Leadership Matters - October 2013

Matters OCTOBER 2 0 1 3 I ASA MONTHLY NEWSLETTER Leadership

Only time will tell if Common Core works

In this month’s issue

2648 Beechler Court Springfield, IL 62703-7305 217.753.2213 800 Woodfield Road, Ste. F109 Schaumburg, IL 60173-4717 847.466.5075  ISDLAF+ Update P. 22  IASA News in Brief P. 23  Getting to know your IASA Board members P. 25  IASA Calendar of Events P. 26-27 Additional Items  Release of ISAT cut scores P. 5  Still time to register for the Annual Conference P. 6  Annual Conference Agenda P. 7  A group of children tries to solve a grown-up problem of pension reform P. 8  Special Olympics programs making a difference in Illinois schools for all students P. 14  Illinois Center for School Improvement provides support of student performance P. 15  Complimentary Common Assessments Workshop to be offered at Triple I P. 16  IASA offers two ways to acquire 2013-2014 Principal Evaluation Tool P. 19  42nd Annual Principals Professional Conference to be held in Peoria P. 20  Moon Scholarship program available P. 20  Coaching for Leaders program offered in Mundelein P. 22

School board member pedals across Illinois to support public schools P. 11

IEMA to offer school security grants P. 10

Leadership Thoughts: Are you a ’Multiplier’ or ’Diminisher’? P. 12

Six steps to performance- based teacher evaluation P. 18

IASA Newsletter Editor Michael Chamness mchamness@iasaedu.org

Assistant Editor Mary Ellen Buch mbuch@iasaedu.org

1200 West Main Street Marion, IL 62959-1138 618.364.0501

Volume 1, Issue 10

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Only time will tell if Common Core State Standards work

Core was a federal initiative when, in fact, it was a state-led initiative and was co-authored by the National Governor’s Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers, which Illinois State Superintendent Dr. Chris Koch chaired at one time. Common Core is supported by the Obama administration and the federal Department of Education, but they were not directly involved in creating the program and participation in the CCSS is voluntary on the part of the participating 45 states, four territories and the District of Columbia.

I recently was asked to speak to the Illinois community college presidents regarding the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). That invitation gave me pause to remember my Common Core “Aha!” moment.

Message from the Executive Director Dr. Brent Clark

It occurred this summer down at a family farm where three college-aged boys were working. One of the boys was asked to go get a Metric 19 wrench. He

The notion that Common Core will mandate curricula is a little more complex. Control over curricula remains at the local level, but Common Core does require certain critical content for all students. For example, in English that includes teaching classic stories from around the world, America’s founding documents, foundational American literature and Shakespeare. Like many ideas that have come before but failed, Common Core’s overarching goal of preparing students for success in college and/or the work force is commendable. But it may literally take up to 13 years – the time it will take for kindergarten children to go all the way through school under this program -- to determine whether it ultimately is a success or failure. A few reasons I think

was baffled. He had attended a high school just a few miles from the one the other two boys had attended, but, unlike them, he said he had never heard of the metric system. I’m not cheerleading for Common Core, but the concept of everyone teaching to the same core standards certainly seems like a logical goal for public education. Of course, success or failure will depend on whether the system was crafted correctly and implemented correctly. Only time will tell. In preparing to discuss the Common Core with the college presidents, I came across some interesting – and schizophrenic – results from a Gallup poll taken in August. For example: 59 percent said they did not think CCSS would help make American schools more

competitive globally, but an overwhelming 95 percent said schools should teach critical thinking skills, which is at the core of Common Core. 58 percent said increased testing either did not help or made no difference for the performance of local schools, but 58 percent said those same test results should be used for teacher evaluation. The bottom line is that 62 percent of the people polled said they had never heard of Common Core. That might help explain some of the myths that persist. For example, many people believe that Common

Common Core has the potential to accomplish some good include providing equity for students in an increasingly mobile society, providing apples to apples comparisons among states and, from the perspective of an administrator or teacher, providing some clear goals and expectations regarding the knowledge and skills a student should have in English language arts and math at certain stops along the educational path. A look back at the past 10 statewide report cards

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Legend Green - Have adopted Common Core State Standards Gray – Have NOT adopted Common Core State Standards Blue – Has adopted English Language Arts Standards only

Common Core – Only time will tell ___________________________

“The Common Core State Standards are a fact of life in Illinois and in all but five other states. It’s hard to argue with the goals, but only time will tell if it will result in progress or whether it is just another in a long line of flawed national efforts to standardize public education.”

(Continued from page 3)

shows that the mobility rate for Illinois students has been between 13 and 16 percent. It stands to reason that as a parent you have the right to expect that your child will be taught the same basic skills and knowledge regardless of the school they attend. Also, those state-to-state comparisons the media loves to report should theoretically be fairer now that the participating states are supposed to be using the same standards. Gone should be the days of states with very low standards looking like national models of success. Common Core also offers the possibility of collaboration on things like the development of textbooks and teaching materials aligned to the CCSS, and perhaps even a common assessment though at least a half dozen states have decided to opt out of the PARCC. It would seem to make sense that states wishing to partner on a common assessment even could save money as opposed to each state paying a company to design an assessment. The Common Core State Standards are a fact of life in Illinois and in all but five other states. It’s hard to argue with the goals, but only time will tell if it will result in progress or whether it is just another in a long line of flawed national efforts to standardize public education.

