NCSA Today Magazine, Winter 2011 by NCSA

NCSA TODAY A PUBLICATION OF THE NEBRASKA COUNCIL OF SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS

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The New Session: Senator Adams discusses educational challenges Nebraska Council of School Administrators

January 2011

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FEATURES

2 Senator Greg Adams Addresses Education Issues Affecting 2011 Unicameral Session BY ELISABETH REINKORDT

4 Bipartisanship Needed to Solve State and Federal Budget Problems BY SENATOR BEN NELSON

When Change Happens: Make Lemonade

The Power of Words: Vocabulary Strategies that Support Administrators in their Daily Routine

BY DR. MIDGE MOUGEY

BY RANDY SCHLEUTER

Planning and Using Technology Effectively BY MITCH KUBICEK

“Learning Together” in Papillion-La Vista BY JANE BYERS

Technology Boot Camp for Administrators NCSA and ESU Technology Affiliate Collaboration BY JACKIE EDIGER

Learning Networks – Connecting Nebraska Schools with Accountability and Support BY ANGELA ZABAWA

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NASES New SpEd Administrator of the Year NAESP New Principal of the Year Winner Announced NAESP National Distinguished Principal for 2011 Nebraska State Association of Secondary School Principals Announces 2010 Award Winners NCSA Report – Communication Never More Important BY DR. MIKE DULANEY and DR. DAN ERNST

The Black and White of Green BY DAVE RAYMOND and DENNY VAN HORN

NCSA EXECUTIVE BOARD 2010-2011 Chair . . . . . . . . . . . .Sarah Williams Vice Chair . . . . . . . . . .Bill Mowinkel Past Chair . . . . . . . . . . . Matt Fisher NASA Representatives President . . . . . . . . . . . .Jack Moles President-elect . . . . . . .Greg Barnes Past President . . . . . . .Bill Mowinkel NASBO Representatives President . . . . . . . . .Robin Hoffman President-elect . . . . . . .Dave Kaslon Past President . . . . . . . . Rick Feauto NAESP Representatives President . . . . . . . . . .Midge Mougey President-elect . . . . . . .David Kraus Past President . . . . . .Sarah Williams NASES Representatives President . . . . . . . . .Peggy Romshek President-elect . . . . . . . .Stuart Clark Past President . . . . . . . . .Jane Byers NSASSP Representatives President . . . . . . . .Randy Schleuter President-elect . . Mitch Bartholomew Past President . . . . .Kenton McLellan NARSA Representative President . . . . . . . . . . . .Ron Joekel NCSA STAFF Dr. Michael S. Dulaney Executive Director/Lobbyist Dr. Dan E. Ernst Associate Executive Director/Lobbyist Kelly Coash-Johnson Training and Development Director Amy Poggenklass Finance and Membership Coordinator

24 CALENDAR OF EVENTS NCSA Mission The mission of the Nebraska Council of School Administrators (NCSA) is to be an effective leader for quality education and to enhance the professionalism of its members. NCSA Today is a benefit of membership in the Nebraska Council of School Administrators, 455 South 11th Street, Suite A, Lincoln, NE 68508. Telephone 402.476.8055 or 800.793.6272. Fax 402.476.7740. Annual membership dues are $325 (active members), $100 (associate members), or $30 (student members). NCSA Today is published quarterly. Send address changes to NCSA, Membership, 455 South 11th Street, Suite A, Lincoln, NE 68508. Copyright ©2010 by NCSA. All rights reserved.

Angie Carman Executive Administrative Assistant Carol Young Administrative Assistant Elisabeth Reinkordt Staff Correspondent The opinions expressed in NCSA Today or by its authors do not necessarily reflect the positions of the Nebraska Council of School Administrators. JANUARY 2011

NCSA TODAY

NEBRA SKA LEGISL ATURE

Sen. Greg Adams Addresses Education Issues Affecting 2011 Unicameral Session BY ELISABETH REINKORDT, Staff Correspondent

“T

he challenge,” according to the chair of the Education Committee, Senator Greg Adams of York, “will be funding, funding, funding.” As Nebraskans gear up to watch the 2011 Legislative session unfold during this time of economic uncertainty, this news should come as no surprise. On the day before the session began, the Senator made clear that while education funding will certainly be at the forefront of the Unicameral’s budget discussions, his goal is to remind stakeholders and his fellow senators that maintaining balance is key. As he noted, “Kids show up every day, whether there is a recession or not.” Indeed. So what can school administrators expect as the “financial gray cloud” Senator Adams describes influences this Legislative session?

“Kids show up every day, whether there is a recession or not.” – Senator Adams

First and foremost, the Education Committee will be grappling with a substantial modification to TEEOSA, the Tax Equity and Educational Opportunities Support Act. The state is facing a $986 million shortfall in the biennium budget, and with education amounting to slightly over 49 percent of the general fund appropriations, Senator Adams made clear that there is an expectation on the part of [his] colleagues — not just on the committee but throughout the entire Legislature “that we have this huge problem we have to fix and education has got to be a big part of the fix.” Thus, Adams feels, that the Education Committee’s “primary job of this session will be to present proposals, both with TEEOSA as well as with some of our 542 recommendations, that will help the overall budget of this state.” The 542 process, or LR 542 Listing of Options, refers to the report released in December 2010 by an ad hoc committee of the Legislature, chaired by Speaker Mike Flood and comprised of the chairs of the Legislature’s fourteen standing committees, that introduces options for addressing shortfalls in the biennium budget. Enacted in April 2010, the committee was charged with examining possible cuts in the members’ respective jurisdictions generally amounting to ten percent of general fund appropriations to each agency. Among cuts to programs at the University of Nebraska, state colleges, and the Postsecondary Coordination Commission, as well as in educational television and educational lands and funds, also listed by the committee were cuts both at the Department of Education and – most importantly for districts – a proposed $134,401,628 modification in State Aid through TEEOSA. Prior to the October economic forecast, Senator Adams and his committee prepared and modeled the plan from the 542 process with the modification to TEEOSA. However, after the October forecast and the Legislative Symposium, Senator Adams realized he would have to put together a second proposal with even deeper cuts in (continued on next page)

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STATEWIDE 2011 Legislative Session… (continued from page 2) both Year 1 and Year 2. Now that the Legislature is in session, he said, “The [Education] Committee will wrestle with both of those proposals and try to take something to the floor that is workable for schools but is also workable for this budget problem that we have.” Adams stressed, “We don’t want [to] do damage to schools, to do damage to education at the higher ed level or K12…we have an obligation here in Education to help at the statewide level.” Senator Adams returned to the idea of balance many times, emphasizing that legislating is all about balances, between “urban and rural, achievement gaps, big schools and small schools, good education policy and not-so-good education policy, new senators and veteran senators, statesmanship and politics.” One of the biggest challenges with state aid, he said, is that because all districts are different, it can be hard to predict the myriad effects that changes may have across the state. “If [districts] were all cookie cutter…we could more easily manipu-

late here and know how it’s going to affect [schools]. But there are “We don’t want [to] 253 different situations do damage to schools, out there.” With that in mind, Adams stressed to do damage to that all of the senators education at the will be listening to their higher ed level or constituents – including their district’s school ad- K-12…we have an ministrators – when obligation here in making decisions. Senator Adams does- Education to help at n’t foresee any other the statewide level.” bills coming from the Education Committee this session, but he’s not ruling it out, either. “It’s been an unusual year,” he said. “A year ago at this time, I had met with several different groups of folks about a variety of educational issues, from recreating unified systems to funding of Rule 18 schools to Kindergarten eligibility…this year, almost no one’s been here.” It seems as though the feeling that budget issues will be eclipsing all others has permeated the sentiments of education stakeholders throughout the state, forcing many to set aside broader goals and plans as they prepare for shrinking funds. He noted, however, that there may be some unanticipated bills appearing in the first ten days of bill introduction during the session. When asked what advice he would give to school administrators, he said: “Plan your budget. Get ready.” Unfortunately, he added, many of the decisions impacting administrators aren’t going to be made until May. “I wish I could say to them, ‘Hey, first bill out is going to be state aid, we’re going get it resolved in February,’” but that because of economic forecasts anticipated in both February and April, the complexion of the overall budget is subject to change. Though he acknowledged the difficult position that administrators are in as they make hiring decisions because of the timing of school finance calculations, he emphasized that at this time, changing that timetable was not an option. As the session progresses and Adams enters his second and final term in office, he hopes that “wherever we arrive on June 8th is the best that we can do in light of this environment.” I

