INSIGHT—Fall 2015 by Texas Association of School Administrators

TEXAS ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS PROFESSIONAL JOURNAL

FALL 2015

INSIGHT TOGETHER WE CAN Texas school districts combine strengths torealizethe work of the Visioning Institute page 11

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FALL 2015 Volume 30

No. 3 FEATURED ARTICLES Leadership Focus

Together We Can By Katie Ford

Building school transformation alliances to better prepare tomorrowâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leaders

Bridging Instruction to the STAAR By Wesley D. Hickey and Ross Sherman

Introducing strategies to increase academic accountability measures

Growth Versus Fixed Mindset: Smart Is Something You Can Get By Gail G. Haterius

Encouraging a studentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s full potential by embracing a growth mindset

Ethical Disclosures 2.0 By Ramiro Canales

Taking a look at HB 23 in the era of transparency

Rural Schools Initiative: Academies Prove Fertile Ground for Transformation By Richard Erdmann, Christine Drew, Robert McLain, and Craig Coleman

Empowering teachers through collaboration and teacher-driven improvement plans

Success from the Start: Solid Principles for New Principals By Craig Hammonds

Implementing robust support strategies that ensure new campus leadership thrives

TSPRA Voice

All a-Twitter By Nancy Sharp

Using social-networking sites to share stories, galvanize community

FALL 2015

INSIGHT

OFFICERS Karen G. Rue, President, Northwest ISD Kevin Brown, President-Elect, Alamo Heights ISD

DEPARTMENTS

Buck Gilcrease, Vice-President, Alvin ISD Alton L. Frailey, Past President, Katy ISD

TASA Professional Learning Calendar

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

President’s Message

Daniel Treviño, Jr., Mercedes ISD, 1

Executive Director’s View

Troy Mircovich, Ingleside ISD, 2 Jeanette Winn, Karnes City ISD, 3 Trish Hanks, Friendswood ISD, 4 Shannon Holmes, Hardin-Jefferson ISD, 5 Morris Lyon, North Zulch ISD, 6 Fred Hayes, Nacogdoches ISD, 7 Rex Burks, Simms ISD, 8 Dennis Bennett, Jacksboro ISD, 9 Alfred Ray, Duncanville ISD, 10

INSIGHT EDITORIAL STAFF

Gayle Stinson, Lake Dallas ISD, 11 John Craft, Killeen ISD, 12

Executive Director

Johnny L. Veselka

Assistant Executive Director, Services and Systems Administration

Ann M. Halstead

Amy Francisco

Director, Communications and Media Relations

Design/Production Anne Harpe

Editorial Director

Katie Ford

INSIGHT is published quarterly by the Texas Association of School Administrators, 406 East 11th Street, Austin, Texas, 78701-2617. Subscription is included in TASA membership dues. © 2015 by TASA. All rights reserved.TASA members may reprint articles in limited quantities for in-house educational use. Articles in INSIGHT are expressions of the author or interviewee and do not necessarily represent the views or policies of TASA. Advertisements do not necessarily carry the endorsement of the Texas Association of School Administrators. INSIGHT is printed by 360 Press Solutions, Cedar Park, Texas.

Douglas Killian, Hutto ISD, 13 Joey Light, Wylie ISD, 14 Aaron Hood, Robert Lee ISD, 15 Robert McLain, Channing ISD, 16 Kevin Spiller, Seagraves ISD, 17 Andrew Peters, Marfa ISD, 18 Jose G. Franco, Fort Hancock ISD, 19 Brian T. Woods, Northside ISD, 20

AT-LARGE MEMBERS Elizabeth Clark, Birdville ISD Clark Ealy, College Station ISD LaTonya Goffney, Lufkin ISD Al Hambrick, Sherman ISD

EDITORIAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE Karen Rue, Northwest ISD, Chair Vicki Adams, Hillsboro ISD Kevin Brown, Alamo Heights ISD Fred Hayes, Nacogdoches ISD Robert McLain, Channing ISD Martha Salazar-Zamora, Tomball ISD Greg Smith, Clear Creek ISD Daniel Treviño, Jr., Mercedes ISD

INSIGHT

TASA Professional Learning Calendar, October 2015–January 2016 Creating, guiding, and maintaining true learning organizations that nurture and enhance the overall school transformation effort is a critical aspect of today’s school leader. We strive to offer a variety of conferences and academies that will help superintendents and their staff meet their goal of truly transforming education. Upcoming conferences and workshops are listed below; for details on our complete 2015–16 calendar, please visit us online at www.tasanet.org or call the TASA office at 512.477.6361 or 800.725.TASA (8272).

Date

October

Event

Presenter

Location

2–4 TASA/TASB Convention

Austin, TX Austin Convention Center

7-8

Central Office Academy Session 1

Austin, TX TASA Headquarters

12–13

Academy for Transformational Leadership Schlechty Center Session 1

Betty Burks and Linda Mora

Austin, TX Double Tree North by Hilton

14-15 Crucial Conversations Betty Burks

Austin, TX TASA Headquarters

28–30 Curriculum Management Audit Training Roger Anton

Austin, TX TASA Headquarters

November 4-5

Academy for Transformational Leadership Schlechty Center Session 2

Spring, TX Klein Instructional Center

4-5 First-Time Superintendents Academy

Round Rock, TX Austin Marriott North

9-10

Academy for Transformational Leadership Schlechty Center Session 1

Richardson, TX Region 10 ESC

16-17

Academy for Transformational Leadership Schlechty Center Session 2

Austin, TX Doubletree North by Hilton

18-20 Curriculum Management Audit Training Roger Anton

Austin, TX TASA Headquarters

December 2-3

Central Office Academy Session 2

Betty Burks and Linda Mora

9 Digital Learning Design November Learning

Austin, TX TASA Headquarters Round Rock, TX Austin Marriott North

January 27

Central Office Academy Session 3

Betty Burks and Linda Mora

Austin, TX TASA Headquarters

FALL 2015

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‘Good Enough’ Means Our Best

T PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

The upcoming TASA/TASB Convention, October 2-4, in Austin, provides us — school board members, superintendents, and district and campus administrators — an opportunity to learn together. It is our chance to grow, learn from others, and discover the possibilities, so that we can continue to give students what they need by providing them with the best education we can.

he year was 2007.With a vision to ensure future-ready students, our district was in the midst of overhauling campuses to integrate technology in the classroom. One day, as superintendent of schools, I was providing our education foundation directors a tour of a middle school.After witnessing the computers and technology in the classroom, a venerable, elderly statesman of the community stated,“We didn’t have computers when I was in school, and it was good enough for me!”

With a smile on my face — and in my voice — I said, “You are absolutely right. Your community gave you a good education.They gave you everything they had to offer.They gave you their best.They gave you what was good enough for you. Now it’s our turn to do the same thing for today’s children.” To this day, this venerable statesman is one of our district’s biggest supporters and advocates.While my response may not have been what he expected at the time, he later told me:“You set me straight.” Across the state and the nation, we must work together to give students the best we have to offer.As administrators and leaders in public education, our job is to remind others that education is a shared responsibility.We each have a role in that purpose and a responsibility to garner support and bring people in to the fold as we uphold and direct our students and schools.This message is part of our job. The upcoming TASA/TASB Convention, October 2-4, in Austin, provides us — school board members, superintendents, and district and campus administrators — an opportunity to learn together. It is our chance to grow, learn from others, and discover the possibilities, so that we can continue to give students what they need by providing them with the best education we can. Our involvement, active learning, and support are visible demonstrations of our commitment and communicate that public education is alive and well in Texas.We are innovative, future-focused leaders dedicated to providing the best to ensure future-ready students. As a leader in education, a community advocate, and a supporter of public education, I encourage you to give exactly what is “good enough” — give them everything you can.

