalks Tool); PW Pro (Mid-level PowerWalks Tool) 
• Upcoming Presentations: The Fundamental 5 National Summit (Multiple Presentations); NASSP National Conference
• Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation  and like Lead Your School on Facebook

Top LYS Tweets From the Week of June 23, 2013

A number of you in the LYS Nation are now Twitter users.  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 June 23, 2013.

1. Congratulations to LYSer, Ron Roth! He is the new principal at Smithville High School. Who will be next? (By @LYSNation)

2. Congratulations to LYSer, Crystal Mueller! She is the new principal at Tomball Intermediate School. Who will be next? (By @LYSNation)

3. Another rule of thumb... Instructional Rigor does not always mean more "work." It's quality, not quantity! (By @scot_wright)

4. Why do Teachers take points off for late work? When you turn your lesson plans in late to Principal, does she take $5 off your check? (By @alicekeeler)

5. Really enjoyed The Fundamental 5 (book). Plan on using them as our school wide standard for quality instruction. (By @ronre)

6. It always amazes me that we expect kids to be well behaved and desire learning when we adults can be disrespectful and hate change. (By @Snowmanlearning)

7. Three-step solution to improved classroom management. 1. Improve the overall quality of instruction. 2. Don't be a jerk. 3. Don't exact revenge. (By @LYSNation)

8. Stop trying to figure out how to punish students into compliance and spend your energy on figuring out how to engage them with purpose. (By @justintarte)

9. If we as educators aren't in the business of providing hope for our students, then what's the point of what we are doing...? (By @justintarte)

10. Make sure you say more on your marquee this summer than “Have a great summer”. Share positive facts about campus. (By @lsitzes)

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 
• Call Jo at (832) 477-LEAD to order your campus set of “Look at Me: A Cautionary School Leadership Tale” Individual copies available on Amazon.com!  http://tinyurl.com/lookatmebook
• Now at the Apple App Store: Fun 5 Plans (Fundamental 5 Lesson Plan Tool); PW Lite (Basic PowerWalks Tool); PW Pro (Mid-level PowerWalks Tool)
• Upcoming Presentations: The Fundamental 5 National Summit (Multiple Presentations); NASSP National Conference
• Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation  and like Lead Your School on Facebook

An Assistant Superintendent Shares... Thanks to the Fundamental 5

A (brand new) LYS Assistant Superintendent shares the following:

SC,

Monday night I was promoted from Middle School Principal to Assistant Superintendent in my mid-sized 3-A district.  I implemented the Fundamental 5 at my campus this past year.  We sent a copy of the Fundamental 5 to every teacher on campus during the summer and we had the best inservice day I have ever witnessed.  My campus was focused.  I attribute many of the successes we had to the implementation of the Fundamental 5.  This implementation was (in my opinion) a major factor in my being viewed as an educational leader in my district. 

I appreciate good solid ideas that teachers can truly use. 

Thank you!

SC Response

Congratulations on the well deserved promotion.  The success of you and your campus is a testament to the fact that when you focus on the practices the leverage teacher effectiveness, students will respond accordingly and others will take notice. Now take what you now know district-wide.  And call if we can help.

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 
• Call Jo at (832) 477-LEAD to order your campus set of “Look at Me: A Cautionary School Leadership Tale” Individual copies available on Amazon.com!  http://tinyurl.com/lookatmebook 
• Now at the Apple App Store: Fun 5 Plans (Fundamental 5 Lesson Plan Tool); PW Lite (Basic PowerWalks Tool); PW Pro (Mid-level PowerWalks Tool) 
• Upcoming Presentations: The Fundamental 5 National Summit (Multiple Presentations); NASSP National Conference
• Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation  and like Lead Your School on Facebook

Sometimes It Pays to Play the Game

There are way too many educators celebrating because of the passage of HB5.  As if it changes something.  It does not.  Funding has not been restored to previous levels and nothing has changed on the testing front.  All the tests that are kicking schools in the teeth are still there.  The only tests that are going away are the tests that haven’t been administered yet.  So again, what has changed?

But at the high school level, WE are in a position to make significant changes to protect both our students and our campus.  All it requires is some simple tweaks to our master schedules.  Which of course means that 99% of the campuses and districts will not considerer this a viable solution.  An ongoing phenomenon that I attribute to one-dimensional thinking.  This, on the other hand, is three-dimensional thinking.

The HB5 High Performance Schedule

There are now five End of Course exams (seven, if you are not a politician crowing about your enlightened leadership): Algebra I, Biology, U.S. History, English I (reading and writing), and English II (reading and writing).  Now most schools consider Algebra I, Biology and English I to be freshman courses, U.S. History to be a freshman or sophomore course, and English II to be a sophomore course.  This means that the most fragile, least mature and least prepared students on a campus are taking tests that impact both their ability to graduate and the “performance” of the campus.  That is, unless the campus schedules proactively.  Here is how I would schedule my students.

