Time in School
It’s commonly believed that the U.S. (including Michigan) is way behind other countries in classroom time. According to a brief just released by The Center for Public Education, this is incorrect. Some countries have a longer school year than the U.S., but daily seat time in classrooms is less, which allows time to even out. Here are the classroom hours (high school) per year, according to data from the OECD and World Data on Education:
- Michigan: 1,098 hours
- Finland: 856 hours
- Korea: 1,020 hours
- California: 1,080 hours
- Massachusetts & New York: 990 hours
(Finland and Korea have among the highest student achievement in the world.)
The article asks that before education leaders decide to increase the time students spend in school, they should first consider these things from the Making Time report:
Determine how effectively school time is currently being used. For instance, states that are considering increasing instructional time should examine their academic standards along with all other requirements schools are expected to provide to determine whether they currently require enough school time to meet them.
Explore scheduling alternatives that use existing time. For example, school districts could consider implementing a year-round calendar with the standard 180 days as a way to offset summer learning loss.
If considering block scheduling, look at the research. Block scheduling is intended to increase time on task, but the research results are mixed, with the 4X4 block producing the least gains. However, block scheduling can also provide time for teachers’ professional development or pull-out time for struggling students.
Low-cost options, like four-day weeks, can prove beneficial to achievement as well. The research isn’t definitive, but some districts that have tried this are seeing unintended benefits in the form of higher test scores, decreased disciplinary problems, greater collaboration among teachers, and higher morale.
Logistics can be challenging, but are solvable. In considering any change to school schedules, the biggest hurdle will often be logistics. Cost and child care (for instance, in moving to a year-round schedule) can be two of the biggest hurdles. Look at school success stories like this one to see how some school districts addressed these concerns.
Understanding the Process
I think almost all of us agree that each and every change is difficult, both individual change and organizational change. In education, this is particularly true. Noted author Robert Marzano stated,
One of the constants within k-12 education is that someone is always trying to change it – some one is always proposing a new program or practice…. Some of the more visible programs that have not endured are programmed instruction, open education, the Platoon System and flexible scheduling.
It feels like this has never been more true…. The three R’s are now – reforms, re-invention and re-imagining. However, it is important to note the keys to being successful in this environment remain largely the same. We must keep the lines of communication open and acknowledge the questions (and fears) that are created as we manage the process.
Human Capital
In order to maximize our efforts, I have a goal to build a system that is leader-proof. I want the entire community to feel the work we are doing is so great that they want it to continue no matter who is in the superintendent’s chair. This type of system is built on teamwork that makes us care more about the overall success of the team and district than about individual success. As an individual, it’s about being present, giving 100% of ourselves, and understanding we need to model continuous learning.
In the end, for us to maximize the opportunity for success – team work and hard work are the keys.
Self Awareness
“Becoming an authentic leader is not easy. First you have to understand yourself, because the hardest person you will ever have to lead is yourself. Once you have an understanding of your authentic self, you will find that leading others is much easier.”
Exercising Courage in Judgment
1. Fear of Action – inaction even when the need to act is known; preference for the status quo over change
2. Fear of Criticism – concern that a key stakeholder will be critical of a judgement or the required execution
3. Fear of Defiance – worry that others will not follow your leadership judgment, thereby undermining your leadership authority
4. Fear of Personal Loss – concern that something of value or career opportunity may be lost taking the necessary action
5. Fear of Insufficient or Imperfect Information – self-doubt and concern that in the absence of perfect information, your conclusions are wrong
By rating these areas on a scale of 1 to 5 you may get a sense of the extent to which you think each area impacts your judgement. It’s an important step in understanding your own decision making process. It is clear that even in this fast paced and complex world, time for self reflection is vital.
Learning to Work Hard
“We often miss opportunity because it’s dressed in overalls and looks like work”
? Thomas Edison
Cooperation
• Communication – “Over hundreds of experiments spanning decades,” he says, “no single factor has had as large an effect on levels of cooperation as the ability to communicate… When people are able to communicate, they are more empathetic and more trusting, and they can reach solutions more readily than when they don’t talk to one another.”
