Into the Storm GamePlan: Excellence of Execution

Two weeks ago we discussed our urgency to finish strong on testing and accountability this school year.  In reviewing our MAP data and seeing an opportunity to improve, our team worked to create the game plan for the remainder of the school year.  At the conclusion of our data dives, data drives, team meetings, and instructional staff meetings we came up with a three-part plan to make sure we do everything within our power to make sure our students are prepared.  To many people, this plan seems simple, but to us it’s focused and intentional in every aspect.  The plan was (1) Focus on Standards and Students, (2) ALL IN – Into the Storm, and (3) Keep It Simple! 

Focus on Standards and Students

        The two most important parts of increasing student achievement are standards and students.  We don’t need to overcomplicate this process.  Focus on the standards tested, especially priority standards, making sure whole group instruction is taught on grade level with small-group or personalized learning  differentiated on each student's level and targeted need is something we can all do that makes a huge impact.  Our data tells us very explicitly that our focus needs to be on reading informational text aligned to the RI standards we need to work on.  This will give us the greatest opportunity for improvement.  When we examine our outlier data, we see that we could improve 1-3 points in each subject/grade level simply by reducing the outliers past -10.  After having parent/student meetings with every student that scored -10, we see two common trends in that there was a traumatic experience in the home during that period from Fall to Winter testing and/or students struggled with virtual learning compared to face-to-face instruction.  The impact a great classroom teacher has on a student’s learning was magnified and the need to have most students in the classroom was clearly evident.  The need for the MTSS process and immediate social/emotional interventions is more critical now, during the Covid pandemic, than they’ve probably every been.  This means that we need to shift some duties and responsibilities around to allow our staff to work with students needing this support more now than ever and that we need to identify and act quicker than we ever have.  One interesting piece of data showed that when you removed the scores of virtual students, the students on a 2-3 days/week hybrid schedule performed as well as they normally do on a traditional 5 days/week schedule.  If we teach the standards, teach them on the right level, engage our students, and constantly do the process of formative assessment to see what our student know and don’t know….while supporting social and emotional needs, our students will be successful. 

 

ALL IN – Into the Storm

        Yes, “ALL IN” is borrowed from the greatest college football program in the country…the Clemson Tigers, but it’s so true in everything you do in life and the attitude you take towards a goal.  Part of being a team means that everyone is committed to a common goal and common vision, everyone does their job and their part to help the team be successful, and at the end of the day the name beside the score says “McBee High School” and not an individual’s name alone.  It takes a commitment from everyone on a team to be successful. We don't always control talent or ability, but we all control our attitudes and actions every single day!  We must all be positive and encouraging to build each other up and provide support that contributes to collective efficacy.  When one member of a team doesn't, it can destroy the moment of the entire group.  No one in our school should have the right to take away from the learning, safety, or well-being of any colleague or student.

        The “Into the Storm” mentality means that we are going to take challenges head on instead of running from them or hoping they just pass by.  We know we will MAP test at the end of the school year and this will give us a longitudinal piece of evidence of what was within our control in measuring where students started in the Fall and how they performed academically in the Spring.  We don’t know for certain about SC Ready testing accountability for schools in SC; however, we do know we will test.  Test or not, no matter how or if it counts, the bottom line is that it’s the right thing to do in making sure our students are prepared and that we start to close some of the instructional gaps that we know exist from the shutdown last spring and challenges during the pandemic. 

 

Keep It Simple

        This sounds much simpler than it sometimes is in education.  We have a tendency in education to make things far more complicated than they need to be and often confuse people with educational jargon.  Winning doesn’t need to be complicated, do a couple of things that have the greatest impact and do them well will usually put the team or school in a position to be successful most of the time.  We felt that it was very important to make our plan focused and intentional, to a level where students were an integral part of the plan and understood the plan and goals.  We decided to make sure our mastery trackers were focused on priority standards and written in simple “I Can” statements so that they were there for the students, not necessarily the adults.  At the end of the day, it’s what the students know or master that we are judged on.  With limited time left in the school year, focusing on priority standards is critical.  And at the end of the day, make it fun and competitive for students! 

