Super Scoop

New Year’s Resolutions

Educators get to enjoy two “new years” each year – one at the start of the school year and another on January 1st. Each of these new starts brings a renewed sense of hope for success and happiness.  New Year’s resolutions, whether they are made on January 1st or in August, allow us to go beyond hope to proactively change the factors that contribute to our success.

Our teachers have begun to make changes to instruction and assessments to meet the more rigorous expectations measured in the new state assessments, RICAS. While the learning standards have not changed, expectations for what is considered “proficient” has increased.  Massachusetts has led the nation with a rigorous Curriculum Framework that incorporates the Common Core Standards, ensuring higher level thinking skills, increased instructional rigor, and better prepared students for higher education and success in an increasingly global work environment. Rhode Island is following suit.  We must resolve to continue the curriculum work already begun, as these changes, if done well, will require a considerable amount of time and effort.

Out of both necessity and a respect for Smithfield taxpayers, another resolution for 2019 will be to continue to find ways to operate our schools more efficiently.  We began the school year operating under a budget increase that was funded by increased state aid; there was no tax impact to Smithfield taxpayers in FY19. The estimated FY20 state aid, however, brings us to a figure that is lower than that received in FY18.  If we are to maintain the current level of programming, a significant increase will be needed in our town appropriation. With a per-pupil allocation that is well below the state average, we don’t have too many options for reducing expenses without substantial impacts to staffing and instruction. School budgets are complicated under the best of circumstances.  Expenses are pulled from Federal grant accounts as well as the local budget. Federal law requires a “maintenance of effort” for special education programming, meaning that this part of the budget cannot decreases. Contractual salary increases, utility increases, and continually rising health care costs contribute to annual increases. Despite these challenges, we are committed to do our best to find efficiencies, reduce expenses, and explain our budget decisions as they are made.  

Another important resolution is to work smarter.  The district strategic plan provides a clear direction for district goals, individual school improvement goals, and educator goals as required by the Rhode Island educator evaluation system. We cannot afford nor have the time to expend effort on initiatives that will not help us to achieve the community’s vision for its schools.  A mid-year progress report for both the district goals and my goals for this school year will be presented to the School Committee at its January 22nd meeting.

I hope that many of you will consider making activism in the Smithfield schools a resolution for 2019.  School Committee meetings are often unattended or poorly attended. The School Committee needs to know what all stakeholders – students, parents, taxpayers, and staff – want for our schools in order for them to serve you well. John Carver (2006, Boards That Make a Difference), an expert on effective board operations, explains that although boards act as trustees on the “owners’” behalf, board business often “pull the board staffward.”  The Future Search, which brought together a variety of stakeholders for a conversation about our district’s future, provided an opportunity to hear from the “owners” of Smithfield schools.  There are many opportunities, such as School Committee and town meetings and participation on school improvement teams, for this voice to be heard into the future.

Happy New Year!

A Formula for Disaster

After learning that the FY20 state aid to Smithfield would be $1.5 million less than that of FY19, I set out to assess the factors that led to this decrease with the hope of either finding an error or determining what is flawed in a formula that was heralded as bringing a new era of fairness, predictability and stability for Rhode Island school districts.

The state aid formula was adopted by the Legislature in 2010, was first implemented in FY12 then was later adjusted in 2016. The prior method of determining state aid to municipalities favored communities with higher property values. The newer formula was put into place after a long period of study by the Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council (RIPEC) and the application of various formulas that failed at addressing the inadequacies among wealthy and poorer districts.

The underlying philosophy behind the current formula is simple.  Money follows students; when some municipalities see enrollments drop and others see it rise, the funding follows. The formula includes a core instruction amount for all students, adjusted annually.  Additional funding is provided for each student receiving free or reduced price lunch.  A state share ratio, which is calculated through a formula that considers municipal property values, median family income, and student poverty status is then applied to determine how much the state contributes to the town to support education in that town.

For those who enjoy mathematics, the following explanation of the state aid formula may be interesting. Others may want to skip through the next four paragraphs.

The FY20 state aid to Smithfield, excluding offsets for group home, special education categorical, transportation, and English Language Learners, is predicted to be $5,963,577.  This figure is determined by multiplying the total foundation formula, $24,944,017, by the FY20 State Share Ratio Quadratic Mean, 23.9%.

The total foundation formula for each district is determined by multiplying the number of students in the district (March 2018 average daily attendance) by a per-pupil amount, deemed necessary to provide an adequate education, then adding a larger, per pupil figure for the number of students eligible for free and reduced lunch.  The total foundation formula is thus affected if either the enrollment or the number of students eligible for free or reduced price lunch (FRPL) changes significantly.  For this year’s aid, compared to the one estimated for next year, enrollment in Smithfield did not change significantly (down 2 students), though FRPL did reduce somewhat (from 218 to 198).

