Guest post by Matthew Younghans

Motivation and success are what drive individuals in any profession. In the school setting, it is critically important that we celebrate and recognize the outstanding things that students accomplish, both inside and outside of the building. Watching students grow and accomplish their goals is one of the main reasons most go into education, myself included. The recognition of students fosters strong relationships among students, families, faculty, and the community and creates a positive school culture where students feel valued.

At Clarkstown High School South, a variety of programs and traditions recognize and support student accomplishments. Academically, we celebrate student achievement through multiple events on a yearly basis. Each spring, Clarkstown holds an Academic Awards night, which celebrates student achievement in all content areas, including the arts, music, physical education, world languages, and the elective program offerings. More formally, a night of Academic Excellence is held in the winter, which invites the top-performing students and their families to a dinner and recognition ceremony at an outside venue within the community.

Another recognition program is Southern Lights, which promotes effort and character—categories that often go unnoticed. At the conclusion of each academic quarter, each staff member nominates a maximum of three students with a written explanation. The categories for nomination include academics, the arts, athletics, and citizenship/character. We present the recipients with an award, along with information about the nominee, the category of the accomplishment, and congratulatory remarks. Additionally, recipients’ pictures are displayed prominently in the school lobby for the next academic quarter.

The Principal’s Newsletter, distributed monthly to all school stakeholders, contains a “Congratulations To” section on the cover page and includes articles regarding student accomplishments such as Eagle Scout/Gold Award projects, athletic team and individual accomplishments, college athletic letter of intent signing events, school clubs and organization recognitions, and local contest winners.

At the building level, something as simple as a bulletin board or case in a high volume of traffic area is an easy, efficient way to promote success. In the main lobby of the school, a case with the heading, “Vikings in the News” displays articles about positive news for a member of our student body or staff.

At the district level, our school website does an excellent job of recognizing students’ accomplishments on its website and also links to each school building page. The influx of social media has allowed these success stories to reach larger audiences as they are typically posted to the district’s Facebook and Twitter page.

The entirety of these small tasks and programs are an effort to promote a positive culture within the school building. While preparing students to be good citizens and contributing members of society, promoting and celebrating their success shows students that you care. Be proud of the students and staff that you serve and the amazing things that go on within your school community!

How do you recognize student success in your school and community? What role does/should the community have in recognizing its future leaders? How can recognition strengthen school-community relationships? Tell us in the comments.

Matthew Younghans is the current principal of Little Tor Elementary School in New City, NY, after serving as Assistant Principal at Clarkstown High School South. He is the 2016 SAANYS/NASSP New York Assistant Principal of the Year.

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Guest post by Cameron Soester

For years many schools have adopted common instructional language, which has produced some amazing results. At Milford Public Schools we have taken a similar approach to adopting common discipline language. Though other programs exist that guide leadership teams to develop a discipline philosophy, we took a path less traveled and made Eagle Pride, a one-of-a-kind customized program for our preK–12 students.

Why did we go the extra mile and develop our own plan? Because each community has its own set of rules—sometimes unwritten—that schools are expected to follow, we decided that our plan must incorporate these rules. In addition, students experienced transitional issues between our district’s buildings, and one of the main causes of these issues were different expectations. We all wanted our students to possess the same character traits, but the way we communicated those expectations were vastly different.

To begin the development process, we started with our existing Eagle Pride emblem. Banners throughout the district showcased the emblem, so the idea of Eagle Pride was well known among students and staff. Eagle Pride consists of eight character-building vocabulary words: Courage, Citizenship, Respect, Trustworthy, Effort, Responsibility, Honesty, and Kindness. As an administrative team, we defined these vocabulary words, and it is from these definitions that the work begins.

What does Eagle Pride mean for the school community? The only expectation for preK–12 staff is that they use the Eagle Pride language to address student discipline issues. Administrators also use the language when responding to office referrals, and students use the language when they develop an action plan to correct their behaviors. The Eagle Pride language is utilized districtwide during school, at extracurricular events, and through special programming at the elementary school. It’s on display in every classroom and is on every bulletin board in all of our buildings.

So, have our efforts been worth it? Our confidence in this approach is supported by strong data. Following the first three years of implementation, we have seen significant and continuing declines in the number of detentions. The results of this implementation, in our roughly 350-student junior/senior high school building, are noteworthy:

Milford Junior/Senior High School Discipline Data

• 2012–13     369 Detentions
• 2013–14     219 Detentions (first year of Eagle Pride)
• 2014–15     200 Detentions
• 2015–16     197 Detentions

Moving forward, our programming will involve more strategies to try and reduce the number of served detentions. We are continuously looking to grow our program and offer opportunities for our students.

By putting this program in place, we have not only developed common expectations for our students, but we have also given educators an effective tool to instill a sense of community and responsibility in their classrooms and throughout our campus.

Does your school have a common philosophy when it comes to discipline? What are some advantages or disadvantages to developing a local philosophy? How does this translate into larger districts?

Cameron Soester is the 2016 Nebraska Assistant Principal of the Year. He is currently the assistant principal at Milford Junior/Senior High School in Milford, NE.

Guest post by Jeff Simon

Indiana Jones was my hero growing up—I wanted to be just like him. And now, as high school administrator, I get to do that every day, because not only did Indiana Jones study culture, he taught it to inquisitive minds and instilled passion in curious students to become lifelong learners.

Principals know that as the culture goes, so does the school. From Day 1, our administrative goal at Payson High School has been to build a culture that focuses on pride in our school and enthusiasm for learning.

Cultivating School Pride

Our first goal was to develop school pride among students. Since our district covers a wide geographic area with students traveling long distances to and from campus, we knew that one of the first steps to accomplishing this would need to be carving out time for healthy, positive on-campus activities. To give students this time, we changed our two 45-minute lunch periods into a one-hour block.

The one-hour lunch block gives our clubs, athletic teams, and activity teams the opportunity to hold full membership meetings to plan and host events. Sponsors work with their own groups to build leadership capacity among their students and promote positive events that align with the scope of the club. As a result of this designated time, club participation has increased, and several new activities have started. There is a general excitement among participants who are playing more active roles in shaping their school community.

Igniting a Passion for Learning

Our next step in building a positive school culture was to cultivate an enthusiasm for learning by leveraging activities beyond the traditional schedule and curriculum. We created two STEAM learning labs that provide students with hands-on exploratory experiences where they can discover and learn through direct application of an idea.

The MakerSpace Learning Lab lets students play with and learn about new digital technologies such as 3D printers, 3D pens, Tinkercad design tools, the Code Academy program, and Sphero’s robotic and connected play, and it also includes an assortment of physical tools and building supplies. In a reconfigured section of our library, students now have a dedicated space to design online games with Chromebooks, build solar-powered motors together in the collaboration area, create futuristic masks and Pokemon figures in the printing shop, and operate flight simulators in the green-screen room.

If these technologies and tools aren’t enough to motivate students, we further inspire students with MakerSpace challenges. We pose a real-world problem or question that allows students to research ideas, develop solutions, and create a final product to defend their answer. Then, within our student recognition programs, the participating students are recognized for their work in solving the problem. The wide range of opportunities to work with innovative technologies in MakerSpace has inspired many of our students to explore and discover new ideas.

The Aquaculture Lab is another dynamic environment helping our students expand their learning horizons. Through gracious donations received from our local Mogollon Sporting Association, we purchased two large water tanks for students to raise 100 pounds of fish to stock in local ponds. In parallel, they are growing a garden that has the potential to continuously feed a family of four for a full year. Working in this lab has also led our students to make their own contacts with wildlife organizations, universities, and governmental agencies throughout our local community.

