Courageous Leaders - Texas Association of School Administrators

TEXAS ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS PROFESSIONAL JOURNAL
FALL 2006
INSIGHT
Fall 2006
p. 12
p. 22
Volume 21
No. 2
FEATURED ARTICLES
p. 27
Courageous Leaders: Engaging All Students and Sustaining
Their Success
12
by Alan M. Blankstein; compiled by Jessica Baume
Focuses on the importance and process of creating school and district cultures that engage all students and sustain their success
Time and the School Leader
22
by Virginia Collier
Encourages a fresh approach to effective time management by rethinking time and priorities
Rural Texas Supt Takes Hands-on Approach to Tech Integration
27
by Cara Erenben, Contributing Editor, eSchool News
Shares one superintendent’s resourcefulness in integrating technology in his rural district
Leadership for Effective and Productive Schools: A Reasoned Approach
33
by Louis R. Centolanza, Ed.D.
Provides a research-based exploration of the characteristics and practices that create a successful school
FALL 2006
3
Officers
DEPARTMENTS
Upcoming Events at TASA
6
President’s Message
9
Executive Director’s View
11
TASA Headquarters Staff
Executive Director
Associate Executive Director,
Administrative Services
Assistant Executive Director,
Communications & Information Systems
Johnny L. Veselka
Paul L. Whitton, Jr.
Ann M. Halstead
Design/Production
Emmy Starr
Editorial Coordinator
Karen Limb
Kay E. Waggoner, President, Grapevine-Colleyville ISD
Thomas E. Randle, President-Elect, Lamar CISD
Rick Howard, Vice-President, Comanche ISD
Alton J. Fields, Past President
Executive Committee
Arturo Guajardo, Pharr-San Juan-Alamo ISD, 1
Henry D. Herrera, Alice ISD, 2
Larry W. Nichols, Calhoun County ISD, 3
Leland Williams, Dickinson ISD, 4
Gail Krohn, Nederland ISD, 5
Mike Cargill, Bryan ISD, 6
Mary Ann Whiteker, Hudson ISD, 7
Eddie Johnson, Harts Bluff ISD, 8
John Baker, Seymour ISD, 9
H. John Fuller,Wylie ISD, 10
Jerry W. Roy, Lewisville ISD, 11
Rod Townsend, Hico ISD, 12
Ryder F. Warren, Marble Falls ISD, 13
Kent LeFevre, Jim Ned CISD, 14
Alan Richey, Bronte ISD, 15
David G. Foote, Dalhart ISD, 16
Mike Motheral, Sundown ISD, 17
Michael Downes, Big Spring ISD, 18
Paul L. Vranish, Tornillo ISD, 19
John Folks, Northside ISD, 20
At-Large Members
Rose Cameron, Copperas Cove ISD
Patricia A. Linares, Fort Worth ISD
Alicia H. Thomas, North East ISD
INSIGHT is published quarterly by the Texas Association of School
Administrators, 406 East 11th Street, Austin, Texas, 78701-2617. Subscription
is included in TASA membership dues. © 2006 by TASA. All rights reserved.
TASA members may reprint articles in limited quantities for in-house educational use. Articles in INSIGHT are expressions of the author or interviewee
and do not necessarily represent the views or policies of TASA. Advertisements
do not necessarily carry the endorsement of the Texas Association of School
Administrators. INSIGHT is printed by Thomas Graphics, Austin, Texas.
4
INSIGHT
Editorial Advisory Committee
Kay E. Waggoner, Grapevine-Colleyville ISD, chair
Thomas E. Randle, Lamar CISD
Virginia L. Collier, Texas A & M University
H. John Fuller, Wylie ISD
Rick Howard, Comanche ISD
Patricia A. Linares, Fort Worth ISD
Mike Motheral, Sundown ISD
Ron Peace, Dallas ISD
Alicia H. Thomas, North East ISD
Upcoming Events at TASA
Starting in
Excerpts from TASA’s Professional Development Calendar
For more information about any of these workshops/trainings,
please call TASA, 800-725-8272, or go online at www.TASAnet.org
October
Joel Barker’s Implications Wheel®
Certification Training at
Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD
Master Wheel Trainers
October 18–20
g Who Should Attend
• Training Professionals
• Strategic Planning Professionals
• Association Membership Directors
• Directors of Communications
• College/University Staff and
Administration
g What You Learn
• Gain confidence in decision making
and planning.
Mentoring the Reflective Principal
Collaborative Approaches to Impact
Student Achievement
A Four-Part Carolyn Downey Seminar
Series with Jan Jacob
Session 1: October 19–20, 2006
Session 2: November 16–17, 2006
Session 3: January 18–19, 2007
Session 4: February 15–16, 2007
Just for the Kids School Improvement
Institute
Based on Student Achievement Data and
Evidence-Based PracticesOther
Practitioners
Session 1: October 26, 2006
Session 2: December 5–6, 2006
g Who Should Attend
• Superintendents
• District-Level Curriculum and Instruction
Administrators
• Principals
• Team–Principal Supervisor and two or
more Principals
g What You Learn
• Session 1: Role of the Supervisors and
Other District-Level Staff in Mentoring
Principals and Monthly Supervisors’
School Visitation
• Session 2: Critical Success Factors and
g Who Should Attend
• District or School Leadership Teams (recommended four to five people):
• One District Administrator
• School Principal
• Two or Three Lead Teachers
g What You Learn
• Use JFTK School Reports to develop an
understanding of your school’s current
reality through a review of your school’s
student achievement levels compared to
schools with similar student populations
that are reaching higher levels
g What You Learn: Part Two
• Day One—Study the Practice of Higher
Performing School Systems
• Higher stakeholder engagement and
satisfaction.
• Improved organizational
communication.
• Enhanced involvement of employees
at all levels in organizational
direction setting.
• Increased support for organizational
change
Team Planning for Achieving Schools
Schoolwide Classroom Observation
Protocol for Curriculum Alignment and
Powerful Instructional Practices
• Session 3: Creating a Learning
Community Feeder School Principals’
Joint Academic Goals Interventions
Protocol Annual Performance Review
• Session 4: Team Approach for Working
with Low-Performing Schools and
Listening to the Voice of Your Principals
Protocol
• Examine the practices of higher performing school systems using the JFTK
Best Practice Framework and the
lessons learned from visiting more than
300 consistently higher performing
schools
• Benchmark your practices against the
practices of consistently higher performing schools using the JFTK Self- Audits
• Day Two – Learn Lessons from
Consistently Higher Performing Schools
• Participate in small group panel discussions with school leaders from consistently higher performing school systems
about JFTK Best Practice Framework
themes that emerge as areas of interest
in your JFTK Self-Audit
Concept-Based Curriculum and
Instruction for the THINKING
Classroom
Two-Day Seminar with H. Lynn Erickson
October 30–31, 2006
Goal-Driven Assessment FOR Learning
Two-Day Seminar with Jan O’Neill
November 8–9, 2006
g Who Should Attend
• Curriculum and Instruction
Administrators
• Curriculum and Instruction Specialists
• Teacher Leaders
•
•
g What You Learn
• The Structure of Knowledge and how it
can help us raise the bar for curriculum
and instruction.
