INSIGHT—Fall 2003

TEXAS ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS PROFESSIONAL JOURNAL

FALL 2003

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Leader to Leader: Meeting State and Federal Accountability Requirements Provides case studies from Texas school districts excerpted from a newly released book with the same title produced by TASA and the North Carolina Association of School Administrators, in which superintendents share with colleagues in other states what they have learned as they have worked with the accountability systems mandated in their respective states

Building a Standards-Based Professional Development System

by Karen Anderson and Maria Goodloe Gives an overview of a two-year partnership initiative between Corpus Christi ISD and the National Staff Development Council (NSDC), with funding provided by the Edna McConnell Clark Foundation, that resulted in a professional development system aligned with the newly revised NSDC Standards for Staff Development

Indoor Air Quality: Past, Present, and Future

by Ken Easterwood Shares the current status and future outlook of indoor air quality (IAQ) investigations, along with an evaluation of IAQ’s history and evaluations to date, including awareness, product and process, symptomology, government involvement, and effects on our schools

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Finalists announced for 2003 School Board Awards Program and SOTY Program; new TASA publication available; H-E-B Excellence in Teaching Awards

President’s Message In the midst of uncertainty

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Executive Director’s View New challenges and opportunities

The Leader Leading from the Heart and Mind—Life Coaching; review of Teaching in Mind: How Teacher Thinking Shapes Education; board briefs

INSIGHT Officers

At-Large Members

Dawson R. Orr, President, Wichita Falls ISD Michael Hinojosa, President-Elect, Spring ISD Alton J. Fields, Vice-President, Pleasanton ISD Don Gibson, Past President, Wall

Michael G. Killian, Lewisville ISD Hector Montenegro, Ysleta ISD Ronald Peace, Victoria ISD Shelley Schmitz Sweatt, Burkburnett ISD

Editorial Advisory Committee Executive Committee Arturo Guajardo, Pharr-San Juan-Alamo ISD, 1 Henry D. Herrera, Alice ISD, 2 Tom R. Jones, Jr., Tidehaven ISD, 3 Richard E. Berry, Cypress-Fairbanks ISD, 4 Gail Krohn, Nederland ISD, 5 Steve R. Johnson, College Station ISD, 6 Dee W. Hartt, Tatum ISD, 7 R. Lynn Marshall, Pittsburg ISD, 8 Randel R. Beaver, Archer City ISD, 9 Kay Waggoner, Red Oak ISD, 10 Vernon N. Newsom, Mansfield ISD, 11 George Evan Kazanas, China Spring ISD, 12 Elizabeth Gardner, Pflugerville ISD, 13 Rick Howard, Comanche ISD, 14 Alan Richey, Bronte ISD, 15 Robin D. Adkins, Perryton ISD, 16 Ken McCraw, Lamesa ISD, 17 M. David Kennedy, Terrell County ISD, 18 Paul L. Vranish, Tornillo ISD, 19 Craig Stockstill, Floresville ISD, 20

Advertising:

Dawson R. Orr, Wichita Falls ISD, chair Michael Hinojosa, Spring ISD Rick Howard, Comanche ISD Michael G. Killian, Lewisville ISD Ken McCraw, Lamesa ISD Linda G. Mora, Northside ISD Vernon N. Newsom, Mansfield ISD Kip Sullivan, Sul Ross State University

TASA Headquarters Staff Johnny L. Veselka, Executive Director Karen Soehnge, Associate Executive Director, Governmental Relations Paul Whitton, Jr., Associate Executive Director, Administrative Services Amy T. Beneski, Assistant Executive Director, Governmental Relations Ann M. Halstead, Assistant Executive Director, Communications & Information Systems Pat Johnston, Director, Special Services Emmy Starr, Design/Production Karen Limb, Editorial Coordinator Neal W. Adams, TASA General Counsel, Adams, Lynch, & Loftin—Bedford

For information on advertising in INSIGHT, contact Ann Halstead, TASA, 512-477-6361.

INSIGHT is published triannually (spring/summer, fall, and winter) by the Texas Association of School Administrators, 406 East 11th Street, Austin, Texas, 78701-2617. Subscription is included in TASA membership dues. © 2003 by TASA. All rights reserved. TASA members may reprint articles in limited quantities for in-house educational use. Articles in INSIGHT are expressions of the author or interviewee and do not necessarily represent the views or policies of TASA. Advertisements do not necessarily carry the endorsement of the Texas Association of School Administrators. INSIGHT is printed by Thomas Graphics, Austin, Texas.

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NEWS WIRE

2003 Texas Honor School Boards Announced

Finalists Named for 2003 Superintendent of the Year Award

Five Texas school boards have been named Honor Boards in the 2003 School Board Awards competition sponsored by TASA: • Boerne ISD (20) • Denton ISD (11) • Lufkin ISD (7) • Midland ISD (18) • Pasadena ISD (4)

TASB has named five finalists for the annual Superintendent of the Year (SOTY) award: • Jo Ann Bludau, Sweet Home ISD (3) • Shirley J. Neeley, Galena Park ISD (4) • F. Larry Sullivan, Texarkana ISD (8) • Carolyn G. Bukhair, Richardson ISD (10) • Ray E. Braswell, Jr., Denton ISD (11)

The Outstanding Board will be announced Sunday, September 21, during the Second General Session of the 43 rd Annual TASB/TASA Convention in Dallas.

The 2003 Superintendent of the Year will be announced Saturday, September 20, during the First General Session of the 43rd Annual TASB/TASA Convention in Dallas.

For additional information, including regional winners, see TASAnet, www.TASAnet.org.

New TASA Publication Available TASA and the North Carolina Association of School Administrators have released their newly published book Leader to Leader: Meeting State and Federal Accountability Requirements. This publication, authored by Betty Jo Monk, Baylor University, was supported by a grant to TASA and the Texas Leadership Center from the Fund for the Improvement of Education, U.S. Department of Education, and is available for purchase through TASA’s Marketplace. The book

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includes results from a survey of Texas and North Carolina superintendents on lessons learned in the accountability movement; an overview of each state’s accountability requirements; components of the No Child Left Behind legislation; and case studies from North Carolina and Texas districts, in which superintendents share with colleagues in other states what they have learned as they have worked with the accountability systems mandated in their respective states. (Excerpts of Texas case studies are included in this issue of INSIGHT).

H-E-B Excellence in Teaching Awards Six Texas teachers shared $80,000 in cash prizes and matching grants for their schools in a jubilant H-E-B Excellence in Teaching Awards ceremony at the Houstonian Hotel in Houston on June 14. The three award categories are Rising Star, Leadership, and Lifetime Achievement. Two cash awards were presented in each category, one for the elementary school winner and one for the secondary winner.

Winning teachers were: Lifetime Achievement, $25,000 (more than 20 years of service) • Katheryn Miller Tipton, fifth-grade teacher, Mountainview Elementary School, Waco ISD (Elementary) • Robert Dennison, biology teacher and tennis coach, Jersey Village High School, Cypress-Fairbanks ISD (Secondary) Leadership, $10,000 (10 to 20 years of service) • Janice Kerekgyarto, kindergarten teacher, Valley Oaks Elementary School, Spring Branch ISD (Elementary) • Rodney Sheffield, theater arts teacher, Kingwood High School, Houston (Secondary) Rising Star, $5,000 (less than 10 years of service) • Javiere Melendez, fifth-grade teacher, Jackson Keller Elementary School, Northeast ISD (Elementary) • Dawn Marie Butler, language arts teacher, Goliad Middle School, Goliad ISD (Secondary) TASA members who participated in the selection process are regional judges R. Jerry Barber, superintendent, Laredo ISD; Yolanda Chapa, superintendent, McAllen ISD; Mona Hopkins, superintendent, Eagle Pass ISD; Jerry Major, superintendent Waco ISD; and Ron Peace, superintendent, Victoria ISD; and statewide judges Joe Crane, chief officer, Human Resources Services, ESC Region 4; Richard Middleton, superintendent, Northeast ISD; and Mike Moses, superintendent, Dallas ISD. FALL 2003 7

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President’s

MESSAGE

In the Midst of Uncertainty As this President’s Message is being written, school leaders across this great state are organizing, preparing, and inspiring their staffs and communities to begin new journeys. These journeys—mapped to fulfill the promise and potential of millions of Texas children—will occur in a time of great change and uncertainty. Uncertainty over the long- and short-term financial resources needed to reach and teach the children of today. Uncertainty over the will of the legislature to set aside the increasingly bitter partisanship that seemingly characterized much of the regular session and has carried over into the special sessions. Yet in the midst of uncertainty, there is also a clear sense of certainty about the task before us and the importance of leadership in addressing that task.

The financial uncertainty we face cannot divert us from the intertwined and inseparable values of adequacy and equity that must clearly be addressed in our system of school finance. These values have well served Texas children. Academic excellence, growing student populations, resources for special-need students, and renovation and construction all cost money. These realities exist across our state regardless of the variation in property wealth among school districts.

Nor can we lose sight of the national vision—largely born from the unparalleled Texas success story—of leaving no child behind in attaining the educational excellence needed for economic, civic, and personal success. We face unique challenges and opportunities in helping students from many cultural, national, and linguistic traditions achieve success in school as preparation for success in life.

As leaders for learning and champions for children, we find ourselves challenged with reaching this vision in an era of higher performance standards and scarce resources. As the entire structure of state and school finance is in question, the need for unified, coherent leadership is critical. How superintendents and other district-level leaders respond in the midst of partisanship and divisiveness will be a defining moment in Texas public education. We must reach out to and engage in dialogue with the diverse stakeholders in the educational community and the public at large regarding the true needs of children and the resources necessary to reach and teach them. Our dialogue must begin in our local districts, but must quickly transcend local boundaries to build statewide understanding that the future success and prosperity of Texas depends on ALL children being highly educated.

TASA, as the umbrella organization for school leaders, has a vital role in establishing the framework by which student success is defined and how schools are to be funded, ensuring that adequacy and equity are integral components of the new system. The TASA Executive Committee and an expanded, more inclusive Legislative Committee will focus on these issues in the coming months; however, this task is too large, too important to rest solely on these few members. We need to hear from you through direct communication to TASA or your TASA Study Group. You will be asked to help communicate with legislators about the needs of your district, as well as other districts.

As the educational leaders within our communities, each of us should strive to build broad-based understanding of the present system, its strengths, and its weaknesses.

In closing, the days and months ahead will demand the best we have to give of ourselves, but the cause before us is worthy and noble.

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Executive Director’s VIEW

New Challenges and Opportunities As we begin another school year and a new membership year for TASA, we must look ahead to a year that promises to be an interesting one. The coming year will be filled with challenges and opportunities, both for our association and school leaders across Texas. It is already obvious that the legislature will not have a typical “interim” in preparation for the next legislative session. Facing a $10 billion deficit and a promise of “no new taxes,” the regular session concluded its work without addressing a long-term solution to public school finance issues. That job was left to a special session, which is anticipated next spring. The House Select Committee on Public School Finance and the Joint Committee on Public School Finance have already begun their work toward that session. In fact, their efforts were underway even before the regular session ended. Eight subcommittees have been created in the House alone, and an extensive research agenda has been identified. In response, TASA has assembled a 46-member Legislative Committee, representing the diversity of our membership and the districts we serve. The committee has begun to identify the core principles that will shape our legislative program for the coming special session. To be successful in this critical endeavor, it will be necessary to forge a unified effort across all education organizations in order to achieve an appropriate legislative solution on such critical issues as equity, adequacy, long-term capacity, minimization of recapture, local taxing control, and considerations for unique cost factors.

In many ways, educational leadership is in transition, as we prepare for this session. The Texas Education Agency has been reorganized under the able leadership of Robert Scott, former advisor to Governor Rick Perry, who is serving as chief deputy commissioner and interim agency head while we await the appointment of a permanent commissioner by Governor Perry. Vacancies also exist in top leadership positions at the State Board for Educator Certification and the Teacher Retirement System. In addition, the state’s commissioner of higher education has announced his plans to retire early next year.

At TASA, we welcome your input as we represent your interests during this critical period. Legislative and Executive Committee members in every region are taking a more active role than ever before as we continue to fine-tune our positions on school finance and work to strengthen existing and forge new alliances with other organizations. I encourage all superintendents and school leaders to actively participate in our efforts.

Having recently accepted responsibility for the Midwinter Conference, we are already planning a conference agenda that will provide a forum for addressing the issues critical to all Texas school leaders. Your program suggestions and willingness to share “best practices” with your colleagues are encouraged. Also, as you begin this school year, please take a moment to consider the various services offered by TASA, particularly our expanding array of online services, including the NCLB Parent Communication Center, the Translation Library of Forms and Documents, the Educator Job Bank and Texas REAP, and the Texas EduPortal. Best wishes to you in the 2003–2004 school year!

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Leader to Leader Case Studies

Aldine Independent School District “Aldine’s Journey to Academic and Organizational Excellence” ldine ISD, located in north Harris County in Houston, Texas, is the twelfth

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largest school district in the state. As of January 2003, the district had an

enrollment of 55,362 students. By ethnicity, the district’s student body is distributed in the following manner: 54.7 percent Latino, 33.7 percent Black, 8.7 percent Anglo, 2.8 percent Asian/Pacific Islander, and 1 percent Native American.

Approximately 73 percent of all students in Aldine ISD are economically disadvantaged. The district is fully accredited by the Texas Education Agency and has maintained a Recognized academic rating for the past six years.

