Oregon GEAR UP Principals

High School Rigor and College

2012-02-15T11:39:00.000-08:00

A recent study using data from Florida schools found that students who have a more rigorous experience in high school are more successful in college. While that sounds logical, the study found several significant things that principals can use when working to improve college success for their students.

Taking a more rigorous math course by 10th grade was linked to higher test scores and attendance at a four-year college.
Taking a rigorous course in math, English, science, social studies or foreign language was tied to increased likelihood of attending a four-year college (7-9% more likely).
Rigorous classes are advantageous at any time but have an even stronger relationship to college success when taken in 9th or 10th grade.
Hispanic, African-American and poor students had a slightly higher graduation rate when they tool a rigorous course by 10th grade.
The greatest gains occurred for students in high-poverty schools.
Taking rigorous courses throughout high school, rather than just in the 11th or 12th grade, was advantageous.

We hope you find these data helpful as you work in your school to provide greater rigor for students, one of Oregon GEAR UP's five "R's." More information on the study is available here. We'd also enjoy hearing from you about your experience.

Resources for Rural Education

2012-02-06T05:00:00.000-08:00

We're always looking for resources that can support the work of teachers and principals in rural schools. Education Week recently published an article that looked at ways to help rural students leap cultural hurdles to college attendance. It provides some useful suggestions for schools and described the important role that school counselors have in helping first-generation students navigate the process of getting into college. In particular the article discusses how to overcome resistance from family members when the "right fit" for a student might be a college far from home.

We've also become fans of an Education Week blog on Rural Education. The blog is updated regularly with the latest information on ways to strengthen rural education across America. It also provides teachers and principals with helpful tools and resources to support their work.

We like this blog because we recognize that educators, particularly in rural areas, have many different roles and responsibilities and that may leave little time to focus on things like supporting students' college aspirations. The Rural Education Blog, along with the resources provided by Oregon GEAR UP can support your efforts to increase post-secondary options for your students.

Grading and Assessment of Student Work

2012-01-17T05:00:00.000-08:00

An common issue in schools is how to assess student work. It is often a complex, and occasionally contentious discussions, because it gets at issues of teacher autonomy and accountability, and because it is closely linked to student success in school and decisions about dropping out.

Two new resources, Research Into Practice, are available for GEAR UP principals. They were prepared by J. Howard Johnston, part of the EPI team working with principals as part of the Oregon GEAR UP program. The first discusses best practices in grading, and the second examines the use of rubrics for assessing student work. Both provide a summary of best practice in each area and include links to other online resources.

We think you will find the resources helpful and look forward to hearing from you about how you're working on grading and assessment in your school.

Five Key Functions of Effective Principals

2012-01-10T13:16:00.000-08:00

A report just issued by the Wallace Foundation reviewed decades of research on school leadership and identified five "key functions" used by effective principals. They include:

shaping a vision of academic success for all students;
creating a climate hospitable to education;
cultivating leadership in others;
improving instruction and
managing people, data and processes to foster school improvement.

Of particular importance is that the study "reinforced the empirical link between school leadership and improved student achievement."

The Wallace Foundation has supported studies on school leadership since 2000. The complete report is available on the foundation's website. We encourage you to read the entire report and learn about the impact a principal can have on student learning.

Principals Perspectives - Podcasts on School Improvement

2012-01-03T05:00:00.000-08:00

Principals in the Oregon GEAR UP schools are involved in many exciting initiatives that are changing their schools in exciting ways. In order to share some of these programs and to allow principals to speak directly with other principals, a set of podcasts is being developed by Jerry Lynch with support from Dana Beck at Oregon GEAR UP.

Four podcasts are currently available at http://gearup.ous.edu/podcasts.php or through the Principals Perspective link at the iTunes Store. Current topics include:

College and Career Advisory Program – Kristi McGree, Principal, South Umpqua High School
Positive Behavioral Interventions and Support – Bryan Wood, former principal , Brookings-Harbor High School and Diane Kinney, Dean of Students, Azalea Middle School
Increasing Student Expectations and Test Scores – Jay Mathiesen, Principal of La Pine High School
Freshman Academy – De Ann Jenness, Principal, North Marion High School

The podcasts are a rich resource for principals or their staff who can learn about the ways that GEAR UP teachers and principals are improving the educational experience of their students.

Nurturing and Sustaining Professional Learning Communities

2011-12-06T05:00:00.000-08:00

Over the last decade many schools have embraced the idea of professional learning communities (PLC's). While the term describes all sorts of collaborative activities, the PLC advocated by Rick DuFour, Shirley Hord and others is a school where teachers and principals focus on intently on improving student learning. They are committed to their own learning and act on that learning in ways that will positively improve students' education.

As PLC's have matured some schools struggle with ways to nurture and sustain the vitality that was often present in the early years. Schools that have successfully navigated this path find that five things support the continued growth of professional community.

First, create a schedule or other structure to provide time for teachers to work together and reduce isolation. There are many options, limited only by one's creativity.
Next, embrace policies that encourage greater autonomy, foster collaboration and improve communication. Share what works. Have conversations about successes and opportunities for growth.
Third, provide time for professional development both during the school day and at other times. Consider converting staff meeting time into opportunities for professional dialogue.
Fourth, when hiring new teachers look for candidates who are comfortable with feedback, examining their practice and who share your commitment to professional learning.
Finally, be transparent about your own learning and encourage those around you to do the same. Read widely. Be inquisitive. Work to create an atmosphere of trust and respect among all personnel.

We'd enjoy hearing from you about your experience with PLC's and how you work to maintain their vitality in your school.

Decision Fatigue

2011-11-25T05:00:00.000-08:00

Recently there has been a lot of discussion about whether the time of day you make a decision impacts the quality of that decision. Well, the evidence is clear that there may be an impact. It is called decision fatigue and it describes a phenomena where the quality of one's decisions made later in the day deteriorates.

The research shows that during the day one's mental energy is depleted, particularly if you focused on complex tasks and decisions. Decision fatigue can cloud a person's judgment and explains undesirable behaviors such as losing focus during meetings, getting angry with colleagues, becoming impulsive or making decisions without consideration of the consequences.

There are things you can do to minimize the effect. They include:

recognizing the problem and monitoring your behavior during the day;
planning your day so that you schedule important meetings and decisions early in the day;
avoiding back-to-back meetings so that you have time to recharge your 'mental energy' between meetings;
taking short mental breaks;
sleeping on decisions and avoiding making complex decision late in the day; and
being clear about your goals so that you minimize the drain of energy associated with sorting through complex issues.

