WASL Data

According to the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI), our state's education department, just 85 test score appeals have been filed so far this year. (That's out of 240,000 tests, BTW.) The numbers were released earlier this week as part of an informational event for Washington state media. Of those filed:

• 66 were in math; 12 were granted
• 9 were in reading; 1 was granted
• 10 were in writing; none (0) were granted

There are also about 2,000 students who have applied to submit a collection of evidence, according to Molly O'Connor, the state's assessment communications manager. The collection of evidence is one of the multiple alternatives to the WASL, a means by which high schoolers can demonstrate mastery in the content areas without re-taking the test. Another 85 students have filed their scores on the ACT, PSAT, SAT or ACT as proof of their abilities; 82 filed to use their PSAT scores, one filed to use SAT scores, and two filed to use ACT scores.

FYI, State Superintendent Terry Bergeson will present her "Report to Families" teleconference to the media on Friday, June 8, at which time she will announce the number of sophomores and juniors who passed the WASL in reading, writing and math this year.

Under Pressure

The photos from the Scripps National Spelling Bee do a wonderful job of capturing the emotion associated with this event. As I mentioned in Tuesday's blog, the official Web site has a great collection of trivia and resources about the famous contest. But it's the photos that really captured my attention. Here are a couple of my favorites, courtesy of the Scripps site:

1. This poor little guy. He received the dreaded "ding" of the bell, indicating an incorrect spelling. Not sure if he's near tears or just wincing. Or both. (Cute shot, though.)
   

2. Oh, the agony of a missed word...













And my favorite shot of all that I have seen so far is this one:


3. Forget the pressure of letting yourself down, let alone your school, your family, your city, your state... Consider the plight of the poor student facing THE MEDIA in all of this. The media moat in front of the stage would rival a senate hearing. There's even a priest on hand for this event!

Participation in this event gives students an education in more than just spelling. It gives them a taste of life in the 21st century modern world.

By the way, the winning word, if you don't already know by now, was serrefine. Don't know what it means? Do what my mom always told me to do: look it up!

Where the Jobs Are

More evidence to support the claim that math matters before, during and after high school (and college) graduation. Here are the top jobs for 2006-07 college graduates, and it includes some good news for the education world -- teaching is one of them:

TOP JOBS FOR 2006-07 COLLEGE GRADUATES

Accounting

Consulting

Management trainee

Sales

Finance

Project engineering

Design/construction engineering

Teaching

Software design, development

Source: National Association of Colleges and Employers

Finger Length and SAT Scores?

This just in from the "weird science and education news" department: student finger lengths can be used to predict SAT scores. Really.

As humorist Dave Barry would say, " I am not making this up."

According to research by LiveScience.com, students with ring fingers longer than their index fingers have higher math scores than verbal scores on the college entrance exam. Students with the reverse ratio tended to have higher verbal scores and lower math scores. What's to account for this trend? LiveScience says:

Exposure to testosterone in the womb is said to promote development of areas of the brain often associated with spatial and mathematical skills, he said. That hormone makes the ring finger longer. Estrogen exposure does the same for areas of the brain associated with verbal ability and tends to lengthen the index finger relative to the ring finger.

To test their hypothesis, researchers made photocopies of children's palms and measured the length of their index and ring fingers (using calipers accurate to .01 mm). The researchers then looked at boys' and girls' test scores separately, comparing them to finger-length ratios. In the end, they said they found a clear link between prenatal testosterone exposure (indicated by the finger length) and the higher SAT scores in math. You can read the full story here.

In the interest of full disclosure, LiveScience's hypothesis pans out with this author's own finger-ratio and math scores.

Maybe LiveScience could replicate the study with the WASL?

Is Spelling a Sport?

Like football, track or golf, it requires hours of study, dedication and training. It even has officials! But is spelling a sport?

The people at ESPNTV.com think so, and will be covering the 2007 Scripps National Spelling Bee , which begins this Wednesday in Washington, D.C. It's a fun parlor game to debate whether the 286 student spellers qualify as "athletes" or fierce competitors ready to unleash some serious lexicographical jujitsu on one another. As ESPN columnist Mike Golic observed in the network's magazine this week:

"We don't celebrate academic achievement nearly enough in our popular culture. The spelling bee can be an example: Hey. Here's another way to get on TV- use your brain."

Indeed.

If you have a chance, take a quick peek at the Scripps site, which, like any sport, includes lots of fascinating statistics (40 of this year's spellers are only children). They've also created a photo gallery, round results and, of course, study resources. You can also view a list of all of the students participating in this week's event, including four students from Washington state.

Spellings Holds Her Own

Forgot to follow up on U.S. Education Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings' appearance on The Daily Show earlier this week. It takes a confident person to go on a fake news show and pull it off looking relaxed and witty. Say what you will about Spellings, she did both.

You also have to hand it to the show's host, Jon Stewart, to conduct a five minute interview of any substance while talking about No Child Left Behind and the student loan scandal. It's hard to even describe NCLB in five minutes, let alone make it funny.

Not sure if she's just that affable or her handlers prepped her well but she comes off as likable and on point about the graduation rate in this country. Incidentally, according to Stewart, Spellings is the only cabinet level official to accept the invitation to appear on the show. Click here to watch the interview.

Per Pupil Pennies

Does more money = better schools?

That's one of the questions you may ask after reviewing the U.S. Census Bureau's latest report on school funding. According to the numbers bureau, the U.S. spends an average of $8,701 per pupil on education. New York spent the most at $14,119 per student; Utah spent the least at $5,257 per student. These figures are up 5 percent from the previous year, the report indicated.
And Washington? We clock in at $7,560.

