2008 fall palmetto administrator by Hannah Hopkins

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Vol. 23

South Carolina Association of School Administrators

Fall 2008

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FEATURES

SCASA STAFF Molly Spearman Executive Director

Beyond the Classroom: Pleasing the C.A.V.E. People in your Community by Mark Mitchell

The South Carolina Public Charter School District Chartering Initiative by Tim Daniels

Hannah Hopkins Director of Meeting Planning and Training

Branding your School for Success: How to Dramatically Improve Teacher Recruitment and Retention by Joe Flora

Marjorie Riddle Director of Communications

Leadership Matters in High-Poverty Schools by Marla S. Sanders, Sharon Moore Askins, and Daljit Kaur

Show me the Money! Making the New Financial Literacy Standards Work for your Schools by Michelle Reap

Building a Bridge from the Content to the Student: Strategies for Engagement by Jeff Knight

Julia Boyd Director of Member Services

Creating Change so Students can Read on their Grade Level by Carolyn Harris

Ronny Townsend Director of Business Community Partnerships

Rewarding Results: Students do not Work for Free Anymore by Andy Hooker

Sandy Burton Administrative Assistant to the Executive Director

The Flip-Side: What is it Like to be a Principal of an Unsatisfactory School? by Preston Threatt

Graniteville: Providing a Quality Education Then and Now by Jacquelyn S. Barnwell

Charter Schools: An Alternative to Traditional Public Schools by Fred Crawford

Same Story, New Communication Tools by Mike Linebaugh

Danita McDaniel Administrative Assistant Deborah Shepard Membership Coordinator Meeting Registrar

Jay Welch Director of Finance and Technology Beth Phibbs Director of Governmental Affairs

SCASA BOARD Mr. John E. Tindal President Dr. Joanne Avery President-Elect Dr. Stephen W. Hefner Past President Dr. James O. Ray Sr. Dr. Everette M. Dean Jr. Mr. Edward R. Dean Mr. Louis E. Lavely Jr. Mr. Rodney Graves Ms. Marisa P. Vickers Mrs. Nancy J. Gregory Dr. John M. Gardner Mr. Jerome A. Hudson Dr. Marian Anne Crum-Mack Ms. Sandy Andrews Mrs. Nancy O. Verburg Mr. Mike Mahaffey Mr. Randall Vaughn Mrs. Marelyn H. Murdaugh Mrs. Teresa Owen Hinnant Mrs. Nancy C. Thompson Dr. Mark Mitchell Mr. Chris Christiansen Ms. Molly M. Spearman

DEPARTMENTS 2

Message from SCASA’s President John Tindal

Meet the SCASA Board

Message from the Executive Director Molly Spearman

Photo Contest

SCASA and Division Presidents

SCASA Business Affiliates

Marjorie I. Riddle – Managing Editor

The Palmetto Administrator is published annually by the South Carolina Association of School Administrators, 121 Westpark Blvd., Columbia, SC 29210, (803) 798-8380 http://www.scasa.org. Send address changes to Sandy@scasa.org. Advertising information and contributors’ information are available online and from the Managing Editor, Marjorie Riddle, marjorie@scasa.org. Publication Policy: Articles should be written in an informal, conversational style, where treatment of the topic is interesting, insightful and based on the writer’s experience. The editor encourages the use of charts, photos and other artwork. To be considered for publication, articles should be submitted electronically, preferably in MSWord, using one-inch margins. The cover page should show the author’s name, position and complete contact information. The article’s working title and a one or two sentence summary should appear on the title page. Submit article proposals or completed articles for consideration to the Managing Editor, Marjorie Riddle, marjorie@scasa.org. Articles submitted to Palmetto Administrator may be edited for style, content, and space before publication. Articles may not be reproduced without consent of the publisher.

A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

Student Achievement and School Success By John Tindal

hroughout my career as an educator, I have been affiliated with one or more professional education organizations at the local, state or national level. This is my 35th year in public education. I have been a member of SCASA and at least one of the affiliates for approximately 20 years. For more than ten years, I have had the privilege of serving in one capacity or another either working on committees or holding an office. Over the years and especially in recent years, I have seen SCASA grow to become a more powerful player in the political arena. As SCASA members have become more politically active, our influence has grown in the legislature. SCASA played an instrumental role during the last session of the General Assembly to secure passage of legislation to reform the Education Accountability Act of 1998. Included in this legislation was the creation of a new statewide assessment for grades three through eight. I have valued my SCASA membership over the years because I believe administrators need to have a strong advocacy, and SCASA has been the only vehicle for advocacy in South Carolina for school administrators. I have depended upon SCASA for professional development opportunities through the various conferences SCASA sponsors and through the Seminar Series. In recent years, SCASA has offered additional opportunities for more intense professional development for its members. SCASA also offers regular opportunities for administrators to network face to face, helping to build collegiality among the membership. During this year’s SCASA Board Retreat, we took a look at our mission, programs and services, and other areas of potential growth to help our organization remain a viable asset to the membership. I would encourage all administrators to become members of SCASA and take advantage of the programs and services available. Membership is the lifeblood of any organization.

PALMETTO ADMINISTRATOR • FALL 2008

SCASA is now involved in preparing a proposal to change the funding system for public education which is long overdue in our state. SCASA members at all levels will need to be active in supporting the organization’s effort for us to be successful. SCASA continues to be the most powerful voice for education administrators in South Carolina. Education administrators enjoy the most respect from members of the General Assembly now more than ever before. The political climate is more conducive for us to have the impact to bring about the changes so desperately needed in our state. I am currently the superintendent of Clarendon School District Two in Manning, where I have served since January 2002. My first position as superintendent was in the former Orangeburg One District, which is now Orangeburg Consolidated School District Four, beginning in January 1993. In August 1999, I was the state-appointed superintendent for Allendale County Schools. I am honored to have the privilege of serving as SCASA president for 2008-2009. I am excited about working with all of the affiliates to advance the agenda of SCASA as we work together to improve public education in South Carolina.

Mark your calendars for the 2009 Summer Leadership Institute June 21-26 Kingston Plantation, Myrtle Beach

MEET THE SCASA BOARD The SCASA board members share what SCASA event they’re looking forward to most or what they like most about SCASA. Dr. Joanne Avery, president-elect of SCASA, personnel hot topics related to current educational issues such as the administrators division, deputy superintendent, sharing of best practices, diﬀerentiated instruction, and Anderson School District Four technology for instructional purposes. SCASA provides a plethora of opportunities for professional growth. This fall, the Personnel Division held its annual fall conference at Kiawah Island. HR administrators from across the state were enriched with insights and tools that will help them prepare for the digital learner of the future.

Louis E. Lavely, Jr., secondary principals’ div., principal of Travelers Rest High School, Greenville County Schools

I am most excited about Summer Leadership. The opportunity for quality professional development and networking is the Dr. Steve Hefner, past president of SCASA, best in the nation. superintendents’ div., superintendent of Richland Two Rodney Graves, secondary principals’ div., director of School District secondary education, County of Spartanburg School As a past president of SCASA, he is enthusiastic about all District No. 7 of the organization’s activities. Because of the opportunities it affords for meaningful dialogue with his colleagues, he I am looking forward to attending Summer Leadership especially looks forward to the Superintendents’ Monthly in June. This is one of the best professional development activities in the country for school administrators. Roundtable. Dr. Jim Ray, superintendents’ div., superintendent, Marisa Vickers, middle level principals’ div., principal of Hand Middle School, Richland County School District Spartanburg School District Three One I am excited about SCASA’s implementation of a new During the summer, Marisa participated in the National strategic plan. Principal Mentoring Certification Program through Dr. Everette Dean, superintendents’ div., superintendent, the Leadership Immersion Institute. The Mentoring Marion School District 7 Certification Program continues this school year as Marisa I am looking forward to the Summer Leadership conference participates in a nine-month internship as a mentor-inand the Superintendents Conference in the summer because training. I feel they offer the greatest opportunity to grow professionally Nancy Gregory, middle level principals’ div., principal and keep abreast of current trends with what’s going on of Blythewood Middle School, Richland School District with education in South Carolina. Two Reggie Dean, secondary principals’ div., principal of I am looking forward to participating in the mentoring Camden High School, Kershaw County School District certification program sponsored by SCASA. The training I am most excited about collaboration opportunities with NAESP was outstanding. This is the first time I have available through staff development programs such as the had training in the theory and methodology of mentoring Emerging Leadership for aspiring principals and Summer to partner with experiential knowledge… This professional Leadership. Emerging Leadership provides staff development development provides strategies to support new principals for young assistant principals and other educational leaders in becoming effective instructional leaders impacting the to develop leadership skills through self-assessments and academic achievement of their students. It is an excellent the development of relationships with colleagues from the coaching model…. across the state. Summer Leadership provides a variety of Dr. John M. Gardner, elementary principals’ div., FALL 2008 • PALMETTO ADMINISTRATOR

director for professional development, Kershaw County to school law. Summer leadership also gives participants School District opportunities to interact with colleagues across the state and He enjoys many SCASA events, but feels the professional discuss various initiatives. development opportunities are most beneficial. Summer Randy Vaughn, personnel administrators’ div., assistant Leadership, the Seminar Series, and the Leadership superintendent for human resources, Greenwood School Programs are second to none. District 50 Jerome Hudson, elementary principals’ div., principal of I am very excited about our Fall Personnel Conference to Palmetto Elementary School, Anderson School District be held at Kiawah Island. The agenda features Dr. Jillian One Darwish who will present on the “Map of Future Forces Jerome says he excited about the SCASA Mentoring Affecting Education.” The agenda for this conference is focused on change and I am very interested in how technology Program. can assist us with change in education. Nancy Verburg, career & technology education administrators’ div., school to careers coordinator, Marelyn Murdaugh, allied school administrators’ div., coordinator of special services, Hampton School District Lexington One School District One The event I am looking forward to most with SCASA this year is Summer Leadership because it is a long-standing Summer Leadership is my favorite SCASA event because opportunity for professional development that includes both of the opportunity to network with school leaders, for professional development that addresses education topics in national and state speakers. general and for professional development that gives more Dr. Marian Crum-Mack, elementary principals’ div., specific areas of concern toward my job responsibilities. It’s principal of Brennen Elementary School, Richland important that it’s concentrated in a week-long conference School District One because usually you don’t get the chance to gather the She is most excited about the possibilities that exist for the information and talk with colleagues about it with a day Elementary Division of SCASA this year, as they work to here and a day there. become a more active part of the organization. Teresa O. Hinnant, allied school administrators’ Sandy Andrews, adult education directors’ div., director div., director of special services, Orangeburg County of Rock Hill School’s Adult Education, York District 3 Consolidated School District Three The event I’m most excited about is Summer Leadership The most exciting part of SCASA for me is any trainings since it includes the Adult Education Summer Conference. dealing with legal issues, especially those pertaining to Since SCAAED has been collaborating with SCASA’s students with disabilities. As a parent of a special needs SLI, the Adult Education Summer Conference has been child and director of our district program for special needs attended by more adult educators than ever before. The staff students, I am always interested in how the laws are development offered to our adult education directors and interpreted for these persons. teachers is outstanding, and the networking opportunities Nancy C. Thompson, instructional leaders’ div., assistant are building better camaraderie within our group. superintendent for curriculum and instruction, Laurens Mike Edward Mahaffey, personnel administrators’ div., County School District 55 assistant superintendent for personnel services, Anderson I look forward each month to the Instructional Leaders School District Five meetings hosted by SCASA. The meetings provide the Summer Leadership is my favorite SCASA event. I always opportunity for networking with leaders from schools enjoy the keynote speakers, and the breakout sessions relating districts across the state to focus on teaching and learning.

PALMETTO ADMINISTRATOR • FALL 2008

It is a forum for keeping up with best practices and latest information from the State Department, the EOC, the Legislature and other groups that impact the work done in the school districts. Dr. Mark Mitchell, higher education representative, a professor of education leadership at Winthrop University.

SCASA Leadership Academy

I am looking forward to finding ways that Higher Education Institutions in South Carolina can help further the causes of SCASA. I believe that SCASA is the “glue” that keeps education together in South Carolina, and I am honored to be a part of this fine organization. Chris Christiansen, business affiliate representative, CEO and chairman of The R.L. Bryan Company. I really enjoy the Summer Leadership Conference where we present the William B. Harley winners. It gives us the opportunity to celebrate some wonderful accomplishments and to thank everyone for their commitment to public education.

Emerging and Executive Leadership This comprehensive, two-year institute series is aimed at meeting the unique needs of South Carolina’s current and future education executive leaders. The topics are not sequential, and you can participate at any time. EMERGING LEADERSHIP The first year will consist of a two-day institute that will meet four times each year, and the second year will follow the same format. Ideal candidates include new principals, assistant principals and teacher leaders who are upwardly mobile and seek an experience that will prepare them to successfully launch the next phase of their careers.

Have you received an e-mail or heard from SCASA lately? Maybe you’ve changed your e-mail address or moved across the state. Whatever the case, please go to www.scasa.org and update your information. See tips for using the Web site on page 7. Ideally, on file, we would like to have your: ∙ Full name ∙ Complete work address ∙ Work e-mail ∙ Phone numbers ∙ And any other contact information you want to give us!

EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP The curriculum for this series is specifically designed to build upon executive leader’s previous learning. It is assumed that participants will have experienced a good deal of prior leadership development and be relatively well-read in the leadership literature. Ideal candidates include principals, district level administrators, and state level leaders who are experienced, successful, accomplished, or are recognized as having great potential, and are ready to take their leadership knowledge and skills to the next level. Registration deadline is one week before each scheduled session. Visit www.scasa.org for registration information.

