I believe in social media for education. As a school leader, I realize the need to be connected to other educators, to learn from them, to validate what we are doing at Hale Kula, and to continue my professional growth. I am also cognizant of sharing positive news about our students and staff with our school community through Facebook and blogs as well as news articles we send to the local newspaper.
Two weeks ago, after breakfast and prior to leaving for school, I checked my Google+ community and read Eric Sheninger's blog, "The End is Only the Beginning" where he shared that he would be leaving New Milford High School for a position at Scholastic with ICLE. Eric is one of the connected principals I follow on Twitter and Google+ and at the time, I was reading his book, Digital Leadership: Changing Paradigms for Changing Times on my Nexus tablet. Like others, I posted a comment congratulating Eric on his decision and added, "Too bad you can't do residencies in Hawaii :-)" Imagine my surprise when Eric responded that he was coming to Hawaii. I asked him, "Is it all play and no work?" to which he replied that he might be able to work something out. Well, of course I had to follow up - this was Eric Sheninger, after all - and despite the short time frame, we were able to schedule a presentation with him today. (Note: When I reflect on how we put this together, I am surprised at my audacity in asking him whether he would give up part of his vacation for us.)
I was a bit nervous; I had convinced principals to attend. Some had to rearrange meetings or miss trainings. Others needed a little more prodding; this is the last week before the new school year starts and they weren't sure they wanted to make the time to listen to someone talking about digital leadership. I didn't really know Eric; I just knew of him. What if his message didn't resonate? What if he didn't connect with the audience?
Well, I didn't have to worry. Eric was great! His experiences, his stories, the research, the slides, and the videos all added up to a presentation with so many high points. We especially saw his pride when he shared news stories about his students at New Milford High School who were doing amazing things using technology as a tool to collaborate, communicate, think critically, and create - essential skills for global citizens. I was astounded by a project, "Let's Make Some Good Art" by Sarah, a sophomore student. Her thoughtful insights and reflections were mature for someone so young, and I am tempted to send the link to education policy makers so they can see the possibilities when we trust our students to use mobile learning devices as a tool to share their learnings.
For me, Eric's presentation was validation that we are on the right track at our school. We aren't anywhere near New Milford High School, but we are communicating with our community through social media, and students share their learnings using Web 2.0 tools. We've done coding, participated in the Cardboard Challenge, and have started dabbling in Minecraft where student groups created their own community. We share documents, presentations, etc. using Google Drive, and we have a private Google+ community for our teachers to share resources, photos, ideas, ask questions, and discuss concerns. We know we can do more, though, and that will be one of my personal goals for next school year.
At a recent presentation I attended at ISTE, presenter George Couros shared, "We shouldn't be engaging students; we should be empowering them." That, to me, is what we need to strive for as we become digital leaders in a changing world - empowering our staff and our students to ask, "What if?" or "How can I?" or "Why not?" and then supporting them in their efforts and giving them the confidence to learn from their mistakes.
As a school principal, it is my hope that more of my colleagues will see the value of using social media to communicate and to connect with others as part of a personal learning network. Eric Sheninger has planted the seeds with his presentation today; now it is up to us to support each other so we can grow and flourish as digital school leaders and as a school community. Our students are counting on us.
Thursday, July 24, 2014
Tuesday, July 8, 2014
Classroom Management and Behavior Charts
Students will learn more when they are invested in and contributors in their classroom community. Classroom management is one of the components of our State's observation protocol for teacher evaluations. We have been in classrooms where the teacher planned a wonderful lesson that fell flat because students were not engaged or invested.
As a classroom teacher, I tried so many different strategies to ensure that my students would "behave." I gave out tickets to students to trade in on Fridays; it was too much work, and the students and I grew tired of it. I wrote names on the board of students who were misbehaving, and there was a series of "punishments" if they got so many checks. The same kids always had their names on the board so I stopped that. I flipped it and started writing names of "good" kids, those who were ready before everyone else, who helped out another child, or who did something positive. That was better; at least I was rewarding students and not punishing them. Then I tried giving points to teams; this lasted longer because peer pressure was somewhat effective for most students. However, certain teams would rarely earn points because they were saddled with the kid who didn't care. This often led to a feeling of frustration at having "that kid" on our team. When I saw another teacher with a traffic light system, I tried that, too, with pretty good results. My recollection is that only one student was placed on red light that whole year. I think his mother was more devastated than he was.
After that, I went into administration, never discovering the "perfect" classroom and behavior management system. As I visited classrooms and spoke with teachers, it was evident that there were many different systems in place, and some worked better than others. But was it the system, or was it the teacher? Last year, I made the decision that any behavior management system needed to include opportunities for students to be rewarded for positive behaviors and not just moving down for "negative" behaviors. I was concerned that the first question I heard parents ask their kindergartener at the end of the school day was, "Were you on green today?" And it bothered me when parents requested a classroom change because "my child is on red every day." I really thought that if we started looking for opportunities to recognize positive behaviors in a child, the classroom climate would be so much more pleasant. Was it successful? For some teachers, it was, but for others, it didn't really matter if there were 3 colors or 5. There were students who still got on red more often than not.
