Should Observations Be Part of a Teacher's Evaluation?

As a principal, I should be observing teachers and helping them to reflect on the strengths of the lesson as well as any challenges that can be areas for growth.  The question is, should a formal observation be part of the evaluation system? Should one observation be part of a teacher's year-long rating?

Our department uses a modified version of the Danielson Framework, and during the observation, we collect evidences for only five different components.  Prior to the observation. the teacher responds to questions on-line, the administrator comments, and there is a pre-conference to discuss any changes in the lesson plan or to ask final questions.

This is why I read Peter DeWitt's Education Week blog -"Leaders: Are Your Teacher Observations Active or Passive?" - with interest.  I wondered if he shared my view about observations that are tied to evaluations.  Peter suggests that administrators approach observations like an instructional coach would, with the purpose of providing feedback and helping the teacher improve in their teaching and learning. As he states, "Unfortunately, just because observations are tied to point scales doesn't mean they provide any more feedback to teachers.  It is often seen as a process to get done . . . instead of a process to get done right."

I spent the morning reflecting on the teacher observations I've been doing every year since I became a principal over 12 years ago. Here are some of my thoughts:

• A trusting relationship between the teacher and the administrator is essential.  In such a relationship, the teacher will often come to the post-conference having already reflected on how they can improve the lesson in the future.  I think the greatest example of the trust a teacher had with me was when she shared that she was having difficulty with one of her students.  She had hoped he would exhibit the challenging behaviors during the lesson so I could observe how she dealt with the student and possibly give her some suggestions or insights. This teacher viewed the observation as an opportunity to grow and improve in her practice, not just as a score on her evaluation.
• Visiting classrooms is the best part of my job, and spending time with students informs me about the teaching and learning taking place every day in the classroom, not just during a formal observation. The informal conversation afterward is one way for administrators to create a trusting relationship with the teacher; that relationship is essential as we constantly strive to improve teaching and learning at our school.
• As teachers begin to "blend" their lessons  with students using technology as an essential component of their learning, the Danielson Framework may not be the best tool to observe what is going on in the classroom.  The Framework does not take into account the learning that can happen virtually or collaboratively via technology. When teachers have to "plan" their lesson so an observer can collect a "plethora" of evidences to warrant a rating, it is less likely that a teacher will plan a virtual assignment where evidences may not be observable.
• Any formal observation by an administrator should be an opportunity for improvement rather than an evaluative tool. We want teachers to take risks and to be flexible when they are teaching. When teachers are given a rating that counts towards their evaluation, most of them will play it safe and not plan something different that may not be successful.  Yet, in our classrooms everyday, we want teachers to take risks and be flexible with their students. We want them to be creative and to learn from lessons that "failed" and to reflect on what they might need to change to make it successful in the future. Peter DeWitt suggests that administrators be more like instructional coaches:  "Teachers should be able to learn what they do well, what needs some tweaking and what needs improving.  The observation process should be structured like instructional coaches do it so that the focus is on providing effective feedback to bring learning forward." 

The conversation prior to and after the observations are essential to building positive relationships with teachers.  It is my hope that teachers trust me to be honest with them and to ask the tough questions to get them to think about their lessons. In the end, though,it is just one lesson for one hour of a whole school year. We should care more about what happens on the other 179 school days.  

Funding Woes and Empowerment

Spring Break was a perfect opportunity to reflect and reconsider how to implement change at our school that will be both meaningful, efficient, and impactful. Our accreditation visit confirmed and validated the positive teaching and learning that is happening at Hale Kula, but we know that we can never get too comfortable with what we're doing and how we're influencing students so they can have the tools they need to be successful in their future.

This past week, results of a survey of Hawaii public school principals were released to the media. The results were less divisive than last year probably because changes were made after last year's survey to decrease the requirements of the Educator Effectiveness System for teacher evaluations. This lessened the load for principals, but this year, the Smarter Balanced Assessment is taking its place as a source of concern.  Additionally, the issue of empowerment - or lack of it - is still a major concern for school leaders. 5 out of 6 principals believe they are not empowered to lead their school. The Education Institute of Hawaii website states that 19 out of 20 principals believe that weighted student funding should be increased to 75%.