The State Share Ratio Quadratic Mean is determined by taking the quadratic mean of the FY20 state share (30.1%) and the percent FRPL (15.4%).  Thus, FRPL status is factored in twice to the state aid amount. The state share is determined using two factors – the Smithfield average wealth per pupil and the state average wealth per pupil (state share = [1-(1/(Smithfield AWPP/State AWPP)) * 100].  Thus, if a districts average wealth per pupil is much higher than the state, the state share is smaller.

A town’s average wealth per pupil is determined through a series of calculations that begins with the total assessed value of taxable properties, adjusted first by considering a comparison of assessed values vs. selling prices over the past 2 years.  For Smithfield, selling prices were about 6.2% higher than assessed values over the past 2 years.  Since the state, as a whole, also saw selling prices higher than assessed values almost to the same degree as Smithfield, this data adjusted our total assessed value up only about 1%.

The average wealth is adjusted again by taking into account a median family income adjustment factor (how much our median family income compares to the whole state).  This is where a significant jump in the average wealth occurs for Smithfield, resulting in a large decrease in the state share between FY19 and FY20.  The median family income adjustment factor, which is the median income in Smithfield, reported as a percentage of the median income in the state, is reported to be 119.11% for FY20 state aid.  The factor contributing to the FY19 state aid was reported to be 110.46%.  This is a large change, seeming to indicate that the town residents of Smithfield became significantly more wealthy compared to their state peers.  Since median income is believed to be reported as a 5-year average, this is even more befuddling, since 4 of the 5 years in that average are identical.

What is most interesting, is that the town’s “wealth,” which the state refers to as the Equalized Weighted Assessed Value (EWAV), rises 8.8% to $3,010,015,506 after these adjustments, despite the fact that the town does not have any real means of securing more taxes from its residents from one year to the next.  These factors, therefore, lead towns to strained fiscal challenges. In Smithfield, for example, even if the district were to maintain a level budget — a significant feat considering that health insurance is expected to rise, contractual pay increases obligates the district to increase salaries ranging from 2-2.5%, and utility costs also tend to rise from year-to year — the town appropriation would need to increase by about 5%.

Our next steps in determining whether an error was made in the median income adjustment factor or if there is an inherent flaw in the state aid formula are to request the underlying median income data from the RI Office of Municipal Finance and to analyze the formula further with various partners. Smithfield residents with expertise in these areas are encouraged to contact the Superintendent if interested in exploring this matter further.

Writing – A Key to Academic Success

If you ask a variety of people what they believe are keys to academic success, you’ll hear a variety of responses.  Some may focus on family values, others on innate intelligence.  Some may believe it’s the academic environment, the curriculum, or the quality of instruction.  To be sure, there are a great number of factors that contribute to academic success, some of which we have influence on and others, perhaps not.

While Smithfield students enjoyed their last day of summer, Smithfield teachers participated in professional development, primarily focused on two keys to academic success – school climate and writing.  These factors were chosen as a focus for this entire year because we have some control over them and we know that our responsibility as a district is to provide our educators with the most effective leverage, tools and support they need, in turn, to support the students they serve.

A couple of years ago I had the opportunity to attend a workshop presented by Fred Wolfe, an award-winning former educator and trainer, who focused his presentation on the value of writing in today’s world. He began by pointing out how poorly educators are trained to teach writing during their undergraduate years. At the same time, the instructional materials available in schools do not adequately provide students with good examples of effective writing.

Fred shared a powerful piece of writing by a student reporting on slavery then compared 3 passages about slavery taken from 4th, 8th, and high school textbooks. The textbook passages were simply and ineffectively written. He posits, if this is how we show good writing, it’s a wonder why students are producing ineffective writing themselves.

In order to answer the question, “Is writing really that important?” Fred shared his interviews with professionals in various occupations. An engineer reported that he spent 60-70% of his time writing. An auditor reported spending 50% of her time writing and 30% of her time reviewing her team’s writing.

Fred also shared some good news. Students arrive at school with a desire to write and can be taught to write well. Under the right circumstances, students enjoy writing. To leverage these advantages, students need to read and write every day. Students also must possess a “vision of success.” Comparing writing development to the development of athletic skills, Fred noted that if all students do is to write papers then it’s like athletes playing in games and not attending the practices. At the conclusion of the presentation, Fred reminded participants that all teachers should model writing. This is no different than what our athletic coaches and music teachers are doing every day.

