Get Ready, Not Right!

I occasionally hear the following question as a concern or sometimes even an argument against standards-based or standards-referenced grading: “If all kids have multiple chances to get something right, won’t they all get "As"?” It is a question that interests me as an educational leader and as a parent of school-aged kids for a couple of reasons.

1. Whatever your opinions and feelings about educational standards are, standards of knowledge and performance are a very real and integral part of life. Medical schools and pilot training programs have standards for issuing certifications and licensure for example. I believe a common set of outcomes (standards) is a good thing for students leaving our schools and heading out into life. It would imply or even confirm that students are ready for whatever is next in life’s journey. I believe traditional letter grades have nothing to do with effectively communicating whether or not students have achieved proficiency in standards and even less to do with conveying that students are ready for life’s next steps. (Think about your high school classmates today - or maybe even your own school and life experience)

As a parent, I see standards as a readiness or preparedness factor for whatever my child wants to study or pursue beyond high school. If he leaves high school proficient in the majority of the standards - he is ready! As an educator, I see standards as the minimum for readiness beyond high school. It is our job, our calling, and our responsibility to make sure ALL kids leave our schools ready. Let’s quit worrying about whether or not all kids should or shouldn’t get As and make sure all kids are ready! If my straight-A high school student ends up living at home in my basement in December after high school graduation, all the "As", top 5% awards, and class ranks will mean only one thing. She isn’t ready. (and that we spent several thousand dollars in college tuition to figure it out)

2. Second chances. Life is full of second chances. But often times in school, we want students to get it right the first time. “It’s not fair that my child worked harder and got the same grade as yours who took three tries to get it right..” I’ve heard. Hard work is a valuable and honorable trait. Good things happen to those who work hard. Agreed. No argument from me on this one. But, here is a question: What real life scenario exists where you don’t get a second chance to show that you are ready? Ready for the next step? Ready for the next course? Ready for a certification or licensure exam? How many kids take the ACT and learn they need to work a little harder? There is no limit to the number of times a person can take the ACT or many other high-stakes tests in the “real world.” Let’s stop worrying about getting it right the first time and getting "As", and focus our energy on getting kids ready!

There are thousands of scenarios where it is important to get it right the first time in life. Example: In the middle of a life-saving operation, surgeons don’t get a second chance to get it right. But while in medical school, there are hundreds of opportunities to read and hear and learn about procedures from professors, practice on cadavers under strict supervision, and observe and assist other surgeons through residency. In medical school, the focus isn’t on getting it right the first time or who works harder and learns faster. The focus is getting the students ready to get it right! Doctors are not walking around hospitals with "As", "Bs", and "Cs" branded on their lab coats. They do, however, have a framed piece of paper hanging on the office wall that certifies proficiency in the standards of medicine. In other words, ready.

Standards for K-12 education have been in place long before the common core. And there will likely always be high-stakes assessment and accountability for student achievement in education. But, in my 20 years as an educator, I have yet to see any research that proves letter grades are an effective means to communicate proficiency compared to the standards, or that students are ready. Students who are proficient compared to an industry or educational standard are ready.

Rethinking traditional grading practice is the logical first step in transforming K-12 schooling from a system of ranking and sorting to one where all students graduate ready. Ready for whatever they choose to do when they take their final walk out the doors of school. Isn’t that what’s right? Isn’t that our fundamental purpose?

What if We Coached School Like Football?

With fall comes football. Football everywhere. Friday night lights, College Game Day on Saturday, the NFL on Sunday, Monday, and even Thursday. It's a huge part of American culture. While watching a few games myself this weekend, I couldn't help but wonder what school would be like if teachers and administrators "coached" school like football. What would that look like?

1. Practice before Performance. Players never play in the game before they have had either a certain number of practices completed successfully or before they are "ready" to play the position. What if in school, we ensured they had practiced until they are "ready" for the big test or project?

2. Data-driven. Every week before a game, coaches pour over performance data from the opponent as well as their own team. What adjustments need to be made in practice to make sure everyone is ready for the game? Plays are changed, players work on new skills and adjust others. What if used student performance data on a daily basis to adjust our instruction and insure students are ready for the game?

3. Collaborative leadership. The head coach is ultimately responsible for the team success or defeat. But coaches have specific areas of expertise and areas of responsibility. They meet constantly to game plan and strategize for success. Coaches meet with position groups, offense, defense, special teams, etc. - all with the common goal to win football games, collaborate on ways to improve, and analyze how to fix problems. Everyone is accountable to the main goal. What if every teacher and principal collaborated daily or even weekly with various grade levels, contents, etc.. with the ultimate goal of improving student learning as the only focus?