  

        Below is our action plan for finishing the year strong academically.  Some people may ask why we’d share our plan but to us it’s not a secret and it’s not complicated to do this process to see our students be successful.  I remember as a coach telling our team that other teams could have as many tapes of us as they want and I’d even give them our playbook if they wanted.  To borrow a line from Bret “The Hitman” Hart from WWE wrestling, it’s all about “Excellence of Execution!”  It’s simple but it requires commitment from everyone on the team to carry out the plan to fidelity.  It’s important to have a great plan, but “Excellence of Execution” is also paramount!  I have complete confidence in our team and their commitment to seeing students be successful.  I'm blessed to work with some great teachers, great team players, a great support staff, and people who will do whatever it takes to help children!  While some people are hoping that we don't test or that it doesn't count, our team is eager to see the score at the end of the 4th quarter this year!

Into The Storm: Head On #BeLikeTheBuffalo

We recently received some disappointing mid-year data on our MAP scores and were reminded of it in a principal’s meeting.  We thought scores weren’t going to be quite as good as the previous levels of growth last school year based on a number of factors that were different in this Covid year and our learning curve with virtual instruction.  However, the level of growth was disheartening because we felt like we failed many of the parents that trust every day with their most prized possession, we felt like failed our bosses who trust us to make sure our school performs well, and we felt like we failed the very students that are at the heart of everything we do in education.  The simple fact remains that we didn't perform at the level we should've performed and we will always be judged by one thing....The Results!  The question then becomes what are we going to do about it…..?  This was a mid-year check, not an autopsy.  Great teams and leaders know how to handle adversity and how to adjust their gameplan at halftime to win in the second half.  

 

What we find is that life is going to have adversity and disappointments, but the key is how you handle those and move forward.  I’m reminded of a pre-season preparation talk I had with seniors when I was coaching.  The philosophy was simple in that we were going to be like a Bison/Buffalo.  Why like a Bison?  We don’t run from the reality of the situation, instead we embrace it and take it head on.  One of the most fascinating characteristics of the Bison is how they react when a storm is coming. While cows, their close relatives, huddle together, the Bison take the storm head on, traveling directly into its path.  The attitude and instinct of the Bison heading directly into the storm is very fitting and an interesting reminder of how to confront life’s obstacles. We all know that the worst thing we can do when confronted with a major challenge in life is to run from it.  Don’t run, don’t avoid it, don’t hope it goes away….Take it head on!

Two realities must be faced: (1) We need to be prepared to return to face-to-face learning 5 days/week and (2) We will be tested or assessed at the end of this school year. This has been made clear at both the federal and state levels.  To make a long story short, we decided to take this head on immediately.  Many times people procrastinate and the fear of the challenge becomes bigger and bigger to where it seems insurmountable.  Procrastinating or trying to ignore a challenge essentially makes a mountain out of a molehill.  But that’s not what the Bison does. Rather than waiting out the storm or running away from the storm, the Bison squares it’s shoulders and charges into the storm, taking it head-on in a tight herd together and running right through it. This has the effect of reducing the amount of exposure to the storm.  On the contrary, cows have a different reaction. They run away from the storm, receiving the brunt of the storm in the process.  In taking these obstacles on directly we learn what the Bison knows instinctually— when we address our challenges directly the perceived obstacles are often much less than we imagined.  Rather than running from reality or just waiting for it to hit, the attitude of our teachers and staff is going to be to take it head on and square our shoulders to take it head on.  We don't control some things and we accept that; but we control our preparation and everything we do to get ready for our students to test, we control our attitude and how we approach the challenge, we control if we are ALL IN as a team to take on the challenge, we control our focus on standards and students, etc.  

The first step in facing a challenge is to admit there is a challenge and make a decision to take it head on, owning the shortcoming and owning the solution to the problem.  The follow up has to have the same level of commitment.  After we create the plan to address the problem, we have to execute the plan to fidelity.  Leaders must inspect what they expect, in terms of how the team is going to take the storm head on. Every moment in education is a teachable moment and has the potential for growth.  So next time you are faced with a challenge or shortcoming, whether it be a complex situation or a difficult conversation you need to have with someone, follow the lead of the American Bison and avoid procrastination. Go directly toward the obstacle, embrace the challenge as well as your commitment to the solution. Take it head on into the storm!