When the Aquaculture Lab was first introduced, we anticipated it would be a hit with our Ag students, but once the work began, we started seeing additional connections developing. Now everyone is benefiting from cross-curricular lessons involving agriculture and engineering, chemistry, algebra, geometry, physics, biology, career and technical education, and even our government classes. These lessons have really captured our students’ imaginations by bringing two subjects together and providing a real, hands-on application of their learning goals.

As a leadership team, we knew that while it would probably take three to five years to fully implement program adjustments, creating a positive culture is the real key to sustaining that change over time. We started to see the culture shift as soon as we took the simple step of creating the one-hour lunch block. Now that we have a solid baseline where time has been created to implement positive activities, we expect to see continued growth and momentum in creating a true sense of community pride on campus and all of the educational benefits that come with it.

How do you promote positive culture in your school? What could your school do if more time was created during the day?

Jeff Simon is the assistant principal of Payson High School in Payson, AZ, which serves 784 students in grades 9–12. He is the 2016 Arizona Assistant Principal of the Year.

Guest post by Mieka Sanderson

Millions of low-income students miss out on school breakfast every day.  Not having this important morning meal leaves students fatigued and distracted by hunger pangs. Research shows that food-insecure students are more often tardy, absent, and distracted in the classroom. Studies indicate that increasing school breakfast participation can play a key role in boosting student’s health and academic achievement.

Many schools serve breakfast in the cafeteria before the first bell. This traditional model often does not reach enough students due to late bus arrivals, school security lines, or the stigma often associated with participating in school breakfast. In the 2014-2015 school year, only 54 students eligible for free or reduced-price meals started the day with school breakfast for every 100 who ate school lunch. That means millions of students across the country started their day without the nutrition they needed to stay focused in the classroom.

Secondary schools often have lower breakfast participation rates than their elementary counterparts, but it doesn’t have to be this way.

Today, principals across the country are implementing innovative strategies to reach more children with school breakfast. Thousands of schools nationwide have moved breakfast out of the cafeteria and into the classroom resulting in greater school breakfast participation, improved health, and better academic performance.

Breakfast after the bell programs such as “grab and go,” second chance, and breakfast in the classroom are proven models that increase participation and, by integrating breakfast into the school day, students get the most important meal of the day, which sets them up for academic success.

Here are some tips to help you start a breakfast after the bell program at your school:

1. Set the Vision

Work with your food service director to assess breakfast participation numbers to reveal how many low-income students at your school are missing out on school breakfast. Present these findings during an all staff meeting, along with goals for increasing participation. Use research on school breakfast’s impact on academic and health outcomes to show how the School Breakfast Program is critical to supporting students’ ability to succeed.

2. Address Staff Concerns

The key to a sustainable and effective program is for principals to invite feedback prior to launching and throughout the program’s operation. Addressing concerns in a timely fashion will show staff that administrators are committed to customizing the program to meet the school’s unique needs.

3. Empower Staff to Lead

Staff, including teachers, custodians, food service managers, and paraprofessionals all have valuable input to provide about the logistics of a breakfast after the bell program. Assemble a diverse group of staff members to form a planning committee. Have the committee report on progress at staff meetings.

4. Celebrate and Recognize Staff Efforts

Principals can cultivate program momentum and excitement by commending staff on their efforts to accommodate breakfast in the classroom. Be transparent about program progress with the school community, including increases in breakfast participation, student academic outcomes, overcoming challenges, and stakeholder satisfaction.

Take action now by talking with your food service director to find out how well your breakfast program is meeting the needs of your low-income students. For more resources about optimizing your school breakfast program, visit FRAC.org.

Mieka Sanderson is a Policy Analyst at the Food Research & Action Center and works to improve the reach of the School Breakfast Program among low-income children.

Guest post by Jeff Simon

Last week, I discussed the importance of building a positive school culture by utilizing a one-hour lunch period for clubs and activities that foster school pride and for innovative labs that encourage enthusiasm for learning. This week, I will share how we’ve built a culture of personal responsibility at Payson High School by providing a positive support system for student learning through embedded intervention.

When our student data showed an increase in failure rates, our administrative team realized our previous interventions were not enough to address these dropping scores. Students struggled to take personal responsibility for their learning and often complained about the lack of time to complete their work and get help from their teachers. Teachers also struggled with finding time to work with students during an already packed class period. It wasn’t that teachers didn’t want to help students or that students didn’t want to learn and succeed. It was the challenge of time that so often complicates the classroom environment and causes breakdowns in the learning process.

It was clear that we needed to provide more opportunities for teachers to work directly with struggling students. When we changed the schedule and combined two 45-minute class periods to create a one-hour lunch, the remaining 30 minutes offered the opportunity we were seeking to address this challenge. Our administrative team used these extra 30 minutes to create embedded intervention that is an extension of our third-period class, giving the teaching staff time for targeted academic interventions and giving students time to take personal responsibility for their learning.

So how does this embedded intervention work? On a weekly basis, teachers identify students who need additional help or are failing a class. These students are required to either stay with their third-period teacher to work on assignments or report to another class that they’re failing if they’re in need of specific help from that teacher. While the students stay and work, the rest of the students have free time for an extended lunch period or other school activities. Students who receive help and raise their score to passing at any time during the week are excused from the intervention and earn the extra free time.

At first glance, this undertaking looks to be a logistical nightmare in terms of keeping track of students on a daily and weekly basis. It involves tracking students who are passing, failing, and raising their grades midweek. To solve this problem, we created a shared Google Doc that allows teachers to communicate quickly and easily about students’ eligibility, learning struggles, and grades. Students must take personal responsibility by knowing their scores and bringing the necessary work to the intervention. As a backup, the collaborative document gives the intervention teacher the necessary specifics to get students working even if they “mysteriously” forget.

The results of this approach have been promising. The embedded intervention allows our staff an extra 2.5 hours each week to work directly with our struggling population. Failure rates have decreased significantly. Students are motivated to complete their work, study more, and raise their grades in order to get the extra free time. Embedded intervention provides a positive support system to hold students accountable for their work and take personal responsibility for their learning.

How do you hold students accountable for their work? How do you build a culture of personal responsibility in your school?

Jeff Simon is the assistant principal of Payson High School in Payson, AZ, which serves 784 students in grades 9–12. He is the 2016 Arizona Assistant Principal of the Year.

Guest post by Rachel Heide

What support can districts provide to new teachers to help them adjust to the school community and the demands of the profession?

Two vital components for producing positive student outcomes are recruiting and retaining high-quality teachers. According to a 2015 U.S. Department of Education study on public school teacher attrition and mobility rates, as new teachers move toward their fifth year of teaching, the rate of attrition nears 20 percent (IES, 2015). When nearly one in five teachers is leaving the profession by his or her fifth year of teaching, schools run the risk of losing talented teachers who could be making the needed impact toward positive student outcomes. Finding ways to retain the talented teachers we hire has become an imperative, and this was identified as a key ingredient for meeting the needs of students during a period of population growth at Erie Middle School.

Over the past seven years, Erie Middle School in Erie, CO, has experienced unprecedented growth, more than doubling its student enrollment. As the student population has grown, the teaching staff has also grown. At the beginning of the 2015–2016 school year, one-third of the teaching staff at Erie Middle School was new to teaching and/or the school as a result of this growth or due to attrition. In order to support the unique learning needs of these new teachers and support their retention in the teaching profession, we created the New Teacher Jump Start (NTJS).