Kris Valentin, Research Analyst, Education Committee, meets with Senator Adams. JANUARY 2011

NCSA TODAY

FEDERA L PERSPECTIVE

Bipartisanship Needed to Solve State and Federal Budget Problems BY SENATOR BEN NELSON

T Nelson

wo years ago, voters sent a clear message that they wanted change. Last fall, they sent that message again and we’re going to see another shift in Washington in 2011. It will have an impact on states, local governments, and our schools. Their message was that people around the country want Washington to put politics aside and work together for the best of the country. Some who were elected and some who have been in Washington awhile, however, may still want gridlock. Although I expect they will be vocal, I can’t imagine they’ll get far with continuing an agenda we’ve seen the last two years of delay, filibuster, and stalemate. For my part, I’ve always been able to work with people on both sides of the political aisle. And while the balance in Congress changes, it won’t change me. I’ll always look to bring people together for solutions that create jobs, improve education, foster economic growth and opportunity, and deal with federal spending and the debt. One of the biggest challenges will be to get our fiscal house back in order. States will be doing the same. But we need to make sure that isn’t at the expense of educating our children. As we go forward, it seems to me, it’s not unreasonable for local school districts to at least ask for fiscal help from those in state government. Today, the reality is that local governments are not only being denied help. They’re told that the state will balance its budget on the back of local governments and property taxes. It’s interesting that those in state government who want to balance the state budget on the back of schools and local governments are the same ones that are calling for the federal government to reduce the national debt--while at the same time demanding that they not do it on the backs of the states. Let’s review some of the facts. The 2009 Recovery Act created and saved hundreds of jobs in Nebraska, and it also eased burdens on local governments. Local school districts were saved from making big cuts to their budgets through the use of more than $425 million in Recovery Act funds. That kept teachers on the job teaching children at the high level they deserve—and need. The Recovery Act also bailed out the state budget, chiefly through several hundred million dollars of addi-

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tional funding for Medicaid costs. Some in state government criticized the Recovery Act and then turned around and asked for its funding to be extended so the state would get even more money to cover Medicaid costs. Last summer, Washington approved an Education Jobs bill that sent additional aid to teachers and to bail out the states. After some hesitancy, Lincoln took the money, about $59 million more for education funding and another $69 million for Medicaid costs. I was wary of another bailout for the states. But I also was concerned that if we didn’t help states, the most convenient step would be to cut aid to local communities, including schools. That could lead to a forced rise in property taxes or teacher layoffs or both. Today, the state faces a nearly $1 billion budget shortfall, huge by any standard and one that will force very tough decisions in Lincoln during the next few months. State government shouldn’t look to the federal government for more bailouts. There just isn’t the money, nor is there the will for Washington to spend more of what it doesn’t have. My own agenda will be to focus heavily on finding ways to create jobs and economic growth so we can get our economy firing again on all pistons. I also want to cut federal spending and to get started on serious debt reduction needed in order for America to continue to be a strong leader of the free world. In 2011, the makeup of Congress will be much different from the last two years, and it’s my hope the change will mean more bipartisan action on such issues as jobs, energy, deficit reduction and paying down the federal debt. After the 2008 elections, an unfortunate pattern set in. Members of the House passed bills that more or less shut out the minority and had little chance of winning approval in the Senate. The Senate’s 60/40 split, or nearly 60/40 split, between Democrats and Republicans put unhelpful pressure on both sides. Some Democrats said they didn’t need Republican backing on bills if all Democrats stuck together, and some Republicans said their only means of making sure their views were considered was to block whatever the Democrats proposed. Far too often, neither side worked together to achieve (continued on page 7)

AF FIL IATE LEA DERSHIP

When Change Happens: Make Lemonade BY DR. MIDGE MOUGEY, President, Nebraska Association of Elementary School Principals; Principal, North Platte Public Schools

ust prior to my son leaving for college at the United States Military Academy at West Point in 2003, I took the opportunity to read a then newly published book about the West Point experience. The book, Absolutely American, was written by David Lipsky, a writer for Rolling Stone Magazine. The particular draw of the book for me was that, as a mother, I was hungry for information about this almost mythical place and experience to/on which my son was embarking. While I was intrigued by the history of Lipsky’s efforts to write the book in the first place I was continuMougey ally drawn back to the book in an almost Pavlovian way because of the rich dialogue and description of the cadets’ view of life. One particular quote from a young cadet resonated with me at the first reading and in subsequent readings. The gist was, “In order to find happiness in life you must live the life you are in as if it were the one you had planned.” At first blush this looks like a bit of pabulum and yet as one mines the quote, a depth of understanding about the real essence of life is apparent in this young man’s words. “Stuff happens” to all of us. Some of it we can control but more and more there seems to be fewer things that we can control in this culture of educational uncertainty we find ourselves immersed in today. The very real challenges of budget cuts (and the ever anticipated “Cliff Effect”), staff reductions, doing more with less, and increased unfunded mandates cast a shadow over our intended focus on students and learning. It adds unprecedented challenges to our work and exacerbates the environment of uncertainty in which we already exist. This sum of the parts adds up to an enormous burden for those leading the educational charge in Nebraska, and, I suspect other states, as well. It also changes the game in ways that we may be unprepared for at this “In order to find happiness in juncture of our life you must live the life you career. After 12 years are in as if it were the one you at a three-track, had planned.” – Dr. Mougey high poverty school I was reassigned this year

to two one-track buildings in the most affluent area of our town. The dynamics of the families I serve are very different and bring new challenges. At first I struggled with this situation. I grieved for the families I had connected with and served passionately for many years. I privately railed against the change and saw it only in a negative light and wondered if it was a punitive gesture. I once again went to the “well” and re-examined the, now, very familiar quote that had initially drawn me back to David Lipsky’s book. It was after reconsidering the quote that I made a conscious decision to become very cerebral about the situation in which I now found myself. I begin to examine the ramifications of the change, I talked to trusted colleagues and friends, I whined to my family, I researched my new schools, I questioned past and present teachers at the schools, and I started making “lists” for myself. Most importantly I made the overt decision to “get happy” about things. That is, after all, the real decision…our state of mind…and ultimately, one of the few things over which we really do have control. While I am wrestling the alligators of change in my corner of Nebraska I daily remind myself of the young cadet’s words, “In order to find happiness in life you must live the life you are in as if it were the one you had planned.” I made an active choice to change the lens I was looking through and start to see this change as if it were of my choosing. Amazingly, the change of attitude made all the difference in the world. I am pleased (but not surprised given what I know about attitudes, views on life, and myself) to report that I am having the time of my life!! The life I had planned (many years ago) as a building principal included: being able to personally greet students each morning, to get into EVERY classroom EVERY day, to visit with students about their learning, to model reading stamina for upper level readers, to connect with kids on the playground and in the cafeteria, to enjoy getting to know all the “good kids,” and to personally put children in cars each night as they drive out of my life for the day. That is the life I had planned…and amazingly, it is the life I am now living. I continue to live by another platitude: Never drink the kool-aid!! I do, however, find that lemonade has always been my drink of choice!! I

JANUARY 2011

NCSA TODAY

AF FIL IATE LEA DERSHIP

The Power of Words: Vocabulary Strategies that Support Administrators in their Daily Routine BY RANDY SCHLEUTER, President, Nebraska State Association of Secondary School Principals; Principal, Beatrice Middle School

r. Hal Urban spoke about the importance of words at the recent NASSP/NAESP State Convention. During his presentations, he described how words could be nourishing or toxic between the person sending the message and the person receiving the message. Administrators should encourage professional performance within their schools by focusing on the nourishing words that will sustain their staff. Two learning strategies that come to mind to help administrators focus on nourishing words are teach/reteach and word walls. As professionals, we are all familiar with words that are essential to our profession. Unless we continue to remind (re-teach) ourselves of the words Schleuter and their importance, we are vulnerable to crossing the line from nourishing words to toxic words. Word walls become a visible reminder of these encouraging words that are important to us in our daily routine. Take the time to “decorate” your office, halls, lounge, classroom with the words that you feel are key to maintaining a positive atmosphere within your building. During my years in education, I have collected some of the key words that are most often used during professional conversations that are vital to a successful school system. The list is not all-inclusive, nearly a portion of the key words that we need. Each word is followed by the definition and the significance of each in an educational environment. On two occasions, Dr. Mike Dulaney has said, “keep your eye on the prize,” as he has addressed members of the NCSA. The purpose of the Dr. Dulaney’s comment was to remind administrators why they became educators, and not allow them to become caught up in the testing, politics, and budget. When educators know the “why,” then “what to do” becomes In order to create a an easier task for the learnpositive learning ing community. In the book Fierce Converenvironment, your staff sations, Susan Scott states and students should that “a simple and effective shift you can make is to reknow what to expect move the word but from your from you each day. vocabulary and substitute the word and.” When you modify 6

