Every ten years, NEASC (New England Association of School and Colleges), requires each public high school to complete a self study and host a 4 day visit to maintain accreditation. We are in the process of completing our self study, where we are required to analyze our effectiveness in seven different domains ranging from instruction to leadership & organization to community resources. Our visit will take place in September 2011. You can get more information about the standards and accreditation process at http://cpss.neasc.org/getting_started/2011_explanation_of_standards/
Our first task this summer was to review our mission statement and reframe it so that it expressed a belief statement, core values and student learning expectations. We’ve been regularly reviewing our student learning expectations since they serve as the organizing structure for our graduation portfolio. But this summer marked the first time in my tenure (6th year) that we had embarked upon a formal process of reviewing our mission. A group of school and district administrators, teachers, parents, students and community leaders, who were facilitated by Portsmouth High School Principal, Bob Littlefield, spent two days transforming our mission into a belief statement and set of core values that we believed represented who we are as a school and what we want to become. After creating the statement, we vetted it with teachers, our student body and Parent Teacher Group (PTG). The results of that process created the Rebel Way:
The Rebel Way
South Kingstown High School is proud to be a safe and respectful community of learners that recognizes and encourages the talents and potential of every student. We are committed to a rigorous curriculum that fosters and develops identified academic, civic and social skills. The 21st century Rebel is an independent, critical thinker who effectively participates in our diverse community.
We believe students learn best, first and foremost, when they assume responsibility for their own learning. It is incumbent upon the learning community to support them by providing the following:
-clearly communicated expectations
-varied support structures for all learners
-authentic learning opportunities both in and out of school
- Instruction that meets all students’ needs
-21st century learning tools
-opportunities to employ critical thinking skills
-timely and constructive feedback
-teachers who are knowledgeable in content and method
-a positive, safe and supportive environment
-multiple opportunities to engage parents
What I like about the change in format to a Belief Statement and Set of Core Values is how much more measurable they are compared to a generic mission statement. As we complete our self study, we can use these core values as an indicator of how true we are to realizing those values. The process of defining or re-defining our values as an institution is one of the benefits of the accreditation self-study since we rarely find time to reflect given the hectic reality of our day-to-day responsibilities. The process has facilitated conversations that will help us move forward as a school and as importantly, has included voices from all of our stakeholders.
Friday, December 3, 2010
Monday, November 15, 2010
Improving instructional practice
One of the struggles for any large school is to continually provide support and feedback to teachers and/or departments regarding instructional practice. I’m not referring to evaluations which are – at least for now – relatively infrequent and well, evaluative. I’m referring to information taken from classrooms without mention of teacher name that we can collect to provide us insight into trends we’re observing across the school or a department. When we are visited next year by NEASC or as we were five years ago by a School Accountability for Learning and Teaching (SALT) visit, teams of educators from the outside spend a few days in classrooms and provide observations and feedback regarding trends they observe. Are students engaged? Is the level of conversation rigorous? Are teachers differentiating their instruction? Do students understand what they are learning and why? But those observations are for all intents and purposes evaluative, and isolated. Recently, we’ve taken advantage of a resource provided by the RI Department of Education called the Dana Center. The Dana Center is an organization that works with schools, districts and states on the alignment of standards-based curriculum and the instruction to support those curricular goals. SKHS department chairs were provided training on how to utilize a data collection tool created by the Dana Center where an educator records what they observe over a five minutes time period. Part of the protocol is to, whenever possible, ask students what they are doing to see if the learning objective is evident to students. Observers also observe other indicators such as instructor practices (coaching, lecture, discussion, etc.), student actions (such as reading, writing, working with hands-on materials), rigor of student work (comprehension, application, synthesis) and classroom engagement (highly engaged, well managed, disengaged). Department chairs and administrators have been conducting at least ten of these visits each week. Through internal discussion and professional support from trainers, our department chairs have become comfortable with using the data collection tool. The data is aggregated each week to get a big picture sense of what is happening in classrooms. Recently, department chairs have started sharing the data, using a protocol, with their departments. The early feedback from both department chairs and teachers has been positive. By having these discussions in a non-evaluative milieu, the conversation can be more focused on instructional practice in many classrooms and less about the performance of one teacher. We expect that the continued conversations will provide all of us with a better sense of what we do well and what we need to do to provide a more vibrant and supportive learning environment for SKHS students.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
About a year ago, I had an entry on Teacher Learning Center (TLC). As I said in that entry: TLC is the second form of teacher common planning time we have at SKHS. It is different than the common planning time that occurs on Wednesday mornings which is organized departmentally in that it is composed of teachers from different disciplines. The purpose of TLC is to provide teachers more opportunities to pursue personal professional growth with the common theme being that goals need to be connected to the classroom and supporting student learning. All teachers submit a detailed plan of action as well as a methodology for data collection and analysis. Each TLC meets a few times a week collectively to report out on progress and engage in a variety of structured activities designed to elicit feedback from colleagues to provide critical feedback and perspective on the goal. There are seven different TLC groups (one that meets for each period of the day) that are run by two teacher-facilitators for each group that are trained and supported throughout the year. We feel fortunate to have this professional development piece in place since in many districts, this time is utilized for teachers to run study halls, or serve as hall monitors or lunchroom supervisors.
I thought some of you might find it interesting to read a sampling of goals teachers are submitting to pursue for some or all of this year.
Here is one from one of our math teachers:
Goal Statement or Inquiry Question:
Currently students are expected to perform on State Standardized tests such as the NECAP (and soon the PARCC) as well as standardized tests such as PSAT’s and SAT’s. At South Kingstown High we ask our students to take mid-term exams and end-of-course exams. These are also formatted like standardized tests in that they may have both multiple choice and open-ended questions that represent a wide breadth of knowledge. However, students are not always prepared for the structure of these exams. Classroom assessments, while containing the appropriate content to prepare students, are not currently aligned structurally. Classroom assessments tend to contain mostly short open-ended questions.
How do I alter my classroom assessments to aide students in their preparation for mid-terms and end-of-course exams without altering the content?
Will altering the structure of the classroom assessments, but not the content, to better align with the mid-term and end-of-course exam help the students to feel more prepared for those tests and in doing so, earn high scores?