Keep in mind these are based on 2004-05 expenditures AND our state just concluded one of its most successful legislative sessions for K-12 education funding. But the findings will likely raise the question as to whether more money is the answer to our education questions. Interestingly, the 10 states with the lowest spending were in the west and south; those with the most were in the northeast.

Overall, the report indicated the U.S. spent $488.5 billion on K-12 in 2004-05. Forty-seven percent of the funds came from the states themselves; another 43.9 percent came from local sources and the remaining 9 percent came from the feds.

The report is 134 pages of dazzling graphs, charts and numbers. If you've nothing else to do over the long weekend, this could be just the ticket...

Play Ball (and Use Math)!

Check out the new Web site launched by the Center for the Improvement of Student Learning or CISL. The online resource is designed to be "a clearinghouse for education research, promising practices and success stories from around the state."

Right now, they have a fun feature on using baseball to engage kids in math.

The Route to a Diploma

OSPI just posted an updated flyer on the WASL and high school graduation that reflects the changes put in place by the Legislature this past session. The state is also working on a comprehensive FAQ document that incorporates questions from the field about alternative routes to the Certificate, course credits, etc. The Tacoma News Tribune covered some of these questions in a recent article, as well.

[Contractually Binding] Boogie Fever

Students attending Ballard High's prom in Seattle this year will have to sign contracts if they want to cut a rug.

That's according to a story published in last week's Seattle Weekly ("Getting Your Freak On Just Got Harder") detailing the difficult, if somewhat awkward, task of policing student dance moves. Apparently two years ago, the issue generated enough of a ruckus that administrators had to develop a containment strategy of sorts. Student leaders were tapped to tackle the problem. Their solution: adopting a 45-degree rule - no torsos bent more than 45 degrees perpendicular to the ground. The plan was scrapped after a year.

(Maybe Seattle's own Apolo Ohno -- the latest Dancing with the Stars champ -- could teach them a thing or two? Then again, even some of his dance moves might find him escorted off the gym floor...)

Now it's prom season, so Ballard and two other high schools are trying a more traditional American approach: signing contracts. This year's prom-goers at Ballard must sign contracts promising to abide by dance guidelines. Break the contract, and they have to shuffle off to Buffalo. (Or home, preferably.)

So what's the right solution? How are your high schools handling this issue -- or is it even an issue in your school or district?

Spellings on The Daily Show

Much to the delight of bloggers and pundits everywhere, U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings is scheduled to appear on Comedy Central's The Daily Show with Jon Stewart tonight...

Who Wants to be a Principal?

Fortunately, many educators still do. But a rash of news coverage questions why anyone would.

This is the time of year many administrators start thinking about the coming school year and must indicate their desire to stay in their current positions, change buildings, change grade levels, move into the central office or retire altogether. (In some cases, the district rearranges the players...)

Yesterday, AWSP was interviewed by The Olympian and KOMO Radio about the turnover in the principalship, particularly at the high school level. Although we don't keep stats on the changes, we do track the position changes for our own employment postings. Extremely long hours, coupled with high pressure and complex demands make that leadership position particularly demanding and subject to greater scrutiny -- and turnover. Then Newsweek hit the newsstands today with its annual "America's Best High Schools" feature.

In addition to stories about some great high schools around the country, the magazine takes a moment to examine the school leaders at work in these schools and acknowledges some of these same challenges. Be sure to check out "The Principal Principle" and the rest of the special issue. Then tell us what you think!

Is there more pressure on high school administrators? Or is the job of the principal generally just getting tougher?

Incidentally, 19 high schools from our state made the magazine's list of the top 5 percent (1,253) in the country.

Technorati Profile

School Finance

The Center for Reinventing Public Education (CRPE) released a new publication today offering insights into school finance as part of its School Finance Redesign Project. This four-year effort, funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, commissioned 30 nationally renowned scholars to write papers based on the following question:

"How can resources help schools achieve the higher level of student performance that state and national education standards now demand?"

You can read the papers here. The CRPE is housed in the Daniel J. Evans School of Public Affairs at the University of Washington in Seattle.

First Amendment in Schools

Last Friday's "First Amendment on Campus" event at Central Washington University in Ellensburg reaffirmed AWSP's commitment to helping principals better understand student press legal issues.

Sponsored by a grant from the Washington Journalism Education Association, this day-long workshop offered session tracks for advisers, journalism teachers and administrators primarily focused on the legal aspects of student media. A morning session given by school law attorney Cliff Foster gave a thoughtful (and at times, humorous) overview of the legal landscape regarding landmark student press cases ranging from Tinker v. Des Moines to Bethel, Hazelwood and the currently pending Frederick v. Morse (aka "Bong Hits 4 Jesus"). The Student Press Law Center's Mike Hiestand also presented a short session on student press pitfalls--copyright infringement, libel/slander, invasion of privacy--all good information for advisers and administrators alike. Over lunch, State Rep. Dave Upthegrove (D-Des Moines) offered his reflections on the defeat of HB 1307 this past session, indicating he might run the measure again next year. Only this time, he may just focus on collegiate press, working to make changes incrementally.

1307 enacted into law. It should be noted that Perhaps the day's most significant discussions took place after lunch, when Upthegrove and Foster joined attendees in an open discussion about a variety of school law/First Amendment issues, including student press. It was clear from the comments of those present that administrators are perceived as controlling when it comes to student press -- and that many still want to see administrators removed from the editorial process. (It should be noted that AWSP will be meeting with representatives from the WJEA soon to identify ways our two organizations can work together to help advisers and administrators better understand the issues facing each group, and in the process, further strengthen our state's many fine journalism programs.)

In concluding, Foster challenged the audience to consider the following questions:

1. In instances of student press, who is accountable to whom?
   
2. Who gets to decide what the paper will be?
   
3. What type of lesson are we teaching students [through activities on student papers]?
   

By removing administrators from the review process, "Are we really creating a model that mimics the real world?" Foster asked. What do you think?

