Success by Design, Not by Chance Raymond J. McNulty, President International Center for Leadership in Education Leadership Conference Cypress Fairbanks ISD Houston, TX

Not an expert I’m a learner and I change my opinion based on what I learn.

SUCCESS BY DESIGN NOT BY CHANCE

Why I do this work…

WE need to become the agents of change.

Objects of Change Agents of Change VS. Federal/State Gov’t. SEA Schools, Colleges, Staff, Students, Board Policy, Community Schools, Staff, Students, Board Policy, Community

Stop waiting for the cure … educators are the cure!!

THEMES Challenge is complex Aim of Education Motivation and Relationships Learning Criteria Learning Criteria and Closing Thoughts

THEME Challenge is complex

What happened to GM..??

We have a flawed perspective of always listening to our best customers… They tell us how good the system is working for them!

Sears IBM Xerox BANKING

What got us to where we are today in education, will not get us to where we need to be!

We need fewer, clearer and more rigorous standards! OUR PROBLEM IS NOT SIMPLY STANDARDS, BUT “DESIGN” AS WELL!!!!

THEME Aim of Education

The primary aim of education is not to enable students to do well in school, but to help them do well in the lives they lead outside of school.

We’ve created false proxies for learning… Finishing a course or textbook has come to mean achievement Listening to lecture has come to mean understanding Getting a high score on a standardized test has come to mean proficiency

Learning should have its roots in.. Meaning, not just memory Engagement, not simply transmission Inquiry, not only compliance Exploration, not just acquisition Personalization, not simply uniformity Collaboration, not only competition Trust, not fear

Recently, this population has become the subject of intense interest and study…by all kinds of groups. Many of you have probably seen this report, The Forgotten Middle, which makes the case that the level of achievement attained in 8th grade is the most important factor in determining whether kids on a path towards college and career readiness. Essentially, this report says that what happens in middle school is more important than ANYTHING that happens later on. Why is this so critical? Well, combined with the finding in other current reports by [click] The Gates Foundation And ETS And Carnegie And the Partnership for 21st Century schools We get a comprehensive picture of the challenge we face… 19

Applied Skills Basic Knowledge/Skills Critical Thinking/Problem Solving Oral Communication Written Communication Teamwork/Collaboration Diversity Information Technology Application Leadership Creativity/Innovation Lifelong Learning/Self Direction Professionalism/Work Ethic Ethics/Social Responsibility Basic Knowledge/Skills English Language (spoken) Reading Comprehension (in English) Writing in English (grammar, spelling, etc.) Mathematics Science Government/Economics Humanities/Arts Foreign Languages History/Geography “Are They Really Ready To Work?”

THEME Motivation and Relationships

Intentionally Non-Compliant Student LEAP PROGRAM Dweck Theory of Attribution

What Works Best? REQUIRE MANDATE FORCE EXCITE CREATE PASSION MOTIVATE

Motivation is a key ingredient for success in learning.

It’s not us against them! Talking with kids… It’s not us against them!

ALL STUDENTS RIGOR RELEVANCE RELATIONSHIPS

ALL STUDENTS Relationships Relevance Rigor

“It is virtually impossible to make things relevant for, or expect personal excellence from a student you don’t know.” Carol Ann Tomlinson

You can’t teach kids you don’t know….

Standardized Assessment Necessary but NOT SUFFICIENT

We behave like……….. STANDARDIZED TEST SCORES ARE AN ACCURATE MEASURE OF STUDENT LEARNING AND SCHOOL SUCCESS.

OUR WORK IS COMPLEX A test score is not a synonym for what a student has learned or a school has accomplished.

TO DO THE JOB WELL QUANTITATIVE DATA QUALITATIVE DATA GREAT QUESTIONS…

Teacher – Student Comparisons T – I make learning exciting for my students. 86% S – My teachers make learning fun. 41%

Teacher – Student Comparisons T – I am aware of my students’ interests outside of school. 84% S – My teachers know my interests outside of school. 28%

Theme Learning Criteria

The Learning Criteria to Support 21st Century Learners ©

Success Beyond the Test Foundation Learning Stretch Learning Learner Engagement Personal Skill Development

Criteria Foundation Learning (Achievement in the core subjects of English language arts, math and science and others identified by the school) Stretch Learning (Demonstration of rigorous and relevant learning beyond the minimum requirements) Learner Engagement (The extent to which students are motivated and committed to learning; have a sense of belonging and accomplishment; and have relationships with adults, peers, and parents that support learning) Personal Skill Development (Measures of personal, social, service, and leadership skills; and demonstrations of positive behaviors and attitudes)

Personal Skill Development Foundation Stretch Learner Engagement Personal Skill Development

Dimensions of the Learning Criteria Foundation Stretch Learner Engagement Personal Skill Development

School Centered to Student Centered

Learner Engagement (15 pts. Max for Each) On Schedule to Graduate with Cohort Group Attendance Rate Tardiness Rate Submits Homework Assignments on Time Community Service No Discipline Referrals Participation in Extracurricular Activities Participation in Interscholastic Sports

Student Evaluation Using the Learning Criteria 15 25 50 75 100 Foundation Learning Stretch Learner Engagement Personal Skill Development Index

S t u d e n E v a l i o U s g h L r C 2 5 Stretch Learning Foundation 2 5 7 1 Stretch Learning Learner Engagement P k D p m Index Foundation

Student Evaluation Using the Learning Criteria 40 25 50 75 100 Foundation Learning Stretch Learner Engagement Personal Skill Development Index

Student Evaluation Using the Learning Criteria 50 25 75 100 Foundation Learning Stretch Learner Engagement Personal Skill Development Index

Student Evaluation Using the Learning Criteria 55 25 50 75 100 Foundation Learning Stretch Learner Engagement Personal Skill Development Index

Student Evaluation Using the Learning Criteria 70 25 50 75 100 Foundation Learning Stretch Learner Engagement Personal Skill Development Index

Student Evaluation Using the Learning Criteria 80 25 50 75 100 Foundation Learning Stretch Learner Engagement Personal Skill Development Index

Student Evaluation Using the Learning Criteria 88 80 100 91 25 50 75 Foundation Learning Stretch Learner Engagement Personal Skill Development Index

Student Evaluation Using the Learning Criteria 95 90 75 45 25 50 100 Foundation Learning Stretch Learner Engagement Personal Skill Development Index

THEMES Learning Criteria & Closing Thoughts

SUCCESS BY DESIGN NOT BY CHANCE

A B C D FIDELITY OF IMPLEMENTATION Learning Criteria to Support 21st Century Learners Components of School Excellence Rigor/Relevance Framework Supported by Relationships Foundation Learning Stretch Learning Learner Engagement Personal Skill Development Embrace a Common Vision and Goals Inform Decisions Through Data Systems Empower Leadership Teams to Take Action and Innovate Clarify Student Learning Expectations Adopt Effective Instructional Practices Address Organizational Structures Monitor Progress/Improve Support Systems Refine Process on an Ongoing Basis 6 5 4 3 2 1 1 2 3 4 5 A B C D FIDELITY OF IMPLEMENTATION

There’s no silver bullet!! NO EPIPHANY

THEMES Challenge is complex Aim of Education Motivation and Relationships Learning Criteria Learning Criteria and Closing Thoughts

Success by Design, Not by Chance Raymond J. McNulty, President International Center for Leadership in Education Leadership Conference Cypress Fairbanks ISD Houston, TX