New Standards

Earlier this year, Georgia shared new science and social studies standards in grades K-12. Using feedback from teachers, representatives from universities, business representatives, and community members, the Georgia Department of Education created new science and social studies standards. Not every standard was changed. However, most standards were revised to fit the new model of teaching science and social studies.

When creating the new standards, the Georgia Department of Education really wanted to emphasize the practice of learning from experience. The state is moving to a vision on student experience and student learning. Instead of students learning from readings, research, or typical lessons, teachers are expected to “do” science or “do” social studies now.

In social studies, the standards center on historical inquiry. This emphasis would ask that teachers use primary sources and documents to lead students in explorations of social studies and history.

From a teacher’s point of view, I am still learning how to teach in this form of learning from experience. Where is our time to “do” science experiments? Where is the time to learn from social studies experiences? What can we do while integrating science and social studies into our curriculum? From a leader’s point of view, I am noticing pushback or hesitation from staff members to adjust accordingly.

Through my role on the instructional leadership team for the school, we are looking at deconstructing the science and social studies standards. Within this process, we are able to better understand what knowledge, reasoning, skills, and products we should be teaching with our students.

These new standards have made me wonder with leadership…. What can we do to help our staff adjust and better prepare for new or revised standards? What can we do to support our staff in feeling prepared and confident to teach? What kind of professional learning opportunities are there for staff members? How can I use teacher leaders within the building to help lead learning with staff members?

Rezoning News

Recently, Forsyth County Schools approved plans for the redistricting zones. These new redistricting lines would move students from Lambert High School, West Forsyth High School, and South Forsyth High School to the new high school, Denmark. With this news, Forsyth County residents that are affected by these new lines have been speaking out. One article explains the reasons that one neighborhood is actually going to court with the county and creating a lawsuit.

The parents are upset with the district for several reasons. First, they claim that the district did not provide open meetings. However, the county officials shared that they did offer board meetings to the public and open committees. Next, the parents are claiming that the redistricting does not make sense logically for the transportation needs of students. The previous high schools are closer in proximity to the neighborhood. The neighborhood members also feel that the board members were not taking the requests of the neighborhood seriously.

The new redistricting is a result of the county growing at a rapid rate. The high schools are overcrowded. Therefore, the new high school will allow for that problem to be resolved. This high school, Denmark High School, will also offer programs similar to the other high school with the same countywide expectations.

As leaders, redistricting is an issue that may affect us during our career. I understand that when redistricting occurs, people will come forward with complaints or worries. However, with our county specifically, the high schools are so overcrowded that this new school is desperately needed. The new school will allow for better opportunities for the students.

Restorative Practices

One thing that I am having a challenge with as a leader is dealing with discipline. As school leaders are moving towards progressive discipline it is difficult as a school leader to implement with the limited amount of time we have. Traditional discipline issued one of two types of consequences-in school suspension and out of out school suspension.

Schools are dealing with issues dealing with disproportionality and the over-representation of certain subgroups in discipline statistics. School leaders have to become very creative in finding ways to discipline students without removing the student from the instructional environment.

In fact, during the summer leadership conference held by the District, all school-based leaders participated in professional development about restorative practices.

Cameron and Thorsborne (2001) define restorative justice in the school setting views misconduct not as school-rule-breaking, and therefore as a violation of the institution, but as a violation against people and relationships in the school and wider community. (Cameron and Thorsborne 2001, 183)

During the course of the day, I receive at least five or more discipline referrals for students in the grade level that I service. Depending on the infraction the amount of time spent to conference with the student, call and speak with parents, and enter a resolution can take about an hour. Those hours add up throughout the day.

I have been working to implement some aspects of restorative practices into my discipline approach. One of the practices that I have implemented is the fair process. The fair process consists of engagement, explanation, and expectation. I use the fair process for students who I see for the first time and have broken a rule that that may warrant suspension but are not particularly egregious. I have found that the student appreciates me taking the time to understand the circumstance surrounding  the infraction and also taking time to get to know them as a student. I actually enjoy this process with the only exception that it takes a lot of time to complete.  If my primary duties were discipline then I would have more time to spend on restorative practices. Overall restorative practice could have substantial benefits for decreasing behavior infractions and building relationship. As leaders make the shift from punitive discipline to restorative practices, leaders would have to come up with creative ways to include restorative practices the norm.