FALL 2008 • PALMETTO ADMINISTRATOR

Want a Quality Education for Your Students? Join in the Fight for a Quality Education for All South Carolinians Organizers of a state-wide campaign are attempting to accumulate 1 million signatures by 2010 for a petition that will encourage legislators to delete the phrase “minimally adequate” from the state Constitution and replace it with “high quality” for education. “Goodbye Minimally Adequate” campaign creator Bud Ferillo and his supporters say replacing “minimally adequate” with “high quality” will mean more than just new words for the state Constitution. Inserting the words sets a higher marker for funding debates, creates a higher standard of expectations for public education and establishes a high quality education system, among other things, according to the campaign. The SCASA Board, as well as state Superintendent of Education Jim Rex, have chosen to support the campaign. If you’re unsatisfied with a “minimally adequate” education for your family and students, sign the petition today by visiting www.goodbyeminimallyadequate.com. All South Carolinians are eligible to sign the petition, not just registered voters, so talk to your students about signing, too.

A MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

By Molly Spearman

n just a few days, you will have the opportunity to exercise your civic responsibility by voting in the General Election. Please make sure that you vote and encourage your staff, parents, and community to study the platforms and support those candidates who support public education. Many educators seem timid in voicing their support for candidates. As administrators, we need to explain to our colleagues that it is their responsibility to be involved by talking with candidates, supporting their campaigns, contributing financially, and – most of all, voting on Election Day! We have just completed a very successful member survey with over 700 administrators giving input on SCASA programs. This information was analyzed by the SCASA Board and staff as we met in retreat for two days. You rated SCASA and our programs with a positive rating of 75 percent. We learned that advocacy and professional development are the two most important areas of interest that you want us to be involved in. You told us that you wanted more indepth professional development training. Summer Leadership Institute is a clear favorite with our membership. You gave us tremendous input on how to improve our communications process, and you also said that we needed more opportunities for member involvement. The SCASA Board worked with our staff and helped shape these ideas into a plan of action that will guide us for the next few years. One immediate implementation will involve discussion boards on our Web site that will allow members to discuss “hot topics” for daily practical use. We will also use technology to permit more

member involvement in advocacy, publications, and other “quick” input items in our oﬃce. Our uniﬁed voices are being heard, and our impact is growing stronger each day. None of this would be possible without your commitment to joining and being an active member of our association. Thank you for your support. If you have any questions or suggestions that would improve your service by the association, please let me know at molly@scasa.org. Have a great school year! Molly Spearman

Tips for using the Web site To access your member portal: • Use your first and last name without spaces for user name. •

If you’ve forgotten your password, click the question next to the entry field that says “Forgot your Password?” and go through the steps to retrieve it.

•

Enter your first and last name without spaces in login name in the “login name” entry field. And then you can reset your password.

•

Tip - use a simple word or phrase when resetting your password so you’ll easily remember it.

After signing in to the member portal, check on the left side of the screen to see if your contact information is up to date.

FALL 2008 • PALMETTO ADMINISTRATOR

Teachers Brighten and Enlighten School Success: Beyond the Classroom Pleasing the C.A.V.E. People in your Community By Mark Mitchell, Ed.D Winthrop University

y now, you are well into your ﬁrst semester of school, and things are going full speed. You have planned most of the summer for the coming school year. You have tried to anticipate every imaginable problem and put a plan in place to stop the potential pitfalls that you know will probably happen anyway. As if you do not have enough to worry about with the beginning of a new school year, let us talk for a few minutes about something that you may not have had time to think about -- how to please the C.A.V.E. people.

Disconnect between community and public schools We are experiencing more and more of a “disconnect” between the people in our community and in our public schools. Granted, with a state and national agenda that supports vouchers and moving public money to private schools, we have many new enemies that we have not had before. With all of this being a problem, I believe we should discuss a way for us to show them that those of us in public schools are still a “class act” and, in fact, we provide the best education you can buy for a very reasonable price.

I know you are saying to yourself, “This is South Carolina, and Accommodating C.A.V.E. people there are very few, if any, caves in this state.” Well, actually, we may not have very many caves, but we certainly have Let us begin by asking a few very plain, but blunt questions: C.A.V.E. people. C.A.V.E. people are in every school district, Question 1: When parents enter in every state. They are a proud our school buildings, are they group of people who sometimes gather and plot the demise of the “Yes, they are alive and well, lurking greeted with a smile, a friendly and an “I’m glad to unsuspecting school principal or in the shadows ready to derail the welcome, see you; is there any way that I superintendent. These C.A.V.E. smooth-running train that provides can help you?” I know we aren’t people are “Citizens Against Virtually Everything.” the education for the children in running a Wal-Mart, and we cannot afford paid professional your community.” Yes, they are alive and well, greeters; but at the very least lurking in the shadows ready shouldn’t we tell the folks in the to derail the smooth-running office that everyone who walks train that provides the education for the children in your through our door is a customer, and it is REQUIRED for us community. C.A.V.E. people are the ones who complain to treat them nicely? about how much the breakfast and lunch programs cost. Question 2: Do we have chairs for parents to sit down on They are the people who believe that public schools are places when they come to our office? Are these chairs comfortable for people to work if they cannot find real jobs. They are the or have they been recycled from the teacher’s lounge because people who are not happy if the bus does not pull directly in the teachers didn’t like them anymore? We must make every front of their house, and they are the people that believe that effort to make our C.A.V.E. people feel comfortable. After their entire property-tax bill goes directly to the salary of just all, they aren’t happy under good circumstances. the principal or superintendent. Now that we have identified the culprits, let’s talk about how to make them our friends. OK, maybe not friends, but at least not full-time enemies. As you are probably aware, the annual Phi Delta Kappan Gallop Poll on Education has shown us that the percentage of parents who are comfortable paying to support public schools is on the decline. For the past several years, our approval rating from the public is beginning to look very much like the approval rating for George W.

PALMETTO ADMINISTRATOR • FALL 2008

Question 3: Do we have literature about our schools, and samples of student work for them to look at while they wait? While the C.A.V.E. people are contemplating their complaints, and problems with your school, let’s inundate them with samples of good student work, art, information about the success of our students, and examples of why our school is the best place in town for children to “hang out.” Question 4: Do we have children’s books and coloring books

for the little ones to play with while mom or dad is waiting? You can rest assured that at least 2.7 children under age 4 will accompany any of the C.A.V.E. people. Many times, C.A.V.E. people will pick up their children from the babysitter and bring them to the conference, just so you can see what the parents have to put up with all day, and what you have to look forward to in the next two years. Question 5: Have we provided each of our offices with a small refrigerator stocked with water and a few sodas, so that we automatically ask parents/patrons if they would like something to drink? This is a very inexpensive way to get the C.A.V.E. people to realize that you might be a decent person after all. Just make sure that everyone is asked. Generally, they will be so shocked; they won’t take the beverage anyway. Question 6: Have we made sure that the entrances to our school and the principal’s office are spotlessly clean? Nothing stokes the fire of a dedicated C.A.V.E. person like a dirty school. They are self-appointed health inspectors and Department of Health and Environmental Control representatives. It is crucial to show them that our schools are clean, safe, and wholesome. Question 7: Have you directly TOLD every secretary that he or she is to be kind, courteous, and helpful to ALL visitors to the school? (I know this is a lot like Question 1, but I believe it is so important that we need to repeat it.) In addition, have you trained them to answer the telephone in a polite and professional manner? You must teach your office staff that people can decipher a pleasant, nice voice. C.A.V.E. people will think they called the wrong number if we really work at being nice on the telephone with them. Question 8: When the parents come into your office, do you stay behind your desk or do you pull a chair around where you can both sit without an authoritarian object separating you? Remember, many of these C.A.V.E. people didn’t have a good experience when they went to school. They are used to being on the “other side” of the table. Knowing this, let’s change the setting by sitting face to face and then concentrate on not talking “down” to them. Question 9: Do you have a sign on your wall with the following acronym? “WIDKYMS & ASSNBTL”

“Nothing stokes the fire of a dedicated C.A.V.E. person like a dirty school. They are self-appointed health inspectors and Department of Health and Environmental Control representatives.” “WHEN IN DOUBT KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT & ALWAYS SAY SOMETHING NICE BEFORE THEY LEAVE.” I used to have this sign in my oﬃce and it was a great conversation piece. I would only tell my closest friends and colleagues what it meant; I would never divulge the secret to the C.A.V.E. people, even though most of them would never try it anyway. Question 10: Have you told all of your principals, assistant principals, superintendents, assistant superintendents, department chairs, cafeteria managers, transportation directors and school resource oﬃcers that when they meet with C.A.V.E. people, they should follow the 75-25 rule? This rule is where they LISTEN 75% of the time and talk only 25% of the time. C.A.V.E. people love to talk and more than that, they like you to listen to them. Once you have answered these ten questions, and put them into action, you are well on your way to driving the C.A.V.E. people that lurk in your school district back into their dark abyss.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Mark W. Mitchell, Ed.D. Winthrop University, Rock Hill, SC 29733 (803) 323-4726 mitchellm@winthrop.edu Dr. Mitchell is an Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership, a retired school superintendent and national presenter in the areas of school law and school ﬁnance. Dr. Mitchell is the University representative on the SCASA Board of Directors.

This sign should be at least 8-by-10-inches and be directly in your line of sight at all times. The acronym stands for:

FALL 2008 • PALMETTO ADMINISTRATOR

2008

2009

Effective Academic and Behavioral Practices for Special Education Classrooms November 11, 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. SCASA Building To increase academic achievement for students with disabilities, special education teachers must utilize peer reviewed academic and behavioral interventions. The purpose of this workshop will be to provide building administrators and curriculum coordinators with proven academic and behavioral techniques that should be part of every special education classroom. There will be time for discussion and questions. Presenters: Dr. Susan Thomas, Executive Director of Programs for Students with Disabilities, Berkeley County School District; Dr. Kent Parker, Behavior Interventionist, The Oconee County School District

Office Professionals’ Conference December 5, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Seawell’s in Columbia Don’t miss the 2008 Office Professionals’ Conference. Glenda Doles will speak about “Making an Investment in Yourself.” You will also hear from Vernie Williams, Esq. from Childs & Halligan, P.A. about legal issues as well as information about health issues. You won’t want to miss this year’s fashion show, an Office Professionals’ Conference tradition! Fees: $35 for subscribing districts (continental breakfast, lunch, refreshments), $85 for non-subscribing districts (registration and meals)

From Darkness to Light “Stewards of Children” program February 10, 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. SCASA Building Join Mark Mitchell, Educational Leadership Professor at Winthrop University, as he introduces the Darkness to Light “Stewards of Children” program to SCASA members. Program Description: Darkness to Light’s Stewards of Children is a revolutionary sexual abuse prevention training program that educates adults to prevent, recognize, and react responsibly to child sexual abuse. The program believes and teaches that child safety is an adult’s job. Stewards of Children is designed for organizations that serve children and youth. Lunch will be provided.

Unless otherwise noted, seminars are free for subscribing districts and $60 for nonsubscribing districts. Register online today for any of these great seminars at www.scasa.org.

Student Achievement: The South Carolina Public Charter School District Chartering Initiative By Timothy H. Daniels, Ed.D Superintendent/Executive Director of the South Carolina Public Charter School District Who We Are

he South Carolina Public Charter School District is an entity developed to authorize, support, and oversee public charter and cyber schools as the education of our students evolves into the future. The SCPCSD Chartering Initiative SCPCSD: A growing organization that can authorize, support and oversee charter schools that offer Sustainable Quality and Accountability. South Carolina has recently added a statewide charter school authorizer entity known as the South Carolina Public Charter District (SCPCSD), to its original charter school legislation passed in 1996. With no original provision for alternative authorization, heretofore charter schools in South Carolina have developed slowly. Twenty-nine were in operation after the first eleven years of the passage of the South Carolina Charter School Law. 2007 amendments to the State’s Charter School Law have added an alternative authorizer (the SCPCSD), a ten-year term of charter, and the ability to charter and operate cyber charter public charter schools. As a direct result of the addition of a statewide charter authorizer, charter school student enrollment has increased 50 percent in one year from 5,438 students in 2007-2008 to 8,144 projected in 2008-2009. This spike in charter enrollment occurred the first year that SCPCSD charter schools began to operate. Specifically, this year five new charter public schools opened under the oversight of SCPCSD with more than 2,600 students in attendance. Three of these newlyopened schools are the first cyber public charter schools in state history. As a statewide oversight entity, SCPCSD was created to reflect the abilities of successful precedents in charter school authorizing…in Colorado, Minnesota and other states…to promulgate the expansion of quality public school choices in a

state regulatory agency oversight model. Defacto, SCPCSD exists to promote, authorize, and oversight a “breakout” of all types of charter public schools from the slow growth constraints of a single authorizer approach. In doing this, South Carolina joins a growing number of states that have added “multiple charter school authorizers” to their state charter school legislation. Following the lead of states where a multiple charter authorizer model has been in existence without a “cap” on the number of schools that can be chartered, South Carolina has achieved the potential to generate a dynamic growth of charter schools. Rationale: SCPCSD is organized to achieve the calls of the National Alliance of Charter Public Schools, the National Association of Charter School Authorizers, and the Center for Educational Reform for multiple and appropriate charter school authorizers in every state. But, calls for the need to reform the governance structure of education come from many other diverse sources, including The National Center on Education and the Economy in Tough Choices for Tough Times, The Report of the New Commission on the Skills of the American Workforce (National Center for Education and the Economy, 2007). This omnibus study cites the need to change how education should be “governed, ﬁnanced, organized and managed…Schools would no longer be owned by local school districts.” (p.5) One of the signers of this report, Richard Riley, is the former U.S. Secretary of Education, the former Chancellor of the University of South Carolina and the former Governor of South Carolina. In a fourteen page supplement to the New York Times (August 17, 2008), Paul Tough in a piece entitled “The Teachable Moment,” describes the massive restructuring of the New Orleans Public School District. He describes The Louisiana State Superintendent, Paul Pastorek, as a “deep thinker” who has concluded that, “…ﬁxing a public school system is not at its root a question of curriculum or personnel or even money. It is a question of governance.” “It is simply impossible for a traditional school system, run from the top down by a central administrator, to educate large numbers of poor children to high levels of achievement.” Clayton M. Christiansen, a business professor at Harvard University, has labeled cyber or virtual schools as “disruptive innovation.” In the May 7 edition of Education Week, (p.1), his work is described as stating that computer-based delivery

