INSIGHT—Winter 2011

TEXAS ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS PROFESSIONAL JOURNAL

winter 2011

INSIGHT The new classroom: How Digital Learning Is Transforming Education in Hudson ISD page 11

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winter 2011 Volume 26

No. 4 Featured Articles Leadership Focus

The New Classroom: How Digital Learning Is Transforming Education in Hudson ISD

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by Jenny LaCoste-Caputo Shares how Hudson ISD Superintendent Mary Ann Whiteker is making the new vision a reality in her small East Texas district with a focus on technology in the classroom, 21st century skills, and high expectations

Health Information Literacy and Student Health: The ¡VIVA! Peer Tutor Project

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by Marla M. Guerra, Sara Reibman, and Cynthia Olney Describes the ¡VIVA! (Vital Information for a Virtual Age) Peer Tutor Project and its value for South Texas ISD’s Student Health Advisory Council in helping students gain a set of life skills to maintain and manage their health

Why Are All These Kids Dropping Out?

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by Bob Thompson, Elvis Arterbury, and Steve Jenkins Emphasizes the reason for our lack of success in reducing dropouts is that we have tried to fix the child rather than fix the system

TSPRA Voice

School PR on a Shoestring: What Every District Can (and Should) Do to Maximize District Communication Efforts

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by Regina Corley Explains a few things that every district should be doing to ensure that communication efforts are received well by stakeholders

Also of Interest…

Snapshot of a Leader: Dr. Jeff Turner, Texas’ 2012 NSOTY Nominee

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by Jenny LaCoste-Caputo Recognizes Dr. Jeff Turner as Texas’ representative in AASA’s National Superintendent of the Year program, highlighting his talent and vision during his past nine years at Coppell ISD

TASA Annual Report

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Highlights the association’s activities and services during 2010–11

Front cover: Students from Hudson ISD work on a project in robotics class. In top left photo, Mary Catherine Beard, Katie Turner, and Daniel Frusha make their robot voice activated. In bottom left photo, Matthew Mitchell, Carson Frankens, Katelyn Hanks, and Tara Bentley program their robot using a laptop.

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President’s Message Executive Director’s View

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Officers Rod Townsend, President, Decatur ISD Jeff N. Turner, President-Elect, Coppell ISD Darrell G. Floyd, Vice-President, Stephenville ISD John Fuller, Past President

Executive Committee Scott B. Owings, Sharyland ISD, 1 Paul Clore, Gregory-Portland ISD, 2 Robert Mark Pool, El Campo ISD, 3 Alton L. Frailey, Katy ISD, 4 Philip Welch, Orangefield ISD, 5 Eddie Coulson, College Station ISD, 6 J. Glenn Hambrick, Carthage ISD, 7 Diane Stegall, Chisum ISD, 8

TASA Headquarters Staff

Executive Director

Associate Executive Director, Administrative Services

Assistant Executive Director, Communications & Information Systems

Tom Woody, Vernon ISD, 9

Johnny L. Veselka

Todd Williams, Kaufman ISD, 10

Paul L. Whitton, Jr.

Wayne Rotan, Glen Rose ISD, 11 Kevin Houchin, McGregor ISD, 12

Ann M. Halstead

Design/Production

Anne Harpe

Editorial Coordinator

Karen Limb

David Shanley, Johnson City ISD, 13 Shane Fields, Albany ISD, 14 Leigh Ann Glaze, San Saba ISD, 15 Mike Lee, Booker ISD, 16 Deanna Logan, Ralls ISD, 17

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. © 2011 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.

Kevin Allen, Iraan-Sheffield ISD, 18 Kevin Brown, Alamo Heights ISD, 20 Mary Ann Whiteker, Hudson ISD Legislative Committee Chair

At-Large Members Steve Flores, Harlingen CISD Lolly Guerra, San Marcos CISD Karen G. Rue, Northwest ISD Sharon Shields, La Vega ISD

Editorial Advisory Committee Rod Townsend, Decatur ISD, Chair Eddie K. Coulson, College Station ISD Shane Fields, Albany ISD Alton L. Frailey, Katy ISD Lolly Guerra, San Marcos CISD Deanna Logan, Ralls ISD

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INSIGHT

Photos: Cover and pages 11 and 13, Jenny LaCoste-Caputo

Departments

Special thanks

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Through programs, services, research and advocacy, we continue to serve as steadfast champions of equity and excellence in education.

Because an investment in education is an investment in the future.

Š2011 The College Board.

11b-4124

It’s Time to Take a Stand

A

s public school leaders, we have been making some extremely difficult, excruciatingly painful decisions in order to balance our budgets this year.

As always, our goal remains to protect the classroom. But what many people fail to realize is that the mission of every job in a school system is ultimately to support the teacher in a classroom and the education of that teacher’s students. It’s impossible to completely mitigate the damage to the classroom when faced with the drastic cuts school leaders are dealing with today.

President’s

Now more than ever, it’s time for school leaders to take a stand and make sure our community—and voters—know the impact of the Legislature’s actions on public schools.

Message

Some lawmakers have been spreading the word that they didn’t cut funding for education, that they in fact increased it.We know that's not the case.The 82nd Legislature cut funding for public schools by nearly $5.4 billion over the next biennium and school districts across the state are struggling to bear the burden of the cuts.

Many districts were already under pressure, with no increase in funding since 2006; at the same time, the state heaped on new mandates and ratcheted up standards.

Now more than ever, it’s time for school leaders to take a stand and make sure our community— and voters—know the impact

We need to make sure the public understands the real story—and that means sharing our stories with them.They need concrete examples of how reduced funding is hurting students and they need to know who to hold accountable for the financial situation of their districts.

It’s time to stand up as the educational leaders of this state and say that our students, our children, deserve better.

of the Legislature’s actions on public schools.

Preparing for the next Legislative session will be critically important.TASA is here to help us do that with its Grassroots 2013 campaign.

The purpose of the campaign is to arm TASA members with the information we need to communicate with our communities, staff, and lawmakers.

TASA staff will provide us with tools such as talking points on important topics, an easyto-communicate explanation of cuts to education from the 82nd Legislative Session, and stories that highlight the value of education service centers for local school districts.

They’re looking for ideas from us and will update materials continually to make sure we have what we need. If you have any suggestions, contact Amy Beneski or Jenny LaCosteCaputo at TASA. I look forward to seeing you in Austin for the Midwinter Conference, January 29– February 1, 2012. Please don’t hesitate to call or e-mail me with your thoughts on how TASA can better serve you and the students in Texas.

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INSIGHT

convention &exposition 10/13/11 3:13 PM

Impact of Session Hitting Districts Hard

T

he Texas Legislature adjourned six months ago but the impact of its work and, particularly, lack of commitment to public education is resonating statewide.

Some state leaders are even arguing that lawmakers increased funding for education. School district leaders know that claim is spin, not fact.

According to the Texas Education Agency, the $49.6 billion budgeted for public education for the 2012–13 biennium is slightly more than the $49.5 billion budgeted for the previous two years. However, that slim increase is not nearly enough to cover the additional 170,000 students Texas schools will serve this year and next.

Executive director’s VIEW The state budget still falls $4 billion short of funding individual students at the same level they were funded in 2010–11. That means a significant overall decrease

The state budget still falls $4 billion short of funding individual students at the same level they were funded in 2010–11. That means a significant overall decrease in per-student funding for a rapidly growing student population.The legislature also slashed nearly $1.4 billion in grant funds for education programs; cut TEA’s budget by more than 36 percent; and devastated education service centers, reducing their budgets by 40 percent.

While districts are fighting budget battles, we also expect an intense fight to protect teacher retirement benefits in the coming months. A rider in the appropriations bill requires the legislature to study ERS and TRS pensions and evaluate alternatives. Public pension systems all over the country have come under fire recently.

A group of Houston-area business leaders has launched a statewide campaign to overhaul retirement for public employees, including teachers.The group,Texans for Public Pension Reform, says taxpayers bear too much risk on behalf of public employees.Another attack is coming from the Texas Public Policy Foundation, which released a report this spring called Reforming Texas’ State & Local Pension Systems. That report asserts that most state and local pension systems are not fully funded.

in per-student funding for a rapidly growing student population.

TASA is working on materials to counter inaccurate information and unwarranted attacks on the Teacher Retirement System.TRS, for example, is exceedingly strong. From 2010– 11, the system’s assets earned 15.5 percent net of expenses, which exceeds the assumed 8 percent market rate of return.This represents $7 billion in gains.

We expect these issues and more, including the implementation of STAAR and end-ofcourse exams, to be the focus of legislative interim committees, and TASA will be front and center in these debates.

Midwinter Conference is just around the corner, January 29–February 1, 2012, at the Austin Convention Center. It offers an unparalleled professional development and networking opportunity for district leadership teams. Speakers will address current and emerging topics, including educational transformation, accountability, assessment, finance, curriculum and instruction, facilities, and more.The conference will also feature a special strand on school district engagement with the principles and premises of our New Vision for Public Education in Texas.

See you there!

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The New Classroom: How Digital Learning Is Transforming Education in Hudson ISD

by Jenny LaCoste-Caputo Hudson ISD is not a rich school district.

It’s small, it’s rural, and it has all the economic challenges that go along with those characteristics.With a target revenue of $4,774 this year—declining to $4,409 next year—and more than half of Hudson students labeled economically disadvantaged, some might think it an impossible task to offer a world-class education for the children of this tiny East Texas town.

But don’t tell that to Hudson Superintendent Mary Ann Whiteker. She’s spent the last 25 years in Hudson, taking over as superintendent in 1995, and she’s used that time to build a school system that continually breaks new ground, raises standards, and seeks innovative ways to provide the students of Hudson with the best education possible.

Hudson Middle Schoolers Matthew Mitchell, Carson Frankens, Katelyn Hanks, and Tara Bentley work on programing the robot they designed in Carla Ladner's Integrated Studies class.

The students constructed a complicated schematic, where the robot must make precise turns and navigate obstacles to reach its destination.

Pushing boundaries is nothing new for Whiteker. She’s known for building community and business partnerships in and around her community and looking for creative ways to serve her students. So when she first heard about the efforts of a group of superintendents who ultimately drafted Creating a NewVision for Public Education in Texas, she was intrigued. But she also thought something was missing.

“The perception was that visioning was for urban or wealthy school districts,” she said. “I pointed out that we needed some smaller and mid-sized districts involved in this as well.”

Whiteker became involved in the second phase of the visioning movement and soon was one of the state’s biggest advocates in championing the transformation of public schools through digital learning, world-class standards, and a new assessment system.

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The New Vision for Public Education has been a work in progress for the past several years, beginning in 2004 when a group of 35 superintendents came together to talk about the future of public education in Texas. Like most school leaders, the group was frustrated with the current direction of public education and with the fact that the principal architects of the state’s current system are politicians and business leaders rather than educators.