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your language and replace the word but with the word and, you avoid blame. Communication should be designed to reduce barriers between people, not build them. In 2005, Beatrice Middle School created our school mission statement making sure we used words to help support our professional educators. The staff members developed their personal definition of what learning is and how to help guide us through our decision-making process. The BMS definition of learning is “a process of acquisition and application of knowledge.” The vision of learning is one that applies to both students and staff members. Our staffs’ goal is to encourage both students and teachers to make daily learning a priority in their professional and personal life. Two methods of building a positive working relationship with students and staff members is “meet and greet” and “I noticed.” Acknowledging students and staff members when they enter the building or classroom lets them know that they have value and worth within the school. The “I noticed” strategy is used to build self-esteem when you make a comment to a student or staff member. By using this positive statement about the student or staff member it helps to build and develop positive relationship. In order to create a positive learning environment, your staff and students should know what to expect from you each day. You need to be consistent. This will create a safe learning environment for everyone, and they will be more likely to succeed. The professionals that we work with can adapt to a planned change; however, they will dislike an environment in which the rules are constantly being altered. Staff members are also looking for follow-through after the administration has made a public statement about policy. A quote that we should all live by is: “On their death bed, nobody has ever wished they had spent more time in their office.” It is important for administrators to interact with staff and students throughout the course of the school day. Being visible allows the principal to have a working knowledge of how the designed curriculum is being implemented within the classroom. Laughter has the ability to heal the spirit. During the (continued on next page)

The Power of Words… (continued from page 6) current educational drama, take the time to laugh, especially at yourself to lift your spirits. A good belly laugh and other positive influences will make the task at hand easier to find the necessary solutions. Be sure to surround yourself with positive people and interact with them. At the start of district administrator meetings at BPS, we start with an opening laugh to share humor with all. Change is very scary for some in education. As the building administrator, change should be planned by all affected parties. Take the time to collaborate with everyone and be sure all understand the reasons for the needed changes. Teachers and administrators can no longer work in isolation to meet the needs of their students. A building administrator must discover the teacher leaders and actively engage them in the decision making process for the building. By utilizing these educators who are able to take a leadership role, the school can benefit from their collaboration and improve instruction and education. Words do make a powerful statement when they become a part of our vocabulary that we conscientiously use in our daily pro-

fessional journey. Applying something as simple as a re-teach strategy of words that create your personal word wall will help you hit a moving target. Using the words that are important to the individual administrator will help “keep our eyes on the prize” as we continue to work with students and staff in our building. As building administrators, our day is often consumed by so many distractions with which we have little to no control, and our plate gets piled higher with each new educational program. Yet, our target must always be learning for those in our educational community. To guide your aim, use nourishing words to steady your mind to hit the moving target. I

Bipartisanship Needed… (continued from page 4) well-balanced legislation that had the best interests of the entire country at heart. In 2011, the Senate will be closer to a 50/50 split, which should be a recipe for more bipartisan legislation. Neither side will be able to sit on the sidelines. Both will have an obligation to offer realistic plans providing job growth, economic expansion and improvements in education so Americans will be able to compete and lead the world in the second decade of the 21st Century. After the fall elections, I saw a poll showing that 80 percent of Americans want people to work together more to get things done. Well, we saw that in action in December’s lame duck session and polls showed strong support for the results. In December, the president bypassed the Democrats and worked with Republicans. It reminded me of when I was first elected governor of Nebraska in 1990. Everyone knew the Legislature was non-partisan but everyone’s party affiliations also were known. Some Democrats were so used to battling my predecessor, who was a Republican, they continued that practice when I arrived. So, I went to the Republicans and worked with them on our agenda for Nebraska. Next year, Democrats were standing in line asking how they could help; we had more bipartisan work and successes thereafter, and at the end of my second term the state was on sound footing.

Sometimes jumping over the political divide can be helpful because it sends the message that working together and putting aside partisan politics can deliver results. That is what the President did on extending the expiring Bush era tax cuts and unemployment benefits, on the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty and other measures. He received criticism from those at either ends of the political spectrum, but he showed he was willing to talk to anybody to get the job done and make progress for the country. While some complained about all that was done in the lame duck, the only reason that happened was because months of obstruction and delaying tactics left a lot of unfinished work to the end of the 111th Congress. It’s my hope that the two-year 112th Congress starting in January will be marked with more honest debate, more consensus and bipartisanship and less political gamesmanship. The stakes are high. Our children’s education and their future are on the line. I

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NCSA TODAY

TECHNO LOGY

Planning and Using Technology Effectively BY MITCH KUBICEK, Principal, Dorchester Public Schools

ith the recent growth of new technologies, there exists an opportunity to incorporate new learning tools into education, and some schools may be asking, “So why use technology?” Steve Ballmer, Microsoft CEO writes, “The number one benefit of information technology is that it empowers people to do what they want to do. It lets people be creative. It lets people be productive. It lets people learn things they didn't think they could learn before, and so in a sense it is all about potential.” Kubicek These comments define the effective use of technology. Technology should be used to empower individuals, to increase efficiency and productivity, and to enhance communication and collaboration. However, it is also important to consider the possible downsides of technology, as well. If not planned well, technology can hinder, distract, and isolate. Purposeful and effective implementation of technology will result only if schools demonstrate careful planning for its use. Planning has two major implications; it will prevent the use of technology from feeling like an “add-on,” and it will lead to sustained integration of technology into classrooms to support student learning. As part of the planning, schools should consider the answers to the following questions: • Will it increase the quality and/or efficiency of our work? • Are we able to collaborate/communicate more effectively? • Can we collect, organize, and provide more efficient ways to review data? Currently, most educators use technology to learn through research of Mitch will provide a one-day information on the workshop on how to use his Internet. The caGoogle form on March 28th from pacity of knowl9:00 to 3:00 in the NCSA edge available conference room. Participants will through the world receive training on how to use the wide web is litertool and a customized version. ally endless, and is For more information or to a tremendous reregister contact Toby Boss at source for administboss@esu6.org or Tammy trators, teachers, Williams at twilliam@esu6.org. and students. However, with the 8

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introduction to web 2.0 tools, we now have the opportunity to go one step further, and not only review information, but create, modify, and collaborate about information. These tools provide a system to promote additional dialogue and conversation among all stakeholders. I have listed some of the technology tools I use as a building principal. All are free, and most are webbased, eliminating the need to download software. These examples demonstrate how principals can use technology to support and involve teachers, and could easily be tools teachers use in their classrooms to support and involve students. Google Docs (docs.google.com): Users can create documents similar to the programs in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Powerpoint). Documents can be shared so multiple users can collaborate and edit one document. Our leadership team has used this to create a planning document for school improvement. Each member of the leadership team can makes changes, comments, and chat online while reviewing and editing the same document. This has proven to be a beneficial way to have an ongoing, online discussion. Another valuable tool within the suite of google docs is the form tool (a survey tool similar to Zoomerang and SurveyMonkey). Google forms allow you to create and edit surveys, and the results of these surveys are collected in a google spreadsheet. We use surveys to collect information from the staff, parents, and students; this data helps us organize information and plan for academic improvements. I also use a google form to complete electronic walk-through observations of classrooms. Through the use of an iPod Touch, iPad, Smartphone, or Laptop computer, forms and comments are collected and stored before I leave the classroom, and the information is immediately emailed to the classroom teacher. This has allowed me to transition to an evaluation and feedback structure that is year-round, formative, and drives ongoing conversations about student learning. Google Groups (groups.google.com): If you’re interested in a free discussion board, this is a very user-friendly tool. You can easily post and an(continued on next page)