- Dr. Brent Clark, IASA Executive Director

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Given the impact of the new cut scores, how are  you handling the release of the ISAT scores and  what feedback are you geƫng? 

“We are working to educate our community about why the scores changed and what it really means. In the end, the cut scores are not what we are stressing as relevant. In many cases, student's individual scores improved, yet they dropped into a lower category. For students and parents, the priority is whether or not students improved. Is there student growth? Since we are transitioning to a student growth model with the PARCC assessment, the growth has been our emphasis.” Matt Stines, Southwestern Region President

“Like most districts, we are communicating to our community the changes in cut scores, PSAE alignment, and the move to the common core. One mechanism that we have traditionally used in communicating ISAT data is our district's performance relative to our neighbors' performance. In this instance, it will aid in demonstrating the local and

statewide impact these changes have caused.” Bradley Cox, Blackhawk Region President

“I initially met with my building principal and curriculum coordinator (in April) and discussed the options to assure that the information we put out was clear and concise. When we received our data, we broke the data down and provided the comparison of where our students would have ranked on the previous system and then cross referenced it with the new benchmark. I submitted an article to our local paper and also posted on our district website a preview for parents and community members in anticipation of the data that we were expecting to receive. I had several questions to clarify after the initial article went out, and I explained what the change was and how we planned to interpret it. This took care of all of the questions. We will be providing a follow-up letter home to parents to assist with any questions they might have within the next two weeks.” Jeff Fritchtnitch, Wabash Valley Region President

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There is still time to register for Oct. 9-11 IASA Annual Conference!

was named Administrator of the Year by the Illinois Association of Educational Office Professionals (IAEOP) and recipient of the Van Miller Distinguished Scholar Practitioner Award. He also has published several books, including “What Every Superintendent and Principal Needs to Know.” Key staff from the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) will conduct a panel discussion titled “The Big Picture” regarding school finance, licensure, assessments and learning standards. Panelists also will be available to respond to questions on a variety of topics. ECRA President Dr.

The IASA Annual Conference is now just a few days away (October 9-11), but there still is time to register and benefit from the professional development opportunities presented by our great lineup of keynote speakers, including: Award-winning author Jamie Vollmer , president of Vollmer, Inc., a public education advocacy firm working to increase student success by raising public support for America’s schools. Vollmer’s presentation is titled “Welcome to the Great Conversation: Building public support for public schools one community at a time." The presentation will

John Gatta will join IASA Executive Director Dr. Brent Clark and members from the Vision 20/20 work groups for a panel discussion titled “IASA Vision 20/20: Creating a Vision for the Future of Education in Illinois.” They will discuss the impetus and motivation for the initiative as well as the process, research and information gathered so far for the statewide project.

focus on themes from his book “Schools Cannot Do It Alone,” which was called “one of the top 10 education reads of 2010” by the American School Board Journal. Those themes include community understanding of the challenges facing our children and our schools, community trust in their local schools to accomplish the goal, community permission to

make the changes needed to teach all children to high levels, and community support throughout the complex and emotional restructuring process. Susan Relland , vice president of the American Fidelity Assurance Company, who will talk about “Health Care Reform: What You Need to Do from Now to 2015.” Formerly an employee benefits attorney with the law firm of Miller & Chevalier in Washington, D.C., Relland was actively involved in the Affordable Care Act legislative debate. Her presentation will focus on the rules that create responsibilities for employers – and school districts – between now and 2015. Topics will include the Free Rider Penalty and other new plan design mandates, fees and administrative obligations. She will break down the requirements and help attendees create their own action plans. Veteran Illinois educator Jim Burgett , a former Illinois Superintendent of the Year and a popular national speaker, will talk about “Leadership in Challenging Times: Back to the Basics.” He will address such things as a countdown of leadership techniques and no-nonsense leadership skills that work and have passed the test of time. Burgett also

Our breakout sessions will focus on principal and teacher evaluations, 1:1 devices, social media in the schools, and school safety, to name a few topics, and we also will have breakout sessions each day designed specifically for new superintendents. The Conference will kick off with a General Session late afternoon on Wednesday (October 9) to be followed by the Welcoming Reception. The exhibitor’s hall will be open Thursday (October 10) and the Thursday luncheon will be served within the hall for all conference attendees. IASA is excited to include a new feature at this year's annual conference - a 'Super' 5K Fun Run/ Walk to be held on Thursday morning at 6:30 a.m.! The run/walk is designed for runners and walkers of all levels and will begin and end at the Lost Bridge Trail. Come join your friends and colleagues for this event at our annual conference (and receive a "First Annual ‘Super 5K T-Shirt"). All in all, it promises to be another great conference and a great opportunity. We hope to see you there!

