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Now Is Not the Time to Lower Standards

Schools across the country are reporting growing concerns about the number of students receiving failing grades during the pandemic, especially in remote learning settings. Some argue that grading practices and policies in effect prior to the pandemic do not match current circumstances and needs. In frustration, some schools and school districts are changing or are contemplating changes to grading scales to allow lower quiz, test, and project scores to be assigned higher grades. For example, a passing grade might be assigned for answering 50% of test items correctly or meeting half of the criteria for a given project or assignment rather than the traditional standard of 70% or 75%. In other cases, schools have moved to grading based on a simple pass/fail judgment rather than deal with lower student performance. On their face, these seem like unfortunate compromises driven by the need to accommodate less than ideal learning conditions. In effect, they are designed to make disappointing results appear better and potentially obscure a drop in performance. In the short term, such shifts can avoid negative perceptions about learning conditions and performance. However, they hold the potential to create long-term problems and complicate the difficult educational challenges the pandemic already is creating. Among the most obvious implications of lowering standards and obscuring performance is the covering up and the risk of ignoring gaps in learning that will leave students further behind. Meanwhile, the grades some students receive will inaccurately indicate higher levels of performance and more learning. The teachers these students will have in the coming year will have little on which to rely as they attempt to move these students’ learning forward. In some cases, lower academic performance may be the result of an instructional pace that assumes the same capacity for progress present during in-person, pre-pandemic conditions. Of course, expecting all students to learn at the same pace has never been a good premise for instruction and learning. We have always known that students learn at different rates and in different ways. Rather than plowing ahead expecting students to keep up, now is a good time to create flexibility that allows students to progress at a pace that supports their learning and avoids their being left behind. When students are able to learn at a rate that matches their readiness, they almost always are more successful. Of course, some students may not be exposed to as much content, but learning is much better than mere exposure. Rather than shifting grading scales or abandoning measurement of learning growth, the interests of students, and by extension, our interests would be better served by limiting the amount of content and skill instruction to what is essential. If students completely and deeply learn what they are taught, they will be more successful in the long term. Now is also a good time to consider how students can become more fully engaged in and committed to their learning. Traditionally, schools have relied on compliance as a key driver of student learning and performance. While this approach has worked for some students, it has not been adequate for far too many learners. Of course, depending on student compliance to drive behavior and learning in a remote learning setting is a low-leverage strategy. We control far too few variables to force compliance. Only by fostering commitment and cooperation can we expect consistent learning engagement and progress. Nevertheless, this approach requires us to slow down, at least initially, as we nurture the skills and habits necessary to succeed in a learning environment where learners are co-investors in the teaching and learning process. The stakes are high as we approach a full year of living with the pandemic. Many students have not made the progress we would like. Some have made little progress at all. Now is not the time to lower standards or otherwise ignore the challenge to better support learners’ needs. Rather, we need to recommit to finding ways to ensure learning success. We may need to slow the pace to match the readiness of our students and explore more completely what will lead our students to fully invest in their learning. These options seem preferable to ignoring or covering up the problem.