TECHNO LOGY Planning and Using Technology Effectively…(continued from page 8) swer discussion questions, and invite additional users through an email invitation. Users can rate each post and each time a post is created an email notification is sent to each participant of the group. We have used this in our district for ongoing discussions about school improvement initiatives, and online book studies for staff professional development. Crocodoc (crocodoc.com): Upload a PDF, share it with others, highlight text, and make comments. Our leadership team has used this to have an online discussion about school system processes. I uploaded a school improvement rubric which allowed staff to highlight areas on the rubric and make additional comments. This tool allowed our team to have an ongoing conversation, and also served as a recordkeeping device we will be able to review over time. Our guidance counselor has started to use this tool with high school seniors to fill out applications and scholarship forms; you can write on the PDF, and save it or print it out with your additions. Voicethread (voicethread.com): A collaborative, multimedia slide-show that can share images, videos, documents, and allows people to leave audio or written comments. I have not used this application much, but it shows much promise for collaboration. It would be an effective way to upload a document and explain it using the comments. The slideshows can then be shared with other users through a link or embed the slide-show in a website. The free version currently allows you to create three slide-shows. If you would like to create more there is an annual fee.

group includes only organizations and people I have chosen to follow who post education-related comments. This has been a great professional development tool where I learn directly from other educators. The comments from my education group often have links to valuable websites or articles. I can then share this information with specific teachers who I think will find the information meaningful and helpful. The purpose of these tools is to enhance our school processes, and their use developed out of a need. I am reminded of a piece of advice that was given to me when I began my administrative career – “Don’t have meetings just to have meetings – have a purpose.” The same philosophy should be applied to the use of technology. Don’t use technology just to use technology...be sure you have defined a purpose for using it. At the same time, don’t avoid its use if it could be helpful. Incorporating technology can provide additional opportunities to increase learning, improve communication, foster creativity, and empower individuals. I

IMPROVING STUDENT PERFORMANCE The Time is Now! NASSP CONFERENCE

FEB. 24–27, 2011 • SAN FRANCISCO, CA

ScreenR (screenr.com): I use this tool frequently to create training videos for staff to view. ScreenR allows you to capture your computer screen, audio from your microphone, and combines them to create a video that can be shared. You also have the option to download the movie as a file to your computer. I have used this most recently to demonstrate how to create classroom blogs within our website. The major limitation is the length of videos - you are limited to five minutes. TweetDeck (tweetdeck.com): With the wealth of information that is available through the internet, I needed to find a way to channel the most important information to my computer. TweetDeck sends twitter comments to my computer, and displays the “tweet” in a pop-up window on my screen. I have created groups on my twitter account, and only have TweetDeck send comments from a specific group. This

ring your leadership team to the NASSP Conference! Develop strategies for building leadership capacity, enhancing school culture, and improving student performance. The conference is ideal for principals, assistant principals, teacher leaders, and superintendents and district leaders.

Your team will leave rejuvenated and motivated to achieve the goals you set for improving your school. Register today! Discounts available for teams and advance registration.

www.nasspconference.org 2011 Official Conference Sponsors:

JANUARY 2011

NCSA TODAY

“Learning Together” in Papillion-La Vista BY JANE BYERS, Special Services Coordinator, Papillion-La Vista Public Schools

Byers

ike many school districts in Nebraska, PapillionLa Vista (PLSD) has done extensive, teacher focused work in developing and enhancing core instruction in Language Arts. Achievement measures show steady improvement across subgroups, while efforts expand to answer the question, “But, what about those students who are not responding as well to the core as is expected?” Researching, piloting, and analyzing effective interventions has been a focus of PLSD for the past several years, and through the use of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds, PLSD implemented Reading Together (R2) from the Learning Together Company in elementary, Title I buildings. R2 was selected for a variety of reasons. First, solid research supports the use of crossed-age tutoring and the benefits for both the tutor and tutee. Comprehension intervention was needed for intermediate students. R2 is affordable and comprehensive, yet flexible as a reading comprehension intervention that can be delivered with fidelity across a variety of settings and circumstances. Training and professional development, provided by The Learning Together Company, supported the needs of each building coordinator. In September of 2009, building coordinators, identified by principals, came together for initial discussion with a list of tasks to accomplish. Their first task was to determine which third and fifth grade students would be

eligible to access the intervention. District criteria were identified and included Fountas and Pinnell Benchmarks in Accuracy and Comprehension, District Comprehension CSAs, Guided Reading levels, and teacher recommendation. In addition to reading scores, fifth grade tutors, not typically tapped as leaders, were selected in hopes of building internal assets. For this reason, all participants were screened with a Developmental Assets checklist. Since each elementary building had its own unique schedules, personnel, resources, transportation issues, and the like, building coordinators were charged with determining a plan for the training of tutors and the delivery of weekly interventions, as well as a timeline for implementation. Understanding the short term funding of ARRA, building coordinators were also asked to work with their principals keeping the sustainability of the plan in mind as they worked though implementation details. As a result, each building plan looked differently with two examples below: • Building A: Interventions were to be delivered one time weekly for 30 weeks. Reading Recovery Teachers trained fifth grade tutors. Tutors met at 2:30 for coaching on the day of the intervention. After school, tutors and third grade tutees met for 45 minutes. A short debriefing followed with the tutors. • Building B: Interventions were to be delivered 2 times weekly for 15 weeks. The fifth grade teacher trained tutors during Guided Reading time on the days of intervention. Intervention took place during the building-identified “intervention block” for all kids. Also noteworthy is that one building used a parent to train fifth grade tutors and to oversee the tutoring sessions. Testimonials to success became immediately available. One fifth grade classroom teacher wrote the following to her building coordinator, “I have noticed a big difference in Sam and Josh’s reading. Both boys were able to discuss in detail the areas of strength and weakness they heard. Josh even told me about the amount of fluency practice he gets by modeling fluency for his third grade partner. Great program and exciting results already! I told them they both sounded like teachers discussing fluency and they said, ‘Well, we are teachers!’” (continued on next page)

NCSA TODAY

JANUARY 2011

PROF ES SIO NAL OPPORTUNITY

Technology Boot Camp for Administrators NCSA and ESU Technology Affiliate Collaboration BY JACKIE EDIGER, Instructional Technology Specialist, ESU #9

Ediger

eading a school district using the technology our teachers and students have available today is vastly different from even five years ago. The Nebraska Council of School Administrators began assisting school leaders in supporting staff’s use of technology by starting the Administrator Technology Conference in 2009 and 2010. Dr. Scott McLeod, director of Iowa State University Center for Advanced Study of Technology Leadership in Education, presented to administrators the need for change and for principals to engage with the current technologies. NCSA is accustomed to collaborating with other entities to provide the best workshops and trainings for administrators. Last year NCSA partnered with the Educational Service Units Technology Affiliate Group (TAG) to provide a ‘train the trainer’ session with Dr. Scott McLeod. In March 2011 NCSA and TAG will host Technology Boot Camps for Administrators. During these boot camps the TAG group will cover: • The use of smart phones for better organization and planning • Google docs, spreadsheets and searches and other Google tools

• Facebook Fan pages – communication with students and patrons • Doodle (a meeting planner) • Google Reader to help organize the blogs or websites you follow • And much more. This training is designed for administrators. TAG support will meet the needs of an audience with varied levels of technology skills. These trainings will be limited to the first 25 that register at each site! Registration is limited to NCSA members. Check the website, registration will be out soon for the following dates: March 28th, 2011 ESU#13 in Scottsbluff March 29th, 2011 ESU #10 in Kearney March 30th, 2011 Lifelong Learning Center in Norfolk March 31st, 2011 ESU#3 in LaVista I

“Learning Together”…(continued from page 10) At the end of the school year, outcomes were compared to benchmarks and the following results were noted: The average number of sessions attended was 24.5 out of 27. The percentage of tutors proficient on District Comprehension CSAs from first quarter to fourth quarter increased by 4.1 percent. The CSA growth for tutees was 3.2 percent. The average tutor growth in Fountas and Pinnell Benchmarks was 3.16, and 3.08 for tutees. The District expected growth rate is 3.0. Twenty-one percent of tutors were at grade level according to their Guided Reading placement prior to intervention and 23.9 percent were at grade level post intervention. Fifteen percent of tutees were at grade level prior to intervention and 32.9% were placed at grade level after intervention. Additionally, an average gain of 1.7 in Developmental Asset capacity was found.

