Summer 2018

NCSA TODAY A PUBLICATION OF THE NEBRASKA COUNCIL OF SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS

Security Sets Table for Success at SSC Implementing Nebraska’s Reading Improvement Act Will Take a Joint Effort

Nebraska Council of School Administrators

Summer 2018

www.NCSA.org

2018 ADMINISTRATORS’ DAYS July 25-27, 2018 Younes Conference Center and Holiday Inn - Kearney, NE

Keynote Speakers Ross Szabo Talking about emotions can be a challenge, but Ross’s brutally honest and relatable approach will put you at ease as we confront this difficult topic.

Ross uses tasteful humor and insights to help you understand common mental health conditions, warning signs, and resources.

Byron Garrett One of the most compelling voices of our time, Byron V. Garrett is dedicated to transforming education through meaningful family engagement.

Byron serves as the Director of Educational Leadership & Policy for Microsoft and is a consulting author for Scholastic.

Paul Viollis Over Paul’s career in both law enforcement and security, he developed a diverse base of skills in various areas of the criminal justice system. Paul is a renowned public speaker and is contributing editor for “School Safety Handbook,” and “Teachers Safety Guide, and “Crisis Communication Handbook.”

Tuesday - July 24th 8:00 pm

First National Capital Markets’ Hospitality

Wednesday - July 25th 8:30 am - 4:00 pm

NDE Program

11:25 am - 12:25 pm

Boxed Luncheon

4:00 pm - 5:30 pm

Exhibitors’ Reception

7:30 pm

Hospitality Suites Open

Thursday - July 26th 8:00 am - 9:15 am

Welcome and Ross Szabo

9:45 am - 10:30 am

Select-a-Session I

11:00 am - 11:45 am

Select-a-Session II

11: 45 am - 12:45 pm

Awards Lunch

12:45 pm - 1:15 pm

Ice Cream Social

1:15 pm - 2:15 pm

Byron Garrett

2:45 pm - 3:30 pm

Select-a-Session III

3:45 pm - 4:30 pm

Select-a-Session IV

4:30 pm - 6:00 pm

NCSA Administrator Reception

5:00 pm

Administrators in Action

6:00 pm

Social at Cunninghams

6:30 pm

Family Fun Night

8:00 pm

NCSA Trivia Night

8:00 pm

Hospitality Suites Open

Friday - July 27th 8:15 am - 9:15 am

New Member Breakfast

8:15 am - 9:15 am

Breakfast Buffet

9:30 am - 9:45 am

Welcome and Honors

9:45 am - 11:00 am

Paul Viollis

Learn more and register at ncsa.org

C ONTENTS

4 Security Sets Table for Success at SSC

BY TYLER DAHLGREN

7 Implementing Nebraska’s Reading Improvement

Act Will Take a Joint Effort

BY TYLER DAHLGREN

11 Inclusion: A Belief System

BY JASON HARRIS

12

Retirement

18

Awards

22

New Science Standards Evoke Excitement, Bring Unique Challenges for Nebraska Science Teachers & Administrators

BY DR. JOHN SKRETTA

25

AdvancED: Our Commitment to Nebraska Schools

BY SHANNON VOGLER

26

NCSA Report

27

Sponsorship

BC

Calendar of Events

NCSA EXECUTIVE BOARD 2017-2018 Chair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dr. Mike Sieh Vice Chair. . . . . . . . . . . Jim Widdifield Immed. Past Chair. . . Jeff Schneider NASA Representatives President. . . . . . . . . . Dr. John Skretta President Elect. . . . . . . . . . Greg Sjuts Past President . . . . . . . Dr. Mike Sieh NASBO Representatives President. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Brad Dahl President Elect. . Jason Buckingham Past President . . . . . . . . John Brazell NAESP Representatives President. . . . . . . . . . . Jason Calahan President Elect. . . . . . . . Casey Slama Past President . . . . . . . Jim Widdifield NASES Representatives President. . . . . . . . . . . . . Jason Harris President Elect. . . . Dr. Terry Houlton Past President . . . . . . . Missy Dobish NSASSP Representatives President. . . . . . . . Brandon Mowinkel President-Elect. . . . Sheri Chittenden Past President . . . . . Steve Adkisson NARSA Representative President. . . . . . . . . . . . Nancy Meyer NCSA STAFF Dr. Michael S. Dulaney Executive Director/Lobbyist Dr. Dan E. Ernst Associate Executive Director/Lobbyist Megan Hillabrand Professional Development Manager Amy Poggenklass Finance and Membership Director Tyler Dahlgren Communications Specialist

NCSA Mission

The mission of the Nebraska Council of School Administrators (NCSA) is to be an effective leader for quality education and to enhance the professionalism of its members.

NCSA Today is a benefit of membership in the Nebraska Council of School Administrators, 455 South 11th Street, Suite A, Lincoln, NE 68508. Telephone 402.476.8055 or 800.793.6272. Fax 402.476.7740.

Annual membership dues are $335 (active members), $125 (associate members), or $50 (student members). NCSA Today is published quarterly. Send address changes to NCSA, Membership, 455 South 11th Street, Suite A, Lincoln, NE 68508. Copyright ©2018 by NCSA. All rights reserved.

Carol Young Executive Administrative Assistant Connie Hilker Administrative Assistant The opinions expressed in NCSA Today or by its authors do not necessarily reflect the positions of the Nebraska Council of School Administrators.

SUMMER 2018 NCSA TODAY

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SCHOOL S A FETY & SEC U R I TY

Security Sets Table for Success at SSC

BY TYLER DAHLGREN, NCSA Communications Specialist Twelve years ago, South Sioux City received the Safe Schools/Healthy Students grant, vaulting the safety of students and staff to the front of the district’s list of priorities.

In Rebecca Eckhardt’s 17 years with the district, which serves a community of about 13,000 nestled against the banks of the Missouri River in Northeast Nebraska, she has seen a steady commitment to school safety. Steady, and never complacent.

Two and a half years ago, after a model that had been in place for nearly a decade had seemingly run its course, school officials followed the Nebraska Department of Education’s recommendation to “I Love U Guys”, a foundation born out of a tragic 2006 hostage crisis at Platte Canyon High School in Bailey, CO that claimed the life of 16-year-old Emily Keyes.

The foundation’s approach is a proactive one, providing guidelines and procedures for students and staff to follow in the event of a dangerous situation in the building.

“I Love U Guys” was the last text message Keyes sent to her parents, who founded the foundation with a motto that mirrors its mission statement: You don’t choose tragedy. You can choose your response.

“Our last standard response protocol was fine, and it did what it was supposed to do, but it wasn’t speaking a real clear language,” said Eckhardt, the district’s Director of

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NCSA TODAY SUMMER 2018

Student Services. “Any time you experience a dangerous situation, you need things to be as simple as possible.”

Ben Schultz is principal of Lewis & Clark Elementary, and serves as Safety Coordinator. He has been in the district for three years, and encountered some vagueness concerning the safety protocols and procedures his new school had in place. Some staff didn’t completely grasp preexisting terminology.

“We talked as a safety team and asked ourselves ‘Is there another protocol out there easier for people to understand in the heat of the moment?’” he said.

There was. NDE’s State School Security Director Jolene Palmer’s recommendation pointed SSC’s search westward to Colorado and the I Love U Guys Foundation, which fit each hole of concern their previous model left unfilled. The school’s adopted Standard Response Protocol (SRP) has a direct premise fit to consistently respond to any given scenario using four specific actions: Lockout, Lockdown, Evacuate, and Shelter.

Five specialty teams were developed across the district to tighten response systems: Safety & Security, Parent Reunification, District Communication, District Crisis, and District Threat Assessment.

The model spoke a language of common sense, said Eckhardt, and was free of cost.

S C HO O L S A FE T Y & S ECURI TY “There are a lot of models that can be quite expensive with all of the training and everything that goes along with it, but I Love U Guys has a mission of trying to get this standard response protocol in all schools and agencies so we are all speaking the same language,” Eckhardt said.

Given the current climate, and all of the unfortunate things happening in the world, Director of Communication and Foundation Lance Swanson felt it was the right time for a revamp in school safety. “It helped,” he said, “having Schultz step up to the plate to lead the overhaul and implementation, a process that included local law enforcement and fire rescue as well.”