Not only is writing important for writing’s sake, but writing also allows the individual to both share and develop their understanding of any academic subject.  As a chemistry teacher, I assigned a weekly lab report.  These reports, written in composition notebooks, provided an opportunity for students to explain and analyze the data from an experiment and relate that analysis to the concept being learned. It also allowed me, as a teacher, to catch misperceptions and plan reteaching accordingly. I had fairly high expectations for the writing but didn’t expect polish; while some of my colleagues had students prepare a draft, get feedback, revise, and type out a polished piece of writing, I believed this took too long.  By writing often, I hoped to build writing fluency and to develop my students as writers over several assignments, rather than through one assignment.  My grading of these writing assignments, as well, did not involve a deep polish, otherwise I couldn’t have kept up with this end of the work.  I focused my feedback on what matters most – the science concept and a whatever was specifically getting in the way, in terms of writing, of the student capably sharing their thinking.

In order to help our educators teach writing most effectively, we engaged John Collins of Collins Educational Associates, to train teachers of all subject areas. Dr. Collins introduced the Five Types of Writing and the rationale behind his approach.  By using the Collins approach, students write more across all subject areas and receive more feedback through focused correcting, which allows the student to improve a few writing problems at a time.

The Collins Writing Program features practical strategies that ensure high student engagement and efficient use of teacher time. These strategies are appropriate for teachers in a wide range of academic areas and grades and have a long record of success. Their website lists principles upon which their program is based:

1. Thinking and writing skills develop with frequent, meaningful practice.
2. Most students develop writing and thinking skills incrementally through a variety of informal and formal writing experiences.
3. Each of the Five Types of Writing, ranging from quick assignments designed to encourage thinking to writing assignments that are entirely free from all errors, serves a distinct instructional purpose that is easily adapted to student needs and differences between subject areas.

The general feedback from this training was positive.  More importantly, we hope that this year teachers will feel better prepared to teach writing, students will have more opportunities to develop and share their understanding through writing, and graduates will be better able to write well for their continued learning, career, and life.

Partnerships

Improving school, family, and community partnerships is a goal on nearly every district strategic plan, including that of Smithfield Public Schools. Often, the focus is on securing additional resources to help realize other important district goals.  Partnerships, however, should go both ways, especially those between schools and parents.

Joyce Epstein, a sociologist from Johns Hopkins University, and the National Network of Partnership Schools developed a framework to help educators and parents think more broadly about partnership activities.  Their six types of involvement ensure that plans for engagement encompass a wide array of opportunities. Each of these six types is outlined in this blog post so that our educators and parents can consider new ways to work together in support of our children.

Type 1 – Parenting Activities

Parenting activities help families understand their children’s growth and development. Children don’t come with user manuals and each generation brings new challenges to parenting.  Schools and PTOs/PTAs can work together to organize workshops, support groups, and educational materials for parents on a variety of topics. Most recently, we organized a parent workshop, “When Kids Don’t Play Nice,” presented by Jeanine Fitzgerald, a national presenter.  

The presentation focused on a common concern for parents and educators – the social isolation, rejection and humiliation some children experience every day. Next, we’re working with the PTOs/PTAs to present “Screenagers,” to focus on how technology impacts children’s development and the associated parenting challenges faced by today’s parents.  We also work with Smithfield Prevention Coalition to share relevant information about substance use. Our goal is to make these types of activities part of the regular work of our schools.

Type 2 – Communications

With so many options to choose from – social media, newspapers, blog posts, newsletters, meetings, podcasts, email, phone, webpages, etc. – communicating with parents and other members of the community should be easy but it still represents a challenge.  Since individuals get their information in a variety of different ways, no one media is better than any other and, instead, we are compelled to repeat communications through a variety of media. It’s also important to consider what is being communicated, since there’s certain types of information that has the most effect on student performance. Sharing information about individual students’ attendance and performance is most useful to parents engaged with helping their children succeed.  When schools devise ways for this communication to be two-way, the effect is further enhanced. We are finishing up on new websites and a district app to help with communicating important information to parents. Regular newsletters, blog posts, press releases, and social media posts contribute to this effort. Most importantly, we review how information from the student information system provides parents with updates about student progress.

Type 3 – Volunteering

Many parents share their time and talents with our schools in a variety of ways.  Not everyone can come into school during the school day but we hope that parents will reach out to principals with ideas about how they can engage with the schools.  In a previous district, an interior decorator created a color palette for future painting and furniture projects so as monies came available, the school made good choices about colors, rather than simply letting staff pick their favorite color for each project.  In some school systems, parent directories are used to connect parent interest and talents to specific school needs. Other ideas include parent “greeters,” volunteer trainings, and volunteer rooms where teachers can leave projects for completion. While Smithfield schools have many volunteers assisting with various tasks, more work can be done to engage more volunteers in novel ways.

