Becoming a Great High School: Six Strategies and One Attitude that Make a Difference
By Tim R. Westerberg
ASCD (2009)

Reviewed by Mary Tedrow, NBCT
High School English/journalism (N. Va.)

Becoming a Great High School: Six Strategies and One Attitude that Make a Difference is full of familiar information since, as a classroom teacher, I have been on the receiving end of many of the innovations cited by Tim Westerberg as means to move a high school from “good to great.”
 
Westerberg’s thin text (i.e., “a quick read for busy administrators”) outlines methods to change the attitude of the professionals in the building to a we-can-do-it mindset as the professional team moves schools from okay to wowser. Westerberg leans heavily on the business management text Good to Great that was making the rounds in my system in 2000. Westerberg’s text is essentially a roadmap for where to drive the building-level bus of reform, in Jim Collins' Good to Great terminology.

Citing Robert Marzano as the wellspring of his ideas, Westerberg employs another education buzz-term, the writing standards mnemonic 6+1, to outline what a school can and should do to move a high school to greatness: Follow the six strategies and couple them with a can-do attitude, the plus-one aspect of the formula.

Many of Marzano’s points are incorporated here:  Too many standards are taught. Focus on the Power Standards. Administer frequent common formative assessments to assess student learning.  Encourage collaborative work among the professionals to create standards of teaching and learning.  Define rigorous teaching to encourage a culture of success and foster the mood that “what we do here is important” to the student body at large.

What about the elephant?

There is little to argue with in this text as it sets clear guidelines for professional improvement in a building where the success of each child is paramount — also my classroom goal. I agree we need alignment from top to bottom.

The book outlines the role of administrators in this framework. Rather than just read it, I can imagine an administrator referring to it from time to time to check in on where and how the strategizing is going.

I’ve no beef with the content.

I do have a beef with the elephant in the room.

Westerberg gives only a nod to the need for the professionalization of teachers in his afterward, where he references the work of the Center for Teaching Quality and its 2008 TeacherSolutions report about the teachers’ role in improving the nation’s schools (Measuring what Matters: The effects of National Board Certification on advancing 21st Century teaching and learning) on page 112 of 114 pages.  He acknowledges that teacher leadership is the next step in reform.

It should be the first.

The outline for effective teaching and learning ignores two essentials that would make such a plan truly great: empowerment of both students and teachers through ownership of goal setting and self-evaluation and assessment, along with the time to do so.

A bulleted list on pages 57-58 outlines eight ways to find time for teachers to do the essential work of collaboration.  Many items on the list have been promised to those of us who yearn for collaboration with peers (but never considered in my working experience is bullet #1, a huge insult to professionalism: eliminate duty periods). Only one suggestion has been acted upon in my workplace: provide substitutes so teachers can work together.

This has happened twice in the past year.

Meanwhile, directives based on Marzano have added a burden to already burdened teachers who must delay their “own work,” in the form of lesson planning and assessment, to do the work of the building.  This creates a resentment that places any improvement program at risk. 

Unwillingness to comply with change is often dealt with in high school reform books in a chapter titled “Dealing with Difficult Teachers.” (Though, thankfully, Westerberg has not included that chapter.) Yet, as each new directive comes from above, teachers are tasked with building the plane while flying it, and recently this has been occurring in shorter and shorter time frames.
 
It is exhausting.

Veterans get good at fending off the change-du-jour. Teachers learn to shrug, shut the door, or risk getting worked to death over every new initiative.

Great schools will be a fact of life when great working conditions are standard and teachers are provided with time and resources to enact deep and lasting reform. Piling more work on already over-worked teachers continues to thwart the best intentions.
  
Westerberg’s plus-one attitude adjustment at the building level comes from celebrating success. But whose success is being celebrated?  No matter how noble, celebrating your goals is not the same as setting and reaching my own. Neither is it the same as the sense of pride and self-satisfaction when the self-identified work achieves measurable change.

Thus does corporate partying make cynics of us all.

Both Marzano and Westerberg would do much for the education field if they first wrote the book on acknowledging and providing space and time for teacher knowledge and growth, rather than on how to manage change in a non-conducive environment.
 