4. Communication. When you look at the sidelines of any football game at any level, there is a group of coaches working feverishly to control the flow of the game. They wear audio headsets to communicate with other coaches in the press box. They hold laminated sheets full of strategies and resources to direct players during a game. They send explicit directions to the quarterback through their voice inside his helmet while other players watch hand signals. Players are constantly calling out to each other to let their teammates and coaches know what is going on with each play.

Obviously, there are many aspects of coaching football that are drastically different than education. I've always believed that coaching is the purest form of teaching, however. I can't see what would be wrong in drawing from one of America's favorite past times to help improve our profession. If kids could "score" in learning, that would be a win in my book.

3 Things I Learned as a Mom & Administrator on a College Visit

For the past eight years, I have worked in high school administration. My daughter was in third grade when I turned the page on this stage of my career. Now, she is a senior and I have just started a new chapter in central office administration. There have been many lessons learned over the years, but some of the best professional learning for me came this summer on an official college visit to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Here are three things I think all educators and parents need to know and understand about high school preparation for college and careers.

1. Grade point average is practically meaningless in the determination for college acceptance. With student applications from all over the world, the methods for calculating grades are infinite and uncertain at best. As educators, we have to realize that our version of excellence, above average, average, and so forth are vastly different than others around the world. Without close examination of the course content that makes up a grade, the grade itself has virtually no implication for determining a student's academic standing or ability to be successful in college. Let's be honest, how many "straight A" students have we known that end up living in mom and dad's basement after the first semester as a freshman? Grades are NOT an indicator!

2. The rigor and challenge of courses taken are given the highest consideration. In other words, a B in an Advanced Placement course says a lot more about a kid than an A in a less challenging course. This is hard for kids and parents to understand and accept. We're too busy playing the weighted course and class rankings game. And, for goodness sakes, we can't show weakness or any indication of a struggle. WRONG. Admissions reps are looking for students who push and challenge as well as grow as learners over time. Not "4.0s". Students with a 4.0 are a dime a dozen. 

3. We (educators and parents) must raise the ceiling. We can't tolerate a "fun senior year" schedule of courses any longer. We can't accept or embrace students looking for the easy "A". We have to constantly challenge students to push past their comfort level and understand that overcoming failure is a natural part of learning and personal growth. It's hard as a parent to hold back from trying to make those after-the-deadline schedule change requests for an easier choice. But, all of us are doing a disservice if we don't hold fast to supporting our kids through the process of enduring and overcoming challenging courses in high school.

After 20 years of being in secondary education, I still have to resist the urge to make the path easier for my daughter. Lucky for me, she pushes herself harder than I do at times. As I finish this post, she is working on AP Calculus! Who would have thought?

Leaning In!

On August 1, 2005, I "leaned in." I didn't know I was "leaning in" at the time. I had never heard of Sheryl Sandberg or FaceBook. After eleven years as a teacher and grant coordinator, I became an Associate Principal for a small, suburban high school 30 miles from my home.

My son was entering Kindergarten as I began learning about evaluating teachers, imposing consequences for adolescents' poor choices, supervising endless school sporting events and activities - and finishing up my administrative leadership degree. My daughter was in third grade. My husband, who works in home health care, took on a bigger role.

Things like having a clean house and a home-cooked meal on the table every night got moved down on the priority list. Mommy guilt set in and I relinquished any hope for "mom of the year" accolades in my future.  My first mommy failure was school picture day. No one remembered. As a result, my kindergarten child's yearbook premiere came sporting a Power Rangers muscle t-shirt, a bad case of bed head, and a temporary tattoo on his bicep lef tover from a birthday party favor. I was mortified. Needless to say, when that picture packet arrived, it got tucked away in a drawer.

Two years later, I was promoted to Principal. That same, sweet boy said, "does this mean you're going to be a REAL principal Mom?" I believe this was his way of telling me he was proud of me. He couldn't care less about the school picture fiasco. His mom was a REAL principal.

There is no doubt that choosing to be a "career-loving parent" has its sacrifice. There are more stories like the school picture incident. Plenty more. But after reading Sheryl Sandberg's book, Lean In - Women, Work, and the Will to Lead (released in March 2013), I have a new sense of peace. As a woman, mother, and professional.