• Empathy and solidarity – The more people see, interact with, and know the people they work with, the more likely they are to understand their interests and sacrifice their own for the collective good.
• Fairness and morality – People care about being treated fairly and about doing the right thing, says Benkler. “Clearly defined values are crucial to cooperation; discussing, explaining, and reinforcing the right or ethical thing to do will increase the degree to which people behave that way.” People also understand that “fair” doesn’t always mean “equal” and accept flexibility as long as the norms are transparent.
• Authentic framing – Structuring a practice to require collaboration is very helpful, but it can’t be artificial. “People react differently depending on how situations are framed,” says Benkler, “but they aren’t stupid. It’s important that the frame fits reality.”
• Rewards that foster intrinsic motivation – “Whenever you design a policy that relies on monetary rewards, you have to assume that it will have side effects on the psychological, social, and moral dimensions of human behavior,” says Benkler. A better way to encourage cooperation is by making it socially or intellectually rewarding, or just plain fun.
• Reputation and reciprocity – Long-term reciprocity, particularly the “pay-it-forward” kind, is a powerful way to encourage cooperation, provided that we can trust the reputation of the people involved.
Saline Area Schools is a large organization and our success is tied directly to our ability to cooperate. It’s important for us to consider the ways we can strengthen our ability to cooperate.
Parent/Teacher Conferences
A few tips:
- Prior to the parent/teacher conference, talk to your child to know your student’s teachers, classes and their perspective of the course(s). This allows the education discussion to begin at home and fosters the family and school partnership.
- To best utilize your time, prepare your prioritized questions for discussion.
- Arrive on time or a a few minutes early.
- Take notes to allow you to review the conference with your child.
- Do not stay beyond your alloted time. Future conference opportunities can be discussed to continue important discussions.
From all sides, communication is the key to continued success and less stress. The more we can effectively communicate with each other, the greater the odds of helping the individual child maximize their entire Saline Area Schools educational experience.
Our District…
“Principals might be responsible for the school’s achievement results,” he says, “but the school doesn’t belong to its principal. It belongs to the students, the parents, and the community members, and they’re the only people who should use my when describing a school.”
A life well spent….
On Monday, the Saline Area Schools family and the entire Saline community lost a special member. Long time Saline Area Schools teacher Sheila Truchan passed away. It was far too soon… As I think about the day to day challenges we face and how we worry about the little things… I remember how Sheila always dealt with these challenges with a smile….
She arrived in Saline in August, 1978… and never left. Along the way she left a lasting legacy with her students, fellow staff and all of the families she touched along the way….
SHS makes AP Honor Roll
Saline High School Placed on the College Board’s 2nd Annual AP® District Honor Roll for Significant Gains in Advanced Placement® Access and Student Performance
367 Public School Districts Across the Nation Are Honored
Saline, MI— Saline Area Schools is one of fewer than 400 public school districts in the nation being honored by the College Board with a place on the 2nd Annual AP® Honor Roll, for simultaneously increasing access to Advanced Placement coursework while maintaining or increasing the percentage of students earning scores of 3 or higher on AP exams. Achieving both of these goals is the ideal scenario for a district’s Advanced Placement program, because it indicates that the district is successfully identifying motivated, academically-prepared students who are likely to benefit most from AP coursework. Since 2009, Saline Area Schools increased the number of students participating in AP from 408 to 520, while improving the percentage of students earning AP Exam scores of 3 or higher from 90.68% in 2009 to 90.88% in 2011. The majority of U.S. colleges and universities grant college credit or advanced placement for a score of 3 or above on AP exams.
Ben Williams, Saline High School Principal said,
“It is very gratifying to see a more than 20% increase in the number of students challenging themselves with AP courses over the last two years. It is even more impressive that this increase is paired with an equally strong AP test pass rate. This achievement is the result of hours of dedication and hard work on the part of our students, teachers and our AP teachers. On behalf of the entire staff at Saline High School, congratulations!”
