What Works?

Educational Leadership  IMPROVING SCHOOLS WHAT WORKS, —February 2015

It's the one magazine I take with me on vacation. It is light, portable, and packed with innovative ideas for educators. There are topics in Educational Leadership that have become my favorite and this is one of them. This months highlights 'what works' for school improvement.

February's publication is a must read for every principal and school leader. I would recommend reading one or two or the above featured articles, giving yourself some time to consider the author's message and possibly even finding a few colleagues to "marinate" the ideas with. It is still on my desk. When I do take a break, I continue to go back to my favorite to ponder and make the ideas applicable to our school improvement efforts to try and "make it stick".

I attempted to narrow down the most essential posts from a school improvement perspective, but there was just too many gems I wouldn't want you to miss.

Research Alert: Barriers to School Improvement: What are the "real" barriers for principals? Answer--less than you think.

ScreenGrabs: Ted Talks on School Improvement featuring Geoffrey Canada & Andreas Schleicher  Who doesn't love TED?

Karin Chenoweth: HOW DO WE GET THERE FROM HERE? We know what works to improve schools. Now, let's focus on using the most effective practices.

One of them being, "The principal should not be the focus of all decisions........ However, at least in the initial stages of school improvement, it appears schools may need the focused efforts of a leader who believes in the capacity of all students. Such a leader can establish systems that allow teachers to focus on the things that work---and model how to evaluate every decisions through a 'what works' filter" (pg. 20).

Greg Anrig: HOW WE KNOW COLLABORATION WORKS A growing body of research shows that collaboration between teachers and administrators---not confrontation---improves student outcomes.

Developing a more inclusive trusting culture between teachers and principals "is an essential ingredient in making successful schools tick: (pg. 33).

John Hattie: HIGH IMPACT LEADERSHIP Effective instructional leaders don't just focus on student learning. They relentlessly search out and interrogate evidence of that learning. Love that word--RELENTLESSLY.

"High-impact instructional leaders believe that success and failure in student learning is about what they, as teachers or leaders, did or didn't do" (pg. 40).

Amanda Datnow & Vicki Park: DATA USE FOR EQUITY Meaningful use of data in school means giving all students the opportunity to achieve at high levels.

"Data use provides a lever for school improvement, but if the process isn't implemented effectively, it won't deliver" (pg.50).

Bryan Goodwin: To Go Fast, Direct. To Go Far, Empower.

Directive Leadership versus Collaborative Leadership.

Doug Fisher & Nancy Frey: Focus Drives School Improvement

Essential Question: What do we want to be known for? Personally they continue to remind me of the importance of the power of "Gradual Release of Responsibility."

Thomas R. Hoerr: When Teachers Feel Beaten Down

What can we as principals do to recognize the work off teachers who are enthusiastic about confronting challenges and eager to find solutions?" (pg. 85). The shortest article--but most impactful for principals who want to recognize those leading the change.

Carol Ann Tomlinson: Pondering Good vs. Great--"Good schools are good places. Extraordinary schools, however, lift the prospect of all of us" (g. 88).

ENJOY!

Ask Me

Angela Peery, Polly Patrick, & Deb Moore ASK DON'T TELL —Powerful Questioning in the Classroom 

I attended a small rural high school in the middle of a tight knit community. We were lucky enough to have shop classes, home economics, and advance math placement courses.  For a few years I attended Mr. Smith's advance algebra/calculus for junior and seniors. It was difficult, but entertaining, and looking back it was one of my favorite classes. Mr. Smith asked questions, after questions. It just didn't stop. I remember thinking, "Just give me the formal so we can move on." He was persistent and made us work through each problem meticulously and endlessly by discovering our own solution with his use of questioning.

I was reminded of Mr. Smith's use of questioning when I returned to college. Many of my university professors used the same strategy. To answer them required reflection, persistence, and effort. It was grueling at time but tremendously rewarding. The questions I learned to ask myself gave me the drive to figure things out when no one was there to give me "the formula". As an instructional lead learner, I am going back to utilizing questioning strategies not just to guide my own thinking, but to strategically support and engage staff as we lead our school in improvement.

Peery, Patrick, and Moore's work on questioning reminds the reader and myself on the power of a purposeful question. The authors define a powerful question as something that engages ones mind and emotions as we seek answers through metacognition to deepen our own thinking (pg. 17-19).  With a students perspective, just think of the power of learning that can occur when you involve your students in the process. Having the students engaged in the conversation and continuing to think is they key" (pg. 29).

