Competent

Favorite quote "People forget how fast you did a job - but they remember how well you did it."

Competence does not mean "minimally adequate" as believed by some. Competent describes someone who is "well qualified" for a job or task.

Competent people are;

• committed to excellence. They want every process, procedure, and outcome to be the very best it can be.
• never settle for average. For competent people, "good enough" is not good enough. They give it all they have to achieve highest quality, even on common tasks.
• pay attention to detail. It's been rightfully said, that the quality of any endeavor is in the details. Don't get me wrong. We need those people with the big ideas. They inspire us to attempt things that we wouldn't otherwise attempt. But the quality come from the details of the implementation of an idea. They do the little things well.
• perform consistently.

To improve competence;

• focus on your work. Make it the best it can be.
• sweat the small stuff. To paraphrase Maxwell, do the last 10 % of your projects as well or better than the first 90%.
• pay attention to implementation. How will we make this great idea work on the highest level for our students?

Utilizing these principles we can achieve the highest levels of quality in our work.

2008 School Report Card Reflections and What Now?

By now, you may already know that the 2008 School Report Cards were released early this morning. Although the release is very recent, the ratings on the report card are not a surprise to us. We knew when we saw last year's test scores that Kellett's report card rating would not be satisfactory to any of us. Based on last year's testing results, JN Kellett received an absolute rating from the state of "below average". That is based on a statistical analysis of our 2008 PACT scores. JN Kellett's improvement rating was 'at risk". The improvement rating means that our test scores declined rather than improved for the 2008 administration of PACT. We have long since come to terms with that performance last year and have been implementing specific plans to address those issues all year long.

Let me say now as I have before that we are proud of the efforts of our faculty and staff, and of the efforts of our students. Our faculty and staff have raised the bar of expectations and our students and families have answered the call. There is ample evidence that our testing results will improve in 2009. Our attendance is at an all time high. The winter administration of MAP yielded the results we envisioned when we drew up out MAP improvement plan. In Language Arts our students posted an average RIT score gain of 8.04. In Math they improved by an average RIT score gain of 8.58. In Reading, the average score improvement was 7.61. A 10 point gain is typical for a whole year of instruction. These results were accomplished in 13 weeks of instruction.

Please don't misunderstand me. While we are justifiably proud of this significant progress, but we know in our hearts and our heads that we can do better. Already, new plans are in effect to make sure that our students continue their growth so that they can close the gap between themselves and the national norms.

We have implemented plans to prepare for the new state-wide test, the PASS. Although little is known about PASS, we do know the criteria for scoring the writing sample to be done on March, so we are hard at work making sure that our students understand how their work will be judged and teaching them about the writing process. We remain convinced that, with continued focus on teaching and learning, our students will improve their performance on the state-wide test. This is not the time educators, students, or parents to rest on our laurels. Only by maintaining our effort and focusing on implementing our plans, will JN Kellett meet its goals for student achievement in 2009. All stakeholders are invited to join us in our quest for continuous improvement.

Quality 4 Communicative

My favorite quote - Think like a wise man, but communicate in the language of the people. William Butler Yeats

What is more common than a smart person who cannot communicate with others. All of the intellect in the world is of little use without the ability to communicate knowledge and ideas to others. Recently, we celebrated the birthday of perhaps the greatest American President in history, Abraham Lincoln. When you read Lincoln's words, you readily see a man with lofty ideas and uncommon vision. The power of his words comes from his ability to communicate those lofty ideas and uncommon vision to common, ordinary citizens. Take the Gettysburg Address or the Second Inaugural Address for example. Nothing ever written exemplifies common language used to such great effect as Lincoln did on those two occasions. With his lofty ideas, uncommon vision, and common language, he wrote and spoke with a beauty and power that rallied a nation through it's darkest hour. His unusual communication skills served him, and the nation, well.

Characteristics of communicative people;

1. They do not separate themselves from others. The more we understand, the more we care.

2. They make it easy for teammates to communicate with them. Most communication issues can be solved by proximity.

3. They follow the 24 Hour Rule and address difficulty within 24 hours.

4. They pay attention to difficult relationships.

5. They follow up in writing, keeping it clear and simple.

Improve communication by;

1. Being candid. Speak truthfully and kindly.

2. Be quick to address problems.

3. Be inclusive. If you can include others - do.

Good communication is not easy, but it pays big dividends to ourselves and to our teammates.