• The difference between two-dimensional
and three-dimensional curriculum and
instruction and why we must shift our
g Who Should Attend
• Principals
• Teacher-Leaders
• Curriculum, Assessment, and Instruction
Directors
• Teams are encouraged to attend!
•
•
emphasis in design if we want thinking
classrooms.
How to write powerful Enduring
Understandings that reflect the deeper
intent of TEKS/TAKS.
How we can work with different kinds of
learners to help them reach their potential.
How we can create an “intellectual synergy” to engage the minds and hearts of
our students.
Why the conceptual mind is the key to
increasing motivation for learning at all
levels.
focused by the SMART Goals process.
• The purposes of assessment OF and
FOR learning.
• The role of assessment in building student motivation for learning.
• The power of SMART goals for accelerating student and teacher learning.
g What You Learn
• How assessment FOR and OF learning
practices can be balanced, directed, and
Raising Student Test Scores: A Baker’s Dozen Ways
Two-Day Training-of-Trainers Seminar with Carolyn
Downey
November 13–14, 2006
g Who Should Attend
• District-Level Administrators
• Curriculum Directors and Content Specialists
• Supervisors/Coaches of Principals
• Principals
• Assistant Principals
• Teacher Leaders
g What You Learn
• To identify 13 powerful strategies that staff can use to
increase student achievement scores—the very basic first
steps to move staff towards focusing on higher student
achievement and low performing students.
• The Baker’s Dozen focuses participants on working with
low-performing students with effective approaches that
are equally successful with all students.
FALL 2006
7
The Nature of Leadership
PRESIDENT’S
MESSAGE
“… as school leaders in
complex and troubled
times, we need clarity of
purpose, a relentless drive
toward achieving that
purpose, and discipline to
keep unrelated issues
at bay …”
Can reflections on biomedics, economics, and philosophy lead to improved district leadership?
Do firefighters and hedgehogs have anything to do with public education? Not readily apparent at first glance, but during the association’s annual planning meeting this summer in Bastrop
more than 60 TASA committee members and I discovered new ways to look at organizations
and leadership.
Dr. John Horn, former superintendent at Mesquite ISD and now consultant with the
Schlechty Center, led us through a series of discussions based on the Jim Collins’ monograph
Good to Great and the Social Sectors. We began by identifying social sectors affecting our
schools, staff, students, and communities. Factors affecting the context in which we live
include technology, biomedics, social issues, politics, education, economics, philosophy, and
global issues. We quickly created an extensive list of seemingly unrelated issues impacting situations we face and decisions we make every day—everything from the digital divide and the
voucher movement to student diversity and fuel costs. As the discussion continued, implications regarding leadership quickly emerged. Effective decision making requires that we look
beyond the boundaries of our districts and consider global changes and challenges influencing
our students, parents, staff, and community.
The group then looked at a stark example of leadership in crisis. If you are not familiar with
the story of the Mann Gulch fire, I urge you to read about it. This dramatic, real-life story
of a team of firefighters caught in a life-threatening situation starkly illustrates the role leadership plays in any organization. It is a story of failure but, as so often happens in life, tragedy
underscores truth. The requirements of successful leadership—understanding the values,
beliefs, and norms that drive the organization; building a foundation of trust; creating and
maintaining clear communication; and adapting quickly and forcefully to change—apply to
any leader in any organization.
For those of you familiar with Good to Great, you’re probably one jump ahead of me in making the transition to Collins’ Hedgehog Concept. Collins’ abbreviated definition is: “A
Hedgehog Concept is not a goal to be the best, a strategy to be the best . . . a plan to be the
best. It is an understanding of what you can be the best at!” I wouldn’t presume to summarize Collins’ monograph in a few sentences, but its correlation to our discussion was obvious:
as school leaders in complex and troubled times, we need clarity of purpose, a relentless drive
toward achieving that purpose, and discipline to keep unrelated issues at bay in order to
address day-to-day issues and meet our long-term goals.
Ours can be a lonely profession. Challenges, crises, and negativity come from all angles, and
can overwhelm even the most seasoned administrator. The tendency toward ambiguity is a
constant threat, but if we are clear on our passion and purpose we can and will be better leaders. I can assure you that TASA is clearly passionate about you and your success—look to
your association for information, guidance, and solutions!
*Learn more by visiting jimcollins.com and/or reading Good to Great and Good to Great and the Social
Sectors. The story of Mann Gulch can be found in Young Men and Fire by Norman Maclean.
FALL 2006
9
Enriching Tech Tools
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S
VIEW
Over the past two months, planning meetings with TASA’s elected leadership and advisory committees have centered on Jim Collins’ monograph Good to Great and the Social Sectors. Through
our discussions, we have collected valuable input in identifying the issues that are of greatest
importance to our members and those things at which we can be “the best in the world.” One
recurring theme dominated the conversations: the association’s use of technology to communicate
with, educate, and empower our members in their roles as public education leaders.
This need for instantly accessible and reliable information and communication tools has been
the impetus of a variety of projects begun earlier this year and coming to fruition as we begin
the 2006–07 school year. Our work is centered on these goals:
Personalize the TASAnet Experience. TASA Daily, Capitol Watch, XPress News, the
Superintendent’s Calendar, and legislative resources have become vital communication tools
that most members use regularly. Our goal in 2006–07 is to enhance these features but also
personalize the TASAnet experience for each member, allowing you to identify the online tools
and resources that best fit your individual needs.
Enhance Access to Resources. Subscribers to our Administrator’s Resource Center and other
TASA members gain a huge advantage this fall when the Educational Research Service unveils
its e-Knowledge Portal. TASA members will have direct access to ERS’s vast online resource
collection, while ARC subscribers will receive discounts on available resources and complimentary access to a special resource collection. The portal’s features are geared toward busy
administrators, making access to critical research both easy and thorough.
Provide Information on Grant Opportunities. TASA is working with e-Civis to optimize
their popular, Web-based Grants Locator for Texas public schools. Grants Locator consolidates grant information into one central, convenient location, streamlining every step in the
process, including research, application writing, staff coordination, and tracking. The service
provides a grant summary, a snapshot of the financial offering, eligibility requirements, and
other information. The product is currently being pilot tested in several Texas school districts.
Assist Districts in Locating Product and Services. Texas school districts will have an exciting
new way to “cut through the clutter” of education companies and Web sites when TASA unveils
Education Plaza at the TASB/TASA Convention. This one-stop-shopping site combines
sophisticated search capabilities with detailed product descriptions and contact information,
best practices, and related links into a user-friendly site geared to public schools. Best of all, it
is Texas specific!
These are just some of the ways TASA is enhancing our services to fit your needs. If you have
ideas on how we can better assist you in meeting your goals, please don’t hesitate to call me.
I look forward to seeing you in Houston October 6–8!
FALL 2006
11
Courageous Leaders:
Engaging All Students and
Sustaining Their Success
by Alan M. Blankstein; compiled by Jessica Baumer
L
eaders who find “moral purpose”
in themselves and in others are
on the road to becoming
Sustaining Student Success
1. The Challenge in Creating Clarity of Purpose
When it comes to student success, educators face many internal and external distractions in identifying and acting on a core philosophy of “failure is not an option.”
courageous leaders. For these leaders,
failure is not an option for any child,
and they engage others in building this
common philosophy—along with a
supportive culture, structures, and
pedagogy to make it come alive.