That would be revolutionary.

Enhancing RTI: How to Ensure Success with Effective Classroom Instruction & Intervention
By Douglas Fisher and Nancy Frey
(ASCD, 2010)

Reviewed by Elizabeth Stein, NBCT
Special Education Teacher (NY)
Teacher Leaders Network

It's easy to get lured into Enhancing RTI: How to Ensure Success with Effective Classroom Instruction and Intervention, by Douglas Fisher and Nancy Frey.

Within the first few pages, the reader is asked to “choose an adventure” that begins with a brief profile of Adam, “a fifth grader in a public school somewhere in the United States.” His educational experience is put in the hands of the reader, as we decide which learning conditions will serve Adam best. It isn’t too difficult to figure out — so long as the reader has moved beyond the traditional teacher-centered, “students as passive learners”, mentality.

Authors Douglas Fisher and Nancy Frey combine their expertise to share knowledge and practical ways teachers can plan the learning experience within positive cycles of instruction. “This cycle—from assessment to instruction—enables teachers to observe students’ responsiveness to the targeted interventions and to proceed with instruction that is supported by ever-evolving performance data.”

Throughout Enhancing RTI, the authors make a clear and comprehensive case for the value and necessity of not only adopting an RTI mindset, but a strengthened model of RTI, so students can succeed. And their backgrounds and in-depth experience in the area of literacy add to the book's practical approach.

One of the many valuable points the authors make clear is the distinction between intervention and instruction. As I read, I was reminded of the many discussions I’ve had with colleagues who have felt that RTI is all about providing interventions to those students who struggle. This book reminds teachers that the thrust of RTI is really all about high quality core instruction at the whole class level before students struggle.

The authors introduce readers to a powered up model of RTI that shines a spotlight on formative assessment and high quality core instruction. The focus is on effective whole-class instruction that can minimize the tendency to fall back on various layers of intervention. The authors call this more unambiguous model of RTI, "Response to Instruction and Intervention."

They suggest that teachers should not wait to see if students will eventually respond to intervention; they must first become aware if students are responding to everyday classroon instruction. I think this distinction is critical for teachers who may not have a clear understanding of the premise of RTI. The authors include the following components for their strengthened model of RTI:

• Making sure that the core instruction (at the Tier 1 level) is responsive, standards-based, and data-driven;

• Making sure that Tier 2 and Tier 3 interventions provide a continuous flow of instruction that is aligned to the core instruction;

• Analyzing instruction around a three-way feedback loop that incorporates formative assessment results that inform the teacher and the students;

• Making sure that collaborative efforts are established so educators and families work together successfully.

Each of the eight chapters is like a rung in a ladder leading to complete awareness of the RTI framework. Some chapter topics include:

Defining and refining the RTI process
Quality core instruction (Tier 1)
Supplemental Interventions (Tier 2)
Intensive Interventions for high risk learners (Tier 3)
The role of sssessment and necessity of progress monitoring
Progress monitoring in action

Each chapter ends with a summary, or what the authors call “the takeaway.” This takeaway allows the reader to validate his or her reading of the text and begin to build a deeper understanding of what it takes to apply the comprehensive cycle of instruction described here.

After reading this book, the reader is ready to implement RTI with a clear focus and understanding that high quality core instruction is at the center of it all. The authors provide instructional planning tools, assessment rubrics, and pacing guides that are sure to make readers confident and ready to apply concepts right away. This book is perfect for those with and without a prior understanding of RTI. It will deepen any reader’s understanding and ability to implement the instructional cycles that define the RTI process.

The close of the book also brings to a close the particular adventure the authors have encouraged their readers to take. Adam, now entering 6th grade, has developed into a confident student. Adam's story serves as an apt metaphor for the deep learning that can take place for every student when a school’s mission becomes aligning instruction, assessment and intervention to drive the learning process.