Where We Were The percentage of students in the three major ethnic groups was more balanced in the early 1990s: Latino (31 percent), Black (32 percent), Anglo (34 percent), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.9 percent), and Native American (1 percent).

Approximately 44 percent of the students in this period were identified as economically disadvantaged. Over the past decade, the most noticeable change is in the percentage changes for Anglo and Latino students. The Anglo population has declined and the Latino population has increased.

Although Aldine was experiencing success in events such as

National History Fair competitions and in the awarding of athletic scholarships, district test results in the early 1990s were somewhat mediocre at all grade levels. District test results for the state reading, writing, and math assessments in grades 4, 8, and 10 in the 1992–1993 school year, and for grades 3 through 8 and grade 10 in the same three areas for the 1993–1994 academic year, illustrate the status of student achievement in these years. These test results for the two school years 1992–1993 and 1993–1994 are displayed in Table 1.

Table 1 Reading, Math, and Writing Scores for 1992–1993 and 1993–1994 District Testing Results 1992–1993 Grade 3 Reading Math Grade 4 Reading Writing Math Grade 5 Reading Math Grade 6 Reading Math Grade 7 Reading Math Grade 8 Reading Writing Math Grade 10 Reading Writing Math

1993–1994 76.2 68.0

62.4 86.9 53.6

77.0 88.3 64.7 74.1 55.8 68.5 53.6 72.0 51.9

71.9 74.9 46.4

74.6 65.1 52.3

66.1 78.9 54.0

71.6 76.5 47.9

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Where We Are Today, Aldine ISD’s academic success in multiple areas is widely recognized. Numerous entities have acknowledged the district’s efforts in improving student performance.

Aldine ISD has earned a Recognized rating from the Texas Education Agency for six consecutive years, and is the largest school district in the state to have earned this high of a performance rating for two of the last six years. In 1995–1996, Texas Monthly magazine placed Aldine ISD's elementary schools in the “Best in Texas” category.

Forty-four percent of Aldine’s elementary schools were named four-star schools, the second highest percentage in Harris County. The ratings were based on the WinickToenjes system designed by Darvin Winick and Larry Toenjes of the University of Houston. The district’s Child Nutrition Department earned the National Outstanding Marketing Award for 1997–1998. In the same year, the Aldine ISD School Board was named the Outstanding School Board of Texas for 1998 by the Texas Association of School Administrators (TASA). Aldine trustees also received this honor in 1973, making Aldine ISD the second school district in the state of Texas to receive this statewide honor twice.

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National Football League, and the K–12 physical education and wellness program was featured in the July/August 1998 issue of Health Magazine, a publication of Time Publishing Ventures. Aldine ISD was one of nine school districts to receive two Ready to Read grants from then Texas First Lady Laura Bush. These funds have been used to support the early childhood initiative in Aldine. In an Internet survey conducted by the American Music Conference (AMC), Aldine’s Performing Arts Department was voted one of the top 100 programs in the country in music education.

The district’s academic performance was recognized at the state and national levels in the 2001–2002 school year.

Some of these accolades are listed below.

•Researchers at the Charles A. Dana Center of The University of Texas at Austin selected Aldine ISD and three other Texas districts as models for the state. A study, titled Equity-Driven Achievement-Focused School Districts, examines educational practices in the four school districts that have contributed to the success of all students on a wide variety of measures.

•Preliminary findings of a study conducted by The Learning First Alliance of

Washington, D.C., identified Aldine as one of five school districts in the nation driven primarily by the goal of increasing student achievement and providing better opportunities for all students.

In the report, it was noted that all five school districts are operating differently than they did 10 years ago because their leaders are focused on how their decisions and work impact student achievement.

•Several Aldine ISD schools received “Title I Distinguished School” designations from the Texas Education Agency due to their consistently strong academic performance during the past three years in educating large populations of impoverished students. To qualify for the recognition, the schools must be Title I campuses, earn an Exemplary rating from TEA during the current school year (highest rating possible), and earn either an Exemplary or Recognized rating during the two previous years.

•A Texas-based nonprofit organization Just for the Kids (JFTK) and the Texas Business and Education Coalition (TBEC) announced that three schools in Aldine were among the best performing elementary and middle schools in Texas. The selection criteria included high performance on Texas

Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS) tests in every grade and subject for the past three years. Students at these schools demonstrated sustained growth on the Texas Learning Index (TLI) according to Brad Duggan, executive director of Just for the Kids, who stated, “These schools performed well in every subject, at every grade level, year after year.”

Additional Aldine ISD accomplishments may be found on the district Web site, www.aldine.k12.tx.us.

How We Addressed Our Challenges Teamwork, dedication, focus, and leadership are words that describe the approach to addressing our challenges in Aldine ISD. Key areas of

interest are curriculum alignment, leadership, accountability, professional development, assessment, and strategic planning. A series of actions to address the key areas began in the 1995–1996 school year.

A brief outline of the chronology for the curriculum alignment effort is presented below:

Curriculum Alignment 1995–1996

Data on both the state-mandated tests (TAAS) and nationally normed tests (ITBS) indicated that students in Aldine ISD were not making significant achievement gains. Central office administrators, content area specialists, and campus administrators visited other districts to find successful programs.

1999–2000

The refinement of curriculum alignment, benchmark targets, and benchmark assessments continued. Aldine ISD partnered with the Texas Business and Education Coalition (TBEC) in the development of a data management system (Performance Information in Public Education—PIPE) to link test scores, TEKS/benchmark targets, and assessments.

1996–1997

The Curriculum and Instruction Department focused on the state Essential Elements (EEs) and effective instructional activities for the current school year.

2000–2001

A committee of principals, technical experts, and content area specialists was created to assist in the development of the data management system.

2001–2002 1997–1998

A concentrated focus on curriculum alignment and research-based strategies occurred throughout the district. The district developed benchmark targets and districtwide instructional strategies.

The benchmark targets included the EEs, which were updated to be the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS).

A heightened focus on the alignment of the taught, tested, and written curriculum was presented through various staff development sessions throughout the district. The PIPE system was released in May 2002.

2002–2003

Item analysis procedures and procedures for ensuring that the benchmark assessments are valid and reliable are being studied. The curriculum segment to PIPE is scheduled to be released in May 2003.

1998–1999

The focus on benchmark targets continued with revisions, and benchmark assessments were developed.

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Leadership Leadership at all levels is vital in the journey to excellence in Aldine ISD. Leadership training for principals and school teams took place with a universal focus on building a team, finding team time, studying leading and trailing data patterns, collecting data through surveys, teacher efficacy training, and engaging students in the learning process. The message further communicated the need to “let the data drive the decisions” and “give voice to the data.” Leadership training for principals and school teams was presented by Larry Lezotte, nationally recognized author and spokesperson for effective schools research and implementation. Lezotte has provided ongoing training throughout the 2001–2002 and 2002–2003 school years.

It is universally communicated from the superintendent’s office that the principal is the instructional leader on each campus. Prior to each academic year, principals participate in a weeklong administrators’ conference. Over the past five to six years, this conference has transitioned from an administrative focus to a curriculum focus.

Curriculum experts present instructional strategies in their respective content areas, and principals are expected to share the strategies on their campuses. Principals and school teams are directly involved in district staff development. In 16

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addition, administrators in the superintendent’s cabinet presented staff development during 2002–2003, and currently bimonthly principals’ meetings are held with a continued focus on curriculum and instructional activities.

Accountability Aldine ISD is accountabilitydriven and student performance is expected at all levels.

Central office administrators, principals, curriculum experts, and classroom teachers analyze test data and determine areas of need. Staff development, instructional strategies, and materials are developed for low-performing areas at both the district and

campus levels. Instructional interventions are provided for students in a variety of formats ranging from small group tutorials to extended day activities.

With the added feature of the PIPE database management system, district administrators are able to disseminate assessment data quickly and efficiently. PIPE allows assessment strengths and weaknesses to be viewed by objective for classes, students, teachers, and campuses. Decisions regarding interventions for individual students and groups of students can be made immediately. Action plans are developed at the district, campus, and department levels and are based on student data.

Professional Development

Written Curriculum

Professional development is the vehicle that drives training for a successful instructional program. Aldine’s professional development includes an emphasis on the following:

The benchmark targets are the written curriculum, indicating what the student should master. The benchmark targets include the TEKS and local skills. Benchmark targets indicate the cognitive level of performance expected based on Bloom’s Taxonomy (e.g., knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation levels).

• Clear, understandable goals • Clear communication of goals • Non-negotiated learning expectations for all students • Insistence that learning take place

Taught Curriculum

• Climate created for innovation and success

The taught curriculum consists of the best instructional practices to achieve student mastery of the benchmark targets. These best instructional strategies may include a print-rich environment; automaticity; “Know, Want to Know, Learned (K-W-L)” charts; effective questioning strategies; manipulatives; problem solving; flexible grouping; decoding; sentence expansion; and answering questions in complete sentences.

• Research-based strategies and programs • Campus ownership of solutions for student achievement These components are the foundation for Aldine’s instructional programs. Our instructional programs must meet the needs of our students so they have success in skill mastery, success in skill application, and success in the real world. Over the past six years, staff development in Aldine ISD has focused on building on a common language and strategies and practices for all students. Refinement of the instructional cycle has been a primary focus of districtwide staff development.

A tight alignment between the written, taught, and tested curriculum is critical for academic mastery.

Tested Curriculum The tested curriculum may occur at any point in the learning and instruction cycle. It should consist of a variety of assessments for a variety of purposes. Formal and informal assessments may include self-evaluation, observation, demonstrations, checkpoint tests, conferencing, essays, journals, portfolios, research, oral comprehension checks,

and holistic and analytic scoring rubrics.

In addition to the instructional cycle, district staff development is focused specifically on individual campuses and grade levels developing action plans, scorecards, and process maps.

A January 2002 needs assessment identified “strategies to motivate children” as classroom teachers’ number-one staff development request.

The third major component of staff development throughout the years 2001–2002 and 2002–2003 included strategies for motivating students. Using a combination of outside resources and program directors (curriculum experts), staff development on the topic was developed and presented during districtwide staff development days.

Staff development sessions are continuous throughout the year.

Program directors provide staff development sessions before and after school, during conference periods, and on Saturdays. Classroom teachers are able to register for the sessions using the Aldine Web site. Campusbased staff development occurs on each campus under the direction of the building principal. Vertical areas often combine their efforts and share resources in presenting staff development sessions at the campus level.

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Assessment

Strategic Planning

Aldine’s goal is for every student to be on or to exceed grade level to ensure that 100 percent of our student population earns a high school diploma. Assessments are a valuable component of the instructional cycle. Assessment provides data of how a student, grade level, department, and/or campus is performing.

Assessments may be both formative and summative throughout the instructional cycle. Assessments indicate where we are and allow us to chart our course to a finished project.

The assessment process is comprehensive at each level and includes a variety of assessments, some of which are listed below.

Strategic planning strategies have been influenced by data collected in 1999–2000.

Feedback from a Texas Quality Awards application, a teacher survey, and the Baldrige SelfAssessment has provided invaluable data. The data clearly indicated that in spite of improved student achievement in Aldine, the district as an organization had areas for improvement. The teacher

“An ethic of hard work and an attitude of whatever it takes to support a child is distinctly woven into the fabric and culture of

• Texas Primary Inventory (K–2)

Aldine ISD.”

• Tejas Lee (K–2) • Campus Checkpoint Tests (K–12) • District Benchmark Tests (K–12) • Iowa Test of Basic Skills (1–8) • Iowa Test of Educational Development (9–12) • State Developed Alternative Assessment (3–11) • Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (3–11) • Reading Proficiency Test in English (3–12) • Woodcock-Muñoz (2–12) • Aprenda (1–6) 18

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survey indicated that teachers wanted more input in decision making. The Baldrige SelfAssessment indicated that the operations and instruction components of the district did not communicate well, and the operations personnel did not participate fully in strategic planning.

The Texas Quality Award feedback indicated that trend-line data for decision making was only available for student achievement and not other measurable areas. In the fall of 2000, Aldine ISD, with five other school districts, became a part

of the Baldrige in Education Initiative to improve the planning process.

The Malcolm Baldrige Criteria for Performance provided a systems approach for management of the entire district through a focus on the district objectives and goals. The Malcolm Baldrige Criteria for Performance was implemented to strengthen the organizational structure and procedures. Through the Baldrige criteria, all processes and resources are aligned to meet the district objectives, improve overall performance, and satisfy the stakeholders. The strategic plan is aligned through broad district objectives and more specific goals under each objective. In addition, action plans with measurable results are developed for each goal.

Scorecards are used quarterly to monitor progress toward meeting the district goals and objectives. Because each goal requires measurable actions, data are collected and the results are utilized in the decision-making process.

In the spring of 2000, all departments, principals, and the District Educational Advisory Committee participated in an activity called “What’s Important Around Here?” Participants identified all of the issues that were important to them in the work environment. The cabinet used this input to draft a new vision, a mission, belief statements, and objectives.

The draft was reviewed by all departments. The draft went first to the school board, then to each campus. Everyone provided suggestions and feedback.

The new vision is to “Produce the nation’s best.”

The former sixteen district objectives were refined to four objectives. The four objectives are: • Aldine ISD will demonstrate sustained growth in student achievement.