Principals and School Media

What is the role of school administrators in relation to student press? Do student journalists have the same rights as professionals?

Those are just some of the questions likely to be raised at tomorrow's First Amendment on Campus Workshop at Central Washington University in Ellensburg. AWSP was actively involved in discussions this past session over HB1307, a bill that would have removed principal oversight from student media. Although 1307 died this session in Washington, it may be resurrected next year. A similar measure has also been introduced and is pending in the Oregon State Legislature.

More from Ellensburg tomorrow.

Sam Cooke Was Wrong*

Math and science have been the media darlings of late, but two reports being released today may temporarily shift the focus to history and civics.

The results of National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), the federal government's measure of public school achievement, indicate test scores are up for fourth-graders and 12th-graders in U.S. history and civics. Because testing varies from state to state (our WASLTAKS in Texas), the NAEP is considered "the nation's report card" because it tests a random sample of students nationwide in a variety of subjects at different grade levels.

According to the reports, the percentage of fourth-graders who met basic standard on the assessment rose last year from 64 percent in 1994 to 70 percent last year. In civics, the jump went from 69 percent in 1998 to 73 percent last year. High school students fared well in history, too: 61 percent of 12th-graders scored at or above basic, up from 55 percent in 2001. Interestingly, the National Assessment Governing Board, which conducts the regular test sampling of schools in the U.S., noted that on other tests in the same time period, "in reading, math, science and civics--results have indicated flat or declining performance."

Teachers of history and civics have long battled over what students should know, and the latest NAEP results will no doubt fuel that fire. Although the scores are up, it is interesting to see just what students were and weren't able to correctly identify or describe. Here's a snippet of how test-takers fared. In U.S. history:

• 35 percent of fourth-graders explained how two inventions changed life in the U.S.
• 1 percent of eighth-graders explained how the fall of the Berlin Wall affected foreign policy
• 36 identified immigration pattern and explained its causes.
  

Aside from giving radio DJs (and bloggers) something to ponder, what should we make of these results? Are they cause for celebration or more careful consideration?

(*"What a Wonderful World" - Sam Cooke)

The Silent Epidemic - Update

U.S. Senator Patty Murray just sent an e-mail blast about that new Ed Week graduation rate database. Murray's message said the new data supports her PASS (Pathways for All Students to Succeed) legislation, designed to help increase graduation rates by "providing critical resources including literacy and math coaches, additional academic and career counselors, and grants to fund innovative reform in high schools across the country." It would also help improve the accuracy of high school graduation rates across the country, according to Murray's release.

"It's clear that students and schools need more support toward academic success and that's what my bill will provide. By targeting reading, math and academic planning, the PASS Act gives high schools the resources and support they need to help more students graduate prepared for college, work and citizenship," said Murray.

You can read more on this on the senator's Web site.

The Silent Epidemic

It's almost June, so naturally, there's a lot of chatter right now about graduation and, perhaps more importantly, graduation rates. Consider last Thursday's news about a new national database promising the first accurate look at states' graduation rates.

Compiled by the national education magazine, Education Week, this online map allows users to generate a PDF report of any school district in the country using a street address. The site tabulates graduation data for school systems by tracking the size of a high school class from the fall of freshman year to graduation day. The data shows that about one-third of all high school students do not graduate within four years, and that 50 percent of all dropouts nationwide are from a small group of mainly urban high schools. Here's the map I generated locally for the Olympia School District. The program allows you to compare districts across the state and the nation and breaks down at what point in the progression (ninth-grade, 10th-grade, etc.) students exit the system.

Generating real numbers about graduation is something that may continue to garner attention, particularly heading into the 2008 election where groups like the Broad/Gates Foundations' "Ed in '08" campaign is making education a policy priority.

And of all the groups you'd least expect (but in a weird way, might hope) pay attention to this national problem, MTV recently aired a documentary and launched a co-branded Web site about dropouts in America. "The Dropout Chronicles" debuted on May 9 and follows three high school students in their progression toward this American rite of passage. MTV is well-known among its target audiences for reality shows like "The Real World" where groups of college-age men and women are thrown together in not-so-real-world housing (a fully furnished loft on the Seattle waterfront for college students?).

If "The Dropout Chronicles" doesn't sugarcoat things, it could be one way to reach kids already tuned into this channel about a very real topic.

Of Rock Stars, Robots and Students

Saw two interesting K-12-related stories on Tuesday. Both involved great kids. Both involved rock stars (well, one rock star and one scientist being treated like a rock star). And both showed how motivated students can be when they find their groove.

Story 1: Pop star Fergie visited Seattle's Franklin High on Tuesday to give a free one-hour concert. Students there entered a fashion contest sponsored by the singer's cell phone sponsor. The challenge: Demonstrate their fashion style using cell phone photos the cell company representatives uploaded to the Web. Visual scanning software assigned points based on how closely they captured Fergie's style. Apparently Franklin's students are more fashion forward than any other high school in the country, thus the visit!

Story 2: NBC Nightly News showed how 8,000+ students from across the country (and across gender, ethnicity and income levels) used their passion for science and engineering in the FIRST Robotics Competition. Student teams build using robots they created to advance through a series of competitions. The program was created by Dean Kamen, inventor of the Segway scooter. According to NBC's Bob Faw:

The assembled brainiacs treat organizer Kamen like a rock star because he believes that's exactly how the country should treat them.

"What we have to do is have them develop a passion and excitement to excel at things besides bouncing a ball," Kamen says. "You're a winner because of this experience."