December 21, 2020

Four Tune-Up Tools for Pandemic Learning

The challenge to keep learning moving forward during the disruption and distractions of the pandemic is obvious and significant. Many teachers and students find themselves swinging back and forth among in-person, remote, and some combination of the two teaching and learning contexts. Quarantines, isolation, distancing and other inconveniences can make building and sustaining momentum for learning a Herculean task. Students often struggle to stay engaged and motivated. Teachers compete for the attention and learning commitment of students whose lives are not what they used to be and may be filled with uncertainty, disappointment, and isolation. The challenge is obvious. Yet, we remain responsible for continuing to nurture learning despite the setbacks and distractions surrounding the process. Even more disheartening can be the reality that many of the routines, processes, and procedures on which we relied in the past no longer deliver what we expect. Students typically want to learn, and we are no less committed to seeing that learning occurs. The key question is: How can we “tune-up” our instruction, much like an automobile engine, to make learning smoother and outcomes more predictable and satisfying for everyone? There are four tune-up tools we can employ daily to reduce our frustration and increase the learning success of our students. First, consider connection before content. Rather than assuming students will engage and commit to the learning we are asking of them, we can take time to help students see how the content and skills we are presenting can connect for them. The connection might be prior learning. It might be something that interests them. Or, it might connect to some other aspect of their learning and lives that is important. This step can be the “spark plug” to get learning started smoothly. Second, begin learning where the learner is. We might wish that our students were further along given the time of year, the pacing guide, or even the amount of content we want to cover. However, when students begin new learning that builds on what they already know and utilizes current knowledge and skills as a foundation for what comes next, the transition becomes much smoother and more successful. We might choose to press forward with instruction that is beyond the readiness of our students, but when we do, we can expect learning to frequently “misfire.” Third, accept that during times like these, less can be more. Choosing to expose students to content and skills and move forward before learning is complete is likely a mistake. Rather, now is a time for focusing on essential content and skills and ensuring the learning is fully “grounded.” We may need to let go of some learning “accessories” to maximize the power and impact of the learning core. Supplemental information and “nice to have” skills may have been realistic in a stable, non-pandemic context, but they can be an unaffordable luxury right now. If we are certain that students grasp key information and core skills now, less essential content can be added later. Fourth, focus on progress over perfection. Obviously, we want students to perform perfectly in every aspect of their learning and ourselves to perform perfectly in our instruction. Yet, we face conditions where perfection may not be immediately attainable. Rather, this is a time to focus on and celebrate the progress students are making and take pride in the learning and skill growth we see in ourselves, despite the challenges we face. Success only comes after meaningful progress is achieved. By focusing on aligning processes, marking progress, and remaining focused we can avoid “power drain” and grow momentum that can generate outcomes to which we are committed. Of course, the complexity of teaching and learning far exceeds the complexity of an automobile engine. Yet, our efforts to “tune-up” learning processes and align our instructional efforts can lead to equally rewarding outcomes.

November 09, 2020

Ways to Make Today’s Lessons More Enticing

We spend a lot of time thinking in terms of how to make academic material more interesting and compelling. Our concern is reaching and influencing a class, but we are really teaching individual students in every class. In truth, the more we think about each student in the class, the more effective we will be. When we don’t think about and plan to reach and teach each student, we can expect individuals to tune out rather than choose to tune in and take full advantage of our teaching. Remember, we influence one student at a time. We reach one student at a time—while we are teaching all of them in a class at the same time. Fortunately, there are six strategies we can use to entice students into the lesson we want them to learn. The first strategy is using your belief in the importance of today’s lesson—along with your promise regarding how important it will be to them. You can count on the fact that many of your students will be influenced by your opinion and recommendation. You can even say this is one of those lessons which you believe they can’t miss. Your promise can be to help all of them learn this material—so follow through when you finish this lesson to make sure they do. Second is the strategy of using a success story of past students that will appeal to individual students in your class today. Simply use the success a former student reached regarding a lesson you are teaching today—and how it “changed everything” for him or her, gave the student a new perspective, or led to another achievement or to another opportunity—such as college or a job. Third is telling students what you’re going to teach them and ending with telling students what they learned—and reminding them that nobody can take away what they have learned. This “exactly how much they learned” subject is one students love to talk about. This strategy can be used quickly and in one sentence or at length. Tell students, “You will learn six important things by completing this assignment.” In every class, you’ll find individual students who are really inspired by the approach of “how much, how vital, and how valuable the learning is” as motivators. Fourth is the personal satisfaction they will get from doing the work. It is one of your most powerful strategies for enticing students to learn. This includes being ready to focus and persist as well as do what comes next in their learning. There is nothing that builds more confidence than getting prepared and meeting the next challenge. Fifth is instilling your confidence in their ability to do the work and learn. One of the best strategies is to appeal to student’s strengths, which includes focusing on their talents and potential, ability, and achievement. This means pulling students into your orbit. This strategy is always enhanced by revealing abilities you see in students that they don’t see in themselves. Never forget the power of your high expectations. Remember, students are always more likely to be and do what you expect of them—and you can’t entice them with doubts. Sixth is the vitally and all important “How to.” This includes clear, concise, and complete instructions regarding how to do the assignment successfully. Remember, if any student doesn’t know how to meet your expectations, he or she will not be able to do the work and be successful—even if he or she wants to do so. Therefore, think about each student and decide what clarity you need to bring before starting. What fears do you have to quell? What questions do you need to answer? What problems or challenges need to be addressed? Above all, what encouragement and reassurance needs to be given? Who will need the extra clarity or the promise of help before starting to say “yes” to your urging? We need to work hard to influence students to want to do what they need to do to learn and be ready for a richer and more rewarding life. And we can do it with more and more enticing strategies to get students focused and wanting to learn. These are the actions that make lessons seem tailored to meet students’ individual needs. Make no mistake: When our lessons answer the question “What’s in this learning for me?” our lessons will get the attention of our students and their desire to learn.