“Every school in the state, for the most part, has cameras,” Swanson, in his 18th year at SSC after previously serving as Technology Director, said. “What makes us different is our ability to coordinate them, our work sharing with the police department and the other safety folks that come in. Our relationship with them, and the collaboration that goes on, is what makes us different. I can have 18 eyes across the entire building, and then be on the phone with the police department, which is huge.”

Implementation was a city-wide process, Schultz said. In addition to involving the police and the fire department, Schultz presented the new model at a city council meeting, to the board of education, and to parents.

“We even had it (a video) playing at conference time for the parents to get a better idea of what exactly this is,” Schultz said. “Parents play a big role. We want to communicate with them as much as possible.”

The community has contributed extensively, too. Each classroom in every building throughout the district is equipped with a “safety bucket”, which came from Blue Bunny. Students actually sprayed the buckets, which still had ice cream remnants in them, clean. Eckhardt describes the implementation process as an aggressive one.

“It was multifaceted, too,” she said. “There were multiple trainings with Mr. Schultz co-leading with the School Resource Officer (SRO) at every single building. We required 100 percent of our staff to be trained on that standard response protocol. We educated them on what preparation looks like for every scenario. We practiced, and practiced, and practiced some more.”

“And then we re-trained them,” Schultz, who will present on I Love U Guys during Administrators’ Days in Kearney, said.

For intruder or barricade fail training, police sported padded safety suits and attempted to break into classrooms. Staff would team up to tackle the “intruder” to the ground, or use a makeshift tripwire to take them down. “A funny moment,” said Swanson, “but immeasurably valuable.”

“It gave them the ability to say ‘I can do this if it happens.’,” Schultz added. Training is videotaped and shared throughout the district.

“A lot of these teachers come from our 12 different buildings and don’t know one another,” Swanson said. “They come to our meetings, and the way they work together, I think that has been the most impressive thing to me.”

“Because of the common language applied,” Eckhardt said, “teachers were able to instantly click. Furthermore, the staff were quick to accept the new procedures and more than eager to adapt.”

“They feel empowered,” Eckhardt said. “A lot of the things you see here are a result of their questions and their suggestions.”

Collaboration with the city’s first responders has been on the uptick for the last two and a half years, too, though Eckhardt said the two entities have always shared an “awesome” relationship.

“We have the best Fire and Police around,” she said. “We don’t see them as separate. Almost any email I send to Ben has our SRO’s and Chief of Police and superintendent included as well.”

By the time she checks back for a response, the issue is usually handled. The sentiment is echoed by the other side, too.

“We think it is very important to start building relationships with kids at an early age,” said first-year Elementary SRO Chad Cleveland, who previously spent time as an officer, an undercover narcotics officer, and in the K-9 unit.

“It’s important to let the kids know we are here for them.

We aren’t just here to arrest people. We are here to help.”

If you want to boost an officer’s ego, Cleveland suggests sending him or her to an elementary school.

Training extended to bus drivers, cafeteria workers, substitute teachers, maintenance workers and beyond.

Continued on page 6 >>

SUMMER 2018 NCSA TODAY

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SCHOOL S A FETY & SEC U R I TY “Let the kids come up and hug you,” he said. “This is the best job in the world. It really is. These kids are great.”

As the district continues to engulf itself in the program, its relationship with South Sioux City’s first responders grows stronger. The same can be said for everyone holding a stake in the school district.

“People are very proactive,” Eckhardt said. “We contract our busing services, and a couple weeks ago I was talking to our transportation director and he said ‘I’d like to drive all the emergency routes, in case we have to evacuate all schools simultaneously. I’d like to drive them with the police on the buses and the drivers driving their routes’.”

Eckhardt told the transportation director to go for it.

The police were happy to ride along.

“They collaboratively identified things that we will need to do different, how many buses would be required at each school, traffic patterns, which intersections need to be blocked off by police,” Eckhardt said. “None of this was prompted. We could not do this alone. We need all of them.”

learn, no matter how wonderful of a lesson or activity the teacher has planned,” Eckhardt said. “The kids are not going to be in a frame of mind to learn if they feel the school is unsafe, just like the teachers are not going to be in the frame of mind to do their very best teaching if they don’t feel like we have a plan in place for every possible scenario.”

Swanson said the team is already planning ahead for next year, with a new motto playing off the school’s Cardinal mascot (“C It, Say It”) and a spaced-out timeline for further implementation, one suggestion they would offer (besides looking into I Love U Guys in the first-place) to schools in search for a new safety standard.

“We didn’t do too much too soon,” said Schultz. “It was really ‘We’ve got a plan for your safety and here is how we’re rolling it out.’ We were very up front and open with our staff right from the start.”

Safety has settled into South Sioux City’s culture.

“When Ben and Rebecca come to you with something, it’s not just a bunch of fluff or to check off boxes,” Swanson said.

“When they come, it’s for real and for the right reasons.”

To the safety team at South Sioux City, security sets the table for success and opens the door to the special moments that take place throughout the course of a school day.

The reason, 100 percent of the time, is the well-being of South Sioux City’s students and staff.

“If our students and staff can’t come in to our buildings and feel like they are safe, they are not going to be ready to

Check out the I Love U Guys website at www.iloveuguys.org.

“It was a game changer for us,” said Eckhardt. ■

Nebraska School Safety and Security Summit October 17, 2018 Holiday Inn - Kearney, NE

Mark your calendar to attend this statewide event that will provide meaningful education from local and national experts on prevention, preparedness, and standard response protocol. Attendees will also engage in discussion and action planning with state senators from the Nebraska Legislature on steps to address school safety and security in the 2019 Legislative Session.

Summit Highlights

3Presentation by I Love U Guys 3Hands-on policy planning with Nebraska State Senators

Look for more information and registration to open at the end of summer.

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NCSA TODAY SUMMER 2018

RE A DING INS T R UCTI ON

Implementing Nebraska’s Reading Improvement Act Will Take a Joint Effort

BY TYLER DAHLGREN, NCSA Communications Specialist Highly discussed and analyzed by those in Nebraska’s educational community, LB 1081, and more specifically, the Nebraska Reading Improvement Act contained within it, has districts throughout the state examining their own methods for identifying students with reading disabilities and exploring others.

Introduced by the Education Committee, LB 1081 was amended successfully by Senator Lou Ann Linehan to include some provisions of LB 651 which started as a retention bill introduced by Linehan in January of 2017.

LB 1081 becomes effective on July 19, and will be put into effect for the 2019-20 school year, during which the act states that each school district must administer an approved reading assessment three times during the school year to all students in kindergarten through the third grade.

Students receiving specialized instruction, special education services, or services under a federal plan for whom the assessment would conflict with such federal plan are excluded from the mandate.

“It is presumptuous of us to think that our districts are not using some type of diagnostic assessment tool as it exists.”

Therefore, the implementation process for some districts might not be as ground-shaking of an endeavor as one might presume. For NDE, who historically has not been asked to provide a list of approved assessments, the bill brings upon change.

“The timeline does give everyone an opportunity to reflect and think through how to start the 2019-20 school year, how reading instruction is currently being done and what updates or modifications can be made to ensure that every student is having their needs met for learning reading,” said Dr. Brian Halstead, Deputy Commissioner at NDE for the last decade.

From now to then, NDE will work to develop open lines of communication with school districts. “Transparency,” Epler said, “is critical and something the department strives for.”

NDE has begun working on an implementation timeline. By March of 2019, NDE will be required to identify approved reading assessments, so the process of exploring what Nebraska’s districts already have in place is well under way.

“We know our districts are using some type of diagnostic assessment to determine if a student is or is not on grade level in terms of reading,” said Dr. Cory Epler, Chief Academic Officer at NDE. “We want to get a sense of what is being used, but also broadly identify what other assessments are available. The requirement for us is to identify and publish an approved list, and then set thresholds for that.”

After identifying what assessments schools utilize and what assessments are available, Epler said NDE will determine the best way to share the information gathered with districts. If he had to guess, Epler would say that a large percentage of Nebraska’s districts already have similar and acceptably effective assessment practices in place.

“If we find five to seven assessments that are available, I would guess that the majority districts are already one of those assessments,” Epler said.

Metal Logo Presented to NCSA Executive Director Dr. Mike Dulaney and Associate Executive Director Dr. Dan Ernst stand next a sharp new addition to the NCSA Offices. The metal logo was presented to NCSA by High Plains Community Schools Superintendent Brian Tonniges, and agriculture educator Tom Hofmann’s Metal Fabrication class on December 5, 2017.