Last week, one of our teachers sent me this blog, "So What's My Problem with Public Behavior Charts?" and it was so timely. As a principal, I want to see well-managed classrooms where students are happy and meaningfully engaged and empowered through challenging activities. I have been in classrooms where the teacher never raises her voice, where students help each other, and a compliment by someone else - a visitor, another teacher, a parent, the principal - means a marble added to the class jar which, when filled, means a special prize for the whole class. There is no "individual" chart where students are supposed to feel badly about being called out for an inappropriate behavior.
Often, an individualized behavior chart can have the opposite effect of what is expected, creating an "I don't care" attitude which can lead to a butting of heads between the teacher and that student. This student then is labeled as "challenging" and may be recommended for counseling services or is referred to the office to speak with an administrator.
Changing teachers' mindsets about behavior management can be difficult, but I realize that is part of my responsibilities as an administrator. We need a discussion about the best way to get students to want to be a positive contributor to their classroom. It starts with being included as an integral part of their classroom community and knowing our students so we can fully engage them as learners. In other words, we need to build positive relationships with all of our students if we want them to gain the most benefit from the time they spend in our classroom.
P.S. - For more thoughts on this topic, read No Punishment/No Rewards. Thank you, Pernille Ripp, for sharing your thoughts so clearly.
Friday, July 4, 2014
Reflection - ISTE 2014
Three years ago, we sent a team of three teachers to the International Society for Technology in Education conference in San Diego, and they came back so excited about all they had learned. They also shared that they heard the message over and over that change cannot occur without the support and leadership of the principal. Now, they agreed that I am not a barrier at our school, but they felt it was important for me to attend a future ISTE conference just because - because there were so many opportunities to learn something new; because it was a chance to network with like-minded individuals; because it was so inspiring to hear and see how others are using technology in the classroom; because it motivated these teachers to know that our school was on the right path with our initiatives; and because they wanted me to be as excited as they were about all the possibilities.
So this year, I decided to request funding to send a team of three - myself, our librarian/media specialist, and an instructional coach - to ISTE 2014 in Atlanta, Georgia. Truthfully, like any large conference in a crowded venue, there will be positives and a few negatives as well. Let me share some of my take-aways from ISTE 2014.
The Good
So this year, I decided to request funding to send a team of three - myself, our librarian/media specialist, and an instructional coach - to ISTE 2014 in Atlanta, Georgia. Truthfully, like any large conference in a crowded venue, there will be positives and a few negatives as well. Let me share some of my take-aways from ISTE 2014.
The Good
- Keynote speaker Kevin Carroll, was absolutely inspiring! He asked us to be present with him and he would hopefully give us something in return. Did he? Absolutely! I am sure I wasn't the only one in the audience who wished I could have videotaped his presentation, and unfortunately, I didn't even take notes or tweet out his quotes; I was that engrossed in what he was sharing. His message? He learned his life lessons on the playground with a red rubber ball, and he reminded us of the importance of play in life. As an early childhood education major, I had always believed that "play is a child's work" and that children need time to explore and discover through play. Kevin Carroll's presentation validated what I have always believed (but had not put into action at our school), and I began to think of how we might have our teachers "play" so they can, in turn, understand how important that is for our students while still ensuring quality teaching and learning.
- When I saw that George Couros was going to be presenting, I knew I wanted to attend his session. I answered George's call last summer and was part of his #SAVMP (School Administrators Virtual Mentoring Program), a novel idea that an experienced principal could virtually mentor a beginning school leader. I wanted to see and hear George in person, so I actually sat on the floor in the room for the previous session so I would be assured of a seat for his presentation. And I wasn't disappointed. I marvel at anyone who can talk for that length of time and keep the audience engaged - laughing and crying and thinking - while sharing an important message about "myths of technology." Three thoughts which had the biggest impact for me as an administrator - "We need innovative educators before we can have innovative students;"and "The biggest shift for educators is not skill set; it's mindset;" and "It's not enough to engage students; we need to empower them."
- I had heard so much about Doug Kiang and his presentations on gaming in education. I just happened to be passing by a room and saw that he was going to be presenting in an hour. At that moment, I made the decision to forego the session I had intended to attend. In fact, I sat in on the previous session, just so I could hear him. Yes, I went all the way to Atlanta to listen to someone from Hawaii present :-) As a competitive person who loves playing games (but who is definitely NOT a gamer), I was interested in hearing Doug share about how we can use gaming concepts in the classroom. This is an area that I definitely want to learn more about.
- The poster sessions provided great resources, but what I most enjoyed was listening to students discussing their projects as well as the tech tools they used to create and share. What was really impressive were those schools in Mexico who sent students to share and how well they were able to create projects and communicate in English when that is clearly not their first language. As I listened to them and their pride in sharing their projects, I realized that this is something we can do at our schools. Many schools have curriculum fairs where parents and the community can view what students are learning; this is an opportunity for students to share how they are using technology to collaborate, communicate, think critically, create, and share. We can replicate something similar at our school or in our complex or even in the state.