Leadership is About Service: Authority versus Influence

What is leadership?  Are you a leader because you have a position or title of authority?  True leadership is far more than any title.  Someone can be granted a title from those above them in the hierarchy, but authority and influence to be able to lead is earned from those that work with you.  In doing my doctoral work at Liberty, we often heard about servant leadership and there was often a biblical derivative of the term.  As I’ve been in leadership for a long time, I’ve realized that I was in leadership long before I ever had the title of Principal or School Administrator or Coach or anything else.  My purpose was always to help people and serve as best I could.  Even without a title, I was a leader in many respects.  

 

Leadership is ultimately about service and helping others achieve their goals and helping the team to be successful.  Personal success is derived from the success of the team and from taking care of others.  Part of being in school administration or leadership is understanding the dynamics of micropolitical leadership.  The most influential leaders in a school aren't necessarily administrators.  Many times the most powerful leaders are teacher-leaders, mentors, and those within the staff that have earned the trust and respect of the staff through their service and helping others.  Many times when a principal says something, it’s viewed as a top-down directive and there is a level of compliance that comes with it.  However, the same thing echoed by a teacher-leader or leader inherently chosen by the group can be far more powerful and have far more influence.  This is one of the reasons that leaders must understand this dynamic and be able to use it for the good of the team.  Not only have the teacher-leaders and your best teachers earned the respect of the staff, they’ve also always put what is in the best interest of students at the forefront of every decision they make.  They always put students and the team first, not what’s easiest or most convenient for the adults in the building.  Those two things make their leadership more powerful than you can imagine within an organization.  While someone with a title might be the head of the organization, the leader from within that has proven servant leadership is the heart of the team. 

 

In relating this to the world of athletics, we watched Michael Jordan do this for the Bulls for many years.  Phil Jackson might have been the coach, but Jordan was the catalyst that pushed everyone around him to another level of performance.  In an interview for “The Last Dance”, Jordan explicitly said that he never asked a teammate to do more than he did or was willing to do himself.  He could’ve loafed through practices and turn it on for games, but he challenged his teammates 100% in practice because he knew that was the competition they needed in practice to be able to perform at a championship level.  We recently saw the Tampa Bay Buccaneers win the Super Bowl with Bruce Arians as the coach, but Tom Brady was the heart of that team that helped take them to the top level.  There was talent on that team prior to Brady’s arrival, but the heart of the team makes everyone else believe that they can win and they push the team constantly to perform at their standard of excellence.  To these great leaders, it’s about service and helping others to be their very best.

Leadership is about service to others. Leadership is a choice, a decision to put others ahead of yourself with a goal of helping them be successful. Leadership is more than a title or position, it's about influence and the willingness to help others achieve their goals. Great leaders build trust, are committed to people and processes, and are dedicated to selfless service.

 

Servant Leadership = Heart to Serve + Called to Lead + Courage to Serve

 

Many people don’t go into leadership for several reasons:  they’re content and happy with what they are doing, they don’t want to take on many of the challenges and responsibilities, they don’t want to feel like they are over their peers, they don’t want to have to do the corrective side with personnel, etc. Servant Leadership can be a powerful force once a person discovers their heart to serve, answers their call to lead, and summons their courage to engage.  These aren’t easy things for many potential leaders to face for some reason.  Servant leaders realize that it’s not necessarily being in charge of people as much as it’s about taking care of people within your charge.  There’s a bigger purpose to the work that leaders take on in helping others to be their best.  Leaders understand that their work isn’t always popular, but it’s always necessary to help the team be successful. Servant leaders understand that their customers are their allies and employees are the greatest resource they have.  They understand success comes from people and not programs.  They realize that what people/customers are actually "buying" from us in education is trust that we will always do what's in the best interest of students and that we will give 110% to see our students be safe and successful.  The way you view leadership ultimately shapes your attitude and actions!