The group, with the direction and leadership of TASA, formed the Public Education Visioning Institute and met in 2006 and 2007 to produce Creating a New Vision for Public Education. Now, with support from TASA’s Visioning Network, districts are collaborating to begin making changes within their own districts.

Whiteker said there’s monumental work to be done at the state level to change the direction of public education, but there’s also much that can be done at the local level— from central office to the classroom—to make the new vision for public education a reality.

That work is underway in Hudson ISD where Whiteker has told principals and teachers to take the focus off of the TAKS and STAAR and instead concentrate on the individual child—finding what engages them and using that as a catalyst for teaching and learning. Whiteker values multiple measures of success rather than the onetest, one-day approach that enslaves school districts across the country.

“We need a balance,” she said. “We need multiple assessments that really reflect what’s going on in a classroom.”

Whiteker and her staff believe passionately in preparing students for the 21st century and beyond and in using technology to both engage students and make the best use of a teacher’s time.

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INSIGHT

Though Whiteker said a bond issue to pay for new technology is out of the question—bond issues are difficult to pass, and a penny increase in Hudson’s tax rate raises only $34,768—she’s found ways to equip her classrooms with state-of-the-art equipment, including netbooks, MacBooks, iPods, ELMO digital presenters, FrontRow sound systems, SMART boards and tables, and more.

Most of the technology in Hudson schools is paid for by grants written by classroom teachers. Teachers are trained to be on the lookout for opportunities to equip their classrooms, and Whiteker and her principals find innovative ways to make sure the teachers get the training they need.

For some equipment, like that in Hudson High School’s simulation lab for a nursing program, Whiteker actually traded to get what she needed. Hudson gave old lockers to Memorial Hospital of East Texas, which in turn provided medical equipment to the school.

“We’ve even had teachers from other districts asking if they can come,” said Joan Ragland, Hudson’s instructional technologist.

Next-generation learning standards are evident in every classroom in Hudson ISD. A recent visit to Hudson Middle School revealed eighth-graders programming robots to navigate complicated obstacle courses.

Integrated studies teacher Carla Ladner said she was amazed as she listened to her students solving problems within their own teams at incredibly high levels.

“They’re talking about degrees and angles,” Ladner said. “They’re using geometry and they don’t even realize it. It’s relevant and it means something to them because they’re working on this project as a team.”

The project-based learning approach renders a classroom vastly different than what most adults might remember. In “We’ve got to beg, borrow, and barter, but Ladner’s classroom, some students are we find a way,” Whiteker said. working at computers programming their robots (which the students actually built) The nursing program, Whiteker said, is an while others are setting up an obstacle example of thinking outside of the box to get course on the floor. students what they need, keep them engaged, and show them the value of education. Three more groups are working on a Students in the program can graduate with sidewalk just outside the classroom.They’ve both their high school diploma and their drawn schematics in chalk on the concrete LVN (licensed vocational nurse) certification. and they’re attempting to run their robots A grant written by Memorial Hospital helps through them. At each misfire, students stop fund the program and also provides money and reassess, trying to figure the perfect for successful students to go to college after pivot point for a wheel, or some other tiny high school graduation and complete their element that will make the next try a success.

RN (registered nurse) certification.

One group even decided to go the extra In January, Hudson will use an in-service mile and make their robot voice activated. day to hold a mini-technology training They went with a SpongeBob theme and conference with teachers sharing what the goal is for the robot to find SpongeBob’s they’ve learned with each other—a cost- pet snail Gary at the end of the obstacle effective way to get staff the training they course. All they have to say to make the need. Those who have mastered a certain robot go is “Find Gary.” technique or have a new way to use technology to engage kids will lead sessions Ladner is impressed. “I’m going to have to with their colleagues. give some extra credit for that,” she praises.

Across the hall in Misty Mitchell’s sixth grade science classroom, students are conducting experiments in the lab. But Mitchell has found a way to maximize her time and it’s a technique science teachers across the district are using. During a prep period, Mitchell uses a digital camera to record herself conducting the experiment, giving step-by-step instructions.The students work in teams, each with a netbook, watching Mitchell’s demonstration and following it.

That frees Mitchell up to walk from group to group and give guidance if needed.

“It’s like having an extra teacher in the classroom,” she said. “And the students like it because if they don’t quite understand something, they can pause or rewind and watch it again.”

The middle school has seven netbook carts with 25 to 28 netbooks per cart. The funding source: a teacher-written grant.

Mitchell also posts the videos online so students can watch at home if they need a refresher when doing their homework.

At Peavy Primary School, principal Tom Miller shows off classrooms where students as young as 4 and 5 are practically leaping out of their seats for their turn to practice math facts on a SMART Board or share a story with their class using an ELMO—a digital presenter that renders overhead projectors obsolete.

One of Miller’s teachers secured a grant to pay for iPods for teachers, which means Miller can FaceTime with them. That can come in handy when Miller needs to have a face-to-face chat with an unruly student, and he can do it from wherever he is at the time.

At Bonner Elementary, which serves Hudson’s third- through fifth-grade students, science teacher Matt Haas uses his iPad to show students a video of a laser light show at Disneyland. The fifth-graders then try to put on a light show of their own, armed with laser pointers, mirrors, and spray bottles full of water.

that’s not all the new vision is about. It’s about building a framework for delivering a quality education and an accurate way of holding schools accountable. For too long, Whiteker says, school leaders—herself included—have been complicit in validating the current accountability system by touting their district’s recognized or exemplary status.

Haas leads them through the experiment with questions rather than directions and lets them figure out each step on their own. At the end, the children decide their equipment probably isn’t sophisticated enough to put on a show of Disney caliber, and that those Disney folks probably planned and experimented a lot before they got it right.

“It has to be about more than that,” she said.

“That can’t be our focus anymore. A quality education, world class standards—that has to be the driver, not test scores.”

“So did we waste our time?” Haas asks his class. His answer comes from a student in the back of the classroom whose hand shoots into the air at the speed of light: “No, Mr. Haas. We didn’t waste our time, because we learned something.”

Whiteker marvels at the enthusiasm and critical thinking on display in the fifth-grade science class, where literally every student was engaged and focused on the task at hand.

Whiteker recently spearheaded the formation of the East Texas Consortium, a group of 36 districts and counting in Region 7 that are working together to implement the new vision in their districts. She’s encouraged that so many district leaders are becoming involved and believes the groundswell of support for change is becoming significant enough that soon policy makers will have to pay attention.

“The Legislature has to be willing to stop and realize that we are the educators,” she said.“We have the state curriculum, we have the criteria, now get out of our way and let us do our job.” n

“A TAKS test or a STAAR test could not begin to measure what’s going on in that classroom,” she said. “Those are kinds of strategies we need to be focusing on.”

For more information about the Visioning Network, visit tasanet.org. If your district is working on implementing a New Vision for Public Education and you’d like to be featured in Though clearly an advocate for technology INSIGHT, contact Jenny LaCoste-Caputo at in the classroom, Whiteker is quick to say jcaputo@tasanet.org.

Mary Ann Whiteker, Superintendent, Hudson ISD

Students Skype with people around the world, and every campus is set up for distance learning opportunities, often used for virtual field trips.

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Health Information Literacy and Student Health: The ¡VIVA! Peer Tutor Project

by Marla M. Guerra, Sara Reibman, and Cynthia Olney Transition into adulthood brings a unique set of health issues for teenagers. The Healthy People 2010 initiative [CDC, 2004] identifies a number of serious health and safety issues facing adolescents and young adults, including unintentional injury, violence, substance use, mental health, reproductive health, and chronic health problems, that may follow them into adulthood. During this stage of life, adolescents establish behavioral patterns that will affect their health in adulthood. Some make unwise choices that lead to long-lasting and even fatal consequences.

Our school district is not alone in our concern for our students’ health. In fact, statewide concern is exemplified in the state mandate for Student Health Advisory Councils (SHACs). These councils bring together school staff, parents, students, and community members to give their input on health education to address the needs of students. Our SHAC has the benefit of assistance from a co-curricular group that has been in existence in our district since 2001:The ¡VIVA! (Vital Information for a Virtual Age) Peer Tutor Project. In this article, we describe this unusual project and how it will be a valuable resource for our SHAC. ¡VIVA! targets a specific set of important health management skills called “health information literacy.” Health information literacy includes one’s ability to recognize a need for health information; locate health information sources; retrieve and assess the quality and applicability of health information; and use the information when making health decisions. [Medical Library Association, 2003]. In our school district, we believe health information literacy is a foundational skill for maintaining lifelong health.

A hallmark of this program is its primary method of health education and promotion: peer tutoring. Each year, approximately 40 students from our district serve as ¡VIVA! peer tutors. These students design and conduct activities that promote health information literacy to their peers, as well as to parents, teachers, and the community.

Our ongoing evaluation of the program shows that many of the teenagers in our schools know how to find high quality health information online. We attribute this success to ¡VIVA! and the efforts of our students.

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History ¡VIVA! started in 2001 as a partnership with the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio–Regional Academic Health Center (UTHSCSARAHC) Library and the National Library of Medicine (NLM), which continues to fund the project. The NLM, part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), is the world’s largest biomedical library (NLM, 2011). It develops collections of biomedical and consumer health information reviewed by experts, including MedlinePlus, the consumer health database most promoted by our peer tutors (MedlinePlus, 2011).

train four Med High students to both use and promote MedlinePlus. Within a year, these four students trained most of their peers and teachers, as well as many STISD administrators, to research health issues using MedlinePlus. After one year, the project became so high profile and popular that 34 Med High students applied to be peer tutors.

[Warner et al, 2003] ¡VIVA! has expanded over the years, involving high school students, librarians, and faculty in all four STISD high schools.

Peer tutors primarily promote MedlinePlus, with demonstrations at school events such as freshman orientation and fall and spring open houses. Teachers invite peer tutors to teach how to use MedlinePlus and other NLM resources in classes. Peer tutors also enhance the health information literacy of the broader school population by giving presentations to the faculty, school counselors, and administrators.

Our magnet school district has four high schools and one junior high school that provide training in the fields of health, technological sciences, and business education and technology. ¡VIVA! originated in one of our health careers high schools, the South Texas High School for Health Professions (Med High). In the first year, two South Texas Independent School The project also has promoted health District (STISD) school librarians worked information literacy through several school with a RAHC health sciences librarian to health fairs, which bring health experts

Greysi Reyna introduces students to National Library of Medicine resources.

Ms. Reyna is the assistant library director for the Mario E. Ramirez, M.D., Library at the UT Health Science Center San Antonio’s Regional Academic Health Center in Harlingen.

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INSIGHT

together under one roof to share their knowledge with students. Peer tutors also engage in community outreach events, such as presentations to a local boys and girls club.