November 02, 2020

Five Things for Which You Will Be Remembered Most

We do not teach for today, this week, or even this year. Learning is not for the unit assessment or even the state standardized test. Of course, these and other progress and performance markers are important. They give us information to determine if students are grasping concepts as they are introduced and developing skills that move learning forward. Whether we are teaching in a face-to-face, hybrid, or remote setting, how we approach our work and the experiences we create matter. Our students will take with them important knowledge and skills, but the impact we have on their lives and the things they will remember and value about their time with us will not be found in the content we taught. Rather, they will reside in how we make them feel and the strengths we nurture in them as people and learners. Think about your experience as a learner. What do you remember most about educators who had the greatest influence on your life? These same feelings and experiences will be treasured by the students whose lives you are shaping today. Chances are high that much of what you recall and value most falls into five categories:

Students want assurance that we care about them and their success. It is very difficult to succeed in an environment where we do not feel valued and respected. We want to be known for who we are, not just another student or occupant of a seat. There is a saying that people do not care how much you know until they know how much you care. This axiom is even more important for students who have struggled to learn and find success in school.
Students want to feel that we have confidence in their ability to succeed. Few of us have the fortitude to keep trying when those in authority around us do not believe we can succeed. Interestingly, the ways in which confidence or lack thereof is communicated are many, but only one of the ways is through words. Our attention, our attitude, and our persistence all play a role in conveying our belief in the success potential of our students.
Students want to feel commitment from their teachers. We remember people who are committed to our success. In fact, when educators communicate that they cannot be successful unless their students are successful, their influence moves to a new and even more powerful level. When students feel this level of commitment, resistance is difficult to maintain. On the other hand, students quickly discern when educators are “just mailing it in.”
Students value experiences in which they have a hand and feel responsibility. It may be designing a major project, an opportunity to plan an event, or choosing a learning path. When students experience shifts in learning that lead to greater ownership and responsibility, often a “light goes on” that reveals a passion, builds confidence, and uncovers a talent to be developed. These experiences can drive the direction of a life.
Students recall experiences that awakened insights, connections, and perspectives. These experiences go beyond learning specific content and mastering discrete skills. When we introduce learning that helps students to better understand the world and make sense of what they see and experience in life, the impact can be lasting and life-changing.

Granted, life and learning can be challenging right now. Yet, we still have it in our power to convey our caring, confidence, and commitment to our students. We can provide experiences and open new doors that lead to new understanding, awaken new insights, and build new perspectives. When we do, we change lives and make imprints that can last a lifetime.

October 26, 2020

How Can Students Become More Accountable for Their Learning?