Type 4 – Learning at Home

Homework can sometimes be a controversial topic, with some thinking that schoolwork should be done at school only and others believing that work at home helps develop good practices.  Balance is the key. Homework can provide parents with a glimpse into their child’s school day and help at home can better ensure student success. Schools often fail, however, to provide parents with guides on helping their child at home.  This especially has been the failure of new computational methods and the frustration of parents who find themselves challenged with helping their children with math practice at home. As a high school chemistry teacher, I developed “take home” labs to increase the dialogue parents can have with their children about chemistry.  Traditional homework, I thought, was more of a private matter compared with experiments about apple browning, zinc corrosion, or chromotography. Epstein’s recommendations about type 4 activities are eye-opening; it’s not simply about assigning homework.

Type 5 – Decision Making

Involving parents in School and District Improvement Teams, search committees, building committees, and other action teams provides a means for different perspectives that add value to the work at hand.  Unfortunately, these activities sometimes only involve a small group of people who may have known about the activity and had the time to participate. Engaging a wider variety of parents in the future is a goal of our schools.

Type 6 – Collaborating with the Community

There are a variety of ways that community groups, organizations, agencies, and individuals can work with schools to add value and different perspectives to our work.  The Smithfield Rotary and Lions Clubs regularly engage in schools for the benefit of students. Our town libraries, most recently, were asked to join our Library Task Force.  The Smithfield Prevention Coalition, together with Tri-county Community Action, works on prevention activities in Smithfield. Bryant University annually invites students to the Woman’s Summit.  There is an endless possibility of opportunities for type 6 activities.

More information about Epstein’s Six Types of Involvement can be found in the publication, School, Family, and Community Partnerships:  Your Handbook for Action, 2nd Edition (2002, Corwin Press).  Look for opportunities to engage in Smithfield Schools in upcoming newsletters.  

Leveling the Playing Field

Anyone thinking that all students come to school on a level playing field should consider both the life experiences of the students outside of school as well as the facilities and programs of the school they attend.  

I have visited schools throughout New England, both schools with construction costs as high as $200 million and schools that can best be described as “dismal.”  The most impressive facilities include indoor pools, career resource centers, artificial turf playing fields, and well-equipped weight rooms. Admittedly, such extras are not necessary for a high quality education but, when these same schools are funded 20% or more above the average per pupil cost and provide programs including a strong, integrated library; elementary world languages; visual and performing arts; and strong school-to-career connections; the gap between the beautiful, well-equipped schools and others widens considerably.  

There’s also a less tangible characteristic of schools that differ from community to community and school to school. Positive school culture, characterized by strong parent involvement, dedicated staff, and engaged students, is rich in some schools while lacking in others. Ideally, school environments should be beautiful and well equipped as well as characterized by a positive school culture. Here in Smithfield, a positive school culture abounds in each and every school, regardless of the condition of its facility.

Even before students reach the schoolhouse door, there are gaps between more affluent students and their less affluent peers.  Every life experience – visits to other countries, trips to the art museum and aquarium, books read, music and performing arts experienced – contributes to one’s vocabulary which, in turn, improves one’s reading skills which, in turn, increases one’s school performance.  

There are several ways that the federal, state, and local governments work to level the playing field for children.  In our own community, we are putting before the voters an elementary school reconfiguration bond question that would provide funding for renovations to our elementary school facilities so that all Smithfield elementary students have equitable, safe, and inspiring school facilities. 

The Rhode Island School Building Authority (SBA), together with the Council of Elementary and Secondary Education, is tasked with ensuring that approved school construction projects provide high quality learning environments, conserve resources, and are easier to maintain.  The SBA was impressed with the project developed for Smithfield and describes it as a “prudent” solution to the town’s facilities’ issues. In an effort to address the many school facility issues facing the state’s towns, additional monies and incentives are planned, pending the approval of a state bond vote in November.  Since a town’s share of the total cost of the school is smaller for less affluent towns, this work levels the playing field, to some degree.

The building process is a long road.  The town has already established a building committee, studied current and projected enrollment, and worked with an architectural firm to develop preliminary plans that helped to provide cost estimates.  Beginning with the initial elementary reconfiguration committee and Stage 1 application, more than three years and significant dollars have thus far been invested in the project. Following the town school bond approval in November, it will take another four to five years to complete the project. Since Smithfield has concerning elementary facility deficiencies as well as a middle and high school facility that are 40 and 50 years old, respectively, and have their own identified needs, we cannot afford to wait to begin addressing these needs.  

Over the next two weeks, we will be holding two additional bond forums [at Winsor Elementary School on October 29th at 7pm and at on October 30th at Old County Road School at 7pm] at which the entire community is invited to learn more about this project and the opportunities we currently have to lessen the burden of taxpayers while addressing our needs.  