Not sure we'll see Fergie and Dean join up any time soon, although that could be interesting! Nevertheless, two very different approaches to inspiring young people's creativity.

Veto Update

On Tuesday, Gov. Gregoire wielded her veto pen over what became known as "the WASL bill" this past legislative session. ESSB 6023 delays until 2013 a requirement that high school students pass the math and science WASL exams in order to graduate. The four sections she eliminated would have established end-of-course exams (section 9), regional appeals at the ESD level (section 10), a special exemption for ELL students (section 11) and an emergency clause (section 13) requiring an immediate effect. In her weekly newsletter to state employees this week, she noted:

“We must improve math and science teaching and learning, but we cannot penalize students when the system has failed them,” said Gov. Gregoire. “This bill extends to 2013 the deadline for students to meet the state math and science standards through the WASL or an approved alternative for high school graduation.”

You may recall reading here last week that AWSP sent a letter to Gov. Gregoire urging her veto of sections 2, 6 and 10. While the Association agreed with the vetoes that were enacted, we believe several of the the issues in section 2 (including the ability for students to access alternative assessments like the SAT, ACT and AP tests after just one attempt at the WASL) run counter to the state's education reform efforts. We also anticipate these issues will resurface in the 2008 legislative session. In the meantime...

High school administrators: How are you explaining the impact of this legislation to your students and their parents? How about staff?

Pro Dev for Principals

I'm enjoying some great conversation with the AWSP and WSPEF board members this morning in Bellevue. Today, we're talking about principal professional development needs. The question our Director of Professional Development, Terry Barber, raised in conversation with the board was:

What kinds of professional development should AWSP offer that we are not currently providing?

Most everyone around the table agreed it should take at least two tracks: inspirational (workshops helping principals reflect on their role as leaders, balancing work/life demands) and technical (workshops tailored to specific leadership skills and issues). What kind of instructional leadership training do you look for? What programs would you take time out of your building to attend?

Beating the Odds

The Washington State Institute for Public Policy (WSIPP) concluded in its recent report that very few schools "beat the odds" on the 10th-grade WASL last spring, but several performed "below expectations. Last year, the Legislature tasked WSIPP with conducting several WASL-related studies. This latest report reflects their efforts to identify schools that "beat the odds," meaning schools whose students did better on the WASL than expected, given their demographics. Only 8 out of 309 schools included in the analysis beat the odds in reading and writing; 13 out of 303 schools did it in math.

So what does this all mean? Well, since the actual and predicted met standard rates were higher for schools in reading and writing, it seems to confirm what we already know: there is a problem with math. But the main finding, as researchers noted, was the disappointing realization that very few schools beat the odds given their students' demographics.

Friedman on Skills

Digging through the inbox this morning and found a list of skill sets New York Times writer Thomas Friedman referenced at this year's NASSP Convention in Las Vegas. Friedman is, of course, the author of the popular book, "The World is Flat." Might make good fodder for remarks at graduations later this spring...

9 Skill Sets for Jobs that Can’t be Outsourced

1. Be great collaborators

2. Be great synthesizers

3. Be great leveragers

4. Be great explainers

5. Be great adaptors

6. Do anything green (environmental)

7. Be great calculators

8. Be great localizers

9. Be passionate personalizers

AWSP Requests Section Veto of WASL Bill

Last week, AWSP Executive Director Gary Kipp sent a letter to Gov. Gregoire asking her to veto three sections of ESSB 6023, the WASL and high school graduation bill. The governor has 20 days from the time the bill was signed (excluding Sundays) to take action on the measure. That means we'll likely see something take place on or before May 15.

From AWSP's perspective, the bill now before the governor represents a substantial weakening of the diploma and the graduation requirements. The association is supportive of the proposed delay in the math and science WASL as a grad requirement, but has serious concerns about the other major elements of this bill, including:

• SECTION 2 - Would allow students to use assessments that are not aligned with state standards (e.g., ACT, SAT, AP) to demonstrate proof of skills.
  
• SECTION 6 - Restricts access to the alternatives to only those students with a 3.2 GPA or higher and directs the State Board of Education to examine the use of norm references tests as a means of alternative assessment.
  
• SECTION 10 - Allows ESDs to review student appeals based on pre-ed reform measures of success (e.g., attendance/seat time).
  

In the letter, AWSP also requested a veto of section 9 of HB 1051, granting certificates of academic completion to those students who complete all graduation requirements but for the WASL. It is not a diploma. As Kipp wrote in his letter:

"While we appreciate the Legislature's efforts to ensure all students are recognized, the certificate of academic completion is a poor substitute for the skills represented by earning a high school diploma."

The governor has indicated her concerns about the measure, so she might make some changes with her veto pen (section only; there is no line-item veto). We will be anxious to see how things play out as May 15 approaches.

iPods, Cell Phones in School

Today's News Tribune reports the Federal Way School District is considering a ban on the use of all cell phones and music devices (e.g., iPods). According to the article, a draft put forward by district principals falls short of banning electronic devices from elementary, middle and high school campuses. So far the district's five high school principals are recommending the devices not be in sight or operated during school hours, the paper noted. In neighboring districts, the policies range from allowing them (with the threat of removal if they're found to be disruptive) to only allowing them at the high school.

From the principal's perspective, when is this technology appropriate for students to have in school? How does your school handle the use of cell phones? And are cell phones different from iPods or other MP3 players? Should there be separate policies for these devices?

And how can schools use iPods to enhance the educational process?

Vicki and Ed

There are two new names in the education wing of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

In case you missed it, they've hired Portland Public Schools Chief Vicki Phillips as its new director of U.S. education programs. According to the press release, Phillips will "complete the school year in Portland and begin work at the foundation August 1, overseeing and expanding upon more than $3.4 billion in strategic education investments and partnerships."