- The sandboxes and playgrounds were an opportunity to learn something new from an "expert." This is really a way for teachers to participate in hands-on professional development and to share and learn from others how they use technology to enhance teaching and learning. The only barrier I can see to implementation would be the unwillingness of teachers to give up their own time to learn through this kind of hands-on learning. So we need to provide the opportunities, and we need to make sure that teachers take away something meaningful that they can use right away. Successful personalized PD for teachers is something I'd like to implement this coming school year.
- Ignite sessions - 5 minutes and 20 slides to speak on any topic you are passionate about. How fun! It got me thinking . . . can our students do something like this? I think it's possible - perhaps 3 minutes and 10-12 slides would be more appropriate for our elementary school students. We want students to be passionate about their own learning; Ignite would be a great way to have them share their passion!
The Not-So-Good
- With the number of sessions and presenters, something that sounds good was not always applicable to me. Taking a suggestion from others who had attended ISTE previously, I did walk out on a few presentations that sounded good but started off poorly. I was there to learn and to make the most of this opportunity, and I really did not want to "waste" valuable time. There was too much to do and too many options to sit in on a presentation that did not fit my needs.
- Perhaps I was not looking in the right place, but I saw few sessions for administrators. If we are, indeed, the "missing link" in how technology is integrated in our schools, then we should have dynamic principals sharing their stories. I would have loved to hear how principals are successfully using technology to address the Common Core State Standards - not with on-line programs but with project-based or challenge-based learning. I could have learned from principals who have leveraged funding, partnered with their community, or sought grants to ensure that their students had access to technology. I want to hear from principals at schools where all teachers have the opportunity to learn with and from other teachers in face-to-face sessions, virtually, or through social media. This, I believe, was my main purpose for attending ISTE 2014, and I did not have that opportunity to learn from other exemplary principals.
So was it worth it to attend ISTE 2014? Yes, but the real value will come when we apply what we learned to make a difference at our school. Technology is changing education, and new apps and tools are being created every day. We cannot possibly keep up with all the changes in technology, but we can take what we learn and empower our teachers and our students to improve teaching and learning for all. That is one of my goals for this coming school year.
#ISTE2014
#SAVMP
Wednesday, June 25, 2014
Time for Reflection
It's been about a month since SY 2013-2014 ended. Summer is usually a time to reflect on the past year and start planning for the next.
This summer, however, has been a little different. Since school ended, we've been busy packing and getting ready to move to our new building. Looking at everything today, it doesn't seem possible that we will be moving, but I've been assured that the building will be ready. Renovations on half of the the existing classrooms are also going on as is construction of our 10-classroom building (scheduled to be completed in December or January). I don't doubt the contractors; they've been up-front with us about the challenges, but they've also been accommodating. Subcontractors have been working in the evenings or on the weekends if necessary to finish their part of the work. We are really fortunate to have a great working relationship with the contractors; they explain things to me in simple language so I can understand. Honestly, I watch them working, and I have no idea how the drawings on paper become buildings that are safe, functional, and appealing to the eye. As I walked around the school today, I was reminded of summer 1993 when Mililani Mauka Elementary was ready to open. The situation was similar -- up until the last week of summer, we were wondering if the work would get done in time for school to open. It did, and I am confident we will be moving next month.
Last week, we returned from a wonderful vacation to celebrate our granddaughter's high school graduation. There's nothing better than getting together with family, and this was the first time in about 15 months that we were all together. We were able to watch our grandson play soccer, and it brought back memories of all those years I coached youth soccer. The graduation ceremony was beautiful (albeit different from Hawaii), and we enjoyed spending time with our daughter-in-law's family which included her 97-year old aunt who traveled from Hawaii and her 101-year old grandma who came from Maryland.. Amazing!!
Sometimes after a vacation, it's difficult to get going, but this was a productive week for me. I got the class lists done and completed my e-Portfolio for my principal evaluation. While I was away, the Superintendent announced changes to the Educator Effectiveness System in response to the outcry from teachers and principals about the negative impact of the tasks. I believe the changes are good, and hopefully, the process will lead to more productive discussions between administrators and teachers, discussions that will lead to improved teaching and learning. My first task when we return from school is to review the changes to EES with our teachers and to share how the process will help us to improve our practices to positively impact student learning. I've been thinking about how to share this important information and to make the connection with our school vision and mission.
Tomorrow, I leave for the ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education) conference in Atlanta. I've heard that the conference is inspiring, and I am sure I'll be learning a lot and meeting many others who, like me, believe in the power of technology as a tool for learning. It will be an opportunity to network with and to learn from others. And maybe I'll get to talk with people I'm following on Twitter!
I plan to have time to reflect at the end of each day and to share at least one post a day on Google+. Then it'll be back to work, and hopefully, we'll be ready to move to our new building!