I feel a sense of vindication that my childhood play days of emulating "Charlies Angels" and playing "teacher" didn't make me "bossy."  Sandberg prefers the description "possessing executive leadership potential." Enough said, right?

There are plenty of great takeaways from Sandberg's book, but my biggest are relief and thanks for affirming what I've been hoping since the day my first born arrived in to this world. I'm doing just fine. Not perfect by any means, but just fine.

I'm getting ready to "lean in" again. I've accepted a district-level leadership position in a new school district beginning in July. I'm excited to begin a new chapter in my career and I'm really glad I read Sandberg's book. I hope my daughter reads it too. It has amazing messages for women and men of all ages. When I finish this blog post, I'm heading out to buy a frame for a special picture to be displayed in my new office.

Photo Credit: LifeTouch



3 Ways Advisories Get to the "CORE" of the Common Core

As I see it, the Common Core at its "core" is increasing rigor so that students are college and career ready when they leave the school house doors as graduates. So, what part do student advisory programs play in successful common core implementation and achievement? An advisory program that is thoughtfully planned and executed with genuine investment from teacher mentors can help cultivate and sustain a rigorous academic culture. Here are three ways I believe advisory programs can get to the "core" of the common core:

1. Long-Term Investment in Student Relationships. Advisories that follow the looping concept where small groups of students are placed with a teacher who serves as an adviser throughout high school have great capacity for long-term impact. Similar to a college advisers, teacher advisers are responsible for assisting students with all aspects of high school and post-high school planning. A four-year advisory structure builds trust and connection for teacher-student relationships that endure. 
2. Advisers insure that all students take a rigorous and challenging course of study. No "easy senior year" here. When students meet with a teacher adviser twice a week four straight years, there is  no getting off the hook by taking an "easy" academic route to graduation. Teacher advisers are accountable to 20-25 students versus the counselor's load of 250 or more. Schools where students are invited to be challenged academically are not enough. They must RSVP. Advisers make sure they show up to the party. Push first. Then support students through their academic struggles and challenges. No student in an advisory is left behind.
3.  Teachers gain a vast knowledge and expertise in mentoring students for success beyond high school. The traditional teacher in a high school is a content expert as well as a teacher. Helping students reach proficiency in the common core standards and content is the primary goal. But, advisory is the map to guide students to the next stop on their post-high school journey. Advisories are also an avenue for a unique and high-impact professional development opportunity for teachers. There are few rewards greater than when a teacher adviser plays a key role in helping a student get accepted in to an elite college or university or assisting a student in obtaining a scholarship that makes a dream possible. Professional growth is the by product of the research and work behind helping students realize these opportunities and options. Serving as an adviser takes the teaching profession to a new level.

Building an advisory program is not easy. The costs are time and commitment. Teachers must buy in and genuinely invest in the structure and process. Planning, evaluating, revising, and delivering the program is demanding for everyone involved. Support from administration is essential.  

The Common Core at its "core" is increasing rigor so that students are college and career ready when they leave the school house doors as graduates. I believe investing in a student advisory program will help us get there.

From BLAH... to TAH-DAH! Go "EdCamping" for Your Staff's Next PD Day!

From THIS...

Inspired by Knapp Elementary Principal, Joe Mazza (@Joe_Mazza) and the increasing numbers of "edcamp un-conferences" happening around the world, we shifted the "professional learning paradigm" at our high school recently. True confession: I have not attended an EdCamp myself. I have followed several of them through the Twitter hash tag world, however, and I have officially registered for my first - #EdCampKC in November. For a traditional professional development junkie like myself, I consider it a substantial change for me and our school. It was strange to release the control for our staff's learning almost completely. I referred to Mr. Mazza's blog post about his school's experience multiple times, presented the concept to our teacher leadership team, and we went for it. We liked it so much, we plan to make it the mainstay format for all of our scheduled late-start professional development days for the school year (5, two-hour sessions). Here is what we did based on Knapp Elementary School's model by Principal Mazza.

1. Set the time. The district has five, two-hour late start days set aside for professional development each year. For the high school schedule, this is 7:10 am to 9:10 am with students arriving for a shortened day by 9:40 am. During my years as the principal, I have almost always planned and conducted those learning sessions. To not know exactly WHAT or WHO was going to be doing professional development was a little nerve racking for our administrative team.