FALL 2015

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TASA at 90! EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S VIEW

arly in 1925, a group of superintendents, meeting in Dallas, took the initial steps toward forming what would later become the Texas Association of School Administrators. Thus, today we have a proud 90-year history of service to Texas school leaders and the children in our public schools.The early history of TASA provides an interesting and informative backdrop to our current role as a professional association of school leaders. N.S. Holland, superintendent at Stamford, who was the first secretary-treasurer and fourth president of the association, noted in 1925 that “superintendents have the responsibility of leading out, staying ahead, in all phases of developing school programs” and “must continue as students and keep on acquiring information in order to develop a truly professional status.” The 1925 calendar year marked the separation of superintendents and principals into two organizations. The superintendents became the Section of Superintendence of the Texas State Teachers Association, not being named the Texas Association of School Administrators until 1938 in order to “parallel the name of our national organization.” Our historical records list Thomas J. Yoe, superintendent at Brownsville, as our first

president (1924), followed by Leonard Power, principal of Bryan Street High School (later Crozier Tech) in Dallas. With the separation from the principals, E.B. Cauthorn, assistant superintendent in Dallas, became president, and the first official meeting of the association took place at the Scofield Memorial Church in Dallas in November 1925. From the very beginning, association members became engaged in researching topics of importance to the public schools of Texas: school finance, an adequate system of taxation, pupil progress, the value of arithmetic in the curriculum, a seven-grade vs. an eightgrade elementary school.The list goes on. By 1946, the TASA Committee on Educational Policies, chaired by Dr. J.W. Edgar, called upon the Texas Legislature to conduct a full study of the Texas school system, recognizing the need for “strong, cohesive leadership at the state level.” Edgar had served as TASA president in 1942-43 and would later be named Texas’ first commissioner of education in 1950, a position he held for 25 years.The result of this recommendation was the creation of the Gilmer-Aikin Committee by the Texas Legislature in 1947 and the passage of the Gilmer-Aikin laws in 1949, effecting a complete reorganization of the Texas public school system.

Sixty years later, in 2006,TASA’s Public Education Visioning Institute launched another initiative to transform Texas’ public schools. Two years later, these superintendents published their work in progress, Creating a New Vision for Public Education in Texas, and this document has guided our work ever since. Superintendents and other school leaders throughout the state have championed a transformed system that seizes upon technology’s potential in the classroom, high priority learning standards that emphasize depth over breadth in the curriculum, the use of multiple assessments to determine what students have learned, and a community-based accountability system that involves parents and community members more fully in the education of their students. There is much more to the story, and countless events in the intervening years have shaped this association, guided by thousands of superintendents and other key leaders in the association. For now, our attention is directed toward our mission to promote, provide, and develop leaders who create and sustain student-centered schools and develop future-ready students.This is TASA at 90!

FALL 2015

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TOGETHER WE CAN VISIONING DOCUMENT SPURS COLLABORATIVE TRANSFORMATION STATEWIDE Katie Ford

Good morning! I’m a computer lab aide at an elementary school. I would like to incorporate code into some of my lessons for third and fourth graders, but I only have them for 30 minutes a week. Tips or help would be appreciated!

There are great resources on the Hour of Code website. Students can create fun games using the apps.

We’ve tried the hour of code through Khan Academy for a couple years, and it worked well. (I taught high school, but I think it would work for the little ones, too!)

hese are real conversations happening online right now among Texas educators from small and rural districts in Region 10, thanks to the Community Schools Transformation Alliance (CSTA). Formed in the summer of 2012, the alliance has steadily built a network of online and on-site opportunities for campus leaders and teachers to share best practices and offer support to one another as they carry out the tenets set forth by the Public Education Visioning Institute and its Creating a New Vision for Public Education in Texas working document. From 2006 to 2008, theVisioning Institute, consisting of 35 superintendents, took a hard look at the state’s public education system, which, many believed, had become focused on standardized testing as the ultimate yardstick for school and student success. Together, they asked:“What does the learning environment need to look like for our children to thrive in the 21st century?”

How do you prevent kids from plagiarizing by using the world of information that is accessible at their fingertips?

Our district uses Turnitin.

Yes. Turnitin is very good!

Through these conversations, the superintendents identified areas of focus for school transformation efforts and published them in a working document.Those areas included creating digital learning environments, establishing new learning standards, implementing multiple ways to assess student learning, rethinking accountability systems, embracing organizational transformation, and aiming for a more balanced approach to state and local partnerships. CSTA is one of many joint efforts inspired by the Institute’s vision. Districts across the Lone Star State have formed consortiums and collaborative initiatives to share their strengths and problem-solve together as they turn their schools into beacons of 21st century learning.

FALL 2015

It’s exactly as the original 35 superintendents had hoped it would be — that their working document would be used “to begin disciplined dialogue, stimulate questions, identify problems, and frame issues that would lead to strategic actions at the local level.” Sunnyvale ISD Superintendent Doug Williams, who is credited as spearheading the formation of CSTA with Commerce ISD Superintendent Blake Cooper, says that the alliance has been integral to the school transformation efforts in his district.

Celeste,Wolfe City, Community, Royse City, Anna, and Melissa. “I believe our momentum as an alliance is the direct result of a cultural shift that happened after our first year of meetings,” explains Royse City ISD Superintendent Kevin Worthy. He says the quarterly meetings during that first year only involved superintendents and key cabinet members. “After year one, we wanted to include others who could really carry out the work: chief technology officers, curriculum directors, instructional coaches, teachers, and board members. We wanted to give these individuals the opportunity to collaborate through professional learning communities.”

“Essentially, I have one core teacher per grade, so the opportunity for those teachers to collaborate are very limited,”Williams says.“We felt like it was vital for us to come together and share what’s working in our district and Broadening the field of players was a game changer, according to superintenlearn what’s working in other districts.” dents Williams and Worthy. The alliance The alliance began with seven districts and gatherings became a forum for discussing now includes 11: Sunnyvale, Commerce, everything from classroom technology to Blue Ridge, Caddo Mills, Collinsville, HB 5 implementation.

Hear Kevin Worthy and Doug Williams Community School Transformation Alliance (CSTA)

TASA/TASB Convention Friday, October 2, 12:30–1:30 p.m. Austin Convention Center

oyse City ISD teachers Lyndie Porkorny and Karri Pons enjoy the food trucks during a break at the Community Schools Transformation Alliance’s inaugural Revolutionizing Learning Conference, held in early August in Royse City. The food truck format was intentional, according to organizers. “Everyone has a lot going on back at school. Sometimes people go off to lunch, start checking their email, and end up not coming back,” Royse City ISD Superintendent Kevin Worthy says. “The food trucks encouraged everyone to stay on site and stay in a collaborative mode.”

INSIGHT

In addition to the quarterly meetings, CSTA, two years ago, began hosting two “ed camps” a year, one in the spring and one in the fall. Described as “unconference” events, EdCamp Awesome in Royse City ISD and EdCampalooza in Commerce ISD are participant-driven and require little planning beyond securing a venue and distributing an all-points bulletin that the camp is happening. According to Worthy, camp participants, upon their arrival, place sticky notes on one side of a large board, identifying topics they would like to learn. On the other side of the board, participants post sticky notes on topics about which they could present.

In the spirit of collaboration, the alliance, in the summer of 2014, reached out to Jeff Turner of the North Texas Regional Consortium for some advice and leadership. “The most important message Jeff gave us,” says Williams,“was,‘Don’t wait for everyone to get on board.Those of you who are ready to go, get going. Everyone else will meet you there.’”