A Research Brief that describes this term more fully is available at from the Oregon GEAR UP site at http://tinyurl.com/6wlllhq. We would enjoy hearing from you about your experience with decision fatigue and ideas you may have for avoiding the impact.

Seeking Volunteers to Fix Up Schools

2011-10-30T05:30:00.000-07:00

Almost every school faces the need to reduce expenditures and deal with shrinking resources. In order to maintain a strong instructional program fewer resources may be available to maintain the building and school grounds.

Howard Johnston recently prepared a Research Brief for an Oregon GEAR UP principal about how to seek volunteers to help fix up his school. Here's a summary of the brief.

"There isn't much research on how to secure volunteers to participate in school clean-ups and fix-ups, but some key ideas can be found in anecdotal examples from many communities around the nation. The first recommendation is that securing volunteers is easier when the school has a solid, active community relations program in place. If people are familiar with the school and its mission, they are more likely to volunteer when the call goes out for help. Secondly, people are more likely to volunteer if asked to do something specific. Finally, communicating with key groups is likely to build support within the group (e.g., alumni, churches, local businesses, service clubs) to help out. That makes the school an integral part of their public service agenda, and usually puts their volunteer efforts at the school's disposal."

You can read the entire Research Brief here. We'd be interested in hearing from you about ways you work with your community to maintain your school campus.

Using Instructional Rounds to Improve Instruction

2011-10-12T05:30:00.000-07:00

Instructional Rounds is a process based on the work of Dr. Richard Elmore. Rounds is adapted from the medical rounds process used in the medical schools to diagnose and identify treatment and is based on a belief that by working together educators can solve common instructional practices.

Rounds is a multi-step process. First is identification of a "problem of practice," or an area of inquiry. Then a team "makes the rounds" by visiting classrooms throughout the school. The observers then debrief their observation and the data is used to identify appropriate next steps.

The South Lane School District in Cottage Grove, OR, an Oregon GEAR UP district, implemented an Instructional Rounds model. In South Lane each school selects a "problem of practice" or an area of inquiry that is their focus for the year. Visits by teams of district administrators makes the "rounds," visiting classrooms to gather information. Following the "rounds" the team meets, debriefs and provides the school's principal with advice about next steps.

The emphasis is on identifying factual patterns from the observations, not personal opinion or personal judgment. The debriefing does not identify specific teachers or classrooms but rather looks for trends across the school's classrooms.

A brief PowerPoint from the Oregon Leadership Network describes the South Lane Instructional Rounds model.

Tools and Resources for Principals

2011-10-10T05:00:00.001-07:00

Sixteen new schools have joined the Oregon GEAR UP network. With the generous support of the Ford Family Foundation these schools have begun to enjoy the benefits of the Oregon GEAR UP Program.

The Principals Leadership Program, a component of Oregon GEAR UP, provides support for principals in their work with teachers and community to create college readiness and access. It includes on-site visits from a mentor, regional meetings and seminars, networking with other GEAR UP principals, and professional tools and resources.

Over 200 Research Briefs are available to principals. They cover virtually all of the major topics of interest for secondary school principals and each was developed at the request of a principal. There are also several other tools that will help principals work with their staff to implement a comprehensive college readiness program. A new addition is a set of podcasts,Principal's Perspectives, each prepared by a Oregon GEAR UP principal about an initiative in their school. The podcasts are also available at Apple's iTunes store.

I think you will find these tools and resources helpful in your work to improve college readiness. I'd enjoy hearing from you about their usefulness.

How Can School Leaders Keep Up With Innovations in Technology and Learning?

2011-09-06T08:48:00.000-07:00

The digital technology and social media landscape changes every day, and many of these changes have a profound effect on students, families and schools. It's nearly impossible for technology specialists to keep up with all of the new developments in the field, and for school leaders who have a lot of other things on their mind, it looks hopeless.

Fortunately, there are some resources that present information about innovations and new technologies in plain, non-technical language. One of the most useful is eSchoolNews, a daily electronic newspaper about technology innovation in schools (http://www.eschoolnews.com/). eSchoolNews showcases both new technologies and innovative uses of more familiar devices, such as smart phones, e-readers, or laptop computers. A recent edition contained great articles on the growing use of iPads to replace textbooks, digital archives for teaching students about the 9-11 anniversary, using technology as part of your incident response and school safety plans, and tackling reading comprehension. eSchoolNews is published daily and is free to educators. It is delivered to your email, so you can either save the edition, forward it to someone who might benefit from seeing it, or simply delete it.

Another site, not devoted exclusively to technology but focused more broadly on innovation, is Edutopia (www.edutopia.org), a free, online resource for educators committed to improving teaching and learning in their schools. The site is subtitled, "What Works in Education," and they are careful to present ideas that come from real practitioners and real schools. On the site today is a section devoted to digital citizenship -- a compendium of resources on cyberbullying, netiquette, and internet safety. Regular features also include videos, group discussions, blogs, classroom resources -- all focused on innovative practices in real world settings.

Both eSchoolNews and Edutopia provide rich resources for educators in a user-friendly manner. A great way to use these excellent tools is to share a feature story with the faculty to start a conversation in your own school about innovations that strengthen teaching and learning. Pretty soon, you'll sound like an expert!

Working with Generation Y Teachers

2011-06-05T05:00:00.000-07:00

As Baby Boomer teachers retire and are replaced by members of Generation Y (born between 1977 and 1995) we have come to appreciate that Gen Y employees have a very different set of characteristics shaped by a far different set of life experiences. They are . . .

Highly educated, value education and attribute their success to education;
Very comfortable using technology and expect it to be available in the workplace;
Tend to be creative, innovative and self-confident;
Committed to making a difference and contributing to positive social change;
Want to be connected, updated and included and involved in their work;
Desire relationships with co-workers and supervisors;
Looking for opportunities for growth, challenging work and assignments and flexibility in work schedules;
Possess collaborative skills, are committed to team-building and expect to be held accountable.

So, what are some strategies for working with Gen Y teachers? A report from the National Comprehensive Center for Teacher Quality (www.tqsource.org) identified ten strategies. They are described in this article about working with Gen Y teachers and a changing workforce (www.principalspartnership.com/feature510.html).

I hope you find the ideas thought-provoking. While the tools are not new, the application to Gen Y teachers is different than it would be for Baby Boomers. Just as Baby Boomers changed American society, so will Gen Y. They hold tremendous potential for making a difference in the lives of American students. I'd enjoy hearing from you about your experience with Generation Y teachers.