• Aldine ISD will recruit, employ, and retain a quality teaching, administrative, and support staff to attain excellence in student performance.

• Aldine ISD will allocate resources to maintain excellence.

• Aldine ISD will increase and improve stakeholders’ partnerships and satisfaction.

In the summer and fall of 2001, the cabinet and districtlevel departments and each vertical area developed action plans and scorecards to address the district objectives and goals. Also during 2001–2002, the board and the superintendent began a quarterly scorecard appraisal system.

Members of the cabinet also revised their previous evaluations and began using a quarterly scorecard.

During 2002–2003, other district administrators began using the quarterly scorecard for individual appraisals, and area superintendents have the

option of using scorecards with principals.

Additional training for all district-level administrators and principals provided increased knowledge and practice on the benefits of the action plan and scorecard.

Currently, campus teams led by school principals implement action plans and scorecards in grade-level or subject-area teams.

How We Evaluate Our Progress Evaluation of our progress is continuous throughout the year. Academic progress is evaluated and monitored through weekly checkpoints, semester benchmark assessments, and numerous summative assessments. Scorecards provide a quarterly evaluation of the district and campus goals. Annual performance evaluations for central office administrators have transitioned from a traditional Likert scale performance-based evaluation to a scorecard-based evaluation. This process will eventually be used with all district employees.

Training Activities and Resources Used to Support Improvement Process A concentrated effort has been made to align all training activities and resources with the four district goals.

Outside resources must be research-based programs and/or individuals involved

in research-based studies.

Training activities are continuous throughout the year.

Many staff development sessions are developed “in house” with teams of program directors (curriculum experts).

Their staff development sessions are based on research, experience, and firsthand knowledge of our student population’s needs.

During the 2002–2003 school year, a trainer-of-trainers’ model was used in training presenters for districtwide staff development. Each campus had a nine-member training team, including the principal and assistant principals. Prior to each district staff development, the teams participate in a three-hour training session at the district level. All materials and scripts are provided by the Curriculum and Instruction Department. The nine-member teams train teachers both districtwide and on their own campus.

Key Individuals or Groups in Improvement Process The governing body of Aldine ISD is the elected Board of Education. Trustees serve on a voluntary basis and hold monthly public meetings. The Board of Education is actively involved in setting the direction of the district and received the Outstanding School Board of Texas Award both in 1973 and 1998. This group of leaders has provided consistent and conscientious support of academic achievement over many FALL 2003 19

decades.

The Board of Education has been an integral part of the academic success of Aldine ISD. The superintendent leads the district and the administrative team. The administrative team includes a deputy superintendent, six assistant superintendents, and five area superintendents. The current

understand the expectations required of them. Further, it is understood that the classroom teacher holds the success of each child in the palm of his or her hand. An ethic of hard work and an attitude of whatever it takes to support a child is distinctly woven into the fabric and culture of Aldine ISD.

“Send a consistent message and be prepared to repeat the message whenever necessary.”

superintendent, Nadine Kujawa, has been a district administrator for 29 years.

Her dedication, leadership, and expertise in the area of curriculum and instruction have profoundly impacted the academic success of Aldine students. Kujawa, who is in her second year as superintendent, replaced Sonny Donaldson, who retired after serving 14 years as superintendent.

Donaldson’s leadership provided the foundation for academic success in Aldine ISD. Aldine ISD believes that every position in the district is vital to academic success and this is the tone that is communicated by the leadership team; however, the leadership provided by each principal on each campus is pivotal to the success of the district and the success of each individual child. Aldine ISD principals are dedicated and clearly 20

INSIGHT

Advice to Other Leaders • Include district-level leadership in all training to establish the importance of the goals and initiatives.

• Take the process step by step instead of initiating many changes at one time.

• Include principals at all stages of the process, especially as trainers, since they are responsible for implementation at the campus level.

• Send a consistent message and be prepared to repeat the message whenever necessary.

• Develop a monitoring system to evaluate implementation.

• Expect what Michael Fullan calls the “implementation dip.” Be ready to make adjustments when necessary.

• Systemic improvement is vital. The curriculum must be aligned and teachers must work together for the

instructional program to be effective schoolwide or districtwide.

Aldine ISD Contacts: Nadine Kujawa Superintendent Phone: 281-449-1011 e-mail: nkujawa@aldine.k12.tx.us Wanda Bamberg Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction Phone: 281-449-1011 e-mail: wbamberg@aldine.k12.tx.us Cathy Gibson Executive Director of Curriculum and Instruction Phone: 281-449-1011 e-mail: cgibson@aldine.k12.tx.us

Leader to Leader Case Studies

Brazosport Independent School District “A Continuous Journey, Not a Destination” n a cold, damp Texas January afternoon, educators from Arizona, Arkansas,

O

Indiana, and Virginia gathered in the Brazosport ISD administration building

to find out the secret, the magic formula, the ingredients, and mostly the recipe for success in closing the achievement gap. The superintendent of schools, Rudy Okruhlik, and his instructional support staff were amazed by the excitement and energy so present that late in the day. The first question out of the box was, “Do kids have recess in BISD?” Not exactly the question expected, but certainly understandable. This is a small snapshot of time in Brazosport, but it is representative of the journey for all kids that started over a decade ago.

Where We Were In 1990, Texas lawmakers sent a powerful accountability message to educators. School and district report cards based on the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS) would be published for all to see. The Brazosport ISD report card was dismal at best.

In 1992, only 57 percent of the economically disadvantaged students tested in grades 3–8 and in grade 10 passed the TAAS state reading test.

Many children were falling through the cracks. Our children of poverty were suffering no matter where they lived in the district.

Where We Are A decade later, Brazosport ISD has demonstrated that it is

possible to eliminate the gap in student achievement between white, African-American, Hispanic, and economically disadvantaged students.

Today, 94 percent or more of all student groups are passing the state test in all subject areas. The success lies in the fact that the vast majority of all students, in all student groups, now know and are able to do the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). These state standards are fair and nonnegotiable for all students and staff in Brazosport ISD. This report card, along with local community members who demanded high expectations throughout the district, became a catalyst for change, for school and district reform, and for a never-ending journey for both equity and excellence

for our kids. Today we are proud of our campus and district report cards.

Brazosport ISD is located about 60 miles south of Houston, right on the Texas Gulf Coast. Rudy Okruhlik became superintendent of schools in July of 2000, and he remembers that first trip into the administration building, where the heat was stifling and the mosquitoes were the largest you have ever seen. But the people and the passion were evident from day one.

Brazosport is not a city; you won’t find us on a map. The district supports eight neighboring cities. We serve just over 13,000 students. Eight Title I schools and approximately 50 percent of the students who reside in the district are economically disadvantaged. Our FALL 2003 21

tax base relies primarily on large refineries and chemical plants such as The Dow Chemical Company and BASF. Although in Texas we are considered a propertyrich district, we are severely fiscally challenged.

The district opens its doors four times a year for visitors to experience the people, passion, process, and proof of Brazosport ISD. We believe that by sharing our effective practices we help educators and kids. We learn from our visitors as well. The many Texas Education Agency (TEA) Exemplary school and district awards were common when Superintendent Okruhlik arrived and continue to be earned today. The district’s short, compelling Exemplary and Beyond vision is ingrained throughout the entire system.

Numerous awards and memorabilia are

broadcasts pictures of teachers, administrators, and students working and playing together on a daily basis.

How We Addressed Our Challenges Questions were numerous when Rudy Okruhlik arrived in July of 2000. Members of the organization were searching for answers to questions such as: What is Beyond for

“…it is not uncommon for principals, teachers, and administrators to line dance, shave their heads, ride on people’s shoulders, and even throw and catch real fish.”

displayed proudly in the administration building: 1998 Texas Quality Award and Malcolm Baldrige National Quality site-visit, TEA Exemplary plaques, BISD Eight-Step Instructional Process, and pictures of visitors from Japan and Sweden. Also included are pictures of kids, school and district celebrations, and student work. The local cable television station 22

INSIGHT

Brazosport? What will this new leader be like? How do we stay focused? How can we share accountability? What about the mentality of “If it ain’t broke, then don’t fix it?”

How can we improve if we don’t change? Where do we go if many consider us at the top? Is the only way down?

What is up? Is there more to student success than a single measurement of achievement?

Are our challenges still the same? How will we evaluate our progress? Is it a neverending cycle of self-assessment and change? How can we get these same students to an even higher level of student performance? How can we better serve our kids? Is student success a journey or is it a destination? Do we have the energy? There was only one clear answer: it was time to get to work.

Competition was alive and well throughout the entire system and so was stress.

Many people in Brazosport ISD were like stretched rubber bands ready to snap.

Continuous improvement is serious business. A decade ago and still today, you can drive through Brazosport late at night, on weekends, and on holidays and see teachers and administrators hard at work. It is not easy; it is not quick; and it is not a 40-hour-a-week job for many in the system. So immediately a new step, “Step 9: Celebrate,” was added to

the Eight-Step Process.

Educators are constantly encouraged to celebrate the milestones, both big and small, both at the campus and district level. Who Moved Your Cheese and FISH principles have been studied and adopted throughout the organization, especially at summer board and administration workshops.

Extra Mile awards are presented to community and parent volunteers at every board meeting.

The people of Brazosport ISD needed some time and space just to relax a little. Much credit should go to two key groups in the improvement process— principals and teachers. For increased student achievement, it is not uncommon for principals, teachers, and administrators to line dance, shave their heads, ride on people’s shoulders, and even throw and catch real fish. Celebrations provide an enjoyable way to refocus the team. The organization will do whatever it takes for students.

It was evident that sustaining the changes for improvement—when they run against the status quo of the current system in place—would take a great deal of new organizational work and energy.

To address these new challenges, one must reflect on what has come before. A primary aim in continuous improvement is to study and, at the same time, not get bogged down with the paralysis of analysis. It is what we do with data that is important. Together, we revisited how Brazosport ISD addressed

the challenges in the early 1990s: recognizing the need for improvement; developing a simple, compelling vision statement; looking at data; focusing on results, equity, and excellence; decentralizing decisions; looking at data; demanding a clear “No Excuses” mentality; and looking at data. We decided that to honor and reach our Exemplary and Beyond vision, additional and different work was needed: establishing new Beyond indicators for all members of the organization, establishing K–12 vertical teams of teachers, backward mapping of the entire curriculum, developing K–12 district snapshots of the curriculum, and using the BISD Eight-Step Instructional Process as a new problem-solving tool. Districtwide benchmarking of the quality and effective school principles still remains a focal point. Is there anything missing to take us Beyond our original vision?

From our Malcolm Baldrige feedback report we learned that systematic processes were not in place. But, just how important are systematic processes?

A body of knowledge exists about effective schools, but little about effective districts. Educational researchers Gordon Cawelti and Nancy Protheroe conducted a recent study entitled High Student Achievement: How Six School Districts Changed into HighPerforming Systems. A major finding in this study is that all

six school districts, including Brazosport ISD, use item analysis of assessment results to identify specific weaknesses in student knowledge and skills, and to target intervention strategies. The BISD Eight-Step Instructional Process is a framework for this item analysis and targeted intervention strategies.

Probably the most important part of this study is that it proves all school districts (systems) can become high performing. One thing was clear: to survive we needed each other. After all, learning is a systematic process, and we are all learners. Brazosport ISD had to come together as a team and share accountability and effective practices throughout its own system.

How We Evaluate Our Progress So how does Brazosport ISD evaluate progress? Multiple criteria are used to measure progress: focused goals and improvement objectives, additional needs assessments with many stakeholders, shared accountability indicators, annual board/administrator workshops, newly developed advanced indicators, intense program evaluations, and multiple assessment results. Quality indicators—or the extent to which a quality environment is provided as indicated by levels of student participation in activities, advanced courses, school climate, and FALL 2003 23

“My advice to leaders is to be yourself; see the big picture; have lots of patience…”

parent/student/staff satisfaction—have now become a focus.

Accountability is not focused on just teachers and principals. Key individuals in every department, from the office of the superintendent to the human resources and food service departments, define common goals and identify shared accountability indicators to be measured yearly.

This means quality staff development and training is necessary for all in the organization.

Core content area facilitators, as a collaborative team, coordinate K–12 curriculum, assessment, instruction, and staff development activities with an interdisciplinary focus.

A coordinator of assessment organizes a very complex and growing districtwide assessment program. What gets measured gets treasured.

Meeting the requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act, such as finding highly qualified personnel in the critical needs areas of bilingual education and children with disabilities, is a major goal of the district. Today we are actively seeking alternative funding sources and a systemwide approach in coordinating districtwide optional extended day, week, and year programs. We know from experience that interventions 24

INSIGHT

for our at-risk students must be immediate. Both the community and the district have revitalized the Fine Arts and Career and Technology Education programs; these areas were neglected in the past. Their immense value in making connections to the core content areas of the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) is now emphasized and promoted.

They are considered valuable team members. Principals are responsible for and continually provide quality, small group training and planning sessions at the campus level based on campus needs. Staff development academies and core competencies have been defined for all members of the organization.

It is the people that make the difference in Brazosport ISD. In general, all members of the organization have been asked to move away from the comfort of an Exemplary state rating as the only indicator of success and instead to look at all aspects of what we do for students. This is easier to accomplish since closing the achievement gap. But make no mistake: remaining focused on student performance is still the number-one campus and district goal.