The ArtisanTeacher

A recent success that I've had was when I implemented the feedback strategies from Mike Rutherford. Mike Rutherford is the author of The Artisan Teacher: A Field Guide to Skillful Teaching. During a professional development session, Dr. Rutherfod conducted a Skillful Observation and Coaching Laboratory (SOCL) at my high school during second semester. The semester was almost over and did not get an opportunity to implement the strategy. A SOCL is a two-part classroom observation where a teacher is observed and the teacher returns to hear the feedback with a group of other educators. During the session uses twenty-three teams to describe the teacher's behavior in the classroom. As the sessions continue, the observers can now recognize themes present in skillful teaching. Recognizing the themes allowers observers to provide specific and timely feedback to teachers. 

I began using this technique at the beginning of the year. I told the teachers that I wanted to provide them with some informal feedback separate from their formal observation instrument, Teacher Keys Effectiveness System (TKES). I would observe the teacher for about twenty minutes. After the observation, the teacher would come to my office during their planning period to receive the feedback. The feedback had to be given the same day. There was not anything extensive that had to be written for the feedback. The teachers loved it and I was able to ask more poignant questions about what was going on during the instructional time. class. During the observation, I tried to find at least four themes. If I couldn't identify any skillful themes,  I would discuss my findings with the teacher. As compared to formal evaluations, teachers are reluctant to openly talk to you about their behaviors because of the formality associated with the observation. Teachers seemingly are more receptiveness about feedback when they believe the observation "did not count." The teachers encouraged me to come back to their rooms and they strived to utilize more thems during their classroom instruction. 

 The themes used by Dr. Rutehrford can be cross-walked with TKES. For example, the ability of a teacher to set clear learning goals can be cross-walked to TKES standard 7, positive learning environment. I have enjoyed the conversations with the teachers and this particular feedback strategy is one that I will continue throughout the year. Overall, I believe the informal feedback has allowed me to be a better evaluator. 

Supporting Teachers with New Curriculum

This school year marks the first year of implementation for the Georgia Standards of Excellence in science.  The standards focus on hands-on, student-centered, and inquiry-based approaches. This is a shift from the previous Georgia Performance Standard. The new standards integrate STEM literacy and increased rigor.  The GADOE provided a year of training for teachers and administrators on the new standards during the previous school year. Unfortunately, there were not any teachers or administrators in my school that participated in any of these trainings. Now the school year has begun and the teachers are in desperate need of support. As an administrator what are some things that can be done to help support the science teachers in implementing the new standards and minimizing stress and frustration? Here are some things that I have been doing to assist the science teachers in my building.

1. Be present during PLC meetings. 
During PLC meetings which are held on Tuesdays and Thursdays, I availed myself when the teachers are unpacking the curriculum. Additionally, I provided the teachers with a standard unpacking protocol focusing on what the students need to know, need to understand, and need to do. As a former science teacher, I am an additional resource for the teachers. My role in the PLCs is to support the teachers through the process.

2. Increased science budget for new supplies and instructional resources.
The new curriculum required resources that were not previously available at the school. Thanks to Title I funds we were able to add instructional software resources that will aid the teachers with the implementation of the new curriculum.

3. Reached out to District personnel on behalf of the science teachers. 
At the very begining of the school year, I was able to contact one of the two science coordinators and request professional learning for my teachers related to the new curriculum. The science coordinators were able to provide me with teachers that attended the implementation trainings held by GADOE. Also, the coordinators provided me with additional professional development session held by MetroRESA and GADOE.

4. Focused on the assessments.
 It was important that the teachers understand that we must begin with the end in mind. We worked to develop common assessments that were aligned to the standards. The teachers completed an assessment blueprint that ensured that the questions were higher-level and standards-based. 