Courageous leaders should engage all
stakeholders—even the most challenging ones—to ensure school cultures in
which failure is not an option for any
student. It is not easy or simple work,
yet it can be done. This article aims to
provide many specific steps and strategies that high-performing schools and
districts have used to get there by drawing from the opening chapter of The
Soul of Educational Leadership.
Much has been written about the technical, structural, and, more recently,
cultural side of school change. But little data is available about creating
school and district cultures that engage
all students and sustain their success.
This is at the heart of our success, however, and it is the focus of this article.
First, what is success? In 1949, Ralph Tyler challenged educators to clearly define
what students should learn as a first step in assuring that they learn it (Tyler, 1949).
Increasingly, this answer is being narrowly and externally defined by ministries of
education, provincial departments of education, and their equivalents at state and
federal levels in the United States. Merely adhering to these standards, however, can
create a brain-deadening “drill and kill” school environment that, in itself, becomes
part of the problem (Hargreaves, 2003).
By contrast, many high-performing schools are using standards as minimums and defining success in more holistic ways (American Cities Foundation, 2004). These schools use
“enrichment” classes as the norm and provide both high expectations and support for students across the board. They have taken the external challenges of student performance
demands and turned them into internal catalysts for excellence.
Second, which students can learn? No two children are the same, obviously: some are
poor, some rich; some come to school speaking fairly good English, others speak no
English at all. These are real issues, yet they are also distractions from the job at hand. Too
often we have heard teachers indicate that they could teach a particular child “if only the
parents cared” or “if only the child wanted to learn.” Obviously, students come to school
unequally prepared, but high-performing schools—even in the toughest situations—
somehow find ways to succeed with virtually all students.
Third, who is responsible for all students’ success? This question is at the core of
determining whether or not schools will succeed with all students. In high-performing schools, we have found that everyone is responsible; in low-performing schools,
on the other hand, no one feels responsible.
In one of the most exhaustive longitudinal studies of school success, Newmann and
Wehlage (1995) spent a decade researching 1,200 schools for common characteristics
of successful “learning communities.” They concluded that successful schools share
three characteristics:
continued on page 15
12
INSIGHT
FALL 2006
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continued from page 12
1. Teachers pursue a clear, shared purpose
for all students’ learning.
2. Teachers engage in collaborative activity
to achieve that stated purpose.
3. Teachers take collective responsibility
for student learning.
While these three factors are interrelated
(and may all represent a continual challenge for schools), the third seems to be the
most difficult to attain. The idea that “all
means all” when it comes to student success
is often held by only a few heroic “superteachers” in any given school or district.
There are also many examples of schooland district-wide successes in creating cultures in which failure is not an option for
any student. One teacher explained: “How
can I give up on them when everyone else
already has? We are their last hope.”
There are many challenges in engendering
collective commitment to all students’
success, as the following “case story”
demonstrates:
Case Story: Sidiki
Due to Sidiki’s difficulties in school, his mother was
called to meet with two of his teachers on Friday afternoon when they had planning time available. Fanta was
not able to speak fluent English, and she was anxietyridden about the nature of the meeting. She asked a
friend who was heavily involved in education to join
her. After brief introductions, Sidiki’s teachers, who cotaught language arts and history, began to speak:
“One teacher explained:
Ms. Brown: My concern is that Sidiki isn’t very involved
in class. He seems distracted, or bored.
else already has?
Ms. Lindsey: Yes, I’m not sure he really even cares about
what we’re discussing. Maybe he doesn’t fully understand?
‘How can I give up
on them when everyone
We are their last hope.’”
Ms. Brown: Yes, that’s it! He clearly has comprehension
problems in my class. I really think he may be Learning
Disabled and needs to be in another setting!
At this point, Fanta, whose English was good enough to
understand the gist of this conversation, almost jumped
across the table to demonstrate her feelings. She was,
instead, calmed by her friend who spoke next:
FALL 2006
15
“Let me explain the situation,” he said to
the two teachers. “I have known Sidiki
since he came to the United States from
Mali, West Africa, five years ago. His
father, who is a world-class scholar, was
recruited by the university to teach several languages native to that region of
Africa. Sidiki has bounced around quite
a bit over the years, and is now experiencing abuses at home as well.
Nonetheless, he is quite brilliant, and he
speaks four languages, English being the
last one he has learned.” Fanta’s friend
turned to the language arts teacher to
further drive his point home: “Since you
are his language arts teacher, it may be
that you now speak more than four languages, but remember, Sidiki is only 10
years old!”
The teachers were surprised by this perspective provided by Fanta’s friend. They had not seen
Sidiki in this light. Perhaps they had only seen the color
of his skin, his poor language skills, or his apparent
poverty. Although they may not have done anything differently following the meeting, they at least stated their
intentions to redouble their efforts and find an approach
that might work.
Figure 1: From Common Philosophy to Teaching Strategies
2. Aligning Teaching Strategies, Structures, Culture,
and Philosophy
A. Teaching Strategies
The fact that the teachers in the Case Story were teaming
within a double-blocked schedule is among the better practices advocated in education. Yet this is only a structural
approach to school improvement; it does not address what
happens within that structure (see Figure 1). In this particular case, the structure was not used to advance best practices
in teaching. The power and importance of the classroom
teacher cannot be overstated. In just one academic year in
Boston, the top third of teachers produced as much as six
times the learning growth as the bottom third of the teachers
(Boston Public Schools, 1998).
Successful teaching includes:
* Engaging Curriculum. Some 30 experts convened by the
U.S. Department of Education concluded that top-quality teachers use pedagogy and curriculum that incorporates
native language and culture, and they regard students’
native cultures and languages as assets, rather than deficits
(Housman and Martinez, 2002).
* Connecting with Students. Good teachers make good connections, personally and intellectually. Greeting students
at the classroom door, commenting positively on their
non-academic activities, and showing concern when they
enter with a “carry in” problem are all helpful in making
connections.
* Empowering students. Allowing students to make decisions
about classroom rules (and even curriculum) is an excellent way to ensure their engagement.
16
INSIGHT
B. Supportive Structures and Systems
Schools often develop policies and structures that
are inconsistent with the needs of those they serve.
Highly engaging schools develop their core philosophy and culture around data regarding their students’ success, and then build structures to support
that success. Ideally, structures align with the
school’s philosophy, reflect the culture, and support
teaching and learning.
The most important aspect of good collaboration
has more to do with what people discuss and how
they do it within these structures. Structures are
important, of course, but it is the school’s culture,
based on collective commitments and values, that
drives behavior.
C. School Culture
The culture of a school is demonstrated by people’s
behaviors. In the Case Story above, the school culture is one in which teachers met parents only at the
school site and only at times that were convenient
for the teachers. Moreover, the teachers had created
the clear and simple option of placing struggling
students in special education—an option that was
apparently used frequently. In short, these behav-
iors reflected a culture of “do what is most convenient” versus “do whatever it takes.”
