The beginning of the instructional year is exciting for learner, parent, and staff. Though it may seem routine for seasoned staff, the start of school is nonetheless full of best hopes, intentions, and expectations.
Yet, this beginning is different.
It must be different!
How so?
We start this year with the full knowledge, disclosure that at each grade level as well as each subject area there are students starting not ready (see Convocation presentation for specific data).
In fact, we know specifically each student’s literacy level, proficiently level, and academic performance level.
This knowledge has the potential to be “the” game changer.
It can and it will, if we take this information and knowledge and apply it.
We must make sense and therefore make actionable this knowledge from day one through designing instruction to meet the needs of each learner by knowing each learner not assuming their chronological age is commensurate with their acquisition of requisite skill, knowledge, and learning experience.
With the full knowledge of skill, knowledge, and experience deficits as well as strengths, we can with unprecedented focus, intent, and application ensure each learner makes no less than a years’ growth this year. In some instances, we will see learners far exceeding a years’ growth.
In fact, with the tools we have available, any student not beginning grade level ready should within the first 9 no less than 18 weeks achieve substantial growth in literacy and mathematics.
We know how to do this!
We must now do it!
We also start this year with the full knowledge, disclosure that our leadership must focus on providing specific instructional feedback, input, guidance, and critique of effective practice or lack of for each teacher.
In concert, each building administrator must ensure in their daily practice to monitor and assist each staff in the implementation of effective instructional practice through specific, measurable, actionable, relevant, and timely feedback.
Anything less will provide ineffective information that will not, cannot improve practice.
We start this year with the full knowledge, disclosure that central office leadership must also “bring their A game” with respect to support to building leadership and classroom practice.
Central office must practice in earnest the leadership necessary to coach, guide, facilitate, problem solve, remove barriers, and the ultimate –communicate in more effective and efficient ways to ensure all staff develop the capacities necessary for each staff to do the work of teaching and learning at unprecedented levels.
We begin this year with the full knowledge, disclosure that what we have been doing has not, to date, produced the results that give evidence worthy of our mission – our calling.
Suffice; to make this year a good year, a great year we must focus on what we control not what we don’t control.
We need to rise above our circumstances to embrace, if you will, the three variables we control –the intended curriculum being the taught curriculum, choosing and implementing effective instructional practice, and ensuring the learning environment is safe and orderly through constant communication of expectations and consistently following through.
As I shared at Convocation, we do not and cannot control several variables that once were believed to be determinants of a learner’s level of learning and success. We know now more than ever, those variables DON’T determine and are not insurmountable. It is our response to these variables that matter – not determine if a learner meets or exceeds standards.
Again, if we focus on the variables we influence and control, we will be successful in our efforts. This is not to say it will be easy. On the contrary, this is challenging, difficult given for the most part we have tended to let what we don’t control dominate our thinking as well as become obstacles interfering with the deep work of teaching and learning.
With the full knowledge that our staff have permission to focus on what they do, in fact control, we will see breakthrough results – performance by both learners and staff.
This is what must be different this year!
We know how to do this.
We must now do it with unprecedented commitment, focus, and implementation.