INSIGHT—Summer 2012

TEXAS ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS PROFESSIONAL JOURNAL

SUMMER 2012

INSIGHT Alamo Heights ISD Puts Focus on Engagement page 17

we make a difference through design.

Austin | Baltimore | Charlottesville | Dallas-Ft. Worth Detroit | Houston | San Antonio | Washington DC

summer 2012 Volume 27

No. 2 Featured Articles Leadership Focus

TPSRN Study of Teacher Selection, Assignment, and Classroom Effectiveness in Texas Public Schools: Principals’ and Teacher Educators’ Views

11

by Sherri Lowrey, Sam Sullivan, Christina Ellis, William Reaves, Susan Holley, and Dale Johnson Reports the results of principal and university faculty satisfaction with teacher preparation and hiring processes, desired teaching attributes, and important information sources

A Snapshot of TRS: A Strong Economic Driver in Texas

15

Provides a closer look at the economic impact of the Teacher Retirement System in Texas, and reports on its stability and cost effectiveness

Alamo Heights ISD Puts Focus on Engagement

17

by Jenny LaCoste-Caputo Emphasizes that the district’s core business is providing a rich curriculum and engaging work to provide a profound learning experience

A New Measure of Educational Success in Texas: Tracking the Success of 8th Graders into and Through College

23

by George V. Grainger Highlights a recent report issued by Houston Endowment on the feasibility and utility of long-term tracking from early secondary school through collegiate study and credentialing

Leading by Listening and Building Trust

25

by Suhail Farooqui Addresses the fact that education leaders are now more worried about a trust deficit than a fiscal deficit and that without a foundation of community trust we are in uncharted territory

SXSW Revisited

27

by Allen R. Brown Gives an overview of the recent SXSW.edu Conference in Austin and emphasizes that the world of gaming has a lot to offer in teaching educators how to connect to their students

New Kindergarten Readiness System: Optional and Free of Cost to Districts

30

by J. Casey McCreary Describes the Kindergarten Readiness System (KRS), a new program launched in March 2012 by TEA in partnership with ESC Region 17

TSPRA Voice

How to Approach PR for Your School District: Treat the Job Like Family

32

by Adam J. Holland Emphasizes the importance of being open and honest with the press, building relationships with reporters, picking your battles, and informing the “school family” first

summer 2012

3

Officers

Departments President’s Message Executive Director’s View

7 9

Jeff N. Turner, President, Coppell ISD Darrell G. Floyd, President-Elect, Stephenville ISD Alton L. Frailey, Vice-President, Katy ISD Rod Townsend, Past President, Decatur ISD

Executive Committee Nabor Cortez, La Feria ISD, 1 Paul Clore, Gregory-Portland ISD, 2 Robert Mark Pool, El Campo ISD, 3 Trish Hanks, Friendswood ISD, 4 Shannon Holmes, Hardin-Jefferson ISD, 5 Eddie Coulson, College Station ISD, 6 J. Glenn Hambrick, Carthage ISD, 7 Diane Stegall, Chisum ISD, 8 Tom Woody, Vernon ISD, 9

TASA Headquarters Staff

Executive Director Associate Executive Director, Administrative Services

Johnny L. Veselka Paul L. Whitton, Jr.

Todd Williams, Kaufman ISD, 10 Wayne Rotan, Glen Rose ISD, 11 John Craft, Hamilton ISD, 12 David Shanley, Johnson City ISD, 13 Shane Fields, Albany ISD, 14

Assistant Executive Director, Communications & Information Systems

Ann M. Halstead

Director of Communications and Media Relations

Jenny LaCoste-Caputo

Design/Production

Anne Harpe

Edward Gabaldon, Clint ISD, 19

Editorial Coordinator

Karen Limb

Kevin Brown, Alamo Heights ISD, 20

Leigh Ann Glaze, San Saba ISD, 15 Robert McLain, Channing ISD, 16 Deanna Logan, Ralls ISD, 17 Kevin Allen, Iraan-Sheffield ISD, 18

INSIGHT is published quarterly by the Texas Association of School Administrators, 406 East 11th Street, Austin, Texas, 78701-2617. Subscription is included in TASA membership dues. © 2012 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 360 Press Solutions, Cedar Park, Texas.

Mary Ann Whiteker, Hudson ISD, Legislative Committee Chair

At-Large Members Karen G. Rue, Northwest ISD, At-Large Martha Salazar-Zamora, Round Rock ISD, At-Large Sharon Shields, La Vega ISD, At-Large Nola Wellman, Eanes ISD, At-Large

Editorial Advisory Committee Jeff N. Turner, Coppell ISD, Chair Kevin Brown, Alamo Heights ISD John Craft, Hamilton ISD Deanna Logan, Ralls ISD Karen G. Rue, Northwest ISD Martha Salazar-Zamora, Houston ISD Mary Ann Whiteker, Hudson ISD

4

INSIGHT

Do You Know Your Impact on Learning?

What attributes of the learning process truly make the difference in a student’s learning? If we can clearly identify these attributes by making learning more visible to teachers, we can impact achievement for all students.

Through a partnership with John Hattie and Cognition Education, we can make learning visible in your school. Bring a Visible Learning Plus™ seminar on site today and champion your students and teachers to know their impact on learning.

Attend a Visible Learning Plus conference or bring a seminar on site in your district.

Call 866.399.6019 ext. 227 or visit leadandlearn.com/VLP The Leadership and Learning Center® is a registered trademark of Advanced Learning Centers, Inc. Visible Learning Plus™ and logo are trademarks of Cognition Education Trust. © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved. 05/12 MS49121

™

Chevron is proud to support the Texas Association of School Administrators.

Chevron Energy Solutions brings energy-saving programs to schools across the U.S. This means lower costs, and more money for education. Because better schools will help today’s students solve tomorrow’s energy challenges.

To learn more, visit chevronenergy.com CHEVRON, the CHEVRON Hallmark and HUMAN ENERGY are registered trademarks of Chevron Intellectual Property LLC. © 2011 Chevron U.S.A. Inc. All rights reserved.

I

On the Brink of Transformation couldn’t be more excited to serve as your 2012–13 TASA president. These are transformational times in public education and I truly believe we are on the brink of something great.

There’s no doubt that the last few years—and the 2011 Legislative Session in particular— have been difficult ones for public education in Texas.We’re dealing with massive budget cuts at the same time we’re faced with a new testing system that carries increasingly high stakes for both students and educators.

President’s Message As of early July, 550 school boards had passed a resolution raising concerns about the overreliance of standardized testing.

This simply underscores that the current accountability system is undermining efforts to transform a traditional system of schooling into a broad range of learning experiences that better prepare our students to live successfully and be competitive on a global stage.

But that doesn’t mean we should sit back and throw up our hands. Now is the time for superintendents to stand up and get involved.There is so much going on that telegraphs change is on the way.The state’s school finance system faces six legal challenges in the wake of the 2011 cuts.The lawsuits represent more than 500 school districts and at least 3 million students.

But funding isn’t the only thing being challenged.There is a groundswell of support for a movement to de-emphasize high-stakes, standardized testing in our schools as the single measure of accountability. As of early July, 550 school boards had passed a resolution raising concerns about the over-reliance of standardized testing.This simply underscores that the current accountability system is undermining efforts to transform a traditional system of schooling into a broad range of learning experiences that better prepare our students to live successfully and be competitive on a global stage.

That support comes not just from superintendents and school board members but also from parents, local business leaders, and students. It was even voiced by former Commissioner of Education Robert Scott at TASA’s 2012 Midwinter Conference.

The time is ripe for superintendents to take the lead in this revolution, and continue to spread the word about the amount of instructional time taken from our teachers and students in the name of testing.

The passage of Senate Bill 1557, which led to the creation of theTexas High Performance Schools Consortium, is evidence that the momentum is ours.This unique opportunity will allow a select number of Texas districts to showcase what transformed classrooms can look like and help lawmakers explore how to measure true success in our schools and develop an accountability system parents, students, and voters can trust.

The pendulum had swung too far in favor of over-testing and it is finally coming back to an approach that allows for critical thinking, innovation in the classroom, and creativity among teachers.

It might not happen this year or even next, but it will happen soon.When it does, we need to stand ready to showcase what 21st century classrooms should look like and the great things we’re achieving with our students.

Good luck this upcoming school year and I look forward to seeing you in September at the TASA/TASB Convention in Austin!

summer 2012

7

Mansfield ISD’s fifth new high school, which will open this August, was constructed for $60 million – 30 percent less than originally budgeted. Because of these significant savings, plus additional savings realized in other bond projects, the district was able to construct a $40 million performing arts auditorium and professional development center.