The culture of a school is based on an overarching
philosophy that is eventually articulated in the mission, vision, values, and goals (MVVG) of the
school (Blankstein, 2004). Following the development of a consensus around the schools mission,
vision, and values, high-performing schools often
use:
* SMART goals (Specific and Strategic,
Measurable, Achievable, Results-oriented, and
Time-bound) and clear expectations; appropriate behaviors, quantifiable indicators of success,
and timelines are set that align with the school’s
mission and vision
* Non-negotiables
* Celebrations that are institutionalized to recognize performance that aligns with the school’s
goals
* Confrontations when necessary to assure
behaviors are consistent with school values and
consensus positions
continued on page 19
FALL 2006
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continued from page 17
D. Guiding Philosophy
The underlying philosophy of the school in the
Case Story was apparently one that allowed teachers
to give up on students relatively quickly. Teachers
who succeed do not give up on their students;
instead, they take responsibility for learning outcomes (Lyman and Villani, 2004). As one teacher in
a high-performing school culture noted: “It’s my
fault, not theirs, when they are not successful. I
need to be more in tune with what motivates them”
(Corbett, Wilson, Williams, 2002, p. 17). Likewise,
high-performing schools—even in the toughest
school settings—embrace at the core of their philosophy the notion that failure is not an option for
any child or any subgroup (Blankstein, 2004).
Methods of creating a common philosophy vary
depending on circumstances, but generally include
these components:
1. Development of a core team that is predisposed
to the philosophy (though they can and should
be discriminating about ways of implementing
it). Among other things, this team would learn
together and create plans for buy-in by the
whole school or district.
2. Exposure/orientation of the larger school community to the research supporting the philosophy. This can be done through studying the
data, book studies, or field trips to other highperforming schools with similar demographics.
3. Proving it works at home. Pilot projects are ideal
for this. For example, at Warwick High School,
in Newport News, Virginia (currently ranked
#62 on Newsweek’s top 1,000 U.S. schools), the
idea of opening honors classes to all students initially met with resistance. After a few teachers
volunteered to participate, and the successes
were celebrated school-wide, more teachers
joined in. Now all incoming freshmen take honors classes.
ment to, and responsibility for, success for all students.
On the other hand, if stakeholders vary widely in their
beliefs, the best one can hope for in a new initiative is
short-term gains and random acts of improvement that
lack coherence, commitment, and consistent followthrough.
Engaging Students
Unfortunately, too often
students and others in the
school community are not
fully engaged in the heart of
the enterprise: teaching and
learning.
“… one teacher in a high-performing
school culture noted: ‘It’s my fault, not
theirs, when they are not successful.’”
When students are asked their number-one complaint
about school, for example, they generally respond that
school is “boring.” Knowing these students and their
interests, and why they feel bored, is a critical first step
to engaging them. Generally speaking, here’s what students regularly ask of their teachers:
1. Be prepared and organized. Contrary to some
beliefs, even low-performing students don’t like to
lose instructional time (Haycock, 2001; Ferguson,
2002). They like and need organization, as well as a
high-demand/high-support environment.
2. Make teaching relevant. This is particularly true of
students who don’t see college as their future. For
them, the relevance of the academics and their relationship with their teacher are even more critical
than for those students who are confident that they
will go on to higher education despite what the
teacher does. It is, therefore, these students who
need the highest-caliber relationships with and level
of instruction from teachers. These are the students
who challenge us to the highest level of professionalism.
4. Building consensus around mission, vision, and
values based on the preceding steps. It is essential to include all stakeholders in this process,
which then becomes an excellent opportunity to
engage parents, students, and the larger community (Blankstein, 2004).
3. Show them how to do it. Students who need us the
most often get us the least. Students with greater
needs require engaging curriculum, structures of
support, and pedagogies that meet those needs.
Moreover, assigning homework to students who
have not already mastered the knowledge on which
the homework is based is unfair. Those students
whose parents can crack the “homework mystery”
will do fine; those students without such support
will not.
When there is consensus around this guiding philosophy, a school can build culture, structure, and teaching
strategies in accordance with the collective commit-
4. Don’t give up! Too often, in the rush to cover material, teachers feel compelled to move on before all
students understand it.
FALL 2006
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The Need to Re-engage
Clearly, if students are bored they are also disengaged; for
them, success in school is an uphill struggle. Likewise, teachers and administrators who feel overwhelmed, burdened with
educational mandates, or whipsawed by a string of change initiatives that lacked the buy-in to succeed will also be prone to
disengage.
By contrast, schools that have fully engaged their stakeholders
create collective energy toward continuous improvement. As
one teacher from a high-performing school noted, “When
they [administrators] listen to you, you have some ownership
of the school, instead of just following orders. So that is going
to motivate you and keep you working hard to try new things”
(Hipp, 1997).
What Is Engagement?
Consider these quick definitions of the principles that lead to
engagement:
“People who feel cared for perform better at all levels”
courageous leadership that engages a broad base of stakeholders, including even those whom the leader does not like.
Alan M. Blankstein is founder and
president of the HOPE Foundation,
a not-for-profit organization whose
honorary chair is Nobel Prize winner Archbishop Desmond Tutu. The
HOPE Foundation (Harnessing
Optimism and Potential through
Education) is dedicated to supporting educational leaders over time in creating school cultures where
failure is not an option for any student. HOPE sustains student
success.
* Connection: People who feel cared for perform better at all
levels (Bryk and Schneider, 2002; Ferguson, 2002).
* Relevance: As noted above, when the learning or activity is
relevant to my situation, I will be more engaged.
* Empowerment: Some of the most effective instructional
reading programs begin with the reader’s interests, and
build from there. Having the ability to choose what one
learns, develop the classroom rules, and so forth, is engaging for both students and adults.
* Opportunities for success: People need to feel that their
chances for success are fairly great, especially when they are
trying something new. Increasing the likelihood for success
increases the level of participation of all involved.
* Quick and accurate feedback: Some students who are supposedly “unmotivated” will spend hours on their skateboards or playing challenging computer games. Much of
the allure is the constant feedback, as well as the opportunity for success.
* Recognition and celebration: Having multiple means of
being acknowledged (most improved attendance, most
improved behavior, etc.) is also motivating, and more
engaging than it is when the likelihood of recognition is
similar to the chances of winning the lottery!
Setting up policies and structures is relatively easy, as is
achieving short-term results in student achievement.
Gaining sustainable student success throughout a school and
district is much tougher. It requires building a strong foundation at the base of the pyramid. That in turn requires
20
INSIGHT
The HOPE Foundation launched the professional
learning communities movement in education first
by bringing W. Edwards Deming and his work to
light in educational circles beginning with Shaping
Chicago’s Future in 1988. From 1988 to 1992, in a
series of Shaping America’s Future forums and PBS
videoconferences, Alan Blankstein brought together
scores of national and world leaders, including Al
Shanker; Peter Senge; Mary Futrell; Linda DarlingHammond; Ed Zigler; and CEOs of GM, Ford, and
other corporations to determine how best to bring
quality concepts and those of “learning organizations” to bear in educational systems.
The HOPE Foundation provides professional development for thousands of educational leaders annually throughout North America and other parts of
the world, including South Africa. HOPE also provides long-term support for school improvement
through leadership academies and intensive on-site
school change efforts, leading to dramatic increases
in student achievement in diverse settings.
Address: 1252 N. Loesch Road, P.O. Box 906,
Bloomington, IN 47402-6002
Telephone Number: (812)355-6000
Email Address: Manie Grewal, Partner Relations
Coordinator, [email protected]
FALL 2006
21
“Everyone does those things that they
really want to do. They find a way.
