E-Hints Related to Governance and Leadership

Below is an archive of E-Hints related to the governance and leadership of curriculum, instruction, and assessment work. We welcome you to use them to make improvements district- or schoolwide, or share them with a colleague who might benefit.

Thank you for ensuring that your staff is doing what's best for kids!

Leadership Tip - Participate in the development of curriculum. Select a subject area that you are most familiar with and be an active member of that committee. You'll have a better understanding of what is involved and how the curriculum is intended to be used.

Conflict Resolution for Facilitators

July 6, 2021 by Stacey Bruton

Educators and other professionals spend a lot of time participating in online and onsite meetings. As a facilitator, your role is to guide and manage the group. At times, this assignment can be challenging when conflict arises. Recognizing early warning signs can minimize the potential for trouble. However, some issues naturally generate differences in opinion. When facilitating, it is important to stay neutral and avoid the appearance of taking sides in order to move the group forward.

Careful planning can set a positive tone from the beginning and prevent the onset of negativity. When meeting onsite, arrange the room to have a conducive setting for group discussion. If meeting online, schedule your poll questions or create your breakout groups before the meeting begins. Start the session on time and outline norms for self-monitoring. Introduce all participants, or in the case of larger groups, provide them with name tags or tent cards. Ask online participants to verify the screen name displayed is correct. Make sure to have an agenda — hard copy or electronic — so the goals are known to all. When developing the agenda, try to structure the time to have the participants spend more time talking than the facilitator.

When resistance occurs, consider the reasons behind it by asking some questions.

Is there another event taking place simultaneously that participants are missing?
Was the meeting location difficult to find or inconvenient for travel?
Did participants have insufficient notice, or was it scheduled at the last minute?

In addition, there may be other reasons group members are apprehensive. Some may have preconceived ideas about the outcome of the meeting, which can overshadow productivity. Participants may anticipate more work as a result of the meeting, or they might believe there will be limited support if new ideas are implemented. Individuals may also have something personal going on. Regardless of the cause for tension, facilitators need to avoid becoming defensive, pushing through despite the climate or countering the resistance with force.

Differing opinions are a part of healthy decision-making. Even when facts are presented and used to make the best choices, sometimes challenges arise. How do you know whether to intervene?Signs of problems include continual sidebar conversation with peers, noticeable digital conversations, folded arms, leaning back in the seat, eye-rolling, and complete disengagement. A quick gauge of the situation allows the facilitator to determine the next steps.

Is the problem serious?
Is the situation disrupting focus?
Are the conversations becoming personal?
Do I have enough credibility to mediate?
What could happen if I do nothing?

Choose careful wording in order to restore group effectiveness and avoid damaging relationships.

Facilitator intervention starts with a neutral tone and approachable voice. If the group is no longer functioning as a whole, point out that the energy seems to be lost. Ask a question and use exploratory language with plural forms to show there are options for a solution. What are some ways we can regain the focus? If there is a contentious discussion, again, intervene through questioning. What might be some causes? Reasons? Ideas?If a heated discussion continues, paraphrase the conversation in order to recap the options put forth and redirect adversarial behavior by asking another question. Asking always elicits a better response than telling because participants are more likely to accept suggestions generated by fellow group members. Telling the group what to do is the last option; however, it may be necessary when members display the inability to follow group norms of behavior.

Sometimes group discussion becomes group dysfunction requiring action. If someone is intent on criticizing another’s ideas, use a question such as “We have heard your opinion about the cons of _____’s idea, but what are some of the pros?” Do not allow personal attacks or blaming others, but avoid confrontation in front of the group. It may be necessary to call for a break and then approach the naysayer privately during that time. Online meetings allow chat conversations without involving the entire group. When people feel passionate about a topic, they might “vent” in private just for the simple need of being heard. Guided questioning can be an effective way to allow the person to share his/her feelings. Why do you feel this way? What happened the last time? What do you think would make things better? When emotions have been released, the participant is more likely to move forward in identifying solutions. Establishing rapport through non-verbal cues of posture, gestures, and breathing will have a calming effect. Avoid arguing and using loaded language, stating the participant is angry. That will only create more conflict. Remember to listen and empathize with concerns, but continue to stay neutral to help de-escalate the situation.