With positive pilot year results from 2009-2010, PLSD has moved forward with a second year of implementation and further analysis to look at the significance of different outcomes from building to building in order to determine the most effective delivery plan in terms of student growth. Regardless of the results of the quantitative analysis, the benefits of R2 are illustrated in this excerpt from a fifth grade tutor Casey Hirschfeld’s journal in reference to her third grade tutee, Amber Beasley: “I have seen lots of improvement from her. She thinks I’m the best. I always get a warm and welcoming greeting from her every Wednesday. I couldn’t ask for a better tutee.” I

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SCHO OL IMP ROVEMENT

Learning Networks – Connecting Nebraska Schools with Accountability and Support BY ANGELA ZABAWA, Principal, Dawes Middle School

E Zabawa

very year, schools and districts in Nebraska set goals and take action with the best intentions to ensure all students meet mastery in reading, writing, and math by the year 2014. To some, this goal is beginning to feel more and more unattainable as the stakes get higher and the deadline becomes closer. Time is critical not only for schools and districts, but more so for the students of Nebraska falling behind in skills and knowledge. To these students, each year is essential and there is no room for error in terms of their learning. Schools and districts going at it alone run a greater risk of burn-out from initiative fatigue, lack of focus and coherence, or disconnect between work and results. In order to motivate schools and districts to sustain focused, result-based efforts to ensure the success of all the students in our state, we must consider engaging in statewide purposeful collaboration.

Purposeful Collaboration In his latest work on achieving significant positive change in student learning, Michael Fullan advocates for every school to become part of a learning network or cluster where schools are not only thinking of the teachers and students in their own buildings, but are committed to the students in the network as a whole. He calls this the “we-we commitment.” Networks of schools work because they provide both accountability and support required in In order to motivate schools meeting seemingly and districts to sustain unattainable goals. Such relationships focused, result-based efforts allow schools to learn through exto ensure the success of all plaining their stothe students in our state, we ries to another school, or by being must consider engaging in inspired to try statewide purposeful something new when a school sees collaboration. that it has worked for another school. Fullan refers to this 12

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as “positive pressure” or “friendly competition” to improve. Eight years ago under the leadership of Dr. Bess Scott, Goodrich Middle School in Lincoln, Nebraska joined the National Staff Development Council’s 12 Under 12 Network. This network consisted of four high schools, four middle schools, and four elementary schools from across the country (Illinois, Kansas, Maryland, Nebraska, and Texas) committed to ensuring all of their students would meet or exceed their state’s level of proficiency prior to the twelve-year deadline issued through the No Child Left Behind Act. NSDC sponsored and assisted in facilitating the network through the principles of accountability, support, leadership, and powerful professional development strategies. There was no prescribed plan or course of action for the participating schools, only an opportunity to be accountable and supportive to each other in taking on this vital task. During the existence and evolution of the network, several themes emerged and accounted for the success of the individual and collective efforts of the participating schools. Focus On Results One requirement of the network was keeping a current school profile with longitudinal and cohort data for all students and subgroups in the areas of reading, writing, and math. From the beginning of the network, each school shared a formal report of student learning progress every six months using norm reference tests, state and district assessments, and in time school or grade level formative data. Each school had a different criteria or assessment to measure learning, but all were accountable for monitoring the rate of improvement in learning for all of their students. In addition to reporting out the quantitative results of their assessment systems, schools were required to reflect and summarize how their building professional development and school wide initiatives correlated with their student learning results. This accountability process enabled the staff at Goodrich and individual schools to effectively manage and respond to student learning data in a timely manner, but also offered an opportunity for feedback and critical questions from partnering schools. Ultimately the goal (continued on next page)

SCHO OL IMP ROVEMENT Learning Networks…(continued from page 13) was to attain sustainable results in an apt amount of time so it was critical to determine what efforts were having the most significant impact and which were not. Therefore an ample amount of the network schools’ time together was spent reporting, analyzing, reflecting, and responding to concrete student learning data. Manageable and Effective Initiative Implementation At the start of the network it was clear schools were loaded down with multiple school improvement goals and even more initiatives. For the first few years, all of the schools continued to haphazardly drop and add the latest initiatives to their repertoire. It was not until trust and a shared knowledge of continuous improvement and job embedded professional development had been developed that the work between and within the network schools became focused and coherent. After three years, schools within the network began to pare down the number of initiatives within their schools and work to collectively evaluate the effectiveness of the professional development, implementation, and effect on learning for each initiative. For the last five years of the network, the focus was on four high leverage strategies: collaboration and job embedded professional development, balanced assessment practice, content literacy, and RTI. Over time a framework rooted in accountability and support was developed by the participants to build the capacity of the network and individual schools in implementing these initiatives. Each participating school used the NSDC standards for professional development to guide and evaluate their work in training and coaching teachers in implementing the strategies. Together, participating schools began to engage in monthly conference calls in order to support each other in implementation and monitor the effectiveness of implementation in respect to teacher practice and student learning. Not long after, teachers from schools in the network began leading and facilitating the professional development for the network and within their own districts. In the end, the network schools created and maintained their own continuous improvement process with student learning as the undeniable target. Teacher Leadership Over the eight years Goodrich participated in the 12 Under 12 Network, 25 teachers attended NSDC conferences, attended site visits to partnering schools, or participated in monthly conference calls. Prior to joining the network, most of the teachers from the network schools attended professional development experiences where they would sit and listen or have surface level conversations about issues loosely connected to student learn-

ing goals or in which there was inconsistent follow up. Teacher participation within the network and in the building was an essential part of the network’s function. Through the life of the network, the role of the teacher grew in how they reflected, shared, and questioned. As mentioned earlier, network teachers took the lead in building the knowledge and skills of the other teachers in the network and in their own buildings. More importantly, network teachers became active participants and, in some cases, leaders in their buildings’ continuous improvement efforts. “Friendly Competition” Initially, most schools in the network came together to “show off” the wonderful things they were doing in their schools. It was difficult at first for any school to admit they had problems or they might not know something. After two years, however, schools began to understand the bigger goal was to ensure all of our students experienced success. There was no time to hide behind fancy lingo or adult actions; the heart of our work was student learning. It soon became clear which schools were making gains in student achievement; it was even more apparent who was linking effective practice to achievement. The teachers from Goodrich were excited and celebrated when Lomax Middle School reported 100% of their students met the comprehension requirement on the Texas state test. They knew how focused Lomax had been, they knew exactly what strategies and interventions they had used, and they knew the teachers who taught the students. If the teachers at Lomax could do it, so could the teachers at Goodrich. It was motivating and inspiring to work with schools and teachers who were experiencing success with similar obstacles and challenges. Without a doubt, participation in the 12 Under 12 Network has had a significant impact on the learning of both staff and students. The students at Goodrich increased their achievement over the eight years the school participated in the 12 Under 12 Network, especially in the areas of reading and writing. Staff and students continue to work so that each student leaves Goodrich proficient in reading, writing, and math in the 8th grade, but still have a way to go. Participating in the network has sharpened the focus on learning, improved the management and use of data, and increased the capacity of the staff to engage in continuous, purposeful collaboration. All of these practices remain strong within the school, but without the accountability and support of the network, sustainability becomes a challenge. I Fullan, Michael. (2010). Motion Leadership. Thousand Oakes, CA: Corwin Press

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NCSA TODAY

AFF ILIATE RECOGNITION

NASES New SpEd Administrator of the Year

McNiff

renda McNiff, Special Education Director at Educational Service Unit #5 in Beatrice, was awarded the New SpEd Supervisor of the Year for 2009-10 by the Nebraska Association of Special Education Supervisors (NASES), at their fall conference in Lincoln on September 16th. Presenting the award was Peggy Romshek, President of NASES and SpEd Director at Mitchell Public Schools. The NASES Outstanding New SpEd Supervisor of the year recognizes outstanding service of individuals new to the profession. Criteria would include individuals who have demonstrated outstanding leadership in their school, their region and at the state level. This individual will have demonstrated their enthusiasm for Special Education Administration by support from students, parents, teachers, and peers. Brenda has been the Director of Special Education at Educational Service Unit #5 since 2009. Prior to working in Nebraska Brenda was a Secondary Principal, Guidance Counselor and Social Studies Teacher in Clarinda, Iowa.