In spite of new challenges; increasing accountability standards set by the state; and a new, higher-level test (Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills), Brazosport ISD continues to move forward. The

people and passion are alive and well in Brazosport. A new focus on shared accountability, based on the work of Doug Reeves, is prevalent.

The BISD Eight-Step Instructional Process, developed by a former teacher, is still used in classrooms and as a district problem-solving tool. A quality, four-day Teacher Induction Program led by Brazosport ISD master teachers, based on the work of Harry Wong, ensures the culture is preserved. A $128 million bond issue has recently been passed to bring district facilities up to Exemplary standards for Exemplary personnel and students. The journey continues.

Advice from the Superintendent “Perhaps we have provided leaders more questions than answers in this short snapshot of Brazosport ISD. So what lessons has this leader learned in my short three-year tenure at Brazosport ISD? The lessons are many: you cannot take anything for granted or force a culture. The culture must grow on its own. In other words, ‘you cannot push a chain, you must pull a chain.’ My advice to leaders is to be yourself; see the big picture; have lots of patience; adopt and preach the belief that all students can and will learn; walk the talk of equity and excellence; bring outsiders in for crucial, objective management audits; surround

yourself with good leaders; prepare your new leaders; give credit to others—don’t take it yourself; stay focused on student performance; and most importantly, base every decision on what is best for kids.”

—Rudy Okruhlik, Superintendent of Schools Epilogue Let us return to that cold, damp January visit to Texas.

Visiting educators from throughout the nation were surprised that the entire district was not doing the same thing at the same time and that schools were allowed flexibility in the instructional

process. They were pleased not to see a cookie-cutter instructional program. Instead, they experienced the people, passion, and flexibility of Brazosport ISD. From babies in cribs in our Even Start Program to a significant number of young adults enrolled in our local community college dual-credit program, it is evident that the people, passion, and belief system are what drive our success.

So that takes us back to the very first question asked that cold, damp January afternoon in the Brazosport ISD administration building, “Do kids have recess in Brazosport ISD?” And the answer is, “Some do, some don’t.”

Brazosport ISD Contacts: Rudy Okruhlik Superintendent Phone: 979-265-6181 e-mail: rokruhlik@bra zosport.isd.tenet.edu Charlene Burgner Executive Director of Curriculum and Instruction Services Phone: 979-265-6181, ext. 110 e-mail: cburgner@bra zosport.isd.tenet.edu

Spectrum FPO

FALL 2003 25

Leader to Leader Case Studies

Katy Independent School District Where We Were en years ago, the buzz words

T

around the Katy Independent

School District in Katy, Texas, were “Vision 2000.”

The district was

developing a strategic, long-range plan to prepare its students for the 21st century. Vision 2000 focused on financial management, technology, and

educational

planning,

and

although the administrators didn’t realize it then, Vision 2000 would lay the foundation for Katy ISD’s reputation as an outstanding

school

district at the turn of the century.

In 1992, Katy ISD was in a growing mode, adding more than 1,000 students a year to its 21,452-student population. Although Katy ISD encompasses 181 square miles on Houston’s west side, at that time much of the school district was known as the Katy Prairie.

Subdivisions were slowly springing up in former rice fields and cattle ranches.

Newcomers were attracted to the open space, but even then Katy ISD had a reputation for educational excellence. The school district was proud of its Texas Assessment of Academic Skills’ (TAAS) scores that showed that Katy ISD students outperformed the state average in each content area and were substantially higher than the previous year’s scores. But even though seventh-graders showed doubledigit improvement, the 70 percent of students passing reading in 1992 increased to 96 percent in 2002, and the 67 percent passing mathematics in 1992 was up to 98 percent 10 years later.

How did Katy ISD get its test scores so high?

It took a lot of hard work and insight.

Getting to Where We Are It began with Vision 2000. Katy

26

INSIGHT

ISD administrators knew that if students were to be successful in the marketplace of the 21st century, they must be computer literate. A fiveyear comprehensive technology plan was activated to help the board establish and maintain instructional technology, increase teacher and student productivity, and empower students with effective learning skills. The technology plan was funded as part of a bond referendum.

In 1992, Katy ISD established technology as an integral part of the educational setting and brought network infrastructure and instructional computers into the classrooms. It made Katy ISD an educational technology leader among Texas public school districts. Today, Katy ISD has a standard of three computers per classroom, and all campuses have instructional computer labs and are connected to a widearea network with direct Internet access in every classroom. The current technology plan provides a high level of staff development and enhances the role of technology in curriculum design and delivery. In 2000, Katy ISD was recognized by the Ohana Foundation as the most technologically advanced school district in Texas.

Vision 2000 also established a financial task force to examine the financial

status of the district and how funds were distributed to finance educational services.

The task force examined whether the quantity of educational services related well to the quality of education.

The educational planning task force developed a comprehensive plan to direct the district to determine the specific competencies it felt graduates of Katy ISD should possess. It took a close look at the learning environment, safety and security, and site-based decision making.

By 1995, scores continued to climb, student enrollment had increased to 24,000, and Katy ISD welcomed a new superintendent.

Leonard Merrell set out to implement the newly approved Katy ISD Plan. This was a comprehensive plan to guide the future success of the school district.

It focused on improving student performance, reflected the beliefs and goals of the community, included best practices, and provided accountability for educators, students, and parents. The Katy ISD Plan was a: •Long-term educational plan that was visible, documentable, and easily understood •Set of fundamental operating principles •General philosophy relating to core curriculum: PK–grade 5, grades 6–8, and grades 9–12

•Set of guidelines for methodologies to deliver curriculum •Measurement and tracking system that ensured academic competencies of students While the focus on curriculum was being put into place, Katy ISD was experiencing unprecedented growth. By 2003, Katy ISD was the fastest growing school district in the greater Houston area. In 10 years, the student population increased 94 percent to 39,520. Twelve new schools were built and eight more will open by the 2004 school year.

However, even though the district is juggling a tremendous building program, decreased funding, and a teacher shortage, its scores continue to soar.

For the past six years, Katy ISD has been one of only three large Texas school districts to earn a Recognized rating from the Texas Education Agency, and student achievement is at an all-time high.

How We Addressed Our Challenges Vision 2000 and the Katy ISD Plan were the building blocks for Katy ISD’s educational excellence. But the administrators didn’t stop there.

Success leads to more success, and under the guidance of Elizabeth Clark, deputy superintendent for curriculum and instruction, new strategies and actions were implemented.

Realizing that state and national accountability was here to stay, Katy ISD developed a comprehensive curriculum management plan in 1998. This plan was strategic in that it combined the district plan for improved academic performance with the board of trustees’ missions and standards and addressed how improved student performance would be realized.

One of the first tasks accomplished was to develop a Portrait of a Graduate for Katy ISD with attributes including FALL 2003 27

citizenship, communication skills, leadership, and academic excellence. The portrait helped the district focus on the vision for students in Katy

district contracted with the Texas Association of School Administrators to provide five days of training on the Curriculum Management

“For the past six years, Katy ISD has been one of only three large Texas school districts to earn a Recognized rating from the Texas Education Agency, and student achievement is at an all-time high.”

ISD and helped develop goals for curriculum development and instruction.

The next task was to reorganize the curriculum and instruction division to accomplish the work that had to be done. This required organizing curriculum, staff development, and accountability departments within the curriculum and instruction division. It was the sole responsibility of these departments to develop curriculum and align it to assessment and professional development.

A core of approximately 20 instructional specialists assigned to the elementary and secondary executive directors provided direct assistance to the campuses in the area of staff development, instructional delivery issues, and curriculum work. These highly qualified people were moved to the curriculum development division and trained in the curriculum management audit process and vertical teaming.

During the 1999–2000 school year, the 28

INSIGHT

Audit Standards for 52 people. After the initial five-day training, 35 people were selected to be trained in writing to the audit standards. The audit training was one of the most important things Katy ISD did to focus on what had to be done to provide the teachers with an aligned curriculum for all content areas PK–12.

Since that initial training, specialists, teachers, and administrators have written a standards-based curriculum for more than 500 courses and trained all administrators and teachers throughout the district to support the design and delivery of curriculum.

To determine the effectiveness of the written and delivered curriculum, a district curriculum assessment called the Measure of Academic Progress (MAP) was developed for grades 3–8 in mathematics. Since mathematics was developed first and had been on campuses for teachers to use and give feedback, it was the logical choice for evaluation. This

provided such valuable information, our new plan is to expand the MAP assessments to other content areas. In another attempt to control variation between the written, taught, and tested curriculum, data from TAAS tests was placed into control charts in order to determine where scores were significantly different. Now that the state has gone to a front-loaded process with the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) following the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS), Katy is working on assessments that align to our standards-based curriculum and information from upcoming state assessments.

During this initial work, a plan was formed to manage curriculum through an automated system. What has evolved is a Web-enabled system that has become a major district initiative.

The system, Katy Management of Automated Curriculum (KMAC), has multiple components. The first component is the management system, a series of databases that allow curriculum specialists to attach the objectives to quality resources, strategies, and sample assessment items, and create a scope and sequence of instruction. This management system keeps the curriculum dynamic and updated for teacher use.

The second component of KMAC is the Lesson Builder,

which allows teachers to access their course objectives, quality resources, strategies, and sample assessments at their desktop. By automating lesson planning and design, teachers are able to focus on differentiation and delivery of instruction with the ultimate goal of improved instruction and greater student achievement. Lesson plans created in this component can be viewed on a daily, monthly, or six-week basis. Teacher schedules, tools, and instructional documents are available in Lesson Builder to assist in planning lessons.

Where We Plan to Be Katy ISD is now designing and coding an administrative interface to enable principals to monitor curriculum delivery and instruction.

The district is also developing a parent curriculum connection to communicate expectations and to enable parents to be active participants in their children’s learning. With a new standardsbased curriculum and government regulations in No Child Left Behind, the district is positioned to see continued high student performance through an aligned curriculum, assessments to determine mastery, and an emphasis on the best strategies for delivering what Fenwick English calls “quality control of the written, taught, and tested curriculum.�

Katy ISD Contacts: Leonard Merrell Superintendent Phone: 281-396-6040 e-mail: leonardmerrell@katyisd.org Elizabeth Clark Deputy Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction Phone: 281-396-6040, ext. 1357 e-mail: elizabethaclark@katyisd.org

FALL 2003 29

Leader to Leader Case Studies

Victoria Independent School District ictoria, Texas, is a community

V

located near the Gulf of Mexico

on the central Texas coast. Victoria County is located approximately 100 miles from the metropolitan areas of Houston, San Antonio, Austin,

and

Corpus

Christi.

Frequently referred to as “The Crossroads,” the area is a hub for transportation, medical care, education, and economic development for seven counties.

The cultural

diversity is rich with descendants of immigrants from virtually every area of the world. Major employers in the area include petrochemical, medical, retail, oil and gas production, and education.

The 2000 Census shows the population of Victoria County at slightly more than 84,000 people, a 13 percent increase from the 1990 Census. Almost 53 percent of the residents of the county are White, approximately 39 percent are Hispanic, and 6.3 percent are AfricanAmerican. Residents also have a strong history of expecting fiscal responsibility and conservative spending practices in all areas of local government.

The Victoria Independent School District is the largest school system in the area, currently serving more than 14,400 students.

The 2002–2003 school year represents the 103rd year of public education in Victoria ISD.

“The best advice we could give other districts is to define your purpose… If the definition of your purpose does not focus on student achievement, start over.”

30

INSIGHT

Where We Were In the early 1990s, Victoria was beginning an economic recovery from a significant downturn in the oil and gas industry. The end of the oil

boom pointed to the need for economic diversification.

Community leaders looked to the public school system, the community college, and the upper division campus of the University of Houston–Victoria as a component of the economic future of the area. At the same time, the state of Texas was in the early phases of implementing a process of accountability for schools.

The Texas Educational Assessment of Minimum Skills (TEAMS) was phased out and replaced by the new Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS).

In the 1991–1992 school year, enrollment in Victoria ISD was 14,348 students. White students comprised 46.2 percent of the enrollment; Hispanic students, 45.7 percent; and, African-American students, 7.7 percent. Just over 40 percent of the students were identified as economically disadvantaged. The expenditure budget was

Exhibit 1.1 Victoria ISD 1991–1992 TAAS Passing Percentages Grade Level

Test

District Percent Passing

AfricanAmerican

Hispanic

White

Economically Disadvantaged

Grade 3

Reading Writing Math

79.4 59.4 80.1

67.2 39.3 32.7

72.7 50.7 72.0

87.4 71.0 90.1

70.2 49.0 71.7

Grade 5

Reading Writing Math

62.3 79.6 55.8

44.8 71.4 44.8

49.8 74.0 44.1

74.6 85.2 66.8

48.0 69.7 42.7

Grade 7

Reading Writing Math

49.4 57.3 49.7

33.8 37.7 27.5

32.8 42.4 31.6

64.4 71.4 66.7

32.1 40.1 31.7

Grade 9

Reading Writing Math

58.2 59.6 38.3

42.6 48.2 23.2

42.9 45.6 23.8

74.1 74.1 53.4

44.4 43.6 25.7

Exit

All Tests Reading Writing Math

47.3 70.7 82.4 53.0

14.6 47.7 71.1 18.8

35.2 61.6 77.1 41.9

61.0 89.9 88.4 65.3

30.9 53.3 77.4 40.6

$58,760,744, representing per pupil expenditures of $4,095.

