Your school’s master schedule is an essential tool for aligning student learning with performance goals, driving instruction, and providing a roadmap to success. A well-crafted master schedule reflects your school’s vision and promotes rigorous, equitable opportunities for all learners. Your master schedule impacts the success of your school in every way— from culture and morale to discipline and academic success.
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Get Fired Up for IGNITE 2023!
Editors Note: The itinerary, speakers, and sessions for Ignite are all updated on our conference website: https://ignite.nassp.org/
The premier conference for secondary school leaders, IGNITE will be held July 12–15, in Denver, CO. It’s NASSP’s first in-person national school leader conference since 2019. Here are five reasons you’ll want to attend.
Appreciating the Vital Role of Substitute Teachers
Substitute teachers are the unsung heroes of the school community. As we celebrate Substitute Educators Day this Friday, November 18, it’s worth highlighting how important subs are to a successful school. I retired last June after five years as principal of Forest High School in Ocala, FL, and immediately took a new position as the principal of a new charter high school that will open in Ocala this fall. In my previous job, and in this one helping to plan the new school, I have tried to make sure that our substitutes were valued and appreciated—and that they would want to come and work at our school again.
(more…)How Serving as a Principal and Colonel Made Me a Better Leader
In honor of Veterans Day, we asked NASSP’s Director of Leading and Learning Robyn Hamasaki to share how serving as a colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve and a PK-8 principal simultaneously made her a better leader. Thank you, Robyn, for your service. Happy Veterans Day to all!
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NHS Chapter in Ukraine Continues Meeting Despite War
As Russian troops prepared to invade Ukraine in February 2022, Kyiv International School moved to online instruction as a precaution. When the invasion took place two weeks later, a large majority of the 800 students—who come from all over the world—enrolled in other schools outside Ukraine, and staff members who were not Ukrainian remained outside the country in various locations. At the start of the school year, 100 students, as well as some staff, remained, most of them still living in Kyiv. Rachel Geary is the secondary director of instruction and an IB program coordinator at the school. She’s also the National Honor Society (NHS) adviser, and she has worked to keep the program going despite the immense challenges. She shares what that has been like this school year.
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Clearing the Most Significant Barrier to College Degree Completion
Inadequate math preparation is the single biggest obstacle to college completion. The Mathematical Association of America has described Americans’ struggle with math as “the most significant barrier” to completing both STEM and other degrees. Students who take precalculus in high school are much more likely to clear that hurdle—increasing their likelihood of completing a bachelor’s degree by 155%, a higher boost in degree completion than students taking algebra 2, trigonometry, or calculus.
(more…)How School Celebrations Can Boost Staff Morale
When NASSP 2021 Digital Principal of the Year Cindy Sholtys-Cromwell presented on creative ways to hold staff celebrations at a state conference in 2019, she was shocked by the level of interest she received from fellow school leaders.
(more…)Lessons Learned by Visiting Our Nation’s Schools
One of the signature initiatives that Gregg Wieczorek, NASSP’s Immediate Past President, undertook during his term was to visit schools in all 50 states. He called it “one of the best experiences of my professional career.” Highlights from those visits are now available in a new report titled “Leading Forward: Ideas from the Listening and Learning Tour.”
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A Natural Resources Program Thrives at an Oregon School
It’s not exactly common to see students walking down the halls of a school carrying axes and chainsaws. But not every school has a forestry program like we do here at Waldport Middle and High School in Waldport, OR.
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What Schools Should Know About the Digital SAT Suite of Assessments
Earlier this year, College Board announced that the SAT® Suite of Assessments is going digital. The digital tests, which include the SAT®, PSAT/NMSQT®, PSAT™ 10, and PSAT™ 8/9, will be easier to take, easier to give, more secure, and more relevant. We’ve been talking extensively to school and district leaders as we make this transition to make sure they’re getting the information and resources they need to feel confident in the move to digital.
(more…)President Biden Shares Stage with Delaware Early College Students
On Oct. 21, President Biden visited Delaware State University in Dover to speak about his student loan forgiveness initiative. Along with current Delaware State students, Biden shared the stage with a group of students from the Early College School at Delaware State University. In the audience were other students and the school’s three administrators, including head of school Dr. Evelyn Edney, who is a member of the NASSP Board of Directors. She writes about what the visit was like for her and her students.
(more…)Why We Loved Our Principal
For National Principals Month, we are highlighting school leaders who have made valuable contributions to their schools and communities. A few of the people they’ve impacted the most tell their inspiring stories. This week, Janae Johnson shares about her former principal, Tom Hatch.
(more…)NASSP Members’ Schools Receive National Blue Ribbon Award
Of the 297 schools that the U.S. Department of Education named National Blue Ribbon Schools for 2022, 9 are led by school leaders who are NASSP members. The recognition, announced last month, is given to schools in honor of their overall academic performance or for their progress in closing achievement gaps.