In addition to being active in NASES/NCSA, Brenda is also a member of the School Liaison for Out-of-Home Placement Advisory Council. Jeremy Christiansen, Principal at Central Elementary in Fairbury states: “Brenda chooses to lead with proximity and is most often found working directly on-site, in schools and classrooms with both teachers and administrators. Empathetic, encouraging, efficient are words most often used to describe Brenda McNiff.” I

NAESP New Principal of the Year Winner Announced

“I

Johnson

n my opinion if anyone deserves this award it’s my favorite man Mr. Johnson.” These words, written from the heart by an elementary student who attends Bryant Elementary School in Kearney, refer to Mr. Mark Johnson, current principal of that school. He is also the recently crowned New Principal of the Year for NAESP. Mr. Johnson, in his third year as principal at Bryant, has made a significant impact on the school since taking the position in 2008. Mark is described as an enthusiastic principal who connects quickly with students, staff and parents. He makes solid decisions that benefit children, hires the best folks possible to help address the school’s demographic challenges, possesses a thorough knowledge of curriculum and instruction and does all of this while maintaining an upbeat demeanor throughout. In addition to his many contributions to the Bryant School community, Mr. Johnson has also made significant contributions across the state and nation. He served on the State Accreditation Committee for five years,

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been a voice for education while visiting with senators in Washington D.C., and has been a national presenter for the Love and Logic Institute. He was a Milken Family Foundation award recipient in 2004. Mark Johnson has been a member of ASCD for three years, NCSA/NAESP for the past four years, and the Milken Family Foundation since 2004. Mr. Johnson was recognized for his achievements through presentation of this award at the Principal’s Conference recently held in Kearney. Congratulations to Mark for his outstanding efforts during the early years of his career and his daily contributions to the Bryant Elementary School community. I

AFFILIATE RECO GNITIO N

NAESP National Distinguished Principal for 2011

B McFarland

arry McFarland, Principal of J. Sterling Morton Elementary in Lexington has been named the Nebraska Association of Elementary School Principals National Distinguished Principal for 2011. Mr. McFarland has been an active educational leader during his young career in Nebraska. Barry is described as an administrator who”…likes to be in charge. Mr. McFarland not only accepts the challenge, pressure and responsibility that a leader must assume, he thrives in this role.” His goal at J. Sterling Morton is widely known….to develop the whole child. He works diligently to move all toward this goal. Toward that end, he has implemented or moved forward many programs designed to assist those who come to school with needs in many areas of their lives. He is dedicated to the children and staff in his building and “devotes time and energy to work effectively with school staff, parents and the community.” Mr. McFarland’s many career accomplishments include increasing student achievement to the point of having his school named Nebraska’s National Title I School of the Year for 2006, creating a positive perception of J Sterling Morton Elementary within the community, and bringing a passion for education to his school. He was named NAESP New Principal of the Year in 2006 as well. During his tenure as a principal at J. Sterling Morton, the record clearly shows increased student achievement. Barry has actively involved all interested groups in moving education forward, effectively implementing his vi-

ns Labor Relatio 11 20 8, February 7r – Kearney te en C e renc Younes Confe

Bu lletin Board

NASES Legislative Conference February 17-18, 2011 Cornhusker Hotel – Lincoln

ntion NASBO State Conve 11 20 , April 13-15 coln Cornhusker Hotel – Lin

sion through a shared process involving all stakeholders. Building pride by community members in what students are accomplishing, a feeling of ownership in Morton Elementary children’s success, and a pride in the children, families and staff have been keys in moving his school forward. Mr. McFarland is an active member of the Nebraska Association of Elementary School Principals (Region IV President 2007-08), the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, Lexington Chamber of Commerce Member, Masonic Lodge Member, Rotary International Club Member, Boy Scouts of America Officer, and on the Board of Directors for the Nebraska Winery & Grape Growers Association. Barry will be recognized during a presentation ceremony at J. Sterling Morton Elementary School in Lexington on a date yet to be determined. He will also represent Nebraska Principals in Washington, D.C. in the fall of 2011. Also honored were Regional Distinguished PrinciAlderson Kwapnioski pals of the Year: Tim Kwapnioski, Principal at Bel Air Elementary School in Norfolk and Rob Alderson, Principal at Mary Lynch Elementary School in Kimball. I

State Data C onference April 18-19 Younes Confe rence Cente r – Kearney

Hal Urban Workshop June 1, 2011 Grand Island Sr. High – Grand Island

Adm inis You tra A nes Con ugust tors D a fere 3-5, 20 ys nce Cen 11 te r – Ke arn ey

ences l Confer Nationa AASA CO Denver, , 2011 – 9 -1 7 1 y Februar CA NASSP ancisco, – San Fr 1 1 0 2 , 8 y 25-2 Februar NAESP L ampa, F , 2011 – T 0 -1 7 il r Ap

For more information or to register for any of these events visit http://ncsa.org or contact kelly@ncsa.org

JANUARY 2011

NCSA TODAY

AF FIL IATE RECOGNITIO N

Nebraska State Association of Secondary School Principals Announces 2010 Award Winners

Wickham

Urbanek

Mowinkel

he Nebraska State Association of Secondary School Principals is proud to recognize Steven Wickham, recently retired Principal at Kearney High School, as the Distinguished Service Award winner for 2010. Katherine Urbanek, Principal at Creek Valley Schools in Chappell has been selected as the Outstanding New Principal and Brandon Mowinkel, Assistant Principal at Milford Junior/Senior High School, is the NSASSP Assistant Principal of the Year. In addition, previously announced award winners, Dr. Robert Michl, Principal at Freeman High School, the High School Distinguished Principal of the Year and Lance Fuller, Principal at Sunrise Middle School in Kearney, the Middle School Distinguished Principal of the Year, were recognized. All received their awards at the Nebraska State Association of Elementary and Secondary School Principals state conference in Kearney on December 2nd. Steven Wickham has been selected as the Nebraska State Association of Secondary School Principals recipient of the Distinguished Service Award. Steve received his education from the Chadron State College (Bachelor’s) and the University of Nebraska–Kearney (Master of Science in Educational Administration & Educational Specialist in Administration). Mr. Wickham served the majority of his distinguished educational career at Kearney High School. Steve was an Assistant Principal at KHS for 17 years prior to his appointment as the Principal in 2005. He also served as a classroom Mathematics teacher at Hildreth and Kearney Junior High before being selected as an Assistant Principal at Kearney. Steve has been active in many professional organizations and community leadership positions such as the National Association of Secondary School Principals, the Nebraska Council of School Administrators, and the Nebraska State Association of Secondary School Principals. Mr. Wickham has held several offices in these positions, including his selection as the Assistant Principal Representative on the Executive Board of the NSASSP and as the NSASSP Region IV President. In the Kearney community, Mr. Wickham has served extensively as a member of the Kearney Chamber of Commerce, the Kearney Down-

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town Kiwanis, and the First United Methodist Church in Kearney. Mr. Wickham’s other honors include being selected as the NSASSP Region IV Principal of the Year in 2009, the NSASSP State Assistant Principal of the Year in 2001, and was awarded the Kearney Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors Service Award in 2004. He has also presented at several state conferences, and has represented High School Education on several state and regional committees, as well as publishing several articles in professional journals. Steve was also selected for the Region IV Distinguished Service Award in 2010. Dr. Brian Maher, Kearney Superintendent, states: “As an administrator, Steve maintained many quality programs and initiated several others. But beyond programs, his focus was always on people. As our Principal, he built trust with students, parents and staff. Steve definitely understood that schools are about people, and we have been privileged to share his tremendous abilities.” Aaron Svoboda, Kearney High Band Director, and Brittany Svoboda, Kearney High English teacher, noted: “It is not surprising that Steve has been nominated for this honor, as the word ‘service’ is one that is an excellent descriptor of his career as an educator. Steve was a dedicated teacher and administrator at Kearney High School and always put the well-being and success of our students first in his thoughts and actions. Kearney High was blessed to have such a dedicated leader at the helm, and he is missed.” Todd and Lois Thalken, parents of three daughters, all Kearney High students, say: “As parents of Kearney Senior High students, we believe our family has been fortunate to benefit from Mr. Wickham’s commitment to excellence in education. His efforts at Kearney High exemplify a personal and professional commitment to creating the best learning environment possible, and as parents, we found Mr. Wickham carried great respect and interest in us, making us feel he valued our thoughts, concerns and our contributions to our children’s education and to the overall health of Kearney Senior High.” (continued on next page)