CSTA took Turner’s advice and ran with it. The alliance was able to get the support of the Texas Computer Education Association, which viewed the conference as a great professional development opportunity for its members who lived in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. TASA also jumped on board “A schedule is developed based on those and offered its support. In the end, Revonotes,” he says. “It’s a matter of matching lutionizing Learning attracted more than who wants to learn with who wants to 900 educators from 31 districts.Worthy says present. It results in a schedule that you just CSTA is setting its sights on 1,200 attendees wouldn’t believe. It all falls into place. It’s fun, for next summer. it’s engaging, and it’s relevant.” In addition to featuring keynote speakers, “Royse City ISD does a great job with breakout sessions, and networking opportudisaggregation of data, Commerce ISD is nities, the CSTA summer conference served tremendous in working with students from as a platform for introducing the alliance’s underprivileged backgrounds, and we’re latest collaborative tool: virtual special interstrong in community-based accountability,” est groups, or SIGs, hosted through Google+ adds Williams of Sunnyvale ISD. “There’s a Communities. SIGs are where alliance synergy that happens every time we, as an members can gather around the “cyber watercooler” to ask advice, share tools and alliance, get together.” classroom success stories, and stay in comIn an effort to expand on that synergy, munity in between formal gatherings. The CSTA, in August, hosted its first summer alliance also hosts weekly Twitter chats with conference — a landmark achievement CSTA moderators. after 12 months of planning. The two-day event, titled “Revolutionizing Learning,” was “We plan on changing the way we’re doing education one classroom at a time,” says Wilhosted in Royse City ISD. liams. “It’s not about politics, finances, or Though CSTA was created primarily for school lawsuits. It’s strictly focused on:What small to mid-size districts and mostly consists are you doing in your classroom that I can of districts with less than 2,000 students, do in mine? And what skills or knowledge the alliance has never put a hard-and-fast do I have that could be helpful to you?” rule on who can participate.When the idea came about to host a summer conference, North Texas Regional the organizers felt strongly that “whoever Consortium wants to be a part of it can,”Worthy says. That kind of synergy and cooperative spirit runs strong in another consortium that has enjoyed great momentum in recent years:

the North Texas Regional Consortium (NTRC). Gena Gardiner, the assistant superintendent for curriculum, instruction, and special programs for Highland Park ISD, has been participating in NTRC initiatives ever since the consortium’s original nine superintendents invited district leadership and teacher leaders to join in the collaborative work. “We can do so much more together than we could do individually,” she says.“Every time I participate in one of our joint efforts, I feel that the teachers and presenters really help me to define and articulate how the visioning work is becoming a reality.” Formed in 2012, the NTRC districts are Allen, Coppell, Frisco, Highland Park, Lewisville, McKinney, Northwest, Plano, and Richardson.The consortium’s objectives are to conduct research, leverage each other’s experiences and strengths, share best practices, and collaborate and support each other to ease the implementation of new policies and programs. To carry out these objectives, NTRC formed “job-alike” groups among its members so they can problem-solve and learn together. These groups explore a myriad of topics, such as digital-age instruction, community-based accountability systems, resolution adoption, legislative advocacy, and ways to inform and inspire staff. The consortium, in conjunction with ESC Region 10, also is exploring accountability methods that will provide a more accurate measure of a student’s knowledge and 21st century skills. Like CSTA, the North Texas consortium offers a variety of ways for member districts to share best practices throughout the year. One such strategy is the “transformation in action” site visit, in which districts take turns hosting consortium members and showcasing the transformational work happening at their schools. Northwest ISD Superintendent Karen Rue recalls how Allen ISD hosted a site visit that

FALL 2015

focused on the flipped classroom model, where students prepare at home and save what used to be homework for classroom discussions. “It changed and improved the work we were doing,” Rue says. “We became much more knowledgeable about flipped classrooms, where, in our district, we had been focusing more on digital platforms and standards work. There are so many components to school transformation.We have got to reach out to one another to utilize each other’s strengths.We can’t be masters of everything by ourselves.” For the past two years, NTRC has hosted summer conferences, both times drawing about 1,300 participants from the nine districts. Allen ISD has spearheaded the planning and hosted the conference both years. Says Allen ISD Superintendent Lance Hindt, “There is an art to selecting a theme and major focus, as well as to aligning keynote speakers and presentation content.” He explains that planning begins at least a year in advance. Assistant superintendents in curriculum and instruction and directors of professional development are charged with crafting the framework, and then tasks are divided among planning committee members to share the load. To minimize out-of-district meetings, the conference organizers meet online once a month to track progress and troubleshoot any obstacles.

llen ISD Superintendent Lance Hindt speaks at the North Texas Regional Consortium’s second annual Visioning Conference, held in July in Allen. The two-day event addressed communitybased accountability, digital learning, multiple measures of assessment, designing learning, and capacity building.

The NTRC conferences also include keynote speakers. Last year’s event featured educational historian and policy analyst Diane Ravitch and Yong Zhao of the Institute for Global and Online Education.This year’s conference included innovative teaching consultant George Couros of Alberta, Canada; design and innovation programs director Kate Canales of Southern Methodist University; and Michael Wesch, a cultural The NTRC conference is unlike trade asso- anthropology professor at Kansas State Uniciation events in that all the breakout session versity who studies how social media and presenters are teacher leaders and adminis- digital technology affect global society and education. trators from consortium districts. “This year, we centered our learning on four strands: digital learning/designing learning, high-priority learning standards, leadership and building capacity, and multiple measures of assessment,” Hindt says.

INSIGHT

educators, how do we spark that curiosity? It’s no longer about what you know. The economy of the future asks: What can you design and create? “The benefit of a conference like this to educators is to keep us curious and to keep us wondering,” Rue says. “How should we keep designing and creating learning environments for our kids?”

Adds Gardiner: “It’s a journey. We’ll never arrive. There will always be growth opportunities, and we can’t do it without our colleagues. Learning about the great work Rue recalls how Wesch spoke of the “digital they’re doing is what helps us to grow.That’s divide” and how it is no longer an issue. the power of a consortium.” n According to Wesch, the divide now is between students who have a sense of won- Katie Ford is the editorial director of Texas School der and curiosity and those who don’t. As Business.

BRIDGING INSTRUCTION TO THE STAAR A strategy for teachers and administrators to increase academic accountability measures Wesley D. Hickey and Ross Sherman

istricts throughout Texas have practiced innovative approaches to instruction with the goal of increasing student motivation and promoting higher-level learning. Authentic work, such as projectbased instruction and laboratory simulations, is often considered the best way to impart information to students (Lombardi, 2007). This philosophy aligns with Schlechty (2011), who wrote: “The art and science of teaching is found in the design of work for students that appeals to the motives they bring to that work and results in their learning what their teachers expect them to learn” (p. 21). This is the ideal classroom from the perspective of most principals and superintendents. Students are focused on meaningful activities, and teachers are tactically supporting this learning. Unfortunately, this is not the norm in many schools. This dissonance between ideal instruction and reality is due, in part, to the pressures of standardized testing. We have assisted schools on multiple occasions with academic improvement, and we often hear the following about a teacher: “You don’t have to worry about him; his students always do well on the test.”Visits to the classroom suggest that the teacher’s success is due to working consistently with students on test questions. Many of these classrooms are the dungeons of drudgery that only can be accomplished with an overhead projector and release STAAR/EOC tests. These are not the classrooms in which we want our children to attend. Meanwhile, in this scenario, the students of the innovative teacher

down the hall are performing poorly on state assessments. Unfortunately, the exciting and meaningful work our children are doing in school does not always translate to STAAR/EOC success. “There followed after me to-day A youth whose feet must pass this way. This chasm that has been naught to me To that fair-haired youth may a pitfall be; He, too, must cross in the twilight dim; Good friend, I am building this bridge for him!” —Will Allen Dromgoole

Many teachers and administrators are aware of this problem.Authentic work is not evaluated on the STAAR; it’s decontextualized data, written as multiple-choice questions, that is measured. This means that the dull and dry classroom teacher who spends 80 percent of his or her time on test preparation is likely to do well. The reason is that this activity covers the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) in a way that students will later be held accountable by the state. This process works, which is why so many teachers feel compelled to do it. Addressing the STAAR is important, but it does not have to be all encompassing.

Teachers who get students actively involved with the curriculum are valued on campuses. Yet, there is a problem: Research indicates that teachers who score well on evaluations do not always have high standardized test scores (Oliveras, 2014). How can we make room for innovation and student engagement in the classroom, while continuing to meet the requirements of the state’s accountability system?

