School of Thought Blog

Student Voice Is Essential to Education Reform

Guest post by Felix Yerace

Over the last 11 years of my career in education, I have seen my students do amazing things and show leadership that I am not sure I possessed at 16 or 17, or 26 or 27, for that matter. They have improved their schools, advocated for their peers, given back to their communities, and made their world a better place. In doing so, they have learned powerful lessons that I could never have taught in the classroom. I am continually impressed with their efforts and abilities, and their work inspired me to go back to school to earn my PhD in Leadership Studies, focusing on youth leadership development to learn how to help other educators better support their own student leaders. (more…)

April 26, 2016

A Powerful Idea for a Productive Student Lunch

Guest post by Brad W. Staley

With so many things competing for their time, students often struggle to fit everything into a single school day. As administrators, we want to give them enough freedom to explore a variety of school offerings while still maintaining order.

At Northside High School in Jacksonville, NC, we decided to try something new to afford students more autonomy to make the most of their day. We call it Power Hour: A one-hour lunch period in which students can use the time as they wish. (more…)

April 26, 2016

Building Culture

Advocacy Update: Tracking ESSA

Inside the Beltway

What’s going on in Washington?

The ESSA Negotiated Rulemaking Committee met for the final time this past week. They were able to reach a consensus on the assessments but not on “supplement not supplant” language. The U.S. Department of Education now has full authority to regulate on “supplement not supplant” without stakeholder input. On assessments, the rulemaking committee agreed on rules related to use of a nationally recognized test at the high school level, computer adaptive testing, and testing for students taking advanced math in eighth grade. (more…)

April 25, 2016

Education Policy Other

Understanding Grieving Children’s ‘Confusing’ Reactions

Grieving is a personal and distinct experience for every individual. You might have heard the statement before that, “Everyone grieves differently.” However, children’s reactions to the death of a loved one can be particularly puzzling to adults. One reason is that their reactions can vary greatly. So, for adults, it helps to expect and be ready for the unexpected.

Adults are sometimes confused if a grieving child does not behave as expected. For example, sometimes, children appear happy, unaffected, and play as usual. And sometimes, they say angry or unkind things about others or the person who died. But it’s important to understand that after the death of a loved one, children will be experiencing deep and powerful emotions, even if it is not at first clear from the things that they say and do. (more…)

April 22, 2016

Building Culture Communication Relationships Wellness

Improving Quality and Reducing Duplicative Assessments Under ESSA

Spring is here, which for students, educators, and parents means testing season has officially begun. In 2015, several states across the country witnessed the growing opt-out movement, where parents are withholding their children from assessments in protest of the Common Core State Standards and the inclusion of student test scores in teacher evaluations, as well as the overbearing standardized testing culture.

Last year in New York, more than 200,000 third through eighth graders sat out of standardized tests, and the movement has shown no signs of slowing down in 2016. In February, the NASSP Board of Directors stated its opposition to state and district opt-out (more…)

April 21, 2016

Curriculum, Instruction, & Assessments Education Policy Leading Learning Other Results-Orientation

Mastering the Master Schedule: Ensuring Equity and Access for All Students

Guest post by Ashanti Bryant Foster

Master Schedule: the two words that usually cause a cringe and instant headache for many educators. The reality is that if you don’t have a firm grasp on the master schedule, it is difficult to understand the movements and ‘flow of traffic’ in your building. One of the reasons I wanted to be involved in scheduling is so I could understand the task inside out, just like discipline, leading collaborative planning, and supporting parent programs. As an administrator, I need to know the ins and outs of all major decisions that impact student achievement. (more…)

April 19, 2016

Building Culture Collaborative Leadership Equity Leading Learning

Advocacy Update: Tracking ESSA

Inside the Beltway

What’s happening in Washington?

Last week, U.S. Department of Education Secretary John King appeared before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions for a full committee hearing. The topic of the hearing was “ESSA Implementation in States and School Districts: Perspectives from the U.S. Secretary of Education.” The full hearing is available for viewing online.

