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Cultivating Character: One School’s Story

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Guest post by Bill Coon, Ed.D.

You enter a social studies classroom and are immediately greeted by a student who welcomes you and introduces himself. The student explains the learning target, or the tangible learning goal he or she can understand and work towards, and then he explains the Habits of Scholarship, or character, target. He shares that today’s Habit of Scholarship is, “I can work collaboratively with my peers to draft a thesis statement for an essay about Peter the Great.” The student invites you to sit down and enjoy the class. After you sit down at a table with three other students, the students unpack the learning targets together and then break into small groups to begin their work for the day. As an observer, you begin to see multiple examples of collaboration in each group.

Our goal at Meadow Glen Middle School is for all of our classrooms to look, feel, and sound like the one I just described. We want our faculty and students to identify the soft skills, or what we call the Habits of Scholarship (HOS), and we expect our students to demonstrate these traits each day. Cultivating character through our Habits of Scholarship initiative has been a rewarding journey that has helped to form well-rounded students.

Forming the Habits of Scholarship

Along our journey, we started with as many as 10 habits and found out through teacher and student interviews that neither group could name or describe the character traits. We realized that there were too many HOS, and the indicators were too long. An HOS committee, comprised of teachers and administrators, was formed and continued to research and revise our HOS. At the end of the 2013–14 school year, the HOS committee finally identified the five character traits—tenacity, leadership, communication, collaboration, and integrity—and described each trait with several indicators. Click here to see our HOS indicators.

In order to help everyone remember the character traits, Meadow Glen Middle teachers and administrators landed on one simple sentence: “I am a tenacious leader who communicates and collaborates with integrity.” I believe every student on our campus knows the sentence and can describe what each of the traits looks like in the classroom. A simple sentence that students, teachers, and parents can remember and talk about is powerful.

Teaching the Habits of Scholarship

Diverse group of teen high school students are sitting around round table in library. They are studying books and papers to prepare for a test. Caucasian, African American, Hispanic, and Indian teen boys and girls are smiling while working together on class project.

Our school has a structure in place that we call CREW (Creating Relationships and Exploring Within) that meets for 30 minutes, three times a week. CREW is a meatier, more thoughtful approach to advisory for students. Every teacher has a CREW of 15–18 students in our school. In CREW, students participate in a number of leadership development activities, develop specific academic and character goals, and learn the HOS through discussion with their CREW leader. Our faculty also teaches the habits in the classroom, includes HOS learning targets in their lesson plans, and displays them on their boards.

Assessing the Habits of Scholarship

Tracking and reporting HOS has been a challenge for us, one that we continue to discuss and revise in order to work toward a simple, easy-to-use approach to tracking and reporting HOS data for both students and teachers. Teachers use a variety of methods to track concerns with HOS, including Google Forms, spreadsheets, QR codes, and student-reflection sheets. What we have found is that teachers need to have flexibility in how they collect their data. Though the data collection methods differ, all of our teachers utilize the same HOS report card to send home to students and parents. Click here to see an example of our current HOS report card.

Practicing the Habits of Scholarship

The HOS have made a positive impact on our students, staff, and school. Students now actively discuss character traits during classroom activities and spend time reflecting on how to improve their HOS. In fact, during our parent and student orientations this past year, four of our sixth-grade students shared how the HOS have impacted their school and home lives for the better. During our monthly student-led “town hall” meetings, a group of six to seven students are recognized as citizen scholars by their peers and teachers for a habit of scholarship that they have consistently demonstrated. Teachers recognize each other with our Golden Gator Award for HOS work, as well during our faculty meetings. The peer-to-peer recognition is a sincere and much appreciated distinction for both students and teachers.

What is your experience with character education initiatives such as the Habits of Scholarship? How do you ensure that students possess these important learner qualities?

Bill Coon serves as the principal for Meadow Glen Middle School in Lexington, SC, with “the finest professionals on the planet.” Meadow Glen Middle is a Palmetto Gold and Silver Award-winning school, a TransformSC School, and on a journey to become an EL Education School. He is the 2016 South Carolina Principal of the Year. 


Teacher Evaluations—Creating a Comfort Zone

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Guest post by Matthew Younghans

In the ever-changing world of Annual Professional Performance Review (APPR), significant value has been put on teacher evaluations. While once a narrative write-up process, our current systems are a far cry from the past. The power and control of such processes now lie within the domain of state regulation and at the collective bargaining table, which can even differ by district. I have found that creating a comfort zone regarding the process, inclusive of clear expectations, will help to defuse some of the normal teacher anxiety that can be present during these times. 

The first step in the process is to have teachers and students be familiar with the administrator or observer being in the room. To do this, you can visit classrooms and be present in the hallways, cafeteria, and playground. Welcome students and teachers to school in the morning at arrival time and wish them a good day during dismissal. Be personable. The greater the frequency with which you visit classrooms, however informal, will lessen the oddity of your being there and the nervousness teachers may feel when it comes to the actual observation. By making visits routine, you establish a comfort level that carries the potential to put teachers slightly more at ease when it’s time for observation day.va-academy-2016-0520

Especially as a new administrator, it is positive practice to mandate pre- and post-observation conferences. While this is normal practice in some districts and can even be part of contractual obligations, this experience breeds a positive working relationship between the teacher and observer. The pre-observation allows for clear expectations to be communicated and methodology to be discussed, while setting the stage for coaching and improvement. After the observation, a post-conference provides the time to have a constructive conversation about the observation itself. Focus on positives and explain the best practices you saw taking place, supported by evidence. Doing so will set the tone of the meeting and establish your coaching demeanor as supportive and encouraging. After this portion of the conversation is complete, the coaching begins. Suggestions, recommendations for practice and improvement, and questions about next steps should carry the remainder of the meeting. Once the relationship has been established, your feedback can be understood as more constructive and less critical.

An additional way to create a level of comfort is by educating those being observed on the process, including any changes on a year-to-year basis. Share your rater rubrics, review model lessons, and find and share video clips of effective classrooms and lessons that yield the highest ratings. Just as teachers do for students, modeling is crucial to understanding. One such example is a document my former administrators and I put together that stated examples of evidence for each teacher observation component. We provided evidentiary examples of effective and highly effective practices across all content areas. Teachers could then reference these examples when constructing their lessons to integrate these activities where appropriate.

Lastly, providing professional development on ways teachers can push their practices to a higher level is something that is positive for everyone. I recommend taking time during a staff meeting or professional development day to address this early each school year. Teachers benefit because they learn more efficient and effective ways to sharpen their skills, and their evaluations should reflect accordingly. You, as an administrator, are providing them with the tools to do so. The students, the most important piece of this equation, benefit from better instruction. All in all, this can create a more positive learning environment and outlook on the observation process itself.

In my experience, these practices have allowed teachers to understand that the observation process is a glimpse into their body of work over the course of a school year. Providing teachers with the tools to be successful, in this and any aspect, leads to positive working relationships and success in the classroom.

How have you navigated the teacher observation process and its changes in more recent years? What have you found to be effective administrative practice in creating comfort regarding performance evaluations?   

Matthew Younghans is the principal of Little Tor Elementary School. He previously served as an assistant principal in the Clarkstown Central School District, where he was named the 2016 SAANYS/NASSP New York State Secondary Assistant Principal of the Year. 

What I Learned in D.C.: Advocacy Matters

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Guest post by Steve Carlson

A principal has many things to do—too many, in fact. This makes prioritizing crucial.
It can also mean that we also sometimes neglect things that just don’t have the urgency of a student crisis, a concerned parent, or a homecoming dance. But as I expand my personal learning network (PLN) I have increasingly come to realize that advocacy for education is something to which I needed to devote more energy. It’s important that we not only recognize the important work of principals but remember that advocacy—for our students and our schools—is part of that important work.