Convincing students to be more accountable for their learning is not a new challenge; teachers have long complained about the problem. Now, with a significant portion of students engaged in remote learning, the challenge is even greater. Certainly, when students and teachers are together in physical classrooms, teachers have at their disposal numerous options for gaining compliance from students. Incentives for cooperation and consequences for failure to follow directions and expectations are readily available. In remote learning contexts, the “levers” to control behavior are fewer and less powerful. Yet, close examination reveals that teacher efforts to direct and control students and have them accept more responsibility for their learning have never been highly successful. In remote learning settings teachers experience even less control and often struggle even more to gain the behavioral compliance and learning commitment they seek. Nevertheless, this struggle is not inevitable whether instruction is occurring in person or remotely. When we rely on external, or extrinsic, rewards and sanctions to regulate student behavior and stimulate learning, some level of resistance and noncompliance can be expected. Students may resist the imbalance of power they experience. Compliance-based engagement rarely inspires students to do more than required. And, little attention is often given to students’ perspectives on and connections to what they are asked to learn. On the other hand, when the approach to engaging students originates within, or intrinsically, students’ motivation to learn takes a much different form. When students understand the purpose and importance of what they are asked to learn, they are less likely to resist. When learning taps the natural interests of students or is generated with students, their enthusiasm often soars. Further, when students experience reasonable levels of autonomy, or choice, about their learning and work, they are more likely to take ownership for it. While extrinsic rewards and the threat of consequences can stimulate early cooperation, they rarely work long term. Conversely, intrinsic approaches tend to work even better as they are utilized more. Of course, intrinsic engagement requires that we know our students well, understand what is important to them, and what might get in the way of their willingness to be more accountable for their learning. Yet, armed with this and related information, a world of possibilities opens for our students to engage more frequently and deeply, persist longer in the face of struggles, and become more serious about and committed to their learning. So, what are some of the most powerful intrinsic “levers” available to motivate learners and position them to be more accountable for their learning? Four of the most common and potentially powerful levers are:

Autonomy. When we give students opportunities and space to make choices and develop goals and plans for their learning, they naturally make a greater investment in it. Of course, the nature and scope of the autonomy we offer to students will vary by age, maturity, learning challenge, learning context, and other factors. Just be certain that the autonomy you offer is meaningful to and manageable by your students.
Purpose. Having a purpose for learning is a powerful force for momentum and accountability. When students feel a strong sense of purpose related to what they are learning, motivation is rarely a problem. We may need to spend some time early in the teaching and learning cycle to develop an understanding of and connection to the purpose, but once it is in place many behavioral and learning issues fall by the wayside.
Mastery. When students see the potential to be successful, effort and persistence take on new significance. Conversely, when students do not believe that mastery of what they are asked to learn is within their reach, we can expect minimal effort, distraction, and even resistance. To make a crucial difference we can position learning to make success a reasonable possibility and coach students to see their potential for success.
Connectedness. Feelings of acceptance, belonging, and respect matter in learning. When students feel safe emotionally and physically, when they are noticed, and when they feel included, many potential barriers to learning are removed. In fact, when students feel that they are a valued member of the learning community they will often take risks, make contributions, and collaborate at levels we may never have imagined.

Teaching, whether in person or remotely, can be challenging. Nevertheless, there are powerful strategies we can employ to make the task less daunting and position our students to choose to be more accountable for their learning and other behaviors.