The NTJS met in person monthly as well as through an iTunes U course developed around the following key topics:

• Acclimation to the school culture and processes
• Understanding the students we serve
  • Demographic groups
  • Walking tour of attendance area
  • Aligning structures, methods, and techniques to support the various student populations
• Effective grading and feedback practices
• Reflecting on professional practice
• Support with major school initiatives
  • 1:1 Learning Initiative
  • Supporting Gifted and Talented learners
• Mentoring partnerships

The walking tour of the attendance area proved to be a surprisingly powerful element that helped new teachers understand the history of our drastically changing area and allowed teachers to see the areas where our students live. In addition, discussions around effective grading and feedback practices within this group sparked building-wide interest in reframing traditional practices that were currently in place.

As a result of forming this specialized, intentional group, teachers reported feeling a greater sense of community and support within the school, a more effective acclimation into teaching and/or their new school, and a greater sense of efficacy in their professional practice.

How might you engage your school’s or district’s new teachers in professional development that meets their unique needs? In what ways can schools capitalize on veteran teacher leaders’ expertise in order to support beginning teachers?

Rachel Heide is currently the principal at Westlake Middle School, located in Broomfield, CO. Before joining the Westlake team, Rachel was the assistant principal at Erie Middle School in Erie, CO. She is the 2016 NASSP Colorado Assistant Principal of the Year.

Guest post by Lesley Corner

Before the 2016–2017 school year, Camden High School provided after-school tutorials and after-school homework centers for English and math. These methods of academic assistance increased student achievement, but we couldn’t reach some of the students who needed the most help due to their after-school obligations or transportation issues. After extensive research and school visits, we remodeled our schedule to include academic assistance during the school day for all students. Our model includes two types of assistance: Individual Learning Time (ILT) and Structured Learning Time (SLT).

Scheduling

This new schedule required modifications to our daily schedule, duty schedule, and cafeteria serving lines. Previously, our school’s schedule included two 30-minute lunch blocks for students. Although this model was successful in serving lunch to all students, we could not provide any academic assistance to students during this time. Beginning this school year, we have one 50-minute lunch block. During the first 20 minutes, teachers may eat unencumbered if they wish. For the remaining time, all teachers are available in their classrooms for academic assistance. We are excited about the possibilities that our new schedule brings to all of our students. In addition to academic assistance, we will add intramurals, fitness opportunities, guest speakers, job fairs, college workshops, and assemblies as the year progresses.

Since teachers must have time to eat and be available to students during their lunch, administration developed a new method of covering our required duty stations. Our four administrators and our school resource officer are assigned to one of five areas to roam to monitor student activity. Additionally, we use our athletic director, teaching assistants, and rotating physical education teachers, guidance counselors, and ROTC instructors to cover 12 duty posts throughout the building.

To serve 1,000 students within this time frame, we reconstructed the lunch experience. Students may eat at any point within the 50-minute timeframe. Instead of our previous three cafeteria serving lines, there are now multiple locations throughout our campus where students can receive lunch. Our additions include two mobile serving carts and a concession stand with different items at each location. Students can get a meal from any location, and they know in advance what is served at each location outside of the cafeteria.

Individual Learning Time (ILT)

ILT includes all students with a C or above in all courses and no missing assignments. Their lunch time is at their discretion. During ILT, these students can choose to receive academic assistance, complete class assignments, utilize the library, or see a guidance counselor. Students are strongly urged to use this time to complete homework and assignments. They may also choose to use this time to visit with friends, practice their instrument, or talk with a trusted adult. Additionally, we are adding intramural athletics, school spirit activities, and club meetings to the options. Using ILT for these options protects instructional time and equalizes access to these programs.

Structured Learning Time (SLT)

If a student’s overall grade in any course drops below a C, the teacher assigns SLT sessions. During this time, a student must report to the teacher to receive extra help. Failure to report to an assigned SLT results in a disciplinary infraction. SLT gives students with after-school obligations or transportation issues the opportunity to receive the extra help they need to achieve mastery. Students also use this time to retake tests (our school’s expectation for any major assessment under a 70) and research topics of interest.

Student Expectations

This change offers students an extra measure of freedom. With this freedom comes the responsibility to follow additional expectations such as keeping our campus clean, utilizing this time wisely, attending assigned SLT, and not disrupting this time. Students who do not accept this responsibility are dealt with seriously by administration. Due to the fluid nature of this time, we do not allow student sign-outs between 11:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. each day. Students with previously scheduled appointments report to the Guidance office at 11:00 a.m.

Providing additional assistance at the secondary level requires creative solutions. What are some other methods for providing academic and other types of assistance to students during the school day?

Lesley Corner is currently an assistant principal at Camden High School in Camden, SC. She is the 2016 South Carolina Assistant Principal of the Year and an NASSP Assistant Principal of the Year Finalist. Follow her on Twitter @lesley_corner.

Guest post by Jayne Ellspermann

Every administrator has encountered an angry parent who calls the school or comes in demanding a conference. These difficult moments can be a struggle for many of us, and we question what is the best way to deal with these people and situations. In my experience as principal, I have learned that angry or upset parents are an opportunity to develop a partnership benefiting all stakeholders.

We have to remember that when parents are upset with “the school,” it stems from them wanting what is best for their child. That is a great place for us to start a conversation because I also want what is best for their child.
When we start from the position of wanting what is best for their child, it puts both administrators and parents on the same side of the conversation.

When forming this partnership, we first must listen to the parents’ concerns and learn their point of view about what is upsetting them. Sometimes, students provide their parents with information that may be absent of some details, or from a narrow perspective. Talk in the community may cause parents to have concerns about what is going on in our school. Once parents share their concern with me, I always agree with them by saying “if my child came home and told me that I would be upset” or “thank you for letting me know what you heard. I understand why you took the time to contact me.”

From this point, it is critical we identify the root cause of the concern. Whether it is a situation with another student, a teacher, a bus driver, the cafeteria, scheduling, or the location of water fountains, we have an opportunity to work together and identify areas for improvement. If the situation involves the parents’ child, it is best to have the student involved in the conversation.

My goal is always to create an ally in the parent and empower the student to work with their parents and the school in a positive manner. Moving forward, I want the student to feel comfortable working with the adults in our school, and I want the parents to know that, working together, we can create a positive learning environment for their child as well as all students at our school.

We work in an environment that requires trust—trust that we are working in the best interest of each student on our campus. That does not mean parents will leave our time together with what they thought they wanted when they arrived. What they will leave with is a more complete understanding of how our school operates and many times a better solution than what they proposed. Sometimes we are not aware of something happening in a classroom or in the school or community, but their concern will allow us to follow up.

With 2,650 students in my last school it was critical to empower students and staff members to be part of every solution. When working with parents it is important to let them know who else will be involved in the solution so they understand that it is not just the principal who will be working to create a positive learning environment for their child and the student body.

I close each conversation with an invitation to the parents to contact me in the next few days if the situation has not been resolved. I let them know if I don’t hear from them again, I will assume that we have taken care of their concern.

Engaging parents in this way benefits everyone. Parents leave our time together knowing that they and their child are valued at our school. What schools gain are parents who become active partners in helping to make our school a better place for their child and all of our students.

What solutions do you have for working with upset parents?

Jayne Ellspermann is the current president of NASSP and the 2015 National Principal of the Year. She has worked in education for 36 years, with 25 of those years serving as a building principal at the elementary, middle, and high school level working with extremely diverse, high-poverty student populations, transforming her schools from low-performing schools to high-performing schools.