It’s hard to believe, but decision-makers at the state and federal level levels don’t always get to hear a lot of voices on an issue before they take action. However, I’ve come to realize that they listen to the voices they do hear and often are swayed by well-informed advocates. With so much at stake I believe we as principals must be a passionate voice in the conversation to advocate for sound educational policies and statutes that are in the best interest of our students.

I’m fortunate to have had some rich opportunities to advocate for education. I attended the NASSP Princapital-us-5432570large_locipals Institute in Washington, D.C. This was a four-da experience that included professional development along with advocacy opportunities. Each state was represented by one of their secondary Principals of the Year and all principals that attended had scheduled meetings with their own federal legislators for the opportunity to discuss education issues that are before Congress right now. As a result, my wife Erin, a high school English teacher, and I met with Rep. Candice Miller and with legislative aides from the offices of Sen. Debbie Stabenow and Sen. Gary Peters. We were warmly received as we spoke on a handful of topics.

One of these topics was the changing role of the principal and thus the need for high-quality professional development. We tied this into a talking point about Title II, Part A funds. Under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), state governments can set aside up to 3 percent of their federal Title II, Part A funds to be earmarked for school leader training. Our “ask” was that Congress appropriate Title II, Part A at the full authorization level to make this 3 percent earmark more likely to happen. Since most Michigan principals are undergoing training associated with a rigorous teacher evaluation tool, the money to support this training is so crucial.

My experiences with NASSP have given me some amazing opportunities to engage with lawmakers and others who influence decisions about education. The truth is, though, that anyone can get into the arena to be heard.

NASSP’s Federal Grassroots Network has advocacy opportunities for its members.
The goal of this initiative is to have at least one principal in each U.S. congressional district be an advocate for the educational priorities at the national level. The outreach you do could be meeting with your congressperson when they are in your home district or it could be emails, phone calls, etc. Those who sign up for this opportunity receive a monthly newsletter from NASSP as well as a weekly email that centers around current issues. This means that you don’t have to do a lot of research or reading to stay up on the issues; the issues are brought right to your inbox.

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At any given time, at both the state and national level, there are many bills on the floor that could have serious consequences for our students and their educators. For every bill introduced, there are dozens of “ideas” that are being considered. Through my own experience, I know that principals are a valued resource for lawmakers because of our unique perspective and our vast experiences.

I’d like to challenge you all to make your voice heard in some way. The online tools offered by NASSP really make it quick and easy to do.

You already have an opinion: why not share it with those who can affect change?

Steve Carlson is the principal of Sandusky Junior and Senior High School. He is the 2016 Michigan Principal of the Year and the state’s national nominee.

The Power of Teacher Leaders

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Guest post by Clint Williams

Administrators are asked to wear a great many hats to represent a number of roles on any given day. Perhaps most important is the role of learning leader. While that role is often seen as the person who is ultimately responsible for ensuring student learning, it is also important to remember that principals and associate principals are responsible for staff learning as well. When you step back and look at this task, it can be a daunting—especially when you add in the managerial aspects of the position. In the Camas School District and at Skyridge Middle School, we have looked to the work of teacher leaders to help distribute that load. In the process, we have learned that our professional development has become much richer and more productive.

As a district, we have embraced two basic ideas in this process. The first is that we have a great deal of talent in our district from which we can all learn. The second is that no one person can be an expert in everything, but we can harness the power of those who are experts in their chosen areas. These two ideas have led to changes in the way that we deliver professional development.

Within the teacher contract is a professional development fund. Teachers spend about two thirds of the money on professional development of their own choice, including conferences, workshops, online courses, etc. Teachers use the remaining money to attend professional development classes taught by teachers from our own district. These offerings began with our teachers on special assignment as the instructors, but have since grown to include any teacher who wants to share their expertise with others. Some of these teachers have been recruited based on strengths that have been shared, while others volunteer. This has led to a wide range of course offerings including A Mindset for Learning Book Study, Extended Inquiry Workshop, My Anxious Mind Book Study, and Using Bridges Curriculum to Meet the Needs of All Students. As needs come up, we search for experts to teach those classes, and most of the time, we find people within our own ranks.

We have also applied the concept of shared leadership within Skyridge Middle School. We start each year by analyzing performance data in order to get a clear picture of the school and address student learning needs. Next, we ask our staff, “What do we want to learn in order to better help our students learn?” This question helps to focus our professional development on issues that are important to our staff. It has created a great deal of buy-in with the staff and has led to much more productive conversations. We have also looked to the experts in our staff to help us deliver this professional development. Many of our teachers have responded that our professional development sessions are more productive than ever.

This is not a new concept for us at Skyridge. We have had a Shared Leadership Team in place for the last eight years, but we learned a lot from our initial meetings this year. The power of choice, combined with the use of teacher leaders, can be valuable in developing a common vision and focus for a building or district staff.

How do you use teacher leaders in your building? How do you develop the leadership skills of those teachers or staff members?

Clint Williams is the principal at Skyridge Middle School in Camas, WA. He is the 2016 Washington State Assistant Principal of the Year. 

Career Academies: Rigor, Relevance, and Relationships

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Guest post by Darrin M. Peppard

Steve, a veteran math teacher, asked, “Why do we do our learning walks in classrooms that don’t match with our own content area?” With a confused look, I responded, “Because you don’t really teach content, Steve, you teach kids, and kids need transferable skills more than they need content.”

Education today is seeing a shift in how work must be done. This shift is being driven by outside influences such as political mandates, escalating technology, and changes in the global business platform. Focus has shifted from teaching content (chemistry, U.S. history, etc.) to teaching skills. While the content is still important, it’s the skills students need to be successful in their very near future (their real lives beyond high school)—such as logical reasoning, comparing and contrasting, and problem-solving—that are truly critical to learning outcomes.

img_00141Reflecting recently on the career academies at Rock Springs High School, I was brought back to the “three R’s” of the career academies. RSHS academies are based on the foundation of rigor, relevance, and relationships. Two career academies in their eighth year at RSHS, Health Occupations Career Academy (HOCA) and Energy Resource Academy (ERA), have demonstrated an incredible ability to challenge and truly prepare students for life after high school. In 2012, the U.S. Department of Education Drives America Tour visited RSHS academies and labeled them an “Island of Excellence.” The third career academy—Fire, Law & Leadership Academy (FLLA)—is well on its way to demonstrating the same successful outcomes.

 

Reaching for Rigor in All Classrooms

While some still struggle to wrap themselves around the concept of “career and college ready,” career academy programs have long been excelling in this area. A career academy can take many forms, ranging from a simple sequence of courses to much more complicated designs with internships or job shadowing included in the experience. The model used by Rock Springs High School is much more the latter, with students spending up to four hours per week in the community job shadowing and working with business partners to develop meaningful senior projects. Required college courses, AP offerings, and three-year career and technical education sequences have career academy students achieving higher ACT scores, higher average GPAs, and much more defined career and college paths at graduation than their non-academy peers. Most importantly, the intentional teaching of soft skills and 21st-century skills puts academy students at a clear advantage.

Relevance

Why do students select career academies over traditional “comprehensive” high school programs? First and foremost, students identify with the career pathway on which they see themselves.  Students hear stories fromimg_0820-jpg1 current academy students or graduates of the academies about the atmosphere, the on-site visits and guest lecturers, and the opportunity to spend time alongside business professionals. Likewise, the embedded project-based learning and academic standards addressed through the filter of natural resources, health care, or law and fire are quite the hook for students and their parents. Teachers find the process equally exciting, as they get the
chance to learn about a variety of professions in their community and have easy connections for their students in the classroom. In addition to those connections, teachers in career academies interlace workplace skills required for success into their daily expectation of students, including presentations and public speaking, teamwork, and self-advocacy for work completion.