Local tax dollars provided 44.9 percent of the revenues for the operating budget. State funds accounted for 41.6 percent of the revenue. Data in the early years of the Texas Accountability System were not summed across all grade levels.

Exhibit 1.1 illustrates the passing percentages by grade levels and ethnicity for 1991–1992.

Even though the passing percentages for the early test were unacceptably low, the achievement gap between student groups was even more disturbing.

As Exhibit 1.1 indicates, the achievement gap was in excess of 46 points on some tests at the exit level. Gaps in excess of 30 points were common.

Although the state had supplied the Essential Elements (EEs) as a statewide framework

2001–2002), but the makeup of the membership had changed significantly. The percentage of students considered economically disadvantaged had risen to 51.2 percent of the student population. Hispanic students now comprised more than half the enrollment. The expenditure budget was $30 million higher than the decade before, but local tax dollars now accounted for 52.4 percent of revenues.

And, the percentage of funds provided by the state in support of the local budget was less than 38 percent.

Even as the state’s TAAS passing standards grow tougher and the scores of special education students are included, Victoria Where We Are ISD students continue to show a By the 2001–2002 school year, marked improvement in the passthe size of Victoria ISD had not ing rates. The achievement gap changed significantly (14,348 in continues to close as well.

1991–1992; 14,360 in Exhibit 1.2 illustrates the passing for curriculum, the EEs were geared more at what teachers should do in a classroom than at what students should know and be able to do. Local curriculum development was a simple, although time-consuming, task of matching local resources, namely the textbook, to the EEs. On any given day, in any of the 20+ schools within the district, teachers could be observed teaching any content they determined would benefit their students. Curriculum documents did not address an articulated scope nor did they link to any system of assessment that could be linked to specific student objectives.

FALL 2003 31

Exhibit 1.2 Victoria ISD 2001–2002 TAAS Passing Percentages

percentages for Victoria ISD students in the 2001–2002 school year for the same grade levels as Table 1.1 (1991–1992), except grade 9, for comparison.

Grade Level

The overall passing rates for the 2002 TAAS administration for Victoria ISD students in grades 3–8 and 10 are summed and presented in Exhibit 1.3.

Test

District Percent Passing

AfricanAmerican

Hispanic

White

Grade 3

Reading Math

88.5 86.7

75.0 75.7

85.0 81.1

95.2 95.4

83.5 80.3

Grade 5

Reading Math

96.6 99.5

97.5 100

94.8 99.3

98.3 99.7

94.7 99.4

Grade 7

Reading Math

93.6 92.8

92.3 87.9

91.5 89.6

96.3 97.4

91.0 89.0

Exit

All Tests Reading Writing Math

80.4 91.9 87.4 89.9

66.2 81.2 81.2 79.4

72.3 87.7 82.9 84.6

90.1 97.4 92.3 96.2

69.3 84.7 79.4 84.1

Exhibit 1.3 Victoria ISD 2001–2002 TAAS Passing Percentages Grades 3–8 and 10 (summed) Test

District

AfricanAmerican

Hispanic

White

Reading

92.3

88.0

89.2

96.7

88.4

Writing

87.3

80.5

83.3

93.0

82.0

Math

92.5

87.4

89.3

97.2

88.9

How We Addressed Our Challenges

different schools within the district in a single year.

In the mid-1990s, the district took a holistic look at the factors impacting student achievement. Six factors were identified and addressed.

•Factor 3: Accountability for student achievement was felt only in the grades and/or content areas where state testing occurred.

•Factor 1: The curriculum was neither defined nor articulated from kindergarten to grade 12.

•Factor 4: ment data tently used district for making.

•Factor 2: The student mobility rate for many schools was increasing to very high levels, with many students attending up to five 32

Economically Disadvantaged

INSIGHT

Student assesswas not consisthroughout the sound decision

•Factor 5: The delivery of the curriculum was not routinely monitored by administrators.

Economically Disadvantaged

•Factor 6: Systems were not in place in the district to institutionalize what was learned about learning communities and achieving organizations.

District personnel developed a process for addressing each of the areas determined to be barriers to student achievement. The process involved a series of steps.

Factor 1: Curriculum Design and Articulation The process that the district used to design and validate the Victoria (VISD) Standards is presented in the 12 steps listed below: Step 1: Determination of need Several reasons were identified by a study group of central and campus administrators for “front-loading” the curriculum of the district. Those reasons are as follows:

•The process clearly defines the knowledge to be learned by every student.

•The content reflects the “real world” of business and industry.

•Front-loading the content standards using national, state, and local standards allows interested stakeholders (business/industry, community, and post-secondary) the opportunity to support and participate in the learning process.

enroll them in the process. The district team knew that without the help of the campus administrators in support and monitoring roles, the initiative would fail. Principals were asked to nominate teachers for vertical work teams who possessed the following characteristics: •Keen content knowledge •Good interpersonal skills •Long-term project commitment •Global thinking

Research notebooks, including items such as the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) Report (1997) and the data to support the decision to front-load the curriculum, were assembled for use in the next steps of the process.

Step 3: Formation of committees Various types of committees were needed for different tasks in this initiative. A steering committee composed of campus principals and other district administrators served in an oversight role. The process developed to produce the front-loaded curriculum for the district was discussed with the committee.

Teachers formed two curriculum creation committees: content facilitators and teacher representatives from every grade level and content area.

A list of more than 100 teachers representing every grade level and every school within the district was assembled.

Step 2: Enrollment of stakeholders Administrative staff of the district, especially campus administrators, were provided with the data from Step 1 to

Step 4: Staff development and training Content facilitators were provided with group facilitation training that included information about how adults learn,

•Content standards provide common language for teacher collaboration and for curriculum integration.

•The development of content standards from which to frontload the curriculum allows students not only to know what they must learn but also to take more responsibility for their own learning.

brain-compatible learning, and conflict resolution strategies.

Step 5: The Standards Summit Eighteen CEOs and business leaders from every part of the community, along with representatives from both the community college and the local university, were invited to attend a three-day Standards Summit. These leaders and representatives met with a group of 100-plus teachers, the district board of trustees, and other district personnel attending the Summit. The panel of community leaders was asked to share what skills and abilities it perceived students would need in the 21st century. Approximately three hours were designated for this input process, and the event was videotaped so that further analysis of community input could be made at a later time.

Step 6: Design of standards, benchmarks, and performance descriptors Within each content area, groups of approximately 10 to 15 teachers, led by the content facilitators, established content standards using national standards documents. The Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) were infused and used to establish grade-level benchmarks and performance descriptors.

FALL 2003 33

Step 7: Revision through vertical and horizontal alignment After the content teams revised the standards, benchmarks, and performance descriptors, participants were asked to check for redundancies that might have been overlooked by the teacher representatives.

The purpose of this activity was to create horizontal alignment so the curriculum was tight.

Consistency of vocabulary and level of difficulty were adjusted in this step.

Step 8: Infusion of community standards The curriculum and instruction team spent time viewing the videotape of the Standards Summit and categorizing the comments made by the community participants.

The resulting categories, because of their broad applications, were labeled cross-disciplinary skills. Each cross-disciplinary skill was dissected for its component parts and defined so that it could be infused into all content areas.

From this point, teacher teams, led by content facilitators, began the task of locating the cross-disciplinary skills within the existing benchmarks and performance descriptors. Where cross-disciplinary skills did not already exist, teacher teams created those and added them to the VISD Standards.

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INSIGHT

Step 9: Review of work by community representatives Exactly one year after the Standards Summit, the business and community leaders were invited back to see what had been done by the vertical team to incorporate their ideas into the curriculum for the district. Each skill was defined in terms of student performance relative to all of the core content areas and grade spans for elementary through high school.

Step 10: Implementation of the front-loaded curriculum Content facilitators presented the VISD Standards by content area to all teachers within the district in many afterschool sessions. Principals monitor delivery of the curriculum within the classroom and adjustments are made as new data on student performance becomes available or as emerging needs are identified.

Step 11: Staff development Every core content teacher within the district received at least two days of intense staff development on the standards. In addition, scope and sequence charts have been developed and all teachers have been trained on the extent to which those documents inform instructional decision making. All new teachers to the district receive at least a one-day general orientation regarding the VISD Standards as well as additional work with grade levels and

multigrade-level teams in order to ensure the articulation and coordination of the delivery of the curriculum.

Training in multidisciplinary unit design has also occurred at all levels and in both the core curricular areas and the enrichment areas.

Step 12: Assessment system design Design of appropriate assessment systems to evaluate delivery of the curriculum has begun within the district.

Benchmark testing in reading, writing, and mathematics occurs in grades 1–10. With a new testing system for the year 2003, additional content area and grade-level benchmark testing is being implemented.

This system has established ways in which students’ learning of major concepts within the discipline and within the cross-disciplinary skills are being assessed.

During the 2002 school year, a strategic planning committee reevaluated the extent to which the locally designed cross-disciplinary skills were still valid. A literature search, as well as a survey of representatives of business and industry, was conducted by the committee. These skills and the national and state standards on which the Victoria ISD curriculum is based were revalidated.

taught the objectives that are listed for the time period preceding the student’s move to the new school.

Factor 3: Accountability for Student Achievement

Factor 2: Increasing Student Mobility Rate Mobile students—students moving from school to school within a school year—have a greater chance to experience gaps in their learning because different teachers could be teaching district objectives in a different order or at different times during the year. To combat the increasing mobility of Victoria ISD students, teams of teachers with the guidance of district curriculum personnel developed scopes and sequences for the four core content areas and garnered the support of teachers throughout the district to follow the instructional sequence.

At the elementary level, where mobility was the highest, teachers have progressed over time to an integrated scope and sequence addressing

all four core content areas.

Scope and sequence charts formed the foundation for developing periodic assessments to measure the extent to which students are learning the curriculum objectives during the school year (See Factor 3 below).

Additionally, the district has created systems that enable the receiving school to know the extent to which each transferring student has mastered the district objectives on the same day that he/she moves to a new school within the district. This precludes the need for the receiving school to spend valuable time assessing the learning of the student. Teachers use the data that accompany the student to design the interventions that might be needed. Most importantly, the receiving school and teacher can be assured that the student has been

It was important that all teachers understand that the state assessment system is not simply a measure of a single grade level. For example, the grade 3 assessment objectives measure the combined learning of kindergarten–grade 3.

Therefore, it is important that prerequisite skills be established for every grade level in each of the core content areas.

To accomplish this task, vertical teams of teachers from every school site within the district worked to define the prerequisite skills.

When these vertical teams had completed their work, districtwide grade-level meetings were held after school hours to disseminate the drafts and get input from other teachers. The vertical team teachers presented the drafts and answered questions from their colleagues. Campus and district administrators attended these meetings as well, but the presentations were done by the vertical teams. Input was evaluated and included in the final drafts where appropriate.

Additionally, many of the schools asked teachers in kindergarten–grade 2 to help tutor those students who were having problems mastering objectives that would be FALL 2003 35

assessed using the district and the state assessment systems.

This practice enabled the primary teachers to see how skills spiraled up the curriculum and concepts increased in complexity as students progressed through the grades.

It should be noted that this final step could not have been accomplished if the district had not gone through all of the steps described in the design and validation of content objectives described under Factor 1.

Factor 4: Use of Student Assessment Data A system had to be developed that provided both analysis of student data and training in the use of these data to improve the learning of students. Texas school districts are fortunate recipients of a vast amount of data from the state assessment system.

Reports are generated at the state level that provide disaggregated data at the district level, campus level, and classroom level. The following processes were used to analyze the data: • District-Level Analysis—At the district level, assessment data from the state-level testing was reviewed at the end of each year to determine if the curriculum needed to be adjusted in any way. Areas of curriculum shortfall were determined by looking at the results by objective and by instructional target within 36

INSIGHT

the objective level for each of the schools. If numerous school results fell short of the expectations (85 percent passing) for any single objective or group of objectives, the actual curriculum for the objective was analyzed along with the assessment items that were designed to measure that skill or concept.

Adjustments were made to the specificity of the curriculum design or the timing of the teaching of that skill or concept when necessary.

If only one school was having problems with a particular objective, the campus principal was expected to determine if instructional practice needed to be modified at that school or within a particular classroom. Curriculum or professional development staff members were available to assist the principal.

• Campus-Level Analysis—At the campus level, reports are provided by the state that link to individual classrooms. These data are used by principals to pair teachers who have good success teaching a particular concept or skill with novice or marginal teachers who can benefit from peer coaching.

• Classroom-Level Analysis— At the classroom level, a report is provided from the state that enables a teacher to see which answers his/her students provided to individual questions that are linked to specific objectives and instructional targets. Using these data, a teacher can determine which students have mastered the concept or skill and even the extent to which some students might have been confused with the distracters that are commonly placed in state assessment items.

The district also has implemented a system of periodic assessments within the core content areas that provide teachers with feedback several times a year regarding the extent to which students are learning. These

district-developed assessments at the elementary level begin at grade 1. Periodic assessments are available for middle and high school as well.

The district has developed an assessment timeline that is cumulative in nature. For example, the first assessment at the elementary level covers a specified number of district objectives. The first district assessment of the year is shortened in length. The second assessment covers the objectives assessed in the first assessment plus additional objectives. The third assessment covers the objectives assessed during the first and second assessments as well as additional objectives. The final assessment of the year covers all of the objectives for that grade level.