Guest post by Michele Paine

On the Fourth of July, I had the opportunity to reconnect with a colleague who had just finished her first year as a K–6 principal in a small rural partner school in the Greater Flathead Valley area, where I serve as assistant principal in one of its high schools. Over margaritas, we laughed about our school year, each of us sharing “lessons learned” during the year. While she serves an elementary school and I serve a high school, we found that our lessons could apply universally.

Her lesson involved an ineffective teacher who quit midway through the school year. As a new principal, navigating the waters of teacher evaluation and career counseling is challenging. When a replacement teacher could not be recruited, my friend found herself in an all-too-familiar dilemma for administrators in small schools. She took on the fifth/sixth grade combination class herself, finishing her year as BOTH teacher and administrator.

“You told me being an administrator would be fun!” she jokingly pointed a finger at me. She went on to relate that her lesson learned for the year involves how she handled the resigning teacher’s exit from the students, teachers, and building. She allowed the teacher to have angry words with staff, and most damagingly, with the students who were losing their teacher. Her lesson learned: In highly charged, emotional staff situations, escort the staff member out of the building immediately, communicating a time for that staff member to retrieve belongings when the building is empty.

Venting about the year was therapeutic for her, and it also gave me advice for my own practice, something I will hopefully not have to learn the hard way. I went on to share my lesson learned, still painfully fresh, which involved a large senior prank incident that resulted in 20 seniors being denied the privilege of participating in the graduation ceremony. In contrast to my friend’s situation, I had a team of three other administrators with whom to collaborate. Our team decided to allow several of the parents to meet together with the principal. This decision, unfortunately, proved to be a bad one, as we assistants sat outside the principal’s office, listening to him get hammered by these vocal parents who banded together to protest the punishment. The lesson learned was to always have one-on-one meetings with parents.

As I reflect upon this conversation, it is clear to me that collegiality facilitates professional growth for school leaders. A well-respected principal in my district once told me, “Being a principal is a lonely job.” The invisible but perceptive distance between the school staff and school leaders is to be expected, but it often doesn’t leave administrators with much support. In my five years as an assistant principal, I have grown accustomed to solitude, but I have also learned the importance of reaching out to other administrators.

In their book Trust in Schools: A Core Resource for Improvement, Bryk and Schneider (2002) examined the impact that professional relationships and trust have on school improvement and leadership. They note that “trust fosters a set of organizational conditions, some structural and others social-psychological, that make it more conducive for individuals to initiate and sustain the kinds of activities necessary to affect productivity improvements” (p. 116).

We need our own circles of trust that extend beyond our school walls. As a member of the 2016 Assistant Principal of the Year class, I was delighted to meet administrators from across the country. Over the course of the NASSP Ignite ’16 Conference in Orlando, we bonded together through a special program. Don’t forget the opportunities that a national organization like NASSP provides. As you begin your school year, take the time to reach out to your local, state, or national network for support.

What have you learned from your own professional circles of trust? What do you do (or what can you do) to foster these collegial relationships?

Michele Paine is an assistant principal at Flathead High School in Kalispell, MT, which serves 1,450 students in grades 9–12. She is the 2016 Montana Assistant Principal of the Year. Follow her on Twitter @Painemichele.

Guest post by Alan Tenreiro

Like many schools, Cumberland High School in Rhode Island has been wrestling for years with the standards-era question: How do we shift our grading system to reflect genuine mastery and not just compliance? This question, reflected most recently in NASSP’s position statement on competency-based education, prompted us to design a proficiency-based grading system based on student performance levels, which is then translated into a numerical grade. The performance-level rubric promotes consistent scoring across all teachers in all disciplines, relying on moderate, strong, and distinguished command of the standard. And, perhaps most important, students also receive feedback on how they can improve their performance.

In short, our academic expectations are organized around four to six measurement standards for each content area (e.g., demonstrating the use of evidence-based claims in social studies). Within each department, teachers created common scoring guides and learning progressions around sub-standards to define what students need to know and be able to do in order to meet the standard. Students are expected to do two to three performance-based summative assessments each marking period, and every measurement on every summative assessment is tracked in our learning information system (LIS). The academic council employs a validation process to ensure that performance-based assessments maintain a high level of rigor—a practice that is now being adopted by teachers within each content area.

On a separate axis, Cumberland teachers also assess students on Learner Qualities (LQ): attitude and mindset, quality producer, respectful citizen, self-directed learner, and collaborative work. Assessing these “soft skills” gives us insight into why a student might be struggling on an academic measurement standard. They also highlight those students who are only partially proficient according to the performance-based standards, but are really working hard. The LQs—assessed only formatively in all of their courses—are used in determining inclusion on the honor roll and in Latin honors at the graduation ceremony. We also use LQ scores to determine a postsecondary and workforce readiness score, what we call an LQ Index, for each student. These scores are reported on the student’s transcript for college and military admission officers, as well as local businesses that might be considering students for employment.

There are countless details that underpin the success of our proficiency-based grading system, but we discovered—and are regularly reminded—that two themes are paramount:

Transparency. Standards-based grading is the linchpin, but transparency is what transforms the system. A lot of pieces have to be aligned behind the scenes to make this work, but the “behind the scenes” work should not be a secret. By bringing the rubrics and process of measurement into the open, we can build consistency and predictability for the expectations of all students and eliminate any surprises about teachers’ judgment of student work. Most important, transparency puts the school on a direct path to student equity.

Autonomy. We maintain a laser focus on the quality of instruction, but we provide our teachers—all professionals in their field—the autonomy to design instruction that provides a high-quality personalized learning experience for all students. To be clear, autonomy is not independence. In fact, it’s the exact opposite. A teacher’s autonomous practice is accountable for moving students toward a learning goal. And as a member of a professional community, successful teachers are encouraged to share their practice with one another. As a learning community, we are then constantly asking questions about what strategies are working and how faithfully we implement them, about how we can use technology to deepen learning, and about what else we can do to increase student empowerment. Teachers need autonomy and trust to experiment and learn, but we are all accountable for asking, “What should we be doing that we currently aren’t, so students want to work harder, go deeper, and learn more?”

What have been your experiences with proficiency-based grading?

Alan Tenreiro (@alantenreiro) is the principal of Cumberland High School in Cumberland, RI. He is the 2016 National Principal of the Year. He is a founder and moderator of #edchatri, a state-wide education chat on Twitter every Sunday night at 8:00 p.m. (ET).  Please visit www.edchatri.org and www.alantenreiro.net.

Guest post by Michele Paine

An area of passion for me as a school leader involves facilitating teacher growth. One way I work on this is by hosting several professional book studies during the school year.

Our district pays teachers for two days of flexible professional development time each contract year. Teachers can choose from a variety of options, including conferences, regional training, and state-led events. With all of these choices, however, I feel it is important to foster collegial discussion and professional reading.

Each book studies session at Flathead High School in Kalispell, Montana, revolves around a single professional title chosen to appeal to a wide range of subject areas and topics. Recent titles include Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck, Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain, Punished by Rewards by Alfie Kohn, and Teach Like a Champion by Doug Lemov. The only requirement for book selection is its potential for conversation and connections to our own practice.