2. Draft the Big Board. The one pictured below is our completed version that was projected at the beginning of the day for the entire staff after all of the sessions were confirmed. We utilized what was available, free, and effective - Mr. Mazza's google doc! Here is a copy of ours for anyone interested: Final Schedule Board

3. Make suggestions for session topics. Given this was my first real release of staff development control, I felt that we needed to provide some suggestions for topics to get the ball rolling. Together with the teacher leadership team, we proposed the following topics:

BYOT (more on this later)

Social Media

Web Tools

Learning Stations

Teacher Web Sites

Power of I (academic interventions)

Flipped Classrooms

As you will see from the final schedule board, not all of our suggestions made the cut. I was pleasantly surprised at some who offered up other topics and facilitated a session. This may not be exactly like the process the EdCamp creators originally designed, but the scheduling process became a lot like an NFL draft. Teachers would throw out a topic, chatter would ensue to gauge interest, then someone would volunteer to lead the session. Boom. It's on the board. 

Our completed schedule board projected for staff.

4. One unique session. Our school is launching a BYOT program. At the time of our first #EagleEdCamp, we were on the verge of ready to open up access to the wifi and begin the use of students' personal devices.The Assistant Principal led a session that was offered during both time slots for any teacher interested in piloting any kind of BYOT in their classroom. We decided to make this a requirement prior to launching the initiative in a way to make a teacher "BYOT certified." (This was not the first introduction to BYOT for these teachers, of course)

5. Once the schedule board was complete, teachers made their selections and headed out for their morning "un-conference." 

6. Build in reflection and more sharing. I created a basic google form to survey teachers' reactions to the #EagleEdCamp format and asked they complete it by the end of the day. Questions were short and simple such as 1)What will you begin or change in your classroom as a result of something you learned today? 2) How can we improve #EagleEdCamp for our next late start? 

TO THIS!

Some of the comments included: 

"I like the EdCamp format. Great to learn from our colleagues and grow together." 

"Great day. Inspiring!"

"I thought it was cool that we had teachers leading sessions and we all had input on our own PD topics. Can't wait until next time!"

We also encouraged teachers to "tweet" about it before, during, and after the process to ask questions, reflect, and share links and info for additional learning after the morning was over. We used the #EagleEdCamp hash tag. 

Overall, an outstanding day! Many thanks and credit to all of the EdCampers out there and especially to @Joe_Mazza! 

One More "Pinteresting" Way to Connect Educators

Becoming a "connected educator" has undoubtedly changed the course of my career and is always evolving. First FaceBook. Then Twitter. Then blogging. Tweet chatting. And, now Pinterest.

A friend who is also an elementary teacher sent me the "invite" to join Pinterest (it's open access now). I accepted and started exploring. At first, it was just looking at crock pot recipes, exercises I should be doing, and funny and inspiring quotes and E-cards. (If only my real life was a true reflection of my pin boards) I browsed the "Education" category mostly finding elementary teachers and their awesome creativity. But, not so much to share with high school teachers I feared. Then, I started noticing other Edtech professionals - familiar names from the Twitter network. And, lately, I've started using the search features to find  high school teachers  and topics of interest to follow like BYOT or flipped classrooms. They are out there! Math, Science, Langauge Arts, Foreign Language, and many more educators who are sharing their expertise and resources through pin boards. It's exciting to repin and share resources for teachers in my school as well as the rest of the cyber world. Like other forms of social media, the possibilities for professional networking and sharing are unlimited. So, why do I like Pinterest to connect educators?

1.  It is appealing to a "visual" audience in a way that Twitter isn't. Yet, when I find something I want to share from Pinterest, I can click the "share to Twitter/Facebook/Email" to reach other audiences.
2. It's a permanent storage area for links and resources organized by my own categories.
3. I can find a recipe for dinner and read a professional article... all within the time it takes to stand in line at the grocery store. The people and boards I follow direct the content I can peruse via the main board with a timeline of pins.
4. It's a great conversation starter with teachers..."Hey, I saw you repinned me yesterday... what did you think of that Algebra II activity? Would it work for your students?"

Although Twitter will always be my first love for connecting with others, I find great value in the art and science of pinning too. (The Google Chrome Extension for Pinterest is a MUST) One teacher compared Pinterest to online hoarding. Whatever you call it, I see Pinterest and my other social media tools as keys to getting better at what we do! Will you join me in a "pinteresting" adventure to connect and grow as an educator?

It's More Fun On The Bus!