Value added to the district. The project has enhanced the STISD learning environment in a number of ways. For the selected group of peer tutors that engages in the activity each year, it is an outstanding learning and skill-building opportunity. Project evaluation results show that students develop a long list of skills when they engage in the peer tutor project [Warner et al, 2003]. Their public speaking skills and confidence grow; they learn how to work on teams and interact with people of all ages; and they develop a commitment to community service.

While the peer tutor project is an intense educational experience for the peer tutors themselves, the project also provides valuable instruction to our larger student population.

We know that our students will use the Internet to find health information; we rely on ¡VIVA! to ensure they use quality health information.

¡VIVA! has become a model for our district for engaging students in the teaching process. The project was instrumental in assisting the STISD central administration to launch its New Scholar Academies in which upper-level students tutor and mentor their lower-level peers in a variety of settings. The project increased faculty acceptance of incorporating students in the development of instructional content. The STISD librarians who run the peer tutor project have served as expert consultants for the Student Advisement Program.

be age-specific, but we must be sure our students take away this essential skill that will serve them for the rest of their lives.

The consumer health database of choice for our students is MedlinePlus because it contains extensive information from the National Institutes of Health and other trusted resources that meet our faculty’s criteria for use in school research projects.

Organized and managed by medical librarians, MedlinePlus is very user-friendly and updated regularly. Because it is publicly funded, MedlinePlus has no advertisements, minimizing concerns about conflict of interest from for-profit health entities. Its materials are suitable for users with a range of literacy levels, and most information on the site is available in Spanish.

Lessons learned about students and health.

The ¡VIVA! experience has provided our school district with valuable lessons about how to talk to teenagers about health.

We believe that there are two important lessons that we want our district’s SHAC to consider as it makes recommendations about Second, students like to learn about health information from their peers.We know from our district’s health education program. various evaluations conducted throughout First, we believe health information literacy the life of ¡VIVA! that MedlinePlus is wellis a fundamental skill that our students will known and used frequently by members use for a lifetime. While the health issues of our school community. We attribute facing youth will change with age, their this program success to our model of need for health information will not. The using students to teach one another to topics addressed in health education may use MedlinePlus. Our peer tutors reach

their classmates formally through various demonstrations and training sessions.

However, focus groups with our peer tutors consistently indicate that peer tutors value MedlinePlus and model its use to their classmates. They report using MedlinePlus to conduct research for school assignments and for presentations in co-curricular activities like Health Occupations Students of America competitions. They also turn to MedlinePlus to learn about their personal and family health concerns. In an alumni questionnaire recently sent to graduates of the peer tutor program, 90 percent of the peer tutor alumni continue to use MedlinePlus personally or professionally.

[Olney et al, 2011]

Building on the Peer Tutor Project As stated earlier, we believe that ¡VIVA! will be a valuable model and resource for this committee. We believe our SHAC members, to be effective in promoting health education in our schools, must have health information literacy skills themselves.

To bring our SHAC members up to speed, one of the founding members of the ¡VIVA! Peer Tutor Project team serves on the district’s SHAC.Training for the SHAC members will be given by our local experts, the ¡VIVA! peer tutors.

Establishing a Health Literacy Peer Tutor Project We know other Texas school districts have or are forming SHACs. We encourage them to consider ways to incorporate health information literacy into school health programs and to use peer-to-peer teaching. For school districts and SHACs

A ¡VIVA! peer tutor assists veterinarian Dr. Missy Bruce in her mobile vet clinic at the 2010 Hot Jobs in Medicine Health Careers Fair, an event organized and run by peer tutors. (Photo by Sara Reibman)

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that want to consider starting health-related considerable confidence in teaching peer tutor activities in their districts, ¡VIVA! others to research health issues, these has compiled information resources and types of discussions can quickly become made them freely accessible from its project intense and emotional. Students need Web site http://bla.stisd.net/viva.html. The an easily accessible adult when they face resources are available to help other school uncomfortable outreach situations. districts establish a health information peer tutor project. Here are some tips we have Conclusion learned about running a successful peer Health information literacy is a set of life tutor program: skills that our students need to maintain and manage health. A program like ¡VIVA! n Involve both teachers and school librarians as provides an excellent educational strategy advisors. Teachers have access to students for teaching students to research their own and can guide them in school activities. health concerns.

Librarians are masters at search skills.

Together, they create a strong team for For more information about how to start a teaching students how to research health peer tutor project, please contact Dr. Guerra issues. at marla.guerra@stisd.net or visit the ¡VIVA! n Use quality online health information. For Web site at http://bla.stisd.net/viva.html. quality and efficiency, MedlinePlus is one In its early stages, our program benefited of the best Web sites available. from the assistance of a skilled and creative n Provide students with creative freedom to design health sciences librarian. If you would like to their presentations. The peer tutors find find a health sciences librarian to help you health promotion much more interesting train high school students for a peer tutor when they influence the direction of the program, contact the National Network project. They also know how to design of Libraries of Medicine South Central activities that are attractive to their Region’s network office at 713.799.7880. n classmates. This approach also develops leadership and teamwork skills among peer tutors.

Marla M. Guerra, Ed.D., is superintendent, n Teach students to critique their own and their and Sara Reibman, MLIS, is librarian, of classmates’ performances. This process of South Texas ISD. Cynthia Olney, Ph.D., is self-reflection has been a key element an evaluation consultant for the ¡VIVA! Peer of ¡VIVA! and is cited as an important Tutor Project. learning experience by our peer tutors. It also contributes to their sense of influence over how the program is run. n Don’t limit peer tutors to teaching only their classmates. Adults need to know about Acknowledgment quality online resources as well. ¡VIVA! reaches beyond the walls of our school. This project was funded by the National Peer tutors present to community Library of Medicine under contract (N01members in many venues, including boys LM-6-3505) with the Houston Academy and girls clubs, health fairs, motorcycle of Medicine–Texas Medical Center Library rallies, hospitals, and community swim through a subcontract with South Texas centers. They find community outreach Independent School District (STISD). to be particularly exciting and motivating. The authors want to acknowledge BLA n Always be sure to provide adult supervision. librarians and ¡VIVA! project team members Although our peer tutors develop AnnVickman and Lucy Hansen.

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References 1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Division of Adolescent and School Health; Health Resources and Services Administration, Maternal and Child Health Bureau, Office of Adolescent Health; National Adolescent Health Information Center, University of California, San Francisco. Executive Summary—Improving the Health of Adolescents & Young Adults: A Guide for States and Communities.Atlanta, GA: 2004.

2. Texas Department of State Health Services. (2007) School Health Advisory Councils: A guide for Texas school districts. Publication No. E05-12431.

Available for download at www.dshs. state.tx.us/schoolhealth/sdhac.shtm 3. MedlinePlus [Internet]. Bethesda (MD): National Library of Medicine (US); [updated 2011 Aug 16; cited 2011 August 16].Available from: http://www.nlm.nih. gov/medlineplus/.

4. Medical Library Association (2003).

Health Information Literacy Definitions. http://www.mlanet.org/resources/ healthlit/define.html 5. National Library of Medicine [Internet] [last updated 08 August 2011] http:// www.nlm.nih.gov/ 6. Olney, C. A., Hansen, L., Vickman, A., Reibman, S.,Wood, F. B., Siegel, E. (2011, forthcoming) Long-term Outcomes of the ¡VIVA! Peer Tutor MedlinePlus Project: Use of MedlinePlus by Former Peer Tutors and Those Who Learned from Them. Journal of the Medical Library Association.

7. Warner, D. G., Olney, C. A., Wood, F. B., Hansen, L. & Bowden,V. M. (2005) High school peer tutors teach MedlinePlus: a model for Hispanic outreach. Journal of the Medical Library Association, 93(2), 243–252. Available at http:// www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/ PMC1082942.

Why Are All These Kids Dropping Out?

by Bob Thompson, Elvis Arterbury, and Steve Jenkins

When we began to delve into the reasons students drop out of school we found that most of the reasons can be traced back to one or more of the following conditions: children have not been taught effective decisionmaking skills, their school is not an inviting place, or their school experience creates a sense of hopelessness regarding the student’s likelihood of success.All of these are problems related to the school, not the child. In short, we don’t have a student problem; we have a school problem.

Edwards Deming, the industrial consultant credited with turning around and rebuilding Japanese manufacturing following World War II, says that a system “produces what it is designed to produce” (Deming, 1986). In short, Deming says it is fruitless to try to change a person’s behavior without changing the system that produced the behavior.

Following Deming’s logic, our schools are designed to produce a high percentage of dropouts—because that is what they are producing! So if we want to reduce the dropouts, we must change the system that produces them.

Background and Definitions To really understand the dropout problem, we have to look at it through a couple of different lenses. First, the dropout problem can’t be viewed in isolation. Dropping out is just one in a complex set of other teenage problems (e.g., teen pregnancies, drug and alcohol abuse, etc.) that exist in virtually every school district in the country. Kids are getting involved in activities that with even a little thought they would recognize have consequences that can be ruinous for them.As a nation, we have spent enormous amounts of time and money attacking these issues with little evidence of success because we have focused our efforts on treating the symptoms of the problems and not the causes, and because we have focused on trying to change the child rather than the school environment that either causes or exacerbates these problems.

The second perspective we would have you consider is that to really understand dropping out we must look at it in a much broader context than the standard definition of “a child who leaves school before graduation.”

We submit that there are other categories of dropouts that we tend to ignore but that we believe hold keys to the solution. Any actions that prevent students from completing their graduation requirements are factors contributing to their dropping out. For example, what about the children who leave school before graduation to be homeschooled? And what about students who exit public school in favor of a private school or a charter school? Aren’t these children dropouts from our traditional public schools? Then there are the students who have dropped out “in place”; i.e., they are still in school but in body only.They are not engaged and are barely doing enough work to pass. In our interviews with principals at all levels, they repeatedly estimated the number of minimally performing students as 20 percent or higher.These students have “dropped out in place” and are at risk of leaving school. And they are a major contributor to low completion rates resulting in Academically Unacceptable campuses and districts (Hallman, 2010).

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Looking at dropouts through this broader lens gives us a whole different perspective about what our customers think about our public schools. If we add up all of these students who have rejected or will reject public school, we will find that nearly half of the school-aged children (or their parents) will reject public schools sometime during their 13 years of schooling.That is a sobering thought.

In reality, the only thing we really know about dropout prevention is that we do not know how to prevent dropouts! We have spent billions of dollars on dropout prevention programs and have made no appreciable dent in the problem (Rumberger, 2011). We have even developed a pretty sophisticated set of corollaries (“at risk” factors) that can predict with a fairly high degree of accuracy which specific kids in the elementary school will eventually drop out, and we still can’t stop them from doing so. Nothing we have tried has had a significant impact on the problem, and we cannot afford to implement new programs that are based on old, failed models and belief systems.