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Student Achievement continued from Page 11 of education will radically change the way public education is delivered. “The schools as they are now structured cannot do it,” he states, referring to their adapting successfully to the coming computer–based innovation. Dr. Christiansen predicts that by 2019, half of all high school classes will be taught over the Internet. Charter schools and cyber charter schools are a demonstrable change in how education should be “governed, ﬁnanced, organized, and managed.” Charter schools and cyber charter schools are not traditional school systems. In short, charter schools and cyber charter schools are a vehicle for the disruptive innovation that will cause change. South Carolina is posed to participate in the evolution of education into the future. Under the real depth of independence gained by charter schools under the unique construct of a state-wide charter school district, SCPCSD has the potential to foster dynamic and positive results for many of the school children in the state. The Need for Help with an Emphasis on Quality and Accountability As a “statewide chartering entity” SCPCSD provides the opportunity for charter schools to evolve beyond the threshold issues of survival and growth; SCPCSD is a charter-friendly authorizer. However, SCPCSD is also an authorizer that understands charter schools must be quality choices for students and families that are accountable for their results. SCPCSD demands accountability and quality as a condition of chartering and oversight. This leaves charter schools in need of additional resources dedicated to accountability and quality. The Call to Quality Charter Providers and Charter Support Groups SCPCSD sets the stage for the growth and development of diverse charter schools that meet the many and varied educational needs of South Carolina’s children and families. But what else is needed? What is next? SCPCSD calls for a reinfusion of energy and ﬁnancial resources into planning distinctive, quality-oriented and accountable charter schools throughout South Carolina. This can be done with the knowledge that charter school groups will work with an authorizer that values them, understands their needs, and supports their implementation. The environment for quality public charter schools of all types presages a renaissance of the charter school movement in South Carolina. SCPCSD has a governing board of 10 distinguished South

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Carolina citizens and a Superintendent/Executive Director, staff, and office located in Columbia SC. SCPCSD authorizes, supports, monitors and holds accountable SCPCSD Charter Public Schools with a wide range of critical services. School support, compliance monitoring, and accountability for results define SCPCSD’s sponsorship. Centrally located in the State Capitol and thereby accessible to all its over-sighted charter schools in a compact state, SCPCSD maintains an active stance in government relations with state and local government, stays in close contact with the news media and represents the interests of SCPCSD charter public schools in legal and policy matters. Invitation to Apply Groups of individuals and non-profit organizations interested in starting charter public schools in South Carolina should begin by visiting the SDE website: www.ed.gov/programs/ charter/index.html Contact Joel Medley at the South Carolina Department of Education about these grant opportunities at (803) 734-8374 or jmedley@sde.state.sc.us: Substantive planning and implementation grants to plan for and operate charter schools are available. The South Carolina Public Charter School District link, http://www.sccharter.com/overview.asp, has application material, a start-up kit and a timeline available. The South Carolina Association of Charter Schools, http:// www.scapcs.org/home.aspx, is active in identifying local groups who seek to establish charter schools. This is a seminal opportunity to open, operate and expand quality charter public schools that are a permanent part of public educational choice in South Carolina’s future.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Timothy H. Daniels 3710 Landmark Drive, Suite 203 Columbia, South Carolina 29204 803.734.8322 tdaniels@scpcsd.sc.gov Dr. Daniels is in his ﬁrst year as superintendent and executive director of the South Carolina Public Charter School District. Dr. Daniels has also served as executive director of the Pennsylvania Coalition of Charter Schools; director of the Pennsylvania Department of Education Initiatives; superintendent; deputy superintendent; business manager; and principal.

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Branding Your School for Success: How to Dramatically Improve Teacher Recruitment and Retention Joe Flora Clinical Associate Professor of Educational Leadership in the College Of Education At USC

eacher recruitment and retention is a daunting challenge for South Carolina administrators — especially in our high-poverty urban and rural areas. School principals and personnel directors have developed several strategies to make our recruitment more effective, from “growing your own,” to the PACE program, to the hiring of foreign teachers. Despite these efforts, the need to recruit and retain highly qualified teachers, particularly in specialized teaching areas, remains a critical problem for school leaders. We need to take a fresh look at our traditional recruitment practices. Fortunately, there are many schools and noneducational organizations that have pioneered innovative approaches to recruiting and hiring that have proved to be very effective. Some of these programs sound counterintuitive and even a little strange, but they deserve our consideration. Branding Consider the idea of branding: A brand is essentially a promise of future satisfaction — what particular experience the customer and employee associate with the organization’s identity at an emotional level. As human resources expert Ed Lawler notes: “Who, for example, doesn’t know what it is like to be a US Marine? Abercrombie & Fitch, Starbucks, and In-N-Out Burger have all developed the distinct brand of being a ‘cool’ place to work. This branding has given these businesses a competitive edge in attracting salespeople.” (Lawler & Worley, 2006)

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It may seem somewhat crass and commercial to apply the concept of branding to our schools, but, in fact, many educational institutions have already used branding as a highpowered way to attract and retain both students and instructors. Private schools, universities and magnet schools have all benefited from strong branding strategies. The Met School in Rhode Island, for example, is a network of seven small high schools dedicated to a tailored curriculum and community internships for each student. Why branding? The purpose of a brand is to enable the school to promote its identity and make an emotional connection with students and teachers. The brand serves a basic human need: the desire to transcend the practical aspects of a product or service and gain a deep emotional satisfaction and purpose in the customer or client experience. Starbucks isn’t just a coffee shop; it’s a warm environment that serves as a “home base” away from home. Similarly, your school shouldn’t simply be a place of teaching/ learning transactions, but one that provides a deeper experience that will make both students and teachers feel truly attached to it. An effective brand creates a “halo effect” that can enhance all of school life. (Sartain & Schumann, 2006)

It is ironic that although we are part of one of the noblest professions, too many students and teachers view school as only a means to an economic end, without meaning and purpose. If your school expects different results than other schools in similar communities, then you and your staff must manage the school in a different way. The Branding Process First, you must build your brand by creating an identity

and promise that makes your school unique — unlike other schools with similar demographics. Your school must be different and offer both students and teachers a special experience that will motivate students, attract applicants, retain great teachers and overcome the negative perceptions associated with high-poverty schools. The key is to discover a school identity that dramatically enhances both the instructional program and teacher quality and experience. One practical, cost-effective approach to developing your unique brand is to have your school improvement council meet with your leadership team and a committee of parents and students. The task for this branding “summit” is to discover what’s best about the school, not only within the instructional program, but considering the total school experience for all the stakeholders. Every school has pockets of excellence. The goal is to identify the most compelling aspects of your instructional program and school relationships and amplify these experiences so they become typical for students and teachers. These themes then become the heart of your school brand and a promise to the school community that all aspects of school life will be delivered to consistently reflect the brand. Ideally, your brand will complement your district’s vision, values, and mission. A Case Study Imagine a middle school that has developed a brand around the idea of leadership. In this school, a teacher such as Jane Smith performs less as an instructional craftswoman and more as a classroom leader. She sets a vision with high expectations, establishing goals, motivating students, assessing results and rewarding successes. Jane is relentless in showing students that their own leadership performance, not their backgrounds, determines success. Jane’s students are provided with constant opportunities to practice leadership, including leadership of self, in the classroom and in all school activities. Jane’s principal, Mr. Jones, emphasizes the leadership theme in even the most routine aspects of school management, such as student discipline, and personifies values, such as taking responsibility for teaching and learning, as opposed to being a victim of poverty or lack of parental involvement. In this leadership-obsessed middle school, every school communication, image or brand statement, internal and external, dramatizes the opportunities for students, teachers and parents to make a difference in the school

community. Mr. Jones and his staff have a very clear idea of the necessary personality characteristics, knowledge, skills and experiences of prospective teachers, including evidence of a life and career history that demonstrates leadership contributions. The staff also ensures that the recruitment and selection process provides applicants with a realistic job preview, including the requirement to show leadership both in the classroom and in the total school program. In many cases, applicants disqualify themselves because they realize they don’t fit with the culture of the school. But on the other hand, teachers who sincerely enjoy instilling students with confidence and decisionmaking tools, that is, leadership qualities, will jump at the chance to be a part of this particular school. Our middle school’s brand extends a strong promise to teachers that the leadership theme will be supported in professional development and coaching activities. Mr. Jones has organized the school for collaborative teacher work in which teachers are expected to provide leadership and help to their colleagues. Finally, the district and school have worked together to develop a career ladder, including teacher-coach and master teacher roles that provide advancement opportunities and reinforce leadership behavior. Moreover, surveys of staff members and retention data suggest that teachers connect with the school leadership brand that makes teaching and learning a more meaningful experience. Rather than just passing on the skills and knowledge dictated by their grade’s curriculum, these teachers feel a heightened sense of satisfaction knowing that they are molding young people who will likely take on transforming leadership roles in high school and beyond.

Branding Surprises Branding is a long-term strategy designed to make your school more attractive and create an emotional bond with

“Branding also inspires some surprising nontraditional recruitment and retention strategies.” your stakeholders. Branding also inspires some surprising non-traditional recruitment and

retention Continued Next Page

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Branding Your School continued from Page 15 strategies. Such a strategy is illustrated by what is probably the most famous classified ad in employment history: “NOTICE: Men wanted for hazardous journey. Small wages, bitter cold, and long months of complete darkness. Constant danger. Safe return doubtful. Honour and recognition in case of success.” This ad ran in the London Times in 1913, when Sir Earnest Shackleton was recruiting for his famous journey to Antarctica. “Only a specific type of person, with a specific set of desires, skills and abilities, would respond to it.” You might expect few takers, but Shackleton’s ad inspired over 1000 applicants from which he selected 28 men. (Rueff & Stringer, 2006) The lesson? More challenging job requirements may actually increase applications, because the promotion of an authentic brand in recruitment can make the school more appealing. Applicants will be inspired by a cause greater than themselves. There are several other powerful recruitment practices that derive from branding: • Recruitment should be an ongoing process, not driven by specific vacancies. Principals and other staff members should promote the school brand continuously by networking with “passive” applicants—teachers and administrators who are not searching for a new position, but who may be persuaded to consider a change when a vacancy opens, because they feel they would fit in well with your school’s identity. • Beyond minimal qualifications, hire for attitudes, values, brand-relevant experience and fit with the brand culture. In short, focus on the person’s preferences and personal attributes. Don’t assume that a poor fit can be transformed through professional development or the teacher evaluation program. • Your school brand and recruitment outreach can be enhanced by word of mouth throughout the community. Obviously, the brand experience of your staff members and their willingness to serve as evangelists are critical in the promoting the school. The clearer your brand for your school is, the more likely it is that you will be able to promote and then eventually realize the brand by attracting teachers

PALMETTO ADMINISTRATOR • FALL 2008

who are “on board” with you. • Your staff should be deeply involved in the recruitment and selection process. As a school leader, you should form a partnership with your staff to promote and protect the school brand. Hiring the right people is vital and your teachers are often in the best position to decide who best fits with the school culture. •A strong school brand can help you and your staff partner with other community institutions to nurture talent, offer early experiences and promote teaching as a career. A school with a creativity-oriented brand, for example, should forge ties with local science and arts organizations. • Every contact with applicants, either in person, by phone, through school application materials or online, should be considered a “touch point” that either promotes or detracts from the brand. A school brand that connects with teachers is pivotal in that it is teachers who must convey the brand experience to the school’s students. Those who are able to do so effectively will be truly invested in the future success of your school, and teacher retention will rise as a result. References Lawler, E., & Worley, C. G. (2006). Built to Change. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 165. Rueff, R. & Stringer, H. (2006). Talent Force. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson/Prentice Hall, 59-60. Sartain, L., & Schumann, M. (2006). Brand From the Inside. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 9. ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Joe Flora 125 Hawks Ridge Lane Chapin, SC 29036 803.732.7122 ﬂoraj@gwm.sc.edu Flora has taught educational leadership for the past ten years. Previously, he headed the human resources department in several school districts, including Charlotte-Mecklenburg. His expertise is human resources management and school improvement. Joe Flora is a clinical associate professor of educational leadership in the College of Education at the University of South Carolina.