October 19, 2020

Positioning, Promises, and Positive Ideas for Success

Decision #1: How will you position yourself? There are three decisions you must make in order to build an image of trust and confidence for you and your schools. It is vital that you make these decisions now. They will become the rock-solid pillars you need to lead during this time of uncertainty. The first decision you must make is to choose how you are going to position your school or district in the community. This means deciding that you will purposely build the image of your school or district instead of just “letting things take their own course.” How you position yourself and your school is vital. For instance, during this crisis you can position you, your school, or your district as one who will do everything possible to ensure the safety and continuous learning of your students and staff, or choose to lie low and bend in one direction and then the other depending on who is applying the pressure. One thing is certain: A superintendent, principal, or teacher who isn’t positioned to build trust will never acquire the freedom necessary to give the best possible education for students. Often, because we haven’t decided how we wish to position ourselves, we send mixed messages to those we lead. One day our decisions appear student-centered, the next day they appear teacher-centered, or administrator-centered. When this is the case, those we lead are confused—consciously or subconsciously—and can’t support our actions because they can’t follow them. The most professional position we can choose to take is to create and maintain a student-centered philosophy. As long as every decision has the welfare of students as its foundation, we’re on defensible ground—even when we err. A close look will reveal that its only when we are not student-centered that we don’t have a valid defense. Once we are positioned appropriately, we need to consider our second most important decision: making a promise. Decision #2: Make your students, staff, parents, and community a promise. Emphasize delivery make sure they know you are delivering. The second most important thing we can do to establish an image of trust and confidence is to make our publics a promise—and then deliver. The most desirable promise we can make is that we will give each and every child a great education—even despite current circumstances. It’s the best promise we can make to gain and keep a position of trust, respect, influence, and leadership. But without a plan for continuous communication of our promise to our communities, we must realize that people will never know we are making any promises, much less keeping any. There is a management law called the Law of Positive Reinforcement. This law relates: In the absence of positive reinforcement from appointed leaders, negative human attitudes and behaviors are most likely to emerge from the group being led. In a nutshell, this means that not only do we have to make our students and our communities positive promises, but we have to repeat those promises over and over again in a variety of ways to prevent the negative from emerging and dominating. The question now is: “What can you promise in a time of fear and uncertainty?” The truth is, there are many promises you can make. You can promise that you will do everything in your power to keep students and staff safe. You can promise that you will support teachers to deliver creative and rigorous lessons whether in-person or online. And you can promise that as soon as you have information that is useful to your various publics you will deliver factually. The central issue is this: You have the opportunity every day to take some of the worry, concern, and fear out of people’s lives and to create the positive focus we want and need to function effectively—just by making promises you intend to keep. We should never make promises we can’t fulfill. However, there are promises we can make for those things we are already doing or know we are going to do. Remember, teachers, educators, and leaders who position themselves and their organizations as worry relievers and helpers are always considered valuable and enjoy the best reputations. Decision #3: Build your image on positive ideas. Unless we build our image on positive ideas for helping students and teachers find success, what we are saying about the merits of our school or district is unlikely to match reality. It takes positive and enthusiastic ideas to make people notice what we are doing for children—and to cause them to develop good feelings about us as well as take the action we want them to take to support us. The fact is this: Many of the positive ideas we need are already in place. We’re doing fantastic things with and for children. But if these methods, techniques, and successes are not common knowledge to your publics, they have little value in building an atmosphere of trust, confidence, and support.

July 02, 2020

Share Your Tips & Stories

Share your story and the tips you have for getting through this challenging time. It can remind a fellow school leader of something they forgot, or your example can make a difficult task much easier and allow them to get more done in less time. We may publish your comments.

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Preparing for a Successful, Learning-Filled Opening

It is no secret that learning growth among students throughout the spring was uneven. It is true that some students thrived and were able to stay on pace and may even have made progress beyond what the standard curriculum envisioned. Other students struggled, but with the support of caring, engaged staff and supportive families, were able to keep pace and will enter school this fall not far from where their learning might have been without the three-month interruption. Still other students were less fortunate. While they were able to make some progress, their circumstances made keeping up with the pace of learning beyond their reach. Unfortunately, there were also students who seemed to disappear when school closed and there is little reason to believe that they made much progress at all. Now, as we develop plans for opening the new school year we are faced with a crucial decision. How should teachers address such variations in learning readiness among the students who will enter their classes? To be fair, students have always entered school in the fall at different places on the learning continuum. Some students may have been on track but lost much of what they learned over the summer. Other students were behind in the spring and will return at least as far behind. Still other students experienced a summer filled with learning activities and come even more ready to learn than when they left in the spring. Researchers estimate that the average American graded classroom, prior to the pandemic, included students whose readiness to learn or skill levels spanned 2.5 grade levels. The difference we face is in the amount of variation, not in the variation itself. Teachers have approached this challenge in a variety of ways. Some have spent the first few weeks reviewing what was learned in the previous year to “catch everyone up.” Even though many students did not need catching up, but were asked to sit, listen, and cooperate anyway. Meanwhile, students who were far behind often were not given adequate time and support to make the progress necessary to be on track. Consequently, the 2.5 year grade level span remained in place. This discussion leads us back to the question of how learning and teaching should be positioned as school opens. Some people have recommended that teachers simply start with the established grade level curriculum. Yet, this approach almost guarantees that the students most in need of catching up will not. In fact, the learning gap they face may become permanent. At the same time, spending weeks on remediation risks boredom for students who are ready to move on and remediation has a poor track record of effectiveness even under the best of conditions. So, what are some options we might consider for opening the school year in a manner that meets the needs of students where they are and sets up everyone’s learning for success? Here are five ideas for you to examine:

Position for transition: Consider keeping students with the same teachers and in the groups they were in last year. Relationships between these teachers and students already exist for the most part. Teachers will be able to diagnose and support student progress without unnecessary loss of time. Also, utilize one or more of the instructional support strategies presented below.
Focus on learning: Encourage teachers to focus on learning for the first part of the year, not coverage of the curriculum. The more success teachers have in developing learning skills and habits with students, the better students will perform when the established curriculum becomes a more consistent part of their learning experience. In fact, this investment may lead to a faster pace of learning throughout the year that will reduce the pacing gap about which educators have so much concern.
Informal assessment: Encourage teachers to develop simulations and learning adventures in which students will enjoy engaging, but that reveal what skills students have and need to develop. This type of adventure or activity-based assessment experience can be a great way to understand what learning support students need without defaulting to formal assessments and rigid diagnostic activities.
Student-to-student support: Yet this summer consider offering small grants to highly effective, learner-focused teachers to recruit and work with groups of strong, confident, engaging students to develop short videos to teach other students key skills and concepts. Students often learn easily from other students without the stigma of remediation. YouTube and other media sites already feature young people effectively teaching a variety of skills and strategies. Use this approach as a model. Keep the videos short and be sure to obtain appropriate parent permissions. Make these videos available online or within an in-house repository for students to use anytime to support their learning.
Micro-lessons: Encourage teachers to make short, ten- to fifteen-minute videos teaching micro-lessons on topics and skills they anticipate students will struggle to master. Similar to the student videos, these resources can be part of a library students can access with or without teacher support. As school opens and the needs of students become better defined, teachers might present live micro-lessons to a target group of students who are ready to learn a specific skill or concept. These lessons, too, can be videoed and shared with other students as they are ready to learn what is taught.

June 26, 2020

Keep the Main Thing the Main Thing

Right now, you are probably hearing lots of questions, being offered plenty of advice, and receiving a good measure of pressure to explain exactly what will happen as school reopens. Predictably what you are hearing concerns how teaching will occur, how the environment will be structured, what the schedule will be, what resources will be available, and other related areas of seemingly urgent interest.

It can be tempting, even satisfying, to deal with these issues, as they need to be resolved in a timely manner. However, becoming preoccupied with answers to these elements while neglecting the most important issue can turn out to be a trap. While reassuring people about their roles and concerns can feel like leadership, such an approach risks missing the most important consideration in reestablishing school for the new year.

The bottom line is that what matters most is learning and the best ways for learning to happen. It does not matter what the schedule will be, where resources will be allocated, how days will be scheduled, or even how teaching will be organized until we have fully considered and understand what learning needs must be met. Students will be returning to school after living through a variety of settings and learning experiences. Unless we begin our thinking and planning with these needs in mind, we risk neglecting the needs of many and serving only a minority of students well.

Grounding discussions need to start with and remain focused on what students will need to support their learning and health. This foundational understanding must drive decisions about how teaching roles will be structured, how schedules should be organized, what environments will be best aligned, and where resources should be allocated.

Admittedly, many adults around you want to know what their world will be like. This perspective is natural. But our focus needs to be on the main thing: serving the needs of learners in the best practical way. Once we have this anchor, we can align everything else and keep the main thing the main thing. Make no mistake: As long as students are learning, all will go better. But if learning falters, all else will be regarded as insignificant.

June 11, 2020

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