Time and the
School Leader
You can say that you didn’t have time,
but what you mean is
you didn’t choose to make time.”
by Virginia Collier
T
he purpose of this article is to
give you some useful thoughts,
support and encouragement
for using your time effectively. This will
not be a discussion of tickler files or Palm
Pilots or any of the other systems commonly
used to manage time. This article is focused
on how we think about time and how we juggle our priorities. In other words, it’s about
deciding what you put on your calendar and
not about keeping a calendar.
Let’s begin by thinking about time itself.
Since the 13th century, two kinds of time
have been recognized. There is physical
time that clocks are designed to measure,
and psychological time that is private time.
Einstein said “two minutes on a hot stove
feels like two hours, and two hours with a
beautiful woman feels like two minutes.”
For a school leader, this could be translated
into “two minutes with an irate parent feels
like two hours, and two hours discussing
student success with an excited teacher feels
like two minutes.” Psychological time passes slowly for someone who is waiting anxiously for the water to boil on the stove, and
it passes swiftly for someone enjoying a
book and paying no attention to the water
on the stove. This phenomenon can lure us
into an inefficient use of time. The time
with the excited teacher is not wasted, but
two hours may have been too much time
for that activity and may result in problems
because other tasks were not handled.
Pickle Jar Theory
Using time efficiently is doing a job right in
as little time and with as little effort as possible. Using time effectively is doing the
“right” job right. Consider the Pickle Jar
Theory of Time Management. Imagine
you have a big empty pickle jar. Put in
22
INSIGHT
large rocks until it’s full. These are the large
priorities of your life. Is the jar full? No,
you can still put in some pebbles. These
pebbles represent the things that you enjoy.
Is the jar full? No, you can still put in some
sand. The sand represents things you have
to do. Is the jar full? No, you can still pour
in some water. The water represents things
that simply clutter up your life. None of
these things are bad. It’s all about your priorities and balance. Consider what would
happen if you filled the jar with sand first?
Or water? Would anything else fit?
Deciding what to put in the pickle jar first
is a matter of balancing your priorities.
There is an old saying that “What we love
to do we find time to do.” Everyone does
those things that they really want to do.
They find a way. You can say that you didn’t have time, but what you mean is you
didn’t choose to make time. Balancing your
priorities means that you must identify the
rocks and put them in the pickle jar before
the sand.
Bad News, Good News
“The bad news is that time flies. The good
news is that you’re the pilot.” Only you can
decide what you really want from life and
work and use your time to target those pri-
orities. At last year’s AASA National
Conference on Education, I attended a session on Aligned Thinking conducted by
Jim Steffen. Steffen recommends that you
ask yourself these questions:
1. What do I really want from life and
work?
2. With the many options I have, how do I
stay focused on what I really want?
3. How do I get the most from the only
thing I control—my actions now?
4. What’s my “Most Important Now”
related to what I really want?
In addition to the work of Steffen, there are
many excellent online resources for prioritizing your values and effective time usage.
Four of those are listed at the end of this
article. On the American Psychological
Association Web site, there is an article by
Carole G. Bozworth that I considered particularly helpful in thinking about time
management. The suggestions that follow
are based on Bosworth’s work.
1. Assume ownership of your time. You
wouldn’t let others reach in your wallet
without asking and help themselves to
your money. Don’t let them do the
equivalent with your time. Second,
prioritize, prioritize, prioritize! This
means continually checking yourself to
see that you’re working on your “Most
Important Now.”
2. Learn to say “no.” I’m sure you can
think back over the past week and identify several things you should have said
“no” to. By saying “no,” you will be
“protecting your blocks.” What does
that mean? Think of your day as several large blocks separated by natural
interruptions. For example, your
morning may be one block. Don’t
schedule an appointment right in the
middle of your morning block that
keeps you from focusing for a needed
period of time.
3. Use the “D” word: delegate. Delegating
means assigning the responsibility for a
task to someone else. That means you
no longer have to do the job nor do you
have to remind someone else to do it.
Be aware, however, that delegating may
require some standard shifting. If your
standards for the job’s performance cannot shift, you’re not ready to delegate
the job.
4. Think in terms of buying time. Time
and money are closely linked.
Sometimes, you can substitute one for
the other. The more hectic your schedule, the more reasonable it is to buy
time. As you consider buying time,
consider also working with your biological clock. Everyone has a peak time of
day when their energy is at its highest
and concentration at its best. Use what
you know about yourself to increase
your efficient use of time.
FALL 2006
23
“Make your nows
wow, your minutes
miracles,
and your days
pay”.
At the beginning of this article, I mentioned systems for managing time. While
how to keep a calendar has not been the
focus of this article, it is important to have
a system. Remember, this means at home
and at work. Your objective is to have
simple ways of managing and accessing
information. If it’s not simple, you won’t
use it. Work with your spouse, secretary,
or whoever is appropriate to set up simple
filing and communication systems at
home and the office.
Procrastination
Finally, tackle the time-wasting habit of
procrastination. Procrastination is a habitual way of dealing with a task you find distasteful or that makes you fearful of failure.
It is not procrastination when you choose
to “delay a decision” as a strategy for assuring that the person who should do the job
does it, or because you have reason to
believe the problem can and will be solved
without your intervention if you will just
wait a little while. Procrastination is putting off what you must do. Set specific
deadlines for getting a task done, and
24
INSIGHT
remember to protect your blocks as a
means of having the time to focus.
Lastly, remember to celebrate when a
major task is completed or a major challenge is met. One of the problems with a
hectic life is that you can be so busy that
you fail to notice the completion of a
major piece of work.
Mark Victor Hansen wrote: “Now is the
only time there is. Make your nows wow,
your minutes miracles, and your days pay.
Your life will have been magnificently lived
and invested, and when you die you will
have made a difference.” Thomas Paine
said, “If there must be trouble let it be in
my day, that my child may have peace.”
You have chosen a profession that gives you
the ability to make a difference in today
and tomorrow. Think through your priorities and use your time to reach your goals.
The young will benefit both now and in
the future.
Virginia Collier is a clinical associate
professor at Texas A&M University and
a TASA past president (1999–00).
SOURCES & OTHER
HELPFUL SITES
Jim Steffen’s book Aligned Thinking:
Making Every Moment Count:
http://ssainternational.com/Bookbests
eller.htm#Bookbestseller
Prioritizing Life Values:
http://www.careertest.biz/values_assessment.htm
American Psychological Association
writings on time management:
http://www.theaps.org/careers/careers1/GradProf/gti
me.htm
The Pickle Jar Theory:
http://alistapart.com/articles/pickle/
FALL 2006
25
26
INSIGHT
Rural Texas
Supt Takes
Hands-on
Approach to
Tech
Integration
by Cara Erenben, Contributing Editor, eSchool News
W
hen a school district is so small
that it only has 350 students,
it takes a resourceful superintendent to
get things done. With so few students,
per-pupil funding isn’t much, and the
operating budget is small.
Despite limited capital, the superintendent of a small rural school district in
Texas put a high-speed Internet drop in
every classroom and made its administrative processes paperless. His trick? He
did it himself.
“I don’t mind getting my hands dirty; I know most superintendents
don’t have time to pull cable,” said Randy Moczygemba, superintendent of the Medina Independent School District.
When Moczygemba became superintendent in Medina six years ago,
the district had one networked computer lab, dial-up access to the
Internet in the school library, and most teachers didn’t have computers.