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Student Achievement: Leadership Matters in High-Poverty Schools By Marla S. Sanders, Sharon Moore Askins, and Daljit Kaur Francis Marion University

ducators and policymakers have long acknowledged the inﬂuence of poverty on student achievement and have implemented early childhood and academic enrichment programs, such as Head Start and Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP), focused on the academic, developmental, and social needs of children of poverty. Educators who have worked in high-poverty schools understand the challenges and demands of teaching children of poverty. Many teachers often use their own money to purchase school supplies for children of poverty and take time after school and on weekends for tutoring. Many administrators regularly make home visits to talk with parents about the progress their child is making in school and take time to visit community organizations to generate additional support and resources for their schools. Helping children of poverty succeed requires that teachers and administrators invest extra time with students, and educators throughout our state do these things everyday because they know that the joys of helping these students succeed far outweigh any of the challenges that come with being an educator in a high-poverty school. Statistics show… As South Carolina works toward achieving the goals set by the Education Accountability Act of 1998 and toward being ranked in the top half of states in student achievement by 2010, there is considerable need to address the underachievement of children of poverty in this state. The National Center for Children in Poverty (2008) states that approximately 44% of South Carolina’s children live in lowincome families, which includes families earning an income less than twice the federal poverty level (about $42,400 for a family of four). In addition, the South Carolina Education Oversight Committee (2007) reports that “signiﬁcant poverty exists in the majority of South Carolina’s schools.” The percentage of South Carolina’s schools serving more than 70 percent of children living in poverty increased to

PALMETTO ADMINISTRATOR • FALL 2008

“Now, more than ever, our schools need strong, effective leaders, who understand effective teaching and how to impact student learning.” 53 percent since 2004 when it was reported as 48 percent. Moreover, 20 percent of all schools have a population of more than 90 percent of children living in poverty. School report card results indicate that these schools are struggling to meet state standards. Of the schools considered highpoverty (70 percent or above), 8 percent received an absolute rating of Excellent or Good in 2007 and only 4 percent of schools classified as extreme poverty (90 percent or above) received those ratings. Furthermore, less than 20 percent of high and extreme-poverty schools received an improvement rating of Excellent or Good in 2007. What needs to be done We cite these data, not to criticize the educational professionals working hard in these schools, but to contend that there is much work to be done by all of South Carolina’s educators, leaders, and policymakers to improve the educational achievement of children of poverty. We believe there is a need to understand further the leadership practices in these schools, the challenges educators working in highpoverty schools face, the resources and training they feel they need to have for success with their students, and the strategies they find most effective in meeting the needs of children of poverty. The solutions to improving student achievement in highpoverty schools in South Carolina lie within the experiences of the educators working in these schools. We need to know what leaders and teachers are doing to improve learning for children of poverty, how those practices relate to documented research, and what policies and practices they need to implement to initiate school improvement. Therefore, we propose a comprehensive study examining leadership practices in high-poverty schools in South Carolina. Good Schools Need Good Leaders In accordance with No Child Left Behind and Adequate

Yearly Progress requirements that schools demonstrate proficiency of students in all subgroups, administrators and teachers must focus on the academic growth and success of all students. Now, more than ever, our schools need strong, effective leaders, who understand effective teaching and how to impact student learning. Educational researchers agree that school administrators play a significant role facilitating school-wide academic success (Horst & Martin, 2007; Marzano, 2003; Schmoker, 2006). David Spence, the President of the Southern Regional Education Board, argues that schools need “learning-centered principals” that “provide teachers with the leadership and support they need to help students gain the skills and knowledge now identified as important for success in a ‘flat’ world filled with uncertainty and constant change” (Southern Regional Education Board, 2007, p. iii). Though having a learning-centered school leader, as Spence explains, is important in all schools, it is even more crucial in high-poverty schools, given the unique needs of children of poverty. Research indicates that poverty can have a significant impact on student achievement (Brooks-Gunn & Duncan, 1997). Children living in poverty “are more likely to fall behind their classmates in school, to be assigned to lower ‘tracks’ in education, to be retained in grade, to be labeled as ‘problem’ students, to be absent, truant, and to drop out of school altogether, and—over time—to earn lower scores in standardized tests of knowledge and achievement” (Biddle, 2001, p. 6). Thus, creating and sustaining academic success in these schools, requires leaders to be knowledgeable of curriculum and best practices; support, lead, and encourage teacher collaboration and leadership; know the importance of assessment in school improvement efforts; and, use the teacher evaluation process as a means to support and encourage teachers’ professional development (Schmoker, 2006). These characteristics align with Marzano’s (2003) schoollevel and teacher factors for student success, which include a guaranteed, viable curriculum; parental involvement and support; a committed, collaborative faculty and staff who support one another to promote student success; a system for establishing and monitoring progress toward achieving instructional goals; and, appropriate, effective classroom management and instructional practices. It is therefore critical for school leaders of high-poverty schools to internalize these factors and ensure their implementation at the school and classroom levels.

Poverty and School Achievement Research indicates that schools with high concentrations of children of poverty face significant school improvement challenges (Vanderhaar, Muñoz, and Rodosky 2006). For example, Vanderhaar, Muñoz, and Rodosky’s (2006) study of a large urban school district, with approximately 96,000 students, found that “student achievement was negatively impacted when school poverty concentration rose above 40%” (p. 29). They conclude that leading high-poverty schools requires a “different set of knowledge and skills,” as the challenges faced in these schools vary from those of more affluent schools (p. 29). Their study also finds a significant positive correlation between the number of years a principal works at a school and student achievement. Although the authors acknowledge this finding does not indicate causality, they advise school districts to implement policies that promote continuity in school-level leadership. Unfortunately, in high-poverty schools with the greatest need and opportunities for teachers to have a lasting influence on students’ lives, administrators often struggle to find and retain qualified teachers. Ingersoll (2001) finds that high-poverty schools have higher teacher turnover rates than schools with less poverty. Consequently, schools serving significant numbers of children of poverty are often staffed with novice and unqualified teachers. Heck (2007) explains that low-income students and minorities are “almost twice as likely to have teachers with less than 3 years of teaching experience” (p. 404). As a result, attracting, retaining, and mentoring teachers is critical for school administrators to initiate academic improvements in their schools, as research indicates that teacher practices influence student learning. Marzano (2003) explains that effective teachers, who understand and use various research-based instructional strategies; use assessment as a means to identify student needs and improve teaching; and, implement classroom management plans that ensure a safe, engaging learning environment, have a more positive influence on student achievement than less knowledgeable, qualified teachers. Our Study We received a research grant from the Francis Marion University Center of Excellence to Prepare Teachers of Children of Poverty to conduct a study investigating leadership practices in high-poverty schools in South Continued Next Page

FALL 2008 • PALMETTO ADMINISTRATOR

Student Achievement continued from Page 19 Carolina. The Center of Excellence strives to help current and future teachers understand what it means to be a child of poverty and learn research-based strategies to support students academically; accordingly, its overall mission is to prepare teachers who have the knowledge and skills needed to succeed in South Carolina’s highpoverty schools and who are invested in the academic success of children of poverty. The Center of Excellence funded our research project as a means to understand better the ways administrators and teachers can work together to support children of poverty.

say, “Hey, what are you doing today?”…and my opinion mattered to him from the ﬁrst time I walked in that door. He didn’t look at me as the rookie on the street that didn’t have anything to add. So I appreciated that.

The teachers interviewed, each with more than 10 years of experience, indicated that the support and guidance they received from their administrators were essential to their success with students. A science teacher, describing her administrator, said:

On October 1st, we will send an online survey to more than 340 principals in South Carolina. For the purposes of this study, we are speciﬁcally targeting administrators who lead schools with a free or reduced lunch percentage of 70 or above. Though we understand the demands placed on school administrators, we encourage administrators to contribute to this very important study. This information will contribute to our understanding of the context of highpoverty schools, and it is our belief that this study will add

The administrators interviewed said they knew the state academic standards and regularly went into classes to participate in and lead lesson activities. They also believed that they were responsible for modeling effective instructional methods for teachers, so they regularly led professional development sessions at their schools. In addition to the various tasks they were responsible for on a daily basis, these leaders felt that they were highly responsible for the Our research specifically seeks to understand what leaders teaching and learning taking feel are the challenges of place in their schools— working in high-poverty “Children living in poverty ‘are more these leaders see themselves schools; the strategies they as teachers of children of use to promote instructional likely to fall behind their classmates poverty. One administrator, improvement and support in school, to be assigned to lower who has worked as a teacher teachers’ professional growth ‘tracks’ in education, to be retained and administrator at the and student achievement; same school for more than and, the practices they find in grade, to be labeled as ‘problem’ 15 years, said most effective in mentoring students, to be absent, truant, and teachers. In essence, we want One – I’m a teacher first and to drop out of school altogether, to know what it means to be if I ever lose that piece then and—over time—to earn lower a leader of a high-poverty I won’t know what these kids school in South Carolina. scores in standardized tests of are all about…I will go in [classes] – I tutor kids, I take This research began with knowledge and achievement.’” an active role in what we’re interviews of five exemplary in—we’re in the business of teachers and administrators education. Should I not be working in high-poverty the head educator? Should I not educate? schools. We learned from these educators that instructional leadership; creating positive relationships with students, their The insights we gained from these initial interviews families, and teachers; understanding of students’ home and encouraged us to expand our study to include more schools community environments; and communication with parents and more administrators. We wanted to learn what other were important elements of school leadership. Of each of leaders in high-poverty schools were doing to support their these qualities, instructional leadership was emphasized as teachers and students. the most important aspect of the administrators’ work with Attention: principals of high-poverty schools teachers and students.

He comes in our classrooms constantly, not because he’s nosey but because he considers himself still a part of the teaching process and he’ll come in any old time and just

PALMETTO ADMINISTRATOR • FALL 2008

to the knowledge base of how our schools can better support children of poverty.

References Biddle, B. J. (2001). Poverty, ethnicity, and achievement in American schools. In B. J. Biddle (Ed.), Social class, poverty, and education: Policy and practice (pp. 1-30). New York: RoutlegeFalmer.

August 8, 2008, from http://www.sreb.org/main/Goals/ Publications/07V48_School_leadership.pdf Vanderhaar, Muñoz, Rodosky (2003). Leadership as accountability for learning: The eﬀects of school poverty, teacher experience, previous achievement, and principal preparation programs on student achievement. Journal of Personnel Evaluation in Education, 19, 17- 33.

Brooks-Gunn, J., & Duncan, G. J. (1997). The effects of poverty on children. Children and Poverty, 7, 55-71. Heck, R. H. (2007). Examining the relationship between teacher quality as an organizational property of schools and students’ achievement and growth rates. Educational Administration Quarterly, 43, 399-432. Horst, M. D., & Martin, B. N. (2007). A case study: Leadership and its effect on achievement of children from poverty in a rural setting. The Rural Educator, 28, 33-40. Ingersoll, R. M. (2001). A different approach to solving the teacher shortage problem. Teaching Quality (Policy Brief No. 3), Retrieved August 10, 2008, from http://depts. washington.edu/ctpmail/PDFs/Brief_three.pdf Marzano, R. J. (2003). What works in schools: Translating research into action. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Leadership Matters in High-Poverty Schools 9 National Center for Children in Poverty (2008). South Carolina Demographics of Low-Income children. Retrieved August 15, 2008, from http://www.nccp.org/ profiles/SC_profile_6.html Schmoker, M. (2006). Results now: How we can achieve unprecedented improvements in teaching and learning. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. South Carolina Education Oversight Committee (2007). 2007 School & District Report Card Brief and Discussion Points. Retrieved August 8, 2008, from http://eoc.sc.gov/ reportsandpublications/publications.htm Southern Regional Education Board (2007). Schools need good leaders now: State progress in creating a learning-centered school leadership system. Retrieved

ABOUT THE AUTHORS:

Dr. Marla S. Sanders 4822 East Palmetto Street Post Oﬃce Box 100547 Florence, South Carolina 29501 843-661-1523 msanders@fmarion.edu Dr. Sanders is an Assistant Professor of Education at Francis Marion University. She previously taught middle school for four years in Sumter School District Two. Dr. Sharon Moore Askins 4822 East Palmetto Street Post Oﬃce Box 100547 Florence, South Carolina 29501 (843) 661-1490 saskins@fmarion.edu Dr. Askins worked as a teacher, school administrator, and assistant superintendent in Florence School District Three. She is currently an Assistant Professor at Francis Marion University. Dr. Daljit Kaur P.O. Box 100547 Florence, SC 29501 843-661-1478 dkaur@fmarion.edu Dr. Kaur is an Assistant Professor of Education at Francis Marion University. She teaches courses in technology and qualitative research.

FALL 2008 • PALMETTO ADMINISTRATOR

It’s only money. So why is it such a problem? We all know what money is. Using it wisely, well, that’s another matter. That’s why the South Carolina Council on Economic Education is offering Jump On It! a new financial literacy initiative for students, teachers and parents. Designed to instill students in grades K-12 with the financial knowledge they need to use money wisely, Jump On It! includes: • Free teacher training* • Free Financial Fitness for Life curriculum* • Free parent workshops Money can’t buy happiness, but it does buy everything else students need to be happy, healthy, successful adults. To learn more about Jump On It! or if you’re interested in arranging a program for teachers or parents, contact the South Carolina Council on Economic Education at 803.777.8676.

www.sceconomics.org

Free to schools with 50 percent or more of students on free/reduced lunch program; very modest fees for other schools.

Show Me the Money! Making the New Financial Literacy Standards Work for Your Schools By Michele Reap

foreign. Students want to know how their stocks did.

Mark Granito, a teacher at Conway Middle School, and his class played the Stock Market Game for the ﬁrst time last year. His class walked away with trophies at the SCCEE annual awards banquet, and Mark took home a laptop computer as the winner of the ﬁrst Stock Market Game Teacher Competition.

n 2006 the state legislature passed the “Financial Literacy Trust Act” making financial literacy a K-12 requirement. The teachers and students in your districts can get a head start on meeting their financial literacy requirements by taking advantage of the many programs made available by the SC Council on Economic Education (SCCEE). The goal of this non-profit businesseducation partnership is to ensure all South Carolina students leave high school with a sound foundation in economic principles, an understanding of our economy and how it works, and a strong appreciation for the American free enterprise system. SCCEE has developed programs to teach many of the elements included in the standards like “Saving and Investing” and “Financial Responsibility.”

Commenting on using the game in his classroom, Mark said, “The best part of the game was watching the kids ﬁgure things out on their own. I was barely called on to help them. My students learned the ups and downs of the stock market. They made money in the fall semester and lost money in the spring semester. Through this experience they learned patience with their stocks and how to manage their money.”