A "Wiki" as a Planning & Meeting Tool

2011-05-20T05:00:00.000-07:00

I must admit that I am a relative novice with social media but I'm an energetic learner and am always looking for tools that can help with some of the management tasks required of principals. Recently I've begun to use a "Wiki" for some of my classes and when I work with groups. Wiki is most often associated with Wikipedia but that is just one form of a wiki. A wiki is a website where any member can edit contributes, like projects that several people share, or for suggesting agenda items for a meeting. Some teachers use wikis in classrooms. While there are many uses, some use a wiki as a tool to have students share their work and gather feedback from others.

I created my classroom wikis at www.wikispaces.com, a site that allows you to create free wikis. They are easy to create and a useful place for a committee or other group to maintain their agendas, minutes and any documents related to the work. You can limit access to the site so that only members can contribute.

I've found wikis to be useful and would enjoy hearing from you about your experience with wikis or other social media tools used by principals.

Supporting Teachers and Staff During Change

2011-05-10T05:00:00.000-07:00

As expectations rise for schools, the resources to support them are stable or declining. This combination of forces means that most schools are dealing with significant reorganization and change. Successful leaders understand that the success of any change is directly related to developing the capacity of the people in the organization.

The School Administrators of Iowa identified several strategies that principals can use to support people during these changes. I found them to be a helpful reminder and would be interested in hearing from you about their value.

Allow people to discuss feelings of loss and the difficulty of "letting go" of familiar programs and practices;
Identify the needs of individual people and tailor the support based upon need;
Develop support groups that are problem solving, action-oriented and non-judgmental;
Be candid about unmet needs and work with people to plan specific ways to meet the need;
Focus on strengths, skills, and interests of each person;
Provide opportunity for everyone involved to share their ideas and talents;
Plan ways for individuals to expand their skills to support the change;
Identify ways that individuals can work to support one another throughout the change;
Focus on successes and achievements;
Give extra support to those who need it;
Keep communication open and encouraging.

College Preparation Timeline

2011-05-02T05:00:00.000-07:00

Principals play a key role in helping students prepare for admission and success in college. The best schools start early to prepare kids for a post-secondary experience and they make sure teachers and other staff, students and their families, and community members all have the information and tools they need to support students take the right courses, gain admission, find financial support and head off to college with the confidence and skills they need to succeed.

At the recent GEAR UP Success Conference at Seventh Mountain Resort in Bend, Howard Johnston and Ron Williamson shared a comprehensive timeline they developed for principals. The timeline is linked to the five core concepts of the Oregon GEAR UP model---relationships, reality of affordability, rigor, relevance, and right classes. The timeline includes links to incredible resources and identifies activities that should take place from 6th grade through high school. College Prep: A Timeline for Leaders is a valuable resource. We'd enjoy hearing from you about the timeline and about how you support your students' preparation for college.

Developing Professional Norms

2011-04-28T05:00:00.000-07:00

I'm an absolute believer in the importance of working together when planning and making decisions. One of the things I've found most helpful is to have an agreed upon set of norms that will guide group operations, discussion and decision-making. A good starting point is to look at the seven norms of collaboration suggested by Garmston and Wellman (www.adaptiveschools.com). But some of the most effective norms are those identified by the faculty in a school. At Hadley Junior High School in Glen Ellyn, IL they developed their own list of "Professional Behavior Norms" they used for professional development and when meeting with one another.

The learning that occurs today belongs to you, and it rests largely with you.
Enter into the discussion enthusiastically.
Give freely of your experience, but don't dominate the discussion.
Confine your discussion to the task assigned.
Say what you think . . . be honest.
Only one person should talk at a time. Avoid private conversations while someone else is talking.
Listen attentively to the presentation and discussion.
Be patient with other participants. Appreciate their point-of-view.

The experience in Glen Ellyn was positive. Because they were mutually agreed to, the norms reflected their collective commitment to one another.

I'd enjoy hearing from you about other ways that you've worked to develop norms to guide your work.

Build a Key Communicator Network

2011-04-15T05:00:00.000-07:00

I'm constantly reminded about the importance of both sharing and gathering information about your school. One model is the Key Communicator Network developed by the National School Public Relations Association (www.nspra.org). It reminds us that communication is a two-way street and it is important to maintain a network that can help you advocate for your school.

Here are some steps that you can use to build your own network.

Bring together a small group of trusted people who know your community and ask them to suggest others who are opinion leaders in your community. Many of them may not work in schools but all interact with other community members.
Invite these people to meet with you to discuss your successes, your challenges and your vision for your school.
At the meeting describe the objectives of the group. For example, to provide members with honest, object information about your school; for members to share this information with others in the community; to identify questions or concerns that emerge in the community.
Establish a way to maintain communication using e-mail, telephone or scheduled meetings.

I hope you enjoy these ideas about building and maintain a network of contacts. Such a group can help share the good news about your school's successes and also help alert you to any issues or concerns in the community. I'd enjoy hearing from you about other ways you've used to both share and gather information from your community.

Consensus - "Fist to Five"

2011-04-04T05:00:00.000-07:00

Building consensus can be a challenge. While often the preferred way to make decisions, consensus can be fleeting. It doesn't mean that everyone agrees wholeheartedly with the decision, but it does mean that everyone can support the decision. At a minimum, everyone should agree they can live with the decision.

One tool I've found to be useful is "Fist to Five." It can help you seek common ground and is a quick way to assess the support among every participants. Ask every participant to indicate their level of support from a closed fist (no support) to all five fingers (enthusiastic support). Most groups I work with agree that the discussion continues until everyone holds up at least three fingers. Here's the complete set of descriptors adapted from those prepared by Adventure Associates (2009)

Fist

“I need to talk more on the proposal and require changes to support it.”

1 Finger

“I still need to discuss some issues and I will suggest changes that should be made.”

2 Fingers

“I am moderately comfortable with the idea but would like to discuss some minor things.”

3 Fingers

“I’m not in total agreement but feel comfortable to let this idea pass without further discussion.”

4 Fingers

“I think it’s a good idea and will work for it.

5 Fingers

“It’s a great idea and I will be one of those working to implement it.”

I've used "Fist to Five" many times and it is always helpful to gauge the level of support for a decision. I'm convinced that we made a better decision when we worked to build a higher level of support. I'd enjoy hearing from you about how you work with groups to reach agreement. I'd also enjoy learning about your experience using the "Fist to Five" approach.