This summer, however, has been a little different. Since school ended, we've been busy packing and getting ready to move to our new building. Looking at everything today, it doesn't seem possible that we will be moving, but I've been assured that the building will be ready. Renovations on half of the the existing classrooms are also going on as is construction of our 10-classroom building (scheduled to be completed in December or January). I don't doubt the contractors; they've been up-front with us about the challenges, but they've also been accommodating. Subcontractors have been working in the evenings or on the weekends if necessary to finish their part of the work. We are really fortunate to have a great working relationship with the contractors; they explain things to me in simple language so I can understand. Honestly, I watch them working, and I have no idea how the drawings on paper become buildings that are safe, functional, and appealing to the eye. As I walked around the school today, I was reminded of summer 1993 when Mililani Mauka Elementary was ready to open. The situation was similar -- up until the last week of summer, we were wondering if the work would get done in time for school to open. It did, and I am confident we will be moving next month.
Last week, we returned from a wonderful vacation to celebrate our granddaughter's high school graduation. There's nothing better than getting together with family, and this was the first time in about 15 months that we were all together. We were able to watch our grandson play soccer, and it brought back memories of all those years I coached youth soccer. The graduation ceremony was beautiful (albeit different from Hawaii), and we enjoyed spending time with our daughter-in-law's family which included her 97-year old aunt who traveled from Hawaii and her 101-year old grandma who came from Maryland.. Amazing!!
Sometimes after a vacation, it's difficult to get going, but this was a productive week for me. I got the class lists done and completed my e-Portfolio for my principal evaluation. While I was away, the Superintendent announced changes to the Educator Effectiveness System in response to the outcry from teachers and principals about the negative impact of the tasks. I believe the changes are good, and hopefully, the process will lead to more productive discussions between administrators and teachers, discussions that will lead to improved teaching and learning. My first task when we return from school is to review the changes to EES with our teachers and to share how the process will help us to improve our practices to positively impact student learning. I've been thinking about how to share this important information and to make the connection with our school vision and mission.
Tomorrow, I leave for the ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education) conference in Atlanta. I've heard that the conference is inspiring, and I am sure I'll be learning a lot and meeting many others who, like me, believe in the power of technology as a tool for learning. It will be an opportunity to network with and to learn from others. And maybe I'll get to talk with people I'm following on Twitter!
I plan to have time to reflect at the end of each day and to share at least one post a day on Google+. Then it'll be back to work, and hopefully, we'll be ready to move to our new building!
Tuesday, May 27, 2014
Empowering Schools
Recently, a retired, respected principal sent out a survey to sitting principals in our Department. Results were shared recently in a Honolulu Star-Advertiser article titled, "Principals feel they're hamstrung, survey finds". A follow-up op-ed piece as well as a "Name in the News" profile on retired principal John Sosa all pointed to the same message: sitting principals are concerned with the present state of the Department, but they are afraid to speak up for fear of retribution. In response to the question, "What should individual principals do?" Mr. Sosa replied, "I think they have to stand up and be counted. The system can be changed, but it's going to take the principals coming forth, the active sitting principals."
It has been ten years since Act 51 was passed by the 2004 Legislature, and the expectation was that principals and school communities would be empowered to make decisions to address the unique needs of their school. A weighted student formula, modeled after the one implemented in the Edmonton School district, allocated funds based on student need. Principals and schools would be empowered, but they would also be accountable for student achievement. In the aftermath of Act 51, school communities were tasked with making decisions about how to spend the money they were allocated to ensure student success.
Today, ten years after the Reinventing Education Act of 2004, whose purpose was to decentralize the DOE and give decision-making power to the schools - in essence, turning the Department upside-down - the balance has shifted power back to the top.Today, schools are even being told how to spend their weighted student formula funds. We have had to create positions to implement the Department's priority strategies, and now, we are being mandated to purchase a specific program for English Language Arts and Mathematics. A school with 300 students could pay upwards of $160,000 on these two programs with additional costs incurred each year for professional development, consummable workbooks, or renewal of licenses.. As an educator who believes that teachers should be empowered to use a multitude of resources to address the needs of their students, this has been a difficult mandate to swallow.
To make matters even more challenging, as a result of the negotiated contract to tie teacher performance to student learning, the Department hastily instituted an Educator Effectiveness System this year which is labor and time-intensive. The different components provides data to rate ALL teachers using the SAME evaluation tool. Why are we evaluating beginning teachers using the same criteria and rubric as experienced, distinguished teachers? Why aren't teachers setting their own goals for improvement? Shouldn't we be encouraging teachers to be innovative and to grow professionally in an area they may be interested in or passionate about? Don't we want teachers to be life-long learners? Just as standardized testing doesn't tell the true story of a student and how much he/she knows, EES ratings do not tell the true value of a teacher.
This school year has been confusing for educators at our school. Teachers dutifully completed the required tasks, but we know that all the EES requirements boiled down to compliance. At the end of the day, we could say we completed everything and checked off every box in pde3 for every teacher, but all of these tasks did NOT necessarily lead to increased student achievement.
We made the decision not to purchase the mandated English Language Arts curriculum. I have no doubt that the year would have been even more difficult for our teachers if we had forced a new program on them.