Why should principals care? (more…)

April 18, 2016

Education Policy Other

Advocating for and Celebrating Assistant Principals

This week is National Assistant Principals Week, and we’re celebrating the leaders who make things happen every day behind the scenes for our schools—assistant principals! Assistant principals are often the glue that holds schools together. This is a special week to thank them for everything they do to keep our schools safe and running smoothly, and to ensure the success of each and every student.

The U.S. Congress is also getting in on the celebration as well. On April 14, Sens. David Perdue (R-GA) and Thomas Carper (D-DE) introduced a resolution to commemorate the week. “Assistant principals play a key role in our education system, and their efforts deserve to be recognized,” said Sen. Perdue. (more…)

April 15, 2016

Education Policy Other

Connected Leadership: Empowering Stronger Leaders for Stronger Schools

Guest post by Jared C. Wastler

As an educational leader, I strongly believe that we must not lead from afar—we must engage and connect with our staff, students, community, and colleagues. Think of a leader whom you admire. It is rare that you would describe such an individual saying, “he talked a good game but never really followed through.”

Jimmy Casas, Principal at Bettendorf High School in Iowa, likes to say, “you get what you model.” For us to be effective educational leaders, (more…)

April 12, 2016

Collaborative Leadership Leading Learning

Advocacy Update: Tracking ESSA

NASSP Holds Student Briefing on Capitol Hill

The newly founded NASSP Student Leadership Advisory Committee held its first public event last Tuesday on Capitol Hill. Two student members, a teacher, and a principal were featured at the briefing titled “Technology in Schools: Student, Teacher, and Principal Perspectives.” Check out the Storify of the event featuring tweets and photos taken by committee members. Stay tuned to the School of Thought blog for more perspectives on the event from committee members.

Inside the Beltway (more…)

April 11, 2016

Education Policy Other

Get Ready to Celebrate National Assistant Principals Week

Celebrate your assistant principals’ successes during National Assistant Principals Week, April 11–15! This week recognizes the contributions of assistant principals to the success of students, teachers, parents, and school communities across the United States.

While the roles and responsibilities may depend on the individual school settings, assistant principals are essential to establishing a positive learning environment that ensures each student and adult is known and valued.

NASSP celebrated early by hosting all of the State Assistant Principals of the Year during the Ignite ’16 National Principals Conference in Orlando, Florida, February 25–27. (more…)

April 4, 2016

Other Recognition

Advocacy Update: Tracking ESSA

Center for American Progress Event Features NASSP Member

Richard Loeschner, an NASSP member and principal of Breakthrough School Brentwood High School in Brentwood, NY, was featured last week at a Center for American Progress event on “Harnessing the Talent of DACA and Unauthorized Students at the K–12 Level.” The event focused on the patchwork of policies and practices that unauthorized students face in K–12 schools and the varying levels of support they receive from schools that might not recognize their unique challenges. Mr. Loeschner’s school has found particular success in raising the achievement of immigrant students and was featured on the event’s panel discussion. A recording of the event can now be viewed online. NASSP’s Associate Director of Advocacy David Chodak was also in attendance. (more…)

April 4, 2016

Education Policy Other

Schools Succeed When Breakfast is Served After the Bell

Guest post by Mieka Sanderson

Secondary school principals across the nation are rallying around a new take on the School Breakfast Program: breakfast after the bell. The National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) and the Food Research & Action Center (FRAC) released a report in November 2015, School Breakfast After the Bell: Equipping Students for Academic Success, which showed that 87 percent of principals who implemented the program believe other principals should explore launching a similar program. Echoing the results of the elementary school principals’ report FRAC published in November 2013, implementing a Breakfast after the Bell program in secondary schools has proven to be a superior alternative to the traditional before-school breakfast program. (more…)

March 31, 2016

Building Culture Equity Wellness

4 Tips to Share with Students Looking for “The Right College Fit”

Last week, the National Honor Societies hosted its third college admission planning webinar of this academic year. The webinar focused on “The ‘Right’ College Fit” and was designed to help students choose a college that’s best for them, especially when selecting among several options due to multiple acceptances.