Trimester Schedules

2011-03-07T05:00:00.000-08:00

In recent years many schools have implemented a trimester schedule as a way to provide greater flexibility in their schedule. Trimester schedules divide the school year into three parts with students taking fewer classes each trimester than in a traditional semester schedule. But, over the year, a trimester generally offers students more classes and an opportunity to enrich their educational experience. Trimester schedules also allow for earlier intervention and credit recovery options than other schedules. Trimesters often allow the first trimester to finish prior to winter break and often align with the schedule of nearby colleges, thus easing options for dual enrollment.

As with any scheduling model, trimesters don't solve every problem a school may face with their schedule. But it does provide an innovative way to look at the use of time.

There are lots of resources available on trimester schedules. One is a site devoted just to trimester schedules (www.trimesters.org). The other is a site from a high school that recently adopted the trimester model (www.a2skyline.org/skyline/home/trimesters). Finally, a Research Brief on the trimester schedule is available on the Education Partnerships, Inc. website and on my website (www.ronwilliamson.com).

I'd enjoy the opportunity to learn from you about your experience with trimester schedules and both the benefits and challenges you've encountered.

Challenging Economic Times

2011-02-22T05:00:00.000-08:00

No school is immune from the need to plan for a future impacted by declining, or at the best, stable resources. Schools are caught between expectations for improved student performance and the reality that there are fewer human and financial resources to support the program. Almost universally the issue is one of how to be both efficient and more effective.

There are generally three responses. First, you can identify areas where you might reduce expenses by eliminating programs or reducing budgets. But in many schools these efficiencies have already been achieved. Second, you can consider alternative ways of doing things you're already doing. For example, some rural schools have shifted to a four-day week to reduced costs of transportation, food service, and office support. Some have begun to work together by combining programs, sharing teachers, or sharing central office resources. In Michigan one district contracted with a nearby district for a portion of the superintendent's time. Others consolidated human resources or business services. Third, you can prioritize what you are doing. This is often difficult, even when you use data, because it is often seen as valuing one program more than others. If you prioritize be sure to anchor your decisions in your school's vision and mission. Some schools have learned that reducing every program a little isn't very effective. It may be necessary to focus on fewer things and do them really well. Always be sure someone is advocating for the neediest students, those requiring the most support.

Some schools have begun to work together to share professional development. Others have worked with local business leaders to sponsor professional development. Or you might want to increase efforts to identify volunteers, such as senior citizens, to work with students.

Unfortunately many of the decisions involve reductions in the number of teachers and other staff. They invariably mean larger class size, fewer course offerings, and reduced opportunities for students. When appropriate decisions about how to respond to these reductions are almost always better when teachers, families and other stakeholders are included. And, of course, it is important to support remaining staff as they deal with the new reality of fewer colleagues.

These are challenging times for schools and their leaders. I'd enjoy hearing form you about how you and your community are dealing with your declining resources.

Schools that Break the Mold

2011-02-04T05:00:00.000-08:00

I'm always looking for examples of how a principal and their staff works to improve the educational experience of their students. One of my favorite organizations is the Southern Regional Education Board in Atlanta. They sponsor both the High Schools that Work and Middle Schools that Work programs in every region of the nation. But they also provide incredible resources for educators on their website (www.sreb.org). They recently published their January newsletter, "Schools Break the Mold to Produce Graduates Ready for Success in College and Careers." The newsletter shares examples from schools that are small and large, located in rural areas and the inner city. Each is a powerful story about how adults working together can transform their schools. I hope you find them both informative and inspirational.

Lesson Study: Improving Instruction One Lesson at a Time

2011-02-01T05:00:00.000-08:00

Originally used by Japanese teachers, lesson study emphasizes working in small groups to plan, teach, observe, and critique a lesson. Lesson study involves groups of teachers in a collaborative process designed to systematically examine their practice with the goal of becoming more effective. Teachers College at Columbia University has many resources about the lesson study process (www.tc.columbia.edu/lessonstudy/lesson-study.html) and they've developed a lesson study protocol that describes how the process might work.

Participants should be volunteers but the invitation to participate should be inclusive.
While working on a study lesson, teachers work together to develop a detailed plan for the lesson.
One member of the group teaches the lesson in a real classroom while other members of the group observe the lesson.
The group comes together to discuss their observations about the lesson and student learning.
The group works together to revise the lesson.
Another teacher teaches the revised lesson while group members observe.
The group reconvenes to discuss the observed lesson.
The revision process may continue as long as the group believes it is necessary.
Teachers talk about what the study lesson taught them and how they can apply the learning to their own classroom. They may prepare a report to be shared with others.

Lesson study is a valuable tool to engage teachers in examining their own work and developing plans for improvement. It is anchored in a collaborative culture where teachers are comfortable working together and talking about complex issues.

I'd enjoy hearing from you about your experience with lesson study or other professional development activities.

Book Study: A Tool for Professional Conversation

2011-01-17T05:00:00.000-08:00

A good way to engage teaches and other staff in their own professional growth is to organize a book study group. At some schools, every teacher may be asked to read the same book and work in small groups to discuss the book and its implications for practice. In others, teachers may choose from among several books and join colleagues who selected the same book for their discussion.

Here are some things I've learned about organizing book study groups.

Membership should be voluntary, but inclusive.
Decide a meeting schedule, meeting place, length of book to be read, and what will happen after the book is red. It is recommended that meetings last no more than one hour and be held at a consistent time and place.
Select a responsible facilitator to keep the group on task and to help manage the meetings.
Select a book with a clear objective in mind. For example, select a book that aligns with your school improvement plan.
Conversation is important in a book study. Members of the group share insights, ask questions about the text, and learn from others. It is important to talk about how the ideas can be directly applied in the classroom and how to overcome any potential obstacles.
Journaling is a useful way for members to think about their reading and reflect on how it might be used.

Additional information about conducting a book study is available at www.eyeoneducation.com/BookStudyGroupFAQ/BookStudyFAQ.asp.

I would enjoy hearing from you about ways you engage teachers in their professional growth and promote conversations about improving your school. I look forward to hearing from you.

Both Eligible and Ready for College

2011-01-03T05:00:00.000-08:00

The December 2010 issue of Principal Leadership had a thoughtful article by Dr. David Conley from the University of Oregon Center for Educational Policy Research on helping students become both eligible for college admission and prepared for success in entry-level college courses.

Dr. Conley's work emphasizes readiness in four critical areas: "development of key cognitive strategies, mastery of key content knowledge, proficiency with a set of academic behaviors, and sufficient college knowledge about what post-secondary education requires."