This summer, MISD and Huckabee celebrated the grand opening of the new Mansfield ISD Center for the Performing Arts, a 6,000-seat, state-of-the-art performance venue, which allowed the district to graduate students at home for the first time in many years. The Center will serve not only students and staff, but the entire community. It is designed to be used for graduation ceremonies, convocation, choir, orchestra and band events, plays, road shows and speaking engagements.

Huckabee is proud to have served MISD on these projects and over 60 others since our partnership began in 1989.

MORE THAN A BUILDING A community icon

Huckabee ARCHITECTURE I ENGINEERING I MANAGEMENT Serving Texas schools since 1967 www.huckabee-inc.com

Texas Business Leaders Recognize the Importance of School Transformation TASA is proud to be leading the movement to re-examine our state’s emphasis on highstakes, standardized testing and bringing attention to the concern that an accountability system that relies so heavily on standardized test results is undermining efforts to transform public education in Texas.

We have been vocal in articulating the need for school transformation and are joined by 550 school districts that have supported the Resolution Concerning High Stakes Standardized Testing of Public School Students. We will continue to do so, even in the face of criticism from some who say educators are backing down on accountability.

Executive director’s VIEW

We support accountability for Texas public schools, but we support an accountability system that is a true measure of a school’s success—one that is nuanced and varied and stimulates innovation and creativity in the classroom.

TASA is also proud that many business and community leaders across the state stand behind us in this cause and support the work of TASA’s School Transformation Network.

We support accountability for Texas public schools, but we support an accountability system that is a true measure of a school’s success—one that is nuanced and varied and stimulates innovation and creativity in the classroom.

In testimony before the House Committee on Economic and Small Business Development in June, Texas Workforce Commissioner Tom Pauken said the state’s current education accountability system is “broken and badly in need of fixing.”

Pauken’s testimony came just a day after the Texas Coalition for a Competitive Workforce held a news conference to announce it would not support any additional funding for public schools if the Legislature proposed changes to the accountability system. Pauken told the committee he was speaking as both a businessman and a conservative in his disagreement with the coalition.

“The current system does not hold schools accountable for successfully educating and preparing students—rather it makes them beholden to performance on a single test,” he said. Pauken’s testimony echoes what we’re hearing from business leaders around the state.

Several chambers have endorsed their own versions of the Resolution Concerning High Stakes Standardized Testing and we have shared our vision for school transformation with the Metro 8 Chambers of Commerce, which represent the business sectors of the eight largest metropolitan cities in Texas: Arlington, Austin, Corpus Christi, Dallas, El Paso, Fort Worth, Houston, and San Antonio.

Business leaders throughout the state recognize that our state’s future prosperity relies on a high-quality education system and that such a system needs to be student-centered and result in learning at a deep and meaningful level.We won’t get there as long as the emphasis remains on the superficial learning that can be easily measured by a standardized test.

Our students and our state deserve more.

Thank you for your continuing support of TASA’s Mission: School Transformation.We look forward to broad participation in our School Transformation Network, Regional Consortia, and the many leadership development opportunities on the TASA calendar in 2012-13.

summer 2012

9

TASA Fall 2012 Calendarr September 12–13

First-time Superintendents’ Academy

13

Strategies for School District Leadership in Challenging Economic Times

APQC Education

Free Webinar

18–19

Academy for Transformational Leadership

Schlechty Center

ESC Region One

20–21 Academy for Transformational Leadership Schlechty Center

DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Austin–University Area

26–27

Leadership for the Digital Learning Age

28–30

TASA/TASB Convention

Austin Marriott North

November Learning

Hilton Austin Hotel Austin Convention Center

October 9

School Transformation Executive Briefing

Yong Zhao

10–11

Texas S.M.A.R.T Coach Academy

QLD

TASA Headquarters

23–26

Curriculum Management Audit Training Level I

Curriculum Management Systems, Inc.

TASA Headquarters

30–31

Academy for Transformational Leadership

Schlechty Center

30–Nov. 2 Curriculum Management Audit Training Level II

DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Austin

ESC Region One

Curriculum Management Systems, Inc.

TASA Headquarters

November 1–2 Academy for Transformational Leadership Schlechty Center

DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Austin–University Area

7–8

First-time Superintendents’ Academy

Austin Marriott North

8

Strategies for School District Leadership in Challenging Economic Times

8–9

TASA Future-Ready Superintendents’ Leadership Institute

Wyndham Love Field/Dallas

27–30

Texas Assessment Conference

Austin Convention Center/Hilton Austin Hotel

APQC Education

Free Webinar

It’s your vote. It’s your voice. Use it.

Important Dates for 2012 Elections July 31

Runoff election

October 9

Voter registration deadline for presidential election

November 6

Presidential election

Your VOTE

Download a voter registration form from the Texas Secretary of State http://www.sos.state.tx.us/elections/index.shtml

or call Toll Free 1-800-252-VOTE (8683) 10

INSIGHT

Your VOICE

TPSRN Study of Teacher Selection, Assignment, and Classroom Effectiveness in Texas Public Schools Principals’ and Teacher Educators’ Views

by Sherri Lowrey, Sam Sullivan, Christina Ellis, William Reaves, Susan Holley, and Dale Johnson Introduction

T

he Texas Public Schools Research Network (TPSRN), a school district/university educational research collaborative, conducted a study of Texas-based teacher selection and assignment practices.The TPSRN is administered jointly by the Center of Research, Evaluation, and Advancement of Teacher Education (CREATE) and TASA. In the Spring 2012 issue of INSIGHT, study results on the different perceptions between principals and teachers about teacher selection and assignment processes were shared. In this issue, results are being reported on data collected from two other groups that share a common stake in teacher quality discussions: principals who hire teachers and university faculty who train them. How satisfied are principals with the quality of the teachers they hire? How satisfied are university faculty with the quality of their own pre-service teachers? What personal and professional characteristics do principals and university faculty rate as important to consider when selecting a prospective teacher to fill a position? Which information sources do principals and university faculty consider important when selecting a prospective teacher, and which of the sources do university faculty include as part of an educator preparation course? This article reports results about principals and university faculty satisfaction with teacher preparation and the teacher hiring processes, desired personal and professional teaching attributes teachers should possess, and information sources important to consider when selecting teachers and the relationship of these sources to educator preparation.

CREATE is a university research and development consortium comprised of 48 universities within the state of Texas whose research agenda focuses on issues of teaching quality and effectiveness. The 13 Texas public school districts that participated in this study as part of the Texas Public Schools Research Network were Birdville, Dallas, Fort Worth, Harlingen, Highland Park, Lamar Consolidated, North East, Northside, Richardson, Round Rock, San Antonio, Stephenville, and Weatherford ISDs.

Research Design and Sample All data in this report were collected via the following two sources: (1) a principal questionnaire designed by researchers to mirror a questionnaire given to sample teachers (amended from the Survey of First-Year and Second-Year Teachers by the Project on the Next Generation of Teachers with permission of the author) and (2) a university faculty questionnaire developed and piloted by the researchers to mirror the principal questionnaire. Both surveys showed reliable internal consistency and stability.

summer 2012

11

Within each participating district, researchers selected a sample of the highest and lowest performing campuses at high school, middle school, and elementary school levels yielding a total of 91 campuses. Principals on the campuses were invited to participate.

Of the 91 principals who were invited to participate, 62 responded representing a 68 percent return rate. The responses of 9 principals were eliminated from the study because they had been principals on their campuses for less than one year, leaving a sample of 53.

Faculty members whose pr imar y assignment was to instruct pre-service teachers from the following eight Texas universities were sent a request to complete the faculty survey:Tarleton State University, Texas A&M University–Commerce, Texas State University, Texas Woman’s University, University of Houston, University of North Texas, University of Texas–Arlington, and University of Texas–Pan American. These universities were chosen based on past CREATE research showing that at least 50 percent of teachers receiving certification through a university-based teacher education program become employed in districts within a 75-mile radius of the university. Of the 361 faculty members contacted, 123 returned surveys for a 34 percent completion rate.

Findings Satisfaction. Principals and university faculty were asked a series of questions about hiring practices and applicant and program quality. Principals reported high satisfaction with both campus and district hiring practices where 79 percent and 72 percent indicated satisfaction with campus and district hiring practices respectively.

