T-TESS Alignment to The Foundation Trinity

Texas is rolling out the new Texas Teacher Evaluation and Support System (T-TESS) for teacher summative evaluations.  This has set off some concern about the need for teachers to change what they are doing and a number of educators have asked me that very question.  The answer is, “It depends.”

Teachers who infrequently implement known best instructional practices do need to change what they are doing. But not because of T-TESS, but because it is the right thing to do.  Teachers working to increase their usage of known best instructional practice will be just fine. 

Specifically, campuses that are working to better implement The Foundation Trinity have positioned their teachers to be ahead of the curve in meeting and exceeding T-TESS standards.  As proof, and to alleviate the stress being felt by some educators, I share the following abridged T-TESS / Foundation Trinity Alignment Summary. 

§149.1001. Teacher Standards

Purpose. The standards identified in this section are performance standards to be used to inform the training, appraisal, and professional development of teachers.

Standard 1: Instructional Planning and Delivery
Teachers demonstrate their understanding of instructional planning and delivery by providing standards-based, data-driven, differentiated instruction that engages students, makes appropriate use of technology, and makes learning relevant for today's learners.

T-TESS Alignment to The Foundation Trinity (Infrastructure & Tools)
Common Scope & Sequence	X
Short-cycle Common Assessments	X
High-volume Formative Classroom Observation
T-TESS Alignment to The Foundation Trinity (Critical Linking Practice)
Teacher Craft	X
Data Analysis & Adjustment	X
Leadership & Coaching

Standard 2: Knowledge of Students and Student Learning
Teachers work to ensure high levels of learning, social-emotional development, and achievement outcomes for all students, taking into consideration each student's educational and developmental backgrounds and focusing on each student's needs.

T-TESS Alignment to The Foundation Trinity (Infrastructure & Tools)
Common Scope & Sequence	X
Short-cycle Common Assessments	X
High-volume Formative Classroom Observation
T-TESS Alignment to The Foundation Trinity (Critical Linking Practice)
Teacher Craft	X
Data Analysis & Adjustment	X
Leadership & Coaching

Standard 3: Content Knowledge and Expertise
Teachers exhibit a comprehensive understanding of their content, discipline, and related pedagogy as demonstrated through the quality of the design and execution of lessons and their ability to match objectives and activities to relevant state standards.

T-TESS Alignment to The Foundation Trinity (Infrastructure & Tools)
Common Scope & Sequence	X
Short-cycle Common Assessments	X
High-volume Formative Classroom Observation
T-TESS Alignment to The Foundation Trinity (Critical Linking Practice)
Teacher Craft	X
Data Analysis & Adjustment	X
Leadership & Coaching

Standard 4: Learning Environment
Teachers interact with students in respectful ways at all times, maintaining a physically and emotionally safe, supportive learning environment that is characterized by efficient and effective routines, clear expectations for student behavior, and organization that maximizes student learning.

T-TESS Alignment to The Foundation Trinity (Infrastructure & Tools)
Common Scope & Sequence	X
Short-cycle Common Assessments	X
High-volume Formative Classroom Observation
T-TESS Alignment to The Foundation Trinity (Critical Linking Practice)
Teacher Craft	X
Data Analysis & Adjustment	X
Leadership & Coaching

Standard 5: Data-Driven Practice
Teachers use formal and informal methods to assess student growth aligned to instructional goals and course objectives and regularly review and analyze multiple sources of data to measure student progress and adjust instructional strategies and content delivery as needed.

T-TESS Alignment to The Foundation Trinity (Infrastructure & Tools)
Common Scope & Sequence	X
Short-cycle Common Assessments	X
High-volume Formative Classroom Observation
T-TESS Alignment to The Foundation Trinity (Critical Linking Practice)
Teacher Craft	X
Data Analysis & Adjustment	X
Leadership & Coaching

Standard 6: Professional Practices and Responsibilities
Teachers consistently hold themselves to a high standard for individual development, pursue leadership opportunities, collaborate with other educational professionals, communicate regularly with stakeholders, maintain professional relationships, comply with all campus and school district policies, and conduct themselves ethically and with integrity.

T-TESS Alignment to The Foundation Trinity (Infrastructure & Tools)
Common Scope & Sequence	X
Short-cycle Common Assessments	X
High-volume Formative Classroom Observation	X
T-TESS Alignment to The Foundation Trinity (Critical Linking Practice)
Teacher Craft	X
Data Analysis & Adjustment	X
Leadership & Coaching	X

For those who want the entire document, contact Jo, at the LYS office.

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 
• Now at the Apple App Store: Fun 5 Timer (Fundamental 5 Delivery Tool); PowerWalks CLC (Networked Formative Observation Tool) 
• Upcoming Presentations: Texas Elementary Principals and Supervisors Association Fall AP Conference, The Fundamental 5 National Summit (Multiple Presentations); American Association of School Administrators Conference; National Association of Secondary School Principals Conference (Multiple Presentations) 
• Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation  and like Lead Your School on Facebook

Top LYS Posts From the Week of September 20, 2015

If you are not following @LYSNation on Twitter, then you missed the Top 10 LYS Tweets from the week of September 20, 2015 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 our single greatest wealth-generating, wealth-distributing, social justice provision. (By @pastors4txkids)

2. You can't treat everyone the same and be fair. Each student needs what helps him or her, and every student is different. Fair is not equal. (By @PrincipalFHS)

3. Why do we think we can teach children to read by talking to them and not requiring them to actually read? (By @tra_hall)

4. Trying to improve grading practices is similar to convincing someone to disconnect from the Matrix. (By @TroyMooney)

5. When school leaders are in classrooms... PowerWalking...they are in their Power Zone!!!   Lead from the Zone! (By @amyjeanblan)