As principals, it is an expectation that we allocate sufficient funding for personnel, resources, supplies, maintenance costs, and other necessary expenses to run our school.  When we have an increase in student enrollment, we have the extra resources to fund personnel to support our students or our programs, or we can expend funds on more expensive items such as technology.  When enrollment doesn't meet projections, however, we are forced to make difficult decisions that impact students. Purchases may then be limited to necessities, often related to health and safety.

75% of the total funds allocated to the Department would be great, but is it realistic? The DOE takes money off the top for services such as student transportation and food services, programs that are essential but also money-losers. Without funding from government, these services could not sustain themselves because student revenue is such a small portion of what it takes to run programs like transportation and food services.

Schools do need additional funds especially to purchase items like technology devices or mobile labs or textbooks, if that is their preference. School districts are committing to the goals of Future Ready to put devices into the hands of every student, but how do we sustain such an ambitious initiative when we already are having to choose between art, RTI. physical education, or a mentor teacher? Personnel to support the six priority strategies of the Department means that other positions may have to be eliminated and that the budget for "extras" such as technology or learning resources may not be included in the school Financial Plan.

In this blog from Connect Learning Today, Eric Sheninger shares what he believes are 5 leadership problems for educators today. I agree that all are challenges that must be addressed if we are to provide our students with the kind of educational experiences that will prepare them to be successful in their world, now and in the future.  To do that, though, schools need to be empowered and sufficient funds need to be allocated in order to personalize our school to meet the needs of our students.  If we are going to be held accountable, we need adequate funding to support and engage all of our students and to personalize teaching and learning to educate the whole child.

What is the solution?  More funding would be nice. Why isn't our Department getting more funding when everyone agrees that education will make a difference for our students and help them to achieve their goals and aspirations?  Perhaps we also need to understand the intricacies of the budget and ask questions about why more funds aren't getting down to the schools.  Is it because of the educational reforms and top-down mandates or the shrinking budgets that Eric Sheninger mentions as leadership problems? Or is it something else that we have little control over?

We owe it to our students to find out the answers.  The more funds that come down to the schools, the more empowerment we have to try out new ideas and resources and to make a difference for our students.

WASC is Done. Future Ready Next?

Whew! All that hard work paid off, and our WASC visit went well! The Visiting Committee made recommendations, but most of those were already part of our Academic Plan for next school year. I wish I could have been a fly-on-the-wall during meetings with the Focus Groups, the parents, and students just so I could hear what they shared about our accreditation process as well as their perceptions of and experiences at our school.  I wondered whether the participants would feel comfortable about sharing if a particularly challenging question was posed to them.  I really didn't need to worry; everyone who came out of those meetings were excited to share about how positively they felt it went! Now that the Visiting Committee has made its recommendations, we need to determine the best way to ensure implementation. By the end of the visit, our WASC co-chairs and I were already discussing what our next steps are.  Truly, WASC is a reflective process that can benefit a school if it is done with fidelity and the whole school community understands the benefits.  I am appreciative that at Hale Kula, the accreditation process is valued; it validates our progress but gives us a plan to continue to improve teaching and learning so our students can achieve to their potential.

After the accreditation visit, we had a two-day training for Future Ready.  No rest for the weary! The training required a school team, and the principal was a required participant.  No problem - I wouldn't have signed us up if I wasn't committed.  As a school, we are ready for additional support to implement a 1:1 program where students use technology as a tool for learning.  We would love to be part of the next phase within our Department and to contribute to the discussion about digital leadership, personalized professional development for teachers, and personalized learning for our students.