Description of Plan of Action (Specific steps or activities you will take toward meeting your goal or answering your question):
1. Review the structure of current Mid-Term Exam
2. Review current assessment structure
a. Select quizzes, not unit-end assessments
b. Quizzes are being selected as this is a new change and this will have a smaller grade impact. (I.e. Multiple choice questions on quizzes rather than multiple choice question on unit-end assessments where partial credit for responses would be a gage of understanding after a length of time has past between lessons.)
c. Unit-end assessments will remain unchanged at this time
3. Re-Write assessments/quizzes to align with structure of Mid-Term Exam
a. Add multiple choice questions and open/authentic questions (styled after NECAP open-ended questions).
Description of Data Collected and Analyzed (What you will use to measure progress toward goal/question and what you learn from an analysis of that data)
1. Mid-Term Exam grades from 09-10 will be compared to Mid-Term Exam grades 10-11 for Pre-Calculus classes.
2. Overall class averages on new assessments/quizzes will be assessed as compared to last year’s Pre-Calculus class quiz averages.
Here is one from two of our art teachers who will be collaborating on their goal
Goal Statement or Inquiry Question: 100% of our art students will participate in a variety of activities that promote and support reading and writing in the visual arts.
We will create specific lessons that will increase the student’s skills and vocabulary necessary to read, comprehend, and write about their own artwork, the artwork of others, and famous art from history. This will meet the needs of the reading and writing requirements for the Visual Arts Proficiency portfolio.
Description of Plan of Action (Specific steps or activities you will take toward meeting your goal or answering your question):
1. Develop brainstorm worksheets, handouts, and inspiring questions that will facilitate students in writing quality, thoughtful self-reflections and responses required for Visual Arts Proficiency portfolio.
2. Require journaling for advanced (AP, Art IV) students. Encourage students to keep a sketchbook which will include writing down thoughts and ideas about art.
3. Educate student on how to successfully summarize by analyzing art through critiquing critical elements in their own work and famous works (Art I, Crafts, and Sculpture).
4. Have students explore a favorite artist or art movement and complete outside reading and research assignments (Art I, Crafts, Art IV, AP).
5. Have students write about art and works of art as a method of vocabulary development and incorporate the Twelve Words used on standardized tests. (Art I, Crafts, Art IV, AP).
6. Promote and encourage sustained silent reading of art-related books and periodicals if there is extra time at the end of class.
7. Support web reading by allowing students to research about artists by visiting websites hosted by famous art museums.
8. Students will conduct research that makes connections among the visual arts and world events, historic time periods, and other disciplines.
Description of Data Collected and Analyzed (What you will use to measure progress toward goal/question and what you learn from an analysis of that data)
1. Student interest, effort and participation
2. High quality, thoughtful, writing of reports, responses, critiques, and reflections.
3. Increase in use of proper art vocabulary in student critiques, discussions, and writing pieces.
4. Student work in the form of meaningful group critiques, individual written reflections and critiques of students’ own artwork, as well as artist reports and personal artist statements.
5. Increase in art knowledge through differentiating and varying the approaches and methods of incorporating art writing and reading in the classroom.
Finally, here is one from a World Language teacher:
Goal Statement or Inquiry Question:
Students in my classes will utilize critical thinking skills in a variety of assignments, assessments and classroom activities.
Description of Plan of Action (Specific steps or activities you will take toward meeting your goal or answering your question):
Local archival data suggests that many students do not engage in enough higher-order thinking, and that they do not think critically in all subject areas. Likewise, there have been numerous academic studies published within the past four years that have demonstrated that students nationwide are unable to think critically. One reason for this problem, as suggested by various academic articles, is that there are relatively few assignments that require certain critical thinking and higher-order thinking skills. I plan to make the following changes in order to facilitate the development of such higher-order, critical thinking skills, all of which can be supported by research:
• I will redesign some tests and quizzes to target critical thinking skills.
• Within such designs, I will ask students to explain the reasons behind their answers and thoughts.
• I will explicitly teach students how to think critically and how to utilize higher-order thinking skills.
• Writing prompts will encourage more thinking “outside the box,” such as bringing to light non-standard versions of history (such as historical accounts of the Templars being in the U.S. 100 years before Columbus, and China discovering the U.S. in 1421. Such info. would help students to question the overwhelmingly popular suggestion that Columbus discovered the U.S., even though there were already people here and even though other outsiders discovered it first. Other similar topics involve Egyptian influences in Italian history and in Church practices, and the reasons behind the Cult of the Dead in Italy).
• Students will be required to reflect upon assignments and hand in such reflections.
• I will encourage more classroom discussions about topics that encourage critical thinking.
Description of Data Collected and Analyzed (What you will use to measure progress toward goal/question and what you learn from an analysis of that data)
The data will be collected and analyzed following qualitative methods, specifically taking a phenomenological perspective. Data will be taken from three sources and triangulated for credibility. First, the students’ written work will be read and coded for statements that are indicative of critical thinking or the lack of such thinking. Secondly, class discussions can function as informal interviews, allowing me to verify if students are in fact utilizing higher-order thinking skills. I can ask follow-up questions when needed in order to verify my assumptions about whether or not they are thinking critically and reflecting upon their thought-processes and decision-making skills. Finally, classroom observation while they are working in groups or discussing topics with their classmates can also help me to find out if they are thinking critically and using critical self-reflection skills.
Some of these goals will be fine-tuned, based on feedback from their colleagues or me. Additionally, teachers will be submitting to me periodic reflections on how the work is going and what additional questions have been raised in their research/reflection. As we did last year, we’ve posted many of the goals on our internal communication system to provide faculty an opportunity to see the variety of goals their colleagues are pursuing.
I thought some of you might find it interesting to read a sampling of goals teachers are submitting to pursue for some or all of this year.
Here is one from one of our math teachers:
Goal Statement or Inquiry Question:
Currently students are expected to perform on State Standardized tests such as the NECAP (and soon the PARCC) as well as standardized tests such as PSAT’s and SAT’s. At South Kingstown High we ask our students to take mid-term exams and end-of-course exams. These are also formatted like standardized tests in that they may have both multiple choice and open-ended questions that represent a wide breadth of knowledge. However, students are not always prepared for the structure of these exams. Classroom assessments, while containing the appropriate content to prepare students, are not currently aligned structurally. Classroom assessments tend to contain mostly short open-ended questions.