Bridging to the STAAR All districts want to employ teachers who will be successful on the STAAR, but they should accomplish this task through meaningful assignments aligned with the TEKS. Athletics serve as a good analogy for providing students with curriculum in the form that it will be used. Coaches use drills that are designed to provide skill development, but there is always the need to have the athlete connect this improvement to the sport. No coach would have an athlete do only drills. Although a student-athlete may excel at these decontextualized exercises, he or she must translate them to the authentic experience of the actual competition. The coach must bridge the skills in practice to the competition by mimicking game situations. Bridging to the STAAR is, in one way, the opposite of athletic preparation.The final test is a decontextualized version of the authentic work. But the strategy is the same in that there is a daily connection to the STAAR, just as athletic practices have an ongoing connection to the game instead of only drills.

FALL 2015

This means that instruction must be a combination of both strategies: meaningful assignments that create interest and understanding in the curriculum, as well as objective questions that bridge learning to the STAAR. How does this work without it becoming too intrusive? Take a teacher who has created meaningful classroom work to get the greatest number of students engaged. The teacher has the The entire process takes less than five minutes, and a bridge between the collaborative project and its relationship to the STAAR begins to form.

students work in collaborative groups, and these students work diligently and engage in purposeful discussion. Fifteen minutes into the work, the teacher has everyone stop and look at a question projected onto a screen. It is a STAAR-formatted question that is related to the work being done. The question has a high degree of complexity because it is being analyzed cooperatively. Students work together on the question for three minutes as the teacher walks around the room. As answers are formed, the teacher discusses them with the students in their groups.The teacher leads the discussion with probing questions that encourage a deeper understanding of what is being asked.The entire process takes less than five minutes, and a bridge between the collaborative project and its relationship to the STAAR begins to form. Later in class, the teacher asks the students to stop their work and poses a question designed for individual answering. The teacher walks around the room to check responses for the 90 seconds allotted for this interruption.The teacher wraps it up with a brief discussion about the answer. No more

INSIGHT

that three minutes has been taken from the original project.

These types of lesson plans provide as its focus the outcomes that principals want to see in student preparation: an aligned curThese interjected questions provide a con- riculum, meaningful student work, STAAR tinual bridge between classroom exercises preparation, and student interventions and STAAR. In effect, the students are being as needed. These planning components become the focus of the biweekly teacher prepared for game day. meetings. The teacher also should include in regular tests a few questions based on the TEKS It’s important that the teachers understand covered in STAAR format.The results from the purpose of these biweekly meetings, this part of the test can be added to student which should include a quick overview of data to determine learning gaps. No one the past two weeks’ standards, work, conon campus should know better than the nections, and independent evaluations. A classroom teacher about a student’s prog- prepared teacher should be able to explain ress and needs.Teachers must never wait for everything in five minutes. Through these curriculum directors and principals to tell meetings, principals can gain a quick underthem who is struggling based on benchmark standing of a teacher’s effectiveness in the data. At that point, it is too late.We need to classroom, and the teacher is reminded of find the gaps and address them before they the importance of his or her work. become bigger problems.

The Role of the Campus Administrator

The Role of the District Administrator

The district’s superintendent or assistant superintendent must continue the process of aligning the curriculum with formative accountability by asking for an overview of campus data on a monthly basis.The report should be a synopsis that highlights areas of high and low achievement in the classroom. These reports can serve as the impetus for Lesson plan documentation is common discussions on focused resource allocation to among most schools, but it is only one step improve or support instruction. in ensuring effective instruction. There also should be a post-lesson quantitative analy- There is a dictum that states, “What gets sis of the lesson plan, which consists of the measured gets done.” Too often, district administrators are so focused on the issues following: of the moment that they forget to address n the TEKS standard(s) being taught; the fundamental reason for their position: n meaningful work illustrating the stan- student achievement.The alignment of classroom accountability assists with this purpose. dards required of the students; n connections to the work in STAAR As educators, it is our mission to build format; n formal evaluations within regular test- bridges to the future. We can achieve this ing that quantitatively measure each goal by providing authentic instruction in student’s understanding of the TEKS a meaningful context for our students. As Henry Adams once said: “A teacher affects in STAAR format; and n actions being taken to remediate eternity. He can never tell where his influence stops.” n students in need. Principals are under increasing pressure to improve STAAR scores while also creating learning environments that appeal to students. These goals can be more easily achieved through lesson plan documentation and biweekly teacher meetings.

Wesley D. Hickey is an associate professor and chair of the Department of Educational Leadership at The University of Texas at Tyler. He is a former teacher, coach, principal, and superintendent. He has served as a member of TASA’s Higher Education Committee. His email is: whickey@uttyler.edu. Ross Sherman is a professor and dean for the College of Education and Psychology atThe University ofTexas atTyler. He is a former teacher and principal. His email is: rsherman@uttyler.edu.

References Lombardi, M.M. (2007). “Authentic Learning for the 21st Century: An Overview.” Educause Learning Initiative. Retrieved from https://net.educause.edu/ir/library/ pdf/eli3009.pdf.

dissertation.) Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Penn. Schlechty, P.C. (2011). “Engaging students: The Next Level of Working on the Work.” San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Oliveras, Y. (2014). “The empirical relationship between administrator ratings of teacher effectiveness and student achievement on the state of Texas assessments of academic readiness.” (Unpublished doctoral

HOUSING AND REGISTRATION NOW OPEN!! WWW.TASANET.ORG/MIDWINTER

Join us at TASA’s 2016 Midwinter Conference! Our attendee list continues to grow and diversify, as more and more districts choose the Midwinter Conference as the perfect venue to address problems, share innovative solutions, and celebrate the accomplishments of our public schools. We hope you and members of your leadership team will join us in Austin January 24-27, 2016.

Distinguished Speakers Include: General Session: Sir Ken Robinson & Thought Leader: George Couros

Exhibitors: Booths are selling quickly! If you want to exhibit at this popular education conference, reserve your space today!

FALL 2015

Join education's most energetic and innovative leaders in Austin, Texas.

Learn more and register: sxswedu.com/join2016

GROWTH VERSUS FIXED MINDSET Smart is something you can get Gail G. Haterius

r so says the latest research on growth mindsets conducted by Carol Dweck, Ph.D., at Stanford University.

Dweck studies personality, social psychology, and developmental psychology as they relate to human motivation. She has developed a framework that categorizes people as possessing either a growth mindset or fixed mindset, with integrals in between the two extremes. A fixed mindset is the belief that a person’s intelligence and talent are static traits that cannot change. A growth mindset is just the opposite; it is the belief that a person’s intelligence and talent can improve through hard work and sustained effort. Dweck’s research has shown that intelligence and talent are not the only human traits affected by a person’s mindset. Business skills and sports ability, for example, can be affected too. However, of most interest to educators is Dweck’s research in academics, which shows that mindset interventions can improve the rate at which students increase their grades in core academic classes, increase course pass rates, and increase the percentage of students endorsing a growth mindset. Her research shows that students are more likely to be motivated and resilient if they have growth mindsets. They think about school and their abilities in different ways than those with fixed mindsets. For instance, students with growth mindsets: n understand why school is important; n trust their teachers and peers; and n understand they can grow their abilities by working hard and trying new strategies when they

get stuck in their learning. In her book, “Mindset,” Dweck points out that: “Mindsets are just beliefs. They’re powerful beliefs, but they’re just something in your mind, and you can change your mind.” Dweck and her fellow researchers have built upon years of psychological research in developing their adaptive mindset theories. In her book, she points to Alfred Binet, the French inventor of the modern-day IQ test, as someone who supported an adaptive mindset viewpoint. As she tells it, Binet designed the IQ test early in the 20th century to identify students who were not benefiting from Paris public schools.The sole reason for identifying these students was so that programs could be developed to remediate their learning and catch them up to their peers. Binet wrote that an individual’s intelligence was not a fixed trait. He believed that, with methodical work, a person’s attention, memory, and intelligence could improve. Researchers today are proving him correct. Many educators talk about grit and the importance of sustained effort.While trying harder, in and of itself, hasn’t proven effective in empirical research, adaptive mindset research has shown that perseverance and a need to know the why behind the lesson are important in setting up systems for academic improvement.