The "AH HA" Moment

While discussing some things with a third grader recently, I had an "AH HA" moment. This third grader if G/T in math and has been reading since about 3 and 1/2 to 4 years old. She has owned oral language since very early in her life. Yet, this brilliant, gifted child began to tell me how she was not as good in math and reading as she used to be.

When I asked what made her think that was true, she began by describing how SuccessMaker has convinced her of this fact in math. She is working above grade level (not sure how far) and she shared that she only gets about 50% of her questions right in SuccessMaker. Then it dawned on me - she has lost confidence because she can't do math that we haven't taught her. When we assess her, she keeps getting items until she gets things that she can't do. Her vision of math after computer lab and after MAP testing is of math that she CAN'T DO, not on all the math she CAN DO.

When the conversation turned to reading, it was the same story. When I asked what she was reading, she told me it was the wonderful book Sounder. Although she likes the book, she struggles because she does not understand the book. She knows, or can figure out, all the words and knows the story. This slows her down and reduces her pleasure in reading. The pleasure is why she reads. She is struggling with understanding the meaning of the book. Does her reading ability allow her to read this book and comprehend the story? Absolutely, yes. Is she mature enough to fully understand and enjoy the book? Probably not. She is perceptive enough to know that she is struggling with the conceptual basis of this great book. Intrinsically, she does not want to read books that are below her ability, but the little girl in her wants to read books that other third grade girls read and enjoy. Somehow, she's gotten the message that reading an easy book that you like is a bad thing. Worse, when she's older and can fully enjoy the book, she probably won't read it again based on this experience.

By now, you might be asking , so what? As I reflected on her situation, I got to thinking, how many of our most able students here at Kellett are feeling this same way? Are our practices causing our best students to lose confidence in themselves as learners? Sadly, there is some evidence from Successmaker and from MAP to suggest that they are. Right now, I don't have answers, but I know for sure that we need to find them. We need our best students to perform at their peak levels if we are to reach our goals for Kellett this year. Let the conversation begin!

Quality 3

Quality 3 – Committed

My favorite quote, “Nobody who ever gave his best regretted it.” George Halas

Dr. Jonas Salk completed medical school in 1939. Eight years later he was at the University of Pittsburgh, taking on polio, the scourge of that era. In 1952 he was ready to test his new polio vaccine, so he inoculated himself and his entire family. His commitment was for real and changed history, eliminating one of the most devastating illnesses of his time. Without his total commitment, who’s to say when, or if, the vaccine for polio would have been available for use?

What do teams have to understand about commitment?
1. Adversity fosters commitment.
2. Gifts and abilities are not determinants of commitment.
3. Commitment is a choice. It does not depend on conditions.
4. When commitment is based on values, it endures.

Becoming more committed
1. Connect your commitments to your values – Identify your commitment and determine your core values.
2. Risk – Being committed involves risk. You may fail, or the team may fail, but there is honor in giving your best, even if things don’t work out like you planned.
3. Evaluate the team’s commitment – “You cannot make a commitment to uncommitted people.”

Please share any observations you may have about the book. My hope is to initiate conversation about improving our team by improving ourselves as team members.

Next week, Quality 4 - Communicative

Essential Qualities of Teamwork

Quality 2 – Collaborative
My favorite quote, “All of your strength is in union, all your danger is in discord.” Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

The Great Escape from Stalag Luft III occurred during World War II on March 24, 1944. An elaborate plan of escape, involving hundreds of prisoners, logistical demands for everything from bed slats to electrical wire, pinpoint timing, and detailed planning was devised. They had hoped to get 250 prisoners out of the prison. Despite all of the planning only 3 prisoners escaped, but they proved that it was possible to escape German POW camps.

Collaboration requires change in focus in four areas.
1. Perception – Think completion, not competition. Competiveness must not be allowed to hurt the team.
2. Attitude – Support teammates. “Assume that the motives of teammates are good until proven otherwise.”
3. Focus – Put your focus on the team effort, rather than on yourself.
4. Results – Collaboration multiplies the results of the work of the group.

Becoming more collaborative
1. Think win-win-win – Figure out ways for you, your teammates, and the team to prosper.
2. Complement others – Use your strengths to complement the weaknesses of others and allow others to do the same for you.
3. Take your needs out of the picture – Always ask, “What is best for the team?”

Please share any observations you may have about the book. My hope is to initiate conversation about improving our team by improving ourselves a team members.

Later this week, Quality 3 - Committed