As the whole group comes back together, reward positive interactions with head nods, eye contact, and a friendly face. Complimenting participants for providing feedback is also helpful to set the new tone. The facilitator can also promote understanding of different viewpoints by allowing one side to present and answer questions. The alternative side can then share their points and field questions. Comment on the strengths offered by both sides so the group can move to make a decision.

If the group cannot reach a consensus on a group decision, the facilitator may need to utilize specific steering questions.

What needs to happen for this to work for you?
What will eliminate your concerns?
What support needs to be in place?

While the preferred approach is to face the conflict and come up with a group decision, asking people to compromise and be more tolerant might be necessary. When it is apparent that a resolution will not happen that day, place the issue on the agenda for the next meeting and ask participants to come with any new ideas and be prepared to make decisions.

In short, the keys to mediating conflict are to identify the signs of dysfunction, determine when to intervene and provide the correct guidance to reach a resolution. When issues are more involved, it may require multiple meetings to come to an agreement. Using a systematic approach to meetings is just one dimension of being a good facilitator. To create a positive experience for everyone, facilitators should also be adept at mediating conflict and leading groups to solutions through various questioning techniques.

Now is the Time to Strengthen Community and Parental Connections

June 1, 2021 by Stu Ervay

For twenty years America’s public schools have focused on complying with external standards. Most of those standards have been written by, or in cooperation with, state and federal governments. Accrediting bodies have also come up with standards.

In the early years of the standards movement the mandates or strong recommendations were not as well designed or worded as they are now. And they changed regularly, often confusing school leaders and teachers.

Reasons behind the standards movement were associated with an attempt to make schools more efficient, less expensive, and more accountable. Accountability was determined through the development and use of high stakes tests. Test results were recorded on massive data bases and used to make decisions about funding. And to compare school districts with each other.

That movement may have had good intentions. It possibly improved the quality of some school programs. But it also tended to interfere with the American tradition of building strong connections between and among schools, parents, and community patrons.

Local networking, so much a hallmark of American education, became overwhelmed with externally developed and required strategies to upgrade learning quality.

Now this nation is besieged by the Coronavirus Pandemic, an event that is changing the nation in many ways. Especially schools and colleges. Ways of doing things in the past seem hopelessly mired down.

The experience tells us much about ourselves and the institutions we revere.

Parents who once accepted the value of standards and high stakes tests are now in homes with children struggling to learn via an internet platform or some other kind of virtual connection. They can see what their children are doing or not doing.

They see the frustrations of both students and teachers as they struggle with everything from poor internet connections, to maneuvering through a lesson. They feel the frustration of students, either their own or others, who have difficulty understanding concepts or developing basic skills.

Far too many of those parents, as grateful as they are to teachers who try so hard, have concluded that this COVID era is when effective education has been put on hold. A warp in time that can only be repaired when everything “gets back to normal.”

But the question is, “What is the future normal going to look like?”

The Curriculum Leadership Institute has long advocated strong communication between and among local school stakeholders. Board members are fully involved or informed about everything being done to upgrade curriculum and instruction. Some of them serve on curriculum councils, along with selected others in the community.

All meetings of the professional staff are open to parents and community members, who sometimes participate in subject area committee meetings. Districts are encouraged to make parents and patrons aware of all actions taken to modify curriculum, instruction, assessment, and other matters relevant to the academic program.

Many client districts sponsor hard copy or online newsletters that explain the improvement processes they are undertaking. Some have a close and positive working relationship with the local media. They sponsor excellent web pages that describe what is being done in substantive terms.