How do I alter my classroom assessments to aide students in their preparation for mid-terms and end-of-course exams without altering the content?
Will altering the structure of the classroom assessments, but not the content, to better align with the mid-term and end-of-course exam help the students to feel more prepared for those tests and in doing so, earn high scores?
Description of Plan of Action (Specific steps or activities you will take toward meeting your goal or answering your question):
1. Review the structure of current Mid-Term Exam
2. Review current assessment structure
a. Select quizzes, not unit-end assessments
b. Quizzes are being selected as this is a new change and this will have a smaller grade impact. (I.e. Multiple choice questions on quizzes rather than multiple choice question on unit-end assessments where partial credit for responses would be a gage of understanding after a length of time has past between lessons.)
c. Unit-end assessments will remain unchanged at this time
3. Re-Write assessments/quizzes to align with structure of Mid-Term Exam
a. Add multiple choice questions and open/authentic questions (styled after NECAP open-ended questions).
Description of Data Collected and Analyzed (What you will use to measure progress toward goal/question and what you learn from an analysis of that data)
1. Mid-Term Exam grades from 09-10 will be compared to Mid-Term Exam grades 10-11 for Pre-Calculus classes.
2. Overall class averages on new assessments/quizzes will be assessed as compared to last year’s Pre-Calculus class quiz averages.
Here is one from two of our art teachers who will be collaborating on their goal
Goal Statement or Inquiry Question: 100% of our art students will participate in a variety of activities that promote and support reading and writing in the visual arts.
We will create specific lessons that will increase the student’s skills and vocabulary necessary to read, comprehend, and write about their own artwork, the artwork of others, and famous art from history. This will meet the needs of the reading and writing requirements for the Visual Arts Proficiency portfolio.
Description of Plan of Action (Specific steps or activities you will take toward meeting your goal or answering your question):
1. Develop brainstorm worksheets, handouts, and inspiring questions that will facilitate students in writing quality, thoughtful self-reflections and responses required for Visual Arts Proficiency portfolio.
2. Require journaling for advanced (AP, Art IV) students. Encourage students to keep a sketchbook which will include writing down thoughts and ideas about art.
3. Educate student on how to successfully summarize by analyzing art through critiquing critical elements in their own work and famous works (Art I, Crafts, and Sculpture).
4. Have students explore a favorite artist or art movement and complete outside reading and research assignments (Art I, Crafts, Art IV, AP).
5. Have students write about art and works of art as a method of vocabulary development and incorporate the Twelve Words used on standardized tests. (Art I, Crafts, Art IV, AP).
6. Promote and encourage sustained silent reading of art-related books and periodicals if there is extra time at the end of class.
7. Support web reading by allowing students to research about artists by visiting websites hosted by famous art museums.
8. Students will conduct research that makes connections among the visual arts and world events, historic time periods, and other disciplines.
Description of Data Collected and Analyzed (What you will use to measure progress toward goal/question and what you learn from an analysis of that data)
1. Student interest, effort and participation
2. High quality, thoughtful, writing of reports, responses, critiques, and reflections.
3. Increase in use of proper art vocabulary in student critiques, discussions, and writing pieces.
4. Student work in the form of meaningful group critiques, individual written reflections and critiques of students’ own artwork, as well as artist reports and personal artist statements.
5. Increase in art knowledge through differentiating and varying the approaches and methods of incorporating art writing and reading in the classroom.
Finally, here is one from a World Language teacher:
Goal Statement or Inquiry Question:
Students in my classes will utilize critical thinking skills in a variety of assignments, assessments and classroom activities.
Description of Plan of Action (Specific steps or activities you will take toward meeting your goal or answering your question):
Local archival data suggests that many students do not engage in enough higher-order thinking, and that they do not think critically in all subject areas. Likewise, there have been numerous academic studies published within the past four years that have demonstrated that students nationwide are unable to think critically. One reason for this problem, as suggested by various academic articles, is that there are relatively few assignments that require certain critical thinking and higher-order thinking skills. I plan to make the following changes in order to facilitate the development of such higher-order, critical thinking skills, all of which can be supported by research:
• I will redesign some tests and quizzes to target critical thinking skills.
• Within such designs, I will ask students to explain the reasons behind their answers and thoughts.
• I will explicitly teach students how to think critically and how to utilize higher-order thinking skills.
• Writing prompts will encourage more thinking “outside the box,” such as bringing to light non-standard versions of history (such as historical accounts of the Templars being in the U.S. 100 years before Columbus, and China discovering the U.S. in 1421. Such info. would help students to question the overwhelmingly popular suggestion that Columbus discovered the U.S., even though there were already people here and even though other outsiders discovered it first. Other similar topics involve Egyptian influences in Italian history and in Church practices, and the reasons behind the Cult of the Dead in Italy).
• Students will be required to reflect upon assignments and hand in such reflections.
• I will encourage more classroom discussions about topics that encourage critical thinking.
Description of Data Collected and Analyzed (What you will use to measure progress toward goal/question and what you learn from an analysis of that data)
The data will be collected and analyzed following qualitative methods, specifically taking a phenomenological perspective. Data will be taken from three sources and triangulated for credibility. First, the students’ written work will be read and coded for statements that are indicative of critical thinking or the lack of such thinking. Secondly, class discussions can function as informal interviews, allowing me to verify if students are in fact utilizing higher-order thinking skills. I can ask follow-up questions when needed in order to verify my assumptions about whether or not they are thinking critically and reflecting upon their thought-processes and decision-making skills. Finally, classroom observation while they are working in groups or discussing topics with their classmates can also help me to find out if they are thinking critically and using critical self-reflection skills.