Continued on page 8 >>

SUMMER 2018 NCSA TODAY

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RE A D I N G I N STR U C TI O N “It will be important for us to be really transparent about the approach to implementation with this particular piece of legislation, simply because we have been getting a lot of questions from districts and ESUs (Educational Service Units)” Epler said.

Parents will play a role in implementing the act, too. The third line of Section 21 of LB 1081 states “Each student and his or her parents or guardians be informed of the student’s reading progress”.

“Transparency, much like the implementation process itself, won’t work as a one-way street,” explains Halstead. “NDE will be counting on school administrators to provide input and honest examinations of where reading instruction is at in their buildings.”

“School administrators, in their transparency, need to be honest about what type of relationships their schools have with the parents of their students,” Halstead said. “We need to make sure our parents know what they can do to assist their own child, in the hours they spend outside of school, in ways that reinforce strategies to improve reading.”

“Those who need help, we need them to say ‘We need help’,” Halstead said. “We know we have many schools and many districts with high quality reading instruction programs, so if your school needs help, don’t just hide and hope this goes away, ask for help.”

Epler said the department has worked to create lines of communication to parents. NDE has reached out to the Nebraska PTA to increase responses, but one of the most effective line to parents continues to be through administrators and through teachers.

The act requires each school district to provide a supplemental reading intervention program. The language in the bill states “school districts may work collaboratively (i) with a reading specialist at NDE, (ii) with ESUs, (iii) with the learning community, or (iv) through interlocal agreements to develop and provide supplemental reading intervention programs.

Subsequently, collaboration between NDE, ESUs and schools is going to be as crucial as transparency. Though it is in the language, NDE currently does not have a reading specialist, though Epler said the department wishes they did.

“If we have resources available for parents, putting them up on our website isn’t enough,” Epler said. “We rely on administrators and teachers to actually share that information with the parents. So the transparency is really critical, helping us with that line to parents and ensuring that the resources being developed end up in the right hands.”

“That’s a need we have at the department,” Halstead added.

“We will see where that goes.”

Resources will need to be maximized, a common circumstance for those working under the educational arena in Nebraska. The capacity of districts is something that concerns Epler, especially districts with high poverty rates or an unusually high percentage of students not reading at grade level.

The support needed in these instances, the sheer number of interventionists needed to make a turnaround, is a daunting and impending thought, but one made less daunting when schools, or ESUs or the department can rest assured knowing they won’t be facing it alone.

“Our service units play a real big part in this,” Epler said. “Capacity is an issue there, too, because many of our ESUs may not have a reading specialist either, so it is going to be crucial that we work collectively to maximize not only our role and theirs, but I can’t help but to think of the great teacher leaders out there in Nebraska. We have awesome reading coaches and facilitators, so how do we leverage some of those teacher leaders to help build this process?”

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LB 1081 has generated questions from administrators concerning the process of differentiating between a reading deficiency and a learning disability. The line is thin, Epler admits, adding that just because a student has a reading deficiency doesn’t mean they have a learning disability.

“If we help students with reading and literacy, we improve in mathematics, we improve in science, we improve in social studies, we improve in art, we improve in career and technical education because that particular area is one we can apply to all areas.”

— Dr.Cory Epler, Chief Academic Officer at NDE

RE A DING INS T R UCTI ON “This isn’t a special education bill,” Epler said. “It certainly has connections with LB 1052 (Senator Patty Pansing-Brooks’ bill on dyslexia). As we work internally, our hope is that we can work together on those pieces.”

Halstead said the focus needs to remain primarily on reading instruction, as opposed to creating classifications or groupings of students.

“There is a recognition (in the bill) that there are some students that are going to show challenges, but let’s not categorize kids or try to create silos,” Halstead said. “It’s about focusing on reading, and if a child is not grasping the skills or knowledge, it’s about how we are responding to their instructional needs throughout the entire school year.”

What Epler doesn’t want to see is students being pulled out of programs like Physical Education or even recess to participate instead in a reading intervention program. Students below grade level in reading shouldn’t feel like they are being punished, he said.

“There is a ton of research that would show that kids need recess, especially kids that are at-risk, and some of these kids might fall into that category, so we wouldn’t want a school to keep a student from going off to recess because they have to do a reading intervention,” Epler said.

The Nebraska Reading Improvement Act states in Section 79-2602(2), “All teachers for kindergarten through grade three should be effective reading teachers as evidenced by (a) evaluations based on classroom observations and student improvement on reading assessments or (b) specialized training in reading improvement”, leaving many who will be presented the task of putting it into place wondering what, exactly, are the designation guidelines of an “effective reading teacher”?

In LB 1052, there is language pertaining to colleges adjusting courses to provide for education on the subject. There is vagueness when it comes to defining an “effective reading teacher”, but Epler envisions providing clarification as part of NDE’s responsibilities moving forward.

“This ties to a conversation around endorsements, too,” Epler said, pointing out that NDE does have a reading endorsement available. “A small number of teachers are getting the reading endorsement, so we need to find a way to encourage more specialized training in reading instruction.”

The State Board’s strategic plan, adopted in December 2016, includes a goal that by 2020, all elementary schools in Nebraska have evidence-based intervention services available for any students not on grade level in reading and mathematics. There are a lot of moving parts and unknowns concerning the implementation of the Reading Improvement Act, but it does align with the State Board’s vision and direction.

“It is going to be good for every student,” Halstead said. “It is going to be good for the entire state if students who have been challenged in reading can overcome those challenges and become productive citizens moving forward.’

“Literacy”, said Epler, “is the skill that bridges all content areas.”

“If we help students with reading and literacy, we improve in mathematics, we improve in science, we improve in social studies, we improve in art, we improve in career and technical education because that particular area is one we can apply to all areas,” Epler said. “It is a foundational skill for life.” ■

2018 ADMINISTRATORS’ DAYS Social Events - Thursday, July 26,2018 Administrators in Action

Family Fun Night

5:00 pm - Betty’s Trail Get moving and donate to Special Olympics Nebraska by signing upfor Administrators in Action. BCBSNE will make a donation for each participant so sign up and get walking.

6:30 pm - Big Apple Fun Center Grab the family and enjoy pizza, bowling, miniature golf, and unlimited ballocity.

Pre-registration is required at $60 per family.

Social at Cunningham’s

NCSA Trivia Night

6:00 pm - Cunningham’s on the Lake Just walk across the parking lot to join your colleagues for great food and local beer tasting.

Pre-registration is required at $25 per person.

8:00 pm - Holiday Inn You don’t need to be a trivia buff to join in and have fun at the NCSA Trivia Night. You’re sure to have a great time, even if your table doesn’t win the grand prize. The game will kickoff at 8:30, so don’t be late.

Visit ncsa.org for more information and to register or add any of these events.

SUMMER 2018 NCSA TODAY

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A FFILIA T E LE A DERSHI P

Inclusion: A Belief System

By JASON HARRIS, NASES President

Inclusion is a belief system, the understanding that all students should be fully welcomed members of their school communities and that all professionals in school share responsibility for their learning. Inclusion is only possible when the entire district believes in the system and it’s not applied to individual students.

Harris

Over the past decade, inclusion has been a controversial concept, as people frequently misunderstand it and staff improperly implement concepts. When you educate all partners including students, parents, teachers and community members you allow the model to filtrate across the district.

Support and commitment of the staff and administrators is a crucial piece to the success of this practice.

of 2017, their vision became a reality. When the playground opened, we saw students who couldn’t access traditional equipment, playing hand in hand with their peers every day.

I believe support for the playground was possible because Columbus Public Schools had done the hard work of building a foundation for inclusion. By administrators supporting our staff and students, building this mindset one program at a time, the idea of inclusion was accepted and is now championed by our community. ■

Across the state, we have seen inclusive practices take shape. Some of these include, co-teaching, student activities such as unified bowling or track, and circle of friends clubs; however, this list is by no means exhaustive. These activities require buy in from the students, but most importantly, a committed staff.

Leadership is also critical to make inclusion successful, as involvement from the district and building leadership will influence both staff and students. Successful inclusive programs are the result of cooperation and collaboration displayed by district and building administrators. Once the standard has been set, staff and students will typically mirror these attitudes.

At Columbus Public Schools, we take pride in putting this philosophy in practice. Our staff commits to co-teaching, we have circle of friends clubs at all levels, the opportunities provided by our Sparkles cheerleading squad , and recently we saw our biggest victory to date, our own inclusive playground.