Of course, my book studies are often tied to building and district goals and initiatives, but more importantly, they give teachers the opportunity to reflect on their own practice and challenge their thinking. In Charlotte Danielson’s Framework for Teaching, reflection is an integral part of effective teaching for Domain 4, Professionalism. We can’t grow as educators unless we learn something new or consider something different, connect it to our current practice, and then make adjustments to how we teach. Book studies nurture this process in a way that honors where teachers are now.

It’s easy to tell teachers what effective instruction looks like and mandate elements I wish to see in the classroom, but that doesn’t produce much change. Teachers need to process and think through new ideas before moving forward. They need to feel that their own ideas and practices are valued. Book studies allow for all of that, and by leading this type of professional development, I can model best practices in literacy. It’s a winning strategy on several fronts!

How have book studies fostered growth for your staff and school? What titles do you recommend for a professional educator book study?

Michele Paine is an assistant principal at Flathead High School in Kalispell, MT, which serves 1,450 students in grades 9–12. She is the 2016 Montana Assistant Principal of the Year. Follow her on Twitter @Painemichele.

Guest post by Edward Fuller and Michelle D. Young

The research is abundantly clear—great teachers have a very positive impact on students. Less known is that school leaders are the second most important school factor influencing a variety of student outcomes. School leaders influence student outcomes both directly, through interactions with students, and indirectly, by ensuring students have access to great teachers.

The indirect avenue of influence is, by far, the more important of the two strategies school leaders employ to direct student outcomes. Evidence shows that schools with great teachers are almost always schools that have had a great leader in place over a fairly long period of time.

Despite the pivotal role school leaders play, estimates suggest that less than 10 percent of the approximately one billion dollars supplied by the federal government is directed to them. When funding is diminished, decision makers at both the state and local levels tend to default to spending the majority of funds on those working directly with children—namely, teachers. While such actions may seem an effective use of limited funds, a lack of investment in school leaders ultimately reduces the probability that the investments in teachers will actually translate into improved instruction and learning.

More importantly, a lack of investment in the preparation, recruitment, retention, and professional development of school leaders is particularly harmful to schools with high proportions of students of color, high proportions of students living in poverty, and/or lower-performing schools. In fact, research shows that schools with a high percentage of these populations and/or lower-performing schools tend to have less-effective principals with lower qualifications, thus impeding efforts to recruit effective teachers and build the capacity of existing teachers. These schools also have far greater principal turnover, which leads to greater teacher turnover and, in many cases, lower student achievement.

Failure to provide adequate funding through Title II will likely result in states and districts being unable to ensure that the schools most in need of great teachers and leaders will actually get them.

Title II Funds Needed to Support Teachers with Great Leaders

How can fully funding Title II give states the ability to provide more great leaders to schools—and, thus, more great teachers to students that need them most?

Invest in quality leadership preparation programs. A growing body of research concludes that quality leadership preparation programs greatly enhance the likelihood that newly prepared school leaders will be effective in improving teaching and learning. Unfortunately, states often lack the resources to provide the technical assistance needed to assist in preparation program improvement efforts; to collect and analyze a variety of data to help programs improve; and to create robust accountability systems to increase quality programs in their state. Without adequate Title II funds, states will likely continue to go without the resources or capacity to improve the preparation of school leaders.

Provide districts with funding to recruit and retain great leaders. Those schools most in need of great leaders are the least able to recruit and retain them—which severely impedes the ability of these schools to recruit and retain great teachers or to develop their teachers’ skills. While myriad factors affect a school’s ability to recruit and retain great leaders, difficulty in offering appropriately high salaries is a key stumbling block. Without adequate Title II funds, states will likely continue to go without the resources necessary to address this issue in any comprehensive manner.

Provide quality professional development opportunities to school leaders. While some attention has been focused on the preparation of leaders and efforts to recruit and retain them, amazingly little effort has been focused on supporting leaders once on the job. Adding to this problem is that, in the eyes of experts, much of the professional development targeted to leaders in the field does not conform to best practices. As a result, what little money has been expended on professional development likely yielded smaller returns on the investments than otherwise would have been the case. Without full funding of Title II, states and districts simply will not have sufficient funds to target essential school leader professional development.

Clearly, federal and state investments in improving teaching and learning will not be maximized unless such efforts include the professional development of school leaders. As an organization, UCEA implores Congress to fully fund Title II and asks both the U.S. Department of Education and Congress to keep language that requires states to target funds specifically for school leadership intact.

How would failure to fully fund Title II affect your school?

Edward Fuller, PhD, is an associate professor in the Educational Leadership Program and the director of the Center for Education Evaluation and Policy Analysis at The Pennsylvania State University. He also serves as the associate director for policy and advocacy for the University Council for Educational Administration. His research interests include evaluation of school leaders and leader preparation programs, and the pipeline of school leaders.

Michelle D. Young, PhD, is the executive director of the University Council for Educational Administration (UCEA) and a professor of educational leadership and policy at the University of Virginia. Young’s scholarship focuses on how university programs, educational policies, and school leaders can support equitable and quality experiences for all students and adults who learn and work in schools. As executive director of UCEA, Young works with universities, practitioners, professional organizations, and state and national leaders to improve the preparation and practice of school and school system leaders and to develop a dynamic base of knowledge on excellence in educational leadership. 

Guest post by Daniel Kelley

Principals across the country may face their own set of unique challenges, but one fact applies to all of them: They need greater support and training.

I say this for many reasons, but the top one is this: School leadership is one of the most important influences on student achievement, second only to quality instruction. This is huge. And if principals don’t receive quality professional development (PD) on a regular basis, it is the students who will suffer.

The Principal’s Ever-Changing Role 

The principalship has evolved greatly over the past decade. From school safety to social media, we are in charge of a much greater host of responsibilities. Gone are the old days where principals sat behind a desk—the job now requires that we step out of our office, roll up our sleeves, and be a true, hands-on leader.

To properly tackle all the issues we face, principals must not only execute outstanding leadership, but also train teachers to contribute at a higher level. This idea of shared school leadership isn’t always easy to create. It requires effective, two-way communication with all members of your staff, which can be a challenge. And guess what? There’s no special internal communication training before you get the job.

In addition to training outstanding teacher leaders, I strive to balance the needs of the staff while also pushing them to be innovative and challenge the status quo. There may be tenured teachers who need to get in touch with current trends, so how do you reach them? This effort becomes a unique challenge when teachers are uneasy about speaking to their principal. There may be one group of teachers in your school that has an easy, open dialogue with you on a regular basis—and there may be another group that seldom has one-on-one talks with you. So how do you reach that second group?

Professional Learning to the Rescue 

That’s where relevant professional development comes in. I recently took part in a pilot group of principals and other school leaders for an innovative new executive leadership training program: The McKinsey Management Program for School Leaders (MMPSL). This dynamic online program is a powerful collaboration between NASSP and McKinsey Academy that, I think, will revolutionize leadership training for school leaders by providing the executive development that is missing from principal training programs.

I participated in the Team Management course with a group of principals from around the country. The course is designed to give school leaders the strategy and skills necessary to build engagement and create an open dialogue to enact real school change. And for me, it did exactly that. After taking the course last summer, I walked into the 2015–16 school year with a new set of tools to help me develop relationships with teachers, manage my teams more efficiently, and better handle difficult situations.

This unique program helped me think more from the other person’s perspective. Not to minimize or dismiss the issue at hand, but to be more empathetic about where he or she is coming from. When possible, I also try to give people a brief synopsis of a meeting’s purpose so they can be more prepared instead of having a moment of panic. In addition, the course allowed me to reflect on past conversations and what I could have done better. I now ask myself, did I handle that right? Could I have handled that better? How could I improve upon that next time?