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According to Dweck’s research, an organizing principle for a person with a fixed mindset is to preserve his/her reputation for being smart. Conversely, an organizing principle for a person with a growth mindset is to keep asking questions and to put forth effort to continue learning. Fixed mindset people tend not to value effort and give up easily, while growth mindset people see effort as a vehicle for change. Research also shows that people with a growth mindset tend to work harder when faced with a challenge.

Nationwide studies show that, after participating in Stanford’s PERTS Lab High School Transition program, there is typically After the online sessions, all students were a 22 percent increase in students endorsing asked to write a persuasive letter to a “future a growth mindset. At Mineral Wells High student.” In this letter, they were to share School, student data showed 62 percent of their stories of facing challenges, learning, students had a growth mindset at the end of persevering, and growing their abilities to the program. Thirteen percent displayed a get better at something. This technique of fixed mindset, and 25 percent had an interwriting about a personal experience helps mediate mindset (meaning they answered the students internalize and personalize their “somewhat agree” or “somewhat disagree” on a six-point Likert scale). learning. better and faster, resulting in a “rewiring” of the brain.

In Mineral Wells ISD, we emphasize that everyone in the district — teachers, students, parents, administrators, and even our board of trustees — are learners.We know that it is important for each of us to learn in order to do our respective jobs well. When we first read about Dweck’s research and Stanford University’s outreach efforts to bring its research to scale, we wanted to be involved. To help our students access their full potential, Mineral Wells Junior High, working with Assistant Principal Jeff Williams, signed on to Stanford’s research study. Also, our high school, under the leadership of Principal Jon Almeida, participated in the Project for Educational Research That Scales (PERTS) Lab High School Transition Program, which uses the Mindset Toolkit. The PERTS Lab aims to disseminate its empirical research into the world in practical, real-life applications. Almeida used a pep rally schedule to provide time for all of his ninth graders to participate in the work. The classroom activities involved two 45-minute online sessions, teacher-facilitated conversations and videos about “neuroplasticity,” or the brain’s malleability and ability to generate new neural pathways throughout life. The lessons showed that, just like a muscle that gets stronger through exercise, the brain can be strengthened by working on challenging material that makes one think. As neurons get thicker and stronger, the brain can work

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Another exercise challenged students to share their stories in six words and a picture. Students were asked to respond to one of the following requests in six words: 1. Describe a time you worked hard and overcame challenges to get better at something. 2. Tell something you want to get better at through hard work by taking on a challenge and through persistence.

The PERTS Lab has expanded its free Mindset Toolkit for the 2015-2016 school year for grades K-12, according to Jacquie Beaubien, PERTS Lab senior program manager. The lab is creating more videos, tools, educator professional development, and a “mindset meter” to measure whether students have a fixed mindset or a growth mindset.

The researchers worked on various studies concerning effective uses of praise and determining how parents’ praise, in particular, affects the development of a child’s mindset. The PERTS Lab recommends three general guidelines: n focus on effort not ability; n focus on the process and strategies

used, not the product; and The lab offers lesson plans and a virtual n teach that making mistakes is a norTeacher Practice Library, where teachers mal part of the process of learning. can upload and share their favorite selfauthored mindset practices.The PERT Lab also intends to create a community page for school districts. Some beta-version tools are available now, and the toolkit can be accessed at www.mindsetkit.org.

…yet

Beaubien stated that the lab will continue to develop tools to help educators be more effective in learning and teaching growth mindsets. The PERTS Lab welcomes feedback, and future iterations will build upon the feedback they receive. Beaubien said she realizes that teachers are the ones who affect the most school change in growth mindsets. She said convincing teachers to change their own mindset is a hurdle that must be crossed.

Fostering the Growth Mindset

One of the most affirming statements I learned from the PERTS Lab is the use of the word “yet.” If a child says,“I’m not good at this,” the educator or parent chimes in with the word “yet.” For example:

learn, almost all persons can learn, if provided with the appropriate prior and current conditions of learning.” Similarly, Dweck says in her book that, “Important achievements require a clear focus, all-out effort, and a bottomless trunk full of strategies. Plus, allies in learning.” This is an exciting time to be an educator. Researchers are learning more about the brain and how educators can maximize teaching using techniques to foster growth mindsets. The PERTS Lab is ready to help with free resources and proven methods available for all. On the PERTS Lab website, it says:“PERTS creates and evaluates free resources that help students become more passionate, resilient, and successful learners.” I know this is what my district needs. I hope you can use it as well. n

“I’m not good at fractions!” says the student. Gail G. Haterius is the superintendent of schools “Yet,” says the teacher or parent. in Mineral Wells ISD. This is a great way to affirm a growth mindset. It helps children realize that all learning is on a continuum, and their hard work will result in higher achievement over time.

Woven throughout the mindset lessons and videos is information on how to In “Mindset,” Benjamin Bloom is quoted as praise children to foster a growth mindset. saying: “What any person in the world can

References Dweck, Carol S. (2008). Mindset. NewYork: Ballantine Books. PERTS lab, Stanford University. www.perts. net Mindset Toolkit, Stanford University. www. mindsetkit.org

tasa.tasb.org

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ETHICAL DISCLOSURES 2.0 HB 23 in the era of transparency Ramiro Canales

uring the 84th regular session, Texas lawmakers overwhelmingly passed House Bill 23, which makes significant changes to the disclosure requirements in Chapter 176 of the Local Government Code.1 Effective September 1, administrators, school board members, and vendors must determine if disclosure is required in light of the new definitions and standards in Chapter 176. HB 23 is a continuation of legislative efforts since 2005 for more transparency in government.

Background Originally created by HB 914 in 2005 during the 79th regular session, Chapter 176 in the Local Government Code requires superintendents, school board members, and vendors to disclose conflicts of interest. HB 914 initially caused confusion, so the attorney general requested guidance. On August 2, 2006,Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott issued Opinion No. GA-0446 to clarify provisions in Chapter 176. In 2007, the Texas Legislature amended Chapter 176 by passing HB 1491, which codified some of the language in the attorney general’s opinion. With the passage of HB 23, several terms in Chapter 176 have new meaning, effective September 1: n Agent now includes an employee. n Family member means “a person related to another person within the first degree by consanguinity

or affinity, as described by Subchapter B, Chapter 573, Government Code.” n Family relationship is “a relationship between a person and another person within the third degree

n n n

by consanguinity or the second degree by affinity, as those terms are defined by Subchapter B, Chapter 573, Government Code.” Gift means “a benefit offered by a person, including food, lodging, transportation, and entertainment accepted as a guest. The term does not include a benefit offered on account of kinship or a personal, professional, or business relationship independent of the official status of the recipient.” Local governmental entity includes a water district. Local government officer means “an agent of a local governmental entity who exercises discretion in the planning, recommending, selecting, or contracting of a vendor.” Vendor is defined as “a person who enters or seeks to enter into a contract with a local governmental entity. The tem includes an agent of a vendor. The term includes an officer or employee of a state agency when that individual is acting in a private capacity to enter into a contract. The terms does not include a state agency except for the Texas Correctional Industries.”

To facilitate understanding of the new law, direct quotes of the new statutory language in the enrolled version of HB 23 are provided throughout this article.

Disclaimer: Specific circumstances regarding a superintendent’s or school board member’s activities and the content and filing of the forms should be discussed individually with a school district attorney. Superintendents and board members should contact the superintendent’s attorney or school district’s attorney, as appropriate, if any questions arise related to interpreting the new requirements and completing the applicable forms.

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A vendor is required to file a questionnaire if it has a business relationship with a local governmental entity and “has a family relationship with the local government officer of that local governmental entity.”