Unfortunately, not everyone believes in the power of technology to transform student learning and engage them in learning projects that can influence their perceptions about their place in this world. Unless the State House and State Senate fund the 1:1 project as requested by the Department and the Governor signs the budget, schools like ours will have to find other resources to purchase more devices for students or continue to use what we have and hope that we have funds in the future.

The previous $8 million that was allocated to our Department for a pilot 1:1 program was an example of poor implementation, and the resulting negative publicity probably contributed to the reluctance of the Legislature to appropriate additional funds in subsequent years.  I am hopeful that the Department, realizing their previous errors, is able to convince the Legislators and the Governor about the importance of preparing our students for their future in this 21st century world.

Because, really, it is a question of equity.  All students need equal access to technology to collaborate, communicate, think critically, and create.  Is it fair for one school to have devices for every student while another school has to share a lab in order for students to access resources via technology? new building funds that helped us to purchase devices, but those funds aren't available every year. We know that Future Ready is expensive,  but how can we ensure equity so all students have access to the tools that can prepare them for college or careers?

Equity is also a factor when we test students on the Smarter Balanced Assessments. It would be interesting to see whether access to technology has a direct correlation on student or school performance on these computer-based assessments.  If students don't perform well, is it due to the content or is it because of the format of the assessment? And will schools with 1:1 devices do better because their students have access to technology every day? I am curious to see whether access to technology has a significant impact on test scores.

Our WASC Visiting Committee commended our school for our use of technology with all stakeholders.  They noted the use of technology to communicate with our community and in all classrooms by students.  In fact, one team member shared, "I see students using tech, but I don't see teachers using it." I smiled when I heard this statement because that is exactly what we want to see - students using tech to explore, discover, create, and share.  Of course, our teachers are also using tech to collaborate and communicate with each other to create lessons and interdisciplinary units based on the Common Core State Standards.

We would love to be part of the Future Ready initiative if funds are allocated for that purpose. Even if we don't receive funds, however, we will continue our journey to make learning relevant for our students using technology and other resources.

These second graders are using computers to build a community in Minecraft.  I was impressed with how much they communicated with each other to problem-solve.  

Many of our students shared their technology projects with their parents during their student-led conferences.  It was pretty impressive to see what students shared! 

Proud Principal

We have an accreditation visit in about a week.  Our current term expires in June, and it's time for us to share what our students are learning, how we know they are learning, and what we do for those students who are struggling.

Accreditation is a process, a challenging but very worthwhile process.  Seven years ago when we applied to be accredited with the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, our staff was unsure whether the extra work was worth it.  By the end of our first full self-study six years ago, everyone was invested in the process, and the resulting 6-year term with a mid-year review was a reason to celebrate. We are proud to be an accredited school because that status validated that we provide a quality education for our students.

Since that first self-study and visit by the 6-member committee, so much has changed within our Department as well as at our school.  The other day at a Leadership Team meeting, we reflected on where we were and where we are now, and the pride in our staff was noticeable. Our Focus Groups were led by new co-chairs who stepped up to take a leadership role for the school.  As we went through the challenging self-study process, I saw our co-chairs grow in confidence and successfully guide their members to closely examine and respond to the questions.  This was a team effort, and everyone contributed to the final product.  Our WASC co-chairs were also new to the process, and they kept everyone on-task and on-time.  They were really the glue that held everything together.

This has been a challenging time for our school.  Not only have there been new initiatives that are mandated for all Hawaii public schools (e.g. Educator Effectiveness System, Smarter Balanced Assessments), but our school has faced a substantial budget shortfall due to not meeting our enrollment projections for two years in a row. The result is that we have no substitute or professional development funds for teachers to articulate, to examine student data, or to discuss issues related to curriculum, instruction, and assessment.  But rather than complain or take a 'woe-is-me' attitude, our teachers found ways to collaborate, often through the use of social media (Google+) or Google Drive. Despite having funds to purchase only the essentials, our teachers nevertheless found ways to engage their students and share resources, learn from each other, and search for lessons and activities on the Internet. I am also proud that so many of our teachers are willing to share a new tech tool, app, or other resources during after-school sessions, and their colleagues look forward to attending and learning something new which they can apply in their classroom.  I believe we are on the cusp of becoming a true blended learning school where students and teachers use technology seamlessly throughout the day.