Then there's this Ed guy -- although in searching their Web site, I see Ed's not really a guy. It's a campaign. The "Ed in '08" campaign is an effort to make public education a major policy focus of the 2008 presidential election. According to the site, B&MGF is partnering with the Eli and Edyth Broad Foundation to put $60 million toward the "Strong American Schools" effort...

Washington Scholars Day

Yesterday, AWSP and the Higher Education Coordinating Board hosted its annual celebration of Washington Scholars here in Olympia. It was a big day for us and for all of our guests -- more than 500 people!

This event draws principals, students and families from all over the state, many of whom have never been to Olympia or the capitol campus before. So the staff at AWSP and the HEC Board try to make the event extra special by allowing students access to the House chambers in the morning for a recognition ceremony. (Seeing all those students in the seats that were just last week occupied by legislators was pretty amazing!)

Attendees then got to participate in one of five breakout sessions on state government, the Supreme Court, lobbying, the attorney general's office and PR and the media. This gave the Scholars, and their families, a chance to learn more about the Legislature and related careers.

In the afternoon, everyone was treated to a luncheon at Saint Martin's University, courtesy of our partner, Comcast. Gov. Gregoire made time in her amazingly busy schedule to stop by and offer her congratulations, and incoming WSU President Dr. Elson Floyd provided some inspiring and humorous keynote remarks. And there was time for plenty of pictures, like Willapa Valley Principal Rob Friese (right) with his daughter, Chelsi, who was a 2007 Washington Scholar.

Being around all of those students and proud parents reminded me how special this time of year is for schools, when we celebrate our successes and the promise these young people hold.

TVW covered the morning program, the panel on PR and media and the luncheon. You can listen to the events on their Web site or watch for it to be rebroadcast on your local cable station.

Coaches for Principals

Tiger Woods has a coach. Several, in fact.

And nobody bats an eye when he or other athletes call in specialists to help improve their skills. Ditto for many CEOs of today's Fortune 500 companies.

Why should school principals be any different?

That's the stigma AWSP hopes to break with the development of a new coaching program just for school principals. Yesterday, about 20 veteran (and mostly retired) principals from around the state gathered in Renton to help the Association flesh out what this might look like. This year, AWSP received a grant from The Boeing Company to conduct a needs assessment for this project and conduct some preliminary training of coaches.

Right now, AWSP provides varying levels of service to administrators, including:

• The Assessor/Mentor Program: Available to principals in the first three years of their principalship, participants receive two days of intense one-on-one skills evaluation with a trained assessor at no cost to them (thanks to continued support from the Washington State Legislature).
  
• School Improvement Assistance: Principals involved in OSPI's school improvement program receive targeted leadership training and assistance from AWSP.
  
• Coaching Triage: Principals who call AWSP's office in need of career guidance and support as a result of an incident or specific action.
  

In the coming months, AWSP Executive Director Gary Kipp and Principal Leadership Development Director Don Rash will be working to develop a pilot program that makes available coaching services to all members, at all stages of their careers, who want to take their skills and abilities to the next level.

"We see the work AWSP is doing is just so critical," said Anne Marie Tripps, project director for Seattle University's Program for New Principals, and one of Monday's Coaching Summit participants.

One of the questions asked at the summit was, "What are the essential skills for all coaches?" What do you think? What does it take to be a leadership coach for a school principal? And would you like to have a coach?

Podcasting for Principals

I'm spending today in the company of several communications professionals from the Puget Sound region to learn more about podcasting. Like the blog, podcasting is another way for AWSP to share information, news and stories with our members. Stay tuned!

Green is the New Black

Seems like you can't recycle a magazine or a newspaper today that doesn't mention the environment or the "green" movement. Time, Newsweek -- even Sports Illustrated published a special issue this March on sports and global warming. And today you might have seen the Seattle Post-Intelligencer's feature on Islandwood, a Bainbridge Island outdoor camp.

Clearly green is the new black. And that might be a good thing for today's students, more and more of whom would rather hang out indoors or don't have a safe option outside. In his book, Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder, author Richard Louv details a whole generation of children for whom playing outside is neither an option nor an interest. Or both, in some cases. His premise is simple: children today have little free time, and what they do have is structured (piano lessons, little league, karate, etc.). As a result, kids are losing touch with the natural world - and the long-term effects could have big implications for us all.

If, indeed, green is the new black, then AWSP was wearing green long before it became fashionable. For decades, AWSP has provided elementary, middle and high schools students from all across the state with outdoor learning experiences at Cispus Outdoor Learning Center, and more recently at the new Chewelah Peak Learning Center near Spokane. At both centers, classroom teachers guide their students in lessons that apply traditional indoor lessons in the non-traditional outdoor classroom. For some kids, it's a better way to tackle issues like math and science. For others, it's more about connecting with each other and the world around them.

The cost? About $70 a student for a week's worth of bugs, trails, critters, mud and fun. And that learning stuff, too.

Note: If you are an AWSP member and are interested in reviewing this book for an upcoming issue of The Principal News magazine, please e-mail me.

Does the Hill Have [Enough] Ayes to Undo WASL?

Lawmakers have already set in motion legislation that would delay the math and science portion of the WASL. The big question to be resolved before for the last days of session run out is whether that delay should be extended to the tests in reading and writing.

That's the latest scuttle in Olympia, where lawmakers are just days away from concluding this year's legislative session. Senate Education Chair Rosemary McAuliffe (D-Bothell) told The Seattle Times she supports a delay because the students struggling with reading and writing WASLs are from low income families, have disabilities or are students of color. McAuliffe was apparently swayed by a petition signed by more than 40 of the state's 296 school district superintendents advocating for the delay.