Along with meeting state standards, SCCEE’s programs make learning fun as well as interesting and challenging. Typically if you mention economics to most students, they look at you with a bored expression. But show them how it feels to make an online trade or challenge them to compete against their peers for a trophy or ﬁnancial reward, and the lesson takes on a whole new meaning. This is critical to students succeeding because as SCCEE President Helen Meyers says, “The most important economic decision a student will ever make is whether to drop out or stay in school.” Crafting a Winning Portfolio The SC Council on Economic Education’s signature student program is the Merrill Lynch South Carolina Stock Market Game. When students play the Stock Market Game, they aren’t just reading about what happens on the ﬂoor of the New York Stock Exchange, they’re buying and selling stocks themselves. Using interactive lessons, students learn to understand the world of money management, saving and investing. When trading begins, students have 10 weeks to invest a hypothetical $100,000 in common stocks. The teams research companies, select stocks, calculate transaction costs, and make on-going decisions about their portfolios. Suddenly watching the numbers that appear on the TV screen when a newscaster is explaining how the market did that day is no longer

PALMETTO ADMINISTRATOR • FALL 2008

“They learned how to manage their money.” What an invaluable lesson in today’s volatile economy for students to take from the classroom. Students are honing their analytical skills, too. They’re learning to carefully weigh their choices, consider the consequences of what they do. These thinking skills transfer to other areas of study and life. All students in grades 4-12, including special education, are eligible to compete in the Stock Market Game. The teams with the top three portfolios in each grade category win trophies for each participant and are recognized for their achievement at the SCCEE annual awards luncheon. At the luncheon, the students’ peers,

teachers, parents, principals and superintendents salute their accomplishments. This positive recognition makes students want to succeed. In addition, an article in the American Economics Review Journal examining the results of the first NAEP test in economics reported that “the only activity that shows a positive and significant relationship with test scores was participation in a stock market game or simulation, either as part of a class or as an extracurricular activity.” The Stock Market Games do affect learning.

• Encourages students to open savings accounts and begin thinking about investing. • Nurtures the future generation of elected oﬃcials. The Mayor’s Blue Chip Investors Program was so successful last spring that more than 20 mayors have signed up to participate during the 2008-2009 school year. The bond forged between the schools and their civic leaders strengthens the community’s commitment to its students. Professional Development Just a Mouse Click Away

Mayors and Educators Reaching Out to Students

Along with developing programs for students, SCCEE wants An offshoot of the Stock Market Game is the Mayor’s Blue to help teachers also understand the best ways to present Chip Investors Program. This program not only teaches economic literacy programs in their classrooms. SCCEE will customize its workshops students about the stock market to address the needs of the but also gives them a lesson in “When students play the Stock teachers in your district. These citizenship. Last year, SCCEE formed a partnership with Market Game, they aren’t just workshops and other SCCEE resources demonstrate to the SC Conference of Black reading about what happens on teachers how to make economic Mayors. Seven mayors from the floor of the New York Stock and personal financial decisiontowns and cities up and down Exchange, they’re buying and making skills come alive in the I-95 corridor participated the classroom. The workshops in the program. Underwritten selling stocks themselves.” give teachers a foundation in with a grant from the state important economic concepts Budget and Control Board, the and financial literacy. Teachers Mayor’s Blue Chip Investors Program rewarded local winners with a dinner with their learn economic terms and gain an understanding of how mayor. The team members and their teachers also received a they fit in the context of state standards. And, there are programs for all teachers, whether they teach first grade or $50 cash prize each. high school economics. One of the participating mayors was Kevin Johnson from Manning. Johnson is also the president of the SC For example, SCCEE’s Fe-Fi-Fo-Fum: Making Economics Conference of Black Mayors. Explaining why he wanted to Fun for the Diverse Learner shows economics teachers take part in the Stock Market Game, Johnson said, “Money how to teach economics to ALL students and boost their management is really important, and this will help students confidence in the subject matter. Teachers in grades K-5 who with something they’ll need for the rest of their lives. A little want to show that economics is found in other subject areas thing like dinner with the mayor can change a child’s life. can use Huffing and Puffing Through Economics: Using It’s a privilege to be able to motivate students to learn about Children’s Literature to Teach Economics. This program the American free enterprise system by participating in a gives teachers a better understanding of economic concepts as well as the skills to identify the concepts in literature successful program like the Stock Market Game.” and the knowledge of how economics can be used to make Along with learning about the stock market, the Mayor’s history and other subjects come alive in the classroom. Blue Chip Investors Program— Jump On It! • Gives students and teachers the knowledge to make wise, informed decisions about money management, And, SCCEE’s latest statewide economic literacy initiative, Jump On It! (see the ad in this issue), targets schools with at saving and investing. least 50 percent of students on the free and reduced lunch Continued Page 29

FALL 2008 • PALMETTO ADMINISTRATOR

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Building a Bridge from the Content to the Student: Strategies for Engagement By Jeﬀ Knight Content Development Expert for Ignite! Learning

ne recent night, I heard a thump and then loud crying. I got there fast, and found that my twoyear-old son had succeeded in climbing out of his crib and learned a hard lesson from Gravity University about what happens next. Fortunately, in this case, the tuition was low, just a bloody lip and a few tears. How did he learn to do that? Nobody taught him. He’s just a self-motivated student of climbing, and it is 100 percent non-controversial to say that the best learning happens when learners are intrinsically motivated and engaged. There’s no reason for a teacher to make the lesson relevant; it’s inherently relevant. You couldn’t stop the kid from learning. The famous mythologist Joseph Campbell said “Follow your bliss,” and we’ve all had those blissful learning experiences. Maybe you wanted to be the next Jacques Cousteau, or you were irresistibly drawn to dinosaurs or horses. Maybe you were one of those kids who broke open your etch-asketch to see what’s inside. I can tell you, it’s mostly a ﬁne powder, plus a bunch of tiny plastic beads. In an ideal world, all learning would be driven by intrinsic interest like that. But we don’t live in an ideal world. Students don’t want to learn – they have to In the world we live, the students are required by law to be there. While they’re there, the state government has said that they have to learn particular things. There is a pretty long and detailed list of what those things are, and it’s not driven by where their bliss might have led them. That same state government has certiﬁed you, and the local district has employed you, to carry out that mission. By year’s end they are supposed to know—and you have made it your business to see to it that they know—that the French controlled the Great Lakes area prior to the

PALMETTO ADMINISTRATOR • FALL 2008

French & Indian War (and why that is), or that fossils are found specifically in sedimentary rocks (and why that is), or that the fraction 1/5 expresses the same value as 20% (and why that is). An exercise of discipline The situation isn’t like the bliss of someone intrinsically born to climb. It’s more like a beleaguered dad having to solve the problem of converting a crib to a toddler bed. To get what I want—for my son to be safe—I have to set aside my guitar and my mystery novel and my cold glass of beer, and follow confusing instructions written by some sadist at the crib company. I’m not irresistibly drawn by my love of learning to do this. It requires delay of gratification, an exercise of discipline, things which are not the strongest traits of middle-school learners. Directing disengaged students to the fire of intrinsic learning With younger children, natural curiosity is closer to the surface. Compared to middle-school students, they’re more open to learning and less resistant to authority. With high school students, many are starting to get a grip on what it means to delay gratification in the service of achieving a larger goal. This, then, is the challenge of engagement, motivation, and relevance for middle school education: students need to be gaining increasingly complex knowledge and skills to which they are not intrinsically drawn, at an age when they have not yet developed the habits of goal-directed discipline. Let’s imagine a continuum of engagement. To the right, there is the fire of intrinsic learning. To the left, there is the boredom of disengaged students who view the material as irrelevant. The challenge every day is how to nudge the classroom reality rightward. Daunting as that task seems, somehow teachers do it! Engaging to achieve When students are checked out, we know how that

classroom looks and sounds. Many heads are down, oﬀtask conversations abound, and the innovators in the class are developing new and improved disruptive behaviors. It is a testament to teachers’ creativity and dedication when we see the ﬂip side of that picture, the lesson that has brought minds fully awake. When hands are raised, when students are asking great questions, when heads are nodding in a good way, that teacher has somehow made extrinsic learning feel like intrinsic learning. A bridge has been built from the content to the kid, and the way that happens is always by making connections. Whether the connection is to everyday life, the student’s particular interests, something in the news, or something the student learned in another class, these connections help make the material relevant. And engagement and motivation are not “soft” values! In a recent Education Week article, a University of Connecticut professor of education, Joseph S. Renzulli, states that the research is very clear: “High engagement leads to higher achievement.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Jeff Knight 4030 West Braker Lane, Suite 175 Austin, TX 78759 512.697.7008 jknight@ignitelearning.com Jeff holds a B.A. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and an M.A. in Communication Studies from California State University at Northridge. Jeff Knight is a content development expert with more than ten years’ experience in scriptwriting, editing, and instructional design. He has been the head writer at Ignite Learning for eight years and has taught a wide range of communication courses at the University of Texas at Austin.

Show Me the Money! continued from Page 25 program. SCCEE will use the Financial Fitness for Life K-12 curriculum developed by the National Council on Economic Education to train teachers, parents and students how to use money wisely. The Financial Fitness for Life FREE teacher training workshops will demonstrate how teachers can coach their students to become skilled consumers, savers and investors. Teachers will review basic economic concepts and learn how to craft the FREE lesson plans and other curriculum to meet the specific needs of their students. All curriculum materials will be available in both English and Spanish. Thanks to SC Council on Economic Education, your teachers have the resources they need to teach the new Financial Literacy mandate right at their fingertips. To find out how the teachers in your district can make the Stock Market Game, Jump On It! and other resources offered by SCCEE part of their classroom curriculum, visit www.sceconomics.org or call 803/777-8676.

References Walstad, William B. and Buckles, Stephen The National Assessment of Educational Progress in Economics: Findings for General Economics. American Economics Review Journal (May 2008) p. 544. ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Michele Reap South Carolina Council on Economic Education 5025 Forest Lake Place Columbia, SC 29206 803.782.7442 mreap@usit.net Michele is the communications coordinator for the South Carolina Council on Economic Education. She handles publicity and promotion for the council, oversees its Web site and edits its publications.

FALL 2008 • PALMETTO ADMINISTRATOR

Creating Change So Students Can Read On Their Grade Level By Carolyn H. Harris School District of Oconee County

hat a dream job! Five years ago when I arrived as the new principal at Fair-Oak Elementary School, nestled in the foothills of Oconee County, I was amazed at the dedication and diligence from the school staff and intense support from families for our 730 pre-k to fifth graders. All of the pieces were in place for this school to impact the community with high achieving graduates. For some reason, the pieces did not quite come together. How could a school, with so many conscientious people, have too many resource students struggling to read? Why was the drop-out rate for our local high school so high? Why were our students in the lowest quartile for PACT results in our district? Our students were so capable, but a piece was missing from the puzzle. As instructional leader of the neighborhood elementary school, my job, to make a significant, positive difference in our community, was clear. Taking a year to assess the school needs, I found that many students were simply not reading on their grade levels. For example, fourth grade teachers were requesting alternate social studies and science texts at an easier reading level because their students could not read the state adopted books. These alternate texts allowed teachers to provide the content material but this was not providing the instruction expected for their grade level. Students reading several levels below their grade level cannot be expected to advance within a subject. Our teachers were spending numerous hours tutoring, motivating, and helping these struggling readers, but as Allington’s research (2001) indicates, remedial reading is not an effective approach. When I read studies from Whitehurst and Lonigan (2001), that struggling readers are likely to drop out of school, I saw the root

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of our schools’ problem in the faces of our struggling fourth and fifth grade readers. Our students and teachers were working tirelessly, but the most effective literacy strategies, a balanced approach to teaching, reading and writing, were not occurring daily in every classroom. Before our community could reap the benefits of literate high school graduates, our elementary school had to change. The Complex Change Chart, by Jacqueline S. Thousand & Richard A. Villa, of vision, skills, incentives, resources, and action plan was seen as essential for our success. As the chart indicates, if one piece of the puzzle is not in place, frustration, anxiety and confusion will take control and the change will fail. Our vision, all third graders reading on grade level, was clear. To connect with parents and the community, I wrote numerous letters to parents and spoke to local groups frequently about the urgency of teaching young children to read on grade level by the end of third grade. To enhance our public image of a strong reading school, our local church preschool classes visited us for principal story time each month. I selected a book and read it to the preschoolers in our school library to help the children become acclimated with the school. One year, our local schools held “Community of Readers”, a school-community initiative to promote and encourage families to read together. For a month, we sold numerous copies of Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom, Walking Across Egypt by Clyde Edgerton, Ruby Holler by Sharon Creech or How to Eat Fried Worms by Thomas Rockwell in local stores, restaurants and schools. Following a planned schedule, each school held evening book talks to discuss these books, socialize, and promote reading in our community. For skills, all staff development for the last four years has highlighted reading so teachers could become the best reading instructors ever. Using Reading Recovery teachers to model effective strategies and by taking small steps, first grade teachers received the initial intensive training, visited other successful schools, and began differentiating reading instruction to fit the

needs of each student. Small group guided reading is a fundamental element to balanced literacy, but teachers must enhance their reading programs with independent reading, shared reading, interactive readalouds, and shared and interactive writing. Reading Recovery teachers demonstrated guided reading strategies to each ﬁrst grade teacher through a select, small group of the neediest students in their class. Now, after reviewing the ﬁrst grade pre- and post-Observation Survey results, our resource teacher is receiving Reading Recovery Administrative training to boost small group guided reading in kindergarten using the same push-in model.

to be available. Constantly buying leveled text sets with money raised by writing grants and PTO fundraisers has created three literacy conference/book rooms. All available money went for leveled text sets. All three book rooms are organized by Fountas and Pinnell and Reading Recovery levels, with charts correlating student progress by “100 Book Challenge and Lexile levels. Posters, books, and motivational support surround teachers to become the best reading instructors. It is the goal of our literacy team to provide an attractive, organized resource reading room. Our action plan has been the following:

Frequent Running Records set the stage for ﬂexible groups and teaching students on their appropriate levels. From ﬁrst grade to kindergarten, second and then third grade teachers, we focused on one grade level per year by reading professional books such as Literacy Work Stations by Debbie Diller and Guided Reading by Fountas and Pinnell.