Some of these goals will be fine-tuned, based on feedback from their colleagues or me. Additionally, teachers will be submitting to me periodic reflections on how the work is going and what additional questions have been raised in their research/reflection. As we did last year, we’ve posted many of the goals on our internal communication system to provide faculty an opportunity to see the variety of goals their colleagues are pursuing.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Senior Advisory
Someone once told me that the further they “moved up” in an organization, the farther away they moved from what attracted them to their profession in the first place. Education is certainly one of those professions where this axiom is apt. I am envious of the types – and depth – of the relationships I witness on a daily basis between students and teachers. The position of principal provides access to all kids in a variety of situations but few of those connections approach the ones made in the classroom. I think because principals don’t have the same types of relationships with kids as they did when they were teaching, it can be easy to lose sight of kids’ perspectives on a range of schoolwide issues. I’ve come to cherish my time in advisory, where twice a week for 28 minutes I do spend time with a dozen students throughout the year. When I first came to SKHS six years ago, I was assigned a group of freshmen, and remained with them in advisory for their four years of SKHS. They all took different paths: most went to college right away, enrolling at institutions ranging from MIT to Massachusetts Maritime Academy. One took five years to earn her diploma, another I see in town working as she goes to community college. Last year after my initial advisory had graduated, seizing on an idea which current Johnston principal, Gerry Foley, had instituted when he was at North Kingstown High School, I recruited 12 seniors who were for various reasons considered at-risk of not graduating. Their attitudes about school were at best ambivalent and at worst hostile. I knew some of these kids from their first three (or four) years at SKHS but I didn’t know any of them well. We spent our first quarter mostly hanging out and establishing a baseline of trust, occasionally focusing on the graduation portfolio which they all were not close to completing. Along the way, three dropped out, promising to get their GEDs (all three kept their promise, two receiving them in a ceremony last week and another successfully pursuing an alternate route to a diploma before pursuing work in Europe). The seven of the remaining nine, after a lot of cajoling, completed all of their requirements and walked across the stage last June. The remaining two are close and we expect they’ll complete their remaining requirements in the next month. I’d be lying if there were times when I said I would never take another group of recalcitrant seniors but the moments at graduation and on the phone with the kids who got their GEDs made it all worthwhile. It reminded me of what attracted me to the education profession in the first place. So over the next few days, I’ll be talking to a few select seniors, offering them the “chance” to have advisory with the principal. Most will look at me uncomfortably and reluctantly agree. Along the way we’ll have some laughs, battles and frustrating moments but we’ll also begin to forge that relationship which will culminate in a shared goal: graduation from SKHS.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
My apologies for slacking off at the end of the year. I have copied my welcome back letter to the faculty below:
Hello everybody-
I hope you have had a restful, relaxing summer. Like all of you, Jocelyn, Sam, Madeleine and I took advantage of the incredible weather we’ve had this summer. We enjoyed our local beaches and lakes as well as making our annual pilgrimages to coastal Maine, Martha’s Vineyard and New Hampshire. At this stage in their life, I think my kids grow as much from what they accomplish during the summer as from what they gain during the school year. Sam hiked close to ten miles with me and his grandparents earlier this summer and Madeleine made great gains both swimming and biking. It’s great to see how happy they are living a more simple life, concentrating on the things they truly enjoy. We also were able to take our six month old puppy, Ginger, on all of our outings which added a new dimension to our summer fun.
As always, summer signifies a time for less action and more reflection at SKHS. I was able to participate in conversations with some of you about what SKHS might become in the future. Those conversations included URI professors, parents, students, and town officials. Throughout those discussions, I tried to connect all of these ideas to what we already do so that anything we initiate that is new or different is a logical extension of where we are already going. In that light, I witnessed a small group of teachers and support staff meeting throughout the summer on how PBIS can move from rewarding positive behavior and reinforcing established, clear expectations to providing interventions for those who are not getting the message. The math department met regularly to refine and fine-tune curriculum. I talked with many of you about the need for providing learning opportunities for our kids outside of the classroom such as on-line classes, internships or classes at URI. One of the most rewarding professional experiences this summer was meeting over two days with a group of students, parents, teachers and community leaders to review and refine our mission and define our core values, a requirement for our NEASC self study. It was nice to witness such a diverse group of stakeholders reach consensus on defining The Rebel Way.
I know that when you come back to school in a few weeks you’ll be primarily focused on getting your classroom ready for your students and all that that entails. As the year goes on, in the midst of the NEASC self-study and inevitable rumors about contract negotiations, you’ll be challenged to maintain your focus on what’s happening with your kids in the classroom. So at our first meeting, when I start talking about the year ahead, just as you focus on your kids I will do my best to keep the conversation focused on what’s best for students. Throughout the year, I will do my best to continually ask how the structures we have in place and the ones that we build in the future support that focus on SKHS students and their teachers. That summer workshop reinforced for me that we’re all coming from the same place, sometimes it’s just a matter of reminding ourselves that we’re all headed in the same direction.
I’m looking forward to a great year where we enjoy and benefit from all that this community, your colleagues and SKHS students have to offer.
Hello everybody-
I hope you have had a restful, relaxing summer. Like all of you, Jocelyn, Sam, Madeleine and I took advantage of the incredible weather we’ve had this summer. We enjoyed our local beaches and lakes as well as making our annual pilgrimages to coastal Maine, Martha’s Vineyard and New Hampshire. At this stage in their life, I think my kids grow as much from what they accomplish during the summer as from what they gain during the school year. Sam hiked close to ten miles with me and his grandparents earlier this summer and Madeleine made great gains both swimming and biking. It’s great to see how happy they are living a more simple life, concentrating on the things they truly enjoy. We also were able to take our six month old puppy, Ginger, on all of our outings which added a new dimension to our summer fun.
As always, summer signifies a time for less action and more reflection at SKHS. I was able to participate in conversations with some of you about what SKHS might become in the future. Those conversations included URI professors, parents, students, and town officials. Throughout those discussions, I tried to connect all of these ideas to what we already do so that anything we initiate that is new or different is a logical extension of where we are already going. In that light, I witnessed a small group of teachers and support staff meeting throughout the summer on how PBIS can move from rewarding positive behavior and reinforcing established, clear expectations to providing interventions for those who are not getting the message. The math department met regularly to refine and fine-tune curriculum. I talked with many of you about the need for providing learning opportunities for our kids outside of the classroom such as on-line classes, internships or classes at URI. One of the most rewarding professional experiences this summer was meeting over two days with a group of students, parents, teachers and community leaders to review and refine our mission and define our core values, a requirement for our NEASC self study. It was nice to witness such a diverse group of stakeholders reach consensus on defining The Rebel Way.