The inclusive playground began as the vision of two special education teachers, and took off in such a way that staff, parents, and the community of Columbus, Nebraska, quickly backed the idea. Donations began to roll in and soon, enough money was raised to begin construction. In October

SUMMER 2018 NCSA TODAY

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RE T I RE ME N T

NCSA Honors Retirees Each year NCSA is sad to lose, but happy to congratulate those educators who are leaving the profession due to their long-deserved retirement. We are honored to share with you a glimpse of their future plans or just a bit of advice that only those who have worked with children and parents for so long can give!

Jeff Alfrey Principal Anderson Middle School Millard Public Schools I have been truly blessed to spend my entire career of over 32 years with the Millard Public Schools. During this time period I have worked with some outstanding administrators and teachers from across the Metro area. The many friendships formed during this time have impacted my life in many ways. I know each one of you are making a difference each day with our students.

Jeff Bartels Principal Lost Creek Elementary Columbus Public Schools The quarter century that I’ve enjoyed serving the students and staffs at six different campuses within Columbus Public Schools has passed much faster than I could have ever imagined.

The relationships that have been forged and our supportive community have brought about significant changes: fantastic facilities, full-day kindergartens, an impressive inclusive playground, preschools, stands, etc. Thank you for allowing me to be part of the solutions to so many challenges. “I love Public Schools!”

Lori Bartels K-5 Special Education Coordinator Millard Public Schools I have successfully worked in the field of education for the past 34 years because of the amazing teams I’ve worked with. I so appreciate the collegiality of my peers! Together we make a difference in the lives of children and ultimately society.

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NCSA TODAY SUMMER 2018

Dr. Wayne Bell Administrator ESU #10 Individual accolades result from the collaborative, nimble efforts of many. Thank you to all who helped make this 47-year career so rewarding and exponentially successful.

Jay Bellar Superintendent Battle Creek Public Schools Thanks to NCSA for all that you do for us.

Being an administrator can sometimes be difficult, but the last 35 years have flown by.

Not only will I miss the students and staff I have worked with, the many connections I’ve made across the state have been essential to be effective as an administrator. To my esteemed colleagues: thank you and never forget: work hard and play hard!

Anita Belsky Director of Special Services Springfield Platteview Community Schools I have thoroughly enjoyed my 25-year administrative career with the Springfield-Platteview Community Schools. After serving as the Principal at Westmont and LaPlatte Elementary Schools for 12 years, the last 13 years I have been the Director of Special Services. This school district will always have a special place in my heart because of all the wonderful colleagues, families, students, and patrons I have served over the years. Thanks for the memories!

Charlotte Browning Principal Westmoor Elementary Scottsbluff Public Schools I can’t leave without sharing some beliefs that I hope will carry forward. Never forget that music and the arts fuel the soul of humanity. Never forget that students from special education to gifted deserve equality in education. Never forget that teachers are professionals that deserve our utmost respect and support. And always remember that a test score is but one measure of a child. Thank you for the opportunity to serve. It has been a great 42 years!

RE T I REMENT Dr. Kay Byers Supervisor of Elementary Personnel Services Lincoln Public Schools Working in education has been the opportunity of a lifetime. I can’t imagine enjoying life more than spending it with students and colleagues, finding avenues to make lives better and more rewarding. Thank you to the many friends I’ve met and with whom I’ve worked with over the 40 years in Nebraska. I’ve learned so much from you. To my Lincoln Public Schools colleagues, I am honored to have been in your company and worked with you. You’ve enriched my life greatly! Nebraska is significantly better because of the work all of you do!

Steve Camp Principal Rock County Public Schools Focus on looking out the front windshield rather than the rearview mirror.

Dr. Joan Carraher Superintendent Riverside Public Schools Thank you to all of my former Professors and fellow administrators for their friendship, support, encouragement, and words of wisdom over the years! Although I will no longer be a school administrator, I’m looking forward to staying involved with Nebraska administrators through my position in the EDAD department at Chadron State College!

Thomas Christie Multicultural Administrator Lincoln Public Schools It has been an honor and exciting journey to serve 43 years as an educator and work with some of the best in the country! As this stage of my journey comes to an end, I wish each of you continued success in your quest to learn the best practice for educating all our children.

Kip Colony Assistant Principal Millard South High School Millard Public Schools The biggest lie I tell myself is, “I don’t need to write that down, I’ll remember it.”

Susan Cummings Principal Alliance Public Schools It has been an honor and a joy to be a part of the education process. I have truly enjoyed witnessing the amazing things Nebraska teachers do every day to prepare our students for a bright, successful future!

Julie Curry Program Coordinator Grant Elementary Norfolk Public Schools My journey as an administrator and program coordinator has offered me so many memorable experiences and I have gained such good friends along the way. I am grateful for the professional opportunities I have had. I am looking forward to new adventures that will include keeping in touch with colleagues through NCSA! Rick Feauto Director of Business Operations South Sioux City Community Schools I enjoyed the opportunities and challenges offered at South Sioux City Schools over the past 31 years and appreciated the relationships that I developed with the members of NCSA and NASBO. I am looking forward to spending time traveling with my wife of 39 years and spending more time with our children and grandchildren.

Dr. Nancy Fuller Director of School Improvement & Curriculum Auburn Public Schools In 1999, I began my career as an administrator, and NCSA provided me an instant network of colleagues. Whenever I faced a challenge or a difficult situation within my district, I was able to reach out and draw expert advice from administrators across the state. Thank you, NCSA! You are the best!

Bill Gilbreath PK-12 Principal Axtell Community Schools Thanks to my fellow administrators. All of you served as examples of what it means to be dedicated to students. I was a lucky guy because every day of my career there was no place I’d rather be than in my school with my students.

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RE T I RE ME N T Steve Gleisberg K-12 Principal Medicine Valley Public School I have enjoyed my 34 years of involvement in public education. I was blessed to have so many outstanding administrators who have served as mentors, and working with fellow staff members who were dedicated to educating our youth.

Rick Haney Business Manager McCook Public Schools I feel blessed to have had the opportunity to be an educator/coach for the past 34 years.

It has been an honor to be able to follow the footsteps of the great educators who had such a profound impact upon me in my life and career.

Mike Janssen Principal Arbor Park Intermediate School Blair Community Schools I’ve been blessed to be able to do my part to educate the youth of Blair for the past 33 years as a teacher, coach, assistant principal, and principal. I’ve been principal at Arbor Park for the last 16 years and will miss the students and staff. I’ll always cherish the support and commitment of our administrative team in Blair. I’ve been going to school every fall for the past 50 years, and so, I’ve gotten at least 50 new pairs of shoes. I’m looking forward to the next chapter in my life.

Steve Joekel Assistant Principal/Activities Director Platteview High School Springfield Platteview Community Schools 42 years as a teacher, coach, and administrator have truly flown by. Having said that, I also feel great about retirement and being able to be in charge of my time. This profession has allowed me to meet the best people in the world. I am unshakable in my belief that WE make a significant impact and difference in every role and community we are a part of. I suppose I’m like hundreds of others who will miss the kids, the events and the excitement, but not so much the routines and crises. I am truly ready to let others solve the problems now. Thanks to all of you who have been professional and personal friends.

I look forward to maintaining those aspects of being an educator.

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Bill Lentz Principal Ainsworth Community Schools I am re-retiring after two years at Concordia-Nebraska as Director of Educational Administration Degree Program and two years at Ainsworth Community Schools. Connie and I are staying in Ainsworth and have been blessed to come home to finish up. We will stay in Ainsworth and enjoy the beautiful Sandhills. I will greatly miss the interaction with administrators throughout the area and the state. The NCSA is a wonderful organization.

George Loofe 7-12 Principal Neligh-Oakdale Public Schools It’s been a great experience being a member of the NCSA, NSASSP, and Region 3 - both personally and professionally. The networking, being a part of these organizations has enabled me to become lifelong friends with so many outstanding people across the state. That is the biggest thing that I will miss the most. I would like to thank everyone for all the support that you have given me and my family this past year. One thing that I always shared with all of my staff going out into the administrative world was “to never forget where you came from”. Your teachers need to know that you have their backs. If they know that, you’ll have a great team.

Dr. Dick Meyer Associate Professor & Department Chair University of Nebraska-Kearney It’s certainly been a pleasure to work with school administrators over the past 5 decades (1979-2018). Relationships are what matters the most and I cherish the friendships I have made across the state. Great satisfaction comes from helping others be successful in their careers and endeavors.