• taking small steps of teacher training one grade at a time

Hiring a part-time literacy coach and rearranging schedules allowed teachers to receive embedded staﬀ development and discuss the professional books. By learning to analyze their Running Records and then using that data to instruct the next day, teachers produced ideal conditions for students to become competent readers. Daily support and modeling best reading instructional practices were imperative for change.

• analyzing test data and using that incentive to keep trying.

The most gratifying incentive teachers can receive is to see their students learn and make progress. Closely monitoring Measuring Academic Progress fall and spring reports gives teachers a clear indicator of progress. As we monitored the percentage of students who met their target scores, compared our scores to district scores and to yearly mean RIT reading scores, it was rewarding to see the percentages slowly creep upwards.

What do I expect our elementary school will accomplish next? Reading is launching our children into new worlds of discovery. Our literacy journey will be worth it all when all children read for enjoyment and for knowledge. What a most thrilling journey!

A district initiative, “100 Book Challenge” brought sets of classroom libraries into our school meshing seamlessly with the program. Books, designed for students to read independently on their levels, flooded classrooms. It was perfect for teachers to measure the time students read and celebrate their progressive steps in reading. At family celebrations held in the school, the number of students independently reading 100 steps (or 25 hours) has now grown so that most students strive for 400 to 500 steps (100 -125 hours) of independent reading in one year. Not only are our teachers seeing the benefits of their work, but families are applauding when their children receive ribbons, award medals and certificates for reading. It has not been a fast, quick fix. However difficult and complex it is to teach students to read, our teachers have found the successes to be rewarding. Once the staff development began to take root and teachers were able to diagnose students’ levels and reading difficulties, the resources had

• purchasing leveled texts one grade level each year • purchasing professional books and tools for guided reading • creating literacy stations

Constantly, we keep our eye on our dream of all students reading at their grade level. Since our school dynamics changed from pre-K to ﬁfth grade to pre-K to third grade during the 2007-08 year, we have been able to concentrate our focus on all aspects of reading. We are now celebrating the results from our eﬀorts as record numbers of third grade students are reading on grade level before they leave us.

References Thousand, Jacqueline S. & Villa, Richard A. “Managing Complex Change Toward Inclusive Schooling,” in Creating an Inclusive School, ASCD 1995. CompassLearning, 2001

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Carolyn H. Harris 1964 Oakway Road Westminster, SC 29693 864.886.4505 ext. 1399 charris@oconee.k12.sc.us Carolyn holds a B.A. in early childhood education from Clemson University, a master’s degree in elementary education from Millersville University and Furman University. Carolyn Harris is principal at Fair Oak Elementary School in Oconee County, has been an administrator for 11 years and taught ﬁrst grade and kindergarten.

FALL 2008 • PALMETTO ADMINISTRATOR

Rewarding Results: Students Do Not Work For Free Anymore Andy Hooker Assistant Principal, Gettys Middle School

re students responsible for their learning? Do students value their education? We have seen a sharp increase in incentive-based programs throughout education. From teachers to school-based administrators to central services staﬀ, we have noticed that if you achieve, you will earn the prize. Master’s degrees, plus 30, doctorates, National Board certiﬁcations, grants, all done for the monetary prize. Do we expect any more or less from our students? We began to look at student achievement and realized that a few simple things were happening: (1) Teachers were working a lot harder than students and (2) Students were not seeing quick rewards or payment for the work that they were doing. This idea did not go over well with educators that feel students need to take responsibility for their own education. Educators are earning advanced degrees for more money and National Board for more money, but what are students earning that is tangible? Yes, you can state that they are receiving an education, but does the student know and understand what that means? Most students cannot see past Friday, much less understand the wonderful education that they are receiving. Some people are not sure why students cannot understand how important education is and why they should work hard to achieve greatness. The answer is that most students cannot comprehend the value of education because their brain has not developed enough to understand. The prefrontal cortex is the area of the brain that controls planning, working memory, organization, and mood modulation. This part of the brain does not mature until age 18. We must prune the brain in order for it to establish a sense of achievement. Do well and get rewarded. We decided that students should be treated like the rest

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of the world. Work hard to achieve the goal, and you will earn the prize. We decided to pilot a few incentive programs. We wanted every student to have a high opportunity to be successful, so we began three programs. The first program was based on MAP goals. The second program was based on PACT results. The third program was based on character education. The character education program was the kick-off program that really got students excited. We chose one student per teacher each month that met that month’s trait. The trait, such as honesty, was posted in each room and students strived to be the one chosen for the prize. Golden Corral, one of our many business partners, helped with a field trip once a month to Golden Corral for lunch to celebrate the student’s character. Going out to lunch was a special event for students and also gave teachers, guidance counselors, and administrators a chance to enjoy time with great students. The second program was funded by PTCO. This program allowed teachers to give prizes based on student achievement as measured by MAP. The students that improved one point got small prizes and the students who met their goal earned larger prizes such as pizza parties, goodies, walks to local restaurants for lunch, etc. This was our biggest target group. Most students qualified for some sort of prize for MAP growth. Science and social studies teachers got involved by using test grades, projects, and nine weeks grades as incentives in their classroom. The third incentive program was for PACT results. All students involved in the pilot program (7th graders) that scored Proficient or Advanced in all areas tested as 6th graders were taken on an all-expense-paid trip to the Atlanta aquarium for the day. They also visited the CNN building and walked around downtown. The timing of the trip was crucial. We decided that the best way to get students excited about PACT was to have the trip as close to PACT testing as

possible. We took students on the trip ten days prior to testing. This involved around twenty-ﬁve percent of our students. We are expanding this part of the program to include any student who moves up a level and maintains in all other areas tested. This will allow all students to have an attainable goal. Has all this work paid oﬀ? Our teachers who bought into the program said that they had never seen their students work so hard. They began to truly take their time on MAP tests and state testing. They were reading every question and striving for the prize. Students commented, “I am going to win this time.” A parent stated at awards night,

“We decided that students should be treated like the rest of the world. Work hard to achieve the goal, and you will earn the prize.” “My child was actually excited about taking the PACT test.” Students showed improvement as measured by MAP in all grade levels and in all subject areas. Our school also showed growth from “Below Average” to “Average” as measured by the South Carolina Department of Education. Teachers are excited and said they want to do it again and again. These incentive programs were fun and rewarding for students, teachers, guidance counselors, and administrators.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Andy Hooker 105 Stewart Dr. Easley, SC 29640 864.855.8170 andrewhooker@pickens.k12.sc.us Andy is in his third year as an assistant principal at Gettys Middle School and taught middle-level science and social studies for four years before becoming an administrator.

FALL 2008 • PALMETTO ADMINISTRATOR

The Flip-Side What is it like to be a Principal of an Unsatisfactory School?

By Jeﬀrey “Preston” Threatt

not, let me tell you, it hurts!

Principal at Manning Junior High School, Clarendon School District 2

There are so many emotions that stem from being a principal of an “unsatisfactory” school. A few that come to mind are: disappointment, anger, frustration, resentment, rejection, and embarrassment just to name a few.

n December of 2001, South Carolina published their first school report card. Every public school and district received a grade. The scale ranged from “excellent” (highest rating), “above average,” “average,” “below average,” and “unsatisfactory” (the lowest). In the old days, that would translate to “A, B, C, D, and F” schools. Most Americans who attended public schools know and understand grades from “A” to “F.” Well, regardless of how you look at it, an “unsatisfactory” school is an “F.” Also, we in America that are not in the academic arena often rate the quality of service by numbers. On a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the highest (advanced) possible score and 1 being the lowest (unsatisfactory) one still equates to the rating of an “F.” However you dress it up, 1 to 5, “unsatisfactory” to “excellent,” it is “F” to “A”. Do you remember as a kid making an “F” on a test or even worse, an “F” on your report card and having to go home that afternoon and face your parents? OK, maybe you are one of the gifted and talented (advanced) kids. Do you remember how it felt in physical education when it was your turn at bat, and it was two outs, the last inning before class ended, and your team was behind by one, three runners on base, and all your team needed was just one decent hit, and you struck out…in slow-pitch softball? All right, so you are gifted and talented and endowed with great athletic ability. Have you ever received a gift that was very special to you, and someone stole it or broke it? Take that feeling you had as a child and multiply it times your ADM (Average Daily Membership), add your entire staff experiencing the same feelings, throw in at least one parent or guardian for every child, at least half of your district office, all of your board members, and one community person for every child you serve, all looking at you wear that “F” to work everyday, every night, all weekend, and all holidays. No matter how tough your exterior appearance may be, if you have any degree of pride as an educator, parent, community person, or student, it hurts. As an educator, it hurts to be a principal of an “unsatisfactory” school. Regardless of whether the rating is intended to humiliate or

PALMETTO ADMINISTRATOR • FALL 2008

In the early days and weeks after the release of the school rating, there is a deep sense of responsibility and loneliness. Every time you look at the school report card or school data, you see your school name and your name. As hard as you may try not to, you sometimes see your entire student body making all “F’s.” You quickly bring yourself back to reality. It was not the entire school; you remind yourself, you also have some great kids that can compete academically with the best from around the world. Most principals of “unsatisfactory” schools have spent some time in solitude, doing self-evaluation, as well as program evaluation. They are probably already putting in extra hours, but now they get even longer. The principal of the “unsatisfactory” school will review the data again, and again, and again, and again. In most cases, the principal will review the data of similar schools. He or she will compare themselves to surrounding schools, to “excellent” schools, to “average” schools, “below average” schools, and “above average” schools. This continues until he or she has compared their school against the entire state. Think of the effort expended in the process. If not daily, then every other day, he is engaged in a lengthy discussion on your report card with someone. He frequently must defend and support the accomplishments and efforts of the programs at your school that have been successful, but overshadowed by the “unsatisfactory” rating (such as the band, chorus, athletics, art, etc.) For those of you reading this article, who has never received an “unsatisfactory,” we are still in the first week after the release of the school rating. These battles will continue over the weeks and months ahead. In the case of many principals, you may have foreseen the storm. Unless you have served as a principal in Texas or Virginia, or one of the few states that publish a school report card rating from “A” to “F,” and your school was “unsatisfactory,” you cannot empathize with a person experiencing an “unsatisfactory” rating. In your pre-report card action plan, you had probably already

and coaching and reflective dialogue to those that are implemented some response strategies and obtained information doing well. (Praise frequently and aggressively support on best practices from retired educational consultants, books, with discipline problems) It is important to visit your articles, peers, mentors, university professors and researchers, best two or three teachers in the core subjects first. You state Department of Education representatives, conferences, will need to be reminded of what excellent teaching looks workshops, seminars, vendors, and, did I say, retired educational like. From there, make your rounds. Visiting an entire consultants. A principal of a potentially poor performing department on all grade levels at your school gives you school (“unsatisfactory”) would quickly listen to anyone that a good overall picture of that proposed a sound solution core area quickly to provide toward improving academic individual and departmental achievement. If they did not, The “unsatisfactory” principal collaboration. Then push then the principal’s arrogance frequently takes insults from parents, your teams or department and refusal of assistance will troubled students, members of the leaders to follow-up as you be amplified by the critics. move on to other core areas business community, non-public The “unsatisfactory” principal until you can get back with school supporters, teachers, and frequently takes insults from them. Remind teachers that parents, troubled students, some peers. This principal has no what they teach everyday members of the business way around these experiences makes a difference. You need community, non-public only stay 10 to 15 minutes. other than immediate retirement or school supporters, teachers, Frequency is more important death. and some peers. This than duration. The teachers principal has no way around and students will respect these experiences other than your actions more than your immediate retirement or words. If you need motivation to visit those last 10 death. However, there are some steps you can take to begin to teachers, (related arts, CATE) remember those might be move your school rating up. the teachers who do not care about the school report card: it is your name on the cover, it is not their problem, These are not all inclusive, but a few to get you going in the and they may be the ones that only care about how their right direction: program looks. 1. Assess your instructional leadership ability. This is 3. Best Practices. I would prefer going outside at night and about student achievement and academic performance. counting the stars in the sky than scanning through the There are nine standards in which principals are thousands of “best practices” books. If it is required of formally evaluated as identified by the South Carolina you to do multiple books over the coming months, Department of Education. You may be exemplary at you will need to break your staff up into groups and eight of the nine standards. If the one you are weak, let the groups read a book together and report out to lack experience, or need improvement in is instruction, the remainder of your staff. Whether it is a book or recognize it is about student achievement and none of school visitation, look at which of the practices you that other stuff directly determines your rating. If you can implement now that will have an impact over do not have a top-notch, well-respected curriculum and the next semester. If there is one major initiative or instruction assistant principal, you had better quickly model you want to implement, please consider using delegate some of the duties you have been performing a mentor or consultant to work with you and your and become one yourself. staff over several months. Do not attempt to take it on 2. Observe your teachers. If you are like most “unsatisfactory” alone or trial and error. principals, you have been so busy putting out fires, 4. Analyze the student data. (Test scores and grades.) Stop attending meetings, and writing plans, you have been doing discipline, attendance, counseling, maintenance, unable to observe your teachers and provide feedback. etc. Look at exit exams (HSAP), PACT, SAT, ACT, Give correction and direction to those that need help Continued Next Page

FALL 2008 • PALMETTO ADMINISTRATOR

The Flip-Side continued from Page 35

There are really no unsatisfactory principals. It is a school rating. It is about student achievement, not about the principal. MAP, AR test numbers, and STAR reading levels. If your students cannot read or they are not doing any reading, you have identified your first task. Literacy! Focus on daily reading and writing in all classes. This will be difficult because of the pressure to enter into staff development with teachers, to revisit curriculum, to align assessments, to examine instructional levels, and other important stuff. 5. Review grade distribution by teacher, grade, and departments and athletic teams during the season and every nine weeks afterward to monitor trends and keep one more adult (your coaches) monitoring student progress and pushing kids to perform all year. The coaches can get an above average athletic effort, but many of the athletes will only do enough to remain eligible and meet promotion requirements, often failing to meet the Clearinghouse requirements in the areas of required classes, GPA, and SAT or ACT scores. It is important for the principal to meet with coaches, and club and organization advisors to set higher academic standards, provide academic assistance, and communicate expectations to students and parents. After those discussions, take your losses and move forward. The group that you will hurt the greatest or help the greatest will be the minority male in most cases in this state. This happens to be the lowest performing group in all standardized tests year after year. Raising the expectations will either help them or bring to the light that they are not committed to academics. 4. Create your database to make correlations between poor student performance on standardized tests and poor student performance in class. You will need to make your point of the trend in every conference with parents. Personalize it with every child and parent. Here are the class grades, benchmark tests, and standardized tests from previous years, the discipline record, attendance, and the academic results. Do not accept excuses or statements to deflect from the academic facts.