I know that when you come back to school in a few weeks you’ll be primarily focused on getting your classroom ready for your students and all that that entails. As the year goes on, in the midst of the NEASC self-study and inevitable rumors about contract negotiations, you’ll be challenged to maintain your focus on what’s happening with your kids in the classroom. So at our first meeting, when I start talking about the year ahead, just as you focus on your kids I will do my best to keep the conversation focused on what’s best for students. Throughout the year, I will do my best to continually ask how the structures we have in place and the ones that we build in the future support that focus on SKHS students and their teachers. That summer workshop reinforced for me that we’re all coming from the same place, sometimes it’s just a matter of reminding ourselves that we’re all headed in the same direction.
I’m looking forward to a great year where we enjoy and benefit from all that this community, your colleagues and SKHS students have to offer.
Friday, May 14, 2010
Life after SKHS
Last Thursday, in conjunction with the South Kingstown Partnership for Prevention, we held a Principal’s Coffee on parenting your child the year after high school. Mark Wood, a professor in the Department of Psychology at URI, and Fred Procopio, the Director of Medical Services at URI, spoke to a few of us about some of the transitional issues students face leaving high school (and home), especially at college. Dr. Wood focused his comments on his research on alcohol-related preventive interventions in college student populations. Dr. Wood discussed the link between alcohol consumption and stress and how students’ inability to handle not only the academic intensity but the pressures of managing their lives (laundry, finances, food, etc) were a contributing factor in acute and chronic alcohol abuse. Dr. Procopio discussed the developmental and behavioral patterns he sees, principally during the freshman year of college; he said that there are an increasingly high number of students who either come to school incredibly fragile because they have been protected for 18 years or are burned out after working so hard during high school. Both provided fascinating observations and longitudinal data to support their contentions. I asked Dr. Procopio about the reluctance of many seniors – and their parents – to consider what our school counselors call a gap year, a year between senior year of high school and freshman year of college. He pointed out that even though there may be options presented to kids both in and out of school other than proceeding immediately to a two or four year school, those alternatives are usually never fully considered. He also spoke of his personal experience, where taking a semester off during his sophomore year of college helped to transform his college years into a much more positive experience.
I met with the school counselors the next day and shared my thoughts with them about the notion of a gap year and they confirmed what Dr. Procopio had said: that the option is presented to do something other than immediately attend college but it is normally not considered. We discussed how the department can structure some of their parent and student presentations during the junior and senior years to provide more weight to the consideration. Whether spending a year in an organization like Americorps volunteering, working or traveling, there are many students who would benefit from a break – and some perspective - from school before beginning another educational journey.
During the presentations we also discussed what we might be able to do as a school to help kids with some of the realities of living away from home for the first time. Next year, I have asked one our business teachers, Scott Rollins, to teach our Life Skills class. I’ve asked him to think about those issues that confront kids as they move away from home, whether into a dormitory or an apartment with friends, and how we can help them as they are required to manage additional responsibilities. The list of new experiences is a long one: getting along with roommates, setting a schedule when previously your schedule has been set for you, personal health and nutrition, finances, the list goes on and on. Dr. Procopio has already offered to explore linking some of the support services at URI with the course including Health Services, Talent Development and student leadership programs. In the process of developing this course and providing kids and parents options to consider, maybe we can help our students make better - or at least more informed - choices as they enter the “real world.”
I met with the school counselors the next day and shared my thoughts with them about the notion of a gap year and they confirmed what Dr. Procopio had said: that the option is presented to do something other than immediately attend college but it is normally not considered. We discussed how the department can structure some of their parent and student presentations during the junior and senior years to provide more weight to the consideration. Whether spending a year in an organization like Americorps volunteering, working or traveling, there are many students who would benefit from a break – and some perspective - from school before beginning another educational journey.
During the presentations we also discussed what we might be able to do as a school to help kids with some of the realities of living away from home for the first time. Next year, I have asked one our business teachers, Scott Rollins, to teach our Life Skills class. I’ve asked him to think about those issues that confront kids as they move away from home, whether into a dormitory or an apartment with friends, and how we can help them as they are required to manage additional responsibilities. The list of new experiences is a long one: getting along with roommates, setting a schedule when previously your schedule has been set for you, personal health and nutrition, finances, the list goes on and on. Dr. Procopio has already offered to explore linking some of the support services at URI with the course including Health Services, Talent Development and student leadership programs. In the process of developing this course and providing kids and parents options to consider, maybe we can help our students make better - or at least more informed - choices as they enter the “real world.”
Friday, April 16, 2010
Port in a storm
The period between February vacation and April vacation always feels like the longest, hardest stretch of the school year for me; we’ve all been in school for six months but the end is clearly not in sight. I think this week just before the April break can be particularly trying, especially for many families this year whose lives were turned upside down by the flooding. Everyone is ready for the break. But one advantage we have working in schools is that there are always activities occurring that can re-energize us. Tuesday night, I went to see the drama club’s performance of the short play, “Killing Bill” which was a fundraising performance to help defray the costs of a trip to Falmouth, Maine where the group will be performing the play this weekend as part of the New England Drama Festival. The production, directed by Dave Price, is funny and well acted. The group was awarded first place at the RI drama festival which earned them the honor of performing in Maine. The kids clearly enjoy the play and it was a superb production. Wednesday morning, I headed over to Curtis Corner Middle School to observe the co-curricular fair. There were student reps. from around 20 clubs as well as from girls and boys sports teams, who got up "early" on Wednesday morning so they could talk to eighth graders and invite them to sign up as a potential member of their club or team. Next fall when those clubs meet, any of those eighth graders - who will be freshmen - will be contacted by the club and encouraged to attend their first meetings. The primary organizers of the event were science teacher Brenda Dillmann, Deb Harig from the South Kingstown Partnership for Prevention and the SKHS PTG. The event was a great success and one proactive way we can encourage freshmen attending SKHS to get involved. Last night, I attended a joint concert put on by the SKHS and Narragansett High School bands. The two groups had been rehearsing together over the past few weeks and considering they had just started working together, they sounded great. The boys’ volleyball team happened to be taking on Bishop Hendricken across the lobby so I was able to catch the last few points of that match as well. The boys played well but eventually lost. On most evenings at SKHS, you can find a team playing, a group rehearsing, a club holding an activity in the cafeteria. There are always kids – and their coaches and advisors – engaged in activities which demonstrate the passion, commitment and talents of our school community. And if nothing else, that is what keeps you going.
