2 Steps Forward 1 Step Back STILL GETS YOU AHEAD

2 Steps Forward

1 Step Back

STILL GETS YOU AHEAD

I experienced "one step back" this week in my career.  Our school's test scores were not what we had hoped or worked so hard to achieve.  All of us at our school, students, teachers, leaders, and parents, worked hard every day, and yet that one data point that is released from the state didn't quite show us what we wanted.

I could being listing the many frustrations and even unfair things about the state testing process, especially in my state, but that will not get me anywhere.  At my school, we have worked hard to put good processes in place, to measure student growth, and build relationships with children and families.   And yet, we still didn't get exactly what we wanted.  So now it's time for me to focus on those "two steps" of moving ahead despite the "one step" that set us back.

Our "two steps" include:

     1. Overhauled our PLC process and now have active and effective data team steps in place.

     2. Teachers are using student data to drive the instruction in our process.

     3. We have increased the Lexile average of our school for 3 years straight.  There is an intentional focus on literacy across all content areas.

     4. We have designed rigorous common formative assessments.

     5. We have teachers making statements like, "I don't feel like I have enough time to really get to     know my kids."

     6. We placed focusing on relationships as valuable as our focus on curriculum, instruction, and        assessment.

So, while I have to find ways to be proud of the "two steps," we have to work on identifying what could be the result of our "one step back."

     1. We have to ensure that a guaranteed and viable curriculum is being taught in every classroom.

     2. We have to collaborate as teaching teams because the sum of us is better than our individual contribution.

     3. We have to take risks, and for once, focus on priority - priority standards.  We can't continue the rat race of coverage of content, but have to make sure students have mastery of the priority content.

     4. We have to ensure that we are rigorous in our design - the design of the lesson and the assessment.

     5. We have to create an environment where our students endure productive struggle.  We, the adults in the building, can no longer be the hardest working people in the room.

I am proud of you Bains Elementary.  Two steps are important.  The one step can be overcome.  And, we will push ahead.  

What have you done in your school's to address those "one step back" moments?  I'd love to hear from other schools.

Thanks,

Jodi