While the elementary reconfiguration project is is not the only step our town and its schools take to level the playing field for our students, it is a very important step and one we hope will gain the support of our entire community.

Confessions of an Average Teacher

For the past few years, I’ve aimed to become an average golfer. If you had ever seen me golf, you’d realize that it’s quite an ambitious goal.  Average sometimes gets a bad rep — no one, it seems, wants to be average. No teacher wants to be an average teacher and no school wants to be an average school.

For a portion of my teaching career, I was an average teacher.  When I look back on those years, I cringe at the period of over-reliance on the textbook and the period of creative lesson planning with insufficient attention to formative assessment (I taught it, so they must have learned it).  I always cared about my students but when I made the effort to really get to know my students (all 110 of them) and remembered to ask about the weekend football game and how a student’s family was doing with the new baby, I marveled at what a difference this made to student engagement.  How could I have not known about the value of relationships?

I wasn’t born a fabulous teacher, but I’d like to think that I evolved to one.  Perhaps one of the most significant things I did to improve my practice was to become National Board certified.  The process required that I video lessons, collect evidence of good assessment practices and family engagement efforts, and reflect on my work.  The process didn’t simply confirm that I was a good teacher, but instead it developed in me a critical eye that allowed me to continue to improve my practices after achieving certification.  Following each teaching day I learned to reflect on the lesson structure, the degree of student learning, and other aspects of my teaching and was far more critical than any administrator that walked in my room; I was continually looking for ways to improve.

A Washington Post article, written by Steve Peha and summarized by Kim Marshall (Marshall Memo, 2014), focuses on the benefits of attending to improving the classroom methods of teachers that are neither superstars nor are least effective.  Having teachers utilize better instructional practices can have a significant impact. Peha posits that “average teachers who trade inefficient techniques for optimized techniques experience above-average success.” “Pick the right 10 practices, implement the right 10 solutions, and average teachers would get above-average results.”  It is through doing just this, every week, every month, and every school year, that average teachers become above average teachers, average schools become above average schools, and average districts become above average districts.  Leaders need to have both the moral courage to advocate for improved instructional practices and the true care for their teachers who they believe can and should be more than average.

We have structures in place to look at instruction across classrooms and schools.  Each month, “Power Hours” at each of our six schools include a learning walk with the principal and superintendent.  Administrative team meetings (ATeam) also include text based conversations and reviews of educational research. Conversations may include posting and focusing on learning goals and essential questions, differentiating instruction to challenge every student, and applying strategies to improve student engagement. We are learning from the educational research as well as from our teachers and helping to spread the great practice of those teachers to others.

At the start of this new year and as I begin my second year in Smithfield I’ll also be looking to trade my own inefficient techniques for “optimized techniques” to experience above-average success so that I, too, can move from being average to being something more.  While I have my own list of areas for improvement, I’m also open to input from staff and others.

As for golf, I’m going to continue my lessons with Sheldon so that I can replace my inefficient techniques for optimized techniques but I’m not ready to aim for anything more than average!

“A ‘Do-able’ Solution to Teacher Quality” by Steve Peha in The Washington Post, November 5, 2010, http://wapo.st/1CvSnU4

Honoring Senator John McCain

Over 50 years ago, Martin Luther King, Jr., in a speech delivered in New York about Vietnam, stated, “The world now demands a maturity of America that we may not be able to achieve.”  It is, perhaps, his least hopeful quote but it also, unfortunately hits the mark. Like Benjamin Button, I think we are moving backwards in time.

The first televised presidential debates, between Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy, highlighted clear ideological differences between the candidates and between the parties but were also relatively respectful as compared to what we experienced during the last presidential election.

I’ve heard it said that if you hold a public position you should keep your politics tight to the vest.  I disagree. What’s really great about this country is our ability to hold different views without persecution.  Unfortunately, we have become a country where holding different views sometimes yields contempt. Democrats vs. Republicans, Whites vs. Blacks, males vs. females, liberals vs. conservatives, gun enthusiasts vs. gun control advocates…  we’re becoming a nation of opponents just when it’s most important to unite.

The passing of Senator John McCain and the public farewell, which began following his death on August 25, 2018 and continued through his funeral and burial on September 1, 2018, brought to the country’s attention the value of political differences among a climate of respectful discourse and cooperation for the benefit of our nation.  As John McCain put it in his final letter to the country, “We have always had so much more in common with each other than in disagreement. If only we remember that and give each other the benefit of the presumption that we all love our country we will get through these challenging times. We will come through them stronger than before. We always do.”

I’m hoping we can, as a nation and as a community, rise above the political divide and growing racism of the past few years to regain the respectful and open-minded character of the greatest nation in the world, showing tolerance of those who may look differently, act differently, worship differently, or think differently.  As a school superintendent, my hope is not simply for the character of our country but for the character of every student enrolled in our schools. Children will do as we do rather than do as we say.