Is there a better model? We think so. Let’s begin by closely examining the reasons most students drop out (i.e., the lack of decision-making skills, school is not an inviting place, and a sense of hopelessness regarding any opportunity to be successful in school) that we identified earlier in this article. Each of these causative factors is rooted in the school. And if we believe Edwards Deming, the solution to changing the behavior is changing the system that produces the behavior, and that system is largely the public school. Let’s look at each cause individually.

Deciding Dropping out is all about deciding—and our students aren’t deciding very well. In short, we do not have a dropout problem in schools; we have a decision-making problem. And the other teenage problems (pregnancy, drugs, etc.) are decision-making 20

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problems also. It is obvious that public these experiences, they will be ill-prepared schools have done a poor job teaching when really important decisions come along (e.g., whether to take drugs, engage in decision making and logic. sexually risky behavior, drop out of school, There are a lot of factors we can identify that etc.) to make decisions that will be to their seem to push students toward deciding to long-term benefit. These kids are simply drop out, but what triggers the decision is not prepared to consider options, weigh not clear. Why is it that in the same family consequences, and make difficult decisions. one child will drop out and another will We naively think that not allowing children not? Why do some students get their lives so to fail is best for them but, in reality, we are messed up that dropping out is almost the setting them up for failure. only reasonable solution while their siblings and neighborhood friends do not? Why is it School Is Not an Inviting Place that some students overcome tremendous Virtually every school in the nation is now personal hurdles and succeed in school and pushing a college-bound curriculum, even others do not? By and large, these children though we know that 20–30 percent of share the same at-risk factors but they students will never finish high school. And made different decisions. For some reason, of the 70–80 percent who graduate, roughly a percentage of these so-called “at risk” kids half of those will never enter an institution make the decision to stay in school, but many of higher education. And of those who do of their siblings decide not to stay. We don’t enroll in college, roughly half of them will necessarily know why this is so, but make no drop out by their junior year. And half of mistake—it all boils down to deciding. those who do enroll for their junior year won’t graduate in five years (Rumberger, The problem, as we see it, is that we have 2011). reared a generation of students that has, quite simply, not had an opportunity (or But in full knowledge of these and similar an expectation) to learn to make important data, we still mandate the college-bound decisions. They have not been taught curriculum for all students “just in case” they how and have little experience in making decide to go to college. But this blind pursuit meaningful decisions. Consequently, they do of a college-bound curriculum for every not understand the very fundamental steps of child (in the face of overwhelming statistics identifying the problem, identifying options, that most students want or need something gathering data, and calculating the positive different) is foolhardy. Non-college-bound and negative consequences of each option. students are forced to take courses that they And even more important, many of these know they will never need, and will graduate students have largely been protected from unprepared to pursue their preferred life’s the consequences of the poor decisions they work.We are sacrificing the many (the nonhave made. college-bound students who aren’t offered a curriculum to suit their needs) for the few Somewhere along the line, we decided that (those who will enroll in and finish college). it is harmful to a child’s psyche to suffer the pain of loss, so we have decided to protect What we have created is a “just in case” them. Beginning when we enroll our kids curriculum when what we need is a “just in in organized sports (little league, soccer, little time” curriculum that gives non-traditional, dribblers, etc.) or similar endeavors, we don’t college-bound students the skills they need, let them lose. Everyone gets a trophy! when they need them.The window of time open to prepare a child for the future is very Losing is a part of learning, and the quicker small. Shouldn’t we think about how to best we let children learn from failure the happier use that time to equip our students for the they will be in the long run. If we deny them future they want, not the future we wish it

to be? We must keep in mind that our job as parents, board members, and educators is to give students the tools for making decisions—not to make the decisions for them.

recovery program that provides more time with a teacher, we are not going to reduce the number of kids who see their academic future as hopeless and decide the only logical thing to do is drop out.

Hopelessness

Summary

The third major reason students decide to leave school is a feeling of hopelessness. Even the student who is flunking math knows the exact date when he is so far in the hole that he can never bring his grades up to passing—no matter what he does the rest of the year. When that happens, it makes perfect sense to him to drop out.

A fundamental reason for our lack of success in reducing dropouts is that we have tried to fix the dropout problem by fixing the child rather than fixing his school experience; i.e., the system. It is not the child’s fault that no one taught him how to identify options and consider consequences before making lifechanging decisions. And the child did not create a curriculum that is skewed toward The student got into that predicament the needs of the college-bound students and because we (the educators) ignore what ignores his desires and the skills he needs to research so clearly tells us, and what every pursue his own dream.And he certainly did parent with two or more kids already not create a rule-driven, time-constrained knows; i.e., that children learn at different environment that is largely designed to rates and with a wide variety of learning make life easier for adults and is unforgiving styles. Those who take a little longer to to the non-traditional, non-college-bound master the content are hampered by the student who may need a little longer to clock. When the 50-minute period ends, grasp the concepts of the lesson. they need another few minutes with the teacher to completely master the content. Public schools have not been particularly If they don’t get that extra time, they will be successful for a large number of our students. behind when class starts the next day. But Some of the reasons (e.g., state mandates) the tyranny of the schedule doesn’t provide are beyond the control of the local district. extra time for students who take longer to But some of the factors are in our control. learn. If we followed what the research tells We can make schools more inviting and us, we would make time the variable factor improve students’ decision-making skills by and course content the constant; i.e., “take training all faculty and staff in intervention however much time you need but you must strategies. learn the content.” But in schools, we make time the constant and course content the Make schools more inviting by simply variable, which tells the student, “you have erasing virtually all of the rules from last year a set amount of time (e.g., a 50-minute and telling all students that no more rules period) to learn whatever content you can will be made this year unless their behavior master within those time constraints.” makes it necessary. If students prove they cannot be trusted with those privileges, the This is a system designed to produce failure privileges will be taken away. In short, the for the kids who take longer to learn. privileges are theirs to lose.This process is a We must keep in mind that mastery of start toward students learning that behaviors the content is what we want students to have consequences—and some of them are accomplish—even if it takes a little longer. bad!

But until we can get humane grading policies (i.e., no zeros, no grading of Get rid of homework. The high-achieving homework, second and third chances to kids don’t need it, and the kids who do need prove mastery, etc.) and an early intervention extra work usually don’t have someone at

home who can help them. And for both groups, homework creates friction at home because students avoid it in favor of activities that are more fun.Then parents have to step in and stop the fun and make them do their homework.

And when you grade homework, you are grading practice not content mastery. If golfers used the same logic, only 60 percent of a golfer’s score would be what he shot on the course today and 40 percent would be based on how well he practiced the week before! Grading practice (i.e., homework) is simply illogical and a major contributor to the decision of low-performing students to drop out.We give homework to students who need the most help from the teacher.

It is work they cannot do and consequently they accumulate a series of low grades because they didn’t practice well! And those failing grades become the slippery slope toward dropping out.

We will leave you with a line from Pogo that we think captures our predicament: “We have met the enemy and he is us.” n

Bob Thompson is executive director of the Center for Executive Leadership at Lamar University, and Elvis Arterbury is a professor and Steve Jenkins an associate professor and chairman of the Department of Educational Leadership.

References Hallman,T. New Study: Dropout rate falling, but still high. The Texas Tribune (October 27, 2010).

Rumberger, R. Solving the nation’s dropout crisis. Education Week (October 26, 2011).

Deming, E. Out of crisis (Cambridge, MA: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Center for Advanced Engineering Study, 1986), 23–24.

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

School PR on a Shoestring: What Every District Can (and Should) Do to Maximize District Communication Efforts

by Regina Corley When I first arrived at Temple ISD as the director of communication, there were some people in the community who questioned the need for a “PR” person in a school district. If you read local, state, and national headlines, you already know why school districts, now maybe more than ever, need a qualified person to passionately lead the effort to tell our stories.

But what happens to the smaller districts that have to choose between one more administrative position or a classroom teacher? The choice is obvious. There are a few things, however, that every district should be doing in order to make sure communication efforts are received well by stakeholders.

1. Know What a Communication Director Can Do for Your District This position generally oversees communication efforts for the district. Working usually with the senior leadership of the district to clearly delineate district goals and objectives, he/she maintains the web presence, any use of social media, local media outlets, printed materials, and branding standards for the district. The communication director works closely with campus principals during crisis/emergency situations to draft talking points, media releases, and parent notifications in a timely manner. This ensures the message is clear and consistently communicated. The communication director may also work with parent and community involvement and/or your education foundation.

What if we can’t afford a communication director or don’t think we have a need for a full-time position?

Somebody at central office should be trained in the above tasks, in addition to the superintendent and senior leadership team.This allows a single point of contact, besides the superintendent, should the need arise.

We can’t afford a full-time communication director. Could one person do this part-time?

YES! Two years ago, I went part-time. It was a personal move, timed around the birth of our second child.

Then, with state funding being what it was, it became a necessary longer-term solution than we’d perhaps first intended. Having said that, it IS doable.

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2. Branding Is Not Just for “Big” Districts Do you have a district logo? Do you have several district logos? While this seems like a minor thing in the face of all the other stuff we deal with from day to day, managing your district brand or identity should be a priority. If you have multiple versions of your logo hanging around out there (we’ve all heard “we can’t just throw away perfectly good stationery”), make a plan to phase out all but the most current version.Train staff on how to appropriately use your logo, district/school colors, and mascot(s); and the appropriate way to format e-mail signatures. It is a subtle thing, but it DOES make a difference on how your district is viewed.

3. Your Website Is the First Impression—Make It Count!

We are a small district, without a PR/communications director—can we still have a great website?

YES! Your website doesn’t have to be flashy, just well-organized, cleanly designed, and easy to navigate.There are lots of great content management systems out there that will help you design, launch, and host your website; all you have to do is update it. Updating websites is WAY easier than in the past, and even the web novice, with a little bit of training, will be updating content in no time. If you don’t have a communication director, your technology department will take the lead, and somebody in central office should be the point contact for the district pages.Train your campus principals and department directors to maintain their own pages.

One thing to do before you get started: decide what you want the pages to look like (font, font size, colors, formatting, image control, etc.) and put them in your training for webmasters.This way, even though you have multiple people updating your site, the website maintains a consistent look and feel throughout.This gives your website an overall polish and a better first impression to visitors.

4. If You Aren’t Thinking/Talking about Social Media—You SHOULD Be I’m not here to tell you what to do about social media; there are folks much smarter than me who have already written millions of words about this—both precautionary and favorable.There are some questions you must be able to answer in your own district:

Will we use social media (i.e. Facebook and/or Twitter) for district communication?

We’ve all heard the adage, “They are already talking about us; wouldn’t it be nice to have a chance to be in on the conversation?”

Social media is a very powerful way to build and strengthen relationships with stakeholders. In our tech-driven society, information is processed at the speed of light, and demand from stakeholders is that we work at the same speed. Often, school districts fall into the trap of the open records request timelines and unwittingly add to the perception that we are big, impersonal entities that hoard information from the public. Social media gives districts the opportunity to quickly disseminate information to the public in a way they are already accessing.