Always do the right thing and remember that sometimes it’s easier to ask for forgiveness than permission.

Lorrie Miller Superintendent Leyton Public Schools Many thanks to all my mentors throughout the years…24 years total in public education administration. Now, to write a book about it all!

RE T I REMENT Jack Moles Superintendent Johnson County Central When I first started attending Administrators’ Days in 1990 I remember thinking, “Man, all of these guys look old.” Now most of you don’t look that old…. I leave my role as the Superintendent of Johnson County Central (GO THUNDERBIRDS!) to assume the role of Executive Director of the Nebraska Rural Community Schools Association. Being elected to serve as Chair of NCSA remains one of my most treasured career highlights. I want to thank NCSA for the fabulous leadership they provide on behalf of school administrators. They have been awesome to work with over the years. To all of my peers – thank you for your friendship. I have had the opportunity to meet some of my closest lifetime friends through this great occupation. Good luck to all. I know I will continue to see many of you in my new role.

Dave Mroczek Superintendent Ansley Public Schools I would like to thank the six schools and communities that I have been a part of for the last 31 years…..Deshler, Minden, Hildreth, Wilcox, Arcadia and Ansley. Each of the schools and communities hold a SPECIAL place in my heart from teaching to coaching and then into administration. It has been a great ride for these years. It seems like only yesterday I was beginning my first coaching and teaching job in Deshler. Wow, where has the time gone? Thanks to all the great people I have met along the way – you made my job easy.

Nancy Nelson Principal Holling Heights Elementary School Millard Public Schools My successful career in education has been the result of many caring mentors and a lot of good luck. Throughout the last 39 years there have been two constants – big people who believe that giving to the future can positively shape it, and little people with the talent and tenacity to make it happen. You put a song in my heart and sang it every day – my enduring gratitude to you all.

Scott Nelson Principal Lakeview Elementary Lincoln Public Schools I have been blessed to serve as an administrator in two outstanding Nebraska school districts – Papillion-LaVista and Lincoln Public Schools over the last 14 years. Thank you to all of my colleagues from whom I’ve learned so much!

Casper Ningen Superintendent Hemingford Public Schools The many years my wife and I have been part of District 10 in Hemingford have been enhanced by the many professionals there and across our great state. It has been a distinct pleasure! Thank you to the NCSA for always being there to inform and encourage us all!

Dora Olivares Principal Gering Public Schools I’ve enjoyed my time as an administrator at Gering Public Schools. I’ve made many friends over the years by attending NCSA activities. The support, networking and camaraderie that being a member of NCSA brings has been invaluable. Serving on the NASSP Executive Board was an honor and a privilege; thank you for the opportunity to serve!

Thomas Perlinski Secondary Principal Bayard Public Schools I just want to thank all the wonderful teachers I have had the opportunity to work with and learn from.

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RE T I RE ME N T Rex Pfeil Superintendent Blair Community Schools I would like to thank NCSA and other organizations who support and champion public education. All of you make a difference in our schools and communities every day – probably a bigger difference than people who have guided and mentored me through the years. Your passion for education and doing what’s best for children served as a model for the things I aspired to accomplish. I will miss working with my colleagues in Blair and across the state. I have learned so much from all you! Best wishes to all of you as you continue the mission of educating, providing opportunities, and tending to the needs of ALL students!

Gerry Reinsch (re-retiring) Principal Schuyler Middle School Schuyler Public Schools Thank you, NCSA. I’ve had the privilege of working for 43 years in education, with 31 years in the role of principal. I have many acquaintances that are and will remain lifelong friends. I feel very fortunate to have chosen a worthy and rewarding profession. Thanks to all of my friends in education.

Kate Repass Principal/Curriculum Director Central Elementary McCook Public Schools I like the words of Confucius - “Choose a work that you love and you won’t have to work another day.” I truly love working in education and have been blessed with the opportunity to work with amazing colleagues and students in McCook Public Schools as well as across Nebraska. Our state shows true dedication to our students’ learning and it has been a privilege to be a part of it.

Kirk Russell Superintendent Doniphan-Trumbull Public School Thank you to all of my professional colleagues and education affiliate personnel. In my years in public education, it has been my pleasure to know and work beside you these past 38 years!

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Lana Sides Superintendent Banner County Public Schools “Happiness is a Choice” is my favorite motto, and I have experienced much happiness and satisfaction in working with colleagues and the students. The joys have far outweighed the challenges.

Mark Sievering Superintendent Mullen Public Schools According to that great American philosopher, Kermit the Frog – “Time’s fun when you’re having flies!” Yes. Looking forward to spending more time with my wife, more time with my hobbies, and more time in my “other job” as a pastor.

Shari Styskal Director of Budget Lincoln Public Schools I’ve had a great career working to help our schools and departments. It’s been a long journey of almost 42 years. Our public schools need to stay strong and continue to produce the high quality citizens for our communities.

Dr. Jim Tenopir Interim Executive Director Nebraska School Activities Association I guess everyone, at some point, needs to walk away from a calling they love. Such is the case for me as I step away from the Nebraska School Activities Association this summer. I have had administrative opportunities as an activities director, superintendent, executive director of a state high school association and chief operating office for the National Federation of State Associations. I trust that I have positively touched the lives of students, parents, coaches, activities sponsors and school administrators as I’ve tried to lead from a perspective of doing what has been in the best interest of the students. I’m proud to have been a school administrator!

RE T I REMENT Jeff Walburn Superintendent Howells-Dodge Consolidated I am going to miss 90% of the duties and commitments that I have enjoyed serving children in schools since 1980. It is the 10% of what we all endure that brings a smile to my face as I embark on retirement. I wish my colleagues the very best going forward. It is said that at the end of our professional journey, ten thousand angels will prove us right or wrong. I pray that for you and for me, the angels give us a smile and thumbs’ up!

Beth Welke Principal Prairie Lane Elementary School Westside Community Schools After 33 years in education, I am planning to retire to spend more time with my family – especially my adorable grandchildren. I will cherish all of my time in education in the great state of Nebraska!

Jane Wiebold Elementary Principal Wahoo Public Schools It has been wonderful working with such positive educators for the last 40 years. Having spent 24 years as an elementary principal has been an honor. I marvel at the dedication of so many people in our field. They truly keep the well-being of children front and center.

Jeff Wiles Principal Plattsmouth High School Plattsmouth Community Schools I would like to thank all of the principals in NCSA for their conviction and dedication to the profession for continually improving our schools. My next goal in life is to develop an improvement plan for my golf game.

Also Retiring: Molly Bates Principal Morley Elementary Lincoln Public Schools Dave Bottrell Principal Jr-Sr High School at Palmyra-Palmyra District OR-1 Mel Crowe Superintendent Silver Lake Public Schools Mark Evans Superintendent Omaha Public Schools Phil Hoyt Assistant Principal/AD Minden High School-Minden Public Schools Russ Koch General Manager of Operations Fremont Public Schools Galen Kronhofman Principal/AD Alma Public Schools Freida Lange Senior Administrator of Accreditation & CIP Nebraska Department of Education Pat Nauroth Superintendent Beatrice Public Schools Bill Schulenberg Principal Schoo Elementary-Lincoln Public Schools Ed Stansberry Superintendent Walthill Public School Kevin Wibbels Human Resources Recruiter Lincoln Public Schools

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AFF I LI A T E A WAR D S

NSASSP Announcees 2018-19 Nebraska High School Principal of the Year The Nebraska State Association of Secondary School Principals is proud to recognize Brad Jacobsen, Secondary Principal of Ashland-Greenwood Public Schools, as the Nebraska High School Principal of the Year for 2018-19.

Mr. Brad Jacobsen has been selected to represent Nebraska as the High School Jacobsen Principal of the Year. He will travel to Washington D.C. in September where he will be under consideration with his peers for National High School Principal of the Year. Brad received his Bachelor of Arts in Education Degree in 1994 from Midland University in Fremont, Nebraska; his Masters of Education in Educational Leadership from the Doane College in 2006; and he is currently working on his Educational Specialist Degree from Wayne State College with an anticipated completion in 2019. Brad is currently in his ninth year as the Secondary Principal for Ashland-Greenwood Public Schools where he previously served as a Physical Education Teacher and Coach from 1996 to 2009.