Our administrative team recently read Jon Gordon's The Energy Bus as a small group book study. The story is a fable based on the life of a businessman named George who learns ten rules to fuel the ride of his life. George is down on his luck, personally and professionally. One morning as his world is crumbling, he is forced to ride the bus to work because his car breaks down. He doesn't realize it at first, but he is aboard the "Energy Bus" driven by Joy who, along with her other passengers, teach him the ten rules.

Although, George is a business man, his story has many parallels to the education profession. So many, that we chose his book as our theme or school mantra for the year. Some may criticize or tease that a high school has an annual theme, but I think a theme helps sustain a positive culture throughout a school year. A theme that helps bring focus to our purpose can be like a lighthouse for when the seas become rough. And, we know all too well the seas can become rough.

The Energy Bus theme is incorporated into the weekly principal's newsletter that is modeled after Todd Whitaker's Friday Focus. T shirts and note cards with the theme logo are printed for the entire high school faculty and staff. The opening faculty meeting is an inspirational kickoff to inspire and set a positive tone for the school year.

Without giving away too much of the book, I will end this post by saying "IT'S MORE FUN ON THE BUS!" And, here is how we tried to convince our faculty and staff to join us!

Click Here to see our version of "Call Me Maybe?"

Other themes we have used in recent years include:

212 - The Extra Degree by Sam Parker & Mac Anderson
BELIEVE- "You Will Become What You Believe"
Good to Great - by Jim Collins
Dare To Be Uncommon - by Tony Dungy
Packing Parachutes - The story of Charlie Plumb

What kind of crazy things do you do to inspire? What themes have you used to help keep school culture positive? Please share!

Champions Are Made In The Off-Season!

Ask any coach what it takes to be a champion and the answer will more than likely sound something similar to the title of this post - Champions Are Made In The Off-Season. The time to work on sport-specific skills and fundamentals is not in the heat of competition season. The time to improve skills and fundamentals is, yes you guessed it, the off-season.

Most educators work officially on the 185-day school year which runs something close to August through May or September through June. During my summer off-season, I have observed educators from around the world connecting, sharing, and learning from one another. Many others are attending workshops, reading professional books, and finding ways to improve their craft. 

We began a weekly tweet chat to stay connected over the summer using a unique hash tag (#10TuesTweets). We meet every Tuesday, at 10 am CST for ten weeks in the summer to discuss various initiatives and topics related to our school. The response has been very positive! I can't imagine a more convenient or powerful way to connect and learn with other professionals. Week 8 discussion will be a time for anyone who wants to join us to share and reflect on their own off-season preparation for the 2012-2013 school year. 

Just for fun, here are a few things I've learned during my own off-season:

1. Pinterest is not just for soccer moms. Not only can I get the latest crock pot recipe, I can learn about the best iPad apps for educators or read an educational article. It's another tool to connect and learn with and from other professionals.
2. I can attend national conferences "virtually" by following a unique hash tag on Twitter during the "live" conference.
3. I have found numerous web and social media resources to share with teachers.
4. Twitter is a "game changer" - try it - you'll be hooked too!

What did you do in your off-season? I would love to hear your comments!

"5 + 1 Things Twitter Has Taught Me"

I wrote the  post "5 Things Twitter Has Taught Me" (see below) as a self-reflection. But more so in hopes of persuading others to engage in the endless professional possibilities that Twitter and social media offer. I still think it's a decent list of things I've learned. But, this week I need to add another. And, it's perhaps the biggest one. If' you're not a professional development junkie like myself, I'll summarize in one sentence and you can stop reading.

I attended three national conferences (one still in progress) at the same time and from the comfort of my own home (or my son's baseball game, or riding in the car, or in line at the store...). 

For those of you still reading, here is my list:

Through the miracle of the hash tag (#), I "attended" the 20th Annual Model Schools Conference held in Orlando, Florida. (#20thMSC). The International Society for Technology in Education Conference held in San Diego, California (#ISTE12). And, finally the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development Summer Conference held in St. Louis, Missouri (#ascdsc12).

Here are the highlights of what I learned and am still learning through Twitter and the conference hash tags.

