Affirmation

published December 13, 2011

 A Moment with Vern

12.12.11
Last week the Nebraska State Board of Education voted unanimously to implement a new state accountability system beginning in 2012. NePAS, the Nebraska Performance Accountability System, is an accountability model that monitors student achievement each year and student growth over time. Please click on the following link to learn more about NePAS.

http://www.education.ne.gov/Assessment/NePAS.html

Accountability is here to stay and requires the collection of credible evidence to confirm our efforts positively influence student achievement. I am not overly concerned about the new accountability system because I believe we are focused on the things that matter…..a guaranteed and viable curriculum, formative assessment, professional learning communities, and professional development. Our efforts are beginning to realize positive results and this Moment with Vern briefly highlights a few of these positive results.

Affirmation
The “First Big Idea” of a Professional Learning Community stresses “the fundamental purpose of the school is to ensure all students learn at high levels, and the future success of students will depend on how effective educators are in achieving that fundamental purpose.” p.18

A corollary assumption stipulates that if all students are to learn at high levels, the adults in the organization must also be continually learning.” p.18

Revisiting Professional Learning Communities at Work
DuFour, DuFour, & Eaker

There is both qualitative and quantitative evidence to suggest that we are growing in the “First Idea” of a professional learning community. This past week, teachers have shared that they noticed improved student performance as measured by MAPs Assessment, improved student work on essential knowledge and skills, and students are using the learning target to monitor their own learning. Each day, each student is getting stronger on what we expect them to know and show evidence of knowing.

There is both qualitative and quantitative evidence to suggest that “the adults in the organization” are continually learning as well. Teachers have shared stories of their work on standards and how PLCs use standards to monitor adult and student learning. In addition to these success stories, the math curriculum committee recently completed their work and their efforts will ensure rigorous learning experiences for all our students. Our teachers are becoming more knowledgeable about standards and becoming more focused on what our students need to know and show evidence of knowing.

I mentioned earlier that I wasn’t overly concerned about the new accountability model approved by the state board of education. You might ask….”why aren’t you concerned?” The answer can be found in the form of achieving great results. As a school system, we will be relentless in our pursuit of excellence for each adult and for each student. We will achieve excellence because we have evidence of excellent practice that achieves great results. Rigorous standards, rigorous learning experiences, and rigorous expectations exhibited by students and adults will realize great results. Jim Collins, the author of Good to Great confirms this statement. “Great results, he concluded, could only be achieved through consistent, coherent effort over time.” We will achieve great results through FOCUS – FOCUS – FOCUS in each classroom, in every content area, and across grade levels.