“Substantive” means those districts share curriculum information, and the techniques they are using to ensure students succeed as much as possible even in these difficult times. They share documents like grade level and/or subject area curricula, that include clearly written “purpose” or mastery statements for EACH subject being taught. Under each purpose statement are listed unit outcomes.

Because both purpose (mastery) statements and unit outcomes are written using measurable verbs and specific content fields, parents can more fully participate as “guide on the side” teaching assistants. They can do that because what is being taught to mastery is not just “stuff to be covered.” A verb such as “describe” tells parents their student must articulate something orally or in writing, and a content field like “how a hypothesis is developed” means listing or even more detailed information as shown in an entire unit outcome.

Teachers and parents, working together, are continually testing students FORMATIVELY. That is a topic for another E-Hint, but the key idea is that ongoing assessment is built on a trusting working relationship between teachers and parents. And no longer dependent solely on high stakes tests and other forms of summative measurement of learning.

New Challenges Require District Curriculum Councils to Revisit Curriculum Governance Policies

April 6, 2021 by Stu Ervay

Woman holding small chalkboard that says Think Big

America is beginning to change. So are its schools. The reasons are obvious. The COVID 19 Pandemic is one of them.

Other important reasons are associated with social disparities, funding, shifting governmental policy, and the purpose of education in a developing 21^st Century.

School boards, curriculum councils, teachers, and administrators are under more pressure than ever. Parents and school patrons demand solutions to nearly unsolvable problems. Most of which involve virtual learning, social distancing, and learning quality.

Meeting agendas often include topics shown below:

keeping students engaged using distance education,
the role of curriculum and instructional design,
the extent to which students are “falling behind,”
internet access,
availability of electronic tools like computers,
budgets that sustain the many changes in learning configuration,
family support systems,
teacher salaries and morale, and
the health of both teachers and students.

These topics have long been areas of concern. They are challenges made worse by the pandemic.

The first three topics in the list should be discussed as priorities by the curriculum council. They need both immediate and long-term attention. Subsequent E-Hints will offer ideas for solving immediate issues. However, now is a good time to ensure long-term policies are still in place and working.

Three are most important:

Ensure your district has a clear policy for academic program development, implementation, maintenance, and evaluation.

If there is a policy in place, is it being adhered to by the board, curriculum council, and administrative staff? If not, how can that problem be addressed?

Make certain your district has a long-range plan of action, a process that systematically upgrades the quality of curriculum, instruction, and assessment of student learning over time.

If a plan of action exists and is up to date, is it being followed according to policy provisions? If not, what can be done to resolve that problem?

Clear intentions for student learning called mastery statements are more essential than ever!

Teachers need mastery statements to guide their planning, instruction, and assessment. Parents and school patrons want to know what is expected of students. Three kinds of mastery statements are essential:

a comprehensive description of what students who complete a district’s full curriculum will know or do
descriptions of what students who complete each subject area in the district’s curriculum will know or do
an accurate statement of what students will know or do after completing each subject at grade level

If those three actions were taken years ago, today’s unique challenges might require a few modifications. We suggest the process start with your curriculum council. Recommendations can then be made to the administrative staff and board of education.

A Reflection on “What Works” from a Veteran Consultant

March 2, 2021 by Rhonda Renfro

As I reflect on the past 25 years or so of working directly with school districts of various sizes, I debated my last topic for an E-Hint. A staff colleague asked, “In your work, what have been the most important things districts can do to change school culture through curriculum development, instructional planning, and local assessment development?” So, I created this list of actions that I feel lead to the most significant impact for districts implementing the model. I daresay that these actions would lead to positive effects within any school district. They have led to intense study of best practice through research, consistent improvement of student learning, and powerful conversations between and among teachers, administrators, the board of education, and community members.