A vendor commits an offense if the vendor is required to file a conflict-of-interest Local government officers, including superquestionnaire and either (1) “knowingly intendents and school board members, are fails to file the required questionnaire with now required to file a conflicts disclosure the appropriate records administrator not statement with the records administrator of later than 5 p.m. on the seventh business day the school district with respect to a vendor, as that term is now defined in HB 23. An Additionally, the law now requires a vendor after the date on which the vendor becomes important change that triggers the disclosure who is both a local government officer and a aware of the facts that require the filing of statement filing is the aggregate value of a vendor of a local governmental entity to file the questionnaire” or (2) “knowingly fails gift or gifts a vendor gives to a superinten- a questionnaire only if the person “enters or to file an updated questionnaire with the dent, a school board member, or a family seeks to enter into a contract with the local appropriate records administrator not later member. Previously, it was $250. Now, it governmental entity” or “is an agent of a than 5 p.m. on the seventh business day after is $100 in the “12-month period preced- person who enters or seeks to enter into a the date on which the vendor becomes ing the date the local government officer contract with the local governmental entity.” aware of an event that would make a statement in a questionnaire previously filed by becomes aware that a contract between the local governmental entity and vendor has Significantly, HB 23 added a new statutory the vendor incomplete or inaccurate.” been executed or the local governmental provision that allows the governing body of entity is considering entering into a contract a local governmental entity, at its discretion, The level of the offense is determined based with the vendor or has a family relationship to void a contract if the governing body on the contract amount.An offense is a Class determines that a vendor failed to file a C misdemeanor if “the contract amount is with the local government officer.” less than $1 million or if there is no conconflict-of-interest questionnaire. tract amount for the contract.” It is a Class Additionally, the exceptions for not filing a B misdemeanor if “the contract amount is In addition to existing requirements, the conflicts disclosure statement in relation to a gift has been limited. A conflicts disclosure records administrator now is required to at least $1 million but less than $5 million.” statement is not required only if the gift is a maintain a list of local government officers It is a Class A misdemeanor if “the contract political contribution as defined by Title 15, and make that list available to the public and amount is at least $5 million.” Election Code, or food accepted as a guest. any vendor required to file a conflict-ofA local government officer and vendor are Two exceptions no longer apply: (1) a gift interest questionnaire. not subject to the enforcement provisions if given by a family member of the person the conflicts disclosure statement and venaccepting the gift and (2) lodging, transpor- Enforcement through Criminal dor questionnaire are filed not later than tation, or entertainment accepted as a guest. Penalties HB 23 added a new section to Chapter 176 the seventh business day after the date the HB 23 requires the Texas Ethics Commis- that provides criminal penalties if a conflicts local government officer or vendor received sion to make modifications to the conflicts disclosure statement and vendor question- notice from the local governmental entity of disclosure statement and vendor questionnaire are not filed. A local government the alleged violation. naire that must be filed under Chapter 176. officer commits an offense if the officer The new forms can be accessed from the is required to file a conflicts disclosure Ethical disclosures will continue to be a Texas Ethics Commission site (www.ethics. statement and “knowingly fails to file the major issue at the Texas Legislature. Local state.tx.us). required conflicts disclosure statement with government officers and vendors must use the appropriate records administrator not due diligence to ensure compliance with the Vendor Questionnaire later than 5 p.m. on the seventh business day new disclosure requirements in Chapter 176 n A new provision has been added to Chapter after the date on which the officer becomes of the Local Government Code.

Conflicts Disclosure Statement

176 that triggers when a vendor must file a aware of the facts that require the filing of completed conflict-of-interest questionnaire. the statement.” Ramiro Canales is an attorney and the assistant executive director of governmental relations at TASA.

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RURAL SCHOOLS INITIATIVE Academies prove fertile ground for transformation Richard Erdmanp, Christine Drew, Robert McLain, and Craig Coleman

t first glance, rural and small school districts seem constrained by their remote locations, limited access to resources and finances, and issues with teacher recruiting and retaining.The list could go on.

Yet, the very fact that these districts are small means they can be nimble.As Paul Davis, principal of Harleton Junior High in Harleton ISD, remarked:“It doesn’t take an act of Congress to make a change in a rural or small school.” Our recent experience certainly indicates that nimbleness is more than possible in a rural district.

An Initiative is Born In the fall of 2013, Christine Drew, chief creative officer at Syfr Learning, developed a field trip for superintendents with the help of the Texas Association of School Administrators.The field trip, which focused on creativity and organizational change, took superintendents on company tours of Pixar, Autodesk, and The Disney Family Museum. Robert McLain of Channing ISD was one of the superintendents on the field trip. Conversations between McLain and Drew inspired Drew’s business partner, Richard Erdmann, CEO of Syfr Learning, to make a presentation on teacher self-assessment at the 2014 TASA/TASB Convention. Harleton ISD Superintendent Craig Coleman heard Erdmann speak at the convention and encouraged Syfr Learning to take the teacher self-assessment concept a few steps further in a project with rural schools. One month later, at a Syfr Learning STEM conference, Jennifer Jones, then superintendent of Fruitvale ISD, further encouraged Syfr to pursue the rural school project. By June of this year, the Rural Schools Initiative was launched, involving Channing, Harleton and Fruitvale ISDs, as well as Johnson City and Chapel Hill ISDs.TASA served as the lead sponsor, and ESC Region 10 hosted the training. Nimble, indeed. The concept of the initiative is simple:What does school look like when we think about learning instead of teaching? The idea is to focus the teacher training on emerging brain research regarding learning and memory. By focusing on learning, we then can assist the teachers in devising instructional strategies. The concept’s appeal to rural districts is in the high probability of success at a reduced cost. In a supportive leadership environment, teachers are asked to design and implement their own improvement plans.They then document any changes in student growth by recording grades on student assignments.To do so effectively, they need a steady stream of coordinated new ideas about learning and instruction over time. It is not that they need to be told what to do. Instead, the teachers can design their solutions because

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they are given adequate information about how learning takes place, as well as models for how other teachers have approached student learning. Once a few teachers are able to document their improvement, other teachers will follow suit with their approaches to learning improvement. The change paradigm is also simple. Leadership creates an environment, which includes creative use of release time, in which informal conversations take place around specific principles of practice (POP).1 Teachers who attend the formal training make changes in their classrooms, measure the impact, and share the results with other teachers. The principals make the time available for teacher collaboration and conversation. They ask their teachers questions that set expectations of improvement around POP. In this environment, teachers have expanded opportunities to work with peers, both in their district and in others.They can exercise choice in developing solutions, based on alternatives they discover through discussions with peers on instructional strategies derived from POP. Teachers can document their progress by designing assignments that measure both pre- and post-intervention learning results.2

Syfr Learning first tried the STEPP process in Round Rock ISD with a number of teachers and Cathy Malerba, the district’s associate director of research. In Round Rock ISD’s version of the STEPP plan, the first five of the following six steps are planned, implemented, measured, reported and shared:

through the Teaching Channel, and is the core of the principal’s and superintendent’s overall evaluation of the program and teachers.The teacher initiates the process and can control it by simply continuing to plan and implement STEPPs.

The Rural Schools Initiative is designed to extend over three years and cover principles 1. State a learning target (it could be a learn- of practice in cognition, motivation, and coling standard, a topic, or unit theme or laboration. Over that time period, teachers concept) to be used in the problem-based will build instructional strategies, implement project and the goal relative to that target. them in their classrooms, and describe the 2. Name the principle(s) and strategies you work and the students’ results through the will use and add a short summary of your videos. These videos can be used as models for other teachers, which will create the activities. 3. Describe the (data) measurements or desired spread throughout each of the parevaluations you will conduct. Remember ticipating districts. that you are measuring changes in rates or depth of learning. It is a comparison The entire spread process builds off working measurement that is required. from models. Syfr Learning’s experience in 4. Describe the results. (Both story and data San Antonio ISD, Round Rock ISD, Tomare valuable as results.) ball ISD, and ESC Region 11 indicates that 5. Describe how you shared what you did when teachers make a change and are able and if anyone else chose to experiment to document and discuss student learning with you. improvement, other teachers in the building 6. Make a three- to five-minute video will choose to follow suit and improvise describing the above STEPPs. enough to make the changes fit their styles

Syfr Learning’s experience indicates that when teachers make a change and Earlier experiences with Syfr Learning’s POPs in larger districts, such as Tomball and Round Rock ISDs, indicate that average gains of 10 to 25 points on teacher assignments and tests are not unreasonable to expect. The particular beauty of this work with rural schools is how the impact is spread. Instead of relying on hired coaches or full-day staff trainings with outside consultants (methods that can be cost-prohibitive), the spread happens when trained teachers influence those who are not trained to commit to individually developed continuous improvement plans of action called short-term evaluation of principles of practice, or STEPPTM.