Friday, April 9, 2010
ParentConnect
Beginning in a few weeks, we will be starting to phase in, ParentConnect, a secure, on-line tool that will directly connect parents to their child’s grades and attendance. Beginning in the 4th quarter, eight teachers have volunteered to pilot the program with their students, which will offer any parents that have children in those teachers’ classes the opportunity to monitor their child’s academic performance throughout the fourth quarter. I think this move to a more public system, both with our graduation portfolio, through Richer Picture, and with grades and attendance, is an important step in demystifying some of the frustrating communication between the school and home that have plagued high schools across the nation.
We plan to have all teachers utilize the on-line grading system during the first quarter of the 2010-11 school year, with more teachers piloting, and will have all teachers participating beginning second quarter. Both Curtis Corner and Broad Rock will be adopting ParentConnect next year as well. Much of the support for implementing such a system came from teachers who live in communities where similar types of systems already exist. This is a pilot program this quarter so there will probably be some glitches but I am pleased that we are moving towards assessment practices where parents – and students – can better track academic progress on a continuous basis, thereby having a more participatory role in the educational process.
We plan to have all teachers utilize the on-line grading system during the first quarter of the 2010-11 school year, with more teachers piloting, and will have all teachers participating beginning second quarter. Both Curtis Corner and Broad Rock will be adopting ParentConnect next year as well. Much of the support for implementing such a system came from teachers who live in communities where similar types of systems already exist. This is a pilot program this quarter so there will probably be some glitches but I am pleased that we are moving towards assessment practices where parents – and students – can better track academic progress on a continuous basis, thereby having a more participatory role in the educational process.
Friday, April 2, 2010
Wash Out
This has been a surreal week for all of us. It seemed bizarre to have a “snow day” Thursday as the sun was shining and temperatures reached 60 degrees. To clarify, the reason we have not had school the past few days is due to unsafe road conditions and not flooding in schools. With more than a few routes impassable due to roadways being washed out or bridges whose instructional integrity was in question, SK and surrounding communities were advised not to run buses this week. As it is, the district will need to improvise bus routes to avoid those roadways that will require long-term repair. In the meantime, I hope this beautiful weather allows you an opportunity to dry out your house and enjoy the springtime weather. I will inform everybody as soon as we know the impact that this week has on the school calendar; there are rumors that the state will not require us to make up all of the days we missed but those are just rumors.
Friday, March 26, 2010
The tension between the written and unwritten curriculum
Dr. Stringfellow and I were invited by social studies teacher, Roe Colao, to come and discuss our philosophies on education with her Public Issues class. The class had forwarded us a list 17 questions they had gleaned following a text-based discussion from an article by David Orr. The class asked us to respond to thought-provoking quotes such as, “it is not education, but education of a certain kind, that will save you.” and “much of the current debate about educational standards and reforms is driven by the belief that we must prepare the young only to compete effectively in the global economy”, and “indoor classes create the illusion that learning only occurs inside four walls, isolated from what students call, without apparent irony, the ‘real world.’” I think the discussion went pretty well and I’m sure it was a welcome respite for Dr. Stringfellow from the world of budget in which she is embroiled. The discussion re-affirmed for me the disconnect we have in public schools between what we say we believe and the embedded limitations of the institutional structures we work within in high schools. I have been struggling with that tension recently as the juniors prepare for their SKPades production this weekend.
For those of you who are unfamiliar, SKPades is an annual event at SKHS where the junior class creates a variety show, spoofing life at SKHS, poking fun at students (mostly seniors), administrators, teachers and school initiatives. There are skits, dance routines and video clips, all written, produced and acted by that year’s junior class. The material is topical to SKHS and borrows heavily from current fads and trends, for instance popular movies and TV shows. Much of the class participates, and for many, it is the highlight of their high school experience. Friendships are created and deepened as part of the process. Students who were never leaders in their class become leaders as writers, actors and videographers. The event is also a major moneymaker for the class and the success of the event provides momentum for junior prom and their senior year. As they get closer to show time, the time commitment moves from after-school meetings to extended rehearsal sessions where kids are working until 10 or 11 at night. For many juniors, they are torn in multiple directions during the run-up to SKPades. Homework and other after school activities take a back seat. SKPades is intentionally scheduled in between the winter and spring sports seasons but practice has started and coaches must make accommodations for juniors; athletes miss practices and scrimmages. Most teachers of juniors delay or scale back any major assessments which would require more intensive studying, recognizing the priorities of the juniors. The two faculty advisors of SKPades, despite providing plenty of time for students to write and produce skits (beginning the process months in advance), want to produce a show which is polished and entertaining, which requires intensive time commitment, especially the two weeks leading up to opening night.
There is no question SKPades is a unique community-building event but when I hear a student say to a teacher, “you can’t expect me to get that work done, I’m here at school until 10:00 working on SKPades,” it reinforces that tension between the idea of building community that I discussed with the Public Issues students and the concurrent vision we have here to improve student achievement. How can we honor and make time for such major events without compromising the expectation that students need to be in class, learning what we are expected to teach kids? Is it fair to have a schedule where the two ideals are almost mutally exclusive? In talking to some seniors today, they told me it was very difficult a year ago at this time to focus in class because of the excitement/anticipation/requirements of SKPades. There are skills and experiences that SKPades provides which are hard to find in any academic class; SKPades is that “education of a certain kind” that Mr.Orr talks about in his article. Can we justify the experience if it means that other types of learning cease? It is my job as a principal, to try to answer those questions that were posed by Roe’s class, in a way that we create opportunities for kids to have those experiences that are part of the unwritten curriculum while having fidelity to our school’s – and our state’s – mission of increasing student achievement through the articulated curriculum. Both are valuable but can they effectively coexist together within our present, inflexible institutional structure?
For those of you who are unfamiliar, SKPades is an annual event at SKHS where the junior class creates a variety show, spoofing life at SKHS, poking fun at students (mostly seniors), administrators, teachers and school initiatives. There are skits, dance routines and video clips, all written, produced and acted by that year’s junior class. The material is topical to SKHS and borrows heavily from current fads and trends, for instance popular movies and TV shows. Much of the class participates, and for many, it is the highlight of their high school experience. Friendships are created and deepened as part of the process. Students who were never leaders in their class become leaders as writers, actors and videographers. The event is also a major moneymaker for the class and the success of the event provides momentum for junior prom and their senior year. As they get closer to show time, the time commitment moves from after-school meetings to extended rehearsal sessions where kids are working until 10 or 11 at night. For many juniors, they are torn in multiple directions during the run-up to SKPades. Homework and other after school activities take a back seat. SKPades is intentionally scheduled in between the winter and spring sports seasons but practice has started and coaches must make accommodations for juniors; athletes miss practices and scrimmages. Most teachers of juniors delay or scale back any major assessments which would require more intensive studying, recognizing the priorities of the juniors. The two faculty advisors of SKPades, despite providing plenty of time for students to write and produce skits (beginning the process months in advance), want to produce a show which is polished and entertaining, which requires intensive time commitment, especially the two weeks leading up to opening night.