For example, he suggests that students must know how to think about and apply content knowledge, how to identify a problem, how to collect information and evaluate the resources they used, how to interpret, analyze and evaluate the information and then communicate their work by organizing it and constructing a logical means of presenting the work

He suggests that most high schools do a good job of encouraging college attendance, and helping students navigate both the admission and financial aid process. In addition, many schools provide students with a set of courses that deal with content knowledge. What most schools lack is a recognition that college success also requires a set of intellectual dispositions and skills for success in college courses.

After studying 38 high schools, seven key principles were identified. They include:

Create and maintain a college going culture in your school - Signal to students that the school prepares them for postsecondary success.
Create a core academic program aligned with and leading to college readiness by the end of the 12th grade - Define a core academic program that, for all students, that leads to college readiness.
Teach self-management skills and expect students to use them in high school - Help students learn to manage their own learning, to set and manage completion of goals, and to manage taking notes and completing long-term, complex assignments.
Make college real by preparing students for the complexity of applying to college and making the transition -Work with students and families as early as middle school and no later than the 9th grade to understand the importance of planning, taking the appropriate courses, and timelines for both admission and financial aid.
Create assignments and grading policies that align more closely with college expectations - Because the college experience requires students to work more independently and to manage assignments and homework without receiving a daily or weekly grade, schools should provide this experience during high school. Develop assignments that use college type experiences and expectations.
Make the senior year meaningful and challenging - Assure that the senior year is both academically enriching and challenging. Every student should experience a college like experience such as senior seminar, senior project or AP course.
Build partnerships with postsecondary institutions and programs - Work to build a relationship with postsecondary programs and institutions. Find ways for faculty to work together and to align their expectations and instruction.

Assuring that every student is prepared for postsecondary education is a critical activity in K-12 schools. I'd like to know how you respond to Dr. Conley's seven recommendations and what you and your teachers are doing to assure that each of your students is prepared for post-secondary education.

Additional information about Dr. Conley's work is available at www.collegecareerready.org. Principal Leadership is a publication of the National Association of Secondary School Principals and is available online to members (www.principals.org).

College Readiness Strategies

2010-11-29T05:00:00.000-08:00

During the past year the Principal's Leadership Program has developed several resources that can help you and your staff help to prepare students for college. The research shows that four factors are critical to student success.

They take the right classes in middle school and high school so that they can take rigorous classes in high school and college. The course selection should be guided by the rigor of the class, not the course title.
They develop the cognitive and meta cognitive skills for success beyond high school. This includes critical-thinking, problem analysis, synthesis, inquisitiveness, and intellectual openness.
They have a supportive structure in high school that embraces their college aspirations and provides them with the knowledge and skills to navigate in a very different social structure.
Students and their families are provided accurate, up-to-date information about admission requirements, timelines and availability of financial assistance.

A paper prepared by EPI for Oregon GEAR UP Principals titled Pathways to College is available at www.educationpartnerships.org/pdfs/Pathways%20to%20College.pdf. It is accompanied by a Research Brief on the Transition from Middle School to High School, and one on the Transition from High School to College. Both are available at the EPI website.

Assessing Your School Cultue

2010-11-10T05:00:00.000-08:00

Every school has a culture, a set of shared basic assumptions that are passed from generation to generation and taught to new members. Culture reflects the unspoken norms about a school, its operations and its values.

Over time every school develops its own culture, shaped by the people who work there, the community the school serves, the students who attend the school and the way these groups respond to the successes, tragedies, and daily events at the school.

Culture is a powerful set of rituals, traditions, and practices that reflect the values of a school. It often appears irrefutable but principals are able to impact their school's culture by using these symbols to promote other institutional values and the school's core mission. Importantly, if you understand the power of culture, you can use its symbols to telegraph messages about "what is important."

A good place to begin is to assess your current culture. I'd like to suggest four strategies you might use.

At a staff meeting, ask each person to list five adjectives that describe the school's culture. Organize the words into common themes and discuss their meaning.
Walk the halls of your school. What do you see? What artifacts are visible that convey messages about student success? About the values of challenging work? About a commitment to not accept failure? About college attendance? About persistence?
Talk with a cross-section of teachers and students. What gets them excited about their work? About their learning? What do they find joy in?
Consider the past three months. What have you done to show your enthusiasm for learning? For student success? How have you recognized and rewarded students and staff?

I'd enjoy hearing from you about the way you work with you teachers and families to improve your school culture.

It All Begins with Vision

2010-10-29T13:10:00.000-07:00

During my recent work in Oregon GEAR UP schools I'm been reminded of the importance of the principal's vision. Two principals, Jay Mathisen at La Pine High School and Scott Reed at Lincoln Junior High/High School, became principal a few years ago with a clear vision for making their campus academically excellent and a place that exemplified a culture of college readiness. After three years they've had tremendous success shaping their school and can point to significant gains in student achievement and college attendance.

Having a clear vision or purpose for your school is important. Besides having your own personal vision you must work collaboratively with teachers, families, staff and students to develop a clear and compelling vision for your school. That's what made Jay and Scott successful.

But it all begins with your personal vision. That vision consists of the most fundamental beliefs about life, about your work, and about relationships with people. I suggest you use a four-step process to develop your vision statement.

Step 1: Think about your personal and professional life. Describe what you would like to achieve and the contributions you would like to make. Think of it as something already accomplished. Describe what it looks like and feels like. For example, imagine hovering in a hot air balloon over your life. Imagine your life as successful as it might be---what would you see? what would you feel? what would you hear?

Step 2: Consider your self-image, relationships, personal interests, and community based on the things you wrote in step 1. Examine each item in your draft statement to be sure it still fits.

Step 3: Develop a list of values and identify those that are most important in your life. Once this is done, review the list and rank them from most to least important. Remove the least important. Re-rank if appropriate. Check for relevance with your earlier statement. Eliminate any item that is not relevant.

Step 4: Use the items from the first three steps to develop a statement about who you are. Review and edit the statement as often as needed until you believe it accurately reflects your vision.

The job of a principal begins with vision. If you don't have a vision, or haven't revisited it recently, you won't have a clear direction when pressures mount. I encourage you to take the time to develop your own vision and to work with your school community to build a shared vision.

I'd enjoy hearing from you about your school and the vision that guides your efforts.

Tips for Working with Families and Community

2010-09-10T05:00:00.000-07:00

It is important that schools maintain regular contact with families and with members of the community. Principals have an important role cultivating and nurturing support for their efforts to strengthen and refine their schools. It is critical to provide families with the information and tools they need to support your vision for a more effective school. Rather than be reactive, develop a proactive strategy.