When a department or campus asks me for a facebook page, I ask two questions:Who is your audience, and how often will you have content? If their audience is a very narrow group of people or they only have updates once a month or every few weeks, I usually direct them to our website for a solution to their needs or offer to integrate their updates into our district facebook page. Social media carries the expectation of a LOT of fresh content. Perhaps a better solution than a bunch of individual pages is one page for the district, maintained at the central office level, with a lot of new content.The district page has a wider audience, and the more content you are loading the more “followers” or “fans” you’ll pick up.

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Wading into the social media waters requires a bit of bravery, though. Acknowledging a desire for true two-way communication, it is critical those pages be closely monitored in order to quickly respond to wall posts and/or tweets.You WILL get negative posts; how you respond to them can build bridges OR walls. I love interactions with our facebook pages; it gives me a true sense of how the district is perceived in the community, how a communication tactic is working (or not), and hot spot issues to help me shape our communication strategy.

What is our “personality” for our social media presence?

Social media sites blur the lines between the organization and the public (a GREAT thing, in my opinion). This minimizes the need for a formal writing style (posts should still be proofed for errors before posting, and PLEASE check your auto correct settings on your cell phone!). Twitter is a 140 characters or less platform, so you must also be brief.These two areas give you an opportunity to show your personality. Facebook is a GREAT place to post the more informal pictures you probably would not use in a marketing booklet, a website, or other forms of advertising.You can joke around with your “fans” or “followers,” ask questions that have nothing to do with school business (ex: Who’s ready for the weekend?), and invite your stakeholders to see the district as a group of people who love kids and their community rather than a bunch of buildings.

We don’t have a person who has time to maintain and monitor a facebook page/twitter account.

I would advise you NOT to even start one.

5. Do You Have a Media Policy?

There are a few different schools of thought on open versus closed district in regards to the media. I can give you my opinion and tell you what works in my district, but this is a decision you must make as a district based on your community and the resources available to respond to the media. My superintendent prefers media coming through my office; this allows us, as a leadership team, to appropriately plan our response to media inquiries. It also streamlines the response time by giving media outlets a single point of contact for inquiries and interview requests, rather than having to chase down or wait on a campus principal or department director to find time to respond when taking care of children is their first priority.

Regardless of the size of your district, there are several people that should be media trained: superintendent, board president, assistant superintendents, high school principal(s), and the athletic director. An annual training or briefing on media policy in your

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district is a helpful way to make sure all staff, new and current, are up to speed on how your district responds when the local newspaper calls.The Texas School Public Relations Association is a great resource for Ammerman media trainings and can help you put together your media policy.

6. Doing It All as an Army of One (or Part-time) Ok, so you’ve looked at your budget and the potential workload and decided you can afford a part or full-time communication staff member. Or,YOU are the part- or full-time staff member assigned the above-mentioned duties. How do you get it all done in a day? A few thoughts:

Eliminating waste builds value. If it does not directly support your district goals, don’t do it. Plain and simple. It is so easy for tasks to land on our desks that fall under the “feel good” category, but we have to ask ourselves if they really forward district goals.

Align your activities to the district goals and make sure to track your activities and results so your superintendent can see your value to the team.

A word on distractions:Try to limit creation of new logos, designs, print pieces, etc. to the summer months when you have a little more time to plan and fewer “have-to-handle-it-RIGHTNOW” issues.

Pick your battles. Ok, I’ll admit it: My pet peeve is e-mail signatures. It drives me NUTS to see floral backgrounds, nondistrict colors, or *gasp* inspirational quotes in district e-mail.

Is this a hill I am willing to die on? Probably. Is it a hill I have TIME to die on? Not really. While there will always be things you’d like to do, be realistic enough to “keep the main thing the main thing” (as one of our principals likes to say). Decide if your time would be better spent working on communication plans for campuses, training webmasters, updating your facebook page, and the myriad other tasks that forward our message. Is the problem so heinous it threatens your communication goals? Then, by all means, address it. But, if it is just something that bugs you (and probably only you), let it go.

Get organized. Have a plan. Stick to it. My superintendent has learned after three years that I’ve got to write it down or it is as if I never heard it at all. I am blessed to say we work so well together because she writes things down for me—I love her lists. I love sitting with her at the end of the day and planning our attack the next day. I have a six-foot whiteboard on my office wall that visually lays out my battle plans for the month: meetings, assignments, social media messages, media requests, photo assignments, and more.

This may not be your style—I’m just sharing one woman’s strategy to not losing her marbles at the end of every day.

Whatever your style may be—find it, write it down, and stick to it. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking you can keep all those dates, names, appointments, phone messages, etc. in your head. In our business, customer service is king, and if writing down every message and phone call is what it takes to make sure I don’t miss something important (learned from experience), then that’s what I’ll do. It’s worth the extra dry-erase markers.

Make your home your shelter where you can rest and recharge so you can give it everything you’ve got again tomorrow. This goes beyond our job, of course, and could be a word for new teachers or administrators, new superintendents, and others.

Know how to turn it off. Finally, know how to turn it off. I think I have the coolest job in the district. I love designing logos and print pieces, working on our website and facebook pages, photography, interviews, meeting parents, eating lunch with kids on campuses, and being in a position to document the miracle workers at work—and getting paid for it! Yes, I even enjoy working with our local media (yes, really).

Whether you are an army of one, a department in need of refocus, or a superintendent evaluating the resources needed to have a communications position, one thing is clear: Now, more than ever, our districts need somebody responsible for telling their story to the public.We need to make sure the good stories are celebrated, the bad stories are fairly and accurately reported, and the realities facing public schools are not ignored by wellmeaning but uninformed patrons. Our teachers are teaching their hearts out every day. Our kids are achieving more than any generation before. Our schools are making miracles with fewer resources every year. Let’s get organized and make sure people know it. n

But, sometimes the things we are called to work on are not fun.

Sometimes they hurt. Sometimes they make us angry. Sometimes they embarrass us.Those are the things that stay with you at the end of the day. Resist the temptation to take it home with you.

Regina Corley is the director of communication and community involvement for Temple ISD and the West Central VP for the Texas School Public Relations Association.

Strike Bullying Out of Your School

or Risk the Consequences Superintendents, educators and school boards around the country are being held accountable for the increase in bullying incidents.

Districts must be proactive in implementing bully prevention.

Help students and protect the district by implementing a Bullying Prevention Curriculum such as Trevor Romain's Bullies are a Pain in the Brain K-8 Curricula, Workshops and other programs.

The Trevor Romain Company 4412 Spicewood Springs Road, Ste 705 Austin, TX 78759 877-TRomain (877-876-6246)

www.TrevorRomain.com

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Visit SXSWedu.com to learn more!

SXSWedu features three days of compelling presentations and informative sessions from education professionals, industry leaders, and policy practitioners committed to engaging learners with 21st century content and tools. Register today at sxswedu.com.

PHOTO: MICHAEL CHEVAS

Keynote Speaker LeVar Burton SXSWedu is thrilled to announce our first confirmed keynote speaker for 2012, the multi-talented actor, director, author and life-long literacy advocate LeVar Burton. Most of us know him as the popular host of PBS’s Reading Rainbow, which he hosted for 25 seasons. As the show’s host and executive producer, Burton’s passion for learning is contagious and he levied the medium of television, via Reading Rainbow, as a way to engage children and expose them to the joys of reading. Join us to learn more about LeVar’s new vision for engaging 21st Century readers, in even more powerful and compelling ways!

PHOTO: ETHAN PINES

LeVar Burton

Spotlight Series of Distinguished Speakers Be excited and inspired by the following confirmed Distinguished Speakers: • Catherine Casserly, Chief Executive Officer, Creative Commons • Karen Cator, Director of the Office of Educational Technology, U.S. Department of Education

• Mike Feinberg, Co-Founder and Superintendent, KIPP Houston • Geoff Fletcher, Deputy Executive Director, State Educational Technology Directors Association

Mike Feinberg

• Anita Givens, Associate Commissioner for Standards and Programs, Texas Education Agency

• Ken Kay, Founder & Chief Executive Officer, EdLeader 21 Additional invitations are pending, and more Distinguished Speakers for SXSWedu 2012 will be announced soon!

PHOTO: ARNOLD WELLS

LAUNCHedu: Education Startup Competition See what’s next and new in K-12 and Higher Education as we debut LAUNCHedu, a fast paced entrepreneurs’ startup competition for new education businesses. Companies that are deemed to have the greatest opportunity for success and impact will move forward to an exciting final ropund of presentations, where the winners will be announced…and rewarded!

SXSWedu attendees will enjoy seeing promising entrepreneurs publicly pitch their startup education business products and services before a panel of judges that include venture capitalists, successful entrepreneurs, and education practitioners.

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sn a p s h ot

of

a

leader

Dr. Jeff Turner Texas’ 2012 NSOTY Nominee

by Jenny LaCoste-Caputo Talk to colleagues and peers of Dr. Jeff Turner in his home district of Coppell ISD, or those across the state, and one word comes up again and again to describe the man who has led Coppell for the past nine years:Visionary.

Coppell Board of Trustees President Anthony Hill says Turner has “the incredible ability to appreciate the past while challenging us all to build toward the future.”

Dr. John Horn, a senior associate at The Schlechty Center, says of Turner: “People want to follow him because he seeks to understand first the needs and aspirations of potential followers, yet, he realizes that if the school is to advance its vision and achieve its missions, they must come to share common beliefs, a common vision and then give themselves fully to the efforts to make the vision a reality. Jeff Turner is a model for leading by values.”

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These reasons and more are why Turner has been chosen to represent Texas in the American Association of School Administrators’ National Superintendent of theYear program.Turner has led Coppell, a high-performing district of about 10,000 students, since 2002.

realized that what they were doing in the workplace didn’t match up to the things their kids were doing in the classroom. We came to the realization that we as educators were holding more kids back than we were pushing too fast.”

Turner started by finding ways to increase participation in Advanced Placement classes and International Baccalaureate programs and encouraging more students to choose the Distinguished Achievement Program to earn their diplomas. As a result, in just four years AP/IB participation increased by 40 percent, while maintaining high high scores, and DAP graduates increased from 11 to 45 Turner earned his undergraduate and percent. doctorate degrees in education from Baylor University. He also holds a master’s degree While proud of those hallmark from the University of Houston. He first achievements,Turner wants more. His goal is served as superintendent in Van ISD from to follow a new vision for public education 1991 to 1995. From there he went to in Texas and create classrooms where Jacksonville ISD, where he spent three years, education is individualized to a student’s and then to Burleson ISD before coming interest, where teachers guide not lecture, and where technology and 21st century skills to Coppell. are infused into the curriculum.