Brad has been active in several professional organizations including as a member of the leadership team of NSASSP Region I since 2014-15 where he is currently serving as President. Since 2010, Brad has served as the President of the Capital Conference Board of Control. He has served on school accreditation teams at Oakland-Craig, South Sioux City, and Creighton Preparatory High School. He is also active in his local church as a member and youth leader as well as a director for the Ashland Junior Jays Boys Youth Basketball.

Mr. Jacobsen has made several significant contributions to the profession. At the top of the list is providing steady and positive leadership by providing professional development towards the implementation of the Marzano Framework in his building; as well as building personal and professional relationships with staff, students, parents, patrons, and working collaboratively with staff to improve the culture of the school and ultimately to improve student performance. He has been very willing to share these strategies with other schools as well as presenting at area and statewide conferences.

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Just recently he testified on behalf of NSASSP in front of the State Legislature’s Education Committee in opposition to LB 595.

Mr. Jason Libal, Superintendent of Ashland-Greenwood Public Schools, states, “I have found one of Brad’s greatest strengths to be his ability to build strong and powerful relationships with those around him. This not only pertains to his students, but also his peers. Brad has an innate ability to make those around him feel comfortable. His ability and effort to connect with those around him make him a truly collaborative leader.”

Janice Jacobs, an English Teacher at Ashland-Greenwood Public Schools, noted, “As a teacher, I have especially appreciated the trust and confidence Brad places on his staff members. This trust creates a very positive culture which radiates out to our students. As teachers, we strive to consistently improve our instruction because we want to deserve Brad’s trust.”

Connor Goff, a student commented, “In my junior high years, I got to know Mr. Jacobsen fairly well as I had the privilege of spending some “quality” one-on-one time with him in his office. At that age, I did not always see eye to eye with his choices. As I grew older, I learned that his decisions helped mold me into the better person that I am today, and I see that he is doing this for every student in the school. He wants to see the best of every single student and has helped transform many of us into very responsible and respectful people.” ■

“Brad has an innate ability to make those around him feel comfortable. His ability and effort to connect with those around him make him a truly collaborative leader.”

— Mr. Jason Libal, Superintendent of Ashland-Greenwood Public Schools

A FFILIA T E AWARDS

NSASSP Announcees 2018-19 Nebraska Middle School Principal of the Year The Nebraska State Association of Secondary School Principals is proud to recognize Roger Thomsen, 7-12 Principal for Amherst Public Schools, as the Nebraska Middle School Principal of the Year for 2018-19.

difficult. He is intensely devoted to the education of our students, Roger has shown that he is willing to put in the extra work required to develop a strong education program. Mr. Thomsen is a good motivator and pushes our students to achieve at their highest level. He expects our students to strive for perfection and to work hard to reach their full potential. He also applies the same philosophy to himself when it comes to being a school administrator.”

Mr. Roger Thomsen has been selected to represent Nebraska as the Middle School Principal of the Year.

Thomsen Roger received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Mathematics and History Education from the University of Nebraska-Kearney in 1995; his Masters Degree in Educational Administration from the University of Nebraska-Kearney in 2002; and his Education Specialist K-12 Superintendent Degree from the University of Nebraska-Kearney in 2011. Roger is in his 22nd year at Amherst and has served as the Secondary Principal for the past 14 years.

Mr. Brian Fleischman, Principal of Overton Public Schools, noted, “Mr. Thomsen is a man of honesty and integrity. He holds himself to a very high standard. This standard is transferred to his students and staff. Mr. Thomsen always encourages his students to achieve and strive for the highest level of success. Mr. Thomsen also encourages his teachers to continually improve themselves professionally and to seek out opportunities to increase the learning of the students.”

Roger has been active in several professional organizations such as the Nebraska Council of School Administrators (NCSA); the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP); and the Nebraska State Association of Secondary School Principals (NSASSP). Roger has served two different times as the NSASSP Region IV President and has served as the Secretary/Treasurer of Region IV for the past two years. He was also a candidate in 2011 for President of NSASSP at the state level and has served as a member of several school accreditation visits including Minden, Elwood, and Cambridge.

Mr. Thomsen is very committed to improving the learning opportunities for the students in his building. As principal, he has worked with his staff to implement a classroom based management system as well as implementation of 1:1 I-Pads first in his building and then throughout the entire district.

Other learning opportunities that he has helped implement include: character development, life choices, a district-wide accelerated reader program, and helped with a transition from Industrial Technology into Agricultural Education.

Mr. Tom Moore, Superintendent of Amherst Public Schools, states, “When given a task, Mr. Thomsen devotes himself to its completion. He does not give up when a job becomes

Dr. Noel Palmer, a parent, indicated, “In terms of personal excellence, I have been most impressed with the time Mr. Thomsen commits to the school. In a small school such as Amherst, the work of the principal is not limited to administrative functions. He consistently attends athletic, club, and academic events at Amherst and away. He helps with coaching and officiating sporting events and he is engaged with parents and the community. Despite his time commitments, he also continues with professional growth in a way that models the values, beliefs, and attitudes I would hope to see in an educator.”

Justin Hoeft, a student, commented, “Without Mr. Thomsen’s guidance and advice, I never would have become a straight A student, business owner, FFA president, or received the Regents Scholarship at UNK. Because of his motivation to keep trying and accept failure as a lesson and reason to get up and try again until you succeed, I have been successful and I know he will continue motivating more middle school students for future success in all aspects of their life.” ■

“Mr. Thomsen is a man of honesty and integrity.”

— Mr. Brian Fleischman. Principal of Overton Public Schools

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Accredited. College-Prep. Online.

Proudly supporting Nebraska schools and their students by helping: • • • •

Provide additional courses Accelerate students Address teacher shortages Solve scheduling conflicts

highschool.nebraska.edu (402) 472-3388

The University of Nebraska is an equal opportunity educator and employer.

AWARDS

OpenSky Policy Institute Receives NCSA Friend of Education Award A well-deserved, and long overdue recognition for outstanding service to Nebraska public education went to the OpenSky Policy Institute and Renee Fry, Executive Director on May 30, 2018, at the NCSA Executive Board meeting in Lincoln.

OpenSky received the NCSA Friend of Education Award, which is reserved for non-member individuals/entities that go above and beyond to promote public schools in Nebraska.

In typical style, Renee credited her Board of Directors and staff for the vision and assistance. NCSA acknowledges the hard work and effort of all concerned with the OpenSky Policy Institute, and especially the dedication, vigilance, and determination of Renee Fry. History and Mission of OpenSky: In 2008, several Nebraska organizations recognized the need for a non-partisan organization dedicated to fiscal research and analysis. Encouraged by a feasibility study revealing broad support from advocacy groups, policy makers and educators, a diverse group of funders from across the state provided the start up funds needed to make OpenSky Policy Institute a reality.

Renee Fry receives NCSA Friend of Education Award from Dr. Mike Sieh.

OpenSky’s mission is to improve opportunities for every Nebraskan by providing impartial and precise research, analysis, education and leadership. From NCSA’s perspective, OpenSky is a vital and integral part of the present and future success of Nebraska public education. The Institute provides on-going and essential research and writing on a variety of issues facing our state. We are truly grateful for the help we receive from this organization. ■

NASES Honored with CASE Award The Nebraska Association of Special Education Supervisors (NASES) received the Outstanding Achievement Award for Communications from the Council of Administrators of Special Education at the annual CASE award ceremony and honored with a Certificate of Recognition for demonstrating outstanding member growth strategies resulting in extraordinary membership growth.

NASES places an emphasis on new member recruitment. The New Member Program was established to support new administrators during their first year. ■

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P ROG RA M SPO TL I G H T

New Science Standards Evoke Excitement, Bring Unique Challenges for Nebraska Science Teachers & Administrators

By JOHN SKRETTA, NASA President & Norris Superintendent

Skretta

The new state science standards were adopted by the State Board of Education in September of 2017. As the Nebraska Department of Education has noted in its “Key Instructional Shift” Science Education document, science education must now focus on the implementation of cross-cutting concepts which allow for “deeper implementation.” This in turn is in order to “connect ideas across science domains” and “use overlapping skills.”

More directly, this paradigm shift in Nebraska science education has meant a shift from ‘learning about science’ to ‘doing science’. There is no denying that this is a shift of significant magnitude in the teaching (and learning) of science in our state.

As in many of Nebraska’s fine public school districts, the Norris School District has subsequently engaged teachers in a district-level review of science curriculum and our essential learning outcomes in the wake of the new standards. Our Norris science teachers have been collaborating together in a systematic review of curriculum and key teacher leader and administrative conversations about the important prioritization and primacy of science education at all grade levels.