AFF ILIATE RECO GNITION NSASSP Award Winners…(continued from page 16) Katherine Urbanek was selected as the NSASSP Outstanding New Principal for 2010. Ms. Urbanek has been the Principal at the Creek Valley Middle School in Chappell since 2006. During her tenure at Creek Valley, Kathy has led her staff through professional development by following the process for accreditation through the NCA/AdvancED organization. She also serves as a NCA/AdvancED external Quality Assurance Review Chair for other school districts at the state and regional level. She has also organized and led several building wide improvement initiatives, including extensive data analysis leading to improved instruction, a new reading program at the K-6 levels, alignment of all curricular areas with state and national standards as well as the adoption of the Positive Behavior Support system for school-wide behavior management. Kathy also serves as the District Assessment Coordinator, and has participated as a Portfolio Reviewer for the S.T.A.R.S. assessment portfolios in Language Arts and Mathematics. Mr. Ted Classen, Creek Valley Schools Superintendent, praised Ms. Urbanek, noting: “Ms. Urbanek goes above and beyond her regular duties making sure our students are learning what they need. She is familiar with the Nebraska Department of Education and works closely with them to make sure our teachers always know what is expected, and carries that out. She does not hesitate to move away from conventional methods of instruction to try something “unconventional,” and is able to convince the teachers in the Middle School to improve their instruction, and thus improve student learning. She is well deserving of the honor and exemplifies the characteristics we look for in great principals.” Laurie Widdowson, Creek Valley School Board member, states: “I have found that Kathy has an exceptional dedication to the constant improvement of our children’s educational experience. There is a sense of teamwork that she has incorporated into the culture of her building that is enviable. All in all, I feel extremely lucky to have Ms. Urbanek leading our Middle School and our curriculum and development.” Creek Valley Teacher Tessa Fraass writes: “Ms. Urbanek has an impressive knowledge of current laws and seeks opportunities to keep our school on the cutting edge. Kathy is an assertive and resilient leader for our district and has outstanding leadership skills, especially in the area of curriculum development.” Ms. Urbanek is a graduate of Doane College (Bachelors in Psychology and Elementary Education and Masters in Curriculum and Instruction and Educational Administration). Kathy served as a Middle School Language Arts teacher in Elkhorn, as well as substituting as the acting Middle School Principal in Elkhorn, prior to accepting the Principal’s position at Creek Valley. Ms. Urbanek is a member of the Nebraska State Association of Secondary

School Principals, the Nebraska Council of School Administrators, and the National Association of Secondary School Principals. Kathy is also an active member of the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, the Nebraska Association for Middle Level Education, the National Middle School Association and Region V of the NSASSP.

Mr. Brandon Mowinkel has been recognized by the Nebraska State Secondary School Principals as the 2011 Assistant Principal of the Year. He has served as Assistant Principal at Milford since 2008 and also taught Industrial Technology at Milford High School prior to his appointment to Assistant Principal. Mr. Mowinkel is a graduate of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln (BS in Education) and the University of Nebraska–Kearney (MA in Education). Brandon also received an endorsement in Assessment through the Nebraska Assessment Cohort at UNL. Mr. Mowinkel is a member of the Nebraska State Association of Secondary School Principals, the Nebraska Council of School Administrators, the National Association of Secondary School Principals, and the Region I Principals association, where he has been named as the Region I Assistant Principal of the Year and is currently serving as the Secretary of that organization. Locally, Mr. Mowinkel has served on the United Methodist Church Board of Trustees and is active in the Milford Kiwanis service organization. Mr. Tod Meyer, Principal at Milford, states: “As my assistant principal, I have complete trust that Brandon will make good decisions and handle situations in the right manner. He has demonstrated natural leadership skill and has shown the ability to work well with others. Brandon has worked extremely well with the teaching staff to help establish a respectful environment and a positive school culture.” Sean Nutzman, Milford teacher, notes: “Mr. Mowinkel has been an instrument of change, progress, high moral standards and improved student achievement here at Milford Junior-Senior High School. He has raised the standard for educators within the building and has led by example, while championing the student as the center of our focus.” Ned Pauley, the parent of a student at Milford states “As a parent of a Junior High Student, I’ve received the benefit of Mr. Mowinkel’s influence in my daughter’s life. It’s impressive to see one who so sincerely cares for and effectively serves the needs of a divergent student body, while at the same time, maintaining a proper level of authority. His ability to lead from among, rather than from above, allows him to create a culture of trust and respect from the teaching professionals.” I

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NCSA REPORT

Communication Never More Important BY DR. MIKE DULANEY, Executive Director; and DR. DAN ERNST, Associate Executive Director

Dulaney

Ernst

he 102nd Legislature convened Wednesday January 5, 2011. “Difficult things take a long time, impossible things a little longer.” ~André A. Jackson. With the challenges and issues before the Legislature one must wonder if the ninety-day session will provide the necessary time to conduct the state’s business. We are aware of the difficult economic times and are understanding that we have not recently seen these economic conditions in our state. At the same time we are pleased to see some positive signs of economic recovery but understand that it will take time to see our state’s economy fully recover. With that said we are appreciative of the difficult decisions that will need to be made in order to prepare and adopt a balanced budget for the next biennium. Governor Dave Heineman, while speaking at the NCSA 2011 Legislative Preview Conference on December 15, 2010, commented on the priorities of the legislative session…they are budget, budget, budget. With a recent projected revenue shortfall of $986 million it is no wonder that the budget will receive a high priority for the session. In the January 2, 2011 Journal Star, Education Committee Chair Greg Adams reports that the Education Committee did no interim studies this year and that the committee spent most of their time discussing budget options. “As a result, the committee has no planned legislative proposals other than those that are budget related.” In the first year after the nationwide census is complete, senators have the added responsibility, or opportunity for redistricting, both in congressional and legislative districts. Boundary lines always seem to be important to Nebraska residents. Each of the 49 legislative districts must contain a population range between 37,200 and 37,300. The shift in population towards the Eastern part of the state will make this a challenging and potential contentious debate in the nonpartisan legislative body. As always, there will be a plethora of issues and legislative bills introduced that will require our undivided attention. One issue that may be forthcoming in the Judiciary Committee may be addressing legislation with respect to the Court of Industrial Relations. As of this writing we have not seen specific bills but do understand the high interest of this topic among administrators and

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boards of education. We also expect legislation to be introduced on cyber bullying. Your NCSA Legislative Committee will meet January 26, 2011 to review these issues and other legislative proposals and determine the NCSA official position. As we progress throughout the legislative session and 2011 year, we are hopeful that the economy responds favorably and schools will be able to appreciate a stable fiscal picture and growth in the future to meet the everchanging fiscal needs within their school community. Legislative Communications – We are pleased to call your attention to the new and improved NCSA Legislative Information website (http://legislative.ncsa.org). We take great pride in providing accurate, useful, and timely information to our members on important legislative issues. The legislative website improvements are made possible through our partnership and sponsor School Fusion. In addition we would also invite you to sign up to receive text alerts on breaking legislative news. Text alerts are provided by our NCSA sponsor Alert Now. You can also follow us on Twitter.com – ncsamike or ncsadan. I

From Dr. Keith Lutz, Superintendent, Millard Public Schools To my colleagues in NCSA ... I would like to thank all of our many friends in NCSA across the school systems in Nebraska for the tremendous outpouring of good will during this difficult time. Your support and correspondence has helped all of us heal in the Millard schools. We very much appreciate the many acts of kindness. Thank you for the emails, calls, cards, offers of help, flowers, and food. All of you make us proud to be part of the Nebraska family of educators.

LEADERSHIP

The Black and White of Green BY DAVE RAYMOND and DENNY VAN HORN

t has been well established that the “Greening of Schools” can have a positive impact on the teaching and learning environment and potentially on the annual operating budget. Additionally, Green practices implemented in school facilities will positively impact the environment and promote sustainability. Construction of new facilities and remodeling of existing facilities provide opportunities for incorporating Green practices and technology. However, there are many things that school districts can do to promote the principles of Green without renovating or investing capital funds. Energy savings from three to twenty percent can be realized by adopting best energy management practices. These opportunities typically require little or no cost to implement. Suggested best energy management practices for public schools include the following: Lighting: Train staff and others to turn lights off in unoccupied portions of the building. This reduces electrical consumption and heat loading. This is especially important training for custodial staff. Setbacks: Utilize control systems to setback heating and cooling when buildings are not occupied thus reducing energy consumption. Evenings, weekends and holiday periods, when schools are unoccupied, should not require heating or cooling a level necessary for comfort. Setting temperature set points back will reduce energy required to heat or cool unoccupied spaces. Controls: Monitor heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) controls to ensure proper operation and optimum efficiency. Make sure that appropriate staff are trained in the proper use of controls to ensure maxGreen practices imum benefits. implemented in Production Equipment: Turn off appliances, computers, monitors, copy school facilities machines, fax machines, and printers will positively during evening, weekend and holiday periods. Many of these items have impact the energy saving modes that should be activated to reduce energy consumpenvironment and tion when the equipment is idle durpromote ing the work day. Exterior Lighting: Regularly monisustainability. tor time clocks, control systems or