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Wednesday, October 9, 2013  8:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Early Bird Academies - School of Professional Development-Administrators’ Academy Credit Courses  10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Registration Open  4:30 – 5:45 p.m. Opening Ceremony - First General Session Speaker: Jamie Vollmer, President of Vollmer, Inc. Welcome to the Great Conversation: Building public support for public schools one community at a time.  6:00 – 7:30 p.m. IASA Welcoming Reception 49th Annual IASA Conference October 9—11, 2013 Click here to register or for more information

 12:30 – 1:30 p.m. Breakout Sessions  1:45 – 3:45 p.m.

Third General Session Speaker: Susan Relland, Vice President of American Fidelity Assurance Company Health Care Reform: What You Need to Do From Now to 2015  4:00 to 5:00 p.m. ISBE - The Big Picture High School District Organization Meeting (HSDO) 4:30 – 6:00 p.m. Association of Illinois Rural and Small Schools Meeting (AIRSS)  5:00 – 6:00 p.m. ISAL Alumni Reunion  6:00 p.m. Hospitality Suites Open  9:00 – 11:00 p.m. President’s Reception – Hosted by President Steve Webb, Superintendent of Goreville Comm Unit #1 Friday, October 11, 2013  7:00 a.m. – Noon Registration Open  8:30 – 9:30 a.m. Breakout Sessions IASA Past Presidents Meeting  9:30 - 11:30 a.m. Closing General Session (Brunch Buffet) Speaker: Jim Burgett, Veteran Educator and former superintendent Leadership in Challenging Times: Back to the Basics  11:30 a.m. Adjournment

Thursday, October 10, 2013  6:30 a.m. – 5K ‘Super’ Fun Run/Walk  7:00 – 9:00 a.m. Continental breakfast for all attendees (complimentary)  7:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Registration Open  8:00 – 9:00 a.m. Breakout Sessions  9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Exhibit Hall Open—Lunch available inside the Exhibit Hall from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. for all conference attendees (complimentary)  9:15 – 11:00 a.m. Second General Session Presented by: Dr. Brent Clark, IASA Executive Director; Dr. John Gatta, President and Chief Operating Officer of ECRA; and a representative from each workgroup IASA Vision 20/20: Creating a Vision for the Future of Education in Illinois  11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Lunch available inside the Exhibit Hall for all conference attendees (complimentary)

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A group of children tries to solve   grown‐up problem of pension reform

By Dana Huepel Executive Editor of Illinois Issues (Reprinted with permission from Illinois Issues) OK, children, today’s class is a lesson in problem solving. We all know the state of Illinois owes a big pot of money to its workers for their retirement savings — as much as $100 billion — but it doesn’t have enough to pay them. That’s our problem. So, let’s make it fun and discuss it. Does anyone know how much $100 billion is? Ty? “It’s as much as all of the members of the Civic Committee have in all their piggy banks.” That’s a good guess, Ty, but it may be even more than that. Patrick? “It’s so much that the state won’t be able to take care of poor people and chase bad guys and fix the highways because every last cent will go to old state workers unless we take some of it away from them.” Well, that’s pretty dramatic, and there is some debate about that. But I guess it is a possible concern, so we’ll say, “Close enough” and move on. Does anybody know who caused the pension problem? Class? “Not me!” “Not me, either!” “It wasn’t me!” “I didn’t do it!” “It was Mike!” “No, it wasn’t, it was Rod!” Let’s not all speak at once. John? “Well, technically, it was mostly bad legislators and bad governors who skipped payments to the workers, but it doesn’t really matter because now there’s a problem and we have to solve it.” That’s mostly accurate, John. Now, how do you propose we do that? “First, I think we should ask the workers how much they’re willing to give up, and then find out how much more we need.” OK, John, that’s one way. Anybody else? Mike? “I think we should just take what we need from the workers and beat them up if they object.” Well, Mike, that’s pretty drastic, but I guess it might work, too. Patrick? “Most of all, I just think it should be done somehow, and none of us should get any candy until it’s done. And when it’s finally done, I think I should get an A because I told everybody to do it, and then I should be re-elected class president!” Patrick, that would be taking credit for others’

work. You know we don’t do that. And the rules of this class don’t allow the president to withhold candy to make everyone else bend to his will. “I think I found a way around the rules. Besides, Mike and John told me they wouldn’t give the workers more candy even if I promised it to them, so there!” This is getting a little contentious. I think we might need to appoint some classroom judges to help us decide some of these sticky issues. Yes, Mike? “I’ll pick the judges! I’ll pick the judges!” OK, Mike, since you were the first to volunteer for that responsibility. But we’ll have to wait awhile on that. Anyone else? Ty? “What if I went and said bad things about the class to the other teachers, and then they’d give everyone bad grades, and then everyone would have to take everything from the workers so they could get good grades again, and then everybody would be happy, except the workers, but that’s OK.” Nobody likes a tattletale, Ty. … Yes, Kwame, you keep raising your hand. “I can’t get Patrick and John and Mike to stop throwing spitballs at each other long enough to talk with me about the problem.” Thank you, Kwame. I know you’re trying. Elaine, you, too. Now, you three boys settle down!! We haven’t heard from the rest of the class. Who else wants to contribute? Yes, John Q.? “I asked around, and two-thirds of us agree with (Continued on page 9)