In order to learn more about how the new standards have impacted science education and what they mean for Nebraska’s students, I asked our science teachers to share out their thoughts on this important topic. Their insights help to provide a clearer understanding of what the new science standards are all about and why the new standards have created classroom challenges for our teachers as they adopt and adapt to a new approach to the teaching of science.

Norris Middle School Science Teacher Betsy Barent,who has been a Presidential Award Finalist for Excellence in Secondary Science Teaching, had this to say: “Science is central to the lives of Nebraskans. We are born practicing Science.

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As babies, we test the world around us-does it taste good?

As children, we continue to test, take things apart to figure out how they work... Nebraska’s Career and College Ready Standards for Science engage students in problem solving and critical thinking, leveraging these natural curiosities, creating equity in access to the knowledge and skills they will need to compete for the expanding career opportunities in science-related fields.” Thus, the new standards can help us capitalize on children’s innate curiosity and desire to learn more about the world around them.

Barent also, however, cautioned that “The pedagogical shift that these new standards represent will be a challenge.

Teachers will no longer be the purveyors of knowledge, but instead creators of opportunities for students to develop their own conceptual understandings.” Nebraska educators are being tasked with creating more authentic experiences for our students in the area of science. Norris Physics teacher Arnold Talero described this as the challenge of “making curriculum decisions of selecting engaging content from educational resources and from individual teacher experiences and expertise.”

Echoing this theme, Norris High School science teacher Dr. Cindy Larson-Miller described the new standards as hailing “an exciting time for science education,” asserting that it’s time for teachers to “put away your notes and shelve your lectures and DO science!” she quoted Ron Bonnstetter, offering that “Those who do the doing, do the learning.”

Larson-Miller hopes Nebraska science teachers hold themselves accountable to doing that and encouraged administrators to ensure that our districts are utilizing an integrated approach to science… ”or, to put it another way, science as it really is.”

Norris High teacher Katy Dornbos has hailed the new standards as “encouraging both me and my students to venture beyond the four walls of the classroom or one particular branch of science.”

PRO GRA M S POTL I G HT Use of a walkthrough tool to promote engagement in science: A logical question Nebraska administrators may have is, “How can we best support the adoption and implementation of the new science standards in order to ensure quality teaching of science for Nebraska students?” For AdvancED-accredited districts, a tool like the ELEOT (Effective Learning Environments Observation Tool) can help provide criteria for ensuring students are in the kind of supportive learning environment the new standards call for. The ELEOT allows administrators to use key ‘look fors’ of student engagement and effective learning environments through brief classroom observations or spotchecks. With criteria that include rigorous tasks, differentiated opportunities, and taking risks in learning without fear of negative feedback, the new science standards invite the kind of instructional approach most conducive to highly engaged student learning. Another means of ensuring we are supporting highly effective instruction is to encourage our teachers to make sure our respective districts’ instructional programs are embedded within their teaching practices in science.

Application of an instructional program to reinforce excellent instruction in science. Like many Nebraska districts, Norris has implemented the Marzano instructional program.

Through the use of whole faculty study groups and collaborative teams, we have learned more about highly effective instructional strategies. As Marzano and other researchers have pointed out, the memorability of knowledge when only presented verbally is substantially reduced as opposed to learning that is experiential. The general effect of the new science standards should be to engage students at a higher level in their experience and derived wisdom of science.

While equipping teachers with the most effective strategies for increasing student engagement is a situationally variable and complex pedagogical process, there can be no doubt that implementing the new science standards should bring about a reduced frequency of highly verbal lecture delivery and more lab-based and research-oriented classroom experiences.

The Nebraska Department of Education’s Science Education Specialist Sara Cooper has been at the forefront of this initiative, and she offered the following suggested Look-Fors for school administrators when observing and assisting science teachers in the implementation of the new standards: • • •

Students are trying to figure something out and are not simply learning about science content.

Students are sense-making in collaborative groups through respectful conversation.

Students are gathering evidence from multiple sources

•

•

•

Students are engaged in hands-on; minds-on experiences. While hands-on gets students excited about learning, it is minds-on that ensures deep understanding.

Do students know why they are doing the activity?

Students engaged in learning experiences that incorporate mathematics, English language arts, and other disciplines to deepen their understanding of science concepts.

Listen for—students and teachers using “patterns; cause and effect; systems and system models; stability and change; scale, proportion and quantity; stability and change; and energy and matter” in their questions, descriptions, and explanations.

Sara cautioned that “this sort of learning is a process that unfolds over an instructional sequence,” so not every look-for should or would be expected to be seen in a single discrete observation. Sara also noted that this is a “quick and simple description” and that the Department of Education has developed more explicit and in-depth resources such as the Implementation Toolkit and Implementation Plan documents available at https://www.education.ne.gov/science.

Finally, a tremendous resource to recommend and direct our science teachers to is to encourage them to be active in their professional network. In Nebraska, NATS, or the Nebraska Association of Teachers of Science, has been in existence since 1961. NATS has a fall conference September 20-22 in Kearney and is accepting session proposals through August 31. The mission of NATS is the advancement, stimulation, growth, improvement, and coordination of science teaching and in addition to the annual conference, NATS hosts webinars on teacher resources and science teaching, as well as a website containing myriad links to educational materials.

In conclusion, as Norris Middle School science teacher Natasha Gault offered, “The new science standards in Nebraska can give students increased opportunities to choose their path in life because the seeds of scientific knowledge have been planted by our teachers.”

In order for those seeds of science knowledge to flourish, our Nebraska science teachers need strong administrative leadership and the encouragement to take the risk of inviting a more active and inquiry-oriented teaching and learning environment than we have traditionally supported. With the resources of school improvement and accreditation frameworks, the knowledge base of an instructional program, and the professional affiliations of NATS and other curriculum networks, Nebraska can achieve excellent student outcomes under the new science standards. ■

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Mental Health. The upcoming feature documentary series.

PA RT NERSHI P

AdvancED: Our Commitment to Nebraska Schools

By SHANNON VOGLER, Director, AdvancED

My grandmother was an educator, beginning her career in a one-room school house near Kearney, Nebraska. As an educator and influencer, she told me one of the most important things I could do is to commit to life-long learning. A career in public health and the non-profit arena has offered me many opportunities to learn from and work with others to find solutions Vogler to support our kids and communities. My passion is to ensure all kids have the chance to lead healthy and productive lives, including opportunities for quality education. I believe this is why the vision of AdvancED, “Create a world of opportunities for every learner,” resonates with me.

For nearly twenty years, I have worked with schools in the areas of prevention, health, and policy at both state and national levels. This has enabled me to work with diverse audiences to address challenges created by barriers and learn how to overcome them, using strategies for best practices in education.

While education has drastically shifted over the years, the hearts of educators have not and AdvancED is no different.

Since our inception, the heart of our organization has been and remains accreditation, but our soul is continuous improvement. I am often inspired by the schools I visit where I have opportunities to observe classrooms that are fostering meaningful student engagement and challenging students to reach higher levels of achievement. Clearly schools and districts throughout the Nebraska AdvancED Improvement Network (AIN) are striving to be better tomorrow than they are today. Your desire to be a part of a global Improvement Network, attain a regional accreditation seal, and diligently work to evolve to the next level of excellence speaks to the commitment our Nebraska education system has to our kids and communities.

I am so excited to join AdvancED in its commitment to support the world’s largest education community as they work collaboratively to empower you to enhance student achieve-

ment, address their social and emotional needs, and foster positive learning environments where staff and students can thrive. By serving thousands of schools and school systems across the globe, AdvancED continuously accumulates a wealth of invaluable information that is shared with its network members. We provide top-of-the-line, research-based tools and services that can help your institution in its continuous improvement journey. We want to be your partner along the way.

Our vision for AdvancED in Nebraska is to: •

Enhance communication with our AdvancED Improvement Network (AIN).

•

Strengthen collaboration with

like-minded partners.

•

Leverage the strength and expertise our network of education leaders offers to support continuous improvement across our state.

Both Andrea Boring, operations coordinator, and I are pleased to continue working collaboratively with the Nebraska Department of Education as we combine efforts to support your institution and collaborate to identify ways we can enhance opportunities for all learners.

