ACTIVATE

A leader's guide to people, practices, and processes, this book was our first @WaukeshaNorth1 leadership team read this school year.

Peter Drucker says, "people determine the capacity of an organization." That is why, as head learner at Waukesha North, I know the importance of leaders and their teams to spend time learning together to help build our collective capacity for change. As leaders, we are keepers of the vision. We must be steadfast in our constant and effective communication of North's overall purpose.

How many times have we heard and the research has shown, the number one factor that is the single most influential component of an effective school is the individual teachers within that school. North teachers, do you believe this?
This is one reason why it is so important to collect data about the relevant adult actions in pursuit of the vision. Are we collaborating on the creation of high-quality assessments? Are we truly operating as PLC's during morning PLC time? Are you operating as a data team? High-performing schools have data teams. Engaging in these adult behaviors with fidelity will honestly make or break you being the #1 factor in student achievement.

Success in any organization starts with a focus on self. Change will not occur unless people see the need to change. Does our student achievement data scream a sense of urgency to you?  Are you serious about success more than you are comfortable with a lack of it?  Do you take personal responsibility for student achievement? Engaged employees want their organization to succeed because they feel connected emotionally and socially to the mission, vision and purpose. Are you connected? If not, why not?

The single biggest gap seen in schools and districts is the lack of monitoring and feedback. Yet when these processes are put into place, leaders are questioned about this accountability. Really?

The tradition of our learning organizations are as deeply entrenched as you will find. Elmore says, "the existing institutional structure of public education does one thing very well: it creates a normative environment that values idiosyncratic, isolated, and individualistic learning at the expense of collective learning. The existing system does not value continuous learning as a collective good and does not make this learning the individual and social responsibility or every member of the system. Leaders must create environments in which individuals expect to have their personal ideas and practices subjected to the scrutiny of their colleagues. Privacy of practices produces isolation; isolation is the enemy of improvement."

Together, lets fight the enemy! Gut check Northstars!

How to Create and Use Rubrics for Formative Assessment and Grading

Let me just start off this post by saying that we have MUCH to celebrate @WaukeshaNorth1 in terms of our grading for learning best practices!

Sharing learning targets with students is the foundational formative assessment strategy.  Posting these daily targets in a visible location is just about implemented with fidelity and yes, they should be posted daily.
The main purpose of rubrics is to assess performances. Where I observe the most powerful aspects of rubrics- is in their usefulness helping students to conceptualize the learning targets and to monitor their own progress. Rubrics are important because they clarify for students the qualities their work should have. They key is to make sure that rubrics focus on the learning and not on the tasks.

When rubrics clearly characterize what student work should look like, instruction, assessment, and learning improve. Remember that good rubrics are tools that the students can use to help themselves learn, they are not just for you, as the teacher. Going over the rubric with your students and collaboratively developing rubrics with your students are even more important than going over the learning task itself. The learning that is outlined in your rubric descriptors should be the most valuable part of the discussion you have with students. Make sure that it is.

Growing into Equity-Professional Learning and Personalization in High-Achieving Schools

School communities can grow into equity and excellence through personalizing learning. This is the opening sentence of the book, so how could I not be intrigued as the author highlights the core values of Waukesha North High School. We are striving for equity, excellence and expectations through our personalized learning practices so that students and adults alike can achieve optimal learning success.

High achievement and equity means attending to each student and emphasizing each students' individual gifts and needs. A commitment to equity and excellence means recognizing that every student is a complex and compelling story, as a person and a learner.
So, as Principal, I must provide direction and exercise influence so that deep innovation for these practices can take hold. High-performing schools have cultures that support ongoing teacher collaboration and professional inquiry. This in turn goes hand in hand with positive student outcomes.

Sustainable change is all about building capacity. Empowering teachers, holding them accountable, and ensuring that these personalized learning practices take hold in more than just pockets. They need to happen in every classroom, for every student. The more students experience personalization, the greater their level of engagement and connection to our school and even achievement.



So, when we talk about making equity commitments, we need to ask ourselves:
* Are we committed to all students scoring at least a 3 or higher on key assessments?
* Are we committed to making sure every student will graduate ready for college?
* Are we committed to making sure that every student and every teacher achieve their personal best?
* Are we committed to achieve social justice through the development of the complete individual?

If you cannot say a confident, YES, to each of these things, you might want to check yourself at the door before you walk into the Purple Palace. Our focus on equity begins with understanding students as individuals and working together to achieve collective capacity in personalizing student learning.