The rationale for the decision to make the district assessments cumulative was twofold. First, teachers wanted to gather data throughout the year on specific objectives rather than all of the objectives that would be taught by the end of the year.

Therefore, a determination of which objectives were to be assessed at which times during the year had to be made. The second reason for making the assessments cumulative was to build up the test-taking stamina of elementary students. Since the statewide assessments can often take an entire day per content area, it was important to increase the length of

time that students would spend in assessment settings.

Increasing the time spent for each districtwide assessment addressed that need.

The assessment timeline has been developed with a great deal of input from vertical teams of teachers from throughout the district and has been disseminated using grade-level meetings led by vertical team participants as described above.

Factor 5: Monitoring Delivery of the Curriculum District administrators were very proficient in recognizing effective teaching practices when they observed in classrooms. However, with the new content standards, it became equally important for administrators to know if the concept or skill being taught in the classroom was the content that was specifically designed for that grade level.

Administrators also needed to know if the content being taught was at a cognitive level that would enable students to transfer that learning to a more complex level later in the year or in subsequent years as defined by the VISD Standards.

Therefore, specific professional development was provided in walk-through strategies.

The model chosen was developed by Carolyn Downey for Curriculum Management Services, Inc. (CMSi) and provided through the Texas

Association of School Administrators. This model consisted of two days of input followed by additional days of practice within actual district classrooms.

To continue their practice of analyzing delivery of the curriculum, groups of administrators routinely go into classrooms in small groups and then compare what they have observed. Master teachers volunteer their classrooms for administrators to practice their observation skills.

Factor 6: Systems for Institutionalizing Best Practices As a result of the work described above, the following systems have been created or enhanced within the district: • Expectations—Throughout the district a “no excuses” philosophy exists that is led by the superintendent of schools and echoed throughout every department and on every campus.

Despite increasing poverty and mobility within the community, scores have continued to increase and gaps in achievement have continued to close because the message that we are here to teach all students is consistently espoused. As a result, schools with low student socioeconomic status (SES) percentages between 70 and 90 percent are routinely recognized by outside FALL 2003 37

agencies and organizations as exemplary.

• Planning—The district uses both short- and long-range planning developed from a vision that the district’s students will graduate with a competitive edge over students from any other school district, state, or country. Community members have been involved in the long-range planning, and strong collaborations have been developed with other educational entities, as well as community organizations, to realize this vision. The plans of the district are used to deploy resources of all kinds toward that vision.

• Curriculum Management— The district has a comprehensive curriculum management plan that defines the district’s philosophy of curriculum design; the cycle of curriculum review;

assessment data; the professional development program of the district to support the curriculum design and delivery; the requirements for monitoring the delivery of the curriculum; and a communication plan for the design and delivery of the curriculum. The board of trustees has also adopted a local policy that spells out the expectations for curriculum management.

How We Evaluate Our Progress The district evaluates the progress it makes primarily in terms of increased student achievement. At the present, the vast majority of assessment data is found within the core content areas. However, within the long-range plan of the district is the creation of performance assessments for all grade levels and all content areas. At this point in time, however, teachers as well as

“…a vision that the district’s students will graduate with a competitive edge over students from any other school district, state, or country.”

the roles and responsibilities of all staff, including the board of trustees; the components of quality curriculum; the alignment and validation processes used to develop the district curriculum standards; the use of 38

INSIGHT

administrators can articulate the learning of individual students by name. Campuses have specific processes for reviewing the individual progress of students and enlist the assistance of parents to

reinforce the efforts of the schools.

The district has also developed a system of program evaluation that includes costbenefit analysis. For all state and federally funded programs offered during the 2002–2003 school year, specific measures of effectiveness in terms of student learning have been developed. At the culmination of this school year, decisions about enhancements to these programs or whether the programs need to continue in their present form will be made based on these effectiveness data.

For the 2003–2004 school year, specific supplementary instructional programs will be evaluated using the same costbenefit analysis. In this way, limited resources can be channeled to the programs and interventions that have proven to be the most effective in improving student achievement.

Training Activities and Resources Used to Support the Improvement Process Very obvious threads run throughout the professional development offerings of the district. Among those are (1) the implementation and monitoring of the district curriculum, (2) the understanding of diversity and the role that it plays within the district, and (3) the building of leadership density at all levels within the organization.

“They have ‘expert power’ in the district and are called on to be spokespersons for the district at state and national conferences.”

Implementation and monitoring of the curriculum. Every teacher in the district has been trained in the content of the district curriculum, the VISD Standards. In addition, a substantial amount of time is devoted to the VISD Standards during the multiday new teacher orientation.

All administrators within the district are trained in the VISD Standards and the walkthrough skills as described above. The written, taught, and tested curriculum is addressed on every agenda from grade-level meetings at the campus level to the Superintendent’s Cabinet meetings in the central office.

Diversity. All employees of the school district, including bus drivers and cafeteria employees, have attended training sessions aimed at increasing staff’s understanding of and appreciation for the diversity that is found within

our community and our schools. “Flash Judgments” training was initiated to highlight the fact that all of us make flash judgments about people based on our own experiences. This training was followed several months later by opportunities for personnel to privately analyze their own diversity profile with the use of an individual survey entitled “Exploring Differences in the Workplace.” This survey provided a diversity comfort-level score in four different areas, including knowledge of diversity, understanding of diversity, acceptance of diversity, and behavior towards diversity.

While not asking individuals to divulge their own profiles, principals were asked to use the information learned in this session as a basis for staff meeting discussions during the year.

The next step in the district plan is to focus districtwide

professional development days on best practices for differentiating instruction to meet the diverse needs of students.

Building leadership density. The use of vertical teams of teachers to design the district curriculum and the assessment system that accompanies it has enhanced the content knowledge of teachers within the district. In the absence of central content specialists, these key teacher leaders have become recognized for their expertise in curriculum design and delivery.

Many of the vertical team leaders have gone on to become assistant principals and principals within this district as well as central staff members in other districts. They have “expert power” in the district and are called on to be spokespersons for the district at state and national conferences.

In addition, the district has instituted a Leadership Academy for the purpose of building its own leaders. Any professional employee within the district can make application to the academy and, if selected, gain and enhance organizational skills as well as the content knowledge needed to become an educational leader. Several graduates of the Leadership Academy are now continued on page 41 FALL 2003 39

practicing administrators at various levels within the organization.

Key Individuals or Groups in the Improvement Process Teachers, campus administrators, and central administrators have all been key players in the district’s improvement process.

While accomplishing different tasks aimed at improvement, student learning would not have occurred to the extent that it has if the three different groups had not worked together toward the same vision.

Additionally, the board of trustees has made critical decisions directing resources toward areas of greatest need.

That, coupled with the support of various community entities, has enabled the district to access outside funds to provide social services for students with various needs.

Advice to Other Leaders The best advice we could give other districts is to define your purpose as a school district, develop systems for accomplishing your purpose, and make all decisions based on that purpose.

If the definition of your purpose does not focus on student achievement, start over.

Victoria ISD Contacts: Ronald Peace Superintendent Phone: 361-576-3131 e-mail: ron.peace@visd.com Jan C. Jacob Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction Phone: 361-576-3131 e-mail: jan.jacob@visd.com

FALL 2003 41

Building a Standards-Based Professional Development System

by Karen Anderson and Maria Goodloe High-quality staff development is essential to achieving high levels of performance by all students and staff members. National standards for staff development, such as those developed by the National Staff Development Council (NSDC), provide direction for planning effective staff development.

—Stephanie Hirsh, deputy executive director, NSDC

The quotation above frames the two-year effort between the National Staff Development Council and Corpus Christi ISD to build a standards-based professional development system. While “believing in” high-quality staff development is one level of commitment; “commitment to the action” required to make it a reality represents a remarkably different level of intent. Corpus Christi ISD and NSDC agreed to make this deeper commitment.

CONTEXT NSDC at the request of Corpus Christi ISD conducted an audit of its staff development program in 2001 for the purpose of examining current programs and services. The intent was to obtain baseline data to communicate planned improvements for the district staff development program. The six recommendations made for systemically reforming staff development included: 1. Develop a comprehensive vision and system of staff development 2. Design and implement organizational structures and procedures 42

INSIGHT

3. Increase the impact of staff development 4. Ensure that policies support staff development 5. Build extensive knowledge about effective staff development and the role of staff development in continuous improvement 6. Seek support from other partners Concurrent with the audit results and release of the newly revised NSDC Standards for Staff Development, a partnership was proposed with Corpus Christi ISD and NSDC with funding provided by the Edna McConnell Clark Foundation.

The purpose of the Staff Development Standards Initiative with Corpus Christi ISD was to produce higher levels of learning and performance by all students and staff members by facilitating the development of district and school-based professional development systems that align with NSDC’s Standards for Staff Development. Specifically, the scope of the two-year initiative focused on four outcomes:

1. Improved Staff Development Decision Making 2. Improved Staff Development Implementation 3. Improved Teacher Practice 4. Improved Administrator Leadership

PROCESS To achieve a systemic approach to improvement within the system, a number of strategies were employed. Of the original five strategies listed below, three were implemented during the first year of the project. The Leadership Conference occurred during the summer of 2002, and follow-up and coaching continued during year two of the grant. A sixth strategy was employed by the district to advance implementation of the learning within the district.

2. Learning Time for Extended Group— During a majority of the meetings, a twohour block of time was devoted to “Learning Time.” From 10 a.m. to 12 noon, fifty additional people from central office and the campuses joined the Work Team for the purpose of studying the NSDC’s Standards for Staff Development, offering feedback and evaluation of the Superintendent’s Leadership Conference, and critiquing the professional development competencies by target audience. The NSDC consultant facilitated some portions of the agenda while others were led by members of the Work Team. Small group conversations and interactions about application of the learning were a feature of every session.

“The goal was to clearly and 1. Staff Development Work Team—A significant strategy was the formation of a core group of twenty individuals vertically representing different groups from within and outside the system. Members met monthly during the two years to focus on the work of the project. Membership included the assistant superintendent for instruction and special programs; the president of AFT; five principals; three teachers; central office staff, including the coordinator for staff development; additional campus representatives, such as deans and a counselor; a member of the education service center; and a professor from Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi. The full-day agendas focused on building knowledge about powerful staff development; an in-depth study of the NSDC Standards—Context, Process, and Content; developing a framework for the district standards-based Professional Development Plan; and designing, delivering, and evaluating the Superintendent’s Leadership Conference.

objectively reflect back what was seen so that the group could make decisions about changing or maintaining work practices.”

3. Critical Friend Sessions—The NSDC consultant attended three of the regularly scheduled Middle School Principal Meetings and three Instructional Team Meetings in the role of critical friend.

This role was defined as a process for improving group functioning through feedback. The goal was to clearly and objectively reflect back what was seen so that the group could make decisions about changing or maintaining work practices.

4. Leadership Conference— The Superintendent’s Leadership Conference, entitled Creating Exemplary Schools in a Lighthouse District, was attended by leadership teams from all 62 campuses. The purpose of the conference was to establish the critical link between student data, professional development, educator change, and results for students.

Key players from various levels of the system were involved from classroom teachers to the president of the board. Student performance data packs were created for each campus to use when determining professional development needs. As a result, staff development plans were customized for each campus based on data needs.

5. Coaching for Central Office—A feature of year two was three days of on-site coaching with the assistant superintendent and the newly assigned administrator responsible for professional development. This strategy proved especially valuable in supporting the district reorganization that occurred late in the summer of 2002. With the provision of additional personnel for staff development, it was critical to use our learning about the standards as the frame for development of the job descriptions, interview process, and delivery of services.

A second tier of coaching was targeted for consultants, campus staff developers, and secondary deans of instruction. Four sessions were developed to facilitate implementation of the standards and to provide ongoing technical assistance and training to the central office instructional team. Specifically, the sessions were designed to respond to the identified need for development of providers of professional development.

6. Follow-Up Meetings—The district employed follow-up meetings as an additional strategy to advance implementation of FALL 2003 43

the initiative. These capacity-building sessions were designed to disperse and apply information learned in the Work Team/Extended Group meetings to other key personnel in the district. At least three meeting venues—principals, assistant principals, and consultants—included agenda time for discussion, application, and modeling of information that was being disseminated from the Work Team sessions.

CONTENT The primary learning of the Work Team and the Extended Learning Group was NSDC’s Standards for Staff Development revised in 2001. The initial meeting established the context for the learning to occur in subsequent meetings by focusing on NSDC’s vision for high-quality professional

development and the organizer for the standards—Context, Process, and Content.

Three additional meetings were devoted to the study of each of these areas and the standards that fall under each. A portion of each meeting’s study was to consider implications for application to the ongoing work in Corpus Christi ISD. The full text of the standards is reflected below.

RESULTS As the project moved into its second year, stronger evidence was emerging to support advancement/improvement for each of the four targeted outcomes noted in the introduction. One dimension of the project design—vertical representation of employee levels on the Work Team and in the extended group—has increased the probability for

dissemination of information throughout the system in a fairly short period of time.

Focus on a systemic view has addressed fragmentation within the system by showing how the parts fit together to make the whole. Communication, decision making, and collaboration have increased across the system. Learning about the standards has provided the opportunity for individuals to have meaningful conversations about their work, develop a common language and understanding, and plan for action and application of learning to the roles and responsibilities of their daily work.

