“Katie Lepi features a great infographic in the following article she wrote for Edudemic. More than anything, we want learning to have a profound impact on our students—the kind that makes them want to be learners for life.”
There are a lot of different theories out there on what works and what doesn’t in education. The infographic below showcases the results of a study that looked at a number of different items and if they negatively or positively affected student achievement. The scope of these projects is rather huge – over 50,000 studies including over 240 million students! While the research is based on the work of one individual and his team, the 7 most positive and negative ways to improve student achievement are quite interesting. Read on to find out more.
“When we talk about school culture, we're talking about a
big picture that encompasses a variety of different things. It's not
just social interaction and collaboration in classes and clubs; it's
about beliefs, values, traditions, and the climate itself that defines
the school's environment. So why is this important to our students? This
article from Jennifer Medberry talks about the importance of fostering
the best school culture possible and the benefits it leads to.”
via Edudemic
For school leaders, defining a school’s culture – the core values,
practices and organizational structures – is a necessity. In fact, a
school’s ability to improve performance depends on it. But fostering a
performance-based culture is not something that can be completed and
checked off a single to-do list; it is an ongoing process.
How do schools accomplish this? It’s all about intention.
High-performing schools are intentional about creating culture by
introducing clear cultural expectations, and holding staff and students
accountable to these core values. When clear expectations for behavior
are established and reinforced – while allowing room for reflection and
adjustments to these standards – a growth-minded, results-driven
environment can be achieved.
I recently led a workshop on the topic of school culture for the New York City Department of Education’s New Schools Intensive (NSI), program for school leaders that are opening new schools, and one of the big takeaways was the importance of communication.
When setting expectations, clear communication is key.
High-performing school leaders are effective in messaging that school
is a place with specific standards that enable both staff and students
to thrive. I often share the following example with school leaders and
find that it resonates – unlike an elevator or a place of worship, where
there are unspoken norms for behavior, new schools and existing schools
that aim to rebuild their culture need expectations to be stated
explicitly.
These values are upheld through established cultural elements that
are consistent and visible from classroom to classroom. Such elements
often include instituting a Student Code of Conduct,
identifying one positive behaviors or mega-cognitive skill per month to
highlight across the school, drafting guidelines on issuing rewards and
consequences for student behavior and establishing school routines
(e.g. arrival, dismissal, hallway transitions) and rituals (weekly
celebrations, achievement-oriented field trips, class cheers).
Building & Reinforcing Expectations
The work does not end with establishing standards. School leaders
building an intentional culture not only introduce expectations, but
also reinforce them when individuals act inappropriately. First and
foremost, the saying “actions speak louder than words” rings true –
school leaders and staff who model the behaviors they seek in their
students help to create a stronger culture. Students are more likely to
show school pride if teachers join in on the excitement, as well as
listen and show respect if teachers return the favor.
When it comes down to it, school culture is built in small, easy-to-ignore moments.
When someone acts in a way that is at odds with a school’s values,
expectations and norms, school leaders and staff are faced with the
decision of letting it go, or intervening to make it clear that “we
don’t do that here.” What could be viewed by some as an easily excused
moment is actually an opportunity to remind everyone involved that the
school’s culture needs to be front-and-center.
“We Don’t Do That Here.”
The phrase, “we don’t do that here,” involves a deliberate choice of
words. The messaging is key. “Here” withholds judgment about whether the
behavior would be appropriate elsewhere; “we” enforces the idea that
the school is a community, rather than shaming or excluding the
individual from that community; and the overall message is straight to
the point, reinforcing that school is a place where certain behaviors
are expected.
It is important to note that these conversations will always be
uncomfortable. During the NSI workshop, attendees participated in a
role-play activity to practice initiating difficult conversations. The
goal was to get comfortable “being uncomfortable”. Without constant
reinforcement through these difficult conversations, a school’s cultural
values won’t stick.
It Takes Work (And Professional Development)
Intention requires deliberate and consistent professional
development. Just as students will not embrace a school’s cultural
elements overnight, neither will staff. A common strategy among
effective school leaders is to create a year-long “Culture Calendar”
that includes recurring planning meetings, reflective discussions and
practice sessions to allocate time for collaboration with staff.
These tactics are just one element of establishing a
performance-based culture. Using platforms like Kickboard, collecting
and analyzing student data and other factors all play a role here. But
it all comes back to intention. A strong school culture does not form on
its own; it is built.