Gov. Gregoire has continued her support of the graduation requirement in reading and writing, and reiterated it in comments to reporters last Friday, after a closed-door meeting with Sen. McAuliffe and House Education Chair Dave Quall (D-Mount Vernon). To wit:

"One week from Sine Die let's make a dramatic shift in education policy in the state of Washington? That is troubling to me."

The 105-day session is scheduled to end on Sunday, April 22, though Democrats are pushing to end things this Friday. With a budget left to resolve and a host of other major policy concerns, it will be interesting to see if The Hill has the "ayes" to undo the WASL as a graduation requirement - for 2008.

For the record, AWSP supports a delay in mathematics and science, but not for reading and writing.

Are Perceptions Reality?

Do you have a more optimistic view of your students' abilities than your teachers?

If you do, you're not alone according to the National School Boards Association. Their new study of 4,700 teachers and 267 principals and assistant principals in 12 school districts in 10 states found that principals were more likely than teachers to say that students can excel academically. The study is part of the NSBA's effort to gauge school climate. Among the findings:

• 94.6 percent of administrators agreed/strongly agreed with the statement, "Students at this school are capable of high achievement on standardized exams." 77.2 percent of teachers agreed or strongly agreed.
  
• 95.3 percent of administrators said teachers at their school would benefit from more professional development; only 68.1 percent of teachers thought so.
  
• More teachers (23.6 percent) than principals (7 percent) agreed/strongly agreed with the following statement: "Most students at this school would not be successful at a community college or university. 85.2 percent of administrators disagreed/strongly disagreed with the statement; 58.1 percent of teachers did.
  

Why the gap? Teachers spend more time in the classroom, the American Federation of Teachers told Ed Week Magazine, so they have "a more realistic picture of what it would take to get [students] over the hurdles."

Why do you think there's such a difference in the findings?

Math Symposium

This afternoon, representatives from every branch of the P-16 education tree met at AWSP as a follow-up to the recent OSPI Math Symposium held in SeaTac last month. Their special guest was Dr. Uri Treisman, executive director of the Charles A. Dana Center at the University of Austin in Texas. Treisman addressed the group for more than an hour and emphasized several steps Washington state could take to bolster its math retrenchment efforts:

1. Build data systems that yield answers to key questions.
2. Manage the curriculum. The top five performing school districts on the NAEP all have managed curricula. The worst-performing districts were all local control.
3.Rethink our teaching system. We need to "think more creatively" about our sources of new teachers.
4. Modernize the teacher compensation system. In Washington state, we still reward teachers based on seniority, not performance.
5. Reassess teacher preparation programs and professional development.
6. Create effective student support systems. "Remediation almost never works. We need accelleration."
7. Tread carefully with information technology. Treisman cited the U.S. Department of Ed study mentioned in today's earlier post about the failure of reading and math software to increase achievement. Use technology carefully, Treisman cautioned, and find ways to help administrators be smarter about IT purchases.

Other Triesman comments worth noting:

• On high school course offerings: "We need to make sure what's on the marquee is what's showing in the theater."
• On being a principal today: " There's virtually no economic incentive to be a principal today."
  
• On education reform: "The biggest change in most states: We've shifted from a K-8 focus to college readiness."
  
• On teaching: "Everyone underestimates how hard it is to teach. Just open a pre-calc book. The stuff's hard!"

Pen and Paper vs. Pixels

Apparently high tech learning isn't a ticket to higher test scores.

At least that's what the federal government concluded today. According to a study issued by the National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance (a research arm of the U.S. Department of Education), achievement scores were no higher in classrooms using reading and math software products than in classrooms without the new products. You can read the Associated Press (AP) story on it here.

According to the AP story, the report detailed the effectiveness of the products as a group and did not review the performance of particular programs. Interestingly, despite minor technical glitches, most of the teachers involved in the study said they'd use the software again.

Obviously, just because a lesson is delivered in pixels rather than on paper doesn't necessarily make it better. What do you think? How is your school using technology as a teaching tool?

Principal Realities

I ran across two interesting sets of data on the principalship today. Both reflect the difficulties of the profession and echo some of the same concerns our members have expressed.

The first finding comes from the Educational Research Service (ERS), which released its 2006-07 salary survey today. On the whole, the ERS found that principals and assistant principals are taking home 11.9 percent more in salary than they did five years ago, but that increase fails to keep up with the cost of living, which rose 13.8 percent during those same five years. Tables for elementary, middle and high school comparisons are all available on the NASSP Web site, as well as the full release about the study.

The second piece is a story I came across in the April/May issue of Edutopia, "Where have all the principals gone?" (pg. 48). Writer Jimmy Guterman explores why superintendents are struggling all over the country to find good leaders for this crucial school post. In his findings, Guterman cites an NAESP survey teachers' reasons for staying in the classroom rather than pursuing the principalship. Of note: 58 percent said the compensation was insufficient for the responsibilities of the job. Time (25 percent) and stress (23 percent) were also considerations.

What can be done to help principals lead more balanced lives? What sort of compensation models would you like to see? Should there be a National Board Certification compensation program for principals, like we have for teachers?

Pay for Performance

Principals in the Pittsburgh (PA) Public Schools will be on pay-for-performance contracts at the start of next school year, according to an article in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The district won't necessarily eliminate across-the-board raises given to principals most years regardless of their performance, but it wants to offer an incentive system that will reward hard work, boost student achievement, and increase the number of effective principals in disadvantaged schools.

In Washington state, the Legislature is considering similar provisions for teachers, offering bonuses to its best educators who teach in high poverty, low achieving schools. Approximately $7.5 million has been set aside in Gov. Gregoire's budget for the program which would reward Nationally Board Certified Teachers.