To achieve significant results, a district must establish:

a “district” mindset for the governance of curriculum, instruction, and assessment by a representative group of teachers, administrators, board, and local stakeholders.
- This district mindset demands that members put aside their titles and their individualism to make decisions that will positively benefit the school district.
- District personnel bring their expertise to the table, but the stakeholders are free to discuss as equal participants in the decision-making steps involved.
a climate of accountability for teachers and students along with district-level and building-level leadership.
- As with many action decisions, if no one is checking, it is natural to do what is “easier” when stress and deadlines encroach on planning. Accountability structures lead to productive actions for the entire school staff and foster a sense of daily accountability for students.
a Long-Range Plan to outline timeframes for curriculum development, instructional planning, and local assessment development.
- Teachers and teacher teams will not have to wonder when changes are to be made to a curriculum, leading to instructional planning adjustments, assessment revisions, and the potential for new resources.
- Administrators can budget time and finances, for upcoming needs in advance.
district-wide parameters for grading policies that positively impact student learning.
- Stakeholders should have opportunities for research and dialogue to identify and implement best practice grading solutions regarding the why and how students are evaluated for their performance.
- Teachers’ closely held beliefs about grading are often shared while decisions are made about what scores are “fair” to include and how to incorporate the scores into a “grade” for students.
- An environment of equity and fairness results from the discussions.
a common, local curriculum aligned to standards allows teachers of the same grade level or course opportunities to have planning conversations.
- Teachers collaborate to develop instructional plans with common outcome targets, leading to using all teachers’ expertise of the same grade level in each classroom. Teachers learn from each other in pursuit of common goals.
- The common, local curriculum establishes the Tier One curriculum on which to base intervention plans.
common assessments with descriptions of defined performance levels.
- Teachers carefully align local assessments to make sure they are assessing the established curriculum.
- Subjectivity is removed from grading as much as is possible.
- Results are shared within the grade level or courses to determine best instruction practices on a specific curricular goal and identify the most effective instructional strategies.
- Teachers can implement interventions in a timely manner.
- Communication regarding student progress can be more specific and include celebrations or clear steps for improvement.
a seamless progression of content and skills in each subject area for efficient instruction.
- There is a clear “roadmap” of the students’ journey of content and skills.
- Teachers can identify where or when students may have experienced a loss of successful learning.
- Teachers can rely on the learning in previous grade levels to provide the basis for new learning expectations.

These strategies or steps to improve curriculum, instruction, and assessment alignment lead to better communication between and among all stakeholders and provide stability throughout a school district. While these actions would lead to positive effects within any school district, it is often impossible to maintain the priority without a district-mandated structure explicitly designed to require discussion.

Addressing the Social-Emotional Needs of Teachers

February 2, 2021 by Emily Makelky

Teacher looks frustrated and exhausted at desk with his hands on his face

Teaching through the pandemic is more stressful, time-consuming, and emotionally-draining than any other time in recent history. The stressors of teaching kids in person, virtually, and often a combination of the two, are far beyond the many stressors that teachers have experienced. What has become abundantly clear, is that for today’s educators, the conditions and scenarios in which they are working, cannot sustain if we want to avoid mass burnout.

Since the start of the pandemic, there has been a push to make sure we are meeting the basic needs of our students. As we know, if their basic needs are not met, the chances of students being successful at achieving academic targets are slim. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is used to determine how to better meet the needs of students. This same hierarchy should also be used to better meet the needs of our teachers. Within your Curriculum Coordinating Council (CCC), or curriculum governing committee, make this topic a priority at your next meeting. Here are some ways to address this issue:

Do the research As is common practice when discussing issues within the CCC, find articles that clearly communicate the topic like this one on teacher morale from Edweek. Upon reading, ask committee members to share out what resonates with them. Ask them to reflect upon the strategies listed, determine if their school is already doing them, or if any of the strategies could work there.

Introduce Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and each level of the hierarchy. Relate each need to teachers and how their needs are not being met due to the pandemic. For example, a physiological need that may not be met right now is food. As stress levels rise and time is short, teachers may be rushing to get out of the house in the morning and may not prioritize packing a healthy lunch. Another physiological need that may be lacking is sleep or rest. Additional responsibilities at work usually take away from personal downtime and might make it more difficult for teachers to get adequate rest.