Instead, our teachers had the opportunity to try new ideas, and they sought opportunities to learn new instructional strategies, often through the use of new technologies. Students had choices on what to read and write when teachers implemented The Daily Five. The entire school was excited to share their creative Cardboard Challenge projects which integrated STEM concepts. Classrooms participated in the Global Read Aloud, Google Hangouts, Mystery Classrooms, and virtual field trips with schools around the globe.. Students created websites, collaborated on Google presentations, learned to code during The Hour of Code, produced informative videos to share important messages, and created communities in Minecraft. They grew their own vegetables, marketed their own sunflower seeds, learned about our state's history and culture by tending their Hawaiian garden, integrated math concepts in art projects, and built their own simple machines. All of these projects would not have been possible without innovative classroom teachers who had "permission" to try something new.
This is what education should be: Empowering principals to empower teachers to empower students. Education is about leadership to innovate and to create. Our school will probably never lead the state in standardized test scores, but we believe our students will be better prepared for life if we empower our teachers and our students to be innovative and to take responsibility for their own learning.
Teaching and learning should be exciting, and schools need to be empowered to address the unique needs of their community rather than being mandated to implement one-size-fits-all curriculum. That was the intent of Act 51.
#savmp
It has been ten years since Act 51 was passed by the 2004 Legislature, and the expectation was that principals and school communities would be empowered to make decisions to address the unique needs of their school. A weighted student formula, modeled after the one implemented in the Edmonton School district, allocated funds based on student need. Principals and schools would be empowered, but they would also be accountable for student achievement. In the aftermath of Act 51, school communities were tasked with making decisions about how to spend the money they were allocated to ensure student success.
Today, ten years after the Reinventing Education Act of 2004, whose purpose was to decentralize the DOE and give decision-making power to the schools - in essence, turning the Department upside-down - the balance has shifted power back to the top.Today, schools are even being told how to spend their weighted student formula funds. We have had to create positions to implement the Department's priority strategies, and now, we are being mandated to purchase a specific program for English Language Arts and Mathematics. A school with 300 students could pay upwards of $160,000 on these two programs with additional costs incurred each year for professional development, consummable workbooks, or renewal of licenses.. As an educator who believes that teachers should be empowered to use a multitude of resources to address the needs of their students, this has been a difficult mandate to swallow.
To make matters even more challenging, as a result of the negotiated contract to tie teacher performance to student learning, the Department hastily instituted an Educator Effectiveness System this year which is labor and time-intensive. The different components provides data to rate ALL teachers using the SAME evaluation tool. Why are we evaluating beginning teachers using the same criteria and rubric as experienced, distinguished teachers? Why aren't teachers setting their own goals for improvement? Shouldn't we be encouraging teachers to be innovative and to grow professionally in an area they may be interested in or passionate about? Don't we want teachers to be life-long learners? Just as standardized testing doesn't tell the true story of a student and how much he/she knows, EES ratings do not tell the true value of a teacher.
This school year has been confusing for educators at our school. Teachers dutifully completed the required tasks, but we know that all the EES requirements boiled down to compliance. At the end of the day, we could say we completed everything and checked off every box in pde3 for every teacher, but all of these tasks did NOT necessarily lead to increased student achievement.
We made the decision not to purchase the mandated English Language Arts curriculum. I have no doubt that the year would have been even more difficult for our teachers if we had forced a new program on them.
Instead, our teachers had the opportunity to try new ideas, and they sought opportunities to learn new instructional strategies, often through the use of new technologies. Students had choices on what to read and write when teachers implemented The Daily Five. The entire school was excited to share their creative Cardboard Challenge projects which integrated STEM concepts. Classrooms participated in the Global Read Aloud, Google Hangouts, Mystery Classrooms, and virtual field trips with schools around the globe.. Students created websites, collaborated on Google presentations, learned to code during The Hour of Code, produced informative videos to share important messages, and created communities in Minecraft. They grew their own vegetables, marketed their own sunflower seeds, learned about our state's history and culture by tending their Hawaiian garden, integrated math concepts in art projects, and built their own simple machines. All of these projects would not have been possible without innovative classroom teachers who had "permission" to try something new.
This is what education should be: Empowering principals to empower teachers to empower students. Education is about leadership to innovate and to create. Our school will probably never lead the state in standardized test scores, but we believe our students will be better prepared for life if we empower our teachers and our students to be innovative and to take responsibility for their own learning.
Teaching and learning should be exciting, and schools need to be empowered to address the unique needs of their community rather than being mandated to implement one-size-fits-all curriculum. That was the intent of Act 51.
#savmp
Sunday, May 18, 2014
Owning Our Data
As our school year comes to a close in a few days, it is time to reflect on a process which has driven us this past year - Data Team meetings. This is one of our Department's 6 Priority Strategies, and we complied, scheduling meetings so teachers could work together to discuss and improve instructional practices as well as student performance. This data would also be used for one of the two Student Learning Objectives which teachers had to complete as part of their Educator Effectiveness System of evaluation which focused on student growth and learning. We also complied with another Priority Strategy by convening quarterly Academic Review Team meetings to review our data. At each meeting, we shared the data we had, and we were clearly flat-lining, but we could not identify the cause. Analyzing data did not necessarily improve student learning in all classrooms. So what went wrong?