In Coppell,Turner inherited a district with high test scores and community support, but “The biggest challenge right now is trying he made it clear from the start that he had to help those teachers who are great in no intention of allowing the district to rest content change their classrooms into more on its laurels. future-friendly, 21st century classrooms,” Turner said. “We’re making progress, but it’s “At Coppell, I found all of the pieces slow work.” necessary to create an extraordinary school system,” Turner said. “We had an educated Turner isn’t just working to transform community, great kids, great staff. But Coppell ISD; he wants to see districts across convincing them to change wasn’t easy. Texas revamp their approach. He was one When you’re already good at something, it’s of 35 superintendents who formed a group hard to convince people to change.” in 2006 to frame a new vision of public education in Texas. The result of their But while Turner knew students in Coppell work, the Creating a New Vision for Public were doing well in the state’s system, he Education in Texas document, inspired also was confident the bar could be higher. Senate Bill 1557.

That’s how he ultimately convinced parents to buy in to his new ideas.

The Legislature passed SB 1557 this year to create the Texas High Performance “I’ve never been with a group of parents Consortium. The ultimate goal of the who didn’t want more for their kids,” he consortium and TASA’s Visioning Network said. “Because many of our parents are is to develop innovative, next-generation globally connected in their work, they learning standards and assessment and AASA accepts nominations for the program and invites those nominated to fill out applications.The Texas Association of School Administrators’ president then appoints a committee of superintendents from around the state to score the applications, and the top score is the Texas nominee.

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INSIGHT

accountability systems for Texas public schools.

Turner recently formed the North Texas Regional Consortium, a group of nine districts in the Dallas/Fort Worth area that has committed to moving the vision forward by sharing resources and working together to achieve new levels of performance.

While completely overhauling the state’s public education system—and finding more nuanced ways to measure success, weaning the public off of the current rating system— is admittedly a daunting task,Turner said it’s important to focus on what leaders can do in their own district to bring about change now.

In Coppell, for instance, Turner is encouraging project-based learning, new technology, and customizing education for students. One example of the customization is Coppell trustees’ decision to allow high school students to earn up to 10 of their graduation credits outside of school— through options like virtual courses—to free up their school day for things that are important to them.

“So if you have an engineering student who also wants to be in choir, that allows him to earn some of his required credits outside of the regular day and gives him options on what classes he can take during the day,” Turner explained.

Turner said it’s important for people to understand that while technology is important to 21st century learning standards, the new vision is really about an innovative approach to education.

“We’re focused on trying to customize the system and get out of the one-sizefits-all process,” Turner said. “We’re not trying to make Coppell ISD a ‘new tech’ district, but we are interested in making sure teachers’ work is design and engagement, not lecturing and expecting the students

to regurgitate the lesson. Education is not about school, it’s about each individual child, identifying their interest areas and, through those interest areas, engaging them in the coursework.”

21st century learning rather than just allow ourselves to be satisfied with high performance on minimum measures,” Hill said. “He is entirely student-focused, which is evident in every decision he makes.”

Hill said Turner’s motivation has always been his students.

A Blue Ribbon Selection Committee will meet in Alexandria,Virginia, for the next “He pushed us to consider more options step in the National Superintendent of and choices for our students and think about the Year process. It will select four finalists

to be interviewed in Washington, D.C., in January.The National Superintendent of the Year will be named at the AASA National Conference on Education to be held in Houston February 16–19. n

Congratulations from TASA, Dr. Turner!

Jenny LaCoste-Caputo is the director of communications and media relations at TASA.

TASA Winter/Spring 2012 Calendarr January 12–13

Leadership Development Process

TASA Headquarters, Austin, TX

19–20

TASA Academy for Transformational Leadership

Austin Doubletree Hotel, Austin, TX

28–29

Texas Council of Women School Executives (TCWSE) Annual Conference

Hilton Austin Hotel, Austin, TX

29–Feb 1

Texas Association of School Administrators (TASA) Midwinter Conference

Austin Convention Center, Austin, TX

February 1

Aspiring Superintendents Academy

Austin Convention Center, Austin, TX

22–23

First Time Superintendents Academy, Session Three

Experts in the Field

Austin Marriott North Hotel, Round Rock, TX

13–16

Level II Curriculum Management Audit Training

Jan Jacob

TASA Headquarters, Austin, TX

29–30

Leadership Development Process

TASA Headquarters, Austin, TX

29–30

TASA Academy for Transformational Leadership

Austin Doubletree Hotel, Austin, TX

13–15

Texas Association of Suburban and Mid-Urban Schools (TAS/MUS) Spring Conference

Lost Pines Hyatt Resort, Bastrop, TX

18–19

First Time Superintendents Academy, Session 4

Experts in the Field

Austin Marriott North Hotel, Round Rock, TX

3–4

50 Ways to Close the Achievement Gap

Elizabeth Clark

TASA Headquarters, Austin, TX

8–11

Level I Curriculum Management Audit Training

Jan Jacob

TASA Headquarters, Austin, TX

March

April

May

winter 2011

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Midwinter Conference & Education

January 29–February 1, 2012 • Austin Convention Center

TASA

Texas Association of School Administrators

2012 Download “Follow Me”­­— our Midwinter Conference smartphone app!

Creating a New Vision for Public Education in Texas

Easily manage your conference experience— create a custom schedule, download exhibitor materials, view maps, and more!

Designed specifically for public, private, and charter school superintendents and key leaders, TASA’s Midwinter Conference offers an unparalleled opportunity for K12 leadership teams to learn with and from each other. A wide variety of General Session, Distinguished Lecture, and Concurrent Session speakers address current and emerging topics vital to 21st century learning in our digital world—accountability, assessment, budget and finance, curriculum and instruction, facilities planning, technology, and more!

First General Session n Robert Ballard Chairman, The JASON PROJECT, Explorer in Residence, National Geographic Society, and Discoverer of the RMS Titanic

Education through Exploration Leadership, like exploration, requires a vision for the future, a sense of urgency for implementation, and a dogged determination for action. Dr. Robert Ballard shares his visionary leadership in creating The JASON Project, a STEM model for the country, while running the most significant oceanographic exploration effort in the country. Dr. Ballard is one of the world’s most accomplished deep-sea explorers. He has conducted more than 120 deepsea expeditions, resulting in numerous scientific breakthroughs. In addition to reflection on the explorer as leader, Dr. Ballard also shares his view of the need and the future of STEM education in the country.

Second General Session n Robert Scott Commissioner, Texas Education Agency

Beyond the 82nd Legislative Session; The Commissioner’s Perspective

Third General Session n Doug Reeves Founder, The Leadership and Learning Center, a division of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Leadership and Learning 2012: What’s New about Change Leadership?

Dr. Douglas Reeves challenges the conventional wisdom about change leadership. Does systemlevel change really take five to seven years? Is an implementation dip necessary? Is stakeholder buy-in a precondition of significant change? With compelling evidence from different research perspectives, Dr. Reeves challenges these and other prevailing notions of change leadership and addresses critical topics for educators, school leaders, and policymakers.

Distinguished Lectures n Willard R. Daggett President, International Center for Leadership in Education

Preparing Students for the 21st Century The skills, knowledge, and attitudes today’s learners will need to be successful in the technological, globally driven world; and what schools must do to prepare students for their future rather than our past

n Fenwick W. English Professor, Educational Leader, and Author, CMSi

Turn Around Principals for LowPerforming Schools The “Yin and Yang” of successful school turnarounds based on research and practice, and rules of thumb in moving low-performing schools into higher brackets of student achievement

n Richard Erdmann Founder and CEO, and

Christine Drew President and COO, Syfr Corporation

The Brain, the 21st Century, and Sacred Cows A discussion of advances in neuroscience, its application to the classroom, and implications for technology use in and out of schools

n C. Jackson Grayson, Jr. CEO & Chairman, APQC

What Lies Beneath: Uncovering Waste in District Operations Ways to save your school district money and identify and reduce waste, with a roadmap for finding new resources through instituting Process and Performance Management (PPM) in district operations

n Scott Kinney Senior VP of Global Professional Development, Policy & Education Outreach, Discovery Education

Moving Learning…Beyond the Book Skills to integrate the latest education technologies into classroom instruction to improve student achievement

n Raymund Paredes Commissioner of Higher Education, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board

Generation Texas: How Schools, Colleges, and Universities Can Work Together to Create a Greater Texas The new Generation Texas campaign, the status of higher education in Texas, how Texas is doing on “Closing the Gaps,” and how K–12 and higher education must work together to maintain the state’s competitiveness and quality of life

CEFPI Facilities Distinguished Lecture n Paul Resta Ruth Knight Millikan Centennial Professor of Learning Technology and Director, Learning Technology Center, The University of Texas at Austin

Learning in Exponential Times The boundaries that are beginning to disappear between school-based and mobile learning, between formal and informal learning, and implications for creating new concepts of learning environments and schools

PLUS

More than 150 breakout sessions on critical topics, Education Expo featuring hundreds of education vendors, Showcase of School Architecture, TASA’s Cyber Café, Aspiring Superintendents Academy, and more! Visit us online for complete details and registration information.

www.tasanet.org Save the Date! January 29–February 1, 2012 • Austin Convention Center

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INSIGHT

PRESIDENT’S CIRCLE

Corporate Partners 2011 –12

PLATINUM

TASA is grateful to our corporate partners for their support.

GOLD

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.

SILVER

BRONZE

Apple Chevron Houghton Mifflin Harcourt/SkillsTutor Pearson SHW Group SMART Technologies The College Board CompassLearning Indeco Sales, Inc. Scholastic SchoolCity, Inc. Scientific Learning The Jason Project Cisco Creating & Managing Wealth, LLC Discovery Education Huckabee PBK The Learning Together Company Balfour Linebarger Goggan Blair & Sampson, LLP Renaissance Learning TCG Consulting Wireless Generation Education2020 eduGRANT Services FirstSouthwest intelliVOL, Inc. NextEra Energy Solutions Public Consulting Group School Innovations & Advocacy SureScore

winter 2011

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INSIGHT

Texas Association of School Administrators

ANNUAL REPORT 2010–11

The Texas Association of School Administrators was formed in 1925. The purpose of the organization is to promote the progress of education in the state of Texas.

In pursuit of this objective, the association works for the improvement of instruction and administrative practices in the schools of the state. The association also works in close cooperation with the Texas Association of School Boards and the American Association of School Administrators in all areas of common interest.

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Mission,Vision, Goals, and Objectives Mission The mission of the Texas Association of School Administrators is to promote, provide, and develop leadership that champions educational excellence.