(more…)Five Ways to Make the Most of Your NHS and NJHS Chapter’s Food Drive
The issue of food insecurity facing our nation is more pressing than ever. According to Feeding America, unemployment and food insecurity have soared in the wake of the pandemic. In 2021, 53 million people turned to food banks and community programs for help putting food on the table. Given this challenge, your chapter may want to host a food drive. Here are five ways to make the most of the experience:
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A Principal Who Brings Joy to the Job
For National Principals Month, we are highlighting school leaders who have made valuable contributions to their schools and communities. A few of the people they’ve impacted the most tell their inspiring stories. This week, instructional coach Magdalena Mata shares about her principal, Dr. Beto Hinojosa.
(more…)NASSP Panel Focuses on Tackling the Educator Shortage
In honor of National Principals Month, NASSP teamed up with the National Association of Elementary School Principals and the American Federation of School Administrators to host a panel discussion on the nation’s educator shortage. Held in October at the AFL-CIO headquarters in Washington, DC, and streamed online, speakers included four current school leaders: Sue Danielson of Rosa Parks Elementary School in Woodbridge, VA; Robert Motley of Atholton High School in Columbia, MD; Edward Cosentino of Clemens Crossing Elementary School in Columbia, MD; and Samuel Buckley, assistant principal of Pikesville High School in Baltimore, MD, and NASSP Pipeline Ambassador.
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Promoting Kindness and Preventing Bullying in Middle School
October is National Bullying Prevention Month, and I want to share how I have worked hard over the years to promote kindness in school. It started about 15 years ago, when I first became principal of Colony Middle School in Palmer, AK. At the time, it was pretty apparent that we needed to work on our school culture. One thing we focused on was our staff beliefs; we wanted to make sure they were aligned with how we work with students and our belief in what they were capable of achieving.
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Why Academic Integrity Is Important to Teaching and Learning
Every decision in life has a push and pull factor; from what are we moving away and towards what are we moving. When confronted with the choice to take a shortcut solution and engage in academic misconduct, struggling students may feel they are moving towards a better course grade and away from the stress of learning. They may weigh the options of getting caught and being punished, without the awareness of long-term learning outcomes.
Research shows the need to make clear to students the policies around an institution’s commitment to academic integrity to prevent instances of plagiarism, contract cheating, collusion, and other forms of academic dishonesty.
But if academic dishonesty is purely punitive, thus making misconduct solely something to avoid, students still won’t understand why it is so important to foster original ideas, attribution, and other forms of academic integrity. Ensuring that students not only move away from academic dishonesty due to punishment but also towards academic integrity helps bolster life-long learning and upholds the academic reputation of an institution.
So, we’d like to take this moment to share why academic integrity is important to teaching and learning.
- Academic integrity supports learning opportunities. Shortcut solutions like plagiarism, contract cheating, and test banks deprive students of learning opportunities. When the work is not the student’s own, they aren’t putting their original thoughts on paper. Students then lose the opportunity to receive feedback that is accurate based on their needs and the resulting support they may need to further their learning journey.
- Accurate assessment of student learning is dependent on academic integrity. When student answers aren’t their own, it is impossible for educators to get an accurate assessment of learning and to provide feedback or make informed changes to a teaching curriculum.
- Respect for learning starts with academic integrity. Academic misconduct disrespects the academic work of others and breaks down trust. Respect is a qualitative factor that has long-term consequences in lifelong learning. For both students and researchers, proper attribution is critical.
- Academic integrity is an indicator of future workplace behavior. According to research, academic dishonesty in school leads to dishonesty in the workplace). The academic integrity journey must be firmly established to ensure a lifetime of integrity.
In their research, Guerrero-Dib, Portales, and Heredia-Escorza state, “Academic integrity is much more than avoiding dishonest practices such as copying during exams, plagiarizing or contract cheating; it implies an engagement with learning and work which is well done, complete, and focused on a good purpose— learning.” While shortcut solutions belittle education, academic integrity takes advantage of and embraces every learning opportunity.
This post originally appeared on the Turnitin Blog.
What do you do to cultivate academic integrity at your school? Comment below!
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A Focus on Community and Transparency
For National Principals Month, we are highlighting school leaders who have made valuable contributions to their schools and communities. A few of the people they’ve impacted the most tell their inspiring stories. This week, Sarai Kaller shares about her sons’ former principal, Teri Dudley.
(more…)Mr. Feeny from “Boy Meets World” Has a Message for Principals
Mr. George Feeny, portrayed by actor Bill Daniels, has inspired generations of young people to become educators—and principals—since “Boy Meets World” premiered in 1993.
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