The bottom line is that quality professional development is a game changer for principals—so don’t stand silently anymore. Make it your personal pledge to ask your state and district leaders to invest in their schools by investing in robust principal development.

Daniel Kelley is the principal of Smithfield High School in Smithfield, RI, the 2016–17 NASSP President-Elect, and was the 2012 Rhode Island Principal of the Year.

Guest post by Kevin Grawer

A school leader must know the answer to the following question: “What do I as the principal actually have control over?” Throughout my time as principal, I have had complete or partial “authority” over the following:

• Building-wide professional development
• Teacher evaluations
• Data analysis protocols
• Building-level goals and emphases
• Best practices in teaching for our students
• Building walk-throughs
• Post-evaluation protocols for teachers/administrators
• Faculty and staff meetings
• Administrator/counselor team meetings
• Analyzing student sample work

These items are my “principal areas of influence” and I use them to my advantage for improving student performance. I believe that multiple exposures to the same expectations have great effects on student outcomes. With this idea in mind, I work to “line up” each building goal with my areas of influence, ensuring that all areas hold common threads aligned to our building needs. This is what I mean by “lining it up.”

The best way to illustrate this concept is to share the approach that our school took to improve student reading. After reviewing our lower-than-expected 2010 ACT reading scores, our staff decided to make improving student reading a building goal.

Our emphasis on reading comprehension became clear to everyone because we embedded it in all the possible ways that principals guide their buildings. As principal, I had to “line it up,” knowing that students will get better at what we consistently emphasize.

Here is how we are lining up reading comprehension practices at our school.

In 2010, our average ACT reading score was a 16.5. In 2015, that average jumped to a 22.2. Now, we know that many things are woven into the improvement of the scores. Our school and academic culture improved, we made some teaching and curriculum changes, and we adjusted our class minutes. Nevertheless, the one constant we had over that time was a consistent emphasis on reading comprehension skills that we all owned. Improvement does not happen by chance; we made a conscious choice to focus on this area after analyzing our data.

What we have discovered is that when we hone in on three goals or less, line up all of our processes around those goals, and provide multiple exposures to the same expectations for students and staff alike, then we can really move student learning and performance more so than we ever imagined. The end result is improved student performance, a stronger sense of purpose among staff, and a “scoreboard” (data) that shows what we are doing is working—which builds even more buy-in for future endeavors.

How can you “line up” your building goal(s) to improve student performance? What’s holding you back from doing so?

Kevin Grawer is principal of Maplewood Richmond Heights High School outside of St. Louis, MO. His school was named a 2014 NASSP National Breakthrough High School and the NCUST National Urban School of Excellence.

Guest post by Ted Huff

Within our educational system, and at the heart of all that we do, exists the proverbial “student desk.” In that seat rests the most powerful, engaging, and often untapped school resource. By taking and making time to include student perspective and voice within the academic, social, and behavioral facets of the school day, you will witness increased student engagement, greater student buy-in, and decreased behavior concerns.

Building relationships with students is a nonnegotiable foundation to create authentic student-voice opportunities. Character.org is a national organization, based in Washington, D.C., that promotes, supports, and fosters the character education initiative. Their 11 Principles, resources, and local/state agencies can provide additional support in moving forward to foster teacher-student relationships via the character education initiative. By establishing a positive school climate and nurturing positive relationships with our students, we will see an improvement in how our students react, respond, and refer to school activities.

So, how do you begin? Why should you empower student voice? We know that our students arrive to school each day with two questions: (1) will I be accepted? and (2) can I do the work? In addressing these important questions, we can help our students feel both welcome and confident at school. We can also help them become better connected with their academic work.

How can you empower students by increasing student voice? Here are a few ways we have initiated this process:

• Principal sound-off: Each quarter, we provide students with the opportunity to share their thoughts, concerns, and ideas with their administrative leadership team. Counselors and administrators meet with students to discuss these topics. Many times our students will be able to help problem-solve different areas of concern within the school community. They are also able to generate “new ideas” and initiatives to incorporate into daily activities. This meeting allows our administrative leadership team to provide feedback to students explaining which suggestions can be implemented and why specific practices and procedures need to remain in place. By giving the students this important feedback, you are honoring their voice even when you cannot implement some of their suggestions or ideas.

• Student-led organizations: We allow students to take the lead in facilitating, planning, and leading our student organizations. This provides them with authentic leadership responsibilities and opportunities. Our three key student leader organizations each have a specific focus—National Junior Honor Society, service to others; Character Council, promoting student voice and character education; and W.E.B./Leader Link, student mentoring.

• Student-led committees: Serving as facilitators, school administrators, teachers, and counselors work alongside students with various committees. For example, two years ago, we transformed how we approached our annual Veterans Day celebration when two student leaders approached our administrative team with a new vision for the event. By allowing students to share their voice and vision for this annual event, we revitalized this celebration and gave it a personal and authentic voice with a breakfast, school assembly, and student speakers.

• Classroom leadership: Following the Leader in Me initiative and other research-based practices, we offer students real opportunities to lead class activities, responsibilities, and projects. These different types of leadership roles in the classroom help to provide students with authentic responsibilities outside of academic work that build confidence and self-esteem.

• BYOD school: As a Bring Your Own Device school, we demonstrate a desire to further engage students on a level that they are accustomed to. Please note that technology for technology’s sake is not the reason to introduce BYOD to your school. Instead, it can enhance and further embed learning practices with your students.

• Staff of the Year: We invite eighth graders to nominate and participate in the voting for Teacher of the Year and Support Staff of the Year. This truly gives students a voice in this honor.

• Content curriculum: Student voice and choice are other keys to increasing student “connectedness” in the classroom. We offer opportunities for students to have a choice within assignments, such as problem-based learning events. The Socratic seminar is another research-based strategy that has proven to be an effective student voice advocate.

With all ideas, initiatives, and programs, it is important to begin slowly. Assess your current reality and then begin with backwards design based on your school’s vision and mission to map out your plan. From here, empower teacher and student voice in designing, planning, and then implementing your student-voice initiative.

Let me know what you’re implementing to empower student voice within your school!

Ted Huff, EdD is the principal and “lead learner” of Francis Howell Middle School in St. Charles, MO. He is the 2016 Missouri Principal of the Year and an advocate of stakeholder voice within the school community. Follow him on Twitter @TedHiff

Guest post by Lesley Corner. 

Literacy is the ability to read and write, but at Camden High School, we’ve expanded that definition to include speaking and listening. Students must have the capacity to apply these skills not only at school, but outside of the academic setting as well to communicate effectively and compete globally. Camden High School takes a cross-curricular approach to promote literacy both within and outside of our school through two courses in our Freshmen Transition Program that focus on literacy development, our community summer reading program, a schoolwide literacy learning network, and the Literacy Design Collaborative (LDC).

Community Summer Reading

For the past five years, our county, school district, and school have participated in the One Book, Everyone Reads summer reading program in collaboration with our local bookstore and library. One Book, Everyone Reads encourages a shared, engaging reading experience to provide opportunities for high school students to engage in dialogue with each other, faculty, staff, and their own families. In addition to all reading the same book, we participate in author visits, host read-ins at our football stadium, and hold community-wide discussions. All Kershaw County students are invited to celebrate reading at the annual read-in our school hosts, where you can see teacher cadets, theater students, newspaper staff, and community storytellers interacting with our elementary and middle school students to share a love of reading.