Relationships

Yale University Professor of Child Psychiatry Dr. James Comer once said, “No significant learning occurs without a significant relationship.” Rita Pierson’s TED Talk, “Every Kid Needs a Champion” is a powerful presentation on why relationships allow for meaningful learning.

While rigor and relevance are vital to the success of career academy programs, a teacher’s ability to form meaningful relationships with his or her students is paramount to exceptional results. Academy teachers go above and beyond to ensure student success. Academy teachers must be willing to do the work differently, build lasting relationships with students, and collaborate well with their team. Each teacher working alongside academy students must be a champion of kids.

How does your school address the teaching of 21st-century skills? Do you have true career- and college-readiness programs? How well have you incorporated your business partnerships into student learning?

Darrin Peppard is a 22-year veteran of education and currently the principal at Rock Springs High School in Rock Springs, WY. His experiences and successes include the implementation of career academies at RSHS and leading the school to become a Jostens Renaissance model school. Darrin was named Jostens Renaissance Educator of the Year in 2015 and Wyoming Principal of the Year in 2016. Follow him on Twitter @DarrinPeppard. 

Using Formative Assessments for School Improvement

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Guest post by Jessica Ainsworth

 

The use of standardized or large-scale assessments affect the decision-making of policymakers, educational leaders, teachers, and other stakeholders—as those of us at Lithia Springs High School learned when standardized testing results and other factors placed us on the state’s “at-risk” list. Lithia Springs High was considered a failing school in Georgia, and we had an enormous task before us to change that perception. 

We relied heavily on our formative assessments to guide our school improvement process and give us a window into the future successes of our students, but it made me wonder: Were our formative assessments really predictive in measure? Were they providing teachers with an accurate understanding of students’ specific curriculum standard strengths and weaknesses sufficient to design enrichment and remediation?

Yet, without sound proof of reliability or validity of these district-developed assessments, we continued to make instructional decisions. Unreliable or invalid results could negatively impact the implementation of appropriate instruction for all students, but adversely impact special student populations even more.

This led me to three primary questions:

1. To what extent are common formative assessments significant predictors of high-stakes student achievement in the school district?

2. To what extent are common formative assessments significant predictors of high-stakes student achievement for students with a disability?

3. To what extent are common formative assessments significant predictors of high-stakes student achievement for students with a disability within specific demographic groups?

The results of these questions allowed me to establish whether or not a relationship existed among the formative assessment results and our state test. In addition, it found if a relationship existed for students who identify with specific subgroups on formative assessments and high-stakes assessments. If there was not a strong relationship, I knew we would need to look at making revisions to our current assessments. Once there was an understanding of the nature of the relationships, I could also provide educators with the confidence to use the results of the formative assessments to adjust instruction, provide remediation, or provide enrichment.

I decided to take small steps, beginning with our weakest area—mathematics—and found seven relationships between specific mathematics common formative assessments and subdomains on a state test. The greatest correlations were found among students as a whole, with fewer identified for students with a disability, and few or none for specific subgroups among students with a disability.

Subgroup performance was especially important to me due to limited research on predictive validity for students with a disability. Knowledge about subgroup performance would help us determine our school improvement approach for our lowest-performing subgroup, but these results also helped me think differently about our assessment practices.

Information from this analysis allowed me to understand the importance of statically evaluating assessment results, so teachers have the opportunity to confidently use the assessment results to guide and differentiate instruction to better prepare their students for mastery of learning. In other cases, the information informed our assessment writers that revisions were needed to increase predictive validity and provided evidence for decision-makers to continue the use of these formative assessments for the purposes of predictive validity.

In my new role as assistant director of assessment for the county, the practice of evaluating our assessments has expanded to each assessment in our district. I hope the model I used will become a common practice in Georgia and require us to think differently as we choose which tests to give to students.

Assessment and accountability measures are here to stay. When you think about the underperformance of specific student groups, how are you ensuring your assessment program and specific assessments yield an accurate perception of their future on high-stakes assessments?

To read the full research, download it here.

Jessica Ainsworth, Ed.D., is the assistant director of assessment for the Douglas County School System in Douglasville, GA. She was named 2015 NASSP Assistant Principal of the Year, 2015 Georgia Assistant Principal of the Year, and 2016 K–12 Dive Education Administrator of the Year. Follow Jessica on Twitter @jessmainsworth.

Yesterday’s Video Gamers Are Today’s Engaged Learners

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Guest post by Kathryn Procope

 

Whether it’s Madden NFL 17 and Call of Duty or Candy Crush and Words with Friends, both kids and adults today are spending countless hours playing video games. This time is generally regarded as unproductive or, worse yet, detrimental to one’s well-being. 

But while it may seem that video games are nothing more than escapist fun, recent research suggests that video game use can have positive effects on learning and comprehension. Instead of hindering student performance, digital video game technologies show potential to improve student engagement, achievement, and mastery of content.

A recent Pew research study revealed that 97 percent of teenagers play some type of video game at least once a day. That is a huge statistic. As educational leaders work to create the ultimate 21st-century classroom, the utilization of digital game-based technologies cannot be ignored. My experience suggests that digital game-based learning can be a viable method to engage and motivate students.

Digital Video Games at Work in a Classroom 

At Howard University Middle School of Mathematics and Science, a seventh-grade class of underperforming math students plays the video game TowerStorm from DimensionU twice a week. TowerStorm is a competitive, real-time, multiplayer game that provides timed online activities that reinforce mathematics instruction. Students create their own avatar and gain points by solving problems associated with the standards. Correct answers give students an opportunity to launch a ball at the tower that increases their score. Students compete against each other to get the highest points on the leader board.

Playing TowerStorm has increased student engagement in mathematics practice. Students are motivated to work on problems independently because they want to score points and advance on the board. Our teachers have observed a greater willingness among students to solve math problems while playing the game than other traditional practice methods. TowerStorm is fun and social for students, and they are eager to work collaboratively to help one another. Students give each other high-fives as they advance and encourage their peers who are struggling.

Benefits of Playing Video Games

Students who play video games actually use many of the skills that teachers consistently try to cultivate in the classroom. Gamers tend to be better problem solvers and have better visual spatial development than nongamers. According to the American Psychological Association, playing video games may improve cognitive skills, including spatial navigation, reasoning, memory, and perception. Video games require players to devote a significant amount of time to practicing the game in order to advance from one level to the next. Gamers strategize their play and try different approaches when one doesn’t work. These students expect and use immediate feedback and enjoy challenges and competition. And if this wasn’t enough, group and online play provide social reinforcement and opportunities for collaboration.

Digital games are designed in ways that replicate many of the same structures we as educators aim to build in our classrooms. The first step in play is understanding the game’s objectives or learning targets, such as collecting items, positioning elements, or controlling territory. Players use online tutorials or play with others to learn the skills and knowledge needed for game play. Furthermore, digital games are “scaffolded” to support growth and development. Players advance to more difficult levels after mastering easier ones. Games provide constant feedback and offer multiple chances to progress. Players receive incentives and rewards as they achieve game goals, which help builds confidence and a desire to move to more difficult levels.

As school leaders search to provide positive learning opportunities for students, digital game-based learning is an area that needs more attention and research. Let’s look to what these games are doing right and learn from them to see how we can improve student engagement, achievement, and mastery of content.