In suburban Phoenix a principal asked his staff to share "turnaround" stories with him---stories of students who made a significant positive change in their learning. The principal always had two or three stories that he could share with families in formal and informal conversations. At a middle school in western North Carolina every communication with families include the school's core belief---"learning is not optional."

Families are almost always supportive of increasing the quality of their child's education. What they want, however, is specific ideas about how they can be helpful. Three strategies are critical. First, establish a variety of communication procedures, some in print, some in person, some electronic. Technology is helpful but not all families have the same access. Second, create and support authentic, meaningful roles for family members. Rather than just holding a meeting, include training and support. Craft volunteer opportunities that capitalize on family members' expertise, abilities and interests. Finally, provide families with support and resources. Although the specific types may vary depending on your families, families are almost always looking for good ideas and resources to support their children's success.

Here are some other tips from other principals.

Provide ideas for how to organize the home to support homework completion.
Create a parent library with books and materials about parenting and supporting students' academic growth.
Organize a parent support group.
Help families locate libraries and other helpful resources.
Arrange for parents to share ideas and strategies they find successful in supporting their child's success in school.
Include tips for parents in every school newsletter or other communication.

I hope you find these ideas helpful and would enjoy hearing from you about your ideas for working with families and community.

Collective Leadership and Student Achievement

2010-08-23T05:00:00.001-07:00

During the summer the Wallace Foundation released a report showing a direct link between collective, rather than individual, leadership and student achievement. The report found that when principals and teachers share leadership responsibilities students benefit. It is a useful report and clearly identifies things principals can do to positively impact student achievement.

Leadership emerged as "second only to classroom instruction" among school factors contributing to student learning. Further the report found that effective leaders find the proper balance between stability and change. "They work to develop and support people to do their best, while working to redesign their organizations to improve effectiveness.

Other findings include:

Collective leadership has a stronger influence on student learning than any individual source of leadership.
Teachers in high performing schools attribute greater influence to teacher teams, parents and students.
While principals and district leaders have great influence on decisions, effective principals encourage others to join in collective leadership.
Teachers working relationships are stronger, and student achievement higher, when principals and teachers share leadership.

An executive summary of the report can be found athttp://www.wallacefoundation.org/KnowledgeCenter/KnowledgeTopics/CurrentAreasofFocus/EducationLeadership/Documents/Learning-from-Leadership-Investigating-Links-Ex-Summary.pdf, and the full report may be found athttp://www.wallacefoundation.org/KnowledgeCenter/KnowledgeTopics/CurrentAreasofFocus/EducationLeadership/Documents/Learning-from-Leadership-Investigating-Links-Final-Report.pdf.

I'd enjoy hearing from you about your experience with collective leadership and your thoughts about this important report.

Great Summer Reading

2010-07-20T05:00:00.000-07:00

Summer is a great time to rest and relax for the coming school year. I value the summer as an opportunity to catch up on my reading and I’d like to recommend some of my recent favorites to you. They include:

The Way We’ll Be by John Zogby - Known for his polling expertise, Zogby provides an intriguing look at contemporary American life. He suggests that the American dream is being redefined by several meta-movements including learning to live within our means, looking inward for spiritual comfort, demanding authenticity and embracing diversity. The book discusses the implications for every American institution, including its schools, and challenges some long-standing norms about the future of our nation.

How the Mighty Fall by Jim Collins - The author of Good to Great identifies the stages of organizations that fail to develop the capacity for sustaining their work. Rather than focusing on how individuals and organizations fail, Collins offers hope by identifying specific strategies that can be used to avoid decline.

Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell - Written by the author of The Tipping Point and Blink, this book examines of question of why some people succeed far more than others. Gladwell identifies a pattern that emerges from looking at outliers---”people whose achievements fall outside normal experience.” It offers insights into ways each of us can increase our likelihood of success.

The Go-Giver by Bob Burg and John David Mann - This parable describes the experience of an ambitious young man. Along the way he is introduced to others who reflect the principles of service, contribution and success. It is a delightful story that teaches a valuable lesson about success as a leader.

Summer Hiring

2010-07-06T03:00:00.000-07:00

Summer always includes some unexpected personnel changes. Teachers transfer, they move or may take another position. Finding the right people can occasionally be a challenge. When I was a principal I once conducted an interview with a teacher who called from a phone booth in a campground. It was a great interview and I ultimately offered her a job but it certainly was one of the most unique interviews in which I've participated.

Hiring is often guided by district policy but there are some important things you will want to consider. First, develop your selection criteria. Each criterion should be relevant to the work. Differentiate between the skills or characteristics that are required and those that are simply desirable.

Second, create and use a set of standard interview questions. They should be linked to your criteria but open-ended enough so that they provide in-depth information about the candidates. Principals I've worked with have suggested these examples because they don't lend themselves to a single answer and allow you to assess how the candidate responds.

What do you see as your strengths and how will they help you in this position?
As you think about your past work experience, what has been your biggest challenge?
Talk with me about the things you consider when designing a lesson.
When you're teaching a lesson how do you monitor whether students are learning?
Imagine you were hired for this position and it is a year later. What was the best part of your first year and what was your biggest challenge?

Finally, follow the same process for every one you interview. Even when you realize early in the interview that a person is not the best fit for the job, you need to respect the candidate and finish the interview. Otherwise they can suggest that they were not given an equal opportunity to share their background and skills.

I also like to send everyone who interviewed a short written note thanking them for applying and considering my school. Even if the person is not a fit for a particular job they might be right for another position in the future.

Schools are basically people places. So it is important to hire the right people and nurture talented employees so that they feel part of the school. That can begin during the interview and hiring process. Asking about student learning and professional growth sends a signal about their importance to you.

I'd enjoy learning from you about your experience with hiring and look forward to hearing from you.

Great New Resources for Principals

2010-06-15T03:00:00.000-07:00

I'm always looking for new tools and resources for principals and as the school year ends I would like to share a few with you.

Blogs for Principals - There are some incredible resources available at several blogs designed just for principals. Here are some of my favorites.

Get Organized! http://frankbuck.blogspot.com. This site is devoted to making life easier through organization and time management and is written by Frank Buck author of Get Organized! Time Management for School Leaders.

Leader Talk http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/LeaderTalk/. This Education Week blog is written by school leaders for school leaders and provides interesting commentary and useful ideas for leading your school.