I am a proud principal!  As our Focus on Learning self-study indicates, we still have challenges to address. However, we also have numerous reasons to celebrate.  Hopefully, the Visiting Committee will agree!

Everyone's a Critic, but What's the Real Problem?

"My two kids" is on the front page of today's Honolulu Star-Advertiser "Insight" section.  Paul McKimmy, a faculty member at the University of Hawaii College of Education, shares his experiences as a  parent with two children in the same grade level at the same public school.  One is thriving; the other is struggling. I hope that all educational leaders and policy makers read his personal story and professional insight and discuss and rethink some of their decisions that negatively impact our educational system.

Those of us in education see first-hand the correlation between socioeconomic status and student achievement.  Societal factors have a huge impact on some of our most needy students, and expecting them to be able to focus on school when their basic needs are not met is unrealistic. We know that given time and a caring staff, schools can have a positive impact on disadvantaged students. We know that teachers can be the impetus for students to be the first in their family to break out of the cycle of poverty and attend college.  We know that school can be the one constant in a child's life, the one safe place where family problems can be forgotten for a few hours. We know that every student is different and when they begin school, they do not start at the same starting line; in fact, some students are far behind other students when they first enter kindergarten. Yet we expect them to be at the same place at the end of the year,  Think of it as a running race; can we reasonably expect someone to start half-a-lap behind and finish at the same time as others who started with a big lead? Yet that seems to be what the public expects of schools.

I began my teaching career in a program for low-income preschoolers, Head Start,, and I firmly believe that providing resources to change the lives of families in poverty can pay big dividends. Head Start is not just a preschool; it provides access to health and social services to families to enhance their lives and give them hope for the future. Head Start encourages family involvement and volunteering in the classroom to help parents learn effective ways to help their children at home. Many students transition successfully from preschool programs for the disadvantaged to kindergarten. Studies also indicate that there are positive long-term benefits for children who attended Head Start.

Yet, we are unwilling to commit funds to early interventions such as universal preschool or social service programs that teach parents how to parent.  Just as we all need support when we attempt to try something new, parenting is something that does not come naturally for many new parents.  Those who had no positive parenting models may not know how to nurture their children so they will be ready for school. When students start kindergarten unprepared for the expectations of school, they may demonstrate behaviors that will impact that child's academic progress.  Blaming the school or the teacher is easy but also very unfair. In most cases, teachers and schools do their best to address the needs of the students, but they struggle to close the achievement gap between the haves and the have-nots.

As Mr. McKimmy concludes in his op-ed piece, "We don't have a problem with a broken system or poorly performing teachers.  We have a poverty vs. privilege problem; but we choose to attack public schools and the teaching profession as an easy target rather than addressing the real issues head-on."  It's time for us to stop blaming schools and teachers and start providing the opportunity so ALL students can be successful in their educational experience.

Does a Higher Salary Mean Better Teachers?

Recently, a friend posted an article on Facebook: "Here's What Happens when a School Pays Its Teachers a Lot, Lot More Money."  I read the article with interest. Did a rigorous interview process and high expectations along with high pay - $125,000 per year plus incentives - result in improved student performance in a high-needs school despite larger class sizes and less administrative support?

According to the results of the study, funded by the Melissa and Bill Gates Foundation, "After four years at the charter school, eighth-graders showed average test score gains in math equal to an additional year and a half of school, compared with district students.  The study found these charter students' gains equaled more than an extra half-year in science and almost an extra half-year in English."  

The conclusion of the author? With higher pay, "teachers perform better and students learn more."