Jennifer Medbery is a former math teacher and founder and CEO of
Kickboard, a web-based school analytics platform that allows educators
and school leaders to capture, analyze and securely share critical
student performance data. For more information about Kickboard’s
school-wide solution or its free starter accounts for individual
educators, visitwww.kickboardforteachers.com.
“Educational leaders must 'practice what they preach' in regards to using technology effectively to communicate and collaborate with staff, students, parents, and community leaders. Matthew Ulyesses Blankenship highlights 8 ways administrators can model effective technology use in their professional practices. ”
One way school leaders can ensure technology gets into classrooms is to show how they use it themselves.
A well-kept secret in the main office is that principals can (and should) teach, too. In a well-led school, all members of the school community will see the principal in teaching action. This should include teaching with technology, because setting an example as a principal is important when it comes to preparing students to be tech-savvy citizens. Afshari and colleagues claim that “the leadership role of the principal is the single most important factor affecting the successful integration of technology.”1
School leaders should take every opportunity they can to show publicly that they value technology. Principals should incorporate technology into such everyday tasks as completing observations or giving presentations. Classroom modeling—delivering demonstration lessons in which students effectively learn through using technology—is an even more direct approach.
Here are eight ways school leaders can meaningfully show that they value technology in schools.
1. Use e-mails and social media creatively.
By exploiting the multimedia capabilities some e-mail programs offer, principals can increase the effect of staffwide e-mails and demonstrate how teachers might use this common tool creatively to increase students’ motivation. Try embedding images or videos that represent the message’s content within some e-mails you send your staff. If you’re sending a message to praise one staff member on a job well done, insert a graphic saying “Thanks!” in fancy type or link to a video showing a sea of applauding hands. Other options include embedding PowerPoint-type presentations directly into an e-mail through the free website Slide Share or embedding a poll in an e-mail to gather teachers’ views or votes on a key issue.
By using these options to distribute information to your staff, you’ll both demonstrate a commitment to technology and—by eliminating another faculty meeting—make better use of teachers’ time. In addition, social media play an important role in school communication. By sharing positive messages, updates on things like testing, and meaningful links for parents and students on social media like Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr, you’ll be a model for the entire school community. Auburndale Senior High School uses Facebook to publicize upcoming deadlines for taking the ACT and SAT, to give up-to-date information on scholarships, and to spread the word about parent nights or football games.
2. Deliver dynamic presentations.
Presentations are ubiquitous in schools. Teachers use them to give lectures or assign student projects; principals show them at faculty meetings and parent nights. PowerPoint-type presentations can become more dynamic and offer opportunities for audience engagement with a few tricks involving easy-to-learn technology.
Embed video and pictures within your slides or screens to give a presentation more impact. Or use slate software (available from Smart Technologies), which enables you to circle, highlight, or point to important information right on the screen as you deliver your presentation.2
Record important media presentations and make them available as podcasts or as streaming media so teachers and community members can watch and listen later. Featuring these technologies at faculty meetings and parent nights will show teachers how effective digital and multimedia techniques can be in gaining audience attention.
3. Use mobile technology in walk-throughs.
Teachers now expect principals to go in and out of their classrooms observing their teaching and students’ learning. However, many principals still use paper and pen to deliver feedback. Consider using an iPad or other form of tablet computer to electronically complete your observation forms and immediately send feedback to teachers. Instead of waiting for a form to come to their school mailbox, teachers can quickly log on to their e-mail and see comments about the observed lesson. You and the teacher can start an e-mail conversation about successes you saw in the classroom and improvements you’d like to see.
Classroom modeling—delivering demonstration lessons in which students effectively learn through using technology—is an even more direct approach.
This type of modeling may seem unrelated to actual instruction, but just using an iPad to make walk-throughs more effective and efficient demonstrates a leader’s belief that technology can have a positive impact and may reduce fear among technology-phobic faculty.
4. Skype in speakers.
With video conferencing now freely available through Skype, principals can invite informed, compelling speakers to share what they know at faculty meetings without the expense of travel accommodations. Consider inviting curriculum researchers to discuss how a new instructional practice can increase student achievement or having book authors speak on teaching practice (why not select books about increasing technology in the classroom?). Teachers may realize how applications like Skype could open the world to students.
Inviting the superintendent of schools to attend virtually will demonstrate to your school and district your commitment to technology.
5. Participate in a technology team.
Specialized educators who have technical knowledge that principals lack—network managers, media specialists, and technology coaches—serve at many schools. A savvy school leader will participate in a team with such experts—and add teacher leaders who use technology often. Use this team to find and evaluate digital resources before presenting new ideas to the faculty at large; this will both show your commitment and create buy-in.