Algebra I is now a sophomore course.  Geometry becomes the default freshman math course. If the Geometry course has some embedded Algebra I elements (hint), so much the better.  Now students who are more mature and have had an extra year of math instruction take the Algebra I EOC. 

Biology is now a junior course for the vast majority of my students.  Chemistry becomes the default freshman science course. IPC (Integrated Physics and Chemistry) becomes the default freshman science course. The sophomore science course now becomes an environmental science focused course. If the environmental science focused course has some embedded Biology elements (hint), so much the better.  Now students who are more mature and have had two extra years of science instruction take the Biology EOC. 

U.S. History is now a junior course for the vast majority of my students.  World Geography and World History become the default freshman and sophomore social studies courses. If the World Geography and World History courses has some embedded U.S. History elements (hint), so much the better.  Now students who are more mature and have had two extra years of social studies instruction take the U.S. History EOC. 

Now this is where you double down on proactive scheduling.  English courses are driven by PEIMS numbers, not the year the course is taken.  Meaning that English IV (British Literature), which is traditionally taken by seniors, can be taken at any time, by any student.  Which means now...

English I is a sophomore course and English II is a junior course.  Either English III or English IV becomes the default freshman course (let your English Department decide what is the best fit). If the English III or English IV course has some embedded English I elements (hint), so much the better.  Now students who are more mature and have had an extra year of English instruction take the English I EOC.  And two years of extra English instruction before taking the English II EOC.

What we know is that the more mature the student, the more motivated the student, and the longer the student has been exposed to good instruction, the more successful the student will be on accountability tests.  If you take this one step further and load your freshman classes with your absolute best teachers, your EOC performance problems will become significantly less severe and your students significantly more successful.  Where's the downside to that?

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 
• Call Jo at (832) 477-LEAD to order your campus set of “Look at Me: A Cautionary School Leadership Tale” Individual copies available on Amazon.com!  http://tinyurl.com/lookatmebook 
• Now at the Apple App Store: Fun 5 Plans (Fundamental 5 Lesson Plan Tool); PW Lite (Basic PowerWalks Tool); PW Pro (Mid-level PowerWalks Tool) 
• Upcoming Presentations: The Fundamental 5 National Summit (Multiple Presentations); NASSP National Conference 
• Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation  and like Lead Your School on Facebook

A Reader Writes... What Do You Really Think - Part 1

In response to the 3/19/2013 post, “What Do You Really Think,” a reader writes:

SC,

Yellow journalism is used to sway public opinion. When you use the term "loonies" to refer to people who object to CSCOPE, you are using an editorial devise to sway the reader. That immediately alerts the savvy reader that you have an underlying motive.

SC Response

Let’s get real. In no way should I ever be considered a journalist. I’m a practitioner that moderates an on-going conversation about the pursuit of school excellence.

Second, I have made exceeding clear that having questions, concerns and even objections to CSCOPE does not make one a Loony.  Heck, that makes you an informed consumer.  That is entirely different than arguing that CSCOPE is a Marxist Conspiracy, or part of a plot to create a New World Order, or that CSCOPE is stealing money from school districts (all actual claims).  That is Loony.  For those offended by that distinction, all I can offer is, “If the shoe fits...”

Third, if it takes anyone more than three sentences to realize that I have an opinion and an agenda, by definition, they are not a savvy reader. But just to make sure that my agenda is clear, here it is.

As educators, our job is to maximize opportunity for all students.  Not just the students that are easy to teach, or the students that I like, or the students that have parents who look and think like me.  All of them.  To not do so is state, community, district and campus sanctioned theft.

Those who let their self-interest get in the way of this, I have a problem with.  In the LYS Nation, we call each other on this, we work through this, and sometimes have to agree to disagree. For those who aren’t part of the LYS Nation, they’re not going to be reading for very long so I’m not losing any sleep worrying about how they feel.

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 
• Call Jo at (832) 477-LEAD to order your campus set of “Look at Me: A Cautionary School Leadership Tale” Individual copies available on Amazon.com!  http://tinyurl.com/lookatmebook 
• Now at the Apple App Store: Fun 5 Plans (Fundamental 5 Lesson Plan Tool); PW Lite (Basic PowerWalks Tool); PW Pro (Mid-level PowerWalks Tool) 
• Upcoming Presentations: The Fundamental 5 National Summit (Multiple Presentations); NASSP National Conference 
• Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation  and like Lead Your School on Facebook