photocell controlled exterior lighting to ensure proper hours of operation. Update hours of operation as the amount of daylight changes. Exterior Doors and Windows: Train staff to leave exterior doors and windows closed when the building is in heating or cooling mode. Opening doors and windows not only allows cool air out or cold air in, but has a negative impact on the HVAC systems balance and operation. Regularly check door closures to ensure properly closing exterior doors. Caulk and weather strip around doors and windows and other building penetrations to reduce air infiltration into the building. Set Points: Narrow the range allowed for adjusting thermostat set points. Determine what is required for comfort and set thermostat ranges for two (2) degrees above and below that set point. Remind staff, students and parents that we are in a climate that requires layering of clothes to ensure comfort during the heating season. HVAC Equipment Preventive Maintenance: Perform preventive maintenance on a scheduled basis. Changing filters on a regular basis, checking and changing belts, lubricating moving parts and other preventive maintenance will produce a 20% savings over equipment that is only serviced when problems arise. Additionally, regular service will prolong the life of the equipment leading to further cost savings. Hot Water: Reduce the domestic hot water temperature to 122 degrees Fahrenheit. School districts can also further the cause of “Green” by reducing the amount of waste materials that go into the landfills through recycling of plastic, paper and glass. Carefully selecting cleaning materials used by custodial staff will ensure safer school environments and less toxic releases into the environment. Instituting strict idling policies for school vehicles will reduce fuel consumption and exhaust emissions. Reducing the watering and application of fertilizers, herbicides and insecticides to landscapes and grass will prevent runoff of toxic elements into ground water and streams. Many of these best management practices are based on changing the behaviors of staff, students and community users of school facilities. However, these “black and white” practices will produce “Green” benefiting students, staff, the community and beyond. I

JANUARY 2011

NCSA TODAY

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

JANUARY 25 25 27 31

NAESP Region V NSASSP Region V NCSA Executive Board NASES Region V

9:00 a.m. 9:00 a.m. 9:00 a.m. 8:15 a.m.

Valentino’s Valentino’s NCSA Community Center

Ogallala Ogallala Lincoln Bridgeport

2:00 p.m. 2:00 p.m. 5:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. 8:30 a.m. 8:00 a.m. 5:30 p.m.

Lifelong Learning Center NECC Younes Conf Center Younes Conf Center Bellevue Admin Bldg Cornhusker Hotel Brix at Village Point

Norfolk Norfolk Kearney Kearney Bellevue Lincoln Omaha

FEBRUARY 2 3 7 7-8 11 17-18 23

NAESP Region III NSASSP Region III NASA Executive Board Labor Relations NASES Region II NASES Legislative Conf. NAESP Region II

MARCH 9 9 10 11 17 18 28 29 29 29 30 30 31 31

NSASSP Region I NASA Region IV NASES Region V NASES Region II NSASSP Region II NASES Region III Tech Boot Camp Tech Boot Camp NSASSP Region V NAESP Region V Tech Boot Camp NASA Region III Tech Boot Camp NASES Region IV

5:30 p.m. 10:00 a.m. 9:00 a.m. 8:30 a.m. 1:30 p.m. 12:00 p.m. 8:00 a.m. 8:00 a.m. 9:00 a.m. 9:00 a.m. 8:00 a.m. 8:30 a.m. 8:00 a.m. 12:00 p.m.

Seward Country Club ESU #10 Community Center Lincoln Admin Bldg Papillion LaVista HS TJ’s ESU #13 ESU #10 WNCC WNCC Lifelong Learning Center NECC ESU #3 ESU #10

Seward Kearney Bridgeport Lincoln Papillion Norfolk Scottsbluff Kearney Sidney Sidney Norfolk Norfolk LaVista Kearney

April 5 13 14-15 14-15 18-19 20 20 21 21 27 27 27

NASA Region V NASBO Golf Tournament NASBO State Conference NASES Spring Conferenc State Data Conference NASA Region I NSASSP Region IV NCSA Executive Board NSASSP Region III NSASSP Region I NSASSP Region II NAESP Region II

10:00 a.m. 1:00 p.m. 8:00 a.m. 10:00 a.m. 9:00 a.m. 4:00 p.m. 2:30 p.m. 9:00 a.m. 5:00 p.m. 5:30 p.m. 5:30 p.m. 5:30 p.m.

ESU #16

Ogallala

Cornhusker Hotel Harms Center/ESU #13 Younes Conf Center Hillcrest Country Club ESU #10 NCSA Fairplay Golf Course Evening w/ Friends TBD River City Star

Lincoln Scottsbluff Kearney Lincoln Kearney Lincoln Norfolk Milligan TBD Omaha

May 6 6 27

NASES Region II NASES Region III NASES Region I

8:30 a.m. 12:00 p.m. 9:30 a.m.

Fremont Admin Bld TJ’s NCSA

Fremont Norfolk Lincoln

National Convention Dates AASA - February 17-19, 2011 - Denver, CO NASSP - February 25-28, 2011 - San Francisco, CA NAESP - April 7-10, 2011 - Tampa, FL

NCSA TODAY

JANUARY 2011

Gold Sponsorships Ameritas

Energy Education

Horace Mann

SchoolFusion

Al Eveland 5900 O St., 1st Floor Lincoln, NE 68510 402-467-6968 aeveland@ameritas.com www.ameritas.com

Karen Mullins 5950 Sherry Lane, Ste 900 Dallas, TX 940-235-7598 kmullins@energyed.com

Cindy Dornbush 10612 Monroe Street, #4 Omaha, NE 68127 402-680-9382 cindy.dornbush@horacemann.com www.horacemann.com

Carson Apps 999 18th St., Ste 2150 South Tower Denver, CO 80202 800-906-0911 carson@schoolfusion.com www.schoolfusion.com

John Baylor Test Prep John Baylor P.O. Box 30792 Lincoln, NE 68503 402-475-7737 john@johnbaylortestprep.com www.johnbaylortestprep.com

CDI Paul Copeland 130 South Town Centre Blvd. Markham, Ontario L6G 1B8 pcopeland@cdicomputers.com www.cdicomputers.com

DLR Group Pat Phelan, Whitney Wombacher 400 Essex Ct., Omaha, NE 68114 402-393-4100 pphelan@dlrgroup.com www.dlrgroup.com

Innovation in Education â&#x20AC;&#x201C;Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Donna Droge 6140 SE 53rd Tecumseh, KS 66542 785-554-9510 donna.droge@hmhpub.com www.hmlt.hmco.com

Learning Together Julie Smith 5509 B W. Friendly Ave. Ste 201 Greensboro, NC 27409 866-921-0000 julie@learningtogether.com www.learningtogether.com

National Insurance Mike Boden 9202 W. Dodge Rd., Ste 302 Omaha, NE 68114 800-597-2341 mboden@nis-sif.com www.nis-sif.com

NLAF Barry Ballou 455 S. 11th St. Lincoln, NE 68508 402-705-0350 balloub@pfm.com nlafpool.org www.nlafpool.org

TRANE Danny Szegda 5720 S. 77th St. Ralston, NE 68127 402-935-9040 dave.raymond@trane.com www.trane.com/omaha

Virco, Inc. Dan Atha 1230 Footprint Ct. Castle Rock, CO 80109 danatha@virco.com www.virco.com

Silver Sponsorships Awards Unlimited Larry King 1935 O St., Lincoln, NE 68510 402-474-0815 larryking@awardsunlimited.com www.awardsunlimited.com D.A. Davidson & Co. Dan Smith 1111 N. 102nd Ct., Ste 300 Omaha, NE 68114 402-392-7986 dsmith@dadco.com www.davidsoncompanies.com/ficm Jostens Don Bartholomew 309 S. 8th St. Broken Bow, NE 68822 308-872-5055 don.bartholomew@jostens.com

Bronze Sponsorships ARCHI + ETC. LLC Stacy LaVigne 6500 Holdrege St., Ste 007 Lincoln, NE 68505 402-429-7150; fax: 402-464-6810 cjoy@archi-etc.com www.archi-etc.com Nebraska Public Agency Investment Trust Becky Ferguson PO Box 82529, Lincoln, NE 68501 402-323-1334; fax: 402-323-1286 becky.ferguson@ubt.com www.npait.com

PRSRT STD. U. S. POSTAGE PAID LINCOLN, NE PERMIT NO. 951

Nebraska Council of School Administrators 455 So. 11th Street, Suite A • Lincoln, NE 68508-2105 RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

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