Of the university faculty completing this question, 84 percent indicated knowledge of area district hiring practices. Of the 84 percent of university faculty who indicated knowledge of district practices (n=118), 45 percent reported being satisfied or very

12

INSIGHT

faculty on all professional characteristics.

Characteristics with 10 percent or less difference between the principals and university faculty were considered to be in agreement. When examining the entire list of professional characteristics, principals and university faculty had an 82 percent Nearly three-quarters (74 percent) of agreement rate, with agreement on 9 of the principals reported being satisfied or 11 characteristics. Both groups chose the very satisfied with the quality of teacher same top five professional characteristics but applicants. A slightly lower percentage of ranked them in a different order.The choice university faculty, 68 percent, reported being “relates to and motivates students to engage satisfied or very satisfied with the quality in learning,” ranked second by principals, of the teacher education candidates at their was ranked fifth by university faculty and own institutions. University faculty were also was the only characteristic in the top five asked to estimate how satisfied principals list where a large percentage difference (14 were with the quality and preparation of percent) occurred. Additionally, principals their institution’s teachers. Of all university (11 percent) were less likely to agree than faculty sampled, 85 percent perceived that university faculty (39 percent) that having principals were satisfied or very satisfied with certification from a four-year university the quality of their institutions’ graduates. teacher preparation program versus a This was a statistically significant difference non-university-based alternative teacher (t(106)=3.105, p=.002). University faculty preparation program was essential.

(M=6.18, SD=.85) perceived principals (M=5.71, SD=1.02) to be more satisfied In contrast to the professional characteristics, there was a higher percentage of agreement than principals’ responses indicated. on the first three personal characteristics: Professional and personal character- exhibits a positive attitude and passion for istics. Teacher professional attributes teaching, works collaboratively with others to and teaching skills refer to the particular improve student achievement, and expresses set of professional and personal qualities a desire to continue learning. Two personal teachers need to be successful. To discover characteristics had a 10 percent or more if the characteristics/attributes rated as difference between principals and university important by administrators who hire faculty: (1) works collaboratively with others teachers are aligned with the characteristics/ to support at-risk students (principals 83 attributes that university faculty who percent; university faculty 53 percent); (2) prepare teachers rate as important, each uses appropriate communication (principals group was asked to rank order the five 45 percent; university faculty 84 percent). most important professional characteristics (out of 11) and the five most important Information sources. Districts collect personal characteristics (out of 8). The a variety of information about candidates lists were developed from the Professional during the hiring process. Principals and Development and Appraisal System (PDAS), university faculty were asked to choose the the State of Texas’ recommended teacher five most important information sources to appraisal instrument used to evaluate consider when hiring a teacher from a list of classroom teachers and adapted for this study. 15 items—the types of hiring information districts typically collect from candidates.

Figure 1 shows the percentage comparison Additionally, university faculty were asked between the principals and university to indicate which information sources were satisfied with how districts hire teachers, and 37 percent were neutral.Approximately three-quarters of university faculty reported satisfaction with the quality of the current teacher preparation program in place at their respective institutions.

faculty, less than half of the university faculty reported practicing interview skills in their courses. Additionally, principals listed applicant teaching a lesson as an important hiring information source to review, but fewer than 25 percent of principals reported they had watched an applicant teach.

taught as part of the teacher preparation curriculum at their respective university.

There was no substantial disagreement between principals and university faculty in ranking the information sources important to consider when hiring a teacher (see Figures 2 and 3, page 14).

Both groups selected the interview as the most important part of the hiring process to take into consideration when hiring a teacher followed by resume, references, documentation of certification, and watching the applicant teaching a lesson.

Although the applicant interview was the information source selected as most important by both principals and university

The information sources university faculty and principals did rank differently were “scores on certification examinations” and “consideration of prior performance rating.”

Principals ranked teacher certification exam scores as the least important item to review when selecting a new hire (15th) while university faculty ranked it 10th. Principals ranked consideration of prior performance

Figure 1: Principal/Faculty Comparison of Professional Characteristics University Faculty Principals Employs instruction at high cognitive levels

74% 77%

Motivates and engages students

58% 72%

Implements classroom management skills

74% 70%

Implements a student learning focus

61% 60%

Monitors students’ progress

60% 57%

Has content knowledge expertise

53% 47%

Connects learning to work and life applications

44% 42%

Sets expectations for behavior

15% 25%

Aligns and implements appropriate assessments

17% 21%

Has certification from a 4-year university

39% 11%

Has prior teaching experience

nnn

CREATE’s Four Core Strategies Expand Knowledge through Research.

Inform university and public school leaders by delivering strategic, data-driven analyses focused on university-based teacher preparation, including what we know about teacher preparation, what works to improve it, and what institutional leaders can do to advance it.

Build Capacity for Institutional Change.Work with partners to build a sense of urgency to renew their commitment to prepare teachers who positively impact student achievement. Promote universitywide leadership to prioritize the importance of collaboration in the preparation of teachers.

Initiate Action through Programs.

Provide opportunities for education professionals to engage them in development and implementation of research-based teacher preparation practices. Disseminate frameworks to facilitate strategic planning and evaluation in order to improve program effectiveness.

Strengthen CREATE’s Capacity. Build upon past accomplishments by growing and diversifying the funding base, expanding communications strategy, and implementing clear measures of impact. nnn

8% 7%

summer 2012

13

Figures 2 and 3 show the rank ordering for the top five professional and personal characteristics.

Figure 2: Top 5 Professional Characteristics Principals

University Faculty

Designs and employs instruction at high cognitive levels 77%

Designs and employs instruction at high cognitive levels 74%

Relates to, motivates, and engages students 72%

Implements classroom management skills 74%

Implements classroom management skills 70%

Implements student learning focus 61%

Implements student learning focus 60%

Monitors student progress 60%

Monitors student progress 57%

Relates to, motivates, and engages students 58%

Figure 3: Top 5 Personal Characteristics Principals

University Faculty

Exhibits a positive attitude and passion for teaching 98%

Exhibits a positive attitude and passion for teaching 94%

Works collectively with others to improve student achievement 93%

Works collectively with others to improve student achievement 90%

Expresses a desire to continue learning 83%

Expresses a desire to continue learning 85%

Works collaboratively with others to support at-risk students 83%

Uses appropriate communication 84%

Is a risk-taker and exhibits ability to think outside the box (creativity) 53%

Works collaboratively with others to support at-risk students 53%

rating as 6th in importance, but it was ranked last by university faculty.

Sherri Lowrey is associate director of research for CREATE; Sam Sullivan is a professor of curriculum and instruction for Sam Houston The information sources most completed by State University; Christina Ellis is a teacher students in teacher preparation courses were for Conroe ISD and a doctoral student at Sam “sample lesson plans” (89 percent),“portfolio” Houston State University; William Reaves (75 percent), “observation of teaching” (69 is executive director emeritus for CREATE percent),“writing sample/essay” (50 percent), and retired director of special projects; Susan Holley is associate executive director of instrucand “interview” (49 percent). tional support and leadership development for Although the results reported here cannot TASA; and Dale Johnson is a retired research be generalized to all Texas districts, they professor for Tarleton State University. do provide a benchmark for comparing selection practices and experiences in other Texas schools. n

14

INSIGHT

nnn

CREATE’s Mission To advance the quality and effectiveness of teacher preparation programs in Texas universities. www.createtx.org/index.php nnn

©iStockphoto.com/dny59

A Snapshot of TRS: A Strong Economic Driver in Texas Since 1936, the Teacher Retirement System of Texas has provided retirement benefits to public school teachers and other public school employees, and to employees of state colleges and universities.TRS is an invaluable tool to attract and retain a quality workforce to serve Texas students and provides retirement security for those who dedicate their lives to education. During the recent economic crisis, the TRS pension plan has been a stellar example of a strong, well-managed plan that not only provides benefits to its members but also to the state and local economies. Of the more than 1.3 million people TRS serves, more than 1 million are active employees and nearly 300,000 are retired.

Economic Impact of TRS in Texas: A Closer Look • One out of every 20 Texans is a member of TRS. • In 2011, TRS paid almost $7.2 billion in retirement benefits.

Almost 95 percent went directly to retirees who live and spend that money in Texas.

• In 2009, Texas spent only 2 percent of all state and local government spending for contributions to state and local pensions.

• TRS benefits provided for 98,900 jobs across Texas in 2011.

• Retirement benefits generated an estimated $690 million in state revenue and $280 million in local government revenue.