This team should be willing and able to provide professional development to the faculty, either as a formal process or more fluidly, with team members making themselves available for one-on-one training and support in classrooms.
6. Emphasize technology in the budget.
Teachers and community members alike view the school budget process as a public statement of priorities. Send the right message.
Although budgets are often set by districts, many principals receive flexible accounts they can draw on for classroom necessities. Consider setting aside a specific dollar amount for increasing the technology available on campus. Be sure to allocate resources and time for tech-related professional development.
7. Set up observation opportunities.
Principals should promote modeling of technology use throughout the school community. Ask teachers who use technology creatively to open their classrooms occasionally so colleagues can drop in and watch a peer employ technology skillfully. To ensure this happens, deliberately recognize individuals who use technology well in the classroom during walk-throughs and schedule these teachers to have an open classroom for a day.
As a practical measure, set up a rotating schedule of open classrooms and provide incentives for teachers to open their room to observers. This will encourage strong teacher leaders to step into more prominent roles and showcase sound technology use in the classroom. In addition, encourage other leaders across campus—assistant principals, deans, and resource specialists—to use technology in public spaces as appropriate.
8. Troubleshoot publicly.
One of the hardest challenges principals face is feeling comfortable making a mistake in public. However, from time to time, technology won’t work the way we want it to. When this occurs in public, troubleshoot problems in front of teachers. By taking a moment or two to try to correct a glitch, you’ll demonstrate your faith that technology helps teaching enough to be worth some hassles. Teachers will see that you’re OK with a few seconds of downtime when a device or application balks. Make sure to smoothly transition to a backup plan if necessary so you don’t waste staff members’ time. This also shows staff that you expect them to create contingency plans.
To be effective, school leaders must lead technology infusion. It’s the principal’s responsibility to—as technology advocate Scott McLeod3 says—”prepare future-ready citizens who are technologically savvy, globally competent, and prepared to engage in a 21st-century knowledge-based economy.”
The original source of this post can be found here.
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Every year in the United States, an estimated 500,000 teachers leave their schools, with only 16% of the departures the result of retirement. The bulk of teachers leave for a variety of other reasons, including whether or not they perceive their school’s leadership to be effective.
Without strong leadership, it is much easier for good teachers to walk away, either to another school or another career. Let’s take a look at some of the leadership qualities that teachers most desire in a principal.
Builds a sense of community
Perhaps the single most important quality a principal can have is the ability to create a sense of community. Effective principals understand that the adults and children in their schools need a healthy, safe and supportive environment in order to thrive. A community-building principal works to avoid teacher isolation, negativity and resistance; instead, he or she encourages an upbeat, respectful and supportive professional environment. Positive solutions and growth are the norm, not the exception.
Knows how to hire good teachers
One of the best things a principal can do for his or her school is to hire the right teachers. In addition to making sure a candidate has a strong educational background and excellent references, principals can use behavior-based interviewing techniques to get a realistic idea of how well a candidate will perform in the classroom. Behavior-based interviewing operates on the premise that past behavior best predicts future performance. Typical questions begin with, “Tell me about a time when …” or “Describe your experience with …” and can be highly effective in determining how a candidate will handle real-life situations.
Fosters growth and professional development
When teachers are presented with a clear path to advancement they are more apt to stay at their current school. By providing in-school leadership opportunities – as well as by making professional development accessible, affordable and rewarding – principals demonstrate their commitment to helping staff members grow professionally and excel in the classroom. Also, good principals build on their teachers’ strengths, encouraging them to share knowledge, experience and skills with each other, as opposed to turning a blind eye to unhealthy competition or seniority-based inequality.
Advocates for the school to stakeholders
Nearly every educational framework policy depends on strong community involvement, so much so that the National Association of Secondary School Principals identifies community engagement as a core element of its leadership development agenda. Because a lack of resources is one of the leading catalysts for teacher attrition, principals need to be powerful advocates to their school’s stakeholders in order to gain greater access to necessary resources. Increasingly, schools understand that there is a direct connection between community and parent involvement and improved academic performance.
The primary stakeholders in any school community are families, staff, business partners and the public. Each of these categories requires different styles and approaches to engagement. For example, families may have language and cultural differences or an earlier negative experience with school officials. In order to encourage continued involvement and support, principals need to make a concerted effort to understand the priorities and preferences of the various categories of stakeholders.