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Illinois Issues pension ______________________________________

Dana Heupel is the executive editor of Illinois Issues and

(Continued from page 8)

Patrick that we ought to withhold candy from the leaders of the class until the problem is settled.” That’s what’s called a mob mentality, John Q. Would you really want any class president to have so much power that he or she could force the class to do anything — anything — by refusing to pass out candy? That’s not how our class was set up, even if Patrick thinks he’s found a loophole. [SILENCE] OK, someone else? Ralph? “I think we should all chip in a little bit and pay the old, retired workers what we owe them.” “B-o-o-o-o-o!” “No way!” “Goody-two-shoes!” “We’ve given them enough already!” “Not out of my lunchbox!” Class!! Class!! We’re back to a mob scene, again. Let’s treat Ralph and everybody else with some respect. I’m sure we’ll consider his ideas. Right, Patrick? Right, John? Right, Mike? “Nope.” “Not me.” “No way, Jose!” Well, at least you three agree on something. Henry, we haven’t heard anything from you. “The noble, old retirees were promised that money for slaving all of those years under the whips of their cruel masters. A promise is a promise is a promise is a promise is a promise …” OK, Henry we get your point, even if it is a bit embellished. How many of you agree with Henry? Let’s have a show of hands this time — don’t shout out! One, two, three … A lot of people keep raising their hands, then taking them down. Why are you doing that? “We’re trying to figure out who — Henry or Ty or Mike or John — will give us more candy if we ever decide to run for a class office.” I can’t see who said that. Would you please identify yourself? [SILENCE] OK. It’s clear we can’t do anything with such a big group. Kwame, why don’t you and Elaine take a couple of your classmates over there in the corner and see if you can solve the problem in a way that everyone can live with. Yes, Patrick? “I just want to tell them they have to be finished by tomorrow!” That’s not for you to decide, Patrick. Yes, Ty,

what do you want now? “I want to say that I really didn’t say what I said about talking to other teachers and giving the class bad grades.” But that is what you said … oh, never mind; the bell’s about to ring, anyway. OK, children, what did we learn today? We haven’t heard from you, Abe. What’s your honest opinion? “Discourage litigation. Persuade your neighbors to compromise whenever you can. Point out to them how the nominal winner is often a real loser — in fees, expenses and waste of time.” Well said, Abe. Everyone, you could do worse than abiding by those words. Class dismissed. Patrick, Mike, John — don’t run in the halls!! Illinois Issues is a not-for-profit monthly magazine that has been produced by UIS (formerly Sangamon State University) since 1975 and is dedicated to providing fresh, provocative analysis of public policy in Illinois. It is widely considered to be the state’s leading public policy periodical. Heupel’s column and the photo are reprinted here with permission from Illinois Issues. director of publications for the Center for State Policy and Leadership at the University of Illinois Springfield (UIS). He oversees all aspects of the magazine and the other center publications. Before being named to the position in January 2008, he covered Illinois state government as a reporter and editor for GateHouse News Service and Copley News Service. He also has served as city editor of the (Springfield) State Journal-Register; the Fresno (Calif.) Bee; the (Fort Wayne, Ind.) Journal-Gazette; and the (Kendallville, Ind.) News-Sun, and assistant city editor for the Indianapolis Star. Among various honors, he conceived and coordinated a newspaper series on the relationship between campaign contributions and Illinois state contracts that won the national George Polk Award for Political Reporting, and he was named Illinois Associated Press Member of the Year for coordinating a statewide open records project. He holds a journalism degree from Indiana University.

Illinois Issues, September 2013

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IEMA to offer school security grants   By Michael Chamness IASA Communications Director

The state’s emergency management chief says that a new school safety grant program could have a big impact throughout the state despite a relatively small amount of funding. “We’re looking for low-cost, high-impact security improvements for schools,” said Jonathon Monken, director of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA), the state agency that will oversee the $25 million competitive school safety grant program. “We want to take a handful of proven, successful physical improvements and help as many schools as we can.” While the details of the program have yet to be finalized, a notice of proposed rules was published in the September 6 issue of the Illinois Register , and the Joint Committee for Administrative Rules (JCAR) has begun a 45-day public comment period that will run through mid-October. The basic details include:  The projects eligible for the program include specific building or district-wide physical security enhancement equipment, inspection and screening systems, information technology and/or interoperable communications equipment for buildings where students are present.  $15 million will be with $5 million for Cook County schools and $5 million for higher education.  IEMA expects to begin taking applications in January of 2014.  Among other items, applications will include a narrative describing how the project will reduce vulnerability of the student population, the budget for the project and the timeline to complete the project. Projects must be completed within 12 months of being awarded the grant. Monken said items such as door locking systems, protective film for windows and cameras are the sort of items that may be included in the program. “We are looking for proposals that are reasonably available for K-12 schools outside of Cook County,

priced and provide significant impact. Those are the things that will take these dollars much further,” he said. “We are not going to be able to fund major overhauls or big construction projects.” Monken said grant caps are being contemplated. He said he anticipates the grant guidance will include a menu of items listed by graduated tiers of safety measures, starting with basic items such as door locks being and progressing to more sophisticated equipment. “One idea is to offer those tiers of security measures and equipment that public safety experts

recommend,” Monken said. “We’re not saying that you cannot choose something off the menu, but if you do the bar to clear for approval would be higher.” While the funding is admittedly relatively low for such a large student

“ We’re looking for low-cost, high-impact security improvements for schools.”