The 2nd Annual AP Honor Roll is made up of only those public school districts that are simultaneously expanding opportunity and improving performance. The list includes 367 school districts across 43 states and Canada. Pennsylvania led all states with 34 public school districts named to the 2nd Annual AP Honor Roll, followed by Massachusetts and New York, both with 30.
“Participation in college-level AP courses can level the playing field for underserved students, give them the confidence needed to succeed in college, and raise standards and performance in key subjects like science and math,” said College Board President Gaston Caperton. “The AP Honor Roll districts are defying expectations by expanding access while enabling their students to maintain or improve their AP Exam scores.”
Many U.S. school districts have focused on expanding access to AP courses as part of a strategy to improve college readiness. While these efforts have resulted in more students earning scores of 3 or better —— these efforts also have resulted in more students earning scores of 1 or 2. Accordingly, there has been a slight decline since 2001 in the percentage of AP students scoring a 3 or better, a decline that can be expected in any program attracting a broader cross-section of students.
Helping more students learn at a higher level and earn higher AP scores is an objective of all members of the AP community, from AP teachers to district and school administrators to college professors. Many are experimenting with a variety of initiatives and strategies to determine how to expand access and improve student performance simultaneously.
“This school district has achieved something very remarkable. It managed to open the doors of its AP classrooms to many more students, while also increasing the percentage of students earning high enough AP Exam grades to stand out in the competitive college admission process and qualify for college credit and placement,” said Trevor Packer, the College Board’s senior vice president of Advanced Placement and college readiness.
Inclusion on the 2nd Annual AP District Honor Roll is based on the following criteria:
- Examination of three years of AP data, from 2009 to 2011;
- Increase in participation in/access to AP by at least 4 percent in large districts, at least 6 percent in medium districts and at least 11 percent in small districts;
- A steady or increasing percentage of exams taken by African American, Hispanic/Latino and American Indian/Alaska Native students; and
- Performance levels maintained or improved when comparing the percentage of students in 2011 scoring a 3 or higher to those in 2009, or the school has already attained a performance level in which more than 70 percent of the AP students are scoring a 3 or higher.
School districts in which low-income and/or underrepresented minority students (African American, Hispanic/Latino, American Indian/Alaska Native) comprise 30 percent or more of the AP student population have been highlighted on the Achievement List to recognize significant improvements in equity and quality among the nation’s historically underserved student populations.
The complete 2nd Annual AP District Honor Roll can be found at www.collegeboard.org.
About the Advanced Placement Program
The College Board’s Advanced Placement Program® (AP®) enables students to pursue college-level studies while still in high school. Through more than 30 college-level courses, each culminating in a rigorous exam, AP provides willing and academically prepared students with the opportunity to earn college credit, advanced placement or both. Taking AP courses also demonstrates to college admission officers that students have sought the most rigorous curriculum available to them. Each AP teacher’s syllabus is evaluated and approved by college faculty from some of the nation’s leading institutions, and AP Exams are developed and scored by college faculty and experienced AP teachers. AP is accepted by more than 3,800 colleges and universities worldwide for college credit, advanced placement or both on the basis of successful AP Exam scores. This includes over 90 percent of four-year institutions in the United States. In 2010, 1.8 million students representing more than 17,000 schools around the world, both public and nonpublic, took 3.2 million AP Exams.
About the College Board
The College Board is a mission-driven not-for-profit organization that connects students to college success and opportunity. Founded in 1900, the College Board was created to expand access to higher education. Today, the membership association is made up of more than 5,900 of the world’s leading educational institutions and is dedicated to promoting excellence and equity in education. Each year, the College Board helps more than seven million students prepare for a successful transition to college through programs and services in college readiness and college success — including the SAT® and the Advanced Placement Program®. The organization also serves the education community through research and advocacy on behalf of students, educators and schools. For further information, visit www.collegeboard.org.
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