Kathryn Procope is the Head of School at the Howard University Middle School of Mathematics and Science, where she encourages the implementation of innovative technologies to encourage student learning. She is the 2016 District of Columbia Principal of the Year. 

Getting the Best Out of the School Community

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Guest post by Angie Adrean

 

After becoming superintendent of the Worthington City School District in 2015, Dr. Trent Bowers has stressed to our leadership team that we must connect, communicate, care, and lead. I have found this leadership philosophy particularly helpful in building a positive school culture that brings out the best in both staff and students. These four words aim to show everyone that they are valuable members of the school community and positive and meaningful partners in the educational process.  

Connect

Connecting is the first step to getting the best out of our school community. By this I mean connecting our school to the greater Worthington community of residents, local groups, and businesses. Schools must understand the community and vice versa so we can better serve one another and build mutually beneficial relationships.

When a school and the community connect to support one another, everyone benefits. It has built trust and cooperation for our students and residents. The community views our students as young adults who care about the community and have a stake in its future. Our students volunteer for local organizations and work as interns for area businesses. And our students view our local residents as active members of the school who care about our students’ education. Our community members serve as guest speakers, provide job shadowing opportunities, and are involved in various outreach activities.

Communicate

The next key to getting the best out of our school community is communication. Student voices are really at the core of the education process, and a motto at Worthington Kilbourne High School (WKHS) is “speak up and listen more.” This idea is embedded in our culture as we are intentional about providing time and attention for our students to know their voice matters. It is not uncommon to observe our classroom teachers and classified staff working with our students before and after school, at coffee shops, or during their academic prep periods.

 

Listening to student voices is paramount in helping students become partners in education. For me, the Principal Advisory Council (PAC) is one of the ways that I listen to student voices. The PAC is a forum where students are free to share their experiences—both good and bad—with the school. I’ve learned from the PAC that caring adults, exciting activities, and learning successes help make a positive school environment while early start times, homework without purpose, and the college application process create stress for students.

Care

Students thrive and succeed in learning environments where they know that people care for them. I stress with my staff that students need to feel cared for and respected in the classroom. To instill this sense of classroom belonging, teachers make a concerted effort to give students positive feedback and verbal praise in the classroom. Also, they take an interest in students outside of the classroom. This could be as simple as talking to a student about a favorite sports team or going to watch a student perform in the school play. These efforts help students and teachers build positive relationships that enhance classroom engagement and student learning.

I want each and every student in my school to know that someone cares about them. We live, grow, and work in the same environment each and every day, and there are days where we spend more time with each other than we do with our own families. Whether it is a teacher, coach, academic assistant, secretary, or custodian, students need a caring adult in the school who believes in them.

Lead

The final part of this philosophy is leadership. Our students take pride in the multiple opportunities to lead in our school. They care about their learning, their growth as a learner, and the overall success of our school. I hope and believe that our students refer to WKHS as THEIR SCHOOL. We talk a lot about our “why” in our work as educators and my “why” is as simple as it sounds: for every school staff member, student, parent, and member of the school community to feel a sense of ownership in WKHS.

Connect, communicate, care, and lead. Certainly, my intention and hope is that we can all speak positively about these four qualities happening as an integrated part of what we do each and every day. These four qualities remind us what it takes to get the best out of our school community.

What do you do to get the best out of your school community? How do you connect, communicate, care, and lead?  

Angie Adrean is the principal at Worthington Kilbourne High School in Worthington, OH. She is the 2016 Ohio Principal of the Year. Follow her on Twitter @aadrean. 


Raising Wellness in Arizona

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Guest post by Jeff Simon

While many of us are making resolutions for 2017 to lose weight, save money, and live life to the fullest, Payson High School students are hard at work planning our annual Student Wellness Conference, an award-winning event devoted to helping students become their best selves.

In 2010, Payson’s art teacher George Conley organized a Depression Awareness Day that featured three sessions and a video to raise awareness and combat student depression. Since then, this event has evolved into the Student Wellness Conference, a conference-style day that brings together local and regional experts to address a wide range of wellness topics. In the summer of 2014, the state of Arizona recognized our Student Wellness Conference with the Achievement in Action Award.

Wellness is more than just not being sick. As the World Health Organization states, “Wellness is an active process of becoming aware of and making choices toward a healthy and fulfilling life.” Our approach to wellness is comprehensive, and we use this event to equip students with the knowledge and skills they need to understand and practice physical, social, occupational, intellectual, and cultural wellness.

The conference begins and ends with keynote speakers who discuss the idea of wellness and offer practical advice on general wellness strategies. Between the keynotes, students participate in four 45-minute breakout sessions, with sessions one and two in the morning, and sessions three and four in the afternoon.

The breakouts offer students over 40 different options of wellness topics, ranging from fun sessions like yoga, Zumba, and mixed martial arts to more serious ones, including eating disorders, personal finance, and suicide prevention. In addition, upperclassmen can attend a career fair and explore postsecondary education options. Students receive a program before the conference and sign up digitally for the sessions they want to attend. Picking sessions in this way gives students a safe, easy way to get the help they need for the issues and challenges in their lives. To see the full list of session options, please view the conference program.

Presenters for the breakout sessions are vetted and include a variety of school staff and community members. The Payson Police Department runs a session called When You Turn 18 that discusses what it means to be a legal adult. The Time Out Shelter holds a Teen Dating Violence session to teach students how to recognize the signs of an abusive relationship and how to avoid it. And Tim Wright, a local attorney, offers a session on The Cost of a Habit, which explores all of the costs—financial and more—associated with bad habits.

Involving the staff and local community gives them a chance to share what they know and love with students. And it gives students an opportunity to see the adults in their lives doing something outside of the school realm and to see that life extends beyond the walls of Payson High School. The staff and community have embraced this event and show their commitment not only by presenting, but also by offering financial support and material donations.

What we want for students is to connect to something through the Wellness Conference. It is our hope that all students find an interest to help them enjoy their lives more, skills to help them cope with their daily struggles, and information to help them make wise decisions. Most of all, we want students to understand that everyone can benefit from learning and sharing strategies to tackle all of life’s challenges.

In what ways does your school encourage students to think actively about their overall well-being?

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.

How to Engage Parents as Partners

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When I became the principal of Henry Hudson Regional School seven years ago, there was little to no communication between the home and school. Parental involvement was no more than a booster club that raised money. Research shows time and again that students are more successful in school when they have parents who are engaged in their education. I knew that in order to get the best out of my students and make changes in school culture, I needed to engage parents as decision-making partners.

So how does a principal start bridging a communication divide with parents? For me, it started during my first week as principal. That year and every year since, I meet new seventh-grade parents at orientation and invite them to attend a barbecue. I use this opportunity to sit down with parents and get to know them on a personal level. It is important for parents to see principals in a friendly way to help them open up. I answer their questions, calm their fears about the new school, and generally build goodwill.

Improving the parent-school relationship requires trust. Trust, I’ve learned, starts with communication, especially listening. One of the ways I communicate with and listen to parents is by attending their PTO meetings. I spend 20 minutes at the beginning of each meeting with a question-and-answer period. I give a brief overview of events and goals for the year, then open it up to questions. Though this can be daunting, it is a great way to show parents that I am open to their ideas and gain their trust.

Another way I foster parental involvement is through an open-door policy. I encourage parents to reach out to me about any student issue or school concern they have at any time. And when a parent reaches out to me, I always respond within 24 hours no matter what the situation. I expanded this open-door policy by creating a Parent Advisory Committee (PAC). Parents volunteer their time at least four to five times a year to discuss key school issues with our administrative team, teachers, and counselors. The PAC lets parent voices be heard and allows parents to share in making decisions for the school community.