In addition to sharing the link to the archived webinar on the National Honor Society and National Junior Honor Society websites, school leaders are also encouraged to share these top four insights from the webinar panelists with their students, student program advisers, and counselors. (more…)

March 28, 2016

college admissions Other postsecondary education

Advocacy Update: Tracking ESSA

ESSA Webinar Series

This week, NASSP’s Advocacy team hosted the first webinar in our series on the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). The first webinar covered the provisions in Title I, and you can view the recording online. Dates and times for the next two webinars are below—be sure to save the dates!

Title II Provisions: Wednesday, April 27, 3:30–4:30 p.m. (ET) (Registration opening soon!) (more…)

March 28, 2016

Education Policy Other

Advocacy Update: Tracking ESSA

Advocacy Continues FY17 Appropriations

On Thursday, NASSP, along with more than 150 national, state, and local organizations, sent a letter asking Congress to fund the School Leader Recruitment and Support program at the level requested by President Obama. Thank you to all 302 principals who sent a combined 993 personal messages to their representatives and senators through the Principal’s Legislative Action Center. It is not too late to chime in as well! The House has a deadline of Thursday, March 24, for letters and requests.

NASSP has also been involved in advocating for robust funding for Title IV, Part A, of ESSA and has been meeting with congressional offices this week. (more…)

March 21, 2016

Education Policy Other

New CTE and High School Redesign Bill Introduced in Senate

Sens. Tim Kaine (D-VA), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Rob Portman (R-OH), and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) introduced a new bipartisan bill on Thursday called the CTE Excellence and Equity Act. The act is intended to amend Title II of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act to support innovative approaches to career and technical education, and redesign the high school experience for students. The goal is for students to engage in real-world, relevant education through partnerships with businesses and higher education so that they enroll in postsecondary education without the need for remediation and with a set of 21st-century skills. (more…)

March 21, 2016

Education Policy Other postsecondary education Principal/Teacher Preparation

Using Technology to Empower Students

There remains very little debate about whether students should use technology in learning. If there remains a doubt, let the adult without a computer on their desk—or in their pocket or laptop bag—cast the first stone. Technology is ubiquitous, and schools should be no exception.

A massive question remains, however, about how kids should use that technology. Sadly, some schools leverage new tools to streamline the same old methods of learning. And not surprisingly, these schools are seeing little effect on their students’ achievement. To make the most of our investment, we need to use technology to empower students to lead their own learning. (more…)

March 18, 2016

Building Culture Other Technology & E-learning

Advocacy Update

Apply for the CTE Makeover Challenge

Your high school could be eligible for $20,000 in cash and additional in-kind prizes to start a makerspace in your building! The U.S. Department of Education invites schools to enter the CTE Makeover Challenge by submitting a design for a CTE makerspace. All schools will gain access to a six-week CTE Makeover Bootcamp that will provide resources and training in makerspace design and planning. Up to 10 schools will receive the $20,000 cash prize. You can view the notice in the Federal Register here. (more…)

March 14, 2016

Education Policy Other

Progress Made on Closing the Digital Divide

As all principals know, changes in how the world connects has made a significant impact on the way we organize school records, communicate with parents, and collaborate with other educators. But it has perhaps most greatly affected how students conduct research and complete group projects and other school assignments, which puts students who don’t have broadband internet at home at a great disadvantage. Many are calling this new digital divide the “homework gap,” and ultimately it can impact their academic success.

As a member of the Education and Library Networks Coalition (EdLiNC), NASSP previously submitted comments to the Federal Communications Commission (more…)

March 11, 2016

Education Policy Other Technology & E-learning