6. Lean into the discomfort. (By @blitzkrieg607)

7. Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishments. (By @CoachKWisdom)

8. Hope is not a research-based intervention. (By @vhsaldana)

9. Excited to share that I will present multiple times at the NASSP Conference in March!! (By @LYSNation)

10. 75,000! That's how many copies of The Fundamental 5 (Cain & Laird) that have now been officially sold!! Thank you, LYS Nation!!! (By @LYSNation)

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 
• Now at the Apple App Store: Fun 5 Timer (Fundamental 5 Delivery Tool); PowerWalks CLC (Networked Formative Observation Tool) 
• Upcoming Presentations: Texas Elementary Principals and Supervisors Association Fall AP Conference, The Fundamental 5 National Summit (Multiple Presentations); American Association of School Administrators Conference; National Association of Secondary School Principals Conference (Multiple Presentations) 
• Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation  and like Lead Your School on Facebook

The Fundamental 5 Summit - Reserve Your Room Now!

The 3rd Annual Fundamental 5 Summit

Austin, Texas

November 8 and 9, 2015

All Grades - All States

REGISTRATION AND HOUSING NOW OPEN

Seven Keys to Improving Student Discipline

It is not unusual for a campus to focus on improving student discipline.  If this is to be a priority on your campus this year make sure that your campus discipline improvement plan addresses these seven keys.

1. Recognize that adult practice drives student performance.  If your plan doesn’t address proactive adult practices, then you are really addressing symptoms not causes.

2. Reduce student movement. Most student discipline issues occur either during or immediately after transitions.  If you can reduce the frequency of transitions, the duration of the transitions, and the distance of the transitions, discipline issues will also decrease.

3. Improve adult supervision.  Students are smart. Misbehavior occurs most frequently when adults are not paying attention or are absent from an area.  Much like adults are more apt to speed when they haven’t seen a traffic cop in a while.

4. Post and follow daily schedules and routines.  Predictability creates stability in student behavior.

5. Teach bell to bell.  When we don’t have something to occupy our student’s time, they will fill the void.  And there is a good chance that the teacher will not appreciate their self-selected activity.

6. Improve first line instruction.  When students are frustrated academically, their behavior suffers. 

7. Model everything.  The most powerful form of teaching is modeling.  If you are not willing to model the behavior then it is hypocritical to expect students to perform the behavior.

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 
• Now at the Apple App Store: Fun 5 Timer (Fundamental 5 Delivery Tool); PowerWalks CLC (Networked Formative Observation Tool) 
• Upcoming Presentations: Texas Elementary Principals and Supervisors Association Fall AP Conference, The Fundamental 5 National Summit (Multiple Presentations); American Association of School Administrators Conference; National Association of Secondary School Principals Conference (Multiple Presentations) 
• Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation  and like Lead Your School on Facebook

A Superintendent Writes... PowerWalks and the Redesign Campus

A LYS Superintendent shares the following:

LYS Nation,

I have always agreed with Cain that walk-thru's generate coaching data, until now.  

Cain uses many analogies when explaining the classroom observation process, and the one that is generally most fitting is that of a golf coach.  A golf coach must watch many swings in order to coach a golfer to improvement.  PowerWalks, in theory, works the same way. The observer must visit the classroom multiple times to collect enough data to actually provide useful support.  

Here is where the analogy breaks down: What if the person being coached has never held a golf club?  I certainly don't need to see 10 swings.  I shift at this point from coaching to teaching, starting from square one.

In my current district we have many, many teachers who don't even have the fundamentals of teaching down.  So as we are doing walk-thru's we are seeing an immediate need to "teach teaching to teachers".  

The neat thing is PowerWalks is flexible enough that it can be used for coaching data for those who are pretty good and teaching data for those who are on step one.

SC Response

And I agree. But...

The power is always in the coaching conversation. I see an issue in a classroom that has to be addressed immediately, then address it, by talking to the teacher, or even better, showing the teacher.  That is how you coach for performance. 

On the other hand, noticing an issue and then sending a pointed email or leaving a marked-up observation form in the teacher’s box is neither coaching nor leading. That would be lazy and/or cowardly managerial practice.

I know that you know the difference.  Just clarifying for those who haven’t had to deal with the situation you described above.   

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 
• Now at the Apple App Store: Fun 5 Timer (Fundamental 5 Delivery Tool); PowerWalks CLC (Networked Formative Observation Tool) 
• Upcoming Presentations: Texas Elementary Principals and Supervisors Association Fall AP Conference, The Fundamental 5 National Summit (Multiple Presentations); American Association of School Administrators Conference; National Association of Secondary School Principals Conference (Multiple Presentations) 
• Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation  and like Lead Your School on Facebook

The Politician, the Manager, and the Leader

The Calculus of the Politician

The good of the supporter / donor is greater than the needs of infinite non-supporters.

The Calculus of the Manager

The good of the complainer is greater than the good of infinite non-complainers

The Calculus of the Instructional Leader

The good of the students is greater than the good of infinite adults.

Which are you? Who do you work for?

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 
• Now at the Apple App Store: Fun 5 Timer (Fundamental 5 Delivery Tool); PowerWalks CLC (Networked Formative Observation Tool) 
• Upcoming Presentations: Texas Elementary Principals and Supervisors Association Fall AP Conference, The Fundamental 5 National Summit (Multiple Presentations); American Association of School Administrators Conference; National Association of Secondary School Principals Conference (Multiple Presentations) 
• Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation  and like Lead Your School on Facebook