- Jonathon Monken, director of IEMA

population spread across one of the largest states in the country, Monken believes the investment could pay big safety dividends. “When you look at school safety holistically, you have prevention, preparedness and protection, and that protection piece is the most cost-intensive,” said Monken, a West Point graduate who served as interim director of Illinois State Police before being named IEMA director in 2011. “Costs should not be a limiting factor when it comes to making schools safe, and if we use these funds efficiently we can improve school safety because there are a lot of low-cost, high-impact things you can do to make schools more secure.”

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School board member pedals across  Illinois to support public schools  By Michael Chamness IASA Communications Director

Wayne Tate loves to ride his bike. He also is a big supporter of public schools. And he is combining those two of his favorite things as he bikes his way across the state to raise money for his school district and to help spread the news about the funding plight of public schools in Illinois. “I’m calling it ‘Biking 4 Books’ and I really want to help raise awareness about what school districts in Illinois are facing,” said Tate, who just began his fourth term as a school board member in Marion Community Unit District 2, serving as board president for part of that time. “I did a ride for the Rotary Club nine years ago during the celebration of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. This time I wanted to do something for schools.” He kicked off his bike tour of the state on September 28 at the downtown square in Marion, located in Williamson County in deep Southern Illinois. He plans to go north up the eastern side of the state, across the northern tier of counties and back down the western side of the state to attend a board meeting back in Marion on October 15. He then will head up the middle of the state, culminating at the State Capitol in Springfield during the October 22-24 Veto Session. His trek will last

funding for schools, which has been cut by 11 percent the past couple of years, he also is attempting to raise $100,000 for the Marion school district to purchase Chromebooks for students. The project has its own website at www.biking4books.com , where donors can pledge an amount per mile or just make a donation for the Marion fund-raising effort. You also can sign up to receive Tate’s daily blog of his trip. Tate is paying expenses for the trip itself out of his own pocket. He hopes to be hosted overnight at some stops and also plans to stay at campgrounds. Readers also can track Tate’s trip on the website as he plans to write a daily blog. Tate said he plans to stop at school districts in the 101 counties to collect first-hand information about the impact the state funding cuts are having and to rally support for restoring General State Aid. He also hopes to speak with state senators and representatives along the way. So what exactly prompted Tate to hop on his bike and pedal his way around the state? “I guess people could say the idea came from a strange mind,” he said. “But public education is so important to the future of our communities and our state, and schools just cannot afford to make more cuts. If this ride helps draw more attention to this problem then it will have been worth it.” School Board member Wayne Tate left from Marion on September 28 to begin a 1,000-mile bike tour of Illinois.

about three weeks, cover more than 1,000 miles by pedaling about 70 miles per day, and take him to 101 of the state’s 102 counties (all except Cook, where Chicago has a different school code and funding code). Tate’s “Biking 4

“I’m calling it ‘Biking 4 Books’ and I really want to help raise awareness about what school districts in Illinois are facing.”

Books” mission is two-fold. In addition to raising awareness about the importance of restoring the General State Aid - Wayne Tate, member of the Marion School Board

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Leadership Thoughts:  Are you a ‘MulƟplier’ or ‘Diminisher’?

others – got vastly more out of their teams. In fact, people who worked for leaders who fit the “Multiplier” definition when asked to identify the percentage of their capability that was being used, was in the 70 to 100 percent range compared to the 20 to 50 percent range of capability used for those who worked for bosses who fit the “Diminisher” description. Diminishers often hire or collect great talent, but then micromanage that talent, delegating only small decisions. As mentioned earlier, there is another category of “accidental diminishers,” leaders who mean well but unintentionally can stifle people. Some examples Wiseman used included:

Are you a “Multiplier” or a “Diminisher” within your school district? The answer may not be as simple as it looks, according to Liz Wiseman, who wrote the best-selling book Multipliers: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter. “There are accidental diminishers, leaders who, despite their good intentions, drain instead of amplify the

Michael Chamness IASA Director of Communications

innovation, productive effort and collective intelligence of the people around them,” said Wiseman, formerly a senior manager at Oracle Corporation who spoke recently at the Global Leadership Summit sponsored by the Willow Creek Association. During her 17 years as

