October 16, 2014 | Sign up to receive THE TEACHERS EDITION.
 STATE AND LOCAL LEADERSHIP
Striking a Balance
Between Instruction and Assessment
Officials from the Council of Chief State School
Officers (CCSSO) and the Council of the Great City
Schools (CGCS) announced steps to
ensure that assessments are used in responsive ways that "strike the
right balance between instruction and assessment."
Chief State
school officers committed to:
- Increase
transparency by publishing an easily accessible list of all state
assessments;
- Evaluate
the quality and coherence of state assessment systems;
- Work
with stakeholders to eliminate redundant assessments; and
- Partner
with school districts to review their benchmark and formative
assessments.
Large urban
school districts committed to:
- Review
all assessments administered to determine alignment, appropriateness, and
technical quality;
- Convene
a task force to review findings from a comprehensive survey of district
testing and make recommendations for improvement;
- Streamline
and/or eliminate assessments found to be low quality, redundant, or
inappropriately used; and
- Improve
the use of assessment results to enhance classroom instruction and curtail
counterproductive test prep practices.
Learn more
from CCSSO and CGCS.
In response
to the announcement, Arne Duncan said, "[I]n some places, tests –
and preparation for them – are dominating the calendar and culture of schools
and causing undue stress for students and educators. I welcome the action
announced today by state and district leaders, which will bring new energy and
focus to improving assessment of student learning. My Department will support
that effort." Read his complete statement.
Late this
summer, Duncan made remarks
about difficulties arising from over-testing and from tying test scores to
teacher evaluations too soon, giving states an option to apply for more time
before tying new tests to evaluations. Read Motoko Rich's (NY
Times) story about
the testing announcement. Read Duncan's blog, where he
describes how "testing issues are sucking the oxygen out of the room
in a lot of schools."
DREAM BIG TEACHER CHALLENGE
Vote to Fund a Teacher's $100,000 Dream
In May 2014, Farmers Insurance announced their Dream Big Teacher Challenge, inviting educators across America to tell what they would do with a $100,000 grant. They have since selected 15 finalists and have posted summaries of their $100,000 grant proposals.
Educators can view the videos, read the stories and vote for the ones they deem most worthy. Five teachers, one from each zone, will be awarded the $100,000 grant. Voting will continue through midnight, November 30, 2014. Learn more.
Organizations Rally
to Support Teacher Leadership
Thirty-seven organizations have joined the Teach to Lead effort to grow opportunities for teacher leadership. Since the original announcement last week, colleagues from Aspen
Institute Education and Society Program, Knowles
Science Teaching Foundation, Boston
Teachers Union, Boston
Teacher Leadership Certificate Program at Teachers21, the National Writing Project and the Fund
for Transforming Education in Kentucky have agreed to support teacher leadership through Teach to Lead. Read the complete list.
HOW TEACHER LEADERSHIP AFFECTS CLASSROOM SKILL (AND VICE-VERSA). In this interesting EdWeek column, Palo Alto (Calif.) English teacher David Cohen follows three teachers, examining how their classroom practice contributes to their teacher leadership and how their leadership transforms what they do in the classroom.
AN INVITATION TO COMMIT TO LEAD. Teaching Ambassador Fellow and Nebraska teacher Maddie Fennell invites teachers and other school leaders to join the dialogue and move forward teacher leadership.
LEADERSHIP IN ACTION. Check out this week's inspirational stories of teacher leadership in action on the Teach to Lead website.
• Utah's Allison Riddle, with
the support of her principal, created a hybrid position to mentor teachers
without leaving the classroom.
• New Jersey's Michael Dunlea organized
a team of school and community volunteers to help students’ families rebuild
after Hurricane Sandy hit their New Jersey township.
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 COLLEGE BOARD
When Changing Up the Test Is Good
After seeing stagnant results on the 2013 SAT, College
Board is making changes. They are redesigning the age-old test to align it more closely with what
students learn in their classrooms and to redesign how results are reported.
They began by releasing the 2014 results from multiple tests simultaneously, so that educators can look at results and create more opportunities for
students.
By making these changes, the Board hopes to “paint a more complete picture of student progress during high school,
revealing missed opportunities for just-graduated students, and showing areas
where action can be taken to improve student outcomes for those still in
school.”
The
number of students taking the SAT has increased every year, including more
minority and low- income students, but there are has been no equivalent
increase in the number of students who show they are college and career ready (Bidwell,
US News & World Report).
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 POST-VERGARA RECOMMENDATIONS
On Tenure, Evaluation & Dismissal
In June 2014, the Los Angeles (Calif.) Superior Court struck down provisions in the state's education statutes that deal with tenure, dismissal and layoff policies. At an event in Washington, D.C. last week, Teach Plus unveiled a report prepared by 30 L.A. teachers who did extensive research on the issues and made smart recommendations about where to go from here.
Their recommendations include strategies to strengthen tenure and make it more meaningful and to value experience and performance when making layoffs. They also include safeguards to protect due process for teachers.