To extend our summer reading celebrations, our school library program promotes reading throughout the year. Students are given rewards for reading the 20 titles nominated for the South Carolina Young Adult Book Award program and casting their vote for their favorite title. Additionally, we sponsor two Literary Luncheons each year to reward students who meet specific reading goals. Other special activities are planned throughout the year, especially in conjunction with Teen Read Week and National Library Week.

Literacy Learning Network

To ensure students are college and career ready, our school’s literacy team developed a new school literacy plan that ensures students read and write across the curriculum. Professional Learning Tuesdays are devoted to professional development and curriculum writing to guide teachers through the implementation of this plan. As one component, our school participates in a rotating period of independent reading daily, so all students have the opportunity to read on their own each day. Additionally, each department developed a content-specific plan incorporating a reading and writing workshop into their classrooms. All teachers offer 60 minutes of reading and writing instruction each week using our school’s writing rubric for consistency.

To help all teachers teach writing, we also implemented Write Like This, a yearlong professional development program on Edmodo providing explicit instruction in all modalities of writing using real-world examples, teacher models, and content-specific quick-writes. Additionally, all faculty and students participate in Monday’s Musings with student and faculty “writers of the week” to encourage writing by celebrating exemplary work on our bulletin boards and on WDOG, our student-produced show.

Literary Design Collaborative

In addition to our school-level professional development, we joined the Literacy Design Collaborative (LDC). LDC uses a backwards model that begins with a writing task used to establish which skills are needed to write products that meet expectations. Once these skills are identified, the instruction to teach those skills is designed to offer students a comprehensive literacy experience customized to fit the final writing product they will complete. Two teams of five teachers and one administrator are trained to be local LDC trainers. During second semester, we will increase our implementation to 50 percent of all teachers. By the end of 2018, all teachers will implement LDC.

The principal component of the LDC framework is the design and delivery of a module—a subject-specific reading and writing assignment or “teaching task” with an instructional plan that is taught over a two- to four-week period. The LDC framework uses our standards to target the literacy skills students need to be successful in school, college, and career. During the module, teachers engage students in daily “mini-tasks” to learn and practice each literacy skill that will lead them to complete the main teaching task successfully. LDC mini-tasks act as formative assessments that are fully integrated with ongoing teaching and learning, rather than as an activity separate from daily lessons.

What does your school do to ensure students develop fundamental literacy skills?

Lesley Corner is an assistant principal at Camden High School in Camden, SC. She is the 2016 South Carolina Assistant Principal of the Year and an NASSP Assistant Principal of the Year Finalist. Follow her on Twitter @lesley_corner.

Guest post by Carey Dahncke

Christel House Academy is a charter school that educates impoverished students in the urban core of Indianapolis, IN. Our faculty works hard to educate the whole child and help students grow not only academically, but also as people. To support this focus, we developed a program called Character & Habits of Work, or CHoW, which is an ongoing and deliberate effort to foster and examine these important traits in students. 

The CHoW program grew out of our concern that students’ grades often did not reflect their learning, but rather their ability to conform to school and teacher expectations. We realized that we needed a way to communicate to students and parents about character and habits of work separately from mastery of performance standards.

What is CHoW?  

CHoW has become the cornerstone of what we do at Christel House Academy. Its overall philosophy is woven into all aspects of the curriculum along with the following student-learning targets:

1. I take responsibility for my work, learning, and actions. This means I also own what I do and say, both when I do well and when I make mistakes.
2. I am respectful to adults and my peers. This means my words, actions, and tone of voice are polite, appropriate for school, and represent CHA well.
3. I am independent. This means I can think, act, and work on my own when appropriate.
4. I have integrity. This means I am honest and do what is right even when it is hard.
5. I am collaborative. This means I actively listen to others, contribute to ideas and conversations, and work with others to solve problems and create good work.
6. I set goals, take action to meet them, and reflect on my progress.
7. I have grit. This means I think through problems, don’t give up when things are hard, and make good things happen for myself and others.

Students know that they will be graded on both academic standards and CHoW standards in each class. For example, a student may frequently be late and need extra time to complete an assignment but, in the end, submits excellent work that shows mastery of the content and skills. The teacher can report positively on the attainment of the academic standard but critically about the student’s ability to manage time and meet deadlines.

Teachers use CHoW to intentionally and explicitly teach soft skills and help students create and accept accountability for their learning. Our staff has created a collection of lesson plans that teachers use with students to develop and practice the CHoW skills in academic classes and during a daily advisory period. Teachers also track student progress of the learning targets and give regular feedback to them during an individual goal-setting and reflection session each quarter.

How do we know if we are making an impact? 

If you look at our population, statistically they should be terribly underperforming. We are an impoverished population with over 95 percent of students on free or reduced-price lunch. About one-third of our students don’t speak English as a first language. And we have a significant percentage of students dealing with issues of social upheaval, including incarcerated parents, homelessness, food insecurity, and immigration status problems.

Despite these challenges, our percentage of graduates earning honors diplomas and entering college far exceeds the national averages for poor children. Christel House Academy has been named in the U.S. News and World Report 2016 National Rankings of best high schools at the bronze level. While I cannot say that CHoW is singlehandedly the reason, I can say that our focus on helping students grow up with the ability to demonstrate strong positive character traits and excellent habits of work is an important element of that success.

CHoW provides a clearer picture of students’ strengths and areas for improvement. It instills a growth mindset and acts as a lens to help students transform and develop the soft skills needed for success. As a result, we are developing students who can set realistic and achievable goals, engage in meaningful conversations about their character, and assess their habits of work. We are developing the kind of young adults who we are all proud to have living in our community and who will become good employees and good citizens.

How intentional are you about building positive habits of work in your school? In this era of hyper academic accountability, how do you communicate that a person’s character is equally important?  

Carey Dahncke is Head of Schools for the Christel House Academy network of school in Indianapolis, IN and a 2013 MetLife Foundation-NASSP Breakthrough Schools principal. Follow him on Twitter @CareyDahncke. 

Photo credit: The MindTrust, Indianapolis

Guest post by Holly Ripley

As you well know, the role of the assistant principal has changed dramatically since the days when our primary responsibility was to serve as the resident disciplinarian. Addressing poor student behavior is of course still a necessary part of the job, but I work to minimize the time I spend on it so I can do the important work of coaching teachers and—sometimes directly, often indirectly—guiding students. If all students are in classes where they feel cared about, comfortable, and confident in learning, then we ultimately have very little misbehavior to deal with. 

As an assistant principal at West Fargo High School in West Fargo, ND, my job involves maintaining a laser-like focus on performance data and guiding my school through big challenges, from frequent principal turnover to sudden growth resulting from a booming local oil economy. I’ve led the creation of a customized Multi-Tiered System of Supports to catch struggling students early and strove to create a culture centered on positive relationships. My 1,400 students know me as someone who will challenge them so that they not only succeed in high school, but in their life after graduation as well.

Yet, my involvement goes way beyond the academic. My school experienced a terrible loss not long ago: the death of five students in a single year—two due to suicide. The tragedy inspired me to become certified as a Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR) trainer so I can provide guidance to teachers and, hopefully, prevent such an event from ever happening at our school again.

From Enforcer to Mentor  

Working with students who are struggling, in whatever sense, is a key part of the job. In working with such students, I find that it’s crucial to go deeper—past the negative behavior or undesirable outcomes you’re seeing on the surface down to the issues that are the root cause of the problem. Sometimes, they just need help seeing their way to the future, or even to the next step. Students especially—although sometimes even adults—have a difficult time mapping out a plan to achieve their goals. When a student is able to lay his or her cards on the table, it is then a pleasure to help them get to the next steps to improve their circumstances.