• TRS provides capital for businesses in Texas and has investment holdings in 73 percent of the 51 Texas companies included on the May 2011 Fortune 500 list.

• Defined benefit pension plans help recruit high quality teachers and retain those quality teachers longer, as compared with defined contribution plans.

Stability & Cost Effectiveness of TRS • If all current contributions from the state, employers, and active employees remain constant and there are no retiree benefit increases, the trust fund assets are enough to make benefit payments through 2075.

• Despite an unfunded liability of $24 billion, the system’s actuarial funding ratio for 2011 was 82.7 percent, which exceeds the 80 percent industry standard threshold.

• Approximately 80 percent of TRS members do not contribute to Social Security through their work for which TRS provides Social Security replacement. It would have cost an additional $3 billion of combined employer and employee contributions in 2011 to participate in Social Security.

• A November 2011 State Auditor’s Office report found that TRS’s financial statements for FY 2011 were materially correct and were presented in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles.

• A report by the National Institute on Retirement Security found that a major investment advantage inherent in public pension plans is the very long investment range they require:

Because of this, funds can withstand short-to-medium-term investment losses, and stick to an asset allocation strategy in a disciplined way through different phases of an investment cycle.

This allows pensions to achieve an investment return that is better than individual investors can achieve on their own, on average, over the long term. In addition, unlike an individual who ages and should adopt a more conservative investment strategy over time, pension funds do not age, and are able to take advantage of the enhanced investment returns that come from a balanced portfolio.

• In 2008, the annual TRS administrative cost was $24 per member, which is well below the peer average of $63 for that same year.

• The median household headed by a person aged 60-62 with a 401(k) account has less than one-quarter of what is needed in that account to maintain its standard of living in retirement, according to data compiled by the Federal Reserve and analyzed by the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College.

Sources:Teacher Retirement System of Texas; National Association of State Retirement Administrators;Texas State Auditor; National Institute on Retirement Security;The Wall Street Journal.

summer 2012

15

TASA/TASB CONVENTION

Alamo Heights ISD Puts Focus on Engagement

by Jenny LaCoste-Caputo

Alamo Heights,the picturesque enclave in the heart of San Antonio,is as steeped in history

as its name implies. Famous Texan George Washington Brackenridge was one of Alamo Heights’ first settlers and gave the area at the headwaters of the San Antonio River its name.

Like the town that surrounds it, Alamo Heights ISD is also rich in history and tradition.

The district, which began as a one-room frame school, complete with a bucket of water and community dipper on the front porch, celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2009. But the classrooms of Alamo Heights ISD hold no vestige of the past—students here are thoroughly and purposefully engaged in a 21st century education.

“I think we’re doing some very exciting work,” said Dr. Kevin Brown, Alamo Heights superintendent. Brown first came to Alamo Heights in 2000 and has served as superintendent since 2008. Brown’s first priority as superintendent was developing a strategic plan for the district.The planning process involved 250 community members, parents, staff, and students and resulted in a five-year plan composed of six strategies and 52 initiatives to ensure the Alamo Heights tradition of excellence continues to thrive.

summer 2012

17

The first of the six strategies is that all engagement,” Brown said. “Fads come learning be engaging, personally challenging, and go in education, but having a rich curriculum and getting students engaged and relevant. in their learning are fundamental principles.

“We want to design engaging experiences The value in that never goes away.” for kids that inspire them,” Brown said.

Teachers as Designers

Faculty meetings at some campuses, for example, have been transformed. Time that used to be spent in a tedious faculty meeting is now an opportunity for mini-conferences at the campus.Teachers who have something to share develop sessions, and their peers can choose which breakout sessions to attend.

About 200 Alamo Heights’ educators have had the opportunity to attend WOW conferences, and another 25 received

In Alamo Heights, teachers are meeting and designing work for students together and

According to the Schlechty Center, a focus on engagement requires that teachers, as leaders and designers of work for students, understand the needs, interests, and dispositions of their students and take that information into account as they design the work.When teachers fully take into account their students, or customers as Schlechty calls training in Louisville, Kentucky. They have them, the learning experiences they design come back as lead learners on designing engaging lessons for students. The new result in profound learning. approach requires commitment from “Rather than being test-driven, we’re teachers for a collaborative approach to trying to focus on curriculum and student design.

sharing lessons in what’s called “protocols.”

The protocol involves a teacher going over a lesson, explaining his or her thought process, then getting feedback from peers that could influence the final outcome. At the district’s two elementary schools, teachers have

“Engaging” is a word you’ll hear over and over in AHISD. No one wrinkles their brow or scratches their head, wondering exactly what that means. From students to teachers to support staff, everyone in the district is focused on engagement.

The launch pad for the focus is Alamo Heights’ partnerships with the Schlechty Center and TASA’s School Transformation Network. The Schlechty Center’s mission to partner with school leaders across the country to transform schools from places focused on compliance to places focused on engagement aligns with TASA’s work to transform public education in Texas.

Alamo Heights is a standard-bearer school district with the Schlechty Center and, as part of that network, participates in Schlechty conferences and workshops, including Working on the Work (WOW) training.The WOW concept is based on Phil Schlechty’s best selling book Working on the Work: An Action Plan for Teachers, Principals, and Superintendents. The book outlines a motivational framework for improving student performance by improving the quality of the work teachers design for students.

18

INSIGHT

even crossed campus boundaries to work together, ensuring that everyone gets input and is ultimately on the same page.

it, the need to know their “who”—the students they serve—not just in the context of their class but on a broader scale.

Students receive feedback on their work and have the chance to reach the standard throughout the process.

“We met as two separate campuses and designed lessons for science for the whole year,” said John Goodman, a teacher at Woodridge Elementary. “But before we taught them, we got together and did protocols.”

“We’ve learned it isn’t about the content, it’s about the child,” said junior school teacher Andrea Lowe.

“When they fail, they actually learn from what they’re doing,” Lang explained.

“Anyone can go out and buy a rocket kit and follow the instructions and be successful.

The question is: What did they learn from that? The answer is: Pretty much nothing.”

Goodman said the protocols offer the opportunity for feedback and often result in tweaking the lesson to make it more impactful.

“It gives everybody a way to get a bit of buy-in,” Goodman said. “It’s a win-win all the way around.”

Engagement in the Classroom What happens outside the classroom is crucial. Teachers must take the time to design the lessons that will spark a student’s imagination and lead to a profound, meaningful level of learning. But inside the classroom is where it all comes to life.

Colin Lang’s rocketry classes at Alamo Heights High School are a perfect example of student engagement. Lang guides rather than lectures his students, helping them Cambridge Elementary third-grade teacher discover how they can answer their own Amy Lagueux said the approach is powerful. questions. That approach will help Lang’s students be successful for life rather than just “Just as we ask our kids to work on their next test. collaboratively, as adults the same thing applies,” she said. “When you put all those “I encourage the kids to fail,” Lang said after watching a rocket fizzle on takeoff. “In fact, brains together, amazing things happen.” that’s one of our mottos,that failure is an option.”

Goodman describes the process as “very thorough.”Teachers work together to design, Lang’s approach is providing protection plan, implement, analyze, and redesign. The from adverse consequences for initial failure. ultimate goal: to create engaging experiences in the classroom.

Lang’s students work in design teams. Each has a responsibility, but the entire group must agree on design aspects.When their rockets don’t work, they have to analyze what happened, make adjustments, and try again.

“I don’t give them the answers. It’s all up to them to come up with the answers all on their own,” Lang said. “My favorite thing is (to say) ‘That’s a really interesting problem.

How are you going to solve it?’”

Student David Birkey said he enjoys collaborating with other students and applying math and science skills he’s learned from other classes.

“It gives us a really good chance to learn about failure and how it can really help us in the process of design,” he said.

Words like creativity, autonomy, personal challenge, and personal meaning are also used frequently by Alamo Heights’ educators. But they are more than catch phrases. They are the backbone for what’s happening in classrooms.

“It’s a paradigm shift,” said Spencer Lake, a social studies teacher at Alamo Heights Junior School. “You’re not thinking, ‘What am I going to be doing?’You think, ‘What are they going to be doing?’”

At the junior school, which serves sixth through eighth grades, teachers have formed professional learning communities that are across grade levels and courses. As they put

summer 2012

19

The district has even created a Spotlight on Engagement, videos of classrooms like Colin Lang’s in which viewers can see design qualities and student engagement in real time. These are posted on the district website, and teachers are recognized at board meetings.