• Hundreds of conference attendees (in the flesh) tweet their favorite quotes or summarizing comments from key note speakers and presenters.
• I get the same feeling of anticipation and excitement when everyone is waiting for a keynote speaker to arrive on the stage like Sir Ken Robinson at #iste12. (I said I was a junkie..)
• Attendees and organizations will tweet links to archived videos of presentations and speakers such as; Dr Robert Marzano, Dr. Heidi Hayes Jacobs, Sir Ken Robinson, Dr. Willard Daggett, Ray McNulty... and more!
• I linked to, read, and learned about topics including (but definitely not limited to); flipped classrooms, Diigo, problem-based learning, Bring Your Own Technology or Device (BYOT(D), game-based learning, common core standards and strategies for implementation, tablets and apps, and many more I'm sure I'm forgetting to mention.
• May sound silly, but take my word for it - www.tweetchat.com is great to slow down the "refresh" speed of tweets using a unique hash tag. #iste12 logged nearly 5,000 tweets over the course of the conference.

While all of the things listed before are awesome to add to my "educator tool belt", the most powerful thing of all is the connection to other professionals. Tweeting in and chatting with all of the professionals in attendance online or in person, helped build my network of experts and professional friends. I can't lie and say I wouldn't love the opportunity to meet and work with many of these people in San Diego or Orlando or St. Louis. But, Twitter and the use of conference hash tags was the next best thing. Without a doubt!

Original blog post - 5 Things Twitter Has Taught Me:

1. Professional learning is available when you need it, 24/7.

After hearing Kevin Honeycutt (@kevinhoneycutt), I was convinced I needed a Twitter account. Although I signed up immediately, I didn't really use it for more than an avenue to track celebrity gossip and breaking news. Then, I discovered FlipBoard and began finding legitimate professionals to follow. I rarely forget to eat or sleep, but Twitter  for professional development has caught me wondering why my stomach is growling or I am yawning . Any time, anywhere. I can be reading professional journals from my iphone between innings of my son's ball game! If there's 12-step program for addicted Tweeters, I may need the contact information.

2. Tweet chatting and following hash tags are effective for collaboration.

During the school year, we constantly wish for more time to collaborate with teachers. Various structures and procedures to creatively design collaboration time are put in to place. But, it's never enough. Teachers visit other schools for specific peer observation opportunities and collaboration, but there is only so much in the substitute teacher pool for release time. Setting up a weekly summer tweet chat with our own hash tag (#10TuesTweets) has proven to be an effective way to have professional discussions and learning with each other, but also with others from around the world. And, these discussion can take place without hiring a babysitter, or from the checkout line at the grocery store!

3. Professionals from around the world are ready and willing to help.

Ask and you will receive. I have not found anyone who will not extend themselves to help a fellow colleague. Twitter is a network that gives us no excuse to claim we can't find answers or help from others. I try my best to pay it forward and share every chance I get. I consider my PLN to be a network of "virtual" friends and colleagues.

4. Tweets can be a "link" to unlimited resources in the form of blogs and web resources.


Tweets are a "link" or a window to professional blogs and web-based resources. It never occurred to me that 140 characters could lead to so much information and resources for professional learning. I now have a number of blogs that I follow regularly that I might never have found without my Twitter connections.

5. Social media is not a one-way ticket to disaster, but a gateway to self and organizational improvement.


I, like many parents and educators, lived in fear of social media. No way was anything positive coming as a result of my being involved. My own children forced the issue. So, I began my journey first as a watchdog mom. Little did I know, it would improve me as a professional and energize my passion as an educator. Thanks kids! And thanks to all of my colleagues and friends in my growing professional learning network!

5 Things Twitter Has Taught Me

1. Professional learning is available when you need it, 24/7.

After hearing Kevin Honeycutt (@kevinhoneycutt), I was convinced I needed a Twitter account. Although I signed up immediately, I didn't really use it for more than an avenue to track celebrity gossip and breaking news. Then, I discovered FlipBoard and began finding legitimate professionals to follow. I rarely forget to eat or sleep, but Twitter  for professional development has caught me wondering why my stomach is growling or I am yawning . Any time, anywhere. I can be reading professional journals from my iphone between innings of my son's ball game! If there's 12-step program for addicted Tweeters, I may need the contact information.

2. Tweet chatting and following hash tags are effective for collaboration.

During the school year, we constantly wish for more time to collaborate with teachers. Various structures and procedures to creatively design collaboration time are put in to place. But, it's never enough. Teachers visit other schools for specific peer observation opportunities and collaboration, but there is only so much in the substitute teacher pool for release time. Setting up a weekly summer tweet chat with our own hash tag (#10TuesTweets) has proven to be an effective way to have professional discussions and learning with each other, but also with others from around the world. And, these discussion can take place without hiring a babysitter, or from the checkout line at the grocery store!