Let’s honor Senator John McCain by showing that we can achieve the maturity that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. feared would not be achievable and “learn to live together as brothers” rather than “perish[ing] together as fools.”

“So live your life that the fear of death can never enter your heart. Trouble no one about their religion; respect others in their view, and demand that they respect yours. Love your life, perfect your life, beautify all things in your life. Seek to make your life long and its purpose in the service of your people. Prepare a noble death song for the day when you go over the great divide. Always give a word or a sign of salute when meeting or passing a friend, even a stranger, when in a lonely place. Show respect to all people and grovel to none. When you arise in the morning give thanks for the food and the joy of living. If you see no reason for giving thanks, the fault lies only in yourself. Abuse no one and no thing, for abuse turns the wise ones to fools and robs the spirit of vision. When it comes your time to die, be not like those whose hearts are filled with the fear of death, so that when their time comes they weep and pray for a little more time to live their lives over again in a different way. Sing your death song and die like a hero going home.”

― John McCain, Character Is Destiny: Inspiring Stories Every Young Person Should Know and Every Adult Should Remember

 

Student Engagement

If we asked 10 educators observing the same classroom whether or not the students were engaged and what evidence supports their claim, we’d have 10 different answers.  Students who are quiet and compliant are often thought to be engaged. For others, seeing students participating in an activity-based task, no matter how little thinking is involved, leads to a the high engagement classification.  When we walk through classrooms with principals and discuss engagement at leadership team meetings, we in Smithfield are working on developing a common vision for student engagement. If we all understand the vision of our desired future, we are more likely to get there.

The term, “engagement,” has different meanings for different people but if we are to focus on the type of engagement that contributes to greater levels of student learning, we would need to ask ourselves these questions, developed by the Center for Educational Leadership at the University of Washington (Center for Educational Leadership:  https://www.k-12leadership.org/about-us):

• What is the frequency of teacher talk, teacher-initiated questions, student-initiated questions, student-to-student interaction, student presentation of work, etc.?
• What does student talk reveal about the nature of students’ thinking?
• Where is the locus of control over learning in the classroom?
• What evidence do you observe of student engagement in intellectual, academic work? What is the nature of that work?
• What is the level and quality of the intellectual work in which students are engaged (e.g. factual recall, procedure, inference, analysis, meta-cognition)?
• What specific strategies and structures are in place to facilitate participation and meaning-making by all students (e.g. small group work, partner talk, writing, etc.)?
• Do all students have access to participation in the work of the group? Why/why not? How is participation distributed?
• What questions, statements, and actions does the teacher use to encourage students to share their thinking with one another, to build on one another’s ideas, and to assess their understanding of one another’s ideas?

To assess engagement, we must attend to the level of intellectual work and who is doing that work; how the teacher uses structures and processes, what Himmele and Himmele call “total participation techniques,” to ensure that every student participates, as opposed to calling on students whose hands are raised resulting in one student participating at a time; and whether student talk embodies substantive, discipline-specific vocabulary and thinking.  This is substantially more difficult than simply noting whether or not there are students who are causing disruption.

While administrators may focus on observing classrooms for student engagement, teachers have an even tougher job – identifying and employing practices that lead to higher levels of student engagement.  

Today, there are a variety of resources available for teachers to learn techniques for improving student engagement from blogs:

http://www.edutopia.org/blog/strategies-getting-keeping-brains-attention-donna-wilson-marcus-conyers

https://www.edutopia.org/student-engagement-resources

to videos:  

https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/student-engagement-language-arts

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8cHCXqt0xE

to books:

http://www.amazon.com/Total-Participation-Techniques-Student-Learner/dp/1416612947#

http://www.amazon.com/Productive-Group-Work-Students-Understanding/dp/1416608834/ref=pd_sim_b_3?ie=UTF8&refRID=1C44D1Z4PF8YS7ER59E6

Like musicians, artists, actors, athletes, doctors, and chefs, educators who continually learn and continually improve their practices are masters at their trade. Most importantly, they are the teachers every Smithfield student deserves.

Back in the Swing

I took the summer off from blogging but as I sit at the computer now, I regret that decision.  Whether it is writing or reading or exercising or getting up early, once a habit is established, taking a break from the habit makes it difficult to be re-established.  

We encourage students to read throughout the summer because we know that it makes it easier for these students to continue to progress, rather than backsliding through June, July, and August.  We also know, though, that families challenge their children intellectually and physically in various other ways. Visits to museums, beaches, camps, and travels to other states enrich vocabulary and knowledge while concurrently building strong relationships among family members.  