One of the lessons learned is that assisting educators to apply learning is more difficult than building knowledge. Seeing new habits

The Standards Context Learning Communities: Staff development that improves the learning of all students organizes adults into learning communities whose goals are aligned with those of the school and district.

Leadership: Staff development that improves the learning of all students requires skillful school and district leaders who guide continuous instructional improvement.

Resources: Staff development that improves the learning of all students requires resources to support adult learning and collaboration.

Process Data-Driven: Staff development that improves the learning of all students uses disaggregated student data to determine adult learning priorities, monitor progress, and help sustain continuous improvement.

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INSIGHT

Evaluation: Staff development that improves the learning of all students uses multiple sources of information to guide improvement and demonstrate its impact.

Research-Based: Staff development that improves the learning of all students prepares educators to apply research to decision making.

Design: Staff development that improves the learning of all students uses learning strategies appropriate to the intended goal.

Learning: Staff development that improves the learning of all students applies knowledge about human learning and change.

Collaboration: Staff development that improves the learning of all students provides educators with the knowledge and skills to collaborate.

Content Equity: Staff development that improves the learning of all students prepares educators to understand and appreciate all students; creates safe, orderly, and supportive learning environments; and holds high expectations for their academic achievement.

Quality Teaching: Staff development that improves the learning of all students deepens educators’ content knowledge, provides them with research-based instructional strategies to assist in meeting rigorous academic standards, and prepares them to use various types of classroom assessments appropriately.

Family Involvement: Staff development that improves the learning of all students provides educators with knowledge and skills to involve families and other stakeholders appropriately.

of mind translated into new ways of working requires coaching and support throughout the system. Only when educators move to

Phillip Schlechty’s notion of “working on the work” can deeper understanding and internalization occur.

Work Team members identified other lessons 1. “The structure of the reform—using a group of 15–20 from across the district over two years to form bonds of leadership and using a wider group as a support structure— demonstrates the power of building buy-in through collaborative teams.”

2. “Building readiness or capacity is critical to staff buying in and participating.”

3. “One of the key ingredients to developing a systemic staff

development program is open and honest professional conversations in the beginning stages. Without the ability to have that open, candid dialogue, our work would not have even gotten started.”

4. “Professional development must be systemic. The push must start at the top and be encouraged at all levels.

Equally important are the quality standards for staff development which must be

As Corpus Christi ISD sustains its commitment to becoming a standards-based professional development program, there will be improvements in decision making, implementalearned: tion, teacher practice, and administrator leadership as employed to make staff long as the district continues development relevant and the practice of acknowledgeffective systemically.” ing what is working and 5. “Professional development realistically assessing what doesn’t just happen. It needs improvement. evolves from well-organized planning sessions that initially have very little to do with the content of professional development.”

Karen Anderson is executive director of the Texas Staff Development Council and a private consultant. Maria Goodloe is assistant superintendent for school services and elementary instruction at Corpus Christi ISD.

6. “Use research and results to guide your decision making.”

$

FALL 2003 45

Indoor Air Quality: Past, Present, and Future

by Ken Easterwood ver the past decade, key research and experience have helped determine the scientific, strategic, and tactical paths of indoor air quality (IAQ) investigations for the next 10 years and beyond. Throughout its evolution, IAQ investigations have emerged from being a basic reactive analysis to a proactive movement that incorporates a rise in public awareness, scientific product and process, and government involvement. To best understand the current status and future of IAQ, a quick evaluation of its history lends valuable insight and information.

O

Over time, the scope of AIAQ’s involvement with IAQ has broadened, and after the evaluation of more than 800 schools and a similar number of residential and commercial projects, the company now looks at entire inventories for clients who manage a number of facilities.

Interestingly enough there is one figure that corresponds to WHO’s 30 percent, but that is not the entire story. The charts below and right, using AIAQ’s evaluations to date, illustrate that an IAQ issue may not automatically indicate an IAQ disaster:

In 1980 the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) reported that IAQ investigations comprised about 8 percent of the total investigations performed within office buildings. By the end of the decade, this percentage had risen to 52 percent.

46

INSIGHT

Back in 1984, the World Health Organization (WHO) published a report which suggested that up to 30 percent of new and remodeled buildings worldwide may be the subject of excessive complaints related to IAQ.

51% = Typical; No indication of IAQ problems

Fast forward to 1993 and the inception of Dallas-based Assured Indoor Air Quality, L.P. (AIAQ), a company formed to exclusively focus on critical IAQ issues. In AIAQ’s first year, a comparison to its client experience with the WHO report would illustrate that 100 percent of the buildings AIAQ evaluated had some form of IAQ issue. Of course, at that time, clients that hired IAQ specialists only offered their “bad buildings” for IAQ analysis.

29% = Required action, either investigation or remediation

20% = Required monitoring, no other action required

Awareness In 1993, IAQ was dismissed by many as either a non-issue, an excuse used by “complainers,” or a ruse employed by those with questionable motivations. The intervening years have seen a significant increase in the awareness of health issues surrounding poor IAQ and the potential consequences of inaction. More importantly,

major national outlets running reports on IAQ. As a result of this expanded knowledge in the general public, the main question has changed from “why is this a problem” to “how do we resolve this issue?”

4.5%= Percentage of schools requiring and completing major remediation

building owners are becoming proactive and now have begun incorporating critical IAQ issues into the fabric of their organizations.

Beginning in 1994, TASA took a lead role in educating its membership and their staff about IAQ by holding informational seminars at the regional service centers.

Recognizing that IAQ is not just a local issue, important IAQ topics have been addressed at the annual AASA1/TASA School Facilities Workshops which have been attended by educators from across the nation.

However, there has been a downside to this heightened awareness. The multitude of Web sites that has appeared regarding IAQ and related issues seems to have generated panic within the public at large. Whether these sites were developed for informational or exploitative purposes, some sites have created a forum of hysteria which defeats the purpose of accurately understanding the key IAQ issues at hand. Mass media also plays into this scenario, one day trumpeting “black mold” as a major crisis and on another day dismissing the entire issue as irrelevant or nonexistent.

Nonetheless, IAQ issues are emerging as part of the national dialogue. In the mid-1990s, Oprah Winfrey devoted an entire program to this issue. Better Homes and Gardens has published several features on protecting the indoor environment, along with The New York Times, TIME, CNN, ABC, and virtually all of the

“Product” and Process In 1993, a typical IAQ study report was comprised of a cold, sterile lab report that contained hard analytical lab results and a litany of identified organism descriptions.

What was lacking was information that identified the causation of the situation and a clear process on how to rectify the problem at hand. In contrast, today’s IAQ reports typically encompass a more holistic view and outline a comprehensive process to fully resolve the issue(s) being faced.

Ten years ago, there was also a reliance on different types of air sampling techniques, called “lead indicators,” in which conclusions were reached based on whether the composition of the indoor air was similar to the outside air or not. Simply stated, if the samples collected indoors indicated a similar condition to outside readings, then the indoor environment was presumed to be acceptable.

Today, while air sampling is still a part of the process, it now holds a different position in reaching a conclusion about IAQ. Instead of air samples being the only or most significant analysis performed in the IAQ process, other key points of information, including analysis of occupant symptoms, building history, investigators’ observations, and surface sampling results, are gathered before factoring in air sampling results.

Symptomology Symptoms have always been in the forefront of IAQ, with the term “Sick Building Syndrome” (SBS) based on occupant symptoms. However there are various definitions.

The Environmental Protection Agency’s definition of SBS is: Situations in which building occupants experience acute health and comfort effects that appear to be linked to time spent in a building, but no specific illness or cause can be identified. The complaints may be localized in a particular room or zone, or may be widespread throughout the building.

The American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) definition is: Nonspecific symptom (e.g., eye, nose, or throat irritation; headache; fatigue; or other discomfort) that usually cannot be associated with a well-defined cause but that appears to be linked with time spent in a building.

There is a difference. The ACGIH refers to this as Building Related Symptoms (BRS) or Nonspecific Building Related Symptoms (NSBRS). It is worth pointing out that the buildings do not become sick—people do— and the ACGIH is apparently trying to address that point.

Symptoms associated with BRS are typically upper respiratory in nature2, with researchers in this field noting more frequent occurrences of upper respiratory infections. More recently, the evidence of the role of mycotoxins (secondary metabolites produced and excreted by molds) has become clearer. The response to mycotoxins can be neurological in nature, with headaches, fatigue, and rashes commonly reported in environments where mycotoxin-producing organisms are present. Chemicals may generate similar symptoms, with the onset and resolution of symptoms serving as important markers for the investigators.

FALL 2003 47

In the last decade of dealing with indoor environmental issues, symptomatic signatures associated with specific contaminants and building conditions have emerged, with these signatures, or profiles, becoming fundamental in the development of initial “risk models” to target problem areas and identify the probable constituents.

IAQ and Our Schools In February 1995, a Government Accounting Office (GAO) report to Congress determined that the costs to “rehabilitate” our deteriorating public schools nationwide would be $112 billion, a figure hard-pressed to finance even during our nation’s more economically rich periods.

Government Involvement In July 2002, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) issued the “State of the Science on Molds and Human Health3,” authored by Stephen C. Redd, M.D., to the United States House of Representatives. In this report, Dr. Redd, Chief of the Air Pollution and Respiratory Health Branch National Center for Environmental Health, outlined the known health effects associated with fungal contamination and identified areas for future research.

This GAO study contained a category for the number of schools suffering from unsatisfactory environmental conditions. Of the 80,000 public schools referenced in the study, 15,000 were perceived to have unsatisfactory IAQ—almost 19 percent of all public schools.

This report outlined significant findings from scientific studies that illustrate significant relationships between reports of work-related respiratory disease and visual assessment of water and mold damage.

Also reflected in this report are significant relationships between endotoxins (toxin characteristics of the outer membrane of gram-negative bacteria4) and ultra-fine particles in air and work-related respiratory symptoms, and significant relationships between indicators of mold in chair and floor dust and work-related respiratory symptoms.

Texas, like states across the nation, is currently facing funding difficulties within public school budgets. Even in better financial climates, operational and maintenance line items have always been first to be reduced in school budgets.

Dr. Redd stated that additional research is essential to better understand all of the health risks involved, particularly regarding bioaerosols (microorganisms and items of biological origin that inhabit the air) in schools to address children’s and teachers’ health issues. He also indicated that setting standards and guidelines for indoor mold exposure levels is a difficult process and may not be practical.

48

INSIGHT

This report also stated that 21,000 schools had roof problems and 28,100 schools had heating ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) problems, and that both situations are potential contributors to poor IAQ.

Poor IAQ is not a property issue, but rather a health issue. The CDC and other research entities are continuously expanding knowledge of this issue. With the current data available, there is no dispute that poor IAQ can have a direct affect on those suffering from asthma. According to the American Lung Association5, asthma is the third leading cause of hospitalization among children under the age of 15 and is ranked first as a chronic condition afflicting this age group.

The more we understand this issue and its cause and effect, the more concerned we are that the dots are not being connected. While the self-sufficiency of our school systems is a fundamental tenet to public education, this

Is your District . . .

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• Having trouble filling critical needs positions* ? *Special Ed, Math, Science, etc.

• Facing a large number of retiring educators in the next few years?

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TCG Consulting and ESC Region 10 have developed an innovative strategy called the Teacher/Employee Retention & Recruitment Program (TERRP). TERRP is designed to provide financial incentives to attract and retain district employees, increase employee attendance and provide incentives to help meet other district goals.

If your district could use help in any of these areas, please contact us.

TCG Consulting Contact: John Pesce 3160 Bee Caves Road, Suite 300B Austin, TX 78746 Phone: (512) 306-9939 Fax: (512) 306-9959 Website: www.pension-consulting.com Email: john.pesce@pension-consulting.com Education Service Center Region 10 Contact: Bill Smith 400 E. Spring Valley Road Richardson, TX 75083 Phone: (972) 348-1004 Fax: (927) 348-1060 TERRP Website: www.terrp.org Email: smithb@esc10.ednet10.net

independence makes it challenging to globally understand the health effects from our nation’s schools that suffer from poor IAQ. Any health issue that adversely affects children’s school attendance or concentration levels in the classroom leads to the possibility of generating lower test scores. How can our children learn if they are home ill or cannot retain the information they are being taught? And children are not the only ones potentially affected by poor IAQ in schools—teachers, aides, administrators, and other staff also fall victim to adverse IAQ, and without healthy instructors, who will teach our children?

While there is no solid proof of a direct correlation between poor IAQ, low test scores, and underfunded school facilities budgets, the circumstantial evidence can lead to some interesting questions. If the indoor environment is not conducive for a student or teacher to operate at peak performance, should the emphasis (i.e., budget dollars) be

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spent on teaching methods and programs or should the finances be directed towards securing a beneficial indoor environment?

Considering that newer schools (which, in AIAQ’s experience, have a higher probability of becoming a contaminated environment than older schools) are typically built at the lowest possible cost, are we unwittingly placing obstacles in the path of future generations?

Is there a way to determine a more accurate number on how many schools across the nation represent poor learning environments? There is a way, owing to available technologies that can diagnostically determine risk factors associated with poor IAQ. If the results are as dramatic as a number of experts predict, then public education may finally get the attention and needed funds to correct such problems. In our global, information-driven economy, it seems that such a scenario has long-range national importance.