Currently, board certified teachers get a $3,500 annual bonus. The governor's plan changes the bonus to a flat amount equal to 10 percent of the teacher's salary. It then adds a $5,000 if the teacher works in a school with 70 percent or more of the students qualify for free-and-reduced lunches. There's another $5K bonus if the teachers are certified in math and science.

The House has a nearly identical plan in its budget; the Senate does not include the provision for math and science.

There's little debate that attracting high quality teachers to struggling schools can boost achievement. But what implications does that have for administrators?

And should principals be given the same consideration?

Principal Ps & Qs

In today's wired, need-it-now, and overscheduled world, is there still room for manners?

Today I attended a lunch meeting sponsored by a local public relations group; the subject was business manners. Our speaker was a humorous and well-spoken woman named Stephanie Horton, the owner of Top Dog Etiquette. In just under 60 minutes, she covered about 20 topics, all related to manners and all easily applicable to schools. For example, true or false?

• It's OK to listen to your voicemail via the speakerphone. (False. It's disruptive and people can often still hear you, even with your office door closed.)
• E-mail thank you notes are acceptable. (True. A hand-written note is preferable, but an electronic thank you is OK. And it's never too late to say thank you!)
• It's not necessary to tell people they are on speakerphone. (False! It's common courtesy to let them know they are being heard aloud.)
  

For principals, who spend a lot of time meeting with families, community representatives and other key audiences, manners are essential. How you present yourself and your office matters, according to Horton, because it is an extension of who you are and the organization you represent.

Do you have a manners pet peeve you'd like to share?

Convention Reflections

It's the opening day of baseball season, the sun is shining and the NAESP Convention is coming to a quiet conclusion. That's quite a Monday!

I'm just tidying up after spending a great long weekend in Seattle. You can view some of my convention photos here. This was a great professional development opportunity for so many elementary and middle level administrators, and so nice to have it right here in Washington state.

I had the privilege of covering a session for NAESP's Convention News Online where principals from all over the world shared their concerns about the principalship. The good news: principals from the United Arab Emirates and Italy to Pennsylvania and Washington state are all grappling with the same issues (parental involvement, testing and principal certification, to name a few).

I'm still processing the conversation I shared with with four other principals who are avid bloggers (including two from Washington state -- Puyallup's Glenn Malone and Arturo Gonzalez). Joining us were Oklahoma's Dr. Jan Borelli and Arizona's Steve Poling. I was blown away by their creativity and excited at the possibilities blogs might have for others in our state. Arturo is a planning principal and is using blogs to talk about a new school. Others are using them for professional development with teachers and connecting with parents. It could be the next big thing in principal pro dev (if it isn't already!).

Did you know NAESP has their own blog, too?

Postcards from Seattle

Greetings from the NAESP Convention in sunny (and slightly soggy) Seattle!

The thousands of elementary and middle level principals who flocked to this event have been treated to some amazing speakers and presenters thus far.

Yesterday, I had the chance to cover Dr. Thomasina Piercy's session on her book, Compelling Conversations, whch harnesses the power of one-on-one conversations between principals and teachers to help ensure all students reach their learning goals. An elementary principal in Baltimore, Piercy's multi-media presentation seemed to resonate with attendees.

NAESP always finds powerful keynoters, and this year is no different. I've been chewing on the remarks of authors and educators Jonathan Kozol and Erin Gruwell. Kozol is a well-known speaker on issues of education, poverty and race; Gruwell is inspiration for the The Freedom Writers project. Personally, I was moved more by Gruewell's speech (and her delivery) and will probably blog about that more later. Some of the more poignant comments from both:

• "I think aesthetics count-- a lot. It's one of the sharpest ways we draw the line of race and class in America." - Kozol
• "In America, because of archaic financing, the little ones we love come into school with a price tag already printed on their foreheads." - Kozol
• "If you teach one, they will teach another." - Gruwell
• "Every single day, these little kids are going to walk into your school and it's up to you tell your teachers to teach those kids, because every kid can and will make it, but it's up to us to be the unsung heroes and simply do the right thing..." - Gruwell
  

I met Gruwell (photo) briefly during a book signing following her presentation, and she was as genuine, bright and engaging in person. Can't wait to start reading her book.

Networking is also an important part of any conference or convention. Had a great lunch today at the Cheesecake Factory with four very hip, tech-savvy principals about blogging and how it has revolutionized their work. More on that later, too...Now off to dinner!

Kid Pan Alley Tunes

For those who thought imagination and play in the classroom are endangered species: take note.

Tennessee singer/songwriter Paul Reisler (not to be confused with Paul Reiser from TV's "Mad About You") is helping students from ages 6 to 10 create write their own songs. In an interview this week with NPR, Reisler talks about the joy he finds in helping children craft songs.

"The great thing about writing with kids is, it's not edited before it comes out of their mouth," Reisler tells NPR's Renee Montagne.

The result? Snappy little tunes like "The Rainforest" and "Cartoons," both inspired by subject matter close to kids' hearts. Although a folk singer by trade, Reisler helps children explore a variety of musical stylings and genres.

The result of his seven-year journey across America is a CD, Kid Pan Alley. You can buy the CD on the Kid Pan Alley Web site, order curriculum guide for teachers, or make a donation to Reisler's program. To date, he's helped create 600 songs with more than 12,000 children!

With all the musical talent in our great state, there just has to be a program like this somewhere in Washington. Do you know of any?

Also, starting tomorrow, I, along with about 230 elementary and middle level administrators from around the state will be in Seattle for the NAESP Convention. I'll try to do a little blogging from the Convention Center to share some of what I'm learning during my stay in Seattle. It's shaping up to be a great convention.

Forget March Madness...

Try Math Madness instead.