3. Professionals from around the world are ready and willing to help.

Ask and you will receive. I have not found anyone who will not extend themselves to help a fellow colleague. Twitter is a network that gives us no excuse to claim we can't find answers or help from others. I try my best to pay it forward and share every chance I get. I consider my PLN to be a network of "virtual" friends and colleagues.

4. Tweets can be a "link" to unlimited resources in the form of blogs and web resources.


Tweets are a "link" or a window to professional blogs and web-based resources. It never occurred to me that 140 characters could lead to so much information and resources for professional learning. I now have a number of blogs that I follow regularly that I might never have found without my Twitter connections.

5. Social media is not a one-way ticket to disaster, but a gateway to self and organizational improvement.


I, like many parents and educators, lived in fear of social media. No way was anything positive coming as a result of my being involved. My own children forced the issue. So, I began my journey first as a watchdog mom. Little did I know, it would improve me as a professional and energize my passion as an educator. Thanks kids! And thanks to all of my colleagues and friends in my growing professional learning network!

Forget the "0" Fight - Change the Scale!

“We are faced with the irony that a policy that may be grounded in the belief of holding students accountable (giving zeros) actually allows some students to escape accountability for learning.”  - Ken O’Connor

I've been in a little slump on "what to blog about" for the past couple of weeks. I've been riding the wave of excitement after our school's #10TuesTweets sessions. Aside from my new obsession with social media for professional learning, my passion is standards-based grading. I'm a disciple of all the greats. Tom Guskey, Robert Marzano, Ken O'Connor, and several others. I've participated with a team of our high school teachers each year for five years in a regional six-day consortium to study, plan, and implement. I'm all in! And a growing number of our high school teachers are all in as well.

My "what to blog about slump" ended while surfing TweetDeck when I found a news piece from Edmonton about a teacher being suspended for refusal to follow his school's "no zero" policy. I wasn't alone either. John Scammell @thescamdog, Cherra-Lynne Olthof @cherraolthof, and Joe Bower @Joe_Bower as well as several others also responded. All of their responses were excellent. (see the grading and assessment page tab from this blog for links) 

As I read each article or blog post, I experienced a range of emotions that elicited groans, cheers, and "are you kidding me's?" But, all I could think about was the grading or scoring scale. There is all this turmoil, disagreement, insubordination, and strong emotion surrounding the idea of whether it's okay to assign a "0," but no talk about what I see as the real issue - the scale.


Marzano has been talking, writing, and publishing about the need for a new scale that measures learning over time. I highly recommend taking a look at his work. From my perspective, the majority of the controversy on the use of zeros in grading is based on the traditional 100-point scale. Here's a newsflash - this scale was designed during the World War I era to sort and rank military recruits! We don't live in a sorting and ranking kind of world in schools any more! Our job is to bring all kids to proficiency on agreed-upon standards. Marzano's work with proficiency scales and grade reporting methods addresses this and makes the "0" argument a moot point.  Let's start talking about learning goals and a scale based on proficiency and learning, not zeros and voodoo math. 

Ten Tuesday Tweets (#10TuesTweets)

Join us for free professional development and great discussion that will accessible from just about anywhere if you have an electronic device! I’m issuing a challenge to all staff members at our school to participate in what will be called “Ten Tuesday Tweets!” 


Beginning Tuesday, May 29 and every Tuesday after that through the month of July, we will meet from 10:00 am – 10:30 am CST for a Twitter Chat using the hashtag #10TuesTweets. The main goal will be for our staff to stay connected over the summer and continue professional conversation and reflection around our school’s goals. It will also allow all of us to explore and build professional learning networks (PLNs) outside our district, and around the world. Anyone interested in education can join us!

Topics will center around the use of social media in schools, student motivation, and formative assessment and standards-based grading. I will facilitate each session by presenting a question or interesting quote from a professional journal or book. Anyone participating in the #10TuesTweets conversation can respond to questions or quotes, share links and highlights from personal experience, offer insights in to their own research or practice, or ask questions. The good news is, anyone can join in from anywhere. After each Tuesday chat, I will “storify” the tweets and publish via Twitter so that anyone interested can catch up on the conversation.

In preparation for the #10TuesTweets, some “fair game” books for quotes and questions are located on my Shelfari bookshelf in the right margin of the blog.