Vision TASA provides support for school leaders through: n n n n n n n n

Fostering programs and activities that focus on leadership development Impacting laws, policies, and practices that will improve education Supporting and promoting research-based decision making Developing, retaining, and supporting highly qualified educational leaders Cultivating positive school climates in which quality education can thrive Enhancing the influence of and respect for educational leaders Recognizing diversity and building on commonalities Serving as a catalyst for cooperative efforts

Goals and Objectives Quality Student Learning

Proactive Governmental Relations

To promote and provide leadership for the advancement of education in order to attain programs that result in high levels of student achievement

To impact laws, regulations, and decisions to improve the quality and effectiveness of education, and to elevate the status of educational leaders in the governmental decision-making process

Positive School Climates

Advanced Educational Technology

To engage in activities that foster positive climates for learning and to advocate as a high priority of our society a public understanding of and support for quality education

To promote the development and effective utilization of advanced educational and administrative approaches and technologies

Systemic School Improvement To promote ongoing, proactive leadership that recognizes and utilizes a systemic approach to improvement and restructuring in education

Ongoing Professional Development To offer high-quality, professional development opportunities for educational leaders in order to promote effective organizational management and leadership

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Synergistic Organizational Relationships To recognize and respect diversity and to build upon commonalities between educational organizations in efforts to achieve mutual goals for the benefit of Texas schoolchildren

Effective Member Assistance To provide educational leaders and their systems of education with well-managed, innovative services that assist in the orderly and effective discharge of professional responsibilities for quality education programs and student achievement

Revenue Making an Investment in Progress Engage in Leadership

Any strong, viable organization requires a continuing source of revenue to fulfill its goals and objectives, and TASA is no exception to that rule. In order to drive the development and delivery of association programs and services,TASA relies on diversified revenue sources, including: membership support TASA/TASB Convention seminars and training corporate sponsorships program endorsements building operations

©Brendan Byrne

• • • • • •

2010 –11 The chart below illustrates TASA’s revenue sources for 2010–11.

Texas Association of School Administrators Member Services and Benefits

18% 35% 10% 2%

Professional Development/Services Royalties/Sponsorships Miscellaneous Building Operations Convention Membership Dues

35% 23% 12% 2% 10% 18%

12% 23%

Corporate Partner Program 2010–2011 TEXAS ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS

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Governmental Relations With the active assistance of its members, TASA’s Governmental Relations Department has a vital role in keeping superintendents and other administrators informed of state legislative and policy decisions and pending actions.

2010–11 Highlights n

Devoted significant time, energy, and resources to

n

legislative and state policy matters. n

n

Established an archive of school finance articles on TASA’s home page, called “School Budgets in the News,” to provide our members with a list of articles and editorials, as well as Capitol Watch posts and reports on school finance issues, to demonstrate the magnitude and potential impact of reduced funding for Texas public schools.

n

n

n

changes to our accountability system and other issues that arose following the 2009 (81st) legislative session.

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Supported the “Save Texas Schools” and “Make Education a Priority” rallies held at the Texas Capitol, encouraging lawmakers to find the political courage to fund education adequately.

n

Monitored bills filed during the 82nd Regular Legislative Session and First Called Special Session related to education matters, and prepared summaries of bills tracked by TASA.

n

Sponsored an updated version of Tracking the Education Dollar in Texas Public Schools prepared by Moak, Casey & Associates, with overall information about how much money is spent on education in the state and in what areas, along with a breakdown of the education dollar from the perspective of the Texas public school student.

n

Prepared and submitted a legal brief challenging the State Board of Education’s interpretation of the statutory changes made by HB 2488 during the 81st Texas Legislature regarding textbook adoption issues.

Compiled a Final Bill Report on the 82nd Legislative Continued efforts to address school funding and equity issues, while simultaneously dealing with the

Co-hosted the TASA/TASB 2011 Legislative Conference with updates on legislative activities and proposed bills, preparing attendees to meet with legislators and staff.

Session and First Called Special Session. n

Hosted a fall pre-legislative session conference (The Next Generation in State Accountability) to provide up-todate information on state activity and how it might affect local districts.

Engaged legislators and policymakers year round in the legislative process by providing information and testimony to boards and agencies, including the State Board of Education, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, State Board for Educator Certification, Teacher Retirement System of Texas, and Texas Education Agency.

n

n

Provided continuous updates on legislative developments on the association’s Web site, TASAnet; and through Capitol Watch Alerts emailed to all our members when news of note happened at the Capitol, as well as through postings on EduSlate, TASA’s blogspot, to bring our members insight into what’s going on at the Capitol and around the state in the world of education policy, including up-to-the minute news and regular updates during the 82nd Regular Legislative Session and First Called Special Session; and tweets on Twitter, including the option of going directly to cell phones as text messages.

n

for superintendents and other school leaders to share with parents, teachers, community leaders, and locally elected officials on education issues that impact Texas public schools; included state budget and school finance data, changes in the accountability system from 2009 (highlights of HB 3), and changes to the school finance system in 2009 (highlights of HB 3646).

Monitored hearings and provided testimony regarding school finance; public school accountability; and other education-related issues, including support for the Texas High Performance Schools Consortium bill, a major step toward accomplishing the goals of TASA’s Public Education Visioning Network; and TASA’s work to exempt school districts from the “sanctuary cities” bill and to vigorously oppose any amendment that proposed to create a voucher program.

Developed a PowerPoint presentation tool for use with our Grassroots 2011 initiative, with talking points

n

Provided post-session legislative updates to regional education service centers, superintendents, and other organizations.

If you have questions for TASA’s Governmental Relations Department, please contact Associate Executive Director Amy Beneski (abeneski@tasanet.org).

Communications and Information Systems TASA makes every effort to maintain a strong and active communications program, providing information to help members command respect, spur activity, and win public support for their districts.

2010–11 Highlights n

Continued our presence on social networking sites Twitter and Facebook, providing information on several different platforms to get information out faster and to a wider group of people, allowing our members to use whatever tool works best for them.

n

Posted select podcasts and powerpoints to the TASA Podcast Library:  2011 TASA Midwinter Conference—General

Sessions and Distinguished Lectures:

Looking Forward to 2011, 2012, and 2013; Creating Balanced, Instructionally Sensitive Assessment Systems; Reading and Learning in a 21st Century World: The New Literacies of Online Reading Comprehension; Crucial Conversations about America’s Schools: Good News for School Leaders; Catching Up or Leading the Way: American Education in the Age of Globalization; What Is Quality Instruction for ELs? Fifth-Year Results from K–12 Programs; Learning to Speak Native: How Education Is Being Transformed in 140 Characters or Less; 21st Century Synthesis—Mixing Science and History to Create a Whole New Mind; Leadership as Lunacy: Deconstructing the Major Metaphors for Educational Leadership; Changing the Odds for Youth; Lessons Texas School Leaders Can Teach the Nation and One Another; Healthy Living: Your Links to Personal and Professional Success; School Budgeting in Hard Times: Confronting Cutbacks and Critics; and Move and Learn!

Naperville (IL) Central High School’s Learning Readiness PE Program  2010 TASA/TASB Convention—Digital Learning

Pavilion Documentary:

The Welcome, The Teacher at Home, The 21st Century Classroom, Learning in the Community, The Student at Home, and Wrap Up n

Created a series of podcasts for our facebook pages, offering a second venue for members to view videos produced for our membership, including DLP Documentary, How 2 TASA Twitter, Floydada ISD SyfrSpace Interview, TASA Accountability Forum, and TASA Services & Benefits.

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PRO FESS IONA L

Provided Hot Off the Bench, a publication prepared

by Educational Research Service, to TASA membership, highlighting recent court rulings involving schools, teachers, and administrators.

n

Supported/promoted SXSWedu in conjunction with the

JOU RNA L

INSIGHT

SPRING 2011

ADM INIS TRAT ORS ION OF SCH OOL TEXA S ASSO CIAT

n

Texas Education Agency, including its inaugural educational conference celebrating Texas’ new K–12 education portal, Project Share. n

Developed a SyfrSpace informational video explaining the basics of SyfrSpace, an e-learning Web site that helps school districts use ideas outside of education to transform themselves into 21st century organizations.

Who’s Who in Texas Public

n

Launched TASA Connect, the association’s online professional networking site, exclusively for TASA members; serves as a gateway to a virtual, statewide community of education professionals, providing the perfect forum to discuss hot topics, share ideas, and network with peers 24/7.

n

Published TASA Daily, the association’s daily news bulletin, packed with newsclips, updates from state/ education organizations, TASA and AASA news, and more; e-mailed to all members and posted on TASAnet.

n

Published Interchange, TASA’s monthly newsletter; e-mailed to all members and posted on TASAnet.

n

Published INSIGHT, TASA’s professional quarterly journal,

Schools

ectory Membership Dir10–2011 20

©Brendan Byrne

now available in an interactive online version posted on TASAnet, as well as a hard copy mailed to all members.

Texas Associati

on of School Adm

inistrators

n

Published Who’s Who in Texas Public Schools, TASA’s popular annual Membership Directory, with distribution to all TASA members.

n

Collaborated with Educational Research Service through TASA Research Connection to produce a 2011–12 Planning Calendar for Texas Schools for TRC subscribers.

CONNECT

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If you have questions for TASA’s Communications and Information Systems Department, please contact Assistant Executive Director Ann Halstead (ahalstead@tasanet.org).

Professional Development A great portion of time, energy, and talent on the part of TASA’s professional development and special services staff, as well as the advisory committees that assist them, are devoted to planning and executing effective programs designed to meet the needs of today’s education leader.

2010–11 Highlights Initiatives n

noted experts in curriculum, assessment, and instructional improvement.

Expanded the work of the original Visioning Institute (2006–2008) through the newly created Public Education Visioning Network (TVN), a collaboration of districts bound together by their desire to connect and learn more

n

Continued partnership with the Schlechty Center to provide support in identified Texas school districts, including a customized Standard-Bearer School District Network and The Schlechty Center Texas Engagement Consortia (consortia of five or more districts).

n

Conducted curriculum management audits to support alignment of curriculum, instruction, and assessment in Texas schools.

T R A N S F O R M I N G E D U C AT I O N

TASA

VISIONING NETWORK

Texas Association of School Administrators

about realizing the “New Vision” in their own local districts.