Little by little, parents see your openness and honesty, and pretty soon, they are willing to do just about anything to help you, the school and, ultimately, their children be successful. I am happy to say that parents are truly my partners in the education of their children. All of these efforts have improved communication and, more important, empowered parents to play a pivotal role in their child’s education. Our parents provide excellent ideas for improving procedures and have become the greatest public relations team for our school. And students have more champions in their corner helping them succeed. Open your door to parents—they are waiting to be invited and needed.

How do you invite parents to engage in your school? What are the most effective practices to give parents a voice and empower them to play a larger role in their child’s education?

Lenore M. Kingsmore has been in education for 32 years as a teacher, counselor, supervisor, director, and principal. Currently, she is the principal of Henry Hudson Regional School, a comprehensive 7–12 school in Highlands, NJ. She has received several awards for her leadership and is the 2016 New Jersey Principal of the Year. 

The Importance of Building Relationships Within the Community

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Guest post by Cameron Soester

In my time at Milford Public Schools, I have learned that it truly takes a village to help our students succeed. Schools and communities share a common goal of creating a learning environment that develops strong students who will one day become productive citizens. Working with the community, however, can be difficult as it takes time and effort for schools to engage its residents and businesses. But taking the time to build these community relationships has been essential to the success of our students at Milford. 

A tremendous amount of pride exists among current students, alumni, and community members. The theme of our school district for the last five years has been, “everyone has a story … make yours worth telling.” Even before the adoption of this mantra, the community has been very supportive of the school district in many ways; but I think that folks really understand that their relationship—whatever that might be—matters to the students and the district as a whole. We do regular community focus groups, online surveys, and open meetings in an effort to listen to our residents. To help us improve relationships, staff members represent the school in different area clubs, on community boards, on church leadership committees, and with other local organizations.

Our administrative team and staff constantly work to build relationships with the community. We have some great traditions that help us do that, such as athletic competitions, fine arts programs and performances, and academic engagements. The Milford community finds ways to contribute to our efforts by providing a multitude of resources, including school volunteers, material donations, and monetary gifts.

Each year the Milford Education Foundation (MEF) generously provides scholarships to help students go to the college of their choice. Though other organizations do similar work, MEF is special. Last year, 42 of 55 graduating seniors earned MEF scholarships, totaling approximately $65,000. On top of this gift, students are eligible for a second-year scholarship renewal if they give back to the community through community service hours. These types of opportunities speak to the culture the school has developed with the community and the appreciation the students have for the community’s generosity.

The community has also rallied around the concept of donation matching, helping us to receive a grant from Education Quest. This grant affords us the opportunity to take every student in grades 9–12 on college visits. By the time students graduate, they will have been on at least six college campuses. This grant also allows students in grades 7–12 to participate in a day of interactive sessions that allow them to develop success strategies, to learn about college opportunities, and to explore a career fair. In order to receive this grant, we must receive a certain amount in community donations. These special activities mean enough to our community that they are eager to give. We also get donations from the public for prizes and from local companies for speaker gifts.

Another way our community has supported our school is through an anonymous donation of $2.5 million. This endowed fund generates around $100,000 annually to use for the development and maintainance of new programs and allows for special professional development opportunities for staff. Simply put, many of the opportunities that our students have gained in the last four years would not have been possible without this generosity.

The bottom line is this: Because our community believes in our school, it also believes in helping to make an investment in the future of the community. There are many ways that this has transpired over the years, but without taking the time to foster positive relationships, none of this would be possible. Strive for community engagement!

How do you promote positive community relationships? What are some strategies you use to start building a tradition of giving in your school district? How do you get your community engaged in your school?

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.

Every Student Matters

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Guest post by John C. Bartlett

When I woke up the morning after Election Day, my to-do list had a new priority: a visit to my English language learner classroom and a conversation with our 50 students who were getting their first taste of American democracy at work. What did these students want and need from me and their teachers? These students wanted to know that they matter, that someone cared about them, and that they were safe. Essentially, they wanted to know what every student needs to know when they walk through the front door of our schools every day.In a school of over 2,000 students, I am often asked about our school being too large and potentially impersonal. My replies are simple; any school can be large and impersonal, and any school can be quaint and personal depending on the focus, efforts, and culture established by the school leadership.

Here are some tips to make sure ALL students feel like they matter, based on my experience:

  1. Create intentional spaces of safety where students have ownership. The creation of safe spaces can include classrooms of refuge for particular student groups, such as students struggling with gender identity and ELL students. These safe places may be in classrooms where clubs are sponsored, areas of the library monitored by adults, or even within the halls. It is important that the students feel safe and protected while finding a “home” within the school.
  1. Create intentional structures where students are connected with an adult who knows them and values them as individuals. Many schools take this intentional structure and create a “homeroom” or “advisory” structure, while others require students to join clubs, student organizations, or various extracurricular activities where they are able to build relationships with a trusting adult.
  1. Support and enhance student leadership, giving them a voice within the school. I have found the first line of defense in making sure every student feels valued is to engage student leadership in creating ways to give every student group a voice in leadership. Roughly three times a semester, I eat lunch with our student leadership class. During this time, I seek feedback about how to make the school better and ways to ensure that every student has an equal opportunity to be heard.
  1. Be available for students. Like many of you, I start my day standing in front of the school as students get dropped off. I eat lunch in the cafeteria, visit classrooms over and over throughout the day, and visit with students during class changes. It is important that every student feels like he or she has access to the administrative leadership. The easiest way to make sure they feel that way is to be available and present throughout their day.

One of my favorite leadership principles is that truly great leaders create culture, not policy. It is imperative that great school leaders create a culture where every student matters, starting by embodying the culture we want to create.

How does your school create a culture that shows every student matters?

John Bartlett, EdD, is currently the principal at Bearden High School in Knoxville, TN. A husband, father of two wonderful children, and father figure to many more, John is honored to be recognized as the 2016 Tennessee Principal of the Year.

 

 

 

Expanding on Student Passion: Getting Creative with Career and Technical Education

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Guest post by Cameron Soester

Milford High School places great importance on non-core classes. Our career and technical education (CTE) courses and organizations have experienced tremendous success over the years. Much of this success is due to the dedicated staff members who do whatever it takes to allow students to explore their passions within the curriculum. To maintain the strength of these programs, we have devoted time and effort to renew and rejuvenate our CTE programs.

To include more students in CTE, we have begun offering a larger and more diverse catalog, adding courses in graphic design, screen printing, 3-D printing, robotics, and broadcasting. Our dual-credit offerings through career academies have also expanded, with more opportunites available through the local community college and other colleges and universities. And our senior seminar allows students to tailor their learning to suit their passions. Though it was a challenge to fit these new course offerings into our master schedule, our staff was willing to step up to benefit our students. Our principal even co-teaches the screen printing course (one of his passions) with another staff member.

Each of these courses brings something unique to our school. Students in our graphic design and screen printing program make many of the T-shirts for sports, clubs, activities and even a few community organizations. Our robotics students put their STEM skills to the test by creating VEX robot systems with which they will soon compete. Through our broadcasting class, students live stream all of our home events and make school promotional videos. Our dual high school/college credit program helped two students earn 27 college credits, with another 14 students (out of a class of 55) earning 12 hours of college.

One of the most exciting additions to our CTE program is senior seminar, a course that allows students to choose a topic to study for a semester and apply the knowledge and skills they learn in an interactive, self-directed project. Senior seminar provides opportunities for students to explore areas not offered at our school or to learn more about a topic on their own. Through this course, students have taken up photography, built custom duck blinds, and utilized our new computer numerical control equipment to develop outstanding projects.