Listening to the Student Voice According to Brown, you can’t truly have a rich curriculum that engages students without finding out what they want and what interests them. That’s why Alamo Heights made listening to the student voice—both to learn how to capture students’ imagination and to identify needs that aren’t being met—an important part of implementing the strategic plan.

At the high school level especially, students have had a hand in designing what that looping program will look like. Teachers Brent Ostos and Howard Wilen are heading up the effort and are hopeful that creating a feeling of community where students know their teachers care for them, beyond just how they’re performing in one particular class, will inspire them to stay in school and be successful.

Alamo Heights is considered an affluent district, 24 percent of students are economically disadvantaged. In a district where the gap between the haves and the have-nots is so extreme, equity issues are magnified.

Alamo Heights has also launched a late bus initiative to make sure students who want to stay for after-school activities, whether it’s extracurricular or tutoring, have the option to do so.

access to a laptop, whether their parents could afford one or not.

Jennifer Faulkner, Alamo Heights’ director of instructional and information technology, found a way to make sure students had

The district surveys all parents and students in 3rd through 12th grades for each course, asking students specifically what they find most engaging.

“We read every one of those,” Brown said.

“We take it seriously.”

Teachers and campus administrators are also encouraged to carefully consider student suggestions and opinions.That concentrated focus has led to several changes, either already underway or about to be implemented.

One of the changes includes a redesigned physical education course, which focuses on outdoor/adventure education and counts as a P.E. credit. Students are learning to kayak—starting lessons out in Alamo Heights’ pool—pitch a tent, and build a campfire. At the suggestions of students, Alamo Heights High School Principal Dr. Linda Foster added yoga as a P.E. credit, and even found a teacher on her faculty qualified to teach it.

Also, the district is creating academic teams with groups of students that loop at the secondary level, beginning with sixthgraders and ninth-graders. (Looping is when teachers continue from one year to the next with the same group of students.)

20

INSIGHT

“It’s about equity,” said Principal Cordell Jones, who started the program atWoodridge Elementary and will continue it at the junior school where he is now the new principal.

“We never want transportation to be an obstacle.”

A Connections Grant from the Texas Education Agency allowed the district to purchase 150 netbooks with Internet connectivity throughVerizon.

“The whole idea of the grant is acknowledging that more and more of the students’ curriculum is found online, and the expectation of teachers is that students get to that curriculum online, whether they’re Another equity issue is access to technology, at school or at home,” Faulkner said.“So the particularly when a focus on engagement students at our school who don’t have access and 21st century skills means more and at home are at a definite disadvantage.” more focus on technology in the classroom.

Teachers at Alamo Heights High School Students are also allowed to bring their realized that not all students had a computer own devices to school, and technology is at home or access to the Internet. While seamlessly integrated into the classrooms.

AHHS English teacher Jody Giles said students couldn’t wait to sign up for the program.

“They were not afraid to say ‘I would love one of these,’” she said. “They asked me about them every single day for the three weeks it took for them to be issued. They were so excited.”

Student Taran Wiley said the netbooks were life changing. During his junior year, balancing staying after school to complete homework in the computer lab with his after-school job was extremely difficult. But this past year, Taran had his own netbook from the district.

You Don’t Have to Go It Alone!

“It gives me the time and resources I need, in an education has been clear and Alamo when I need it,” he said.“It’s just unbelievable Heights is following that directive. what I can do with a small computer.”

“We are not focused on state tests,” Brown Brown says all of these specific examples said. “Our core business is providing a rich stem from the district’s strategic plan.While curriculum and engaging work to provide a it was shaped by the community and meant profound learning experience.” n as a blueprint, Brown said it’s not meant to be static, and district leaders will continue to listen to their customers—the students and parents of Alamo Heights.

“I think the most important part is that it be a living, breathing document,” Brown said.

And, he said, the message from the community concerning what they want

Jenny LaCoste-Caputo is TASA’s director of communications and media relations. If your district is undertaking transformational work you’d like to see featured in INSIGHT, contact her at jcaputo@tasanet.org.

TASA’s First-time Superintendents’ Academy Is Here to Help!

Every day Texas superintendents face challenging issues critical to the success of the school districts they lead. It’s a job where preparation is key, and—for brand new superintendents—it’s also a job that can seem lonely and intimidating.

For the past two decades,TASA has helped new superintendents bridge the gap from rookie to seasoned pro through our popular First-time Superintendents Academy. It’s a one-of-a-kind learning opportunity that gives new school district leaders the tools they need to effectively deal with the complex day-to-day requirements of being a superintendent.

The academy meets in four two-day sessions packed with information delivered by dynamic experts in school finance, legal issues, technology, governmental relations, curriculum, accountability, and more.

Register now at TASAnet.org!

Session One

September 12–13, 2012

Session Two

November 7–8, 2012

Session Three

February 13–14, 2013

Session Four

April 10–11, 2013

summer 2012

21

A New Measure of Educational Success in Texas: Tracking the Success of 8th Graders into and Through College

by George V. Grainger

Mindful of the value of a post-high school credential, Houston Endowment, a private

charitable foundation, recently issued a report—A New Measure of Educational Success in Texas: Tracking the Success of 8th Graders into and Through College—that tracked three annual cohorts of every 8th grade student enrolled in a Texas public school.The goal was to determine the percentage of these students that eventually achieved any sort of postsecondary certificate or degree within six years of their expected high school graduation date.

With the belief that it is a collective effort and responsibility to ensure that all students have a post-high school credential that supports their future employment and earnings, the foundation attempted to prepare a single reliable measure of the combined effectiveness of both public and higher education school systems. The foundation commissioned the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems (NCHEMS) to use data provided by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to develop a simple ratio that compares the number of students that enter 8th grade with the number that earn a certificate or degree within 11 years, with plans to update the report each year in the foreseeable future.

Findings Only one in five 8th grade students enrolled in Texas public schools completes any level of valid postsecondary credentialing (certificate or degree) within 11 years. NCHEMS drew this conclusion from unit record data on the 883,260 Texas students who began 8th grade in 1996 through 1998. After 11 years, NCHEMS identified 175,489 students, or 19.9 percent, from these 8th grade cohorts who completed a certificate or degree program in Texas. Even with a slight adjustment in these results to account for an estimate of out-of-state completions, the rate rises to only 21.9 percent.

Chart 1 shows the progress of three cohorts of 8th grade students (1996, 1997, 1998) over a period of 11 years. The first set of bar graphs shows 100 percent of students in their 8th grade year, followed by two other sets of bar graphs representing next phases of the students’ progression. The second phase shows the percentage of students that enroll in higher education, and the last phase includes the percentage of students that earn a higher education credential.The data indicate that about 20 percent of Texas students reach the final phase of earning credentials.

summer 2012

23

In addition, the data show that female students are consistently more successful in making progress into postsecondary education than are their male counterparts.

The rates for females enrolling in college are almost 10 percentage points higher than those of males. However, male students close the gap to about 8 percentage points when it comes to earning a postsecondary credential.

(See Chart 2.)

The data also show a wide disparity between white students and black, Hispanic, and Native American students during the higher education enrollment phase. The gaps further expand during the postsecondary years as the percentage of white students that earn a higher education credential is two to two-and-a-half times higher than those of Hispanics and blacks. The data are noteworthy, as the Hispanic population in Texas continues to grow.Asian students have the highest percentage rates of progression and are almost 11 percentage points higher than white students during the enrollment phase of higher education. (See Chart 3.)

Future Plans The current report demonstrates the feasibility and utility of long-term tracking from early secondary school through collegiate study and credentialing. Houston Endowment proposes that Texas focus on the fraction of students who achieve any kind of vocational certificate or college degree—across all demographic groups— as the most valuable single measure of educational effectiveness. The foundation will continue issuing reports utilizing this new measure of success with the goal of motivating all stakeholders in the public and higher education systems to provide the support needed to increase the number of students who achieve a postsecondary certificate or degree. n

Study endorsed by: The Academy of Medicine, Engineering and Science of Texas Laura and John Arnold Foundation Complete College America Educate Texas The Thomas B. Fordham Institute Greater Texas Foundation The Meadows Foundation O’Donnell Foundation RaiseYour Hand Texas

A copy of the complete report

Sid W. Richardson Foundation

is available for download at

The Still Water Foundation Texas Association of Business The Texas Association of Community Colleges

George V. Grainger is senior grant officer and director of planning and research for Houston Endowment.

Texas Association of School Administrators Texas Business Leadership Council TG Texas Institute for Education Reform

24

INSIGHT

www.houstonendowment.org, under News and Features.