Kat Czujko, a lead author and teacher, said she believes teachers should lead on these issues and take ownership of the profession rather than waiting around for the appeals process to play out. "These recommendations will elevate the teaching profession," she said. Read the report.
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SPECIAL ED
Every Child Means Every Child
In an op-ed Baltimore school
board and president of the Baltimore Special Education Advocacy Coalition Kalman R. Hettleman lauds Arne Duncan’s remarks that outcomes for special
education students "are simply too low," with his own take on the subject. "Disabled students aren't as disabled as you think," writes Hettleman. While the challenges for schools and districts can be daunting, Hettleman argues, “It is legally and morally wrong for the learning potential of students with disabilities to be underestimated.” Read more (Baltimore Sun).
Parents of students with
disabilities and leading researchers agree. A recent report by the leading research institute on accountability in special education, the National Center on
Education Outcomes, argues, "The vast
majority of special education students (80-85 percent) can meet the same
achievement standards as other students if they are given specially designed
instruction, appropriate access, supports and accommodations as required
by federal law."
 Principal Chat
ELLSPERMANN NAMED NASSP PRINCIPAL OF THE YEAR. Seeing
no limit to her students’ potential and her school’s potential to help them
fulfill it, West Port High School (Ocala, Florida) principal Jayne
Ellspermann was named 2015 National Principal of the Year by the National Association of
Secondary School Principals. Learn about her passion and focus on personalization, academic rigor,
and collaborative leadership in Madeline Will’s guest blog and the celebration that
followed the announcement in Joe Callahan’s article.
GREAT ASSISTANCE. Dr.
Jared Bigham, Director of College & Career Readiness for SCORE,
which supports Tennessee's work to prepare students for college and the
workforce, guest blogs about the assistant principal role in Education Week. His post, "Rethinking
the Role of the Assistant Principal," challenges the perception of the
position and urges readers to “stop viewing the position as a waypoint and
start viewing it as a destination.”
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 MORE THAN INTERCHANGEABLE PARTS
The Widget Effect at Five
Since the release
of The
Widget Effect, many states and districts have revamped teacher
evaluation systems to reflect the job teachers are
doing, by making evaluation ratings relevant in teacher placement, professional
development, compensation, retention, and dismissal decisions.
Yet for all the attention the initial report has received, Tim Daly reports on the TNTP blog
that the widget effect persists and indifference toward
instructional quality endures. Watch his blog,
to find out where teacher evaluation stands five years after the report.
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 CORE MATERIALS. Achieve the Core has released a set of materials to liven up math and ELA lessons now that teachers have had time to get to know their students. The materials are available for every grade, with mathematical tasks that reflect the focus, coherence and rigor of the Common Core State Standards. For more ideas, check out Illustrative Mathematics. If you haven't already seen it, check out this smart three-to-six-day lesson on teaching a close reading of the Gettysburg Address, published last year.
WHAT YOU MEASURE GETS DONE. Former Chair and CEO of Lockheed Martin Norman Augustine describes the Common Core standards as “very
important” because they focus on results that have real consequences. Talking with engineering
students at the University of Alabama, Augustine laments that some states have dropped
them for political reasons and defends their importance in our schools. Read more (Lee Roop, Ala.com).
NO RIGOR MORTIS HERE. A new report by the Center
on Education Policy at George Washington University found that 90% of
school district leaders agree that the new standards are more rigorous than
their state’s previous standards in math and English language arts. District leaders also said they are increasingly challenged by the need to overcome resistance. Read the report.
 Tools for Students
AVERAGE STUDENT DEBT = $24,301. Paying back student debt has taken
center stage, causing some students to question whether higher education
is worth it. This video featuring
American Council of Trustees and Alumni
president Anne D. Neal and vice
president of policy Michael Poliakoff explores what colleges spend their money on and the how their spending affects student debt. The film, directed by James Mackenzie and produced by Mary Mackenzie, is sponsored by the
Moving Picture Institute.
WHAT'S THE BEST WAY TO AVOID LONG-TERM COLLEGE DEBT? Clare
McCann, an education policy analyst at the New America Foundation, argues that completing
college may be the best way to avoid defaulting on student loans. Her analysis found that over 60% of those beginning school in 2003-04 who defaulted on student loans six years later did not
have a degree. Of all dropouts, one in four was unemployed in 2009, twice
the rate of those with bachelor’s degrees. The piece closes on the fact that
88% of those that graduated and defaulted held only certificates, arguing that colleges
offering “low-value certificate programs...are doing the borrowers at their
schools a disservice.” Read the article (The Hill).
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 BOSTON (MASS.) PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Parent University Pays Off
The PROGRESS blog recently reported on the commitment of the Boston Public Schools to engage parents and community members in turning around low-achieving schools. To engage parents in their children’s education, BPS’ Office of Family and Student Engagement launched a Parent University and placed an outreach coordinator at each school to help faculty and staff build productive relationships with families and community members.