Effective Principals, Effective Schools http://effectiveprincipals.blogspot.com. This blog shares strategies used by principals to positively impact their school. The author of The Principalship from A to Z maintains the blog.

I hope you find these resources helpful and would enjoy hearing from you about other great sites for ideas to improve our schools.

Evidence Linking Small Schools and Student Achievement

2010-06-06T13:17:00.000-07:00

For the past decade there's been a growing movement to create small learning communities and small schools with the belief that they will positively impact student achievement and school climate. Most Oregon GEAR UP schools are relatively small and will be interested in the findings of an Oregon initiative funded by The Gates Foundation and the Meyer Memorial Trust.

The Oregon Small Schools Initiative (OSSI) reported in their initial evaluation that small schools have a positive impact on student success and that "despite high rates of poverty and other barriers to success, . . . small school students generally perform as well as or better than non [small school] students." The report also said that "students enrolled at a small school for multiple grades will, on average, have better outcomes" than those there for fewer years. The complete report is available at http://www.e3smallschools.org/documents/Statewideoverviewreport_FINAL4_8_10.pdf.

The Oregon Small Schools Initiative provides many resources to support improvement and work with your community to improve student learning. Check our the things that they offer. I'd like to hear from you about your experience with small schools.

Caring for Students and Their Families

2010-05-20T03:00:00.000-07:00

The current economy has impacted students and families in significant ways. A recent report from the National Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth reported that in over half the states there has been a 50% increase in homeless students since 2007. The nation's official poverty rate was 13.2% and for children younger than 18, 19%. The US Department of Agriculture found (Nov 2009) that food shortages, even outright hunger characterize the current economy. The number of Americans running out of food each month rose to 16% of the population.

Schools are responding in respectful and caring ways to this crisis. I recently learned about a program at Mitchell School in Ann Arbor, MI. About 60% of Mitchell's students qualify for free or reduced price means. The staff works with Chartwells, the district's food service provider, and with Food Gatherers, a local non-profit organization to gather food and pack backpacks that students take home on Friday. Principal Kathy Scarnecchia says that keeping students "fed and healthy" helps them to be more successful in school. Students return the empty backpacks on Monday.

What a wonderful way to support students, their families, and commit to the success of every student.

Productive Student Work Groups

2010-05-11T11:01:00.000-07:00

Some form of group work has been part of most teachers' classrooms forever. The challenge is how to make sure that groups are productive and contribute to student learning.

It is important to build both individual and group accountability into every task assigned to a group. Each student must be responsible for his or her contribution and the group must be responsible for the overall task.

A recent study of the most successful group activities found six common characteristics. They included:

Tasks that emphasized larger learning goals rather than discrete facts and knowledge;
Teachers provided students with smaller tasks before asking them to tackle larger, longer and more complex tasks;
Timelines for both individual and group responsibility were explicit in each activity;
Each task was broken into interim steps or parts so that individuals and the group could monitor their progress toward completing the larger task;
Students were asked to evaluate their individual work as well as the group's work;
Teachers included both individual and group evaluations when determining a grade for a project. (Frey, Fisher & Everlove, Productive Group Work, 2009).

It is also important to be sure students have the skills to work collaboratively. Skills at active listening, offering constructive feedback and considering different perspectives are critical.

Because I use groups a lot when I teach I am always looking for resources to make the groups productive. Recently I found a rubric from the authors of Productive Group Work that helps to assess the quality of student groups. It is available at http://www.fisherandfrey.com?page_id=20.

Expand Leadership Capacity

2010-05-05T03:00:00.000-07:00

There are many ways to nurture leadership skills among your staff. It involves creating a school with a variety of leadership roles, opportunities for inquiry and reflection, and a chance to learn and develop new skills.

You can develop leadership by asking someone to work closely with others as part of a committee or leadership team. You might invite a teacher to shadow a school leader for a day and then talk with them about their observations. Or you might challenge them to work with others to solve a "real-life" problem in your school.

The following ideas are adapted from a NASSP publication, Practical Suggestions for Developing Leadership Capacity in Others (http://www.principals.org/Content/topic/56566).

Expand their skills and knowledge base

Invite them to work on a project outside their area of expertise;
Ask them to screen and interview potential employees
Encourage them to attend district level meetings with you.

Provide opportunities to observe and reflect

Encourage them to maintain a journal and reflect on the "good," "bad," or "flawed" leaders they know and observe;
Talk with them about how and why you handled a situation as you did.

Support their participation in professional development

Ask them to serve as a mentor of a new teacher;
Encourage them to join and be involved with a professional organization;
Ask them to present information to the staff after attending a conference or other professional development activity.

Expanding leadership capacity is an important role for principals. It recognizes the contributions that employees, other than administrators, can make to improving your school. I'd enjoy hearing from you about the ways you build leadership capacity in your school.

Accountability for Students

2010-04-29T03:00:00.000-07:00

Students also share accountability for their own learning. They should be actively involved in their own learning, make decisions about their learning and be held responsible for asking questions, being clear about the expectations for their work, and for completing assignments.

Sounds simple but it is much more complex. Many schools provide students with the support they need to be successful. Here are some strategies that support students and help them to be accountable for their work.

Provide exemplars for all work and rubrics that students can use to assess their success on assignments.
Adopt a grading policy of A, B or Not Yet.
Provide opportunities for students to revise and resubmit work.
Include support and scaffolding in classroom instruction.
Include engaging instructional activities connected to real life
Provide quality and timely feedback on student work.
Act consistently on the belief that each student can learn, will learn, and your power to help them do so.

Increasing accountability for students is important. But it requires that teachers and principals look closely at their instructional practices to assure that they provide students with the support they need to be successful.

Dealing with Stable or Declining Resources

2010-04-16T03:00:00.000-07:00

No issue impacts schools more intensely than the current economic malaise. Every school I visit is being impacted by stable or declining resources. At the same time they are more accountable than every before for a high quality educational experience for all students.

Almost universally the issue becomes one of how to be both more efficient and more effective. You are expected to sustain your efforts at improvement while being even more efficient with your resources.

Generally there are three responses. You can identify areas where you might reduce expenditures. You can also consider an alternative way of doing some of the things you are already doing.

Or you can prioritize what you are doing. This is almost always difficult because in the process you are seen as valuing one program more than others. When you prioritize you must anchor your decision in your school's vision and mission. For example, you would not want to eliminate programs that provide additional support to students if your vision is one where every student is expected to achieve at higher levels.