are able to document and discuss student learning improvement, other teachers in the building will choose to follow suit and improvise enough to make the changes fit their styles and classrooms. In a collaborative project with ESC Region 11 and Tomball ISD, a sixth step was added, and we believe this will prove extremely beneficial in the Rural Schools Initiative. Teachers create a three-minute video every four to six weeks that describes the implementation and results from a new STEPP based on a POP.2 The videos are shared with other participants around the state through the Teaching Channel. In this manner, the evaluation originates with the teacher, is shared with others, is available for comment

and classrooms. However, to keep the process moving forward, leadership needs to stay in conversation with teachers and encourage them to share their STEPPs and how they are working. Harleton and Channing ISDs were the two districts primarily responsible for creating the Rural Schools Initiative. These two districts brought slightly different priorities to the initiative. Harleton ISD had been discussing teacher self-assessment for some

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time and wanted to deepen their understanding of student learning as one factor of this assessment. Channing ISD wanted an investigation of the emerging neuroscience research and its applications for improving student learning. Using STEPP allows teachers in both districts to assess improvement through carefully designed pre- and post-intervention measurements of student learning. The interventions are based on neuroscience and brain research. Using this method, the teachers control the process, and school and district leaders receive quantitative data on learning improvement. The self-assessment is based on instructional practice changing with improvements in rate and depth of understanding being tied to the changes.

learning design. The score difference was over a letter grade on average. Summarizing at the end of a reading and before discussion trumped note-taking during reading and immediate discussion. Brain research was the basis for the instructional shift, and testing at the end of the week caused the teacher to report, using student data, that an instructional improvement had been made and would continue. When the teachers from Harleton, Johnson City, Channing, Fruitvale, and Chapel Hill ISDs returned to their districts, they were already planning changes based on POP regarding cognition (how information goes into the brain), how we remember (how it comes out of the brain and is applied, which

Rural Schools Initiative at TASA/TASB Convention PDAS Post Mortem: TPESS and TTESS Saturday, October 3 n 8:45 a.m. – 9:45 a.m. n ACC, 11B

Rural and Small Schools: Sustainable Teacher Improvement, a Model for Success Saturday, October 3 n 1:45 p.m. – 2:45 p.m. n ACC, 11B

A simple example of how both objectives (Harleton’s teacher self-assessment based on student learning improvement and Channing’s interest in sustained professional learning around brain-based research) might easily be met in a classroom was presented and discussed as a possible model. The STEPP focuses on three Syfr Learning principles: rigor or stretch, variation in repetition, and simplification through summarization. The instructional shift is to move from reading an original document, taking notes at the same time, and class discussion to reading without taking notes, summarizing the document, and then discussing and adjusting the summary during discussion. Two days were spent on one design and two days on the other design. Questions on the end-of-week test were designed around one or the other

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is quite different than how it goes in), and how we can accelerate learning and deepen it at the same time. As a result of the training, principals have a way to implement many TPESS requirements and teachers see a defined route to TTESS success. Teachers will self-assess based on the emerging science of learning and do it at a nominal cost that does not require substitute days or coaching expense. New districts can still join the cohort by attending sessions next summer. At TASA’s Midwinter Conference, two sessions will feature the Rural Schools Initiative. If you would like to participate, contact one of the presenters at the sessions. n

Richard Erdmann and Christine Drew are the co-founders of Syfr Learning. Robert McLain is the superintendent of Channing ISD in Channing. Craig Coleman is the superintendent of Harleton ISD in Harleton.

References 1

Syfr’s Principles of Practice™ is from a book to be released this winter, What do we do with a brain that likes to forget? And four other essential questions about learning. 2

By utilizing both informal collaboration and choice (independent efforts), the program works with the two top activities that have helped the surveyed teachers learn to improve. These were reported in a recent publication, “The Mirage: Confronting the Hard Truth about Our Quest for Teacher Development,” by The New Teacher Project. The lowest two were meeting with evaluator, coaching, and observations/feedback.

SUCCESS FROM THE START Supporting new principals through collaboration Craig Hammonds

principal is the leading force behind a school’s success or failure. The selection of a new principal is a momentous event in the life of any school. Hargreaves and Goodson (2006) even state that a change of leadership is one of the most significant events in a school most likely to bring about a sizable shift in direction. Because of this, there is considerable amount of time and energy invested in ensuring the right candidate is selected for the job. After the excitement of the hiring process fades away, the newly appointed principal is often left to lead the campus with little or no support. Without the proper support, new principals can feel overwhelmed and question if they are cut out for the job. Because principal leadership has a significant impact on student achievement, it is essential for new principals to receive extra support in their first year.

Succession Planning The typical journey from classroom teacher to campus principal includes the experience of serving as an assistant principal. To those on the outside, this appears to be a great preparation for the principalship; unfortunately, that is not always the reality of the job. It has been said many times that the world of an assistant principal revolves around the three Bs: books, butts, and buses. While contemporary school principals are expected to be instructional leaders, many assistant principals are left to fulfilling the duties of building manager. In a survey of Texas public school principals, only 55 percent of the 78 respondents believed the assistant principal position prepared them for being a principal (Hammonds, 2011). The reality is most assistant principals have insufficient opportunity to exercise strategic leadership or educational curriculum leadership (Simkins, Close, & Smith, 2009). While the work of an assistant principal is vital to the success of a campus, their responsibilities are far removed from that of the principal.The preparation of future principals is a vital aspect for maintaining the momentum of providing viable school leadership. However, research and experience tell us many of the likely replacements are not properly prepared.

The First Year For a long period of time, educators have understood the need for supporting new teachers. “Over the past two decades, there has been a large increase in the number of states, districts, and schools offering support, guidance, and orientation programs. Importantly, the data also indicate that induction can help retain teachers and improve their instruction” (Ingersoll, 2012, p. 51). Despite this knowledge, there appears to be a disconnect in supporting new principals.“Whereas mentoring programs for beginning teachers are commonplace, this is not the situation for beginning administrators” (Rebore, 2012, p.100). While 85 percent of the Texas principals surveyed agreed it was ideal for districts to have a process to assist a principal’s entry to a new school, only 31 percent reported that this is happening (Hammonds, 2011). Survey responses also revealed that while the majority (87 percent) believe new principals should have mentors to help them through rough spots, only 53 percent reported this as an actual practice.Twenty-two percent of the Texas principals surveyed reported having an entry process in place that helped them understand the new context.These findings highlight a significant gap between ideal and actual principal induction programs that promote collaboration.

Seeking Support The role of the public school principal has become increasingly comprehensive and complex. Principals, particularly those in their first year, must increase their collaborative capacity to meet the high demands placed on them. Unfortunately, research and practice tell us most principals work in isolation. While 95 percent of the Texas principals surveyed indicated it would be ideal to receive support to deal with top-down initiatives, only 50 percent reported receiving such support. Sixty-three percent of the respondents stated they received support in dealing with work-related pressures. While 82 percent of the principal respondents welcomed close monitoring by their superintendents in their early years of the principalship, only 59 percent reported receiving such monitoring.

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Data shows principals, particularly those in their early years, welcome increased collaboration, particularly from those possessing greater experience.When asked about using the expertise of retired principals to support newer principals, 68 percent of respondents welcomed the practice, but only 18 percent said the practice was in place. Only 23 percent of respondents indicated their districts encouraged dialogue between outgoing and incoming principals. These findings suggest that more needs to be done to encourage and promote communication between novice and veteran school leaders.

conditions to help others succeed is one of the highest duties of leadership.

Collaborative Capacity

Too often, school systems create confusion about what is expected. Educational leaders read books and attend conferences encouraging them to collaborate through professional learning communities in their districts and campuses, only to see isolation rewarded at the end of the year with “Teacher of the Year” and “Principal of the Year” awards. It is time for educational leaders to lead by example. It is time to provide new principals with systems rooted in collaborative processes that support them through induction. It is time that we recognize and reward teams for their collaborative work.