Leading by Listening and Building Trust

by Suhail Farooqui

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the current public school fiscal crisis, you’ll likely find it comforting to speak with an experienced superintendent.The fact is that fiscal deficit is as old as public education itself.And, fortunately, it comes and goes in cycles.

Yet there is little cause for celebration. Even veteran superintendents realize there is something different this time around—education leaders are now more worried about a trust deficit than a fiscal deficit. Public education, after all, is based on community trust; without that foundation, we’re in uncharted territory.

While the issue of trust is not new, the underlying rules are new. Before the era of Twitter and Facebook, news and views were communicated through local newspapers whose reporters took the time to examine issues from numerous sides. Today, however, the immediacy of social media has completely changed what it means to provide transparency and obtain informed consent of your various stakeholder groups.Your next crisis could easily be just one misguided tweet or blog post away.

So how does a superintendent go about building trust? How do you engage the silent majority of parents, teachers, and community members?

At K12 Insight, we believe that the solution is to establish a culture of transparency and collaborative decision making, which invites your entire community to provide candid

input.To that end, we have developed a comprehensive and systemic solution to help school districts build and nurture trust with all their stakeholders. By proactively reaching out to all groups, including those that comprise the silent majority, you effectively educate and start conversations about the very real challenges facing administrators and school boards. And a knowledgeable community is a community less vulnerable to being swayed by negative chatter.

Our approach is based on combining two well-established district practices— communicating with and launching surveys to stakeholders. Each by itself is simply

summer 2012

25

narrative. This sustained conversation will make all the difference when voters head to the polls, with not just higher turnouts At every HEB secondary school site, more representative of your community— teachers and students sat down together in including members of the usually silent the same room to discuss the survey findings majority—but also much more educated and, most importantly, to discuss why a gap voters for whom the issues now deeply exists. By really listening to their students, resonate.

HEB teachers and administrators better K12 Insight promotes an authentic listening understand why they feel the way they do No matter what the issue—be it school approach, whereby we help school districts and can now work together to close that closure, budget reduction, or teacher morale—every Texas district needs the design questionnaires that lay out the facts, perception gap. support of its stakeholders. And the way ask stakeholders for their thoughts on specific issues and, most importantly, probe why By taking an authentic listening approach to achieve that is by proactively owning respondents feel the way they do. Rather that goes beyond traditional surveys, K12 those conversations, by taking charge of than simply conducting one-way polls, we Insight facilitates candid two-way dialogue getting your own message out. If you don’t, proactively invite discourse by capturing the between school administrators and all of social media will quickly jump right in, public’s input, leading to widespread support their stakeholder groups. Remaining in drowning out facts and data with myth and and silent majority engagement. Ultimately, touch with your community on a consistent misconceptions. we help administrators become leaders who year-round basis makes a significant listen. difference when you’re facing difficult The public rightly expects not just decisions that require community awareness transparency but input into issues before decisions are made. By engaging in an As an example, at Hurst-Euless-Bedford and support. ongoing, informed dialogue, you will build (HEB) ISD in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, a high-performing district with 20,000 A quick review of general voting patterns critical trust and support, thereby uniting students, we simultaneously conducted on bond referendums, for instance, reveals your communities and strengthening your engagement surveys for both teachers and low voter turnout, with bonds often being school districts. n students. The unsurprising results—nearly defeated by tiny margins. If, however, you all the teachers characterized their classes take the time to inform and educate the as interesting and engaging, a perception public long before the issue is added to the Suhail Farooqui is chief executive officer of matched by only half the students—were ballot—if you adopt a “leader as listener” K12 Insight in Herndon, Virginia. He can be a jumping-off point that allowed us to dig approach—you can effectively rewrite the reached at sfarooqui@k12insight.com. not enough. Communication informs, while surveys collect data; neither, however, effectively engages those you’re trying to reach. But, by balancing these two approaches with great expertise and care, educational leaders are able to effectively communicate their key issues to the public while also gathering input through surveys.

deeper into the reasons behind a difference of opinion.

TASA

K12 Insight partners with TASA to promote and develop public educational leaders in Texas. The company attends and presents at our annual Midwinter Conference and Education Expo and is part of the curriculum at our First-time Superintendents’ Academy, educating superintendents about “Building Lasting Stakeholder Engagement.”

Midwinter Conference Education

Student Centered Schools • Future Ready Students

2013 lendar!

Mark Your Ca

Austin Convention Center • Austin, TX • January 27–30, 2013

26

INSIGHT

SXSW Revisited

by Allen R. Brown most people think about SXSW, they think about musical groups like Penguin Prison When and The Jane Doze (two of this year’s favorites), but not so much about education. However, SXSW.edu is becoming an important part of the music, movie, interactive phenomenon that is SXSW in Austin,Texas, every March. SXSW.edu is the technology-fest that houses enough geeks and nerds per square foot to supply the computing brainpower for most large cities, and there are representatives from all over the world.

A staggering array of talent made presentations over the three-day conference preaching to the choir, so to speak, that technology is the answer for all of society’s maladies, from bunions to world hunger. In all seriousness, however, if technology is as important in the future of education as many of us feel that it is, and there is no reason to believe otherwise, based on all the mounting data, then the messages delivered at SXSW.edu should be heeded.

It is impossible, of course, to cover the entirety of a conference like SXSW. edu, but, of the sessions sampled, two clear themes emerged: one, there still is very much an achievement gap (digital divide sounds hipper) between the more privileged and the more disadvantaged that technology can help to close; and two, the world of gaming has a lot to offer in teaching those educators who have fallen behind how to connect to their students.

Dr. S. Craig Watkins of The University of Texas points out, for example (Watkins, S. C., 2012, March) that being connected is not so much the problem as it once was. In fact, his research points out that a greater percentage of African Americans and Hispanics are online than Whites. However, there is a marked difference in the quality of engagement among the groups.African Americans and Hispanics tend to engage in friendship-driven technology as opposed to the interest-driven technology experienced by Whites, which is considered to be far richer. Our goal should be to melt together interest and peer culture with the academic world.This Watkins calls Connected Learning.

Connected Learning is student-driven, student-centered, open-network, shared-purpose, and production-centered, but still very much guided and facilitated by the teacher. This implies hands-on, inquiry-based experiences that are connected to the real world and realworld problems.

The deputy director of the State Educational Technology Directors Association, Dr. Geoffrey Fletcher (Fletcher, G., 2012, March) reminds us that, even in the sometimes murky world of assessment, getting students engaged can bring them closer to their academic goals. Unlike in earlier times when areas of education were less co-dependent on each other, times Dr. Fletcher refers to as the World of the Feather Bed, the age of technology represents the World

summer 2012

27

of the Waterbed, where a push in one area of education likely results in movement in other areas as well.

Because of this waterbed effect, Dr. Fletcher says assessment tools must become more relevant to students. He offers one possible solution, the Multiple User Virtual Environment, or MUVE, as a creative way to make assessment more engaging and creative.

The game “River City” is one such example.

It is testing via computer simulation and is much like the games students play anyway, only academic in nature. Such assessments can yield mountains of data. The trick is often extrapolating what is needed.

externally, let’s say by a boss demanding a project be completed by a certain date or a teacher giving a final exam. Most distress is negative in nature and can even physically damage the body over time. Not only can assessment be made more like a quest or other computer game but most distress situations can be turned into eustress situations if the student can take control of the stress and make it a challenge to be won, again like most computer games. “Evoke,” a quest game written by Dr. McGonogal, is one of hundreds of examples of educational games that could literally change the face of assessment in education—given that there are a billion gamers on the planet and most of them of school age—a message educators should embrace.

(a) set big goals, (b) invest in families, (c) make use of backward design of curriculum, (d) align teaching practices around student achievement, (e) constantly self-reflect to increase effectiveness, and (f) be persistent and relentless in your efforts. Although any one teacher can employ these methods and change lives, they are much more effective when adopted by an entire campus as a vision.

The final keynote speaker for SXSW. edu was Arne Duncan, U.S. Secretary of Education (Duncan, A., 2012, March).

