With the completion of graduation ceremonies and various end of school year events, most school administrators take a moment to breathe a sigh of relief and a smile for a job well done. After the handshakes and “pats on the back,” the reality of reorganizing the district or school begins to set in.

In many districts and schools, this process was set in motion weeks before the closing or end of year ceremonies but fine-tuning the process begins in earnest at the end of the year.  There are schedules to be developed or refined, teachers to be assigned or reassigned, teachers to be hired, bus schedules to be developed and mailings scheduled for delivery.  Each activity has a timeline and is choreographed to reflect an organization that knows how to turn itself around for the next school year.  Within each step, there is an inherent message that we’ve done this before and we know how to open and run a school or district. Way too often, it is simply replicating the status quo.

Again, while districts are excellent at opening the doors for another year and duplicating past programming, few schools or districts take the time to review how they can improve performance.  Few take the time to have frank discussions with staff as to what worked and what did not.  Even fewer districts and schools offer administrative, board and teacher retreats in the summer to discuss district goals, attainment of those goals, indicators of success or frankly how they can “tweak” instruction, policies or procedures that can ultimately make a difference between success or failure.  Few take the time to locate the disconnections or obstructions that hinder student achievement and student success.

All too often the focus on the new school year is on important operational procedures such as lunch coverage, hallway duty, elective coverages, in-house suspension, staff coverage, assignments and disciplinary procedures that allow the school to run in a smooth manner but often performance issues, in the context of school reopening meetings, is not considered a priority.  Rarely, do the organizational meetings address how children are learning, why they learned a particular concept or how we can engage them more effectively in the classroom. Even more rare at the secondary level are discussions about the number of students failing a particular subject and why.  Overall, instructional discussions devolve into the number of times faculty will be observed, the procedures around observation (announced or unannounced) and possibly criteria for those observations etc.

Recognizing that Performance is Key, Cotter and Hassler developed the School Systems Crosscheck to assist in the identification of disconnections within a school or district that impede or hinder student achievement.  The data from this instrument can stimulate discussions in the summer as to how to improve learning and ignite student achievement! Sometimes the difference between success and failure is simply found within the nuance of implementation but to find that nuance you have to dialogue about performance.

Dr. Vincent F. Cotter and Dr. Robert D. Hassler

Having recently attended the National School Boards Association Conference in San Antonio, Texas, an overwhelming concern expressed to us was the question of how to address stagnant or poor student achievement in a school or school district.  Some board members were even concerned that any internal dialogue about student achievement to other board members or the superintendent might actually upset the “apple cart” of existing relationships and plummet the school or district into one of conflict and dysfunction.

While we recognize the importance of having a functional board that has a positive relationship with the superintendent, we also do not believe that having a dialogue about achievement and maintaining a positive relationship are mutually exclusive of each other.   It’s not a conversation that should be avoided but rather embraced because each student’s future depends on it.  Public education is often a family’s only option and is really the only equalizer to social mobility. To reach higher performance levels all stakeholders must discuss it with integrity and mutual respect.

At the same time, we believe that discussing student achievement among board members and the superintendent is really one of charting the future by incorporating transparency and collaboration into the process.  It is not about micromanaging a district but rather providing a direction for improvement and aligning the resources to do it.

The Exemplary Schools Organization approach is a focused investment in the human potential of your district without the disruption or turmoil of meaningless change. Some might say, Why? We choose to say, Why Not! We prefer to say that it is not about Excuses but rather Solutions! It is about working together in a synergistic manner.

As a board member, we encourage you to enjoin all stakeholders on the journey toward higher performance.  It is not about blame or the past but rather a collaborative problem solving to reach the future.  It is the essence of a team working toward the expected and entrusted goal of higher performance.

FAQ

Isn’t Student Achievement the Superintendent’s job?

For sure but every member of the team can play a role.  If achievement in your school or district is flat, stagnant or poor, you have a responsibility to begin a dialogue about how it can be reversed.  This dialogue is not adversarial but rather collegial, professional and collaborative. Remember the board is about the big picture and the superintendent’s role is about the “weeds” of actual implementation.

Will a discussion on achievement change my relationship with the Superintendent or fellow board members?

It depends on how the topic is discussed.  We believe that if the topic is approached in a collaborative, problem-solving manner, then it should not and the superintendent should welcome such a partnership on such a complex issue.

How do I convince fellow board members or other “fence sitters” to engage in such a discussion?

While board members are usually elected or appointed due to campaign positions, the overarching responsibility of each board member is to assure that each student, upon graduation, is prepared for the future.  In doing so, each student should have the inherent right to maximize their learning potential.  It is each board member’s moral and ethical responsibility to deliver this inherent right which supersedes any election platform or promise. Parents expect it and Students deserve it!

Does a focus on student achievement actually cost more money?

Not really.  We believe that our approach focuses on building the internal capacity of the organization by identifying the disconnections that impede student performance.

How does the Exemplary Schools Organization get everyone on the “same page?”

We utilize data through an instrument that highlights the disconnections among stakeholders.  When combined with other data, it will provide a pathway toward improvement and establishes a sense of urgency to collaborate toward a common goal.

What process does the Exemplary Schools Organization advocate?

First and foremost, we are about collaboration, team, and transparency. In the end, all stakeholders of the organization must believe in the process and the plan to reach higher performance levels.  We begin by eliminating the disconnections and then unifying everyone in a course of action that is reflective of the district’s values, beliefs, mission, and goals but also one that focuses on Alignment, Atmosphere, Accountability and Adept Leadership of the organization.