From the halls of Olympia to the daily newspaper on your computer or doorstep each morning, the headlines have all focused on math; today was no different.

What should 10th-graders know and be able to do on a test that counts for graduation two years later? What's the best way to test their knowledge? Is multiple choice really better? Fairer? And what if we 're still debating this five years from now? Then what? Legislators have until April 22 -- sine die -- to figure it all out. (Truth be told: AWSP has concerns about the rush to use any kind of test, be it the WASL or an off-the-shelf, multiple choice version.)

This is one time a study might be just the ticket.

On a lighter-but-still-math-related note: A belated Happy Pi Day, which took place on March 14 (3.14, of course). This high holy math day also coincided with Albert Einstein's birthday. A match made in mathematics heaven! No word yet on whether Hallmark has a card for this occasion...

A Nation at Risk?

Here's a thought: What if "A Nation at Risk" was wrong?

That's the premise behind an article in this month's issue of Edutopia (my new favorite education magazine). Author Tamim Ansary suggests that much of this landmark report was actually "misquoted, misinterpreted and often dead wrong." He goes on to track the origins of this Reagan-era document, suggesting that Cold War rhetoric and the need for better support from women voters led to the creation of what could arguably be the origins of the WASL and NCLB.

While Ansary does his homework to support his hypothesis, it left me wondering where we 'd be without "A Nation at Risk"? Would something else have come along to incite a similar reform in the K-12 world? With many subgroups of children still in need of remediation and support, it's tough to argue that we didn't need a catalyst for reform. Whether this was the right catalyst is another matter.

What do you think?

Five Minutes on NCLB with U.S. Senator Patty Murray

Just received an e-mail from U.S. Senator Patty Murray's office regarding an exchange she had last week with Education Secretary Margaret Spellings about NCLB.

Apparently she had five minutes to question Secretary Spellings about Pres. Bush's plan for NCLB, and made the most of it, to wit:

Q: How Do You Explain that To Educators Who Are Working Their Tails Off?

SENATOR MURRAY:
So, well, the way it sounds to me is, we're making this law try to work. But you continually don't fund it. How do you expect me to do my job?

How do you say that to an educator who is working, you know, 12 hours a day, 40 kids in their classroom, working really hard to meet it and they just feel left behind by this administration?

SECRETARY SPELLINGS:
Well, I would give them that answer, and I'd also say that I think that the policy that's before us now, with more information, more data around kids and their needs has allowed us to be a lot smarter and more precise about the resources we are spending.

SENATOR MURRAY:
Well, they're feeling it out there, and the anxiety is huge. And us Democrats, we're going to put together a budget that tries to meet that better. But it's very frustrating to not have that request come from you at your department where you're the top of Education. And believe me, the people I'm talking to are at the other end of it -- it's very frustrating.

You can view the entire exchange here. Or, sign up for Senator Murray's education updates online, if you'd like to receive her e-mail updates on this issue.

Got Mints?

With all the controversy in Olympia over the future of the math and science WASL, it was refreshing (pun intended) to read in this morning's Washington Post about a new testing aid for students: the mighty peppermint.

According to Lori Aratani's article, "The Power of Peppermint is Put to the Test," educators in one Maryland school district are giving their students a minty pick-me-up to help boost their performance on the Maryland School Assessments, which began this week. And yes, there is data to back this up. Apparently a handful of researchers have found a whiff of the minty extract has helped test takers concentrate and perform better on tasks. One study found that athletes who had a hint of mint also performed better than those who didn't. Similar efforts to boost achievement have been tried with citrus fruits and classroom paint colors.

While fresh breath is a nice benefit from this little psychosomatic ploy, it's a bit of a stretch to correlate higher WASL scores with an Altoid. I suppose anything that helps students relax and feel more confident is a good thing. But it's no substitute for strong building leadership, focused instruction, aligned curriculum and engaged families.

Mint, anyone?

Are You Smarter Than a Fifth-Grader?

The Fox Network is betting you're not, given its new show, "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?"

Let's warm up with an easy one: Can you name the five Great Lakes? Do you know which is bigger: 3/5 or 5/8? Which planet is closest to the sun? And, most importantly, who invented peanut butter? (Better know who invented jelly, too, just in case.) These and other probing questions are asked every Thursday night at 8 p.m. to either boost our confidence in today's youth or confirm what we already know: Adults should never compete with cute kids on TV.

As a self-confessed trivia junkie, I get the whole fascination with quiz shows. But I am puzzled to understand why any adult would boast they are, in fact, smarter than an elementary student. (That's how it's supposed to work, right?) This same sort of educational oneupsmanship has occurred for years each fall when the WASL scores are published in the paper alongside actual test questions.

I guess if there is any good to come of this show, it's that it may re-instill people's faith in kids and public education (but not, necessarily, in TV executives). Schools could use it to engage community members by hosting a local version in the cafeteria or gym, using it as an opportunity to show off programs and school talent.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel recently compiled its own online quiz based on a set of questions fielded from a local fifth-grade teacher. Truth be told, I clocked in with 12/20 correct answers. No summer school for me, but I definitely need to pay closer attention in math...

Fresh Pixels

Welcome to AWSP's new blog, The Comp Book, a sometimes serious--sometimes not--look at the world of K-12 issues and the principalship in Washington state. We can't promise a witty post every time, but we will strive to provide an interesting and timely look at hot topics that may have principals in search of a solution. Or a sympathetic ear. Or both.

Since we're just starting out, The Comp Book will primarily be written by members of the AWSP executive staff. As things progress, though, we'd like to invite practicing principals to serve as guest bloggers. Some of you may already have your own blog, in which case, we might be calling YOU to help US!

The first page of our new comp book is complete. We hope you check back with us to see what's on our mind, and let us know what's on yours, too.