Armed with a limited budget but lots of know-how, Moczygemba
recruited the district’s two principals, the custodian, and the technology director for help. Together, they pulled Category 5, fiber
optic, and Ethernet cables through the ceiling tiles and walls, terminated the fiber and cables, and configured the network.
Installing infrastructure is a one-time challenge, and if it’s done right
the benefits will last for years, Moczygemba said. Plus, he and his
staff know the network intimately in case something goes wrong.
They even have a fiber-optic scope for maintenance. “Most school
districts don’t mess with their own fiber, especially a small district like
us,” he said.
Moczygemba learned how to wire a school building while working as
an assistant superintendent at Lamesa Independent School District
in Texas.
FALL 2006
27
To wire the rest of the school district, Moczygemba hired and trained
students to do the work over the summer and after school until the
district had T-1 internet drops in every classroom.
Lamesa, which had 3,500 students, had gotten a
quote for $7.5 million to wire every building and
provide 75 laptops for the district’s teachers. Instead,
Moczygemba agreed to hire a local computer contractor to wire one high school in exchange for
teaching him how to pull and terminate cable and
configure a network.
To wire the rest of the school district, Moczygemba
hired and trained students to do the work over the
summer and after school until the district had T-1
internet drops in every classroom.
Through sheer determination and by working overtime, Moczygemba and his staff were able to wire
Lamesa’s schools for approximately $150,000 by
doing the majority of the work themselves.
Going paperless
With Medina’s network in place, Moczygemba
introduced a paperless environment among the
district’s staff.
Using Adobe Acrobat, a relatively inexpensive solution, he programmed and converted the district’s
administrative forms to Adobe’s form document format (FDF)—which is different from the popular
portable document format (PDF).
With FDF, users can fill out a form using their computer, then transmit the form to its destination. The
receiver cannot change the answers but can export
the entries into a database that has the same fields as
the form. Once the data are in a database, they can
be exported to a variety of applications, such as populating a student information system or a web site.
Using FDF forms has saved Medina printing costs as
well as staff time in filling out and processing forms.
Before, for example, the district’s Field Trip
Transportation Report was printed on five-layer carbon copy paper. A teacher would fill out the form,
tear off his or her copy, and then drop the form into
the principal’s mail slot. From there, the form was
passed on to the school superintendent and then the
transportation department. Along the way, each per28
INSIGHT
son signed the form and kept a copy. The whole
process could take a few days, and the forms were
costly.
Now, in the same situation, a teacher uses a computer to open the Field Trip Transportation Report
form. He or she fills it out, saves it, and e-mails it to
the principal. The principal receives it by e-mail,
adds his or her digital signature, and e-mails it to the
superintendent. Moczygemba assigns a bus to the
trip and uploads the information to a database,
which automatically populates a web site that both
the teacher and transportation department can
check. School employees are asked to check their email at the beginning and end of each day, so the
forms get processed in a timely manner. Other forms
that have been automated include maintenance
requests, tech-support requests, staff development
requests, purchase requisitions, purchase orders, and
teacher and staff evaluations.
If the fields are consistent, data from one form can
populate another form automatically. Moczygemba
said this is particularly useful for purchase requisitions and purchase orders. The only difference
between the two forms is that a purchase order has
an order number and signature. The time saved is
invaluable, because in this small school district the
business office consists of three people: the superintendent, a business manager, and a secretary.
Moczygemba also created a form for teachers’ lesson
plans. Before, teachers had to fill out a two-layer carbon copy form for each lesson. Instead of rewriting
lesson plans from year to year, teachers now can
open an FDF file, tweak it for the new year, and
resubmit it.
Just the expense of buying each teacher a copy of
Adobe Acrobat was quickly recovered, because lesson-plan books cost $18 or $19 each. Each teacher
and staff member got a full version of Adobe Acrobat
5.0 for their computer for $28 per copy. The district
since has upgraded to Acrobat 7.0, which cost $36 a
copy.
Initially, it requires someone on staff to create the
forms and align the fields in the forms to the district’s databases. Again, drawing on previous experience, Moczygemba was able to do this programming
himself.
Moczygemba got his start with technology in 1981
by taking computer science as an elective in college.
“I took the class and absolutely loved it,”
he said. “For the first time in my life, I
found an application for algebra.”
From 1980 to 1982 he attended West
Texas State University, and from 1982 to
1987 he attended Texas Tech University.
He graduated with a bachelor of arts
degree in agriculture education and a
master’s degree in education.
To
augment
his
scholarship,
Moczygemba worked part-time at various jobs, such as writing inventory control software for the motorcycle industry.
He also bought used PC systems,
cleaned them up, and resold them.
In addition, he wrote a computer program for agriculture students called the
Future Farmers of America Record
Book. It was bookkeeping software that
students used to keep records of livestock, seed, or materials purchased for
projects and to record income. “It
spurred my love of computers, and I
could see the benefit of students using
computers
in
the
classroom,”
Moczygemba said.
Classroom technologies
Before Moczygemba came to Medina,
the district had two computer labs, and
most teachers didn’t have computers.
Now, the district has two wireless mobile
carts, one hard-wired lab, and computers
in each classroom and the libraries. There
are nearly 300 computers for 350 kids.
With its technology infrastructure now
in place, the district has been focusing
on adding classroom technologies.
Each classroom has a digital projector, a
DVD/VCR combo unit, and a 92-inch
screen, so teachers can project content
from their computer or from the video
player. Moczygemba said he has given
teachers two years to convert all of their
overhead projector transparencies to
Microsoft PowerPoint presentations. The
teachers each received PowerPoint training, and he hopes the challenge will
encourage teachers to use the projectors.
FALL 2006
29
Elementary-level teachers have Intel microscopes that connect to
computers. The classrooms for grades five through 12 have pistolgrip microscopes, called Scopes on a Rope, that plug into a computer or projector.
Next, teachers will be getting wireless graphics tablets, so they can
control their computer and what is projected on the screen from
anywhere in the classroom. Teachers also will be able to make lessons more interactive by giving the tablets to students and asking
them to solve a math problem, or draw the Oregon Trail on a map
of the United States, for the whole class to see.
Instead of buying a “canned curriculum,” Medina focuses on locally developed curriculum. There are tremendous curriculum tools
on the market, but their cost is beyond Medina’s budget,
Moczygemba said.
“We have to take our own employees and teachers and empower
them,” he said. “If we can do it in a small district, you can do it in
any size district.”
Reprinted with permission from eSchool News. Copyright 2006,
eSchool News. All rights reserved. For more information, please visit:
http://www.eschoolnews.com.
30
INSIGHT
FALL 2006
31
32
INSIGHT
“We should not accept teaching as skill or drill,
teach-and-test activity…”
Leadership for Effective and
Productive Schools:
A Reasoned Approach
By Louis R. Centolanza, Ed.D.
A
dministrators
should
have command of sound
curriculum
practices,
effective teaching methods, and the
ability to determine whether students are actually learning.
As a
result of evaluating/documenting
practice in the field, educational
leaders will be in a better position to
influence and change teaching practices. The goal of this research was
to explore a school’s effectiveness,
and the study enabled educational
leaders to identify elements of successful schools. Administrators were
required to cite concrete examples of
effective school practices, as well as
document which characteristics were
present in their schools.