5. Continue to convey the message that curriculum implementation is an on-going process.
My high school operates on a 4X4 block which means that a course is completed within one semester. This means that the process can quickly become overwhelming. It is important that I continue to stress to the teachers that this is work in progress. We will work to refine next semester to ensure that the curriculum is being implemented with fidelity.

Essentialism- Necessary for all School Leaders

Essentialism by Greg McKeown was an excellent read.
 As a school leader, you believe that you can do a million things at the same time.
The author reminds us that the essentialist relentlessly pursues less but better. A school leader has to put this mantra in the forefront because schoolhouses have the capability to become chaotic if a leader doesn't know which direction to lead a school.

On a personal note, I have always had a hard time saying no. I would do just about anything a teacher, counselor, administrator, district personnel asked me to do. At the conclusion of the day or the week, I realized that I did not accomplish anything substantive."If you do not prioritize your life, someone else will" is an accurate descriptor of the direction my work as an assistant principal was headed. At first, I felt as though I was being a true servant leader. In actuality, I was not working toward the mission and vision of the school. I was not spending my time on meaningful work such as teacher observations, PLCs, or analyzing student data. McKeown writes "only once you give yourself permission to stop trying to do it all, to stop saying yes to everyone, can you make your highest contribution towards the things that really matter" (p. 4). After I decided that saying no was not a bad thing, I began to concentrate my efforts on activities that resulted in actual student achievement and teacher growth.

One area where I can apply the principals of Essentialism is the school improvement planning process.  As school leaders, we write lofty school improvement goals and action steps that are never revisited. How groundbreaking would it be to actually draft a plan with less fluff and meaningful goals and action steps that the school will be intentional about completing? Being an essentialist means doing the right work. As leaders were are responsible for steering our school in the direction we believe will yield positive outcomes. If we apply the principles from the book we will create plans that are concise and targeted.

McKeown, Greg. Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less. First edition. Crown Business, 2014.

School Improvement Planning

A school improvement plan serves as the roadmap for schools. The school improvement plan (SIP) has goals and action steps that are intended to direct the school for the year.  The development of the SIP requires multiple stakeholders.  These stakeholders include the school's leadership team, parents, community members, and other school personnel such as counselors, social workers, or even the school nurse.  The input is needed in order to gain wide-ranging perspectives. The team begins the process by completing a root-cause analysis to understand the needs of the school. Following the root cause analysis, the team is able to prioritize the needs of the school and develop goals and action steps. School improvement plan if jointly developed can prove to be beneficial for a school

Timing is everything.  Last year, we completed the new school improvement plan prior to the end of the school year. In an effort to expedite federal funding for the schools, it was necessary to complete the plan before the end of the school year.  Several problems became evident with such an early due date. First, the measures in the previous SIP were not available as of yet, therefore we did not know if the goals were met.  Second, May is an extremely busy time in a high school. Testing, end of year activities, graduation are all taking place. The SIP team does not have adequate time to meet and do a thorough root cause analysis and close out the previous SIP as team members have other priorities.

It is my belief that school improvement plans can be powerful tools for authentic school improvement. However, the process must be completed with fidelity.  District leaders must provide schools with the necessary time to adequately prepare the school improvement plan.  Setting aside time in the summer to conduct a thorough data analysis, reviewing the actions steps, and developing new goals are essential for a well-developed plan. The district can assist by providing easy to access data from multiple sources and providing support from professional learning to assist the school in the planning process.

New school year blues

The summer gives you an opportunity to relax and rejuvenate and most importantly get ready for the new school year. However, the excitement quickly wears away. In Dekalb County, leaders attend a three-day conference designed for leaders. The conference is jam-packed with pertinent information about curriculum, discipline, and other updates. While the knowledge gained at the conference is useful, the timing, however, is not. The conference doesn’t allow you to digest the information and artfully present it to the staff for the following week.  One suggestion for leadership is that it should be held in June prior to the vacation time for the assistant principal. The earlier date will allow the information to be processed by the school teams and allow for the teams to develop implementation and monitoring plans. 