The Idea Person: This person comes up with new idea after new idea, sending the team off in one direction one week and in a different direction the next week. Nothing gets done, and everyone else stops coming up with ideas because they come to understand that the only good ideas come from the top. The Always-On Person: This person dominates meetings with their ideas, opinions and thoughts. Everyone else eventually tunes them out. The Rescuer: If there is a problem, this person has the solution. The self-confidence of subordinates goes south because they don’t have any opportunity to solve their problems so they don’t even

the software giant’s vice president in charge of global talent development and head of the corporate Oracle University, Wiseman said she became a “genius watcher,” with a front-row seat to study leadership. She became intrigued by the differing management styles she observed in geniuses and genius-makers -- and the profound effect those contrasting styles had on people in their organizations. What followed was two years of study and research with Greg McKeown, who was studying at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business. They studied more than 150 leaders and their practices and interviewed current and former members of their management teams. The end result was a stark difference showing that “Multipliers” – leaders who looked beyond their own genius and focused their energy on extracting and extending the genius of

make the attempt. The Pace-Setter: This high-energy person prides themselves in outworking everyone around them and always being out front. Others hold back and become spectators. The Optimist: To this person, everything is “can do” and every project can easily be accomplished by people who share the enthusiasm. Problem is, some things actually are hard to accomplish and

(Continued on page 13)

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Leadership Thoughts: Multiplier or Diminisher? ___________________

(Attracts talented people and uses them at their highest point of contribution)  The Tyrant (Creates a tense environment that suppresses people’s thinking capability) vs. The Liberator (Creates an intense environment that requires people’s best thinking and work)  The Know-It-All (Gives directives that showcase how much they know) vs. The Challenger (Defines an opportunity that causes people to stretch)  The Decision Maker (Makes

(Continued from page 12)

diminishing that fact of life or choosing not to acknowledge the difficulties in turn diminishes the efforts of the people actually implementing a plan or project. Why try hard if the boss thinks it’s easy? In her book, Wiseman cites a study by Carol Dweck of Stanford University. The study gave a series of progressively harder puzzles to children. Her research found that a group of kids was praised for their intelligence stagnated for fear of failure or reaching the limit of their intelligence. Another group praised for their hard work actually increased

centralized, abrupt decisions that confuse the organization) vs. The Debate Maker (Drives sound decisions through rigorous debate.  The Micromanager (Drives results through their personal involvement) vs. The Investor (Gives other people the ownership for results and invests in their success) Educator and author Stephen R. Covey, who died last year, wrote the book The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People , wrote the foreword to Wiseman’s book. In that foreword, he addressed the issue of “new demands, insufficient resources” -- a problem facing schools just as much as business. Covey wrote: “At a time when many organizations do not have the

their ability to reason and solve problems. Her book includes a section titled “A Tale of Two Managers.” Both were geniuses. One, George Schneer, was a division manager for Intel, and one of his workers, Vikram, described what it was like to work for Schneer. “I was a rock star

“There are accidental diminishers, leaders who,

despite their good intentions, drain instead of amplify the innovation, productive effort and collective intelligence of the people around them.” — Liz Wiseman, author of best- selling book Multipliers: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter.

around George. He made me. Because of him I transitioned from an individual contributor to a big- time manager. Around him, I felt like a smart SOB – everyone felt like that. He got 100 percent from me. It was exhilarating.” Vikram’s other manager was equally brilliant but had a very different style. “He was very, very smart. But people had a way of shutting down around him. He just killed our ideas. In a typical meeting, he did about 30 percent of the talking and left little space for others. He gave a lot of feedback – most of it was about how bad our ideas were,” Vikram said. Based on her research, Wiseman compared “Diminishers” to “Multipliers” in what she referred to in her book as “The Five Disciplines of the Multipliers.” They included:  The Empire Builder (Hoards resources and underutilizes talent) vs. The Talent Magnet

luxury of adding or transferring resources to tackle major challenges, they must find the capabilities within their current ranks. The ability to extract and multiply the intelligence that already exists in the organization is red-hot relevant.” Wiseman made it clear that being a multiplier does not equate to being soft as a manager. She used a William Tell analogy to differentiate between placing employees under pressure to perform versus placing them under stress. In that analogy, the person under pressure is William Tell. The one under stress is the guy with an apple on his head, the one who has zero control over the outcome. Leadership Thoughts will be a monthly feature in the newsletter. If you would like to submit a column, please send it to mchamness@iasaedu.org.

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Special Olympics programs making a  difference in Illinois schools for all students 

In July, Special Olympics celebrated the 45 th anniversary of the first Special Olympics games for children with intellectual disabilities that took place at Chicago’s Soldier Field. This fall, thousands of students in Illinois are enjoying the fruits of the program by being involved in individual and team sports through their schools – including elementary, middle and high schools. Special Olympics Illinois offers training and competition in 19 summer and winter sports. Competition takes place first at the local Area level for most sports and athletes have an opportunity to advance to district or state competition. A component that’s essential before training begins is to find a willing individual to become the Special Olympics Athletic Director (SOAD) for a group, team or even individual (independent) athlete. A sports background isn’t necessary since Special Olympics Illinois can train the trainer. A Special Olympics program got started at Wauconda High School several years ago because a service employee knew how well Special Olympics worked at her previous school and decided that the Special Education students at Wauconda would really benefit from the program. She became the SOAD, filled out the paperwork required for each sport, recruited some others to help and rallied the community to support the team. It was a success not only for the students who became Special Olympics athletes, but for the school and town as a whole when the team became the source of school spirit and community pride. Special Olympics training develops sports skills, discipline and team work that help students with intellectual disabilities do better in school, at home and in the community. Special Olympics has additional leadership programs and initiatives that benefit schools as a whole and bring together students with and without disabilities, creating a more tolerant and welcoming environment for all students. Schools can be involved in:  The traditional Special Olympics program (for individuals with intellectual disabilities ages 8 and older)  Project Unify – Youth leadership/anti-bullying campaign  Spread the Word to End the Word (retard)