Practicing administrators, supervisors,
and school leaders should participate in
ongoing staff development programs that
reinforce cutting-edge theory and best
practices in the fields of educational leadership and curriculum. All educators
should be learners and emulate that belief.
School leaders should be able to work
with faculty on curriculum theory and
practice so that one dominant force does
not overtake the teaching and learning
environment. Faculty should be able to
demonstrate that the prescribed curriculum
is the practiced curriculum (Sergiovanni
and Starratt 2002). Leaders should reinforce this approach by visiting classrooms,
talking with faculty, and basing observations
and evaluations on sound practices.
With the implementation of No Child Left
Behind and state department of education
direction on closing the achievement gap
between and among student groups,
school districts are faced with external
mandates on student performance. Highly
effective schools acknowledge receipt of
information from Washington, D.C., and
their state capital, while other districts
scramble to comply with mandates, testing
requirements, test results, and prescriptive
regulations. In the end, the test frameworks and state/federal regulations become
the curriculum (Kohn 2002).
When a principal accepts a leadership role
in a school and discovers faculty members
are not providing learning experiences that
are considered effective and educationally
sound, it is incumbent upon the principal to
meet with each faculty member to ascertain
why and develop a detailed plan of action.
It is important for principals to be able to
recognize and diagnose teaching difficulties
so that a sound learning environment will
be present for all students.
As we address the achievement gap in our
schools, students are subjected to the
pressure of performing on standardized
tests so as to overcome the gap.
Statewide testing programs can often
obscure the importance of effective
instruction and meaningful student
learning. We should not accept teaching
as skill or drill, teach-and-test activity;
rather we should view teaching as a
thought-provoking and student-engaged
process. As a result of evaluating/documenting practice in the field, educational leaders
will be in a better position to influence and
change teaching practices.
The Plan of Action
Administrators should have command of
sound curriculum practices, effective
teaching methods, and the ability to
determine whether students are actually
learning. Legislative decrees, judicial pronouncements, and administrative mandates alone do not result in the provision
of a quality system of schooling. Students
should be provided the opportunity to
experiment, explore, use technology, do
research, write, study languages and cultures, and attend schools that are clean,
safe, and well-maintained. Public schools
should be the marketplace where ideas are
exchanged and concepts are tested and
weighed against independent evidence to
discover the truth.
FALL 2006
33
Thomas J. Sergiovanni (2001), a prominent
observer of school leadership, provides
powerful insights into research on teaching
and learning as it relates to classroom practices and curriculum design. Specifically,
he points out that we must change from a
coverage mentality to a mastery mentality.
Questions are often raised regarding how
far along we are in the textbook, are the
other classes ahead of us and, ultimately, do
we ever finish the textbook? The question
that remains is: if we did not finish the
textbook, did we successfully cover the curriculum? Students will not understand if
we merely cover knowledge without a
deeper awareness of the topic at hand.
It is Sergiovanni’s belief that we will not
bring about meaningful changes in
teaching and learning until the emphasis
is less on changing behavior and more on
changing theories, beliefs, and assumptions (2001). We should instruct faculty
members to concentrate less on the textbook and more on multiple resources in
instructional strategies, but this will not
occur until faculty members realize the
merits of such an approach. A list of
what a teacher should do in his or her
classroom will not help a teacher to teach
for understanding, develop student thinking, and promote genuine knowledge
unless the faculty member actually believes
in what is being proposed (Sergiovanni
2001). Therefore, until faculty members
feel comfortable in expanding their teaching approaches beyond the textbook, not
much will occur in diversified learning
and understanding of pupils under their
tutelage.
When high-stakes tests are utilized to
determine whether the curriculum has
been taught and students have mastered
it, faculty members make decisions on
how they are going to approach teaching
and learning. Because the curriculum
and teaching are in most cases aligned
with the test objectives, the test becomes
the curriculum. It is difficult to enrich
the curriculum in ways that generate
student interest when test specifications
and accountability mandates control the
34
INSIGHT
curriculum, teaching, and learning
(Sergiovanni and Starratt 2002).
It is interesting to note that faculty members may utilize ineffective teaching
methods and approaches and still hold
students accountable if they do not
understand the topic. Faculty members
in most cases may just “cover material”
and indicate they have taught the subject.
The burden of proof then remains with
the student. Further, the effectiveness of
the assessment method is rarely called
into question. In most cases, teachers
design their own tests and determine their
own independent grades (Kruboltz and
Yeh 1996).
Effective District/School
Leadership
The fact that an administrator possesses
state certification to lead a district or
school does not necessarily guarantee the
individual is capable of bringing about
meaningful learning and instruction.
While school leaders have basic courses in
curriculum and supervision, there are no
assurances the philosophy and content of
the courses address effective supervision,
teaching, and learning. It is important
when selecting a school leader to ascertain
the candidate’s philosophy of instruction
and determine whether the individual is
able to describe and implement a plan for
curriculum development, staff development, supervision, and student learning.
Leaders are really “teachers of teachers”
and should have a full understanding of
successful practices.
If school leaders do not possess a working
knowledge of effective teaching practices,
the quality of instruction students receive
will be diminished. Principals must be
well-versed in teaching, learning, and
assessment if they are to bring about
meaningful change in America’s
schools. Educational leaders should
research best practices in the field to be
able to articulate and demonstrate these
practices to faculty, students, and
parents alike.
A Comprehensive Study
The goal of this research was to explore a
school’s effectiveness, and the study
enabled educational leaders to identify
elements of successful schools. Utilizing
the “Characteristics of Successful Schools”
as outlined by Sergiovanni (2001), leaders
in selected public school systems were
asked to assess their schools. Specifically,
leaders rated their buildings based on a
model of successful characteristics and
practices, including extensive staff development, shared leadership, creative problem solving, parent and community
involvement, student-centered schools,
academically rich programs, instruction
that promotes student learning, positive
school climate, and collegial interaction
(Sergiovanni 2001).
Data from the study were collected during
the 2004–05 and 2005–06 school years.
Surveys were distributed to 255 school
leaders in a northeastern state. Of the
255 surveys distributed, 39 responses
were returned, resulting in a 15 percent
participation rate. Data were reviewed
qualitatively against theories and best
practices in leadership, teaching, and
learning.
Administrators were required to cite
concrete examples of effective school
practices and document which characteristics were present in their schools.
They cited the following as characteristics that were present in their schools:
positive school climate, varied staff
development activities, active recruitment of quality educators, and ongoing
observation and evaluation of teaching
staff. Data collected were analyzed to
determine patterns highlighting successful characteristics and practices, as well
as those areas needing improvement.
Conclusions drawn from the study
should serve as an impetus for discussion and action at the school and district
levels. Ultimately, educators can reinforce what is working in their schools
and ensure those practices continue.
continued on page 36
FALL 2006
35
continued from page 34
Findings
One of the study’s major findings was the
inability of administrators to articulate a
clear understanding of the definition of
curriculum and how it directly affects
teaching, learning, and assessment. Less
than 10 percent of the respondents were
able to clearly define curriculum and give
concrete examples of effective teaching,
learning, and assessment practices. As shown
by the responses, when a wide range of leaders were surveyed, they demonstrated a varied
understanding of the terms outlined herein
and their actual application at the classroom
level. It is important that we codify our terminology in the field of education and ensure
when using terms that we all have the same
understanding of their meaning.