Being a politician and speaking to a protechnology crowd, one would expect Duncan to extol the virtues of technology in the schools, and he certainly did just A real highlight of SXSW.edu was getting to that. However, there was sincerity to his hear Dr. Jane McGonigal, director of Game Research and Development at the Institute For a more beginner-based crowd (yes, presentation in pointing out that education for the Future in Palo Alto, California there were a few newbies in attendance), is a $650 billion enterprise in this country, (McGonigal, J., 2012, March). Although she Tia Lendo from Google took the audience and that both technology and better trained echoed in a most creative way what many through the basics of the massive search teachers to provide it can be game-changers of the other speakers had said, when the engine (Lendo, T., 2012, March). Not for America. In support of teachers, Duncan message is coming from a person such as Dr. only did Lendo help the audience explore said that “Creativity still comes from the McGonigal, who was named one of the Top the anatomy of a search on Google, she mind. There is no substitute for that.” He 20 Most Inspiring Women in the World by introduced to many for the first time the says we really don’t have a choice; that this is none other than Oprah, the crowd tends to Google in Education website, and took us a field we must own over other countries if sit up and take notice. Dr. McGonigal, who through some very impressive things the site we are to compete for the future. Given that is most recently author of Reality Is Broken— can do, including thousands of free books we are still facing a 25 percent dropout rate Why Games Make Us Better and How They to read, drag and drop image searches, and in this country, we must embrace the change Can Change the World, points out that 99 even texts available in other languages that that technology can bring about, looking to percent of boys under 18 play computer Google will translate into English. The gaming in particular, and do a better job of games an average of 13 hours per week, and opportunities for student exploration and supporting our teachers, such as doubling 94 percent of girls play 8 hours per week.All collaboration, even on a worldwide scale, are their beginning salary. The Secretary was also nimble on his feet in taking a number this is to say that educators should be taking almost endless. of questions from the floor and not passing games seriously because all that gaming adds up to 10,000 hours by the time students are Steven Farr, chief knowledge officer for on the opportunity to throw a few barbs at the acclaimed Teach for America group, what he sees as a lethargic Congress when it 21 years old. was there to remind us all that we can no comes to education.

Dr. McGonigal introduced most of us to a longer hide behind any excuse for not new word, eustress, which basically means closing the above-mentioned achievement SXSW.edu was a valuable experience, “positive stress.”This is the type of stress that gap because dedicated teaching can do it well planned, with credible and important one experiences when trying to succeed every time (Farr, S., 2012, March). Good speakers. Planners also knew how to win at a computer game; for example, creative, teaching and the work of Teach for America hearts and influence people by concluding competitive, intrinsically motivated, positive is no well-guarded secret. We know what the conference with a vendor-sponsored play, in essence. This is in contrast to distress, needs to be done. Dr. Farr discusses these barbeque outdoors. One lady, apparently of course, which is usually stress imposed Six Key Leadership Principles for Teachers: from France, waiting patiently in line, was

28

INSIGHT

overheard saying, “I just can’t leave Texas References without sampling Texas barbeque. That’s ONE thing they do SO well.” And so it is, Duncan, A. (2012, March). Keynote address madam; so it is. n at SXSW.edu,Austin,Texas.

Lendo,T. (2012, March). Using GoogleTools to Make Learning Magical. Presentation at SXSW.edu,Austin,Texas.

McGonigal, J. (2012, March). Learning Is an Dr. Allen R. Brown is a MED Austin regional Farr, S. (2012, March). Teaching as Leadership. Epic Win. Presentation at SXSW.edu,Austin, Texas. coordinator at Concordia University Texas, Presentation at SXSW.edu,Austin,Texas. director of the Superintendent Certification Program, and assistant professor in the College Fletcher, G. (2012, March). Does Assessment Watkins, S. C. (2012, March). Education in a of Education, after having served as a school Have to Be a Four Letter Word? Presentation at World of Social and Technological Change.

Presentation at SXSW.edu,Austin,Texas.

SXSW.edu,Austin,Texas. superintendent for 17 years in three states.

Student-Centered Schools • Future-Ready Students Mission: School Transformation

Is your district ready to transform Texas public education?

More than 545* school boards across Texas have said “Yes!” by adopting TASA’s Resolution Concerning High-Stakes Standardized Testing of Texas Public School Students.

Now they’re taking the next step by joining TASA’s School Transformation Network.

STN districts are shaping the future of Texas public education through meaningful collaboration on and development of innovative, next-generation learning standards and assessment and accountability systems for Texas public schools.

Texas is poised to lead the nation into a new era of public education where schools foster innovation, creativity, and a thirst for learning and students become active, engaged contributors to their global, digital world.

Please join us in our urgent mission.

www.transformtexas.org *as of 6/29/12

summer 2012

29

New Kindergarten Readiness System: Optional and Free of Cost to Districts

by J. Casey McCreary

TASA as an organization has historically recognized the importance of early childhood education. As noted in our 2011 Legislative Program, we support a fully funded, full-day prekindergarten for qualifying students at the option of local school districts. TASA’s program also states support of a stable formula-based system that allows districts to sustain programs over the long term.

Prekindergarten: 82nd Texas Legislature Unfortunately, during the 82nd Legislative Session, prekindergarten grant funding was eliminated as part of the $5.4 billion cuts made to public education. During the session, legislation was proposed that would have established an additional hurdle for districts providing prekindergarten programs to eligible students by mandating participation in the Texas School Ready (TSR) certification system. Before the proposed legislative mandate, only the recipients of particular state grant programs such as the PreK Early Start Grant Program participated in the TSR analysis as grant funds were provided to pay for the added expense.

TASA objected to the proposed legislation for two reasons.The first area of concern was that the bill would have changed the way that prekindergarten programs were funded as it allowed the Texas Education Agency (TEA) commissioner to deduct money from Foundation School Program (FSP) funds to pay the costs of the TSR certification.

This action would have diminished a district’s FSP funds at the same time that statefunded prekindergarten grant programs were being abolished, in essence creating another unfunded mandate for public schools.

The second area of concern was the lack of data demonstrating the effectiveness of the TSR certification system as an accountability measure.The State Center for Early Childhood has proprietary rights to the formula, thus it was viewed as a “black box” methodology, lacking transparency.The legislation making changes to prekindergarten programs was not passed during the session.

The Kindergarten Readiness System: Post 82nd Texas Legislature Following the 82nd Legislative Session,TEA in partnership with ESC Region 17 launched a new program called the Kindergarten Readiness System (KRS).The purpose of the KRS

30

INSIGHT

is to recognize the efforts of local prekindergarten programs in getting students ready for kindergarten. “Most school districts are doing a superb job of preparing kids for kindergarten and we want them to get recognized for their outstanding efforts,” said Kyle Wargo, executive director of Region 17.

It is important to note that TEA responded to the concerns shared by TASA, the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB), and other interested stakeholders about the proposed legislation. For example, the KRS services are provided at no cost to public schools. In addition, the KRS is not an accountability system, and the methodology utilized is transparent.

TEA and ESC Region 17 introduced the program in March of 2012. Schools can apply for a “PreK Center of Excellence” designation at https://tx.ereadi.com any time before the deadline of July 31, 2012. TEA will award designations in 2013. Both TEA and Region 17 have websites that provide more detailed information and list resources available for the KRS.

ereadi

It is unknown whether funding will be provided to continue the KRS during the upcoming legislative session.A high level of school district participation in the KRS, while cost-free, may demonstrate to the legislature the need to continue with programs that support early childhood education, and encourage consideration of restoration of similar efforts and programs. n

TEA

Region 17

Dr. Casey McCreary is the assistant executive director of education policy and leadership development at TASA.

summer 2012

31

TSPRA VOICE TASA joins TSPRA in supporting the critical role of public information and communications professionals in Texas public schools.

How to Approach PR for Your School District: Treat the Job Like Family

by Adam J. Holland of my years as a newspaper writer I nandallradio newsman, I was fed more sugar than one person should be allowed to have in a lifetime. I’ve perused at least a War and Peace-sized volume of prepared statements and canned quotes. I learned very quickly why our counterparts in the press refer to us as “talking heads” and “flacks.”

I don’t like those titles.

Be Open and Honest Yes, it’s a cliché, but imperative nonetheless.

You’d be sur pr ised at how many interpretations there are of honesty.

Like my counterparts, I’ve received inquiries from the press about subjects that would hardly shine a positive light on our district.

I don’t mince words with my responses. If I don’t know anything about the inquiry, I’ll let the reporter know and commit to finding out more. If I know something, I’ll let the reporter know that I need to gather my facts before speaking out of turn.

Fact is, we public relations people have an important job to do. That job is not about sugarcoating the obviously negative, or inserting fluffy quotes from the newsmakers into our prefabricated press releases. The press doesn’t trust that person. Neither do Only one reporter has resisted me…thus far.