 

Syndrome of School Improvement
(*pronounced Lint, Tint, and Nint)

We have all experienced the LYNT, TYNT and NYNT syndrome of school improvement efforts in our career as educators.  Nothing deflates the energy of staff more than a feeling of “here we go again” with a new program to improve our performance.   Our experiences as a former superintendents, building principals,  classroom teachers and now as independent consultants have clearly demonstrated that the Last Year’s New Thing (LYNT), This Year’s New Thing (TYNT), and Next Year’s New Thing (NYNT) approach to school improvement has not only dominated many school improvement efforts but is alive and strong. 

All too often it seems that someone reads an article or attends a conference and learns about a new program promising to improve student performance, close the Achievement Gap, improve student engagement, enhance teacher instructional skills, etc., etc., etc.  Usually, these are followed by new initiatives, expenditures for new programs, new texts are put into place or new professional development strategies are introduced.  These new models may be approached with great enthusiasm only to fall short of their intended results.  As independent consultants, we have the opportunity to visit many schools and witness, all too often, what stands in the way of realizing the promises made and the skepticism these implementation flaws create. 

Before any new program or initiative is introduced we propose that an evaluation of the current program/approach be conducted to identify the nuances that are standing in the way of realizing the desired results that the current programs promised.  In other words, how and what can we do to improve our current programs?  This is the hard work of school improvement and requires a roll up your sleeves mentality.    

A great example is the current focus on improving teacher evaluation tools to enhance instructional skills in our classrooms that almost every state has required. The instructional framework and rubrics developed by various researchers are excellent tools designed to improve instructional practices and, in turn, improve student improvement. 

However, after working with districts throughout the country, we have seen that the new models are not necessarily changing practice or delivering the improvement promised.  The deficiency does not rest with the models but rather an all too often common problem – a flawed implementation process.  We have come away with a feeling that new requirements have been implemented in a check-off manner (TYNT), and school leaders are already looking for or addressing next year’s new thing (NYNT).    

We propose that instead these new efforts, programs, initiatives need to be kept front and center and continually revisited over the long run.  Instead, however, we have returned to schools/districts and have heard the all too often refrain in so many words,

“We did that!”  And, they are now focused on the “Next new thing.” 

We can all agree that teaching is one of the most complicated and difficult skills.  Therefore, we cannot continue to operate in a “We did that” mode?   This is just one of the many examples of the LYNT, TYNT and NYNT model.  But, there are many schools/districts that do understand what must transpire for real change to take place and improve existing programs.  We encourage you to share some of your success stories that have changed the results in your school/district. 

“Analyzing Over 100 Factors impacting Higher Performance”

The next time you take a flight, take a moment to observe the preflight process that is taking place on the plane prior to departing the gate. While passengers are busily being seated, the pilots are checking systems to ensure that everything is functioning properly.  On a plane, there are a variety of systems that must function properly for the plane to reach peak performance. Many of these complex systems are dependent on each other with a level of redundancy built into them to prevent any major malfunction. The gauges in the cockpit act as primary indicators of performance but as most pilots would argue, there are subtle features in handling the plane that can forewarn those in control that performance is being impeded in some way.

Much like in aviation, education has many moving and interrelated components. While attending exclusively to one component may contribute to better performance, the interrelationships of these components establish the connections which make higher performance possible. When the organization is “running on all eight cylinders,” a synergy of effort unleashes internal creativity and capacity. Organizational decision making, resource allocation, methodological application, and instruction are all laser focused on maximizing student potential. Our School Systems Cross Check Instrument provides the leadership with the data to identify the disconnections and obstacles to improving student achievement by examining four major components and over 100 additional factors that contribute to performance. The relationship of these components and factors are further examined in the context of a stakeholder’s perception of the strength of each component and factor within the organization. Data from the instrument further provides the leadership team with information necessary to link all school systems to each other in a manner that generates collaborative growth and higher performance while utilizing existing resources.

While pilots are “crosschecking” system performance during preflight to assure maximum performance, we encourage leadership teams to “Cross Check” a school system’s vital components so that maximum performance is reached. In the end, a district’s flight path is dependent on the ability of its pilots to manage its systems.

Sounds like a crazy question?  Not really!

On the surface, all educational leaders state that of course student achievement is the priority of the school or school district but privately many leaders indicate that they are overwhelmed with mandates, minutiae and a myriad of operational issues.  Others indicate that fulfilling state mandates associated with teacher performance, the student achievement issue will solve itself.  Obviously, in reviewing student performance results by state, it is clear that the implementation of any one program to solve the complex problem of underachievement is not the answer.  Conversely, layering programs on top of each other or a combining of unconnected programs are also not the answer.

Without question, there are many interrelated layers to the achievement challenge which require an in-depth examination.  To peel back the layers of the “achievement onion,” take a moment to examine the organization’s alignment to its goals, outcomes and resource allocation.  Ask one’s self if a culture of continuous improvement has been nurtured.  Is there an internal attitude committed to overcoming obstacles? Is your staff willing to persevere until it meets the organization’s achievement goals?   Additionally, accountability systems must reflect the values of the organization. Remember, what gets measured gets done! Finally, as leaders do you have the “will” and courage to facilitate the change necessary to meet the achievement challenge.

We believe that All schools have the internal capacity to reach higher performance levels.  One need not look further than one’s own staff and leadership team to identify the talent to get the job done.  Having observed low-income schools with few resources reach amazing levels of student performance, we know that it is not about money and gimmicks.  We also know that excuses will not deliver better outcomes.  It is all about instructional focus and finding the gaps in the interrelated elements of alignment, attitude, accountability, and leadership.

If your focus is about survival or maintaining the status quo, let us help you or your organization focus on real student achievement growth and begin to take the next step to “reaching higher for success.”