There is no question SKPades is a unique community-building event but when I hear a student say to a teacher, “you can’t expect me to get that work done, I’m here at school until 10:00 working on SKPades,” it reinforces that tension between the idea of building community that I discussed with the Public Issues students and the concurrent vision we have here to improve student achievement. How can we honor and make time for such major events without compromising the expectation that students need to be in class, learning what we are expected to teach kids? Is it fair to have a schedule where the two ideals are almost mutally exclusive? In talking to some seniors today, they told me it was very difficult a year ago at this time to focus in class because of the excitement/anticipation/requirements of SKPades. There are skills and experiences that SKPades provides which are hard to find in any academic class; SKPades is that “education of a certain kind” that Mr.Orr talks about in his article. Can we justify the experience if it means that other types of learning cease? It is my job as a principal, to try to answer those questions that were posed by Roe’s class, in a way that we create opportunities for kids to have those experiences that are part of the unwritten curriculum while having fidelity to our school’s – and our state’s – mission of increasing student achievement through the articulated curriculum. Both are valuable but can they effectively coexist together within our present, inflexible institutional structure?
Friday, March 5, 2010
Toby Gibbons
There are many excellent educators at South Kingstown High School. The best of those establish relationships with students both in and out of the classroom. They are sought out by the athletes and the thespians, by the disenfranchised and the kids involved in countless activities. Toby Gibbons is one such teacher. This is Toby’s fourth year at South Kingstown High School. Before landing in SK, he taught both in public and private settings. His multiple experiences have shaped his classroom persona and his decision to make SKHS a part of his life once the school day ends. I am especially impressed with Toby’s presence in the classroom and his ability to sense when to push students and when to provide them support. His willingness to enthusiastically teach the content and skills, but still hold enough distance for his students to consider him a teacher and not a comrade is impressive. Math is one of those subjects where some of us – not just kids – make up their mind that they can or can’t do it before they even try. Toby is not afraid to put the curriculum on hold to make sure that everyone understands a previously taught concept moving forward. I was observing one of his classes last year when he essentially stopped the lesson he was facilitating to review a piece of a test where many students had struggled a few days earlier; you could see the relief on the kids’ faces. Toby has coached soccer and softball at the middle school, and is the head coach of the varsity hockey team at the high school (play-offs begin tonight vs. St. Rays!). A hallmark of Toby’s teams is that they get better as the year goes on. As in his classroom, he understands that “getting it” may take a while but the benefits will be there in the end if he is patient and provides clear, consistent expectations. Toby regularly attends other SKHS events with his kids in tow. He clearly enjoys seeing kids excel in his classroom and on other stages. Toby is one of our ninth grade house teachers this year. I can’t think of a better teacher for freshmen to have: he is a teacher of students as much as he is a teacher of math.
Monday, March 1, 2010
Our Head Custodian
Three years ago, South Kingstown High School was visited by a group of educators as part of a SALT (School Accountability for Learning and Teaching) visit. While the majority of the commendations and recommendations focused on what happens in the classroom, the SALT team couldn’t help noticing the condition of the building. In their recommendations, they state, “This school building no longer promotes or reflects a positive school culture. The school is noticeably dirty and poorly maintained—halls, cafeteria, classrooms, gymnasium, quads, and restrooms. Students report that the restrooms “are disgusting” and that they refuse to use them. Graffiti is a widespread and demoralizing problem for students and adults alike. Broken and/or insufficient furniture, shades, windows, and doors are commonplace.” It was the only non-teaching and learning comment to appear in the report. If the SALT team was to return, they would not come to such a conclusion. The district has provided some additional resources and re-structured how custodians are supervised. There has been some turnover with our custodians but the most important factor in providing a cleaner school has been the work of our head custodian, Carol Leahy. Carol has served as our head custodian for over a year now. She has established higher expectations regarding cleanliness and professionalism for all of the custodians. She is responsive to any emergencies we have and is pro-active around other facilities issues. The cafeteria, which was a dump five years ago, is significantly cleaner. Carol has advocated for and facilitated long-term projects such as re-painting all of the bathrooms; four have been re-painted in the past year. She has lobbied for and received better equipment for the school. She has developed an esprit de corps amongst her staff and worked well with me and her district supervisors. She goes about her job professionally and cheerfully. On a weekly basis, I would hear complaints about the condition of the cafeteria, gym and bathrooms; I rarely hear those concerns any more. Sometimes the importance of a position can’t be measured until someone steps in and makes a difference. That is the case with Carol Leahy.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Our SK series teachers
Next Tuesday, approximately 160 seniors will present their graduation portfolios to a group of teachers and proud parents. The portfolio represents both a collection of “proficient” work that the student has completed in a variety of courses and reflections about both specific pieces of work and a summative reflection on their high school experience and what lies ahead. Much of the organization and decision-making about the portfolio occurs in the SK series classes. Each year, every student has a quarter class primarily devoted to the portfolio (SK 101 for freshmen, SK 102 for sophomores, etc). The seniors take their SK 104 class in the second quarter, so they can be ready to present their portfolios in early February. Much of the guidance, hectoring and cajoling comes from the SK series teachers. These teachers are charged with facilitating the process of student preparation for the portfolio. They do not have an enviable task as most students view the portfolio, to be polite, as burdensome. I have had seniors in my advisory for the past two years and they speak of the SK teachers as many adolescents do of their mother: they don’t understand why they’re always on their case, and why they take this portfolio so seriously. Many students openly wonder why the SK teachers won’t just leave them alone. SK teachers require some essential but often unappreciated skills to be successful. They have to be able to critique reflective writing, keep meticulous records (more so than in a regular classroom) and be able to communicate clearly with students and parents. The past week has been particularly hectic for the SK series teachers as many students put it into high gear to get their portfolios completed. From the hubbub of the week before senior portfolio presentations, SK teachers then immediately transition to the SK 102 class with sophomores for third quarter. While the requirements remain the same, the sense of urgency on the part of the sophomores is less so. Much of the first few weeks of the quarter is spent reminding students, who still see high school graduation as a lifetime away, of the requirements and how to access and input proficient work into Richer Picture, our web-based portfolio system. SK teachers also help sophomores to organize and identify portfolio-worthy work, and to start writing reflections on those pieces. While many students chafe at the required SK classes, most students would struggle mightily without the support of the SK series teachers.