Many of these expansions have been a part of a larger strategic plan made possible by an anonymous donation. Although some of these things happen every day in other schools across the country, the focus on these items, as well as our achievement in core classes, has made a lasting effect on the students of Milford Jr/Sr High School. When developing semester schedules, our students see all of the unique possibilities offered at MHS, which hopefully supports their career choices.

Milford Public Schools is driven by our motto, “Everyone has a story … make yours worth telling.” We have embraced this motto and allowed our students to develop some of their own stories through the CTE program. The culture we have created is one that promotes and rewards personal growth alongside the traditional student experience.

What types of programs or activities do you have that allow students to explore their passions? When and how do you incorporate student passions into your core curriculum?

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.

The Principal and Political Influence

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Guest post by Jay R. Masterson

The saying “all politics is local” has special relevance when it comes to K–12 education policy. Communities care deeply about how their children are educated. Everyone wants great outcomes but there are always differences of opinion about how to get there. Too often decisions are made without input from the individuals best positioned to inform these choices—principals.

Principals are at the crossroads of policy and practice, making them the ideal advocates for strong schools and sound educational policy. Principals are responsible for ensuring that all local policies and state and federal laws surrounding education are implemented to the fullest extent. Principals also work on behalf of many constituents, including students and families, staff and district leadership, school boards, and departments of education. Most important, principals know the difference between policies that advance 21st-century learning, equipping students with skills for today’s global economy and ones that date back to the 19th-century factory model. 

So, what is keeping principals’ voices from being heard in the public policymaking process? In some cases, it may be principals themselves. Some may worry that elected officials could penalize them for sharing alternative views. Others may not realize that their ideas are needed and wanted for consideration. And most probably find it difficult to make the time necessary to engage in politics when they are responsible for running everything inside the building.

Despite the natural obstacles to participation, all principals should consider how they may engage in the political process and influence policy for their students and education as a whole. After all, who knows the rules of the game more than the principal? When change is necessary, principals have a responsibility to shape the discussion in a positive way and be a strong voice at the table, at the local, state, and federal levels and within professional organizations.

I have learned that decision-makers respect our opinions. We can advise them on the impact of their decisions and what implementation would look like. A simple phone call or email can start a conversation that leads to better educational policy and outcomes for the entire community.

How can you as principal start to advocate for your school and educational policies? What holds you back from engaging in politics?  

Jay Masterson, EdD, is the principal of Joseph L. McCourt Middle School in Cumberland, RI, and a middle school administrator. An active part of the political process, he assists the local school committee in writing policies and advocates for positive educational change with his elected officials at the state and federal levels. He is the 2016 Rhode Island Principal of the Year.  

Thinking Outside the Box with Student Leadership

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Guest post by Clint Williams 

Skyridge Middle School’s Associated Student Body (ASB) program is an active organization that makes our school a great place to be. Our student leaders organize school celebrations and spirit weeks, plan assemblies and recognition luncheons, mentor our sixth-grade students, and much more. They are the face of our school and our best ambassadors. But there is one big problem with ASB: It is so popular that we have to turn away a large number of students each year who want to become leaders, because space is limited. I realize this is a great problem to have, but it is a challenge, nonetheless. What can we do to provide students more ways to get involved and lead? 

Our administrative team at Skyridge has been hard at work to answer this question and find more opportunities for service leadership for our students. The first way we have tried to tackle this challenge is by offering new programs. We asked teachers for ideas, and one teacher offered to start a lunch group that would focus on planning and completing “random acts of kindness” throughout the school year. We agreed that this was a great way to get more kids involved and gave the green light for the lunch group. Already, students are planning awesome random acts of kindness and enjoying the opportunity to serve the school. As this program continues to grow this year, we hope to make this a formal club that meets daily and works hand-in-hand with our ASB program to help provide more opportunities for our kids.

Another way we have expanded leadership opportunities is within some of our established clubs. Our morning live news broadcast Skyridge Network News (SNN) lets kids write scripts, run equipment, and produce a broadcast every morning. Our SNN photographers attend many school events, giving them exposure that causes these students to be viewed as leaders. We have expanded SNN’s leadership role even more by asking for its help in planning many of our assemblies over the last two years. Our news students have felt a real sense of pride in that what they are completing has risen to another level. This has led to an increase in interest for this club as well.

We have also looked at some less formal ways to involve our students in leadership roles. One of those ideas was borrowed from one of our elementary principals. She has developed a student leadership program at her school, and one of the first things that she did was simply change the titles of many of the things that her students were doing. We have had students serving as office aides for many years, but recently we switched their titles to office leaders. When I first heard about it, I didn’t think it would do much for our students. I am happy to admit that I was wrong. A simple change in title has created a greater sense of responsibility within our students and more interest in the position from those students who might not have gotten into ASB.

This is just a start for us. We still have several students who want to be involved in leadership, so we are continuing to look for ways to give them that opportunity. Our goal is to develop leadership skills in all of our students, so we are committed to finding ways for that to happen.

I am looking for your feedback. I am truly interested in other ways, formal and informal, to get our students involved in leadership. How do you provide leadership opportunities for your students? I would love to hear what works for you in your school.

Clint Williams is the principal at Skyridge Middle School in Camas, WA. Formerly the associate principal at Skyridge, he was named the 2016 Washington Assistant Principal of the Year.


Money Matters: 5 Tips for Tackling Scholarship Application Essays

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Guest post by Andrea Elzy

Andrea “Drea” Elzy recently led a National Honor Society virtual college application essay writing workshop on the topic of scholarship applications. Here, she offers valuable tips that can be shared with students.

The college admission process can be a rigorous one—and requires reflection on what schools to apply to, why to apply to those particular universities, and how students might potentially finance their education.

Scholarships can be a great resource and an often untapped way to help ease the burden of educational expenses. There is no shortage of funding through scholarships—and, in many cases, students may find that there are scholarships available for not only academics and extracurricular involvement, but also scholarships available for personal attributes, qualities, etc.

Here are five tips to help students to tackle their scholarship applications successfully:

  1. Do Your Homework
    In order to be purposeful with this endeavor, students must know what scholarships are “out there” and available for them. There are scholarships that range from academic- based merit scholarships, sports, extracurricular and cocurricular activities—to scholarships for first-generation college students. That said, students must do their homework and discern which scholarships apply to them based on the terms of the scholarship and their particular skill sets, attributes, etc.
  2. The More Applications, the Better!
    The application process can be a tedious one, but it can also be fruitful. The goal is, of course, to get as much funding as a student can to ease educational cost. There are instances where students opt to apply for one large scholarship (which is great!), but many small scholarships can add up and mean big dollars. That said, students should not limit their options. They should apply to as many scholarship programs as they can in an effort to maximize their aid,
  3. Stay Organized
    As students begin to do their “homework” and find scholarships that they feel are viable for them, it’s important to stay organized. Many scholarships have very specific requests for information, this can include transcripts, personal statements, and other materials as requested. A great way for students to stay organized as they navigate this process is to create a chart, which can be used to outline scholarship amounts, scholarship terms and conditions such as GPA requirements, requested materials, important deadlines, etc.
  4. Deadlines, Deadlines, Deadlines
    Deadlines are critical. Students must understand that scholarship deadlines are likely hard deadlines. If a student fails to submit his or her application within the requested deadline, it may not be read and may be rendered void. This is particularly important because scholarship applications take time. A student will want to avoid submitting an application late after spending a considerable amount of time to completing it.
  5. Read, Create, and Complete a Purposeful Application Essay
    No matter what the scholarship is for—academic merit, sports, or individual qualities or attributes—it is critical to have completely read the terms of the scholarship, provided all of the necessary information requested, and presented the application appropriately.