To say that higher pay led to greater student achievement gains is too simplistic and doesn't take into account other contributing factors: student motivation, parent involvement, how students were taught, how many hours of extra instruction were provided, and whether students had opportunities to participate in electives or extracurricular activities. Did teachers collaborate on lessons and share data so all students showed gains, or was each teacher judged individually?

The fact that there was a 47% turnover of teachers after one year concerns me.  Just because a teacher is experienced and has had success in the past does not mean that he or she can go into any other school and have the same results.  The first year at any school is a learning experience, and being judged mainly on student test scores does a disservice not just to the teacher, but to the students and the school itself. What message are we sending when nearly half of the staff is replaced after a year? How can we build a collaborative and inclusive culture at the school when there is such a high turnover of teachers?

In his blog, "Questioning the Data," George Couros states, " . . . what is the measure of success? You may see an increase in test scores but kids might hate coming to school every day, because it is easy to teach to a test, while also killing a love of learning in our students. You can also see that you can improve a score in anything if you put a massive focus on it."  

We all know that teaching is an art; content knowledge is not enough.. Effective teaching and learning is about building relationships with students and colleagues and having the pedagogy and skills to manage a classroom of students and engage them so they are invested in their own learning. Effective teachers are constantly learning and adjusting their lessons to meet the needs and interests of their students. As a school principal, I could not agree to a system where teachers are evaluated and retained solely on how well their students performed on a statewide assessment. Students are more than a test score, and our job as educators is to help all students discover a passion for learning so they can achieve success. A huge salary does not guarantee that.

Predicting the Super Bowl Winner

Yesterday was the BIG GAME for many folks who see the Super Bowl as a reason to get together with friends to cheer on their favorite team.  For my hubbie and me, it meant we practically had the whole golf course to ourselves since everyone else was watching the big game.  Don't get me wrong, I am a sports fan, but our teams (the 49ers and the Dolphins) weren't in it, so I was content to check the score on my iPhone every so often until we got home in time for the halftime show with Katy Perry. (I enjoyed it but not as much as last year's with Hawaii's own Bruno Mars.)

Football is just a game, but it's also a great way to teach students lessons.  Our physical education teacher, Mr. B, invited students and staff at our school to enter a Super Bowl contest. He received lots of entries! I asked him about it on Friday, and he shared that in past years, he got some pretty wild responses from students such as scores that were more reflective of a baseball or basketball game than a football game, a personal reason for picking a team based on heart rather than head ("I like their colors" or "I like their name better"), and evidence that the student didn't really know what the Super Bowl was.

We teach our students to predict from the time they are in kindergarten.  Predict what will happen next in the story and explain your reason; predict what the weather might be like tomorrow; predict what will happen when we do a science experiment with the class, predict the results of the Presidential election, etc.  Somehow, though, students weren't making the connection to a real life event like the Super Bowl.

This year, Mr. B made it a point to discuss the contest with the students. He asked them what a prediction is - an educated guess based on data.  He also had a few tiebreaker questions that required students to do a little researching to find the answer.  Mr. B shared that the responses this year indicated that students actually checked football scores and thought carefully before submitting their entry.  Many of the responses were very specific when answering the tiebreaker questions: the game was being played at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona; Tom Brady played football at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan, etc.  Those questions about which colleges Tom Brady and Russell Wilson attended? It's never too early to emphasize a college-going mindset with our students!  The final question asked what does Super Bowl XLIX stand for?  Is this similar to coding? Were the Romans the original coders?  I realize it's not part of the Common Core State Standards, but sharing the Roman Numeral system would be a great lesson that could engage students in thinking logically.

Mr. B will be announcing the winners of the contest today - one for students and one for staff.  I chose the New England Patriots, but the score I wrote down was 20-17.  Someone else will probably be closer to the final score, 28-24.  And if teachers wanted to, they could extend the lesson and ask students if there are other ways to get a score of 28-24 and see what students come up with (there are numerous ways).

I love sports, not just for the competition, but for the many opportunities we can incorporate learning in all content areas!