Friday, January 22, 2010
Supporting struggling readers
One of the interventions that we’ve established for entering freshmen is a program that aims to have all students reading at grade level by the time they exit high school. Based on data reviewed from the 8th grade year, students who are reading below grade level are required to take a literacy enhancement class. The class focuses on strategies to increase decoding, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension. As the Program of Studies describes, literacy teachers Angela Christina and Shannon Stanton help kids increase their comprehension of a variety of materials of varying length and complexity, analyze and interpret what they read in the process of becoming critical readers, and help them learn to write effectively in a variety of formats for a language according to current standards of correctness. You can check out more details about the program at http://hs.skschools.net/LiteracyEnhancement/ This is the fifth year Angela and Shannon have been working together and their results have been impressive. They recently completed assessing their students (mostly ninth and tenth graders) whom they test in the middle and at the end of the year. 94% of the 10th grade students increased their comprehension from the beginning of the year (I don’t have the ninth grade stats as of this posting). Close to half are reading at the ninth grade level which indicates they will be on grade level by June. One of the reasons we’ve seen a steady increase in our reading scores on the NECAP with kids who move from 2s (partially proficient) to 3s (proficient) or 1s (substantially below proficiency) to 2s is due to the work of Angela and Shannon. Our Assistant Superintendent, Mary Kelley, has also been instrumental in developing our capacity as a high school to support struggling readers. In addition to the direct reading intervention support, Diane Kern from URI, has been working with our social studies department for the past calendar year, providing best practice teaching strategies to our social studies teachers and working intensively with a few of them. One of the challenges in high schools is creating structures to provide targeted interventions for students such as literacy enhancement while at the same time attempting to provide meaningful professional development for content-area teachers in these same areas so they can incorporate or reinforce the skill-building within the content, specifically in literacy, writing, numeracy and problem solving for all students. We know if kids can read, write and problem solve, they can be successful in any content-area and job field.
Friday, January 15, 2010
Meeting with the Commish
Just before the holidays, the new Commissioner of Education, Deborah Gist, met with high school principals to discuss her strategic plan and recent initiatives that will impact educators and families across the state. For those of you who don’t know, the Commissioner has made a number of decisions which could have far-reaching implications for how schools are structured, including ending seniority as the determining factor for open positions in a district, mandating a revised evaluation system where teachers are evaluated by administrators annually and an adoption of national standards in math and English. All of these components are part of her Race to the Top application, President Obama’s educational initiative which will provide millions of federal dollars to forward thinking states. There have been many articles over the past month about the Commissioner’s vision for Rhode Island and the Race to the Top application.
When principals met with Commissioner Gist, we asked her questions which touched on the future and her support for existing initiatives like:
· What supports will RIDE provide to principals and district leadership in regards to implementation of the Educator Evaluation System Standards and RI Educator Code of Responsibility?
· What is the feasibility of funding for schools for deepening the secondary reform efforts?
· What can principals expect in the January letters regarding the Commissioner’s Review Visits? Will schools be approved or not approved? What will come next?
· What is the feasibility of funding for schools for performance incentives for teachers and administrators?
In answering questions on a variety of topics, it became clear that Commissioner Gist expects to set out a general direction for districts and then to have each district work it out in the way they best see fit, similar to the way we have developed our diploma systems. Commissioner Gist’s theory of action makes sense but I wonder about capacity to take on more (re-aligning to national standards, continuing the development and student-supports of our PBGR system, an evaluation system where three or four administrators must evaluate every teacher every year), all in the face of the fiscal reality which will necessitate cuts to staff at all levels. This is in addition to the (lengthy) negotiations that will have to take place between the unions and districts on these new systems and their impact on contracts. Don’t get me wrong, much of what the Commissioner is proposing is needed and will provide benefits to kids K -12. But at the heart of most school reform initiatives is a somewhat flawed assumption that educators can do more within the same time and resource constraints. I’m not talking about pay but the notion that we continue to operate under the same institutional structures that were created a century ago for different educational ends. That ancient structure does not facilitate the types of changes we need to make in education today. If we’re going to blow up our current system, fine, but the student and teacher school day as we know it, needs to change as well.
When principals met with Commissioner Gist, we asked her questions which touched on the future and her support for existing initiatives like:
· What supports will RIDE provide to principals and district leadership in regards to implementation of the Educator Evaluation System Standards and RI Educator Code of Responsibility?
· What is the feasibility of funding for schools for deepening the secondary reform efforts?
· What can principals expect in the January letters regarding the Commissioner’s Review Visits? Will schools be approved or not approved? What will come next?
· What is the feasibility of funding for schools for performance incentives for teachers and administrators?
In answering questions on a variety of topics, it became clear that Commissioner Gist expects to set out a general direction for districts and then to have each district work it out in the way they best see fit, similar to the way we have developed our diploma systems. Commissioner Gist’s theory of action makes sense but I wonder about capacity to take on more (re-aligning to national standards, continuing the development and student-supports of our PBGR system, an evaluation system where three or four administrators must evaluate every teacher every year), all in the face of the fiscal reality which will necessitate cuts to staff at all levels. This is in addition to the (lengthy) negotiations that will have to take place between the unions and districts on these new systems and their impact on contracts. Don’t get me wrong, much of what the Commissioner is proposing is needed and will provide benefits to kids K -12. But at the heart of most school reform initiatives is a somewhat flawed assumption that educators can do more within the same time and resource constraints. I’m not talking about pay but the notion that we continue to operate under the same institutional structures that were created a century ago for different educational ends. That ancient structure does not facilitate the types of changes we need to make in education today. If we’re going to blow up our current system, fine, but the student and teacher school day as we know it, needs to change as well.
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