More than likely, the scholarship application will require an essay. That said, students should consider the following 10 questions while writing their essay together:

  • Have I outlined the reason(s) why I am qualified for this scholarship based on its terms?
  • Is my essay answering questions as outlined in the scholarship application?
  • Am I accurately and honestly painting a picture of myself and my reason for applying?
  • Does the essay express the need and/or what compelled me to apply for the scholarship?
  • Does the essay follow all guidelines (formatting, word count, etc.)?
  • Have I appropriately introduced myself to the application reader?
  • Does the essay outline and highlight my strengths? (Students want to be sure they are being competitive in their essay.)
  • Does my essay discuss my future academic and professional endeavors? (Remember, scholarship readers want to know what they are financing. What will the student will be studying and how this scholarship will help the student achieve his or her goals?)
  • Have the application and essay been edited? Are they error-free?
  • Have I reread the application and essay prior to submission? (This helps to ensure the student has not missed, or failed to provide, any necessary information requested in the application and will also help to catch any possible errors.)

These tips can help to ensure that students are being purposeful and are preparing a competitive application and scholarship essay. Remember, the money is out there. Go forth and research, find, apply, and get it! Good luck.

National Honor Society students, as well as faculty and counselors of NHS-affiliated schools, can view Drea’s workshop on demand now. To facilitate participation, viewers should get the school’s NHS affiliation number before logging on. Look for the recording “Sharing Your Story Through Scholarship Application Essays” at www.nhs.us/virtualNHS.

Andrea “Drea” Elzy, MEd, has extensive experience in postsecondary education, student affairs, and student services. She holds a master’s in higher education from the University of Southern California and is a current doctoral candidate studying higher education organizational leadership at the University of Southern California.

This New Year, Resolve to Develop a Growth Mindset and Build an Instructional Identity

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Guest post by Justin Cameron

Resolutions. Most of us make them. Personal resolutions and professional resolutions are too often prey to self-fulfilling prophecy resulting from a mindset that the resolution will be broken. Carol Dweck and Angela Duckworth, architects of growth mindset and grit, can help shift that thinking. Their extensive work is worth exploring.

Before that shift happens, resolve to build a better professional resolution. For an educational leader, the development of a professional goal should include a measurable progress indicator that leads a goal through the entire process continuum, from planning through outcomes. A resolution or goal that comes from a place of grit and growth mindset can lead toward a path of great impact.

Studies have shown that grit and growth mindset are the only research tenets that have given individuals and groups a better capacity in gaining the confidence to try, persevere, and overcome. So often schools are paralyzed by what to do when a child comes from a difficult home life; the work Duckworth has done puts forth evidence that teaching grit and a growth mindset to that child can help him or her overcome. When an educational leader models and teaches grit, a growth mindset, and the power of the word “yet,” it’s a gift that keeps giving an infinite number of times.

The first day of every academic year at my school, the seventh and eighth grades greet the sixth grade with a standing ovation at an all-school assembly with Michael Bublé’s “Haven’t Met You Yet” playing loudly over the sound system. While many believe the song fits the context because most people in our school have literally not yet met the sixth-grade students, it is the song’s figurative message that resonates strongly with me—which I share with the student body at the start of the assembly. If I take the lyrics of the song and put them in a word cloud in my mind, I see the word “yet” in about a 22-point, boldface font.

How many educators hold a fixed mindset for technology? How about math? The vulnerability for these two areas that a teacher or an administorator shows—particularly with technology—is astonishing, and it impacts the culture of a school. A blog written by Jeff Heyck-Williams of the Two Rivers Public Charter School in Washington, D.C., shares an empowerment initiative he led throughout his school that almost makes it taboo for any adult in the building to say they are not “a math person” or they were “never really any good at math.” Instead, all adults at Two Rivers model a more positive response communicating that, through hard work, an attempt at the right answer is possible. That culture shift has led to an increase in math scores at Two Rivers.

Principals are shepherds of a building’s culture. Many believe that culture is the social and emotional heath of the organization. In schools, those who lead the learning need to create an instructional identity as much as fostering a safe and caring community.

In 2017, how will you create an instructional identity within your school that occupies the space between growth mindset and grit that will shift the culture and thinking of your students and staff?

Justin Cameron is the principal of Frederick W. Hartnett Middle School in Blackstone, MA, and the 2016 Massachusetts Middle School Principal of the Year. The Hartnett Middle School has been chronicled by NPR for its efforts of building an instructional identity through an eight-week reading project that takes the model of fantasy sports and applies it to the independent reading every staff member and student does at the school.

The Model Classroom: A Makerspace for Teachers

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Guest post by John Carder

By now, most educators have heard the term “makerspace.” The idea of a makerspace originated outside of the school setting as a place for community members to design and create manufactured work that wouldn’t be possible to create without the space. School makerspaces give students a place to work individually and collaboratively through hands-on creative projects that encourage them to design, experiment, repurpose, and innovate. 

Like students, teachers also need a place where they can do these things—whether it’s designing new lesson ideas, experimenting with classroom seating arrangements, repurposing instructional content, or innovating with new educational technology. Enter the model classroom—a teacher’s version of the makerspace.

My experience with a model classroom began at Marion Harding High School in Marion, OH. We wanted this space to be a place where teachers felt comfortable taking their students and facilitating learning activities, so our leadership team worked closely with teachers and students throughout the development process. The only direction our leadership team gave was to provide for flexible furnishings that could be easily moved for a variety of arrangements. Teachers researched instructional methods, technology tools, and classroom furnishings that they felt would enhance their teaching repertoire and ultimately student learning. Teachers and students provided valuable input on details, such as the wall color, style of student and teacher desks, and type of floor covering.

Through this collaborative planning, our model classroom was born. But in these early stages, teachers were reluctant to go there. They weren’t sure how to use the space effectively or how to use some of the technology in the room. And there was a general fear of trying something new. To help alleviate some of these concerns and encourage teachers to try out the model classroom, we began to hold professional development trainings there, showing teachers how to utilize the space. In addition, the staff watched a video of a group of teachers using the space, which started discussions about how this one room could change their teaching.

After several months of teachers using and experimenting in the space, we began to receive testimonials from teachers sharing how the model classroom had enhanced their practice. Teachers were incorporating new technology and digital applications in their learning activities and some reported a greater willingness to try out collaborative instructional techniques and performance-based assessment methods. Requests for the model classroom’s flexible furniture increased as many wanted to implement it into their own classrooms.

Students provided us with feedback as well. They expressed how much more exciting the lessons were in the model classroom. They said they loved that their desks were no longer in rows and how much more comfortable they were in the learning environment. They also discovered that they were able to work and collaborate with other students in more engaging and productive ways. And the best feedback we received? Both teachers and students shared that learning had increased, which was the ultimate goal of the model classroom.

At my current school, Grove City High School in Grove City, OH, our building is at capacity, so we don’t have open rooms to dedicate to a model classroom. With this constraint, we have had to get creative to develop the idea of a model classroom. Instead of a physical space, we have turned to the virtual world to share instructional methods, classroom design ideas, and new ways to use technology with our students and staff. Through Google Classroom, we provide our staff with resources, tools, videos, and lessons that meet the same standard of the model classroom without “taking up space.” While this technique isn’t ideal, sometimes you have to get imaginative with what you have.

If you have an open room—or even if you don’t—what would be your ideal model classroom? What are the needs of your staff and students, and how can you offer each of those groups the opportunity to create a model classroom that fits its needs? 