Photos courtesy of Special Olympics Illinois

activities  Special Olympics Unified Sports (for students with and without disabilities)  Hosting a Special Olympics event Superintendent Prentiss Lea believes that Special Olympics is making a difference in his district. He said, “The entire Community High School District 128 family is extremely proud of our Special Olympics participants and Special Olympics program. The pride and excitement shown by our athletes, as well as the coaches and volunteers, goes beyond words. We love to celebrate their efforts and successes, and could not imagine our district without the program and the opportunities for varied experiences and growth for our athletes and everyone touched by the program.” For information on how you can start a Special Olympics program or activity in your school, contact: Jennifer Marcello at 630-942-5610. The Special Olympics Illinois website is www.soill.org .

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Illinois Center for School Improvement  provides support of student performance 

By Dick Spohr, Interim Director Illinois Center for School Improvement

It is my pleasure to introduce the Illinois Center for School Improvement (Illinois CSI) to you. Illinois CSI is a partnership between the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) and American Institutes for Research (AIR). Illinois CSI’s mission is to lead the delivery of high-quality, research-based statewide system of support services designed to raise student performance by increasing district-level capacity for exceptional teaching and learning. In collaboration with ISBE, AIR, Regional Offices of Education/Intermediate Service Centers (ROEs/ ISCs), and other statewide education associations,

to support their efforts to advance continuous improvement plans, implement Common Core State Standards, close achievement gaps, and focus on instructional excellence. Through Illinois CSI, your leadership team also will be provided with easy access to timely and relevant professional

Illinois CSI will begin services to districts and schools later this year. Many districts

development and expertise. Many these foundational Illinois CSI resources will become immediately available on our website upon its launch in October. Other services, particularly on- site coaching and access to a District Leadership Team Learning Network, will be provided to of

and schools have received Statewide System of Support (SSoS) services in the past, such as capacity-building coaching and access to local and statewide professional development. Many of these services will continue to be available in the future. Through SSoS’s existing local delivery system established in partnership with ROEs/ISCs, Illinois

“All districts will have access to a set of Illinois CSI foundational services and aligned resources created to support their efforts

to advance continuous improvement plans, implement Common Core State Standards, close achievement gaps, and focus on instructional excellence. Through Illinois CSI, your leadership team also will be provided with easy access to timely and relevant professional development and expertise.” - Dick Spohr, Interim Director, Illinois CSI

some districts based on criteria developed by ISBE. In the coming weeks, ISBE will be notifying districts of Illinois CSI services they may access. Illinois CSI staff will contact districts that are eligible to receive additional services to request an opportunity to provide more information and determine how we may best meet their needs.

CSI will develop and coordinate an array of services to ensure all districts will have access to consistent, high-quality support for maximizing student achievement through effective leadership, use of data and assessments, and implementation planning. All districts will have access to a set of Illinois CSI foundational services and aligned resources created

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Join Our Half-Day Workshop at the Joint Annual Conference Friday November 22, 2013 8 a.m. to Noon Hyatt Regency Hotel Columbus C/D Chicago, IL 8 - 8:40 a.m. Andy DuRoss, Superintendent of Schaumburg CC #54 Common Core Implementation and PARCC Assessment Readiness 8:40 - 9:20 a.m. Kyle Cole, Chief Academic Officer, Nobel Network of Charter School Noble Street’s Model for Autonomy, Assessment, and Accountability 9:20 - 10 a.m. Dr. David Schuler, Superintendent of Township HS #214 Using Common Assessments for Principal and Teacher Student Growth Components

Complimentary Workshop on Common Assessments to be offered at Triple I IASA is offering a complimentary workshop during the IASB/IASA/IASBO Joint Annual Conference that will be conducted by education management experts. These sessions will demonstrate to new and seasoned superintendents the role of leadership in transitioning to common core and performance based principal and teacher evaluation.

Registration Fee: Complimentary ! To register, click here

Questions? Contact Kim Herr at 217/753-2213 or kherr@iasaedu.org

Schedule and Presenters

10:30 - 11:10 a.m. Melinda Spooner, Illinois Executive Director of the Achievement Network Focusing on the How: Using Common Assessments to Support Teacher Development in Transitioning to the Common Core 11:10 - 11:50 a.m. Anne Weerda, Director of Curriculum & Assessment of Winnegabo School District and Beth Summers, Principal of Freeport High School; both are Co-founders of "Kids at The Core" How Common Assessments are Used in Education

11:50 a.m. to Noon Question and Answer Session

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Six steps to performance‐based teacher evaluaƟon 