We appreciate the opportunity to serve and support you on your continuous improvement journey. Please know I will be traveling the state over the summer to listen and learn how we may best serve your institution. Please contact me if you would like to set up a time we can visit as we are at your service. ■

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NCS A RE P OR T

NCSA Election Results The Nebraska Council of School Administrators is pleased to recognize our new president-elects for the 2018-2019 year. Each affiliate president-elect is selected by their peers through the affiliate election process. We thank you for taking the time to vote and encourage you to always participate in the election process of your affiliate. It is a great honor to have been voted into office by your professional colleagues. We are very fortunate to have highly qualified and successful school administrators that are willing to run for leadership positions within their affiliates. We salute all those individuals that were willing to accept a nomination to have their name on a ballot. Your affiliates remain strong because of quality administrators willing to lead.

In addition to the new role within their affiliate associations, we would also like to welcome the president-elects to membership on the NCSA Executive Board, our organization’s governing body. The new executive board members are well qualified to serve and begin their official term on the NCSA Executive Board on September 1, 2018. We look forward to their participation on the board and guidance of the organization.

We congratulate and welcome our new President-Elects:

NASA

NAESP

NSASSP

NASBO

NASES

Dr. Mark Adler, Ralston Public Schools

Tammy Schaefer, Cross County Community Schools

Ross Ricenbaw, Waverly Middle School

Erin Heineman, Lexington Public Schools

Laura Barrett, ESU #13

NCSA Elects 2018-2019 Leadership In addition, at the May 30, 2018, NCSA Board Meeting, elections were held for the 2018-2019 board leadership positions. We are excited to announce the 2018-2019 Chair and Vice Chair of the NCSA Executive Board: Chair (left) Dr. John Skretta Norris School Dist. 160 Vice Chair (right) Mr. Brandon Mowinkel Milford High School

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NCSA TODAY SUMMER 2018

GOLD SPONSORSHIP

SILVER SPONSORSHIP

Ameritas Investment Corp.

Dallas Watkins dallas.watkins@ameritas.com 5900 O Street, 1st Floor Lincoln, NE 68510 800-700-2362 ameritas.com

First National Capital Markets Craig Jones craigjones@fnni.com 1620 Dodge Street, Ste. 1104 Omaha, NE 68197 402-598-1218 fncapitalmarkets.com

Nebraska Liquid Asset Fund Barry Ballou balloub@pfm.com 455 So. 11th Street Lincoln, NE 68508 402-705-0350 nlafpool.org

Awards Unlimited Tim Moravec tmoravec@awardsunlimited.com 360 SW 27th Street Lincoln, NE 68522 800-950-3553 www.awardsunlimited.com

Boyd Jones Construction George Schuler gschuler@boydjones.biz 333 So. 9th Street Lincoln, NE 68508 402-318-4794 boydjones.biz

Great Plains Safety and Health Organization Mick Anderson andersonmd@unk.edu Rm 220E WSTC—UNK Campus 1917 W. 24th Street Kearney, NE 68849 308-865-8258 www.greatplainssafety.com

Nebraska Safety Center Mick Anderson andersonmd@unk.edu West Center, 220E Kearney, NE 68849 308-865-9393 www.unk.edu/offices/ safety_center

Johnson Controls Jason Peck 14238 Hillsdale Circle Omaha, NE 68137 308-708-9479 Jason.peck@jci.com www.johnsoncontrols.com

TeamMates Mentoring Program DeMoine Adams dadams@teammates.org 6801 “O” Street Lincoln, NE 68510 877-531-8326 www.teammates.org

NE Public Agency Investment Trust Becky Ferguson P.O. Box 82529 Lincoln, NE 68501 402-323-1334 Becky.Ferguson@ubt.com www.ubt.com

CCS Presentation Systems Adam Nasif anasif@ccsmidwest.com 151 N. 8th Street, Suite 500 Lincoln, NE 68508 402-819-0679 www.ccsmidwest.com Compass Financial Resources Brian Luther brian@compassfr.us 500 Central Park Drive, Ste. 204 Lincoln, NE 68504 402-467-0531 www.compassnebr.com D.A. Davidson & Co. Paul Grieger pgrieger@dadco.com 1111 No. 102nd Court, Ste. 300 Omaha, NE 68114 800-942-7557 davidsoncompanies.com/ficm DLR Group Curtis Johnson cjohnson@dlrgroup.com 6457 Frances Street, Ste 200 Omaha, NE 68106 402-393-4100 dlrgroup.com EHA Wellness Linda Kenedy linda@ehawellnessprogram.org 256 No. 115 Street, Ste. 7 Omaha, NE 68154 402-614-0491 ehawellness.org ESUCC Dave Ludwig dludwig@esucc.org 6949 So. 110th Street Omaha, NE 68128 402-597-4866 esucc.org

Horace Mann Cindy Dornbush cindy.dornbush@horacemann.com 10612 Monroe Street, No. 4 Omaha, NE 68127 402-680-9382 horacemann.com Humanex Ventures Nick Hovermale nick.hovermale@humanexventures.com 2900 So. 70th Street, Ste. 100 Lincoln, NE 68506 402-486-1102 humanexventures.com Insuring Success Ty Christensen tchristensen@insuringsuccess.com 19016 Costanzo Circle Elkhorn, NE 68022 402-960-5387 insuringsuccess.com John Baylor Prep John Baylor john@johnbaylorprep.com P.O. Box 30792 Lincoln, NE 68503 402-475-7737 johnbaylorprep.com Modern Images Bradley Cooper brad@champshots.com 13436 So. 217th Street Gretna, NE 68028 402-991-7786 misportsphotography.com National Insurance Steve Ott sott@nisbenefits.com 9202 W. Dodge Road, Ste. 302 Omaha, NE 68114 800-627-3660 nisbenefits.com

TRANE Dave Raymond dave.raymond@trane.com 5720 So. 77th Street Ralston, NE 68127 402-452-7762 trane.com/omaha UNANIMOUS Will Hays will@unanimousagency.com 8600 Executive Woods, Ste. 300 Lincoln, NE 68512 402-423-5447 unanimousagency.com

Renaissance Heather Mills 2911 Peach Street Wisconsin Rapids, WI 55494 800-338-4204 ext. 4712 heather.mills@renaissance.com www.renaissance.com Software Unlimited, Inc. Corey Atkinson caa@su-inc.com 5015 S. Broadband Lane Sioux Falls, SD 57108 605-361-2073 su.inc.com

BRONZE SPONSORSHIP Kearney Visitors Bureau Sarah Focke sfocke@visitkearney.org PO Box 607 Kearney, NE 68848 800-652-9435 visitkearney.org

University of Nebraska High School Charlotte Seewald cseewald@nebraska.edu 206 South 13th Street, Suite 800 P.O. Box 880226 Lincoln, NE 68588 402-472-1922 highschool.nebraska.edu

INTERESTED IN A SPONSORSHIP? CALL 402-476-8055

PRSRT STD. U. S. POSTAGE PAID LINCOLN, NE PERMIT NO. 951

Nebraska Council of School Administrators 455 So. 11th Street, Suite A • Lincoln, NE 68508-2105 RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

CALENDAR OF EVENTS JULY July 25-27

Administrators’ Days – Younes Conf Center – Kearney

SEPTEMBER September 5-6

Labor Relations – Cornhusker Marriott – Lincoln

September 26

School Law Update – Holiday Inn – Kearney

September 27-28

NASES New Member Workshop – NCSA and NDE - Lincoln

September 29

NCSA Tailgate – NCSA – Lincoln (Purdue –kickoff TBD)

OCTOBER October 17

Safety and Security Conference – Holiday Inn - Kearney

NOVEMBER November 1-2

NE Fall Ed Tech Conference – Younes Conf Center – Kearney

November 7

Emerging Superintendents Workshop – NCSA – Lincoln

November 14-16

State Education Conference – Embassy Suites – LaVista

DECEMBER December 6-7

State Principals Conference – Cornhusker Marriott – Lincoln

December 12

Legislative Preview – Cornhusker Marriott – Lincoln

*Region Meeting dates can be found on the NCSA website.

NATIONAL CONVENTION DATES NAESP – July 9-11, 2018 – Orlando, FL CASE – November 8-10, 2018 – Biloxi, MS NASSP – July 11-13, 2018 – Chicago, IL AASA – February 14-16, 2019 – Los Angeles, CA ASBO – September 21-24, 2018 – Kissimmee, FL

ASCD – March 16-19, 2019 – Chicago, IL