Hargreaves, Moore, Fink, Brayman, and White (2003) reported a significant influence on school improvement is the quality of school leadership. According to the authors, the leadership of a school shapes the school’s character; orchestrates people’s efforts within it; develops a common vision; and sets the expectations, means, and motivation for student achievement.The key human cause that shapes the future of all students and the fortunes of everyone in schools is the quality of leadership. In many ways, leadership is our first and last hope for successful school change (Hargreaves, Moore, Fink, Brayman & White, 2003). With so much riding on the success of the principal, building the collaborative capacity of principals appears to be a wise investment.According to Fullan (2014), principals must seek ideas from similar schools and view themselves as system players. He goes on to say that when the ideas of thousands of principals are unleashed and shared, the resources become dynamic. Collaboration among principals should involve purposeful, focused teamwork that gets results because it motivates the masses to innovate and to commit to improvement (Fullan, 2011).This type of collaboration creates conditions that are beneficial to first-year principals and that help all involved to succeed. According to DuFour and Marzano (2011), creating the

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A principal serves in a demanding profession. Increasing standards, high-stakes accountability, and budget cuts have led to today’s educational leaders being required to do more with less. For any principal, and especially for those new to the role, the demands of the job can be more than any one person can handle alone.To provide new principals with the support they need, systems must be established that discourage a culture of isolation and encourage a spirit of collaboration.

The most-effective principals strive to serve those they lead; they collaborate, mentor, and encourage others; share knowledge and beliefs; and become leaders of learners. As DuFour and Marzano (2011) put it: “May you choose to be a servant leader, and, in making that choice, may you develop the capacity of those you serve to carry on your legacy by becoming servant leaders themselves” (p. 208). n Craig Hammonds is the director of graduate programs in education and an assistant professor at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor in Belton. He works with Ohio State University as a site principal investigator with Project mNET. Hammonds is a former public school teacher, assistant principal, and principal.

References DuFour, R. & Marzano, R. (2011). Leaders of learning. Bloomington: Solution Tree Press. Fullan, M. (2011). Change leader: Learning to do what matters most. John Wiley & Sons. Fullan, M. (2014). The principal:Three keys to maximizing impact. John Wiley & Sons. Hammonds, C. (2011). An analysis of ideal and actual succession management practices in a select region of Texas public schools (doctoral dissertation). University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, 2011. Hargreaves, A., & Goodson, I. (2006). Educational change over time? The sustainability and nonsustainability of three decades of secondary school change and continuity. Educational Administration Quarterly, 42 (1), 3-41. Hargreaves,A., Moore, S., Fink, D., Brayman, C., & White, R. (2003). Succeeding leaders. A study of principal succession and sustainability. Ontario: Ontario Principal’s Council. Ingersoll, R. (2012). Beginning teacher induction: What the data tell us. Phi Delta Kappan, 93 (8), 47-51. Rebore, R. (2012). The essentials of human resources administration in education. New Jersey: Pearson. Simkins, T., Close, P., & Smith, R. (2009). Work-shadowing as a process for facilitating leadership succession in primary schools. School Leadership and Management, 29 (3), 239-251.

TSPRA VOICE: ALL A-TWITTER Districts use social-networking sites to share stories, galvanize community and more Nancy Sharp

ess than 10 years ago, a student’s take-home folder was the primary communications tool for school-to-home messages. A press release to the local media was the way to get news to community stakeholders.While both of these tools are still effective in certain instances, there is an information engine in the hand of every school administrator waiting to be unleashed — the smartphone. According to the Pew Research Center, 74 percent of all adults who are online use social-networking sites. For adults ages 18 to 29, 89 percent use social-networking sites, and 82 percent of adults ages 30 to 49 use some form of social media. A social media presence is essential for school districts as part of the overall communications strategy. Whether it’s Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, social media opens the door to two-way communication. While engaging in online dialogue with stakeholders can evoke feelings of vulnerability, the conversation is happening out in the community — in our “virtual living room,” so to speak. It’s imperative that school administrators join in the conversation. Changing demographics are another good reason to use social media. Data from the Pew Research Center indicates that smartphone ownership cuts across all demographic groups. Parents from low socio-economic homes are much more likely to have a mobile phone with Internet access than a computer with access. Putting district messages directly into the hands of community stakeholders increases the control districts have over message consistency. For even the smallest school district, it’s easy to engage in the world of social media. Start small, develop a policy surrounding appropriate use, and think of the end game. What is the goal for engaging in social media? Social-networking sites can be used for internal staff communications and professional development, as easily as they can be used for outward-facing communications — to tell the district’s story, drive traffic to your website, and engage community stakeholders.Through social media channels, a district or school can galvanize an audience and build a following.

Shout It From the Mountaintop (in 140 Characters or Less) Twitter is rapidly growing as a social media platform and is extremely easy to use. It’s a great place to start for districts wanting to dip slowly into the pool of social media. More than one person should have administrative rights to the Twitter account to ensure it can be accessed and updated regularly. Assigning two or three administrators to post to Twitter will help guarantee that the account stays fresh.Tweets can be scheduled in advance for busy administrators with unpredictable schedules.

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Users engage on Twitter by following, tweeting, re-tweeting, “favoriting,” and sending private messages to specific Twitter accounts. “Tweets” are messages written in 140 characters or less. They can contain photographs, links to websites and videos, and hashtags. Studies show that users are twice as likely to retweet or favorite a tweet that incorporates graphics, photographs, or links to videos.

Lubbock ISD Superintendent Berhl Robertson Jr. takes a “selfie” with 2015 graduates. He used the hashtag #lubbockisdgrad when posting to Twitter to start a communications thread, to which students and parents could contribute photos and congratulatory messages.

A hashtag is the “#” symbol placed before a keyword with no spaces. Using a hashtag organizes tweets into a common thread so they can be found easily through a Twitter search. This function is useful for sharing information and building buzz around a particular event. For example, during Lubbock ISD’s recent Summer Leadership Institute, attendees were encouraged to tweet keynote speaker quotes, learned concepts, and campus leadership team “selfies” (self-portraits) with the hashtag #LISDSLI2015. By searching for tweets with this hashtag, attendees — and those who weren’t able to attend — were able to see a variety of ideas, quotes and images from the event.

#lubbockisdgrad, which students, staff and materials, and at booster club and PTA parents then could use to contribute their meetings. photos and congratulatory messages to the Twitter conversation. Many free tools, like Hootsuite and Google Alerts, can assist in scheduling and monitorPaying attention to and participating in ing relevant conversations across many social conversations happening on social media media platforms. A communications staff builds a constituency. In a TED Talk,Twitter that is alert can resolve a brewing issue being co-founder and former CEO Evan Williams discussed online before it erupts. Twitter explained it this way: “It seems like when Analytics is another useful tool for evaluatyou give people easier ways to share infor- ing Twitter use to find the most effective mation, more good things happen.” utilization.

Adding a human-interest element to tweets is important to maintaining the personal connection that drives social media activity. For instance, Lubbock ISD Superintendent Berhl Robertson Jr. tweeted a selfie with 2015 graduates using the hashtag

So, how do people know to follow your Twitter account? Tell them at every opportunity. A Twitter “handle,” or username, should be posted prominently on district and school websites, on signs around schools, on all external correspondence and printed Begin with a Twitter account for your district and then plan for Twitter accounts for each school. Develop a consistent look across all accounts that will preserve the district brand. Good planning can align the district brand, while allowing for individual school colors and logos. Twitter pages designed by Lubbock ISD Webmaster Sarah Ancell.

INSIGHT

Technology is changing the way districts communicate. However, school districts have the power to influence stakeholders’ perceptions, and the tools to do so are within the smartphones that school administrators hold in their hands. n Nancy Sharp has been the executive director of Communications and Community Relations for Lubbock ISD since 2005. She is a graduate of TexasTech University with a degree in advertising and marketing. Prior to joining Lubbock ISD, she worked in media and community relations for members of the Texas Senate and U.S. Senate. Follow her on Twitter @LubbockISD.

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