PALMETTO ADMINISTRATOR • FALL 2008

5. Your support staff, (custodians, maintenance, nurse, SRO, cafeteria, and office assistants) are essential to the success of your school. It is important that they know you have confidence in their ability or no one else may tell them. Trust them to do their jobs. Ask for district support to dismiss them if they are not competent at their duties. You may have to call upon your best teachers to pull double duties: after-school programs, tutoring during planning, and team-teaching during planning. It may be the only way to help the marginal teacher get great results. One of the facts you may have to face is that it may be best for the organization for the leadership to change. If that is the case, do not hold the school or district down. Realize if your talents are no longer valuable, productive, or capable of handling the urgency of the academic challenges, leave as gracefully as possible. There are really no unsatisfactory principals. It is a school rating. It is about student achievement, not about the principal. Today’s principal serves as an instructional leader under constantly increasing higher standards. This article was written by a practitioner, one voice interpreting the many messages for practitioners that are working to make an impact now. Best wishes—no, best practices—yes!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Jeﬀrey “Preston” Threatt 1101 W.L. Hamilton Road Manning, SC 29108 803.460.5864 pthreatt@clarendon2.k12.sc.us Preston holds a B.A. from Newberry College and a M.A. plus 30 hours in elementary and secondary education from the University of South Carolina. Currently, Preston Threatt is principal at Manning Junior High School in Clarendon School District 2. Manning Junior High received Palmetto Silver awards for school improvement in 2005-2006 and 2006-2007. Threatt was a principal at Calhoun County High School in 2001, when he received an “unsatisfactory” rating. The next year, the school received “excellent” in improvement and “good” in absolute.

Graniteville: Providing a Quality Education Then and Now By Jacquelyn S. Barnwell Principal of Leavelle McCampbell Middle School, Aiken County Public School District

estled away in a small South Carolina textile community, the Graniteville Academy was established by William Gregg in 1848. He believed that every child should be educated regardless of ﬁnancial status, and thus the ﬁrst step in compulsory education began. He provided transportation for students and paid all expenses, including teachers’ salaries. He even paid the families wages equivalent to what one child would have earned in the textile industry.

horticulture, engineering and CADD. The plan is to integrate career education with each module and demonstrate to students the numerous career options that are available to them. Our expectations are that students will be able to connect their academics with their skills, talents, and desires and come to envision their future. These are just a few strategies that we have incorporated into our curriculum to provide students with a stimulating education.

Today, the Graniteville Academy is known as Leavelle McCampbell Middle School, and although we are rich in history and tradition, we have integrated academics and technology to provide our students with a quality education. We establish this by working with students individually as well as in group settings. Reading Improvements Not all children read on the same level, and others are apprehensive due to poor decoding skills and limited vocabulary. Mr. Al Lamback, our former principal, implemented the Read 180 program in our school last year to teach our students how to read—with conﬁdence, enthusiasm, and most of all, with greater comprehension. Our classes are limited to 15 students each. They work individually with the teacher and also use headphones for listening to audio while following along in the textbook. We have found that many students who have diﬃculty reading are reluctant to read aloud in class. However, the success of the program has encouraged many students to overcome their shyness and embarrassment. All students have improved in their reading and comprehension. We are looking forward to continued success with students that participated in the program last year. Technological Learning Our focus on technology has expanded. This fall, LMMS will begin the school year with a synergistic lab. The lab is designed to engage students in the learning process by applying visuals and hands-on methods to classroom instruction. There are 17 modules ranging from broadcasting, robotics, aqua-culture,

This gives them encouragement to succeed and a belief that they can learn regardless of their home life and ﬁnancial status. Our belief that every child can learn is in concert with that of William Gregg. We provide a safe and supportive environment to ﬁrmly challenge their learning. Our students are citizens of the future, and it is necessary for them to develop the skills and character to succeed locally and globally. ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Jacquelyn S. Barnwell 82 Canal Street Graniteville, SC 29829 803.663.4300 jbarnwell@aiken.k12.sc.us Jacquelyn became principal of Leavelle McCampbell Middle School in February after the former principal resigned. For eight years, she taught elementary and special education in San Antonio, Texas. She also worked as a sales representative and sales consultant for Macmillan/ McGraw-Hill and Houghton Miﬄin publishing for 15 years.

FALL 2008 • PALMETTO ADMINISTRATOR

Charter Schools: An Alternative to Traditional Public Schools

By Fred Crawford Principal at Greenville Tech Charter High School Greenville County School District

n today’s world, education is the key to one’s future. The outlook could be bleak according to the researchers of Educational Testing Services (ETS). A report from ETS’s Policy Information Center states that, unless we act now, the “convergence of three powerful socioeconomic forces are changing our nation’s future: substantial disparities in skill levels (reading and math); seismic economic changes (widening wage gaps); and sweeping demographic shifts (less education, lower skills).” Fortunately, South Carolina students today do have some control over their futures. Students can take action on two of these three forces by choosing a school that meets their learning needs, increases their skill level, and offers academic guidance. Deciding which school to attend may also affect career choices and narrow the wage gap. The South Carolina public education system offers two types of public school choices: traditional and charter. How they compare

required to comply with district and state regulations. For example, the state mandates the standardization for core curriculum and prescribes textbooks for these schools. How charter schools are different Charter Schools have a different organizational model. They are independent public schools operating outside the local bureaucracy of a school district. The charter school is a public school of choice operated by an independent board of directors that is focused on one school. Public charter schools operate with freedom from many of the state regulations that apply to traditional public schools. The ‘charter’ establishing each such school is a performance contract with the sponsoring school district detailing the school’s mission, program, goals, students served, methods of academic assessment and ways to measure success. In exchange for freedom from local and state regulations, charter operators must promise to fulfill a set of academic and operational goals laid out in their charter. A charter school’s intentions are based on three principles – autonomy, choice, and accountability.

Traditional and charter public schools are funded by Like traditional schools, public charter schools are required local, state, and federal monies, except that public charter to meet Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) as defined by The schools do not receive funding for facilities, transportation No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and often food services. Neither Act of 2001, the main federal traditional nor charter public law affecting public education. “A charter school’s intentions schools can charge tuition or In addition to meeting AYP, may “pick and choose” their are based on three principles charter schools are evaluated students. Traditional public by their sponsoring district on – autonomy, choice, and schools are controlled by a how well they meet the goals accountability.” central local governmental established in their charter and authority such as a district how well they manage the fiscal school board. Most traditional and operational responsibilities public schools operate within a defined attendance area, entrusted to them. If they fail to deliver, they are closed. and may require an application if students enroll outside NCLB supports the growth of more independent public the defined perimeter. charter schools. They can focus on a specialized curriculum, serve a special student population, and use progressive or Some traditional school systems also offer opportunities traditional approaches. in magnet and alternative schools that exist outside zoned school boundaries. They usually have a special program to offer which makes them an option for some students. Magnet schools are not autonomous, remain part of the bureaucracy of the traditional school system and usually are highly selective of students. All traditional schools are

The history and success of charter schools The ﬁrst charter school in the United States was founded in 1992 and was renewed upon demonstrating success. The Center for Education Reform cites over 60 studies showing Continued Page 40

PALMETTO ADMINISTRATOR • FALL 2008

Same Story, New Communication Tools Benefits have grown in importance from being simply an employee perk to playing a leading role in attracting and retaining quality workers. But how well the benefits are communicated can make a big difference in how employees perceive their employer and how they may perform.

By Mike Linebaugh Public Sector Assistant Manager Colonial Supplemental Insurance

ould you like new ways to help communicate statesponsored benefits to your employees? For the last five years, Colonial Life has been the contracted vendor of choice by the state of South Carolina to assist you in communicating about and enrolling in your state-sponsored benefits. We are proud to have the opportunity to continue this role for the 2008 enrollment, and we want to ensure you’re aware of some communication tools we have added to improve your employees’ enrollment experience even more. From our benefit communications expertise, we know that each of us learn in different ways. To add to the print materials, the Insurance Advantage booklet, and even our one-to-one meetings with employees, we developed a “BenCommunicator” for the state of South Carolina benefits program. It is an interactive video that provides detailed overviews of each of the state-sponsored benefit plans.

The main menu page of the BenCommunicator provides sections of the available beneﬁts, so you can choose what you want to view, when you want to view it.

If you want more details on a beneﬁt, the BenCommunicator provides a document center that houses summary plan descriptions and overviews of the available plans. Just click on the link for that particular beneﬁt to view its details.

The BenCommunicator’s document center houses summary plan documents and any support materials needed to provide speciﬁcs about each plan. The state of South Carolina BenCommunicator was developed to help explain the state’s beneﬁts program in a convenient, interactive format.

Since you access the BenCommunicator through a Web link, you can view the program at your convenience. You can listen to a narrator explain each beneﬁt as many times as needed until you feel comfortable that you understand it and can make the appropriate choice to elect it or not. You can start and stop the program as you need to repeat information or skip over it. The program is as visual as it is narrative, so you are hearing and seeing the information simultaneously.

The BenCommunicator is already proving successful in helping communicate benefits to employees in remote locations and for new hires. There is Nothing Like Face-to-Face While we know it will never replace the value of a face-to-face, one-to-one benefits education session with each employee, the BenCommunicator is another way to help educate your employees about their benefit choices. You need as many options and support as we can provide in helping communicate your benefits, and we are proud to have the Continued Next Page

FALL 2008 • PALMETTO ADMINISTRATOR

Same Story continued from Page 39 opportunity to provide another tool to help support you. Remember that you can continue to count on Colonial Life to provide the same levels of service to you and your employees as we have in the past, including: • Innovative, effective one-to-one benefits education for your statesponsored and voluntary benefits, provided by a team of trained benefit representatives. We will spend time with each employee, and provide personal, straightforward communication about their benefit options. • Detailed, accurate benefit communications for your program. Each year, representatives from the state Budget & Control Board’s Employee Insurance Program provide our benefit representatives with full training on the state benefit package, its necessary forms and any nuances to the state enrollment process. • Individual enrollment support. During the individual meetings, we help your employees in electing their benefits through “My Benefits,” EBS -- or even our favorite old standby, the paper NOE form and a black pen -- depending on which works best for that location and for each employee. • Group employee meetings. We hold group meetings as needed to explain your benefits program at a high level and highlight any changes in the program from the previous year. • Ongoing enrollment and education support for new employees. • Flexibility to enroll employees who work at different locations or in different shifts. • The same capabilities and services for all sizes of entities. We provide the same communication and enrollment services for entities of all

sizes, from a few employees to hundreds, and because we are trained to represent your benefits, present them consistently to all. • The convenience of electronic enrollment. You can load your employees’ elections for both their state-supported and voluntary benefits electronically through our system. Make Your Benefits Count We strive to provide you with new benefit communication and enrollment tools, but our story always remains the same: Our long-standing tradition and experience in benefits communication, combined with our five years of experience with the state of South Carolina enrollment system, enables us to provide you with much more than just an electronic benefits enrollment process. We can help provide the benefits communication that your employees want and need. Talk with us about how we can help make benefits count, for you and your employees. For more information about Colonial Life’s products and services or opportunities with the company, call Mike Linebaugh at 803.422.9847, e-mail him at michael.linebaugh@coloniallife.com, or visit coloniallife.com. Colonial Life & Accident Insurance Company is a market leader in providing insurance benefits for employees and their families through their workplace, along with individual benefits education, advanced yet simple-to-use enrollment technology and quality personal service. Colonial Life offers disability, life and supplemental accident and health insurance policies in 49 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Similar policies, if approved, are underwritten in New York by a Colonial Life affiliate, The Paul Revere Life Insurance Company. Colonial Life is based in Columbia, S.C., and is a subsidiary of Unum Group.

Charter Schools continued from Page 38 public charter schools accomplishing their goals and reports that 69 percent of independent public charter schools have waiting lists. South Carolina has 31 charter schools currently in operation. South Carolina parents and students do have educational choice. Furthermore, federal law requires that states and local school districts provide information to help parents make informed educational choices for their children. To ensure successful futures for South Carolina students, every student and parent must have public school choice with options that work…“one student at a time.”

PALMETTO ADMINISTRATOR • FALL 2008

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Fred Crawford Greenville Technical Charter High School PO Box 5616, Mail Stop 1201 Greenville, SC 29606 864-250-8845 fcrawford@gtchs.org Crawford brought an extensive knowledge of education to Greenville Technical High School when he became principal in July 2002. Since assuming the leadership of GTCHS, Mr. Crawford has helped the school achieve national prominence. He is engaged in school reform eﬀorts at both the state and national levels, including the Coalition of Essential Schools, Annenberg Principals Institute at Brown University, the Principals’ Center at Harvard University and Middle College National Consortium.