The authors also support the reader how to approach questioning in language arts, mathematics, science and social studies. These critical questions in each content area will not only support the students thinking about their own learning, but in the long run to make them more competitively prepared for the global marketplace. In our society today we need all of our students to communicate more clearly in writing, speaking, reading, and listening at home, school, and eventually in the work place. We can all start by modeling how to ask and answer questions to support us to ponder, consider, think deeply, struggle, and make connections to the people and our world around us (pg. 173).

"Its not the answer that enlightens, but the question." Eugene lonesco

  

What Influences Everything

Steve Gruenert & Todd Whitaker SCHOOL CULTURE REWIRED: How to Define, Assess, and Transform It

What influences everything at your school? The culture you allow.  That is a bold and mighty statement, and as a school leader, somewhat alarming. Although it was this thought that propeled me forward in each of the authors Gruenert & Whitaker purposeful chapters. 

Exactly how does a school leader transform a school culture for the purpose of equitable student achievement? Gruenert & Whitaker offer advice first by defining it. "Culture is not a problem that needs to be solved, but rather a framework that can be used to solve problems" (pg. 6). Chapter two outlines "culture busting strategies" for developing a positive mindset about the culture and climate you strive to create at your school.

 "If you want to BUST a culture...."

Ask teachers why they like snow days. (It's all about the WHY. John Maxwell)

Celebrate Mondays. (Rather than Fridays)

Praise and compliment risk taking. (Take note.)

Have fun in meetings that aren't suppose to be fun. (Laugh!)

Ask educators why cultural change takes so long. (Go slow to go fast.)

Try new teaching strategies. (Think Hattie and Marzano.)

Visit other effective schools. (What Works?)  

Push the boundaries of culturally acceptable behaviors. (Good is the Enemy of Great. Jim Collins)

Encourage the development of a subculture of your most effective teachers. (How we do things around here.)

Ask who will keep us from improving.  (Avoid the blame game.)

Ask people to explain the elephant in the room. (We have choices.)

Gruenert & Whitaker also provide tools to "start the conversation" with staff about your school culture. The School Culture Typology Activity will "reveal their current cultural type" (pg. 66) and it's strengths and weakness. The School Culture Survey can be used to determine how collaborative your school culture is. Not just how well teachers work together, but the "existence of trust, peer observations, a compelling mission, and so on (pg. 80). There are additional tools that will help your school team "jump start" and "lead by example" by seeking out the "leverage points" to transform a culture. "After all, we don't want our schools just to be different; we want them to be better" (pg. 166).

                       

Assessments FOR Learning

 Rick Stiggins REVOLUTIONIZE ASSESSMENT: Empower Students Inspire Learning

Rick Stiggins is a familiar name to many of us in the field of education. I once heard him referred to as the “Father of Assessment FOR Learning”. Stiggins strongly encourages district, school, and classroom leaders to “use (high quality) assessments in the classroom to help students learn” and as a “viable universal motivator” for students to develop ownership of their own learning.

This made me go back to Simon Sinek’s Golden Circle:

Why:  Bottom line—we want, no we need all of our students to achieve their outcome goals so they can become the individuals we know they can be. Belief. We need to share this vision with them. They are the owners of their own learning. We are the facilitators.

How: “It’s not what you do, but how you do it ” (Sinek).

Provide students with a clear learning target—one key concept at a time.

Provide students with the success criteria (i.e. examples, non-examples) needed for proficiency.

Provide ongoing, specific, targeted feedback while they are learning.

Provide opportunities for students to self assess and track their growth—it’s about ownership.

What: Quality assessments collaboratively developed based on the standards of what students should know and be able to do. “In summary, then quality assessments are created by those who; begin with clear and appropriate learning targets, select proper assessments methods, build quality assessments, and communicate results effectively given their intended purpose (pg. 73).

"Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn." 

Benjamin Franklin

The Golden Circle—Why, How, What

 Simon Sinek START WITH WHY: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action

People don’t buy WHAT you do; they buy WHY you do it.

We are drawn to leaders and organizations that are good at communicating what they believe. Their ability to make us feel like we belong, to make us feel special, safe and not alone is part of what gives them the ability to inspire us.

All organizations start with WHY, but only the great ones keep their WHY clear year after year.” 

“For great leaders, The Golden Circle is in balance. They are in pursuit of WHY, they hold themselves accountable to HOW they do it and WHAT they do serves as the tangible proof of what they believe.” 

“The role of a leader is not to come up with all the great ideas. The role of a leader is to create an environment in which great ideas can happen.” 

“You have to be careful what you think you know.” 

“There are many ways to motivate people to do things, but loyalty comes from the ability to inspire people.” 

“Leadership requires two things: a vision of the world that does not yet exist and the ability to communicate it.” 

You don’t hire for skills, you hire for attitude. You can always teach skills.