Whatever students (and educators too!) did this summer, effort will have to be made to establish good habits this school year.  A regular bed time, a place to do homework, limits on electronic use, leaving enough time in the morning to get to school on time, and other good practices, once established, make life easier, even though getting there can be painful.  Lucky for us, the challenge of starting a new school year is balanced by the joy of reconnecting with friends, families, and colleagues.

Address to the Class of 2018

The following address was given at the graduation commencement on June 5, 2018.  A special thanks goes to Emma McKay and Darianna Perez, who sang the verses in brackets. 

Congratulations to all members of the Class of 2018!

Parents, honored guests, faculty, friends, and graduates of Smithfield High School’s class of 2018 — It is an honor to be here today at your commencement. Finding the right words was a challenge and so I settled on finding the right songs.  

Many of you will never remember who spoke at your high school graduation and I challenge you to ask your parents who spoke at theirs.  You will, however, remember the music that played over your high school years. In fact, according to a psychologist from UC Davis, music and memories are integrated in the brain and music actually evokes memory.  Moreover, this research suggests that this connection is strongest during adolescence and young adulthood.1  This might be the reason why every generation thinks that the music heard during their youth is the best music ever.

Some of those gathered here today may have been teenagers in the 80’s and 90’s and might want to say to you, “So bring your good times and your laughter too, we’re gonna celebrate your party with you.”2   [Celebration!]  “I  gotta feeling that tonight’s gonna be a good night”3  [Tonight’s gonna be a good, good night!]

It was fun doing a little research, looking for bits of advice for our graduates in the songs of the past, but, admittedly, I discovered an abundance of “silly love songs,”4 anguishes over lost loves, and charges to “do the twist,”5  “do the mashed potatoes”6  “dance the night away”7  and “put on your red shoes and dance the blues.”8   Among the chatter I found three themes worthy of a graduation address: being yourself, showing resiliency, and pursuing purpose and passion.

Be and find joy in being yourself.  “You should know you’re beautiful just the way you are; And you don’t have to change a thing.”9  [beauty goes deeper than the surface  Oh, oh, oh-oh-oh]  Your elders heard some of the same advice when they were young.  Billy Joel, in 1977, sang: “I don’t want clever conversation; I never want to work that hard; I just want someone that I can talk to; I want you just the way you are.”10  Sounds quite a lot like Meghan Trainor’s refrain, “If you got beauty, beauty, just raise ’em up; ‘Cause every inch of you is perfect from the bottom to the top.”11   Graduates, take Taylor Swift’s advice to “dance [sic] on your own” and when others don’t like it, “just shake it off.”12   [shake it off, shake it off]  Remind yourself, you are brave, you are  who you’re meant to be, Look out ’cause here  you come and you’re marching on to the beat you drum 13   [I’m not scared to be seen I make no apologies, this is me]

Being yourself doesn’t guarantee success so when you encounter a challenge, you’ll need resilience and the support of friends and family to move forward, echoed in the verse of a song that was first recorded in 1972 and that emerged again in 1987, “Sometimes in our lives; We all have pain; We all have sorrow; But if we are wise; We know that there’s always tomorrow”14  15   [Lean on me, when you’re not strong…. I’ll be your friend, I’ll help you carry-on]   Mariah Carey echos this sentiment with:  “And then a hero comes along; With the strength to carry on; And you cast your fears aside; And you know you can survive; So when you feel like hope is gone; Look inside you and be strong.”16

If you go through life with both integrity and resilience, you’ll also want to find purpose and passion.  “Dreaming about bigger things,” “smiling from the stage while” others are “clapping in the nose bleeds; Not a yes sir, not a follower.”17   [Thunder, feel the thunder]  “So many times (graduates) it happens too fast; You trade your passion for glory; Don’t lose your grip on the dreams of the past; You must fight just to keep them alive.”18   [It’s the eye of the tiger; It’s the thrill of the fight.]  Follow your passion, rather than worrying about what others think.  As Huey Lewis reminds us, sometimes “It’s hip to be square.”19 

Tonight, graduates, remember to thank those who have “taken you from crayons to perfume.”20   When you get where you’re goin’; Don’t forget turn back around; Help the next one in line; Always stay humble and kind”21

“Life’s a journey not a destination.”22  “You [sic] are young; So set the world on fire; You [sic] can burn brighter than the sun.”23   “Get your motor runnin’  Head out on the highway; Look for adventure”24  [In whatever comes your way] “Look all around, there’s nothing but blue skies” 25  26   “Welcome to your life; There’s no turning back.”27  

Graduates, choose the right lyrics to live your lives, be yourself, practice resiliency, and pursue your passion.  

1Janata, P., Tomic, S. T., & Rakowski, S. K. (2007). Characterization of music-evoked autobiographical memories. Memory, 15(8), 845–860.    