Pre-planning is an extremely busy time of year. Teachers return to school anticipating the new school year. Teachers have hopes to decorate their classroom with the latest frills to ensure that students have a welcoming environment when school starts. The reality for teachers during pre-planning week is that the week is full of meetings, professional development, and even a district convocation. While many of the things that take teachers away from their classrooms are very important, the work that needs to be done is equally important.  School leaders should critically analyze the pre-planning agenda and reschedule meetings and professional development to different times in the school year.

An organized start to the school year for leaders and teachers would yield positive gains for students. District leaders must reassess the school calendar to ensure leadership conference and preplanning are maximized. The added stress that is placed on school building leaders, as well as teachers due to the overwhelming amount of information and the limited time, cause what I have labeled as the ‘the new school year blues.’  Students and parents deserve a school that is ready to receive them, instead, they are often greeted with incomplete teacher classrooms and an unfinished schoolhouse. There is a saying "the way you start is the way you finish." If you start the school year in a chaotic manner, you will end the school year the same way. School and district leaders need to reassess and reevaluate the weeks leading up to the start of the school year to ensure the time is maximized and students are ready to learn on day one. 

Teachers as Leaders

Teachers as Leaders

By Olivia Artusa DeKatch

I have been very interested in the idea of teachers as leaders during the course of this program. I have been thinking about all of the responsibilities of principals and assistant principals. Teachers can be great leaders in schools and help to delegate some of these responsibilities. It is amazing what teachers can do in the school building to serve as leaders!

I heard a principal once say, “A great leader builds more leaders.” I believe this statement to be true. The best leaders I have seen are the ones that encourage others to lead and follow their passions. Teachers have so many unique talents and passions and can be used in so many ways at schools.

I believe that teachers can serve as leaders in the role of leading professional developments for faculty. We all are experts at different parts of teaching. Some teachers are better with technology, data, behavior management, or even online tools. Teachers can teach other teachers these skills and ultimately, serve as leaders.

Teachers can serve as instructional or curriculum specialists and lead teams that focus on these matters. Exemplary teachers can serve as mentors to new teachers and use their skills in this way. Teachers can lead within the grade level, throughout the school, or even beyond the school. I believe there are so many ways to encourage teachers to step up as leaders and help teachers become more successful.

I have seen, throughout my experience, that leaders can exhibit certain behaviors or principles to better encourage teacher leadership within the school. Principals and leaders that encourage risk taking within their staff do a fantastic job of growing leaders. Leaders that are encouraging and supportive of teachers also successfully grow leaders. Leaders that provide or invite teachers to be a part of a leadership team or role are also very successful in promoting leadership within the school.

How do you feel leaders grow teachers to become leaders?

Language Immersion Programs

Language Immersion Programs

By Olivia Artusa DeKatch

I have seen language immersion programs popping up in various counties in the metro Atlanta area recently. In the last few years, I have been hearing more and more about these schools. I have been interested in learning more about them and the leadership behind them. I can imagine that they are starting to build up because of the increase in the population of English Language Learners in the metro area.

After looking online, I learned that the Georgia DOE has a big call to action for even more language immersion schools and employees. The Dual Language Immersion Program from the Georgia DOE has shown huge growth in the last few years but anticipating even more growth in the upcoming years.

During the 2016-2017 school year, there were six schools in Atlanta Public Schools, ten schools in Cobb County, four schools in Fulton County, and six schools in Gwinnett County.

What makes a language immersion school successful? What is different about these schools?

I have learned that it is very important for the language program to have a clear vision with goals and a plan. This part comes from the leader. As a leader of a language immersion school, they would have to be knowledgeable of both the concept of immersion education and also the language and culture being taught.

There are several benefits of Dual Language Immersion programs in schools. When students are enrolled in dual language immersion, they learn the language much better than if they are simply enrolled in a foreign language. In addition, schools have reported an increased performance on standardized tests. Students are also exposed to cultures and are more appreciative of students of other cultures. Also, there are definite long-term benefits for students such as being more prepared for jobs now. Lastly, dual language immersion schools are reporting higher attendance rates.

Helpful articles for more information on language immersion in schools:

http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/global_learning/2017/05/nine_features_of_high-quality_language_immersion_programs_a_checklist.html?cmp=eml-enl-eu-news3

Georgia DOE Language Immersion