My experience in social media in the professional realm has transformed my philosophy and energized my efforts to improve how I do what I do! Many digital leaders such as @NMHS_Principal Eric Sheninger have transformed my beliefs about social media and its use in schools. I jokingly say that when I grow up, I want to be a digital principal too. (See photo… with permission from Mr. Sheninger) I would be honored if he were reading this blog post and decided to join us! I'm excited to learn with all of you. 10:00 am (CST) on 10 Tuesdays beginning on May 29, 2012. See you on there!

Created with Mr. Sheninger's permission

Let’s Call Final Exams AFFIRMATIONS

I’m not sure where educators came up with the term “finals” in reference to the last big test at the end of a course. But, I would like to propose that we change the term. I would like to call final exams “AFFIRMATIONS.”

At our school, we have been studying and implementing standards-based grading practices for nearly six years now. Every year at the end of each semester, the practice of final exams is the “hot topic” in the teachers’ lounge. Where do final exams fit in a standards-based environment?

Given the fact that high-stakes, standardized assessments still exist in the “real world,” I do believe there can be value in having comprehensive finals. A high-stakes assessment experience conditions students for other high-stakes experiences such as the ACT, Advanced Placement exams, or college exams. A comprehensive assessment that is of high quality can give a snapshot picture of a student’s long-term retention of course content.

On the other hand, final exams are the autopsy approach to assessment. It’s too late to prescribe any improvement strategy if we wait until the end of course to measure learning. What about the quality or reliability of a teacher-made assessment? And, lastly, a final exam can be a “make or break” for a students’ overall grade. How many times have we heard, “I can fail the final and still get an A- in the class,” or worse, “Even if I get a perfect score on the final, I still can’t pass the class, so why try?” Any grading practice where students can opt out of learning can’t be effective.

We have agreed upon the following: 

Teachers will give a scheduled assessment during the scheduled final time that:

a.       Is comprehensive over one or more units of instruction.

b.      Is in a format with material that is clear to the students – no surprises. Quality over quantity.

c.       Is authentic. If the learning goal or standard is to write an essay, a scantron, multiple choice test is not authentic.

d.      Does not have a “death penalty” effect or “no effect” on the student’s overall grade.

In summary, the final exam should be an AFFIRMATION of student learning evidence observed and collected by the teacher over the period of the course! If the end result for a student does NOT affirm what a teacher has seen throughout the course, then as they said in Apollo 13, “Houston…. We have a problem.”

If we agree upon the characteristics of good assessment and feedback practices such as;

•  Authentic to a specific learning goal
•  Measures learning over time (including growth or improvement)
•  Indicates student performance at a particular point in time

Then,  in a standards-based grading system, the following options could be useful.

Example 1: (preferred)

If the exam is cumulative in nature and addresses learning goals throughout the semester, it would be appropriate to look at this exam as but one additional piece of evidence of the student’s learning profile. An AFFIRMATION! Not as a percentage or final score for the course. Arriving at the final overall course grade could involve editing individual measurement topic scores from the beginning of the semester. Then, examine the trend to arrive at an overall course grade.

Comprehensive Final – Items organized by 4-point scale levels (3 is target or proficiency expectation) – balanced # of items from each topic or learning goal.

Topic/Goal	1	2	3	4	5	Final Semester Grade	Final Letter Grade
Score	2.25	3.5	4	2.75	3	3.1	A-
Final Exam scores	3	3	3.25	3.5	4
Adjusted Goal Scores	3	3.25	3.75	3.25	4	3.45	A-

*remember the final semester grade is an average (the only time averaging is used) of the topics/learning goals

Example 2:

Another approach might be to make a cumulative final exam an additional measurement topic for the semester. Again, just one additional piece of evidence in the student’s learning profile. Not a percentage or final score for the course.

Topic/Goal	1	2	3	4	5	6 Final Exam Score	Final Semester Grade	Final Letter Grade
Score	2.25	3.5	4	2.75	3	3	3.08	A-

*remember the final semester grade is an average (the only time averaging is used) of the topics/learning goals

Caution: This example potentially places more “weight” on the overall grade – in the example above it is 20%!

However we approach final exams, it is important to remember the components of effective assessment and feedback. Teachers, in collaboration with their students, must arrive at a course grade using professional judgement and the preponderance of learning evidence collected over time. Let’s call the final exam what it is supposed to be…an affirmation! 

How is your school using final exams? I would love to hear your comments!