Step 2: Get Buy-In On the Process . When designing this new evaluation process within a school district it is crucial to have teachers involved from the beginning in the selection, training, and implementation of all the evaluation steps and processes. Training teacher leaders with teacher evaluators is critical to the ultimate success of the implementation of performance-based teacher evaluation. Step 3: Change the Focus of who is being observed. Most teacher evaluators script and critique the performance of the teacher. It is suggested that teacher evaluator’s script what students are learning as a result of what the teacher is doing. Evaluators should make sure they can see the faces and eyes of the students when they are in the classrooms. Evaluators should script what students are learning, what their minds are on, how they are asking and answering questions, how they are participating in individual and whole class assessments, and how

Performance-Based Teacher Evaluation is very complicated and is a totally different paradigm than traditional “one-and-done” teacher evaluation. “One-and- done” is the old compliance way of conducting teacher evaluation. Once an evaluation date was set, the teacher and evaluator would meet in a pre-conference to discuss the class and students to be taught, the evaluator would observe and

Dr. Richard Voltz Associate Director of Professional Development

write up the evaluation and then tell the teacher what they did well and what they could improve. The teacher endured the process and then went about doing their independent contractor work. This new system takes a much bigger

they are leading their own learning. Almost all of the Danielson critical attribute descriptors start with the word “students” in the distinguished column. To gather evidence on what students are doing the evaluator has to observe students. Step 4: Observe More . As noted previously in this article, evaluation law only requires one informal and one formal observation for a tenured teacher. To be fundamentally fair

commitment of time and energy by both the teacher evaluator and the teacher. Even though the law requires only one informal and one formal observation for tenured teachers and one informal and two formal evaluations for non-tenured teachers, much more is required to give the teacher fundamental due process due to the stakes of the summative evaluation. The following six steps are suggested for teacher evaluators to enhance the experience for the

to the teacher in this new high stakes evaluation process the evaluator needs to make multiple observations, both informal and formal. More informal observations are needed to make sure that the teacher has embedded the student-centered tenants into his/her everyday teaching. More formal observations are needed to give the teacher additional opportunities to improve their teaching. It is not fair to the teacher if the evaluator finds a critical mistake during one observation and uses the evidence to rate the teacher low. One bad observation out of one observation is 100% bad. One bad observation out of 10 observations is 10 percent. These are totally different scenarios and will lead to trust between the evaluator and the teacher. Step 5: Reflection Is The Key . It does little good (Continued on page 19)

teacher and ultimately lead to better instruction and student growth. These steps are an integral part of making teacher evaluation a professional development experience and not a compliance experience. Step 1: Concentrate on the Correct Domain/ Component . According to Danielson, Domain 3 Instruction is the heart of the frameworks and 3c Engaged Students in Learning is the heart of the heart of the frameworks. If the teacher evaluator will concentrate on 3c Engaged Learning when observing teaching, the evaluator will be able to see how the other 21 components all support student engagement. Student engagement defined by Danielson is the student “intellectually involved” in the learning. It is learning, not doing. It is minds on, not hands on.

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IASA offers two ways to acquire   2013‐2014 Principal EvaluaƟon Tool  The IASA is pleased to

announce that members once again have an opportunity to acquire the IASA Principal Evaluation Tool. There are now two methods for acquiring the 2013 -2014 IASA Principal Evaluation Tool. IASA members can attend a three-hour workshop or members can purchase the tool outright. A listing of dates and registration information for the workshops can be found

for an evaluator to observe a class, write evidence down, send the evidence to the teacher and expect the teacher to self improve without discussion. Just like we expect students to be involved in the learning, teachers need to be involved in the learning. Each time an administrator observes they must meet with the teacher and allow the teacher an opportunity to reflect on their teaching. Individuals learn because of what they do and what they commit to, not what we tell them to do. Step 6: Know When to Play the Proper Role . When evaluators are meeting with teachers and the teacher is reflecting about their teaching and has suggestions for improvement, the evaluator is wearing a “coaching” hat. The teacher is demonstrating that they have the ability to critically analyze their own work and develop strategies and here . The evaluation tool has been updated with several new tips that will help users comply with the requirements of PERA, suggested improvements from users of last year’s tool, and the addition of an informal observation form that can be used to share notes with those being evaluated. The tool can be acquired by attending one of the scheduled workshops, or you can submit a request to purchase the tool by submitting the form here or by visiting http://bit.ly/ iasaprincipalevaluationtool . The registration cost for (Continued from page 18)

the workshop is $200 and will be facilitated by the developers of the tool, Dr. Don White, and Dr. Joe Pacha. The tool is included in the cost of the workshop. The price for purchasing the file online remains $100, the same as last year.

Performance-based evaluation _______________________________

steps for improved classroom instruction and student learning. Teachers new to the profession often do not have the capacity because of limited experience to reflect and determine their own solutions. In these cases, the evaluator wears a “mentor” hat and suggests solutions to the new teacher. In some cases the veteran teacher either refuses to reflect or does not have the capacity to reflect and suggest their own strategies for improvement. The evaluator in these cases wears the “tell” hat. The evaluator has to tell the teacher how to improve. If a teacher evaluator follows these six steps, performance-based teacher evaluation will become a professional development opportunity instead of a compliance act.

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