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2009 Photo Contest Wright Elementary School, Belton District: Anderson School District Two Photographer: Jan Bratcher

Honea Path Elementary School, Honea Path District: Anderson School District Two Photographer: Jan Bratcher

Writing kits make me smile

Kindergartners wrapped up in learning

I can’t wait to learn to write!

That extra little push

Dad making a diﬀerence

PALMETTO ADMINISTRATOR • FALL 2008

McDonald Elementary School, Georgetown District: Georgetown County School District Photographer: Ray White

Kensington Elementary School, Georgetown District: Georgetown County School District Photographer: Ray White

Like others in the Georgetown County School District, students at Kensington Elementary enjoyed participating in the spring Walk To School Day.

Susan Knowlin has been the nurse at McDonald Elementary School for 30 years. She loves all of her students, and they certainly love their “Nursie.”

Waccamaw High School, Pawleys Island District: Georgetown County School District Photographer: Ray White

After being a ﬁnalist but failing to win the big award the previous two years, Waccamaw High Principal Keith Brown celebrated with students, staﬀ and parents after Waccamaw won the 2008 Carolina First Palmetto’s Finest award as the state’s best high school.

Georgetown High School, Georgetown District: Georgetown County School District Photographer: Ray White

Waccamaw Elementary, Pawleys Island District: Georgetown County School District Photographer: Ray White

Waccamaw Elementary ﬁrst grade student Katie Spence ﬂashes a big smile after answering a question correctly.

Helped by shots like this by Harrison Richmond in the state ﬁnals, Waccamaw High’s boys tennis team repeated as Class AA state tennis champions.

While four leaping players stretched for the football, only one Georgetown High player got to it in a cross-county Bulldog victory against visiting Andrews High. Immediately after Georgetown High charged to an emotional victory in the Senior Academic Bowl, Principal Dr. Mike Cafaro rushed to the stage for high-ﬁves with his winning students.

FALL 2008 • PALMETTO ADMINISTRATOR

Calling for

Articles! 2

For the Spring 2009 Issue of the Palmetto Administrator For further information, theme and deadlines please visit www.scasa.org scasa o g under u de Palmetto a e o Administrator. d s ao

Spring 2009 Photo Contest Photographs show what is happening in South Carolina schools. Show off your school’s innovative programs and talented students, because as the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words. Submit photos that feature a variety of school and learning environments. Include students of all ages, teachers, administrators and support staff. Please use the following guidelines before making your submissions:

•

Use close-ups rather than panoramic shots or large group photos. Black and white or color photos are accepted. You may submit photos digitally to marjorie@scasa. org.

•

EACH PHOTO SHOULD INCLUDE THE SCHOOL NAME, DISTRICT NAME, LOCATION, A CAPTION DESCRIBING THE PHOTO AND PHOTOGRAPHER’S NAME. PLEASE LABEL PHOTOS BY THE PHOTOGRAPHER’S FIRST AND LAST NAME.

Winning photos will be showcased in the Spring 2009 issue, and will not be returned. 44

PALMETTO ADMINISTRATOR • FALL 2008

PALMETTO ADMINISTRATOR WRITING GUIDELINES___________________________________________________________________________ CONTENT: Each issue of the Palmetto Administrator has a theme and authors should write to the theme using the content guidelines listed in the call for articles. Non-thematic articles also accepted. LENGTH: An article, including all references, charts, figures, and tables, should not exceed 12 double-spaced pages. Each page must be numbered. TYPING: All text, including title, headings, references, quotations, figures and tables, must be typed and double-spaced with one-inch margins all around and size 12 or larger font. FILE NAMES: When sending an article, photo or graphic, please label the attached files with the author or photographer’s first and last name. For photos or graphics to go with articles, use the first and last name of the author followed by photo1, photo2, graphic 1, graphic 2, etc. STYLE: Articles should be helpful to practicing K-12 and adult education administrators. Articles should be written in an informal, conversational style where the treatment of the topics is interesting, insightful, practical, and based on the writer’s experience. Theoretical or research papers are rarely published. However, when reporting research, writers should emphasize explanation and interruption of the results rather than the methodology. References must follow the style in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (1994, 4th edition). Look at references cited in recent journal issues for examples. Articles will be returned if references are not in APA style. COVER PAGE: on a page separate from the article, include the following information: 1. Title of the article. 2. The name of the theme issue for which the article is intended. 3. The date of submission. 4. For each author: a. The author’s name, complete mailing address, and phone number. b. Present professional position. c. In 25 words or less, describe background, areas of specialization, honors, major publications, etc. THE ARTICLE: On the first page of the article, place the title of the article and an abstract of 25 words or less which describes the essence of the article. Do not include your name or any other identifying information. Begin the text on the next page. FIGURES AND TABLES: Each table, chart, and figure should be numbered consecutively, labeled with the author’s first and last name, typed on separate sheets, and attached to the end of the article. They must be referred to, in numerical order, in the text. ILLUSTRATIONS: Photos, drawings, cartoons, and other illustrations are welcome. Authors are responsible for obtaining written permission and copyright release, if necessary; these should be included with submission. Please send as an attachment or file in jpeg format labeled with the author or photographer’s first and last name. Attach captions for all photos labeled with the author or photographer’s first and last name. HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR ARTICLE Please submit articles by mail on CD or flash drive, or e-mail as a Word Document to marjorie@scasa.org. MAILING ADDRESS: Articles, editorial correspondence, and questions about submission should be sent to: Marjorie Riddle, Managing Editor Palmetto Administrator SC Association of School Administrators (SCASA) 121 Westpark Boulevard Columbia, SC 29210 (803) 798-8380 or Fax (803) 731-8429 Marjorie@scasa.org THE EDITORIAL PROCESS_______________________________________________________________________________________________________ Review: All articles received are reviewed by the SCASA Publications Committee approximately two weeks after the published deadline date. Decisions regarding the publication of articles are made by the SCASA Publications Committee. The Committee reserves the right to reject material, solicited or otherwise, if it is considered lacking in quality or timeliness. Notification of the status of the article thematic issue for which the article is intended.

will

take

place

approximately

three

weeks

after

the

published

deadline

date

for

the

EDITING: The Palmetto Administrator reserves the right to make editorial changes in all articles to improve clarity, to conform to style, to correct grammar, and to fit available space. If your article is accepted, you will receive a release from the editors giving permission to edit. In addition to feature articles, the Palmetto Administrator contains the following specialty departments: PEOPLE AND PLACES: This department features news about SCASA members. You are encouraged promotions, retirements, deaths, and distinguished honors. Clear black and white or color photographs welcome.

submit

short

items

about

RESOURCES: This expanded department features two-to-four paragraph summaries in the following categories: ABSTRACTS: summary of new research; MEDIA WATCH: educational programs, professional development opportunities and new videos; BOOK REVIEWS: short reviews (300 words) of new books on school leadership issues. ADVERTISING IN THE PALMETTO ADMINISTRATOR:_________________________________________________________________________________ If you know of a business or individual who would like to reach 2,800 school leaders in South Carolina, tell the editor, Marjorie Riddle, FALL 2008 • PALMETTO ADMINISTRATOR 45 or have them contact us directly. We’ll send them information about advertising in Palmetto Administrator magazine.

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SCASA & Division Presidents

SCASA President Mr. John Tindal Clarendon District Two

Superintendents’ Division Dr. Thomas White Spartanburg District Seven

Secondary Principals’ Division Mr. Louis Lavely Jr. Travelers Rest High School Greenville County Schools

Middle Principals’ Division Mr. Daniel Matthews Lugoﬀ-Elgin Middle School Kershaw County School District

Elementary Principals’ Division Dr. Marian Anne Crum-Mack Brennen Elementary School Richland District One

Allied School Administrators’ Division Dr. Alice Grice Dillon District Two

Career & Technology Division Mr. James Villeponteaux Dorchester County Career & Technology Center

Personnel Administrators’ Division Dr. Joanne Avery Anderson District Four

Instructional Leaders’ Division Dr. Jeﬀrey Wilson Anderson District Five

Adult Education Directors’ Division Mr. Daniel Burns Spartanburg District Seven

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SCOIS is South Carolina’s Comprehensive Computerized Career Information System. Authorized by Federal and State Law, SCOIS provides much needed career development tools that help South Carolina’s young people achieve their education and career goals.

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SCOIS provides onsite career development training for S.C. educators.

and much more!

If we can assist your school, please contact us at 1-800-264-9038 or scois@sces.org.

SOUTH CAROLINA OCCUPATIONAL INFORMATION SYSTEM 631 HAMPTON STREET, COLUMBIA, SC 29201

SCASA BUSINESS AFFILIATES South Carolina ETV (800) 277-3245 AIG VALIC (803) 743-2022 American Book Company (770) 928-2834 ANC Group Inc. (888) 424-4863 Apex Learning (803) 319-4031 Boykin and Davis, LLC (803) 254-0707 Calloway, Johnson, Moore & West (803) 957-4748 Childs & Halligan P.A. (803) 771-4422 CleBo Professional Development Agency (803) 829-1700

Foreign Academic & Cultural Exch. Serv. (803) 782-3223

McGraw-Hill/Contemporary (706) 333-5351

SCOIS (803) 737-2733

MXN Corporation (770) 926-1884

SFL+A Architects (910) 484-4989

Goodwyn, Mills, and Cawood (864) 527-0460

National Teacher Associates of SC, INC. (972) 532-2100

SGA Architecture (843) 853-4506

Grow/McGraw-Hill (404) 391-5106

NORESCO (803) 807-8866

Herﬀ Jones (704) 847-9801

Northwest Evaluation Association (503) 624-1951

Honeywell (803) 315-6517

Nu-Idea School Supply Company, Inc. (803) 773-7389

Horace Mann (864) 542-6215

One Call Now (937) 335-3336

GCA Services Group, Inc (865) 588-0863

Howard Industries (601) 399-5032 I. D. Shop, Inc. (864) 223-9600

Colonial Life (803) 750-9222

Ignite! Learning (803) 749-0744

CompassLearning (678) 429-4695

ITS - Information Technology Services Co. (864) 979-3558

Computer Software Innovations, Inc J. M. Smith Corporation (800) 953-6847

Systems & Solutions, Inc. (706) 825-2797 TE21, Inc. (843) 849-2951 Tests for Higher Standards (804) 725-5541 TiGROUP (803) 933-9337

Triumph Learning Parker, Poe, Adams and Bernstein L.P. (919) 523-0040 (803) 765-1243 UnitedLTC Network, LLC Pearson (843) 361-9000 (843) 260-4698 VC3, Inc. Planned Financial Services, Inc. (803) 733-7333 (864) 232-7153 Voyager Expanded Learning Presentation Systems South (803) 518-9364 (704) 662-3711 Wil Lou Gray R. L. Bryan Company Opportunity School (803) 343-6808 (803) 896-6462

Convergent Technology Partners (843) 540-1053

Johnson Controls, Inc. (803) 414-0424

R.A.I.D. Corps & Carolina Analysis Wireless Generation (864) 583-4747 (212) 796-2259

CPSI, Ltd. (800) 659-8240

Jumper Carter Sease Architects, P.A. (803) 791-1020

Rubber Wholesalers (706) 334-2331

Curriculum Advantage, Inc (864) 630-0774

Keenan Suggs Insurance (803) 799-5533

SC Association of School Nurses (803) 321-2620

Cynergi Systems, LLC (864) 486-0267

Kelly Educational Staﬃng (704) 721-3030

SC Chamber of Commerce (803) 779-6043

Diane’s Etc. (864) 654-4049

Kuder, Inc. (800) 314-8972

SC Council on Economic Education (803) 777-8676

Duﬀ, White & Turner L.L.C. (803) 790-0603

Learning Labs, Inc. (800) 334-4943

SC School Boards Insurance Trust (803) 799-6607

E Squared (229) 228-7003

Lifetouch National School Studios (803) 788-1605

SC State Credit Union (803) 255-8417

East Educational Services, Inc. (803) 781-4416

LightSPEED Technologies (803) 786-6995

Scholastic, Inc. (843) 364-7215

Educational Resources Group, Inc. (843) 539-1213

M. B. Kahn Construction Co. Inc. (803) 736-2950

ScienceSouth (843) 679-5353

FALL 2008 • PALMETTO ADMINISTRATOR

Developing Instructional Technology Programs for Every Student

Using technology programs to reach todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s digital native is more important than ever before. At Pearson, we have proven instructional programs for PreK-Adult learners that include:

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Online professional development through facilitated courses, a supportive learning community and exemplary resources.

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A vast array of useful programs and

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services supporting instruction in our

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stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s classrooms.

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Department of Education,

resource for kids,

ITV develops and

parents, caregivers

secures instructional

and educators age

programming for

2-12 featuring PBS

students and educators,

Kids programming,

providing these resources to schools via ETVâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s digital For 9-Adult contact:

For PreK-8 contact:

Julia McCombs 919-264-7653

Suzie Owen 803-524-3561

Sharon Langdale 843-260-4698

julia.mccombs@pearson.com

suzanne.owen@pearson.com

sharon.langdale@pearson.com

ETVâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s early childhood

online games, and educational activities.

satellite and online delivery. A cooperative mission with the State Department of Education and local school districts across the state.

Technical difficulties?

We can help!

Vol. 23

South Carolina Association of School Administrators

Fall 2008

Network Security

Virus Protection Staff Augmentation

Netware, Microsoft, and Linux Servers

E-mail Archive and Document Retention

Office (888) 424Í˛4863 Web www.ancgroup.com Email information@ancgroup.com

ANCGroup works with many partners to create success for our clients.

SC Foundation for Educational Administration 121 Westpark Boulevard Columbia, South Carolina 29210

FALLing

into Place Student Achievement and School Success