Using Social Media for School Communications

It’s easy to dismiss social media as a fascination of young people but to do so minimizes one of the fastest growing trends in technology. The Pew Internet and American Life Project recently found that over 71% of teens have a Facebook profile and 75% of adults have one too. Social media tools have become the way for a school or business to quickly and efficiently disseminate information. Because of the almost universal access to social media across all demographic groups it often reaches people that traditional forms of communication miss.

The online presence for many schools has moved beyond the school website. It now includes a Facebook page (www.facebook.com), a Twitter account (www.twitter.com), blogs by teachers, principals or the superintendent, and YouTube (www.youtube.com) and Flickr (www.flickr.com) for sharing videos and photos about school events.

Seven Reasons to Pay Attention to Social Media

1. It Builds Relationships – Creating relationships is important for leaders and social media is a new, and very effective, way to build support among your stakeholders.
2. It’s About Customers – Parents and employees often come from a different generation, one that wants to work differently and to be involved in the educational process. Social media is a way to engage them in the life of your school.
3. They’re Already Talking – Check out the Internet and other online sites. People are already commenting about your school and about your leadership.
4. Listen as Well as Share – The principal is responsible for maintaining the school’s image. Use social media to interact with parents and community. Use it to both hear from them and to share information. It can provide a way to detect rumors and allow you to respond quickly.
5. You’ll Be Well Received – Almost everyone we’ve talked with reports the positive reception they get from having a blog, a Twitter feed or a school Facebook page.
6. It Builds Community – People commit to things they care about. As we described earlier, the public is less trustful of schools. Social media promotes community by inviting people to be part of the conversation.
7. It’s Here to Stay – While the forms of social media continue to change the evidence is that our use of the tools will only accelerate. Increasingly the expectation is that schools stay connected to their families and their community. Social media is the tool. (Adapted from: Porterfield & Carnes (2010), AASA Online)

Evaluation of Classified Employees

Evaluation is an important tool to develop and retain skilled employees. It should be used to recognize employees that are performing well, to identify areas for growth and to provide employees with clear, explicit feedback about their performance. An agreed upon appraisal system lets employees know what is expected, what is recognized and rewarded, and what is unacceptable.

Sound evaluation systems incorporate several key elements.

• Reliable Data – Good systems provide consistent, reliable and valid information about an employee’s performance.

• Job Related – The data used to measure an employee’s performance is be directly related to the work being performed.

• Standardization – Sound evaluation systems use appraisal forms, procedures and ratings that are standardized for employees doing similar work.

• Manageable – The system can be implemented by administrators and understood by all parties involved in the appraisal process.

• Results are Shared – Employees know how the system works and that they will receive timely feedback about their performance. Employees who disagree with the results have a process to challenge the appraisal.

• Due Process – Administrators follow the agreed upon process and there is a clear, viable process for employees to pursue disagreements.

While there is no uniform approach or format to the evaluation of classified employees, there are patterns to the data that is collected and the abilities that are assessed.

• Work Knowledge and Performance – This area generally assesses the employee’s knowledge and skill in their work area and the quality of that work. This section might assess knowledge of skills needed to perform the job, the quality of the performed work, employee attention to safety, following policies and procedures, and participation in appropriate training.

• Personal Abilities – In addition to knowledge and skills in a work area most evaluations include an assessment of personal characteristics and the employee’s ability to work as a member of a team. Common topics include taking initiative, dependability, workplace demeanor and the employee’s ability to work with others.

Most evaluation systems include a checklist with a rating scale. They generally include a location for open-ended comments by the evaluator, and signatures by the evaluator and employee. Some systems include identification of future goals.

Achievement in Rural Schools

A recent story on the Eduction Week Rural Education Blog discussed changes in rural educaiton. While rural Americans have improved their educational status, the gap between rural and urban areas continues to grow. For example, in rural areas more residents now obtain some sort of post-secondary education (7.8% in 1970; 27.4% in 2010) and fewer residents report having less than a high school education (59.4% in 1970; 18.9% in 2010). Rural areas now have more residents with a college degree (15.4%) but have fallen further behind the national average of 27.9% than any time in the past 40 years. These numbers parallel recent data that show only 27% of rural students enrolling in college compared to 34% nationally.

High School Rigor and College

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

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

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

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.