You do not need to set aside your vision during tough economic times. But you might need to reconsider how you provide essential supports. You may want to work with other schools or districts to share professional development. You might want to ask a local business leader to support your advocacy efforts with families or community. You might want to increase your efforts to identify volunteers, such as senior citizens, to work with students.

These challenging decisions are almost always better when teachers, families, and other stakeholder groups are included. I'd enjoy hearing from you about how you reconcile the need for greater efficiency and greater effectiveness.

Details of Upcoming GEAR UP Success Conference

2010-03-30T04:00:00.000-07:00

Plan to attend the GEAR UP Success Conference at the Inn of the Seventh Mountain Resort in Bend April 29 - May 1. This year's theme will be "Transitions" and the conference will provide opportunity to learn about effective practices that support the successful transition of students between middle school and high school as well as between high school and college.

The conference will be keynoted by Dr. Dudley Flood, a former middle and high school teacher and principal. Noted for his work in the area of improving the achievement of minority and under-performing students, Dr. Flood worked for many years in the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction and serves as a consultant to schools throughout the United States. Breakout sessions will be provided on successful drop-out prevention and retention practices and a panel will engage in a lively discussion on successful transition practices between middle and high school as well as between high school and college. During the conference school teams will work together to develop a plan that they can implement when they return to their school.

The Success Conference provides a valuable opportunity to reflect on the success of this year and use that success as a springboard to even greater success in the coming year. We look forward to working with each of you and your teams during the conference.

Ten Skills for Successful School Leaders

2010-03-25T03:27:00.000-07:00

NASSP recently released an important new book, 10 Skills for Successful School Leaders. It combines the knowledge from NASSP's principal assessment centers with the school improvement framework developed in their Breaking Ranks series. The book describes each skill and provides a set of behavioral indicators. Perhaps most helpful, the book suggests activities that principals can sue to reflect on their own skill and build capacity in each area.

The ten skills are organized into four themes---educational leadership, resolving complex problems, communication and developing self and others. The complete list includes the following:

Educational Leadership

• setting instructional direction;

• teamwork;

• sensitivity;

Resolving Complex Problems

• judgement;

• results orientation;

• organizational ability;

Communication

• oral communication;

• written communication;

Developing Self and Others

• developing others;

• understanding your own strengths and weaknesses.

Finally, the book provides a protocol for developing your own personal learning plan. It supports your continued professional growth in a user friendly, non-threatening format. I think you will enjoy 10 Skills for Successful School Leaders.

Instruction from a Student's Perspective

2010-03-23T04:00:00.000-07:00

It is important to honor the student voice. One way to do so is to conduct a Student Shadow Study. A shadow study is a way to gather data about the experience of students with curriculum and instruction in your school. They involve selecting students at random and following them throughout the school day.

The shadow study protocol was originally developed by NASSP and suggests charting the experience of students a five to seven minute intervals. The allows the observer to see the ebb and flow of activities during the day. Spending the entire day with a student and documenting his or her experience provides interesting insights into how students experience your school. Of course students quickly figure out that something is going on so the best approach is to talk with them and assure him or her that you are not gathering information about them to report to the office.

Shadow studies are best done by a team of people. After gathering the information you can use it as a springboard to launch conversations with the faculty or departmental level about the student experience. The patterns that emerge across students and across classrooms can provide helpful guidance to improve the quality of instruction in your school.

Conducting a School Culture Audit

2010-03-17T18:50:00.000-07:00

Every school has a culture that reflects underlying values that shape patterns of behavior among the people who are part of the school community. Over time every school develops its own personality. It is shaped by the people who work in the school, the community the school serves, the students who attend the school and the way these groups respond to the successes, tragedies and daily events at the school.

Successful school leaders recognize the power of culture to shape their school. They regularly audit their school's culture and work with their staff and community to make the culture more positive and supportive of student success. Here are some ways to assess the culture in your school.

• At a staff meeting, ask each person to list five adjectives that describe the school's culture. Organize the words into common themes and discuss their meaning.

• Walk the halls of your school. What do you see? What artifacts are visible that convey messages about student success? About the value of rigorous work? About a commitment to not accepting failure?

• Talk with a cross-section of teachers or students. What gets them excited about their work? About their learning? What do they find joy in?

• Consider the last three months. What have you done to show your enthusiasm for learning? For student success? How have you recognized and rewarded students and staff?

We hope you will consider these strategies about ways to audit the culture of your school. We'd love to hear others ideas that you find successful to nurture and sustain a positive school culture.

Changing Your School's Schedule

2010-03-15T05:35:00.000-07:00

Creating and managing the school schedule can be one of the most time-consuming tasks faced by a principal. It's easy to focus on the logistics of the schedule, but the schedule is just a tool to accomplish other things. There are four basic principles for building an effective schedule.

• The schedule reflects your school's values and priorities. Talk with key stakeholders to identify goals. Clarify of goals builds support for a new schedule and narrows the alternatives.

• The most effective schedules are anchored in a shared vision. Do you want to provide more collaborative time, extended instructional time or additional support for students? The options you will consider vary depending on your vision.

• A quality schedule emerges with teachers and administrators work together. Because the schedule is always reflects your priorities, it is important to engage others in the process of thinking about and considering the options.

• Without clear goals, the schedule is merely a plan for organizing teachers and students; when guided by clear goals, the schedule becomes a powerful tool to positively affect teaching and learning.

Before you begin to design a new schedule you will want to be clear about any district or local requirements about the use of time. And other things also affect the schedule like transportation schedules, employee contracts and facility constraints. But, learning about the alternatives and working with others to clarify priorities can really accelerate your thinking about how to use time differently.

There are several good resources including the Research Briefs on scheduling available at The Principals' Partnership website and the book Scheduling to Improve Student Learning (2009).

Physical Activity and Student Learning

2010-02-17T04:00:00.000-08:00

Today I visited North Valley High School, an Oregon GEAR UP school in the Three Rivers School District outside of Grants Pass. I was there to talk with principal Linda Hugle about her school and the success they've had during the past few years improving student learning. Linda described several recent initiatives including implementation of a trimester schedule but was most proud of the opportunity provided for students to have some physical activity during the school day. In addition to longer passing time between classes Linda arranged to have exercise equipment installed on the school lawn outside the front door. Students are able to use the equipment between classes, during lunch and before and after school. The combination of physical activity, fresh air, and an opportunity to relax a bit during the school day is valued because of the positive connection to student learning.

Linda and her staff are congratulated for taking the initiative and doing something that would be unheard of in many comprehensive high schools. It is a great example of focusing on students' needs and finding a way to meet them while maintaining an excellent academic experience.