Take Abdi, for example. Abdi was struggling to get to school at all, to get to school on time, to focus at school, etc. When I built enough trust, he was able to confide in me that he was living in his car and did not have a family here. Through some community and personal connections, I worked to find him a family to take him in. Abdi’s attitude, spirit, and schoolwork began to improve, and he worked his way to graduation. This was an incredible opportunity, and I thank God I was in a position to help him.

Abdi’s experience is a reminder of my day-to-day goals. The list is long, but three goals remain paramount:

1. Ensure that all students are learning.
2. Provide appropriate structures so all teachers and students can be their best selves.
3. Walk alongside students as they develop their own life plans, and guide them through that process.

Doing these things is often far from easy, but always worth the effort.

Holly Ripley is the assistant principal of West Fargo High School in North Dakota and the 2016 National Assistant Principal of the Year.

Guest post by Jay R. Dostal, EdD

I remember the conversation like it was yesterday. It was nine years ago, and I was just finishing up my first week as a brand-new assistant principal. I had been preparing myself to be an assistant principal for years and finally had landed the job I so desperately wanted. The excitement of the job was overwhelming, and I was overjoyed that I was going to be able to put my educational administration and supervision degree to work.

Then in the first week of the job, the reality of what being a school administrator was hit me. Between attendance checks for 600-plus students, three out-of-school suspensions, a student disciplinary hearing, and a few phone calls to parents that didn’t go quite so well, I questioned myself for the first time about why I left the classroom for administration.

I didn’t know what to do. I had a great gig as a classroom teacher and coach. I was able to build awesome relationships with my students and was teaching two subjects—English and PE—that I absolutely loved. I didn’t understand why students viewed me differently now that I was an administrator. Did I make the right decision? I have to admit, at that moment, I finally found true meaning in Robert Frost’s words, “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—I took the one less traveled by.”

As I sat in my office after the first week, my mind raced with notions of doubt. It was at this time that my principal walked into my office and asked me how things were going. I had him shut the door and then I went off on how everything was not going as I planned it. I went on and on for 30 minutes as he just sat listening. When I was done, I don’t know if I felt any better other than the fact that I was able to talk to someone about my frustration. Then something magical happened. My principal stood up and walked out of my office without a word. The guy had just sat through a 30-minute tirade and didn’t say a word. He just stood up and left. What was going on here? No words of wisdom from a guy that had been in the business for more than 30 years? Nothing.

As I sat in disbelief about what had just transpired, my principal came back and peeked around my door, giving me 10 words that will forever be forged in my memory. He said, “Always remember—you wanted this job. Have a nice weekend!” When he said it, I could feel his brilliance. From that day forward, I have never questioned my decision. And that is where Robert Frost’s last line of the poem rings true: “And that has made all the difference.”

So, as you progress through the school year, whether you are a new teacher or administrator, things are going to happen that make you question the road that you have chosen. There are going to be meetings that you think are pointless, parent conversations that don’t go as well as you planned, more work than time will allow, and people that you just cannot stand. This is just part of the job in education and to think that it will be different is ludicrous. We all just want to teach and do our job, but in the words of one of my former superintendents, “You sometimes have to go through the muck to get to awesome!” It is OK to vent about all the muck and question whether or not this life/career is for you, but at the end of the day, always remember, you wanted this job. Have a nice weekend!

Have you ever questioned whether or not you are making a difference? Have you ever wondered if you made the right decision regarding your chosen career path?

Jay R. Dostal, EdD is the principal of Kearney High School in Kearney, NE. He has been in education for 15 years, 10 of which have been in an administrative role. He is the father of two amazing kids, Brenna and Mason, and his wife, Melanie, is a special education teacher. Jay is the 2016 Nebraska Principal of the Year.  

Guest post by Heberto Hinojosa, Jr.

As we look toward equity in all aspects of our schools, the small representation of low-income Latino students in advanced courses is of note. Over the last four years, I have had an opportunity to conduct a qualitative study to investigate parental influences and their perception of effective school practices that contribute to low-income, first- and second-generation Latino student success across Texas. Middle school students who were enrolled in at least one pre-AP class and earned honor roll the previous semester are those considered successful for the purposes of the study.

The following research questions guided the study:

1. What influences contribute to parents immigrating to the United States?
2. What are the parental influences at home that contribute to positive school experiences for Hispanic student success?
3. What beliefs do parents have that influence their children to succeed in school?
4. What school-based elements contribute to positive school experiences for Latino student success?
5. How do parents describe their relationship and involvement with their child’s school?

I traveled to very different parts of Texas to interview 10 sets of parents whose children qualified for the study. Each was very proud to share their story and thoughts on their schools. All but one spoke only Spanish. Interviews were approximately one hour long and conducted in their home. As I began to transcribe and collect data on the interviews, various themes emerged that are summarized by the research questions guiding the study:

1. The first research question investigated the influences that contributed to parents immigrating to the United States. They were (a) lack of opportunity in the home country and (b) to provide their children with a high-quality education.

2. The second research question investigated the parental and home influences that contributed to positive school experiences for Latino students. Four themes emerged regarding specific parental and home influences that provided a foundation for the positive school experiences of these eight students. These themes were (a) daily communication, (b) structure at home, (c) sibling support, and (d) intrinsic motivation.

3. The third research question investigated the beliefs parents had that influenced their children to succeed in school. The themes that emerged from these discussions included (a) emphasis on work ethic, (b) focus on moving ahead, and (c) an understanding of the importance of a college education.

4. Research question four explored the school-based elements that contributed to positive school experiences that resulted in Latino student success. Throughout the interviews, across four different regions in Texas where the schools these students attended were located, the overall response by parents was that their experience in school was a positive one. Three themes emerged which included (a) caring teachers, (b) positive influence of peers, and (c) recognition of personal determination.

5. The fifth research question investigated the relationship and involvement parents of successful students had with their school. Three themes emerged: (a) work culture and language barrier creates misconceptions, (b) feeling welcome, with reservations, and (c) respect and admiration for teachers.

Based on the findings from this study regarding home and parental influences as well as school-based elements that contribute to student success, the following implications for practice are recommended:

• Schools should provide specific guidelines to identify students and increase the number and success of minority students in advanced-level courses.
• Because sibling and peer support was noted as being an influence on student success, it is important for schools to implement a peer mentoring program.
• Because many times parents do not lack initiative to be involved in school, but instead lack the knowledge needed to access the system, educators should create informational meetings where various topics are explained in Spanish, including in-depth information about college.
• Because lack of English fluency is often a barrier to parent involvement, schools should provide training in English for parents.
• Educators should send out weekly talking points to parents that will encourage communication in the home.
• School leaders should implement culturally relevant professional development sessions where staff learns more about minority student populations.
• Safety-net mechanisms such as tracking should be put in place for students and parents.
• Because students who are on track for college might not have the financial resources, educators should promote and enhance the growth of dual-credit programs.

As you reviewed the findings, was there anything that resonated with you? What types of action plans are in place at your schools to increase low-income Latino representation within advanced courses?  

If you would like to access the full research, please email drhinojosa1@gmail.com or visit http://search.proquest.com/docview/1371155581.

Heberto Hinojosa, EdD is the principal of Fabra Elementary School in Boerne, TX and the 2016 Texas Assistant Principal of the Year. He is also a professor of school law at Schreiner University.