We had some amazing chats at the start of 2019! In January, we focused on strong instructional leadership. In February, we explored the importance of a clear and focused mission.
What’s next?
Here are the questions and topics for Spring 2019 at #822Chat.
March 2019 – Opportunity to Learn
In high-performing schools, teachers ensure a high percentage of time is spent on instructional tasks. At the school level, leaders ensure a majority of calendar time and meeting time is invested in learning tasks. This provides students with an optimum opportunity to learn.
Learning can occur virtually anytime and anywhere. Learning can be intended or unintended, in school or out of school, alone or with others. – Lezotte & Snyder, 2011
March 2 & 5 – Conditions for Learning
What are the necessary conditions for learning? What can school leaders do to ensure the conditions for learning are established in schools and classrooms?
March 9 & 12
822Chat is off for spring break.
*Knitzer & Lefkowitz, 2006
March 16 & 19
Guest Host
March 23 & 26
Guest Host
April 2019 – Monitoring Student Progress
What gets monitored gets done. At least, that’s how the saying goes. We use testing to monitor student progress because it’s efficient and scales easily.
However, we’ve learned the many unintended consequences of testing, over-testing, and standardized testing. So how can we monitor student progress in ways that provide the benefits of big data, but without the detriments of a hyper-focus on testing?
“The primary emphasis in the effective school is to use assessment information as the basis for changing the instructional game plan…the more frequently student progress is monitored and instruction is adjusted accordingly, the more quickly the school will achieve its learning-for-all mission.” – Lezotte & Snyder, 2011
March 30 & April 2 – Measuring Progress
What are some meaningful ways to measure student progress? Other than standardized testing, how can we efficiently measure progress in math and reading?
April 6 & 9 – What to Measure?
Other than math and reading, what are some priority areas to monitor student progress? How can school leaders with progress data to measure their own success as a leader?
April 13 & 16 – Growth, Improvement, and Scores
Growth in Learning versus Improvement in Scores. What’s the difference to you?
According to Kerr, Marsh, Iketomo, Darilek, and Barney (2006), teachers in high-performing schools found scores (testing data) to be empowering, while teachers in poverty-ridden, low performing schools felt devalued and disenfranchised. What does this mean to you?
April 20 & 23 – Formative Assessment and Collaboration
Current best practice is using formative assessment for teacher collaboration. What are some specifics that make this effective?
How do you know when you’re maximizing your impact on learning?
April 27 & 30 – Goal-Setting
What are some of the best ideas you’ve seen with using goals with students? What are some best practices for students to monitor their own progress?
May 2019 – Safe and Orderly Environment
There are minimal requirements for the functioning of a school. Safety and order is chief among them. Emotional and physical safety comes first. Then structures to create a sense of order.
“In a chaotic environment, principals can’t lead, teachers can’t teach, and students can’t learn.” – Lezotte & Snyder, 2011
May 4 & 7 – Safe, Orderly, and Positive
What commitments must be first made by the adults in a school to ensure a safe and orderly environment? What are ways to increase positive student behaviors toward the end of the school year?
May 11 & 14 – Emotional Safety
What does the phrase emotional safety mean to you? Where do you draw the line between pressure to succeed and emotional harm?
May 18 & 21
Guest Host
May 25 & 28
Guest Host
If you’d like to join the 822 tribe, we welcome you. You can create with us, chat with us, or learn from our weekly collaborations.