In the last 10 years, Texans have taken a leadership role regarding IAQ. Cooperation

Project Type Schools

% of Total 1.3

Residential

500

13

2.6

Commercial/ Institutional

55

5

9

ENDNOTES 1 2

3

Phase II Systems 5

50

INSIGHT

SIDEBAR The Inevitability of Litigation Along the same general topic of “media hype” is the notion that IAQ problems, lawsuits, and massive judgments go hand in hand. It is easy to be lulled into that belief because contentious litigation is scary indeed and grabs lots of headlines. AIAQ analyzed its work over the past 10 years and discovered the following:

Legal Action 11

4

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Ken Easterwood is one of the founders and a vice president of Assured Indoor Air Quality, L.P., an endorsed company of TASA since the mid-1990s.

Projects 800

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between public and private sectors has yielded significant results in the improvement of IAQ conditions in Texas schools. Despite a depressed economy, we cannot afford to relax our efforts in pursuing healthful learning environments—our children and the teachers that guide them depend on our collaboration towards better IAQ.

American Association of School Administrators Cooley, J. D., W. C. Wong, C. A. Jumper, and D. C. Straus.

1998. Correlation between the prevalence of certain fungi and sick building syndrome. http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/airpollution/images/moldsci.pdf, 73841 bytes, updated 08-01-02 Chapter 23. Bioaerosols Assessment and Control, ACGIH, 1999.

Asthma in Children Fact Sheet, March 2002–http://www.lungusa.org/asthma/ascpedfac99.html

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FALL 2003 51

Leading from the Heart and Mind—Life Coaching

by Edna Harris

I

t is possible to provide the support educational leaders need in order to produce successful schools. A leader’s dreams and desires for students and staff can be rekindled in a way that allows them to put these ideals into practice in their schools or districts.

This renewed leadership can retain leaders in the profession. Renewal, retention, and responsibility for success are just a few of the issues facing educational leadership development—challenges that life coaching successfully addresses.

The goal of life coaching is to help individuals become more effective and creative leaders. It is based on the premise that educators can generate their own solutions to the challenges they face when given the time and opportunity to participate in structured reflection. It is about a confidential, trusting relationship between leaders and their coach that moves leaders quickly from “problem to solution, insight to action, status quo to completely new outcomes.” When leaders increase their leadership skills, organizations are transformed and improved.

In order to gain clarity about what life coaching is, it is helpful to discuss what life

coaching is not. The chart below compares life coaching to traditional leadership training and mentoring.

Traditional leadership training typically teaches a set of skills centered around what the leader does or what the leader can do to get others to move the organization toward reaching its goal. This training has specified content generally selected by someone other than the leader and is presented in a large group lecture-interaction format. In contrast, life coaching focuses on what leaders can be—how the leaders can transform themselves so others naturally want to follow them. True leaders have a passion for their work; they are clear about what they want and others naturally follow. History provides us with many examples of inspired leaders—Winston Churchill, Martin Luther King, Jr., Madeline Albright, John F. Kennedy, and more.

Life coaching is not mentoring. Although both models pair individuals for professional growth, the models differ in at least one key dimension. Mentoring expects an experienced educator to offer advice to and share insights with a less-skilled leader. By

Presentation Format

Type of Interaction

comparison, the coaching process helps school leaders develop a variety of behaviors and responses to the varied work and life situations they encounter. Coaches suspend giving advice in favor of developing leaders’ own giftedness.

Perhaps the greatest benefit of life coaching is the enhanced ability of leaders to make difficult decisions and implement positive changes in their organizations. As the chart indicates, the chances of the leader implementing change in the organization are greatly enhanced through coaching. The reasons are twofold. First, leaders, with the assistance of their coach, find their own brilliant possibilities to the challenges and goals they have set. They develop their own action plan. It is their plan and, since leaders are now clear about what they want and how to accomplish it, they gain confidence and courage to lead. Second, they know their coach will support their thinking and their actions, and also will celebrate their successes. They leave each session equipped with actions to implement during the week ahead and a commitment to their coach to do so; therefore, coaches hold the leaders accountable for change in a very supportive, encouraging manner.

Model

Goal

Chances of Implementation

Traditional

Leader is exposed to predetermined skill development

Lecture, demonstration, practice, feedback by expert; content of training can be content or process driven

large group

<20%*

Mentoring

Leader is supported by advice giving

Experienced educator uses content knowledge to lead inexperienced educator

generally 1 to 1

20–80%

Coaching

Leader is supported by listening and reflection

Experienced coach uses process knowledge to guide knowledgeable educator

1 to 1

80–90%*

*Joyce and Showers, 1988 52

INSIGHT

The leader and the coach in a coaching interaction have specified roles and responsibilities.

Leaders enter the weekly dialogue with an identified focus; this is often a goal they want to achieve or a challenge they would like to solve. The leaders, with guidance from their coach, then generate continued on page 54

theLeader Book Review

News from the Texas Leadership Center

The last chapter asks teachers to begin making a difference through conscious choice and not from a “that’s the way we’ve always done it” stance.

Teaching in Mind: How Teacher Thinking Shapes Education

by Judith Lloyd Yero Published by MindFlight Hamilton, MT, 2000 ISBN 0-9711983-3-0

Publishing,

Reviewed by Susan Thompson, curriculum principal, Katy ISD From the introduction of Teaching in Mind: How Teacher Thinking Shapes Education to the last word of the conclusion, Yero has authored a useful source for and about teachers. This book asks for a reflection on beliefs, metaphors, and mental models held about teaching and learning. It provides a thoughtprovoking look at school improvement and education reform and offers insight into a critical missing component. The author provides many examples to underscore the basic theme of this book: teacher thinking is what shapes education.

The book is divided into 13 chapters and includes an appendix containing a self-inventory for teachers to explore their current beliefs, values, and metaphors. It begins with an examination of teacher thought and many examples of how perceptions and behaviors are impacted by beliefs and values. The remaining chapters are clustered around these topics: • Metaphors teachers use and why it is important to examine them • Analysis of common beliefs held by teachers and how these beliefs shape decision making and behavior • Examination of “conventional wisdom” of education and testing for validity

The author proposes the critical missing component in school improvement and education reform is the lack of consideration of teachers in the planning and designing of such efforts.

To consider the reason behind this omission she cites the research involving teachers’ thought processes and actions and their observable effects as the two major domains in the process of teaching. It becomes much easier to observe and quantify the latter domain of teacher behavior, student behavior, and scores, so this information is what is traditionally collected, analyzed, and emphasized. What Yero brings to light is the power of teachers’ thought processes in improvement and reform work. This domain of teaching is unobservable because it occurs inside the teachers’ heads making it highly subjective and “messy,” therefore avoided.

Engaging in the processes to surface these thoughts is the most commonly avoided work-in-change efforts, but a key component in ensuring success. The author gives many examples and suggests strategies to support exploration into this arena.

There are numerous thought-provoking passages in the book that shed light on the need to examine beliefs. One such passage is in Chapter 6, “Beliefs—Lenses of Perception,” where the concept of “thought viruses” is introduced. Thought viruses are described as limiting beliefs based on a generalization or a distortion from prior experience and has become separated from its original context.

Here are some examples of thought viruses: • Some students are motivated by grades.

• Students must learn the basics before they can tackle more complex problems.

• Students who have done poorly in early grades are less likely to succeed in later grades.

These statements sound like fact, but they are not always true. Teachers base their decisions about learning, knowledge, teaching, and the

nature of students on a set of basic assumptions. If thought viruses are accepted without question, it limits their choices of behavior.

So what do you do with this book? Anyone who has worked in an educational environment will recognize the scenarios and examples Yero uses to make her points. You will nod your head in agreement; you will stop and question your own assumptions; you will listen for metaphors in your conversations; and you will share the information with other educators. This book provides endless possibilities to begin the conversation with your faculties and to bring the vision to a conscious and intentional level.

Board Briefs The following are highlights of the Texas Leadership Center board of directors meeting held January 27, 2003, in conjunction with the Administrators’ Midwinter Conference on Education.

UPDATES • Center for Creative Leadership (CCL) Educators’ Leadership Development Program (ELDP) Eleven Texas trainers were trained by CCL in the Educators’ Leadership Development Program in October 2002. ELDP, a three-day assessment-for-development seminar for experienced administrators, will be available for interested districts that can guarantee a minimum number of registrants in 2003–2004.

• Technology Leadership Academy The board received a report of enrollment totals of 1,016 administrators for Year Three of the Technology Leadership Academy, with another 300 projected for summer 2004 sessions. The academy is now being hosted by 11 districts, in addition to all ESCs. An academy to replace the Technology Leadership Academy, when foundation funding is no longer available, will be piloted at five sites around the state in spring 2004.

continued on page 54 FALL 2003 53

Leading from the Heart... continued from page 52

Board Briefs…contd. from page 53

multiple possibilities/strategies for accomplishing the goal or addressing the challenge. From these possibilities, the leaders prioritize options, design an action plan, and make specific commitments with their coach to take action on the plan they developed. During the coaching session, the leaders also report on the progress they have made since their last coaching session.

Online academy registration for 2003–2004 opens May 20, 2003, at www.tasanet.org.

Summer academy registration is currently open at the same address and will remain open until approximately one month prior to each session, when computers must be ordered. Summer sessions are offered in Austin, Corpus Christi, Dallas, Ft. Worth, and Houston.

The coach listens fully and deeply without giving advice or passing judgment. The coach supports the leader’s thinking by using both verbal and nonverbal communication tools and allowing silence so the leader has time to think. By reframing or mirroring the leader’s statements, leaders become free to examine their own beliefs, values, resources, behaviors, skills, and creative problem-solving ability. The coach helps leaders clarify what they want—their desires, their passions—and brings the skills of problem solving and facilitation to the development of multiple solution possibilities and an action plan. For example, the coach might ask a question or recommend a specific thought-provoking activity that pushes the leader to think outside immediate or obvious solutions. The coach is a clarifier, a supporter, a cheerleader, an accountability partner, a holder of the client’s dreams and goals, an encourager, and much more.

Life coaching as a professional development process continues to evolve. The framework for the Coaching for Results initiative began several years ago when the National Staff Development Council formed a partnership with Dave Ellis, founder of the Brande Foundation. Thirty NSDC members received more than 150 hours of formalized training over a two-year period to become life coaches. During the first year of training, the potential coaches were coached by a trained professional at least an hour every week, generally by phone. The second year of the project found potential coaches adding training via monthly teleconferences as they began coaching other principals/superintendents across the nation. Since that time, these NSDC members have formed a consortium, Coaching for Results, that has customized life coaching strategies for educational leaders. This organization currently offers a four-day 54 INSIGHT

training program entitled “Strategies for Powerful Living and Learning” that includes six success strategies: create possibilities, determine purpose, connect powerfully, take responsibility, balance life, and honor results. The group also offers life coaching services to leaders and provides training for individuals who would like to become life coaches. The consortium is currently working in several Texas school districts, including Carrollton-Farmers Branch, Richardson, and Dallas.

Life coaching changes the lives of leaders and increases their skills and ability to lead.

Leaders who know how to create possibilities, determine purpose for their schools and students, listen deeply, communicate clearly and compassionately, take responsibility, celebrate successes, and maintain a balanced life demonstrate effective leadership. They build trusting relationships based upon open, honest dialogue with other adults who affect students’ lives.

These conversations lead to a commitment toward common goals and the potential for each person to contribute in a purposeful way. Schools that have strong adult relationships and common goals are places where students can thrive and succeed.

Edna Harris is a life coach and private consultant.

• Leader to Leader: Meeting State and Federal Accountability Requirements Two national meetings for the Leader to Leader project have been held—one in Dallas October 15–16, 2002, and another in Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina, November 19–20, 2002. Approximately 100 school leaders attended, including superintendents and state department representatives, to hear about some lessons Texas and North Carolina school leaders have learned in implementing increased accountability measures. The Leader to Leader project also will produce a book in late spring 2003 to include results from a survey of Texas and North Carolina superintendents on lessons learned in the accountability movement, an overview of each state’s accountability requirements, components of the No Child Left Behind legislation, and case studies from North Carolina and Texas districts.

In official business, the board of directors approved the minutes of the September 28, 2002, meeting.

Testimonies— One client principal described how she had the courage to confront poor teaching, negative attitudes, and a lack of dedication to student learning in her school. “With the support of my coach, and only because of the support of my coach, I was able to stand firm for the academic success of my students. Now teachers are thanking me for their success,” she said.

Another client reported that as a result of learning how to focus and organize his time, his meetings are shorter and he has more time to spend with teachers and students. He reports that he has the confidence now to talk with teachers in a way that builds their sense of efficacy and responsibility.

A third principal said, “My coach helped me by listening to me so that I could understand the problem and what I wanted. I didn’t have to agonize over how I was going to solve it. Once I knew what I wanted, I had a solution almost without any effort. And the solution was far better than what I would have normally come up with.”

TASA CORPORATE PARTNERS 2002–03

President’s Circle Apple Curriculum Advantage Platinum CompassLearning, Inc. PLATO Learning, Inc. SHW Group, Inc. Gold ARAMARK/ARAMARK-ServiceMaster Microsoft Silver Assured Indoor Air Quality, LLP Palm, Inc. Scantron Corporation Taylor/Balfour TIAA-CREF Bronze 3D/International, Inc. Academic Systems, Inc. Brainchild Corporation First Southwest Company Gateway Computers National Brand Marketing Scientific Learning Sodexho School Services TCG Consulting, Inc.

FALL 2003 55

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