She was a rookie TV reporter who showed your stakeholders.And why should they? up unannounced to inquire about an assault In this age of public education doom and that occurred on our high school campus gloom, I believe it is important to approach the day before.The reporter had seen a brief in the local newspaper about the assault. I’d the job from a more personal standpoint. seen the same brief and left a message with My formula: Approach your charge just as the campus principal not long before the reporter walked through our doors. you do your family.

32

INSIGHT

When I told the reporter why I could not yet comment on the story, she very quickly cut me off and said “But parents have the right to know.” Assuming that her camera was on, I retorted that my own son was a student at that campus—and that I agreed with her. Still, I was not going to comment on an incident that I had absolutely no knowledge of.

She backed down.

That so-called assault of a student by an adult female, as it turned out, was a fight between two high school seniors—one of whom was 18.The newspaper reporter had neither called nor e-mailed us to check his facts.

He wrongly assumed that the police report contained adequate information. As a result, we were knocked down a few notches in the public eye and nearly found ourselves with two days of coverage. Fortunately, the editors at several local TV and radio stations know that my department is open and honest.

They all canceled the story and moved on.

humor. Serving people above and beyond their immediate needs also works wonders.

In the case of one local TV reporter, I was her first interview when she landed the job here.

Once the camera was off and she started breaking down her equipment, I asked her how long she’d been in town and made some restaurant and nightlife suggestions.

She began asking me questions about how to get here and there; and the best Internet provider, best pizza delivery, and so on.

I became an asset to this young reporter before she ever began unpacking boxes in her new apartment. More than a year later, she knows that she can call on me and I’ll (at least) try to send her in the right direction. I believe my efforts have helped to build some loyalty. Any time I’ve gone to her when we wanted or needed something, she has been there for us.

Though I might have earned a diatribe or two with this reporter—and I’ve had some good reasons—I’ve avoided going off. It’s always in the back of my mind that she is Realize the Importance of under immense professional pressure, as her Relationships My family will tell you that I’ve had my ultimate goal is to move away to a larger (many) moments. Thankfully, they love me. media market. Think about that the next The members of our local press corps don’t time you decide to give your beat reporter a have those same feelings. In other words, I’m difficult time. always just one rant away from becoming the subject of a damaging editorial, or worse—a Know the Other Side front page story that misrepresents the facts. If you’ve never worked in the press, you Such a story found its way to Sunday 1A should know that they have a job to do. a few months back, and I cannot help but Some reporters are looking to win a Pulitzer think that a lunch invitation or two to the or Emmy on every outing, but most of them new editor would have prevented that. just want to appease their editors and get a story in by deadline. In either case, most Developing relationships is fairly easy and reporters are instructed not to take “no” for takes very little effort. I also consider it to be an answer. a very important charge.

Although we receive plenty of open records I tend to build relationships by relating to requests, most of our area reporters know reporters (I spent more than 15 years in that they can call me for quicker delivery of their shoes), and with some carefully placed whatever they are looking for. Everything

we do, after all, is public record.Why frustrate the reporter? Why give the editor a reason to be suspicious?

A few years ago, I was an education reporter and the state had released TAKS scores to school districts. As was the norm, I sent out a letter to about 12–15 area districts and requested the preliminary scores for a story to appear the following day on page 1A. One area superintendent, who happened to be new, refused to provide his district’s scores.

His reason? He said his school board needed to see them first.

The next day on page 1A, we had a fullcolor chart and an accompanying story on area TAKS scores. One district stood out on that list because of the asterisks in place of the preliminary numbers, along with an explanation that the district refused to provide the information.

Though it probably appeared to everyone in that school district that we were picking on them, we had a responsibility to ourselves to let readers know that we attempted to get the scores. The decision to not be open with readily available public information, meanwhile, drew some undesired attention to a single school district. Ironically, the scores for that district were better than they had been in years past and would have merited mention in the story lead, and possibly the headline.

Pick Your Battles I’m not a big fan of newspaper corrections, so I usually don’t bother requesting them.

First, who reads them? When a newspaper runs a story on page 1A about an adult assaulting a student at your high school, it’s highly unlikely that a two-sentence clarification on the bottom of the following day’s 2A is going to set the record straight.

If requesting that correction makes you feel better, pursue it. Just know that some media

summer 2012

33

outlets see that as being pesky. Also, the media outlet that cannot easily acknowledge its own errors is capable of creating a big mess—for your district.

word of mouth, many of our teachers were expressing concern about their safety. How could an adult just come onto a campus and assault one of our own children? Why did the administration not inform teachers of

off the misinformation that appeared in the newspaper, but that there have been plenty of other times that I could have. She was correct.

There are times when you have no other choice but to request a correction. Perhaps your board president or superintendent has insisted on it. This is where a good relationship with the reporter comes in handy. At the risk of insulting any of my counterparts, just remember the Golden Rule. No one wants to answer the phone to hear someone else barking.

Beginning with an incident the following week involving the arrest of a former staff member, I created our press release and first sent it to everyone with a Longview ISD e-mail address. About 30 minutes later, I pulled the trigger and sent it to the press. I’ve since used the same practice for every press release, whether I’m reporting something positive or negative.

Inform the Family First

The response from my co-workers has been phenomenal. They are in the know and no longer feel excluded. And now, I’m assured that the members of my 1,400-plus family are getting information directly from the source.

I learned this lesson when the “adult” supposedly assaulted the “student” at one of our high school campuses. It’s something I should have been doing all along, since I’ve the impending danger? Does administration even care about the teachers? long preached it at home.

Let your school family know what’s going on before they read it in the newspaper or see it on TV. Our school district employs more than 1,400 people on multiple campuses, and many of them saw the front-page story about the assault before I’d even researched the incident. Through social media and

So, I took it upon myself to clean up this internal public relations disaster by first letting some teachers know the real story— that it was fisticuffs between two students.

Serious incident? Absolutely. One student was arrested and charged. But so are most students involved in fights.Thinking that I’d made my point, one teacher acknowledged that there would have been no way to head

In case you’ve never had 1,400-plus family members in your corner, it’s a very reassuring feeling. n

Adam J. Holland is the community and media relations coordinator for Longview ISD and a member of the Texas School Public Relations Association.

about TSPRA The Texas School Public Relations Association (TSPRA) is a nonprofit, professional organization dedicated to promoting public schools through effective communications. TSPRA, an award winning chapter of the National School Public Relations Association (NSPRA), was chartered in 1962 and incorporated in 1977.With more than 800 members,TSPRA is comprised primarily of public information and communications professionals who serve the public school districts and education organizations of Texas. In 2004, TSPRA opened its membership to education foundation staff and boards that support our public schools.

The membership also includes superintendents, school administrators, principals, executive directors, web/technology/electronic media and graphic professionals, school consultants, vendors, and others who support public education in the state.

34

INSIGHT

PRESIDENT’S CIRCLE

Corporate Partners 2011 –12 TASA is grateful to our corporate partners for their support.

Each level of the Corporate Partner Program is designed to offer our partners quality exposure to association members. Partners at the President’s Circle, Platinum, and Gold levels may customize special events and opportunities.

PLATINUM

GOLD

SILVER

BRONZE http://tasa.cms.memberfuse.com/become-a-tasa-corporate-partner

Apple CHEVRON Houghton Mifflin Harcourt/SkillsTutor Northwest Evaluation Association–NWEA Pearson SHW Group SkillsTutor SMART Technologies The College Board CompassLearning Indeco Sales, Inc. Milliken Design, Inc. Scholastic SchoolCity, Inc. Scientific Learning Cisco Creating & Managing Wealth, LLC Discovery Education Health Matters Huckabee K12 Insight PBK The JASON Project The Learning Together Company Balfour Linebarger Goggan Blair & Sampson, LLP Reasoning Mind Renaissance Learning TCG Consulting Wireless Generation Education2020 eduGRANT Services eInstruction FirstSouthwest National Math and Science Initiative NextEra Energy Solutions Promethean Psychological Software Solutions, Inc. School Innovations and Advocacy Sodexo SureScore

Texas Association of School Administrators

Presorted Standard U.S. Postage PAID Austin, TX Permit No. 1941

406 East 11th Street Austin, TX 78701-2617

The difference is strength.

With $386 million in assets and $185 million in Members’ Equity, the Fund has the financial resources to deliver on the protection we promise.

We’re the TASB Risk Management Fund.

Elizabeth York Marketing Consultant 11 years of service Dan Wilkinson Marketing Consultant 7 years of service