Communicates Effectively
Good communication is one of the most crucial components of teacher satisfaction; the best principals will routinely examine their communication skills then apply a variety of styles through the school day. There are a few things principals can ask themselves in an ongoing effort to improve in this area:
Who did I communicate with today, even if it was for just a brief moment? (List every single person from kindergartener to visiting teacher.)
Are my reasons for communicating helping lead my school through positive changes and improvements?
Do I communicate in a way that contributes to meaningful problem solving?
Does my communication style help to strengthen working relationships among my staff?
What areas of communication are the most difficult for me? How can I work to improve in these areas?
Great organizations of all types require great leadership and this is especially true in education. In today’s evolving educational landscape, it is more critical than ever for principals to demonstrate to their staff, students and community that they have what it takes to guide their schools to success.
Secret Teacher: leadership is like the Wizard of Oz - a facade that lacks magic
Senior leaders are drowning in paperwork rather than inspiring others, says Secret Teacher
School leaders: like the Wizard of Oz the higher echelons of school management are not what our blogger thought they would be.
In the Wizard of Oz, as Dorothy and the others seek an answer to their problems, there is an eventual realisation that there is no great cure or no great solution to any of the ailments they face. When they finally see the Wizard, they realise he is nothing more than a small, ordinary man who can no more grant courage than he can give hearts. By seeing behind the curtain, the magic disappears and they are presented with the harsh reality.
As a young teacher I aspired to greater things as I felt that those in positions of responsibility had a driving passion, excelled at their job and were able to make a difference. As I've climbed the rungs of the ladder though, I'm afraid to report that having seen behind the curtain, the world of SLT doesn't do the things it should. As I rose higher this soon became apparent. As head of department, I realised that the higher I got, the more paper was pushed and the less conversations about learning took place. Unperturbed I've continued the climb, only to find that the higher echelons of school management are not the places I expected them to be. I expected a table full of people striving to make a difference, outstanding teachers in their own field, each with strengths to develop this in others. And it isn't. Behind the curtain can actually be a depressing place.
It's a place, ironically, most teachers are looking to avoid - an office. A world of policies, guidelines, unions and grants. Of bizarre abbreviations, self evaluation forms (SEFs) and school development plans (SDPs) and a crescendo of paper shuffling. Most teachers go into the profession believing they can make a difference and those who look to progress do so in order to have more chance of doing this, but actually it's a place where capable staff are wading through bureaucracy.
So where's the blame? The academy status doesn't help. Schools were not designed to be businesses, they were designed to be places of learning and consequently the people at the top of them have an expertise in teaching, not in business. In the past week, my headteacher has suffered a three-hour finance meeting about the accounts of our new limited company, countless discussions about a proposed rebuild over part of our school that may/may not happen, and other uses of her day that don't relate to teaching and learning, all at a crucial time when we need to be doing something about our core subject results and raising standards in the classroom. We spend hours of SLT meetings discussing things that aren't related to students and their learning and something has to give.
As school leaders, we need to refocus on what's vitally important and find a way to leave the rest to other people. All school leaders started off as teachers and this needs to be what the focus returns to. Hiding away in offices studying policies and rewriting SEFs doesn't make a day-to-day impact on students. Senior staff need to be brave enough not to be distracted from the focus; that of creating a culture of good learning. We need to keep in mind what's important and shift the focus back to enabling students to do the very best they can and getting teachers to feel as empowered and motivated as possible. If schools are to become cathedrals of learning, we need to ensure that the focus is on what we're good at, and not on other things that sidetrack our time. Teaching has become a profession we're over-complicating.
In order to refocus US president Bill Clinton during his election campaign, concerned that the agenda was shifting daily away from what voters valued, his chief strategist James Carville hung a sign in the campaign office saying: "The economy, stupid." At the height of Disney's fame, as theme parks were being talked of and movies going global, founder Walt made the statement: "I only hope that we never lose sight of one thing – that it was all started by a mouse." Apparently this still hangs on the wall at Disney HQ as a reminder to all of where the focus is. Senior leaders need to look at what occupies their time and ask the question: "Is it going to directly improve the learning in my school?" And if it doesn't address that priority it needs to be done at another time by someone else. If we can do this, staff will feel more motivated, students more valued and standards will rise. It will also mean that the next generation of school leaders will be those who aspire to get behind the curtain and can join me in this good fight to do what we're good at, and leave the rest to the others.
Today's Secret Teacher is an assistant headteacher in the east of England.