During our second round of teacher observations, I realized that the evidences pointed to marked improvement in four of the five components of the Danielson Framework that we are using as part of the teacher evaluation system. Lessons were more collaborative and engaging, included critical thinking skills and an expectation that students would have opportunities to discuss with each other. The one area that is not improving however, is assessment, and that is where we need to focus our efforts next year.
Examples of formative assessments we are seeing in classrooms are exit tickets with a similar problem for students to solve that is similar to the one they did in class; whiteboards where students hold up their response to a question with the teacher spot-checking; teacher questions to the whole group with the same students often raising their hand to respond; or the assignment itself to check for understanding to reteach later. We also saw students sharing responses with each other and lots of group work where students collaborated on an assignment. Lots of great teaching and learning are happening in our classrooms, but our data did not reflect this. The universal screening tool for Response to Intervention (another Department Priority Strategy) indicated that despite progress monitoring and intervention support, too many students were not moving towards proficiency. The referral rate for special education evaluations remained high. And despite my reluctance to rate teaching and learning based on high-stakes testing, the fact is that many of our students are not proficient on grade level standards if the Hawaii State Bridge Assessment is any indication.
Rather than sharing data at our last ART meeting, we had an honest discussion about why our students are not showing the kinds of gains we would expect to see if our lessons are addressing what they need to know and care about. We came to some agreement about some of the things we need to change next year. Here is a list of what we discussed and will be implementing:
During our second round of teacher observations, I realized that the evidences pointed to marked improvement in four of the five components of the Danielson Framework that we are using as part of the teacher evaluation system. Lessons were more collaborative and engaging, included critical thinking skills and an expectation that students would have opportunities to discuss with each other. The one area that is not improving however, is assessment, and that is where we need to focus our efforts next year.
Examples of formative assessments we are seeing in classrooms are exit tickets with a similar problem for students to solve that is similar to the one they did in class; whiteboards where students hold up their response to a question with the teacher spot-checking; teacher questions to the whole group with the same students often raising their hand to respond; or the assignment itself to check for understanding to reteach later. We also saw students sharing responses with each other and lots of group work where students collaborated on an assignment. Lots of great teaching and learning are happening in our classrooms, but our data did not reflect this. The universal screening tool for Response to Intervention (another Department Priority Strategy) indicated that despite progress monitoring and intervention support, too many students were not moving towards proficiency. The referral rate for special education evaluations remained high. And despite my reluctance to rate teaching and learning based on high-stakes testing, the fact is that many of our students are not proficient on grade level standards if the Hawaii State Bridge Assessment is any indication.
Rather than sharing data at our last ART meeting, we had an honest discussion about why our students are not showing the kinds of gains we would expect to see if our lessons are addressing what they need to know and care about. We came to some agreement about some of the things we need to change next year. Here is a list of what we discussed and will be implementing:
- Too much time was spent this year on summative assessments (HSA Bridge, KidBiz, Measuring Up Live!, AimsWeb, SBAC pilot, grade level content assessments, etc.). Next year, we made the decision not to test kindergarteners using AimsWeb because K teachers already have an assessment that they have used successfully to gauge student progress on readiness skills. However, universal screening using AimsWeb will be administered to all grades 1-5 students at the beginning and end of the year. Students who are at "Below" or "Well Below" on the specific AimsWeb screenings will be progress monitored and assessed during the middle of the year. This will help us make decisions for those students who need the most support or those who are demonstrating little or no progress.
- Every classroom teacher will implement an RTI support system in his/her classroom, a time when students will receive differentiated instruction which is tailored to his/her needs. This should not be difficult because many of our teachers already have a system in place where students rotate through learning activities and the teacher works with students in small homogeneous groups to address specific skills or strengths. The RTI literacy coach and special education teacher can assist with these small groups and work collaboratively to address the needs of individual students at this time.
- Teachers need to own their data and students need to set their own goals. Parents should be informed about the goals for their children so they can help at home and encourage continued growth. At our school, we have two conference weeks - one in the fall and one in the spring. In the past, our spring conference has been student-led, but perhaps it is time to involve students in their fall conference as well so the school can truly partner with the home to ensure success for every student.
- Recent research shows that ". . . reflecting after learning something new makes it stick in your brain." In an article titled, "Study: You Really Can 'Work Smarter, Not Harder'," participants who had the opportunity to reflect on their strategies or on what they had learned, performed about 20% better on a final assessment, and the effects were long-lasting, not short-term. Many of our teachers use learning logs, journals, or interactive notebooks with their students. Adding in a reflection piece with feedback could have a positive impact on student learning and provide the teacher with invaluable information about what students may still be struggling with or may not fully understand. Reflection is a way for students to take ownership for their own learning.
Sunday, April 27, 2014
How Should Teachers Be Evaluated?
It has taken me awhile to write this blog. I've pondered about it for quite some time now, and today, I have spent several hours, attempting to put my thoughts down.
