AP Insight E-Newsletter
AP Insight is the bimonthly e-newsletter of the NASSP Assistant Principal Leadership Center. Subscriptions to the e-newsletter are free, but please note that many links in each issue are to content available exclusively to NASSP members.
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AP Insight Archives
Vol. 4, Issue 4
Currently, college- and career-readiness standards cover 99% of all students in the nation. Whether your state is one of the 46 that signed on to implement the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), or your state has adopted its own set of new standards, each and every one of our students is now on a pathway to postsecondary education and training.
The adoption of more rigorous standards represents a real shift in instructional intent from high school graduation to college and career readiness. These higher standards mean that we are no longer talking about school turnaround or school improvement. We are now focused on deep, systemic change that leads to school transformation.
Implementing the CCSS means that the conversation will shift from high school graduation to postsecondary education and training—and teachers and school leaders will be required to learn a whole new set of skills. That resulting second-order change, long promoted by the Breaking Ranks Framework, translates into a change in school and classroom culture. A school's culture is like an iceberg. It has both a visible and an out-of-sight component—and AP Insight will address both aspects of school culture.
This issue will also feature highlights of a recent webinar, The Principal’s Role in Implementing Common Core State Standards at the Secondary School Level, which was produced by The Alliance for Excellent Education. Tracey Lamb, an NASSP Board Member and principal of Fulton County High School in Hickman, KY, talked in detail about Kentucky’s implementation plan and the tools she is using in her school. Among states, Kentucky appears to be a frontrunner in implementation of the new standards. Their lessons learned will be valuable to school leaders in every state.
Want even more CCSS resources? If you are a member of my professional learning network (PLN), you already know about NASSP’s Common Core Resources. You may be already reading my blog, The Principal Difference, and following my Twitter account and newsletters—The Common Core State Standards for School Leaders and Leading Schools.
This month, the NASSP Store is offering AP Insight readers a 20% discount on the book, Breaking Ranks: The Comprehensive Framework for School Improvement, to begin the foundation for CCSS implementation. Use promotion code AP0512 by May 30 to receive your discount (applies to online orders only).
Mel Riddile
NASSP Associate Director of High School Services
Common Core Implementation: Having Enough Compelling Reasons
If we are going to successfully implement the CCSS, then we are going to need a lot of whys, and it will be up to school leaders to provide those whys. The fact is that many of our staff members will view these new standards as just another set of standards—same old, same old. For example, in a recent survey, 73% of teachers indicated that they believed they were already prepared to teach the CCSS. The reality is that these standards are not the same. The changes required by these standards are monolithic in scope. (More)
Icebergs, the Titanic, and School Culture
The recent anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic reminded me again of the power of icebergs. The scary thing about icebergs is not what you see above the surface of the water. Ninety percent of an iceberg is below the surface, hidden from our view. Yet, it is that invisible part that can have the most impact. In that respect, school culture is like an iceberg. There are aspects that are visible above the surface, such as the master schedule, handbooks, the physical appearance of our school, how we talk about students, and how we make decisions. However, school leaders who focus only on the visible aspects of culture do so to the detriment of their school. What we do, our behavior, is an overt manifestation of what goes on below the surface—our thinking, values, beliefs, attitudes, and mind-sets. (More)
Lessons From Kentucky: The Principal’s Role in Implementing the Common Core
As states move toward implementing the CCSS, school principals must ensure that they are fully equipped to help classroom teachers incorporate the standards as effectively as possible. Gleaning insight from the state of Kentucky, one of the nation’s frontrunners in implementing the CCSS, there are several actions that a principal can take to lead his or her school’s change efforts. (More)
Ten Keys to Success: The Principal’s Role in Implementing the Common Core
The CCSS represent a daunting challenge for school leaders. This work is too important to leave to chance. Just as we must build the capacity of our teachers to deliver these new standards, so too, must we invest in building the capacity of our school leaders to implement them. School leaders should consider 10 keys to successful implementation of the CCSS. (More)
NASSP News
NASSP to Offer Digital Principal Webinar Series
In May, NASSP will host a three-part webinar series featuring insights and advice from the NASSP Digital Principal Award winners. Join Eric Sheninger of New Milford (NJ) High School, Michael King of Dodge City (KS) Middle School, and Patrick Larkin of Burlington (MA) High School, as they discuss the high-tech tools and techniques used by 21st century school leaders. Visit www.nassp.org/webinars to learn more and register for the free Digital Principal series.
Applications Open for the 2012 Memory Mission Trip
Lifetouch is sponsoring a return trip to the Dominican Republic in December 2012 to continue the work that school leaders from NASSP and other education organizations started in 2011. Interested in joining the 2012 Memory Mission to help construct a school in Constanza? Download an application at www.nassp.org/memorymission. Participants will be selected in early September.
Take the Dream School Challenge and Win
NASSP is proud to support the Dream School Challenge, an opportunity for schools and districts to win thousands in educational prizes. Encourage your teachers, parents, and students to visit the Lifetime Network's The Parent Teacher Corner to vote for your school. The winning school and district will receive free digital tablets, furniture, curriculum software, online professional development tools, and more.