Brainstorm solutions Ask CCC members to come up with ways that the district could help meet teachers’ basic needs. Put a poster-sized piece of paper for each level of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs at different tables around the room. Divide the paper into columns. The first column would identify the specific need, the second column to list what the district is already doing, and the third column is used to record what more can be done. For example:

Encourage members to be as creative as possible and not to worry about the costs. If a solution does cost money, ask them to add a dollar symbol to that one.

Prioritize solutions Use a facilitation activity, like “Spent a Dot,” to determine priorities. Give members of the committee six or so dot stickers, or sticky notes, whatever you have on hand. Ask them to walk to each paper and review the ideas offered during the brainstorming session, and “spend a dot,” or add a dot sticker to the ideas that they think should take priority while planning next steps. After the activity, it should be clear which ideas, or solutions, to move forward.

Plan next steps Good intentions and discussions will always remain just those, unless, a plan is created and followed through. For each of the priority solutions, plan what needs to be done, who will be responsible for seeing it through, and when it needs to happen. It may be helpful to create a subcommittee for following through with the plan as some solutions might take more time and effort than others. To ensure that the next steps happen, make sure to revisit this topic at the following CCC meeting, and create ways for teachers to offer their feedback.

Continue to monitor the social-emotional health of your teachers throughout the remainder of the year and be sure to communicate your efforts to better meet their basic needs. The last thing anyone wants is for a third of the teaching staff to resign because they can’t continue teaching under the conditions of this past year or so. Your teachers will appreciate that you care and that the district is looking out for their well-being.

The Role of the School Board in Ensuring Equity in Education in Various Learning Environments

January 5, 2021 by Rhonda Renfro

Teaching during COVID-19 is stressful, challenging, and confusing to even those of us who are career educators. Luckily, at least we know what is expected of us, though the environment might be varied. School board members, who don’t necessarily have experience in the classroom, are probably wondering how they can be most effective in their role. Whether an experienced educator or not, this is an excellent time for school board members to take a step back and determine what local measures are in place to ensure that all students, no matter how they attend school, receive an equitable learning experience.

In this E-Hint, we present a series of questions to serve as a starting point for open dialogue between a school board and its district superintendent, curriculum director, and the staff at large. These challenging questions would also be appropriate for an administrative team to affirm or evaluate their current curriculum processes in this environment of students “attending school” in remote, hybrid, and in-person settings.

The first question the school board and administration should answer is, “Is there consistency in what is taught and what is expected of all students within the same grade-level or course regardless of the teacher, learning environment, and time of day?” Skills, topics, and level of rigor should remain the same no matter the variables associated with teaching. Therefore, is this articulated K-12 for each content area? In other words, do we have a locally written, results-based curriculum to which all teachers have access?

Additional questions to help ensure equity in education through COVID-19 include:

Do we have a model or system of processes that we follow, as a district, to align curriculum, instruction, and assessment?
Do we have a district-wide, board-approved policy for how curriculum, instruction, assessment, and student learning decisions are made? Does it ensure stability when there are multiple learning environments for students and when immediate changes occur to those environments?
Do we have locally written, approved, common assessments by which student learning is measured?
How do the building principals and other administrators function as instructional leaders within the district and monitor student progress in various learning environments?
How are staff members prepared to follow the local curriculum and assessment protocols as they meet the challenges of the current reality in various learning environments?
Do we have a method of determining student placement in courses at the beginning of the next school year?

Although not exhaustive, these are some examples of questions that the CLI Model for School Improvement provides support in answering. The media presents the message that education is in a state of disarray. At the Curriculum Leadership Institute, we believe that teachers and districts are currently doing their best to meet student needs, even as difficult as that might be. As long as dialogue continues to ensure equity and alignment, we can successfully navigate this challenge in education as we have met challenges in the past.

E-Hints Related to Governance and Leadership

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