As we approach the ending of our school year and the practice implementation of an evaluation system tying teacher practices and student growth to pay raises, I can say unequivocally that this has been a very challenging year. Recently, a group of principals met with the leaders for the Department's teacher evaluation team. We were informed that this was the first time a group of principals had been given an opportunity to provide feedback on this important work. Whether our comments make a difference in revising the evaluation system remains to be seen.
The concern for most of us who attended the meeting is the increased workload for administrators and the lack of opportunity to provide input before the system was created and implemented. Additionally, the poor rollout of the plan caused confusion and more-than-a-little stress amongst teachers and administrators as we scrambled to make sense of what we were expected to do: two observations with pre and post conferences as well as documentation of evidences to justify our ratings for all classroom teachers; meetings with teachers to discuss progress on their Student Learning Objectives, Core Professionalism evidences, and Working Portfolios (for non-classroom teachers); Tripod Surveys twice a year so students can rate their teachers on 7 components; and monitoring student growth on the statewide assessment.
The one task that is taking up much of our time - during school, after school, and in the evenings and on weekends -- are the observations which account for 25% of a classroom teacher's evaluation score. (Educator Effectiveness System Manual, page 25). I agree that teacher observations are necessary and that ALL teachers should know the four domains of the Danielson Framework because they define the attributes of effective teaching and learning. The Danielson Framework is useful as a coaching tool, to help new and struggling teachers to plan, implement, and reflect on their lessons to set goals for improvement. I believe, however, that when we assign an evaluative score to each of the components, we devalue the true intent of the Danielson Framework as "the foundation for professional conversations among practitioners as they seek to enhance their skill in the complex task of teaching." (http://danielsongroup.org/framework/)
In an EdWeek blog, Are We Learning from Evaluations? the writers make some good points: "This moment, the one in which the adults are suddenly in a similar position as the students, can be the moment for compassion and empathy to fuel some serious thinking about how we use evaluation. Do we use it to motivate? Do we use it to report? Is it used to inform instruction or professional development? Is it used to label a period of performance with a number? This is a time to ask ourselves what we truly know about good assessment and evaluation and how we are using it."
So how can we improve the EES so teachers and administrators view it positively, as a way to more naturally embed what we are already doing into an evaluation system that truly recognizes a teacher's commitment to the profession?
I feel that Student Learning Objectives and Professional Responsibilities (Domain 4 of the Danielson Framework) are the two most important components of an effective teacher evaluation system. SLOs are collaboratively agreed upon between the teacher and the administrator and are personalized according to individual/class data. These SLOs are global and "acknowledges the value of high expectations for student achievement and the process of linking planning, classroom instruction, and assessment with student outcome goals." (Educator Effectiveness System Manual, page 5) Teachers are adjusting their instruction to address concerns after reviewing the data, and we are seeing improved student work as well as student accountability for their own growth. SLOs have made a difference at our school in how our teachers and students are taking responsibility for their own data.
For this school year, "Core Professionalism" in the EES is component 4F of the Danielson Framework. However, 4F is just a small part of "Professional Responsibilities." We want educators who will be reflective, who contribute to our school community, who communicate effectively with parents, and who continue to grow professionally. Just as we want students to set their own goals which would be reflective of their strengths, needs, and interests, teachers need flexibility to set their own professional goals for the year. Duty 5 of PEP-T (Professional Evaluation Program for Teachers, page 9) provided this opportunity in the past, and I always enjoyed these conversations which revolved around a growth area which the teacher selected. The reflective conversations and sharing of student work centered around something the teacher wanted to work on, and the administrator could support the teacher through professional development opportunities (workshops, classroom observations, virtual resources, professional learning communities, etc.). Perhaps we can go back to Duty 5 as the primary component of "Core Professionalism" and create a rubric and score that could be agreed upon collaboratively between the teacher and administrator.
The most effective teachers are continually learning and striving to improve. They review data and adjust lessons based on strengths, needs, and interests of their students; they network and collaborate with others to share research or best practices; they provide honest feedback and conference with their students so they can improve as learners; they seek opportunities to grow professionally; and their students know that they are engaged in meaningful work which will help them in the future, not just in school, but in life. Students of the most effective teachers are confident learners who are willing to take risks, make mistakes, and learn from them. Formal classroom observations by administrators will not necessarily measure these attributes of effective teachers. I propose that administrators use informal observation data to monitor tenured teacher performance for Domains 2 (Classroom Environment) and 3 (Instruction) of the Danielson Framework. If evidence indicates that a tenured teacher is struggling, a formal observation can be recommended. For non-tenured or struggling teachers, mentor teachers or instructional coaches can use the Framework as a formative assessment tool to provide support. One classroom observation cycle per year by an administrator would be required as an evaluative or summative assessment until the teacher earns tenure status.
We know that teaching is an art ("Good Teaching is an Art, Not a Mathematical Formula"), and our best teachers never stop learning. To relegate their performance to a score using percentiles and formulas is an injustice to all of the teachers who are truly committed to doing their best for the students and their families.