The Network’s focus is on the development of innovative, next-generation learning, assessment, and accountability standards for Texas public schools. n

Launched the New Vision Implementation Guide: From Vision to Results, which includes a set of tools to assist districts in implementing the New Vision, by moving the six themes in Creating a New Vision for Public Education in Texas from concept level to leadership action and successful implementation in schools; serves as a “roadmap” for going to scale across all district instructional and support systems.

n

Completed the second phase of the Collaborative Teacher Induction Project, made possible by a grant

TASA Midwinter Conference & Education Expo n

4,300 attendees. n

Continued the Public School Research Scholars Program in partnership with the Center for Research, Evaluation and Advancement of Teacher Education (CREATE) in an effort to encourage practicing teachers and administrators within the Texas Public Schools Research Network (TPSRN) districts to develop doctoral research in areas of teacher quality and effectiveness and to support their implementation of successful dissertation research in the field.

n

Targeted professional development to the needs of superintendents and central office administrators by offering quality seminars and institutes through the Texas Leadership Center and the Texas Curriculum Management Audit Center, aligned to TASA’s mission and goals, featuring

Facilitated interaction with other practitioners and presenters who tackle the issues head-on, offering realworld solutions for everyday challenges.

n

Exhibited products and services from more than 300 vendors from across Texas and the nation to help districts make the right choices.

n

Partnered with Core-Apps to present Midwinter Conference attendees and exhibitors with an exciting new smartphone mobile application called “Follow Me,” to use before, during, and after the conference to enhance the conference experience.

from The Houston Endowment awarded to the Texas Leadership Center, to schedule awareness sessions for Texas superintendents and ESC staff at the 20 regional education service centers at TASA Study Group meetings. n

Provided sessions, exhibits, showcases for more than

n

Recognized TASA Honorary Life Members, Superintendent of the Year, Administrator of the Year, Principals of the Year, Teachers of the Year, United States Department of Education Blue Ribbon Schools, H-E-B Excellence in Education Award Recipients, Milken National Educator Award Recipients, and Texas Business and Education Coalition Honor Roll Schools for their dedication and commitment to the schoolchildren of Texas.

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Executive Development



Texas Association

of School Administrator

s

2010 –11

Professional ities Learning Opportun

yourself with Do you need to equip ts necessary to the skills and concep the curriculum objectively evaluate in your district? management system better decisions Do you need to make factors that about the issues and ance? impact student perform

II. TM Training , Levels I and Management Audit Join us for Curriculum either order.)

(May be attended in te curriculum and

examine and evalua to prepare you to t achievement.

Level I—designed to improve studen ent issues in order assessment alignm October 19–22, 2010 Level I dates in Austin May 10–13, 2011 te systems-based evalua and e examin to prepare you to and learning.

Level II—designed effective teaching ze the delivery of issues in order to optimi March 8–11, 2011 ized for your Level II dates in Austin TM Training can be custom ement Audit Curriculum Manag . on-site district and offered

tand what is Do you want to unders capacity required to build district for change? understandings and Do you want new ing the direction strategies for sustain innovative work of your district and direction? that supports that

Visit TASAnet.org for n n

information on:

any Leadership is open to for Transformational about The TASA Academy wants to learn more , or campus leader who superintendent, district students, and the entire districts so that all staff, education public vital transforming school and y health benefits of a community realize the system.

lated themes probe four interre s, participants will hip by reading, In four, two-day session ces) tied to transformational leaders activities, Resour red discussions and (Key Concepts and g through structu ideas in their deepening their thinkininvited speakers, and applying new with exchanging ideas workplaces. ship Transformational Leader TASA Academy for October 14–15, 2010 TASA Headquarters, December 9–10, 2010 Austin February 10–11, 2011 March 24–25, 2011

y tendents’ Academ y First-Time Superin tendents’ Academ and Aspiring Superin Midwinter Conference

n

TASA First-time Superintendents’ Academy

n

Aspiring Superintendents’ Academy

n

Academy for Transformational Leadership

n

Learning for Leadership: A Mentoring Program for Texas Superintendents

n

Budget Boot Camps

Other General Events n

TASA/TASB Convention

n

Cosponsor of Texas Assessment Conference and Texas Association of Collegiate Testing Personnel Conference

n

TASA/Texas A&M University Administrative Leadership Institute

n

UT/TASA Summer Conference on Education

hout 2010–11 Four sessions throug 2, 2011 January 30–February

Institutes and Seminars n

Levels I and II Curriculum Management Audit Training

n

Leadership Development Process (Training of Trainers)

n

50 Ways to Close the Achievement Gap

n

Learning with iPad (A Special Workshop for Superintendents Only)

Texas Curriculum Management Audit Center Offered in cooperation with Curriculum Management Systems, Inc., focused specifically in optimizing audit services for Texas school districts in a cost-effective manner [Conducted 1—McAllen ISD]; and offered customized Downey Walk-Through seminars and other trainings for districts, thus saving the high costs of travel for district leaders and developing leadership capacity within districts.

Customized Services n

The Downey Three-Minute Walk-Through [Conducted 5—Northeast ISD (2), Northside ISD (1), Southwest ISD (2)]

n

Level I Curriculum Management Audit Training [Conducted 3—Mansfield ISD (2), Galena Park ISD (1)]

n

50 Ways to Close the Achievement Gap [Conducted 1—Birdville ISD]

Texas Leadership Center A 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization supported by TASA that provides grant services and conducts seminars to strengthen the leadership of Texas schools.

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If you have questions regarding activities of the Texas Curriculum Audit Center, Texas Leadership Center, or Professional Learning, please contact TASA Associate Executive Director Susan Holley (sholley@tasanet.org).

Administrative Services The Administrative Services Department monitors current research, trends, and developments in education and provides professional assistance and support to TASA members on matters related to school leadership and management.

2010–11 Highlights n

n

Administered TASA’s Legal Support Program, which offers two hours of legal consultation related to the superintendent’s employment contract, superintendent/board relations, and other topics related to professional duties and employment rights, provided through TASA by General Counsel Neal W. Adams, Adams, Lynch & Loftin, P.C.; more than 135 members took advantage of this service.

Offered superintendent mentoring services to 32 new superintendents.

n

Continued the Research Connection in partnership with Educational Research Service (ERS), offering publications and resources designed to keep school district leadership teams alert and highly informed.

n

Conducted facility planning studies for school districts, designed to assist in addressing requirements related to space, educational programming, and long-range planning—1 standard study [Christoval ISD]; 1 basic study [Wells ISD]; and 1 enrollment study [La Feria ISD].

n

Planned and coordinated or co-directed major statewide conferences and executive development programs (See listing under Professional Development).

n

Received a second $1 million grant for the Texas Leadership Center, a 501(c)(3) arm of TASA, from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to continue efforts to link students to affordable healthcare options. The grant is part of the second cycle of two-year grants under the Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act (CHIPRA) of 2009.

n

Offered field services to statewide membership through a team of member services representatives.

n

Assisted in liaison activities with the American Association of School Administrators, the Texas Association of School Boards, and other professional associations and state agencies.

n

Represented the association at national, state, regional, and local meetings.

If you have questions regarding activities of the Administrative Services Department, please contact Associate Executive Director Paul L. Whitton, Jr. (pwhitton@tasanet.org).

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TASA Staff 2010–11 Corporate Headquarters Staff Johnny L. Veselka

Executive Director (8/5/74)

Amy Beneski

Associate Executive Director, Governmental Relations (5/6/02)

Susan Holley

Associate Executive Director, Instructional Support and Leadership Development (5/1/07)

Paul L. Whitton, Jr.

Associate Executive Director, Administrative Services (2/1/01)

n

Ramiro Canales

Assistant Executive Director, Governmental Relations (1/10/05)

Ann M. Halstead

Assistant Executive Director, Communications and Information Systems (11/17/86)

Casey McCreary

Assistant Executive Director, Education Policy and Leadership Development (4/16/07)

Pat Johnston

Director, Special Services (1/4/70)

Jenny LaCoste-Caputo

Director, Communications and Media Relations (8/12/10)

n

Denise Burns

Executive Assistant, Executive Director’s Office (6/9/08)

Maria Cruz

Administrative Secretary II,Administrative Services (9/26/07)

Kimberly Ferraro

Administrative Secretary II, Instructional Support and Leadership Development (2/8/10)

Jennifer Martter Garrido

Administrative Secretary II, Governmental Relations (12/1/10)

Kara Hamann

Controller (8/5/08)

Anne Harpe

Graphics Coordinator (5/29/07)

Karen Limb

Editorial Coordinator (3/13/91)

Mark Pyeatt

Accountant, Registration Services (3/1/00)

Albert Rivas

Webmaster (1/1/01)

Marita Rogers

Receptionist (9/1/88)

Montana Singer

Accounting Clerk (8/23/10)

Brettany Zirkle

Manager, Membership & Data Services (1/1/01)

Dates in parentheses indicate employment date

44

Member Services Representatives Larry Coffman

Regions 9, 16, and 17

Stephanie Cravens

Regions 3, 4, 5, and 6

Roy Dodds

Regions 12, 14, 15, and 18

Terry Harlow

Regions 7, 8, 10, 11, and 13

M. Roel Peña

Regions 1, 2, 19, and 20

Consultant Jerry Gideon

Facility Planning

Corporate Partners

President’s Circle

2010–11

Platinum

Gold

TASA Corporate Partner Program In 2010–11,TASA received support from 50 corporate partners, mutually benefiting the association and the corporate partner.

TASA’s Corporate Partner Program offers a wide array of advertising, sponsorship, and exhibitor opportunities for businesses interested in supporting the association and expanding their recognition and visibility in Texas. Each level of the program is designed to offer our partners quality exposure to association members. Partners at the President’s Circle and Platinum levels also have the option of customizing special events and opportunities.

A listing of the various levels and opportunities for Corporate Partners is available online at www.tasanet.org.

If you have questions regarding the association’s Corporate Partner Program, please contact TASA Executive Director Johnny Veselka (jveselka@tasanet.org) or Director of Special Services Pat Johnston (pjohnston@tasanet.org).

Silver

Bronze

Apple CTB McGraw-Hill/School Education Group Houghton Mifflin Harcourt/SkillsTutor Pearson SHW Group SMART Technologies Tango Software The Princeton Review/Penn Foster CompassLearning CORE K12 IBM Cognos Software Indeco Sales, Inc. PBK Scholastic SchoolCity, Inc. Scientific Learning TCPN Creating & Managing Wealth, LLC Discovery Education Durham School Services Ignite! Learning LifeTrack Services, Inc. Renaissance Learning SureScore The College Board The Learning Together Company Balfour Cisco Linebarger Goggan Blair & Sampson, LLP Reasoning Mind, Inc. TCG Consulting, LP Alton Lynch Associates Cambridge Strategic Services, LLC Classworks D2SC Education2020 EduGRANT First Southwest Company FPL Energy Services K12 Excellence, Inc. Laying the Foundation School Innovations & Advocacy Sodexo Standards Plus Time To Know VALIC 45 Wireless Generation

Texas Association of School Administrators 406 East 11th Street • Austin, TX 78701-2617 512.477.6361 (local) • 800.725.8272 (toll-free) 512.482.8658 (fax) www.tasanet.org

46

CONNECT Budget restricting your travel?

Relax!

We just made the state of Texas your neighborhood.

Share.

Network.

Discuss.

Collaborate.

It’s free. It’s easy. And it’s all yours.

Visit us online to learn more! • www.tasanet.org winter 2011

47

Texas Association of School Administrators

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

406 East 11th Street Austin, TX 78701-2617

Things that go round and round.

Purchase school buses and other types of vehicles on the BuyBoard.ÂŽ

buyboard.com • 800.695.2919

TASA proudly endorses