The majority of the respondents described
the curriculum offered by their school as
rigorous and demanding. It should be
noted, however, that educators had their
own definition of rigorous, reinforcing the
need to illustrate, in concrete terms, the
meaning of the terms used herein.
The study also focused on faculty observations and evaluation policies and practices.
More than 90 percent of the respondents
believed their school’s model for observation/evaluation lacked a mission/philosophical statement. Without question, the quality
and scope of instructional supervision and
staff development affect the overall educational experiences of pupils as well as the
quality of instruction provided by the professional staff. In more than 90 percent of the
responses, principals conducted observations
to comply with provisions of a contract—following a checklist or guided format—rather
than seek out best practices in the field.
A key survey question inquired about the
external forces influencing the daily operation of the district/school. Examples of
responses included budget limitations, state
and federal mandates, family dynamics and
pressures, politics, and board members.
Strong school leaders overcame external
forces that had a negative impact on the
school environment. For example, effective
principals in the study did not permit
external factors from interfering with the
36
INSIGHT
day-to-day operation of their schools; they
sheltered staff, students, and programs
from individuals and groups such as sports
boosters, board members, parent associations, and elected officials who would limit
or deny faculty the opportunity to provide
an efficient learning environment.
Principals identified these schools as models
for others to emulate.
Conclusions and Implications
In comparing the results of the study against
the standards of Sergiovanni’s research on
effective schools, curriculum and instruction emerged as key responsibilities of
school leaders and faculty. Professionals
must be consumers of educational research
and practice if instruction is to be meaningful and effective. Survey results showed
administrators have a limited understanding
of curriculum as it relates to definition,
teaching, learning, and assessment. The
education profession must strive to define
terms clearly and ensure faculty members
understand how these terms affect professional practice. Specifically, terms such as
philosophy, teaching, learning, assessment,
and curriculum should have universal
meaning and application. Teaching is a
deep, complex, and insightful process, and
school administrators must endorse sound
supervisory practices of instruction to
advance teaching and learning.
If schools are to have a meaningful impact
on their students, staff development activities must be based upon best practices in
the field and the needs of individual
teaching staff members. School leaders
must work cooperatively with staff in proposing and offering activities that result in
effective school practices. Survey respondents listed activities such as inquiry
learning, problem-based activities, technology applications, writing and reading
across the curriculum, and teaching for
understanding as examples of effective
and meaningful staff development.
School leaders who possess a working
knowledge of the characteristics of effective
schools will provide their faculty members
and students with a quality learning environment. Leaders must continue to research
best
practices in
the field and be
able to articulate and
demonstrate these practices to faculty members, students, and parents. Principals who are well
versed in school climate, evaluation, learning, curriculum, and assessment will bring
about meaningful change in our schools.
Louis R. Centolanza, Ed.D., is an associate
professor of Counseling, Human Development,
and Educational Leadership at Montclair
State University, in Montclair, N.J.
REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION FROM
EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE. COPYRIGHT
2006, ERS SPECTRUM. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
REFERENCES
Kohn, A. (2002, January). Fighting the
tests—A practical guide to rescuing our
schools. Phi Delta Kappan, 349-357.
Kruboltz, J.D., & Yeh, C.J. (1996,
December). Competitive grading sabotages
good teaching. Phi Delta Kappan, 324-326.
Sergiovanni, T.J. (2001). The principalship: A
reflective practice perspective (fourth edition).
Boston: Allyn and Bacon.
Sergiovanni, T.J., & Starratt, R.J. (2002).
Supervision: A redefinition (seventh edition).
Boston: McGraw-Hill.
RELATED RESOURCES
Haycock, K. (March 2001). Closing the
achievement gap. Educational Leadership,
6-11.
Wiggans, G., & McTighe, J. (1998).
Understanding by Design. Alexandria, VA:
Association
for
Supervision
and
Curriculum Development.
Administrator’s Resource Center, 2006–07
The right knowledge at the right time in the right format
TASA’s Administrator’s
Resource Center (ARC),
created in partnership
with Educational Research
Service (ERS), puts timely,
practical, and quality
research—such as the
article on the previous
pages—right on your
desktop!
Brand-new this year: the e-Knowledge Portal—a vast online collection of journals, magazines, newspapers, books, video/audio presentations, best practices, and
more—offering an array of features designed to keep superintendents and their staff
knowledgeable and prepared. The e-Knowledge Portal, scheduled to go live this fall,
allows you to:
❍ Search, preview, and download only materials that will be of immediate assistance
Our unique partnership opens up a world
of knowledge to discerning education
leaders like you. Popular resources—including the Planning Calendar for Texas
Schools, Spectrum, Informed Educator,
Focus On, and the Superintendent’s
Briefing Book—combine with online
access to ERS publications to offer subscribers a dynamic package of reliable,
research-based resources
Subscribe to ARC today and we guarantee you and your staff will find yourselves
tapping these resources again and again to plan and make decisions throughout the
school year. Full details on the two levels of ARC subscription are posted on TASAnet.
❍ Create customized collections of materials from the portal and your own
district-based documents
❍ Contribute descriptions of your successful practices to the portal for use by other
school leaders in Texas and across the country
❍ Collaborate with colleagues through discussion forums and communities of practice
designed to bring education leaders together
If you have questions about ARC, call Paul Whitton, Jr., Associate Executive Director,
Administrative Services, 512-477-6361 or 800-725-8272.
FALL 2006
37
TASB/TASA
Convention
President’s Circle
Platinum
Gold
Silver
Bronze
TASA
CORPORATE
PARTNERS 2006–07
TASA is grateful to our corporate partners for their support:
PRESIDENT’S CIRCLE
Apple
ETS
LeapFrog SchoolHouse
Pearson Education
QLD
Scholastic Inc.
SHW Group, LLP
PLATINUM
CompassLearning
Princeton Review
Scientific Learning
GOLD
Horace Mann
LifeTrack Services, Inc.
PBK
Renaissance Learning
SILVER
KAPLAN K12 Learning Services
Linebarger Goggan Blair &
Sampson, LLP
MIND Institute
Schoolware, Inc
Summit Interactive
Taylor/Balfour
BRONZE
Alton Lynch Associates
AT&T
Bank of America
First Southwest Company
Huckabee & Associates
Parsons-3D/I
Questia Media, Inc
Saxon Publishers
Sodexho
TCG Consulting, LP
The Staubach Company
Vantage Learning
Each level of the Corporate Partner Program is designed to offer our partners quality exposure to association members.
Partners at the President’s Circle, Platinum, and Gold levels may customize special events and opportunities.
List current as of 9/18/2006
TASB/TASA
Take a picture—it’ll last longer!
Bring your entire board to the TASB/TASA
Convention and join the elite list of 100%
attendance districts.
Then gather your team together on
Saturday, October 7, and have
your photo taken in the Member
Services Aisle immediately
following the General Session.
DON’T FORGET—One lucky 100%
District will be selected to win
complimentary registration for its
superintendent and board members
to attend the 2007 TASB/TASA
Convention!
TASB/TASA Convention
October 6–8, 2006
George R. Brown Convention Center
Houston, TX
406 East 11th Street
Austin, TX 78701-2617
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Standard
U.S. Postage
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Austin, TX
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