John Carder is an assistant principal at Grove City High School in Grove City, OH. He previously served as assistant principal at Marion Harding High School in Marion, OH, where he was named the 2016 Ohio Assistant Principal of the Year.

Changing Grading and Reporting Practices to Enhance Student Learning

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Guest post by Tom Dodd

Three years ago, our teachers began changing the way they assess student progress at Lesher Middle School in Fort Collins, CO. Standard/criterion/competency-based grading and reporting, as it’s commonly known, allows teachers to authentically evaluate student learning progress based on state academic standards, the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), or in our case, the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Program (IBMYP) Aims and Objectives to better communicate levels of academic performance and work habits.

Why Change Grading and Reporting Practices?

Current assessment research challenges the status-quo practice of traditional grading. Most teachers grade the way they were graded, by percentage averaging a sometimes weighted collection of points over time on an A–F/100-point scale. Until schools link standards/criteria/competencies directly with classroom assessment practice, full implementation of what Robert Marzano describes in What Works in Schools: Translating Research into Practice as a “guaranteed” (all students regardless of teacher have access to the same content and skills) and “viable” curriculum (realistic in scope and sequence to narrow the world of knowledge into developmentally appropriate learning targets) will be limited by conflicting grading practices within and across schools and districts.

What’s the Difference Between Traditional and Standard/Criterion/Competency-Based Grading?

Traditional A–F/100-Point Percentage Grading Standard/Criterion/Competency-Based Assessment and Reporting
1)     A norm-referenced system comparing students to each other (i.e., above average, average, below average). 1)     A standard/criterion/competency-based system assessing student progress toward specific published objectives over time.
2)     The “grading period” starts and ends with each nine-week quarter. 2)     The performance period spans the duration of a course (semester or year).
3)     A single, summary grade is issued each quarter based on some collection of participation, practice, assignment, project, assessment, organization, attitude, effort, attendance, behavior, and extra credit points. 3)     Multiple scores demonstrate students’ levels of achievement on published objectives for each course, showing strengths and growth areas in that subject area with an overall course grade.
4)     Undifferentiated. Expects all students to learn at the same pace and be assessed in the same way. 4)     Differentiated. Allows students multiple opportunities to demonstrate performance so students who perform lower on initial assessments or take longer to learn stay motivated.
5)     Calculates grades almost entirely on the MEAN (average), with different weights for participation, practice, assignments, projects, labs, assessments, organization, attitude, effort, attendance, behavior, and extra credit dependent upon individual teachers. 5)     Looks at students’ performance patterns in each objective weighting the most recent and consistent evidence heavier. Emphasizes the MODE (score occurring most frequently).
6)     Incorporates nonacademic factors (i.e., attitude, effort, attendance, behavior) into a grade. 6)     Separates nonacademic factors from an academic grade by assessing them as a separate work-habits grade.
7)     Assigns 59 points to the “F” category versus 10–11 points for D, C, B, and A categories. 7)     Utilizes a four- or eight-point scoring rubric based on performance levels to provide formative and summative feedback.
8)     Punishes students who do not complete homework on time or need more time to master concepts/content/skills with zeros. 8)     Expects students to complete work with true deadlines and allows for variance among students.
9)     May guide instructional decisions. 9)     At the start of a unit, teachers pre-assess and communicate via rubrics the evidence they expect at the end of a unit, and use formative assessment to guide instruction ensuring readiness for summative assessments.
10)  Rarely serves as an accurate indicator of mastery learning, measures what students don’t know or are unable to do, and has a weak correlation to standardized test results. 10)  Indicates mastery, emphasizes what students have learned and are able to do, and has a strong correlation to standardized test results.

 

How Did We Become More Standard/Criterion/Competency-Based?

Rubrics, or proficiency scales, are how we assess and report what a student knows and is able to demonstrate based on a body of evidence aligned to subject area standards/criteria/competencies. They are a framework for teachers to provide feedback for interventions, support, and enrichment in the spirit of a Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS), and they allow us to separate academic mastery from behavioral frequency (work habits).

Rubrics illustrate the relationship between standards/criteria/competencies, curriculum (content), instruction, and assessment. They communicate performance-level progressions in marked bands using frequency, quality, problem-solving, knowledge transfer, and critical-thinking words in the descriptors.

What Have We Learned in Changing Our Grading and Reporting Practices?

  • Getting our technology to record and report “grades” in the way we want is a significant challenge.
  • Creating learning progressions using task-specific rubrics deepens educators’ understanding of standards/criteria/competencies and the scope and sequence of their content.
  • Collecting and recording student learning based on standards/criteria/competencies versus assignments changes classroom practice and expectations.
  • Teacher workload increases as teachers learn their standards/criteria/competencies and assess students on a deeper level.
  • Students will learn and articulate the standards/criteria/competencies they are assessed on in their classes, and student-led conferences can help this along.
  • It all comes back to the lesson and unit plan.
  • Learning is viewed more as a process and less as a product.
  • We’re focusing more on 21st-century skill acquisition (self-direction, collaboration, information literacy, critical thinking, invention), real-life experiences, and deep understanding over rote memorization.

So, what’s in your grades?

Tom Dodd, PhD, serves as principal of Lesher Middle School, an IB World School in Fort Collins, CO, where he fosters excellence and equity through high expectations with high support. Lesher is a 2014–17 Colorado Association of Middle Level Education/National Forum to Accelerate Middle-Grades Reform School to Watch, 2016 CHAMP School of Character (CHaracter in Athletics—Make it A Priority), 2014 USDE Green Ribbon School, and 2012 MetLife-NASSP Breakthrough School. Tom is the 2017 National Principal of the Year and 2016 Colorado Middle Level and High School Principal of the Year.

2016 Lesher Middle School staff

See Your School Through the Eyes of a Student

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To discover new ways to make our schools ever better places to learn, we have to understand the school experience—but as the students see it, not as we believe it to be.

This belief is the foundation of the 2017 Shadow a Student Challenge, which NASSP is proud to support. The challenge is simple: For one day through February ­17, leave your office, grab your backpack, and accompany one student through his or her day.
The challenge is sponsored by the d.school at Stanford University, IDEO, and School Retool—all pioneers in the Design Thinking process, which emphasizes empathy as a foundation for innovation. Jason Markey, principal of East Leyden High School in Franklin Park, IL, and an NASSP Digital Principal, has long championed the practice of shadowing a student and commits to at least one shadowing day each year “from advanced math courses to rock climbing in physical education.”

“One thing never changes,” Jason said. “Taking the time to walk shoulder to shoulder with a student for a day provides a perspective that simply isn’t possible to attain by sitting back and observing or walking through classrooms.”

Jason also offers some advice for principals engaged in shadowing:

Really put yourself in the position of a student: Do the reading before class, work on hands-on projects, take notes during lectures, and provide peer feedback. It will help you realize how we need to constantly be considering our student’s perspectives when we design their learning experience. This last school year, I asked two of our English teachers if I could shadow not just a day but a whole unit on poetry, culminating in a public recitation of a poem—something I’ve never done. I put myself in the position of really struggling through an uncomfortable learning experience. I spent nearly four weeks attending their English classes several times a week, working side by side students working through poem selection, understanding tone, and getting (much needed) feedback on my recitation. As a student, I experienced more than just an assignment or an objective, but how master teachers build community in their classrooms and guide their students through a learning experience. In the end, I not only recited a poem from memory for the first time in my life and survived, but I discovered so much along the way about how our students learn.

Make your own shadowing commitment at www.shadowastudent.org. You can also find resources and join a community of principals committed to seeing the school experience through their students’ eyes. You’ll never see your school the same way again.

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