Five years later, this investment is paying dividends, with schools across Boston seeing increases in proficiency rates for English language arts and mathematics.
“We view parents as partners and a necessary piece of the puzzle for improving student achievement,” said Meghan Welch, director of operations at Orchard Gardens, one of the Boston schools. “We want parents to be involved, so our school is open to families. Parents see teachers and know them. They see staff in action. It helps avoid misunderstandings. And if something is not going well, parents know it is okay to come in and talk because they have been here before for positive events.”
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 Good Stuff for Eduwonks
WRAP-AROUND SERVICES. ED has awarded $4.7 million to nine partnerships to help improve the quality of elementary and secondary education and bolster community-wide, comprehensive services for students, families and their communities. Learn more.
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 Teachers' Notes
• FISHMAN APPLICATIONS OPEN. TNTP just opened applications and nominations for the 2015 Fishman Prize for Superlative Classroom Practice, one of the most prestigious teaching awards. The Fishman Prize is the only national award exclusively for exceptional
teachers in high-poverty public schools. Four winners a year from across the
country receive $25,000, gain national recognition, and spend a summer
reflecting on teaching, meeting with education leaders, and writing a short
collection of essays on their best teaching practices.
Nominate the best teacher you know. Our friends at TNTP tell us that three of the four 2014 Fishman Prize winners decided to apply because of a nomination.
Check out essays of the 2014 winners, who offer a lens into their extraordinary classrooms.
• NO APP FOR GOOD TEACHING. In this blog, Laura Moorhead shares eight strategies to think about technology that actually improve learning in the classroom (TED).
• SHARE MY LESSON. Share My Lesson is an online platform
where teachers share and collaborate on classroom lesson
plans and materials. The site offers 300,000 free teaching materials and
lesson plans, as well as over 24,000 Common Core related materials covering all
subjects in grades K-12. Created by the American Federation of Teachers and TES Global, the website currently has over 595,000 users
across the nation.
• DEEPER LEARNING,
BETTER OUTCOMES. An American Institute of
Research’s report, Study
of Deeper Learning: Opportunities and Outcomes, found that students who attended schools that focused
on deeper content knowledge learn more. Deeper learning leads to a greater ability to apply knowledge and skills
to tasks and situations inside and outside of school, they found. Read more.
• TENNESSEE TEACHERS
GIVE TIPS ON TECHNOLOGY. During Connected Educator Month, teachers at TNClassroomchronicles.org are
sharing tips on ways technology helps them in their classrooms. Find out why fourth grade teacher Ashley Wolfenbarger urges teachers to
focus on the positive and what she learned about managing and creating content
in her blog, "Three Tricks for Integrating Technology
in Your Class."
• A SECOND CHANCE AT MATH. Professor of Applied Mathematics at Cornell University Steven Strogatz is challenging students who had an unpleasant experience with math to take his undergraduate introductory
math course for non-math majors. The curriculum is called Discovering the Art of Mathematics:
Mathematical Inquiry in the Liberal Arts (DAoM). Developed at Westfield State University by Julian
Fleron and three colleagues and funded by a National Science Foundation grant, the DAoM approach is
publicly available through a free collection of books and workshops. Find out more.
(Jessica
Lahey, Atlantic).
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GREEN STRIDES WEBINAR SERIES
Going Green
The Green Strides Webinar Series provides tools for school communities to reduce their environmental impact and costs; improve health and wellness; and teach effective environmental education. It provides all schools access to the resources that help them move toward the Pillars of our U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools recognition award. Here are some of their upcoming webinars for educators:
Oct. 21, 2014, 2 - 3:15 p.m. Financing Energy Efficient Upgrades with ENERGY STAR (ENERGY STAR)
Oct. 21, 2014, 2 - 3:30 p.m. Basics of School Integrated Pest Management (EPA)
Oct. 21, 2014, 6:30–7:30 p.m. K-2 NASA
Education Series: Pt. 1. Literacy Components
(NASA)
Oct. 22, 2014, 11a.m.–12 p.m. Earth System
Science Series: Part 2 – Remote Sensing (NASA)
Nov.
11, 2014, 7 – 8:30 p.m Eco-Schools USA Dashboard: Goals, Metrics, Success! (NWF)
 Top 5 Quotes
Wisdom from educators heard by ED
5. "I was given tenure just for showing up for two years. I didn't even realize I'd gotten it." (Teacher, Los Angeles, Calif.)
4. "[Demonstrating ability for several years] to attain tenure will raise the status of the teaching profession." (Teacher, Washington, D.C.)
3. "I love teaching. I'm at home having so many futures standing in front of me every day." (Teacher)
2. "Teacher diversity will continue to be an issue in education until the teaching profession receives the same level of respect as other professions thought of as 'more glamorous.'" (Kelly on the blog)
1. "Teacher diversity is also important for youth who live in suburban environments." (Doryce L Smith on the blog)
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