#SAVMP
As we approach the ending of our school year and the practice implementation of an evaluation system tying teacher practices and student growth to pay raises, I can say unequivocally that this has been a very challenging year. Recently, a group of principals met with the leaders for the Department's teacher evaluation team. We were informed that this was the first time a group of principals had been given an opportunity to provide feedback on this important work. Whether our comments make a difference in revising the evaluation system remains to be seen.
The concern for most of us who attended the meeting is the increased workload for administrators and the lack of opportunity to provide input before the system was created and implemented. Additionally, the poor rollout of the plan caused confusion and more-than-a-little stress amongst teachers and administrators as we scrambled to make sense of what we were expected to do: two observations with pre and post conferences as well as documentation of evidences to justify our ratings for all classroom teachers; meetings with teachers to discuss progress on their Student Learning Objectives, Core Professionalism evidences, and Working Portfolios (for non-classroom teachers); Tripod Surveys twice a year so students can rate their teachers on 7 components; and monitoring student growth on the statewide assessment.
The one task that is taking up much of our time - during school, after school, and in the evenings and on weekends -- are the observations which account for 25% of a classroom teacher's evaluation score. (Educator Effectiveness System Manual, page 25). I agree that teacher observations are necessary and that ALL teachers should know the four domains of the Danielson Framework because they define the attributes of effective teaching and learning. The Danielson Framework is useful as a coaching tool, to help new and struggling teachers to plan, implement, and reflect on their lessons to set goals for improvement. I believe, however, that when we assign an evaluative score to each of the components, we devalue the true intent of the Danielson Framework as "the foundation for professional conversations among practitioners as they seek to enhance their skill in the complex task of teaching." (http://danielsongroup.org/framework/)
In an EdWeek blog, Are We Learning from Evaluations? the writers make some good points: "This moment, the one in which the adults are suddenly in a similar position as the students, can be the moment for compassion and empathy to fuel some serious thinking about how we use evaluation. Do we use it to motivate? Do we use it to report? Is it used to inform instruction or professional development? Is it used to label a period of performance with a number? This is a time to ask ourselves what we truly know about good assessment and evaluation and how we are using it."
So how can we improve the EES so teachers and administrators view it positively, as a way to more naturally embed what we are already doing into an evaluation system that truly recognizes a teacher's commitment to the profession?
I feel that Student Learning Objectives and Professional Responsibilities (Domain 4 of the Danielson Framework) are the two most important components of an effective teacher evaluation system. SLOs are collaboratively agreed upon between the teacher and the administrator and are personalized according to individual/class data. These SLOs are global and "acknowledges the value of high expectations for student achievement and the process of linking planning, classroom instruction, and assessment with student outcome goals." (Educator Effectiveness System Manual, page 5) Teachers are adjusting their instruction to address concerns after reviewing the data, and we are seeing improved student work as well as student accountability for their own growth. SLOs have made a difference at our school in how our teachers and students are taking responsibility for their own data.
For this school year, "Core Professionalism" in the EES is component 4F of the Danielson Framework. However, 4F is just a small part of "Professional Responsibilities." We want educators who will be reflective, who contribute to our school community, who communicate effectively with parents, and who continue to grow professionally. Just as we want students to set their own goals which would be reflective of their strengths, needs, and interests, teachers need flexibility to set their own professional goals for the year. Duty 5 of PEP-T (Professional Evaluation Program for Teachers, page 9) provided this opportunity in the past, and I always enjoyed these conversations which revolved around a growth area which the teacher selected. The reflective conversations and sharing of student work centered around something the teacher wanted to work on, and the administrator could support the teacher through professional development opportunities (workshops, classroom observations, virtual resources, professional learning communities, etc.). Perhaps we can go back to Duty 5 as the primary component of "Core Professionalism" and create a rubric and score that could be agreed upon collaboratively between the teacher and administrator.
The most effective teachers are continually learning and striving to improve. They review data and adjust lessons based on strengths, needs, and interests of their students; they network and collaborate with others to share research or best practices; they provide honest feedback and conference with their students so they can improve as learners; they seek opportunities to grow professionally; and their students know that they are engaged in meaningful work which will help them in the future, not just in school, but in life. Students of the most effective teachers are confident learners who are willing to take risks, make mistakes, and learn from them. Formal classroom observations by administrators will not necessarily measure these attributes of effective teachers. I propose that administrators use informal observation data to monitor tenured teacher performance for Domains 2 (Classroom Environment) and 3 (Instruction) of the Danielson Framework. If evidence indicates that a tenured teacher is struggling, a formal observation can be recommended. For non-tenured or struggling teachers, mentor teachers or instructional coaches can use the Framework as a formative assessment tool to provide support. One classroom observation cycle per year by an administrator would be required as an evaluative or summative assessment until the teacher earns tenure status.
We know that teaching is an art ("Good Teaching is an Art, Not a Mathematical Formula"), and our best teachers never stop learning. To relegate their performance to a score using percentiles and formulas is an injustice to all of the teachers who are truly committed to doing their best for the students and their families.
#SAVMP
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