2Bell, R., Smith, C., Brown, G., Taylor, J., Mickens, R., Toon, E., Thomas, D, Bell, R.E., & Deodato, E. (1980). Celebration [Recorded by Kool and the Gang]. On Celebrate! [record]. New York: The Island Def Jam Music Group.

3Adams, W., Ferguson, S., Gomez, J., Guetta, P., Lindo, A., & Riesterer, F. (2009). I Gotta Feeling. [Recorded by The Black Eyed Peas]. On The E.N.D. [record]. Paris, France: Square Prod.

4McCartney, P., McCartney, L. (1976). Silly Love Songs [Recorded by Wings]. On Wings at the Speed of Sound [record]. New York: MPL Communications/Capitol.

5Ballard, H. (1960). The Twist [Recorded by Chubby Checker]. On Twist with Chubby Checker [record]. New York: Parkway Records, Inc.

6Rozier, D. (1959).  (Do the) Mashed Potatoes [Recorded by Nat Kendrick and the Swans (sung by James Brown)]. On (Do the) Mashed Potatoes [record]. Miami: Dade Records.

7Van Halen, E., Van Halen, A., Anthony, M. Roth, D. (1979). Dance the Night Away [Recorded by Van Halen]. On Van Halen II [record]. New York: Warner Brothers.

8Bowie, D. (1983). Let’s Dance. [Recorded by David Bowie]. On Let’s Dance [record]. New York: Power Station.

9Caracciolo, A. (2016). Scars to Your Beautiful. [Recorded by Alessia Cara]. On Know-it-All [record]. Santa Monica: Universal Music Group.

10Joel, B. (1977). Just the Way You Are [Recorded by Billy Joel]. On The Stranger [record]. New York: Columbia.

11Trainor, M. & Kadish, K. (2014). All About That Bass [Recorded by Meghan Trainor] on Title [CD]. Nolensville, TN: Carriage House Studios.

12Swift, T., Martin, M., & Shellback. (2014). Shake it Off [Recorded by Taylor Swift] on 1989 [CD]. Nashville: Big Machine.

13Pasek, B. & Paul, J. (2017). This is Me [Recorded by Keala Settle] The Greatest Showman; Original Motion Picture Soundtrack. [Digital Download]. New York City: Atlantic Records.

14Withers, B. (1972). Lean on Me [Recorded by Bill Withers] on Still Bill [Record]. Los Angeles: The Record Plant.

15Withers, B. (1986). Lean on Me [Recorded by Club Nouveau] on Life, Love, & Pain [Record]. Burbank: Warner Brothers.

16Carey, M., & Afanasieff, W. (1993). Hero [Recorded by Mariah Carey] on Music Box [CD]. New York: Columbia.

17Reynolds, D., Sermon, W., McKee, B., Platzman, D. Grant, A., & DeZuzio, J. (2017). Thunder [Recorded by Imagine Dragons] on Evolve [CD]. Los Vegas: Imagine Dragons Studio, Interscope Records.

18Sullivan, F., Peterik, J. (1982). Eye of the Tiger [Recorded by Survivor] on Eye of the Tiger [record]. Nashville: EMI.

19Lewis, H., Gibson, B., & Hopper, S. (1986). Hip to be Square [Recorded by Huey Lewis and the News] on Fore! [record]. United Kingdom: Chrysalis Records.

20Black, D., London, M., & Leander, M. (1967). To Sir With Love [Recorded by Lulu] on To Sir With Love [record]. New York: Epic Records.

21McKenna, L. (2016). Humble and Kind [Recorded by Tim McGraw] on Damn Country Music [studio album]. Nashville: Big Machine Records.

22Tyler, S. & Supa, R. (1993). Amazing [Recorded by Aerosmith] on Get a Grip [CD]. Santa Monica: Geffen.

23Ruess, N., Dost, A., Antonoff, J., & Bhasker, J. (2011). We Are Young [Recorded by Fun] on Some Nights [digital download]. New York: Jungle City Studios and Los Angeles: Village Recorder.

24Bonfire, M. (1968). Born to be Wild [Recorded by Steppenwolf] on Steppenwolf  [Album]. New York: RCA.

25Nash, J. (1972). I Can See Clearly Now [Recorded by Johnny Nash] on I Can See Clearly Now  [Album]. New York: Epic Records.

26Nash, J. (1972). I Can See Clearly Now [Recorded by Jimmy Cliff] in Cool Runnings [Album]. New York: Columbia Records.

27Orzabal, R., Stanley, I., & Hughes, C. (1985). Everybody Wants to Rule the World [Recorded by Tears for Fears] on Songs From the Big Chair [record]. Chicago: Mercury Records.