Teach Like A Champion: 49 Techniques That Put Students On The Path To College
by Doug Lemov
(Jossey Bass, 2010)

Reviewed by Patrick Vernon, NBCT
MS Social Studies & Language Arts (NC)
Teacher Leaders Network

The ‘art of teaching’ is a term that often makes the successes of teaching seem special or allusive to some. In Teach Like a Champion, Doug Lemov seeks to draw in the reader by sharing a collection of teaching tools available to the novice and veteran alike.

Lemov draws in the reader in the Introduction by explaining that the most valuable asset these techniques give to the classroom is one resource teachers are always longing for: time.  By employing techniques like Tight Transitions (#30), the teacher can more efficiently manage classroom procedures such as the passing out and collecting of classroom papers. These routine activities occur often and with increased precision can add time back to instruction in the form of several days over the course of the school year.

Other techniques emphasize classroom and student behavior management, like No Warnings (#38): If you're angry with your students, it usually means you should be angry with yourself. This technique shows how to effectively address misbehaviors in your classroom.

In addition to the numbered techniques, Lemov includes bonus chapters on improving pacing, getting students to think critically, and recognizing that all teachers have methods through which they can strengthen students reading, vocabulary development and comprehension.

Teach Like a Champion is well organized so that the reader will find it easy to pick up long after the first reading to gain more insight on the practices detailed in the text. The author’s style of writing succinctly presents the techniques for readers to follow, but an accompanying DVD provides readers the opportunity to see the method in action.

This reviewer found the text solid enough to stand on its own without the DVD, so the inclusion of the video clips only strengthens the tools shared by Lemov. The DVD’s sound quality sometimes makes it difficult to hear the students in various classrooms, but as the clips seek to show the teacher’s modeling of techniques, this can largely be overlooked.  The clips do continue in a ‘continuous play’ fashion, so readers should be prepared to pause the DVD if they are only planning to view clips as they are discussed in the text.

Doug Lemov, co-founder of the Uncommon Schools charter school network, has put together a collection of cohesive teaching techniques that will allow teachers to maximize instructional time in their classrooms. This maximized time will better prepare the students in that classroom for future academic endeavors.

Patrick Vernon is a sixth grade social studies and English/Language Arts teacher in the Alamance-Burlington (NC) School System.

For some other views of the book, see this blog post.

Other Duties as Assigned: Tips, Tools, and Techniques for Expert Teacher Leadership
By Jan Burgess with Donna Bates
(ASCD, 2009)

Reviewed by Ernie Rambo, NBCT
Middle School Teacher and Mentor (NV)

Teacher Leaders Network

The term “leadership” is often used when discussing a school’s administration. More often these days, we’re hearing about the “teacher leaders” in our schools, those who may or may not seek to be administrators but have an interest in more than standard classroom duties.

This book serves as a “how-to” guide for teacher leaders in K-12 schools. Providing possible scenarios of the challenges that teacher leaders might face as they complete their tasks, the book includes ready-to-use resources for organizing, goal-setting, and reflection. I found Other Duties as Assigned to be a useful reference for both novice and experienced leaders.

Teacher leaders can include department or grade level chairpersons, team leaders, and heads of committees. Teacher leaders might be the educators at your school who organize professional learning communities, write grant proposals, or develop action research projects. Whether you are asked to lead or volunteer to do so, teacher leadership can be rewarding -- but it can also be challenging depending on the faculty’s perception of the roles of teacher leaders in their building.

Other Duties as Assigned presents effective strategies to help a teacher lead effectively while still maintaining positive relationships with one’s colleagues. Jan Burgess and Donna Bates provide a framework for any leader, new or experienced, to take charge of a project or duty without being perceived as taking over the task.

The authors develop a bridge to connect current academic research about school leadership and realistic faculty relationships, maintaining both a collegial and professional voice. In each chapter, Burgess and Bates combine the examples of three fictional teacher leaders, using different metaphors to describe the work that might be required of leaders. In one chapter, leadership is compared to river-rafting, in another chapter it’s rubber bands or real estate. Each metaphor serves its purpose, demonstrating the importance of trusting in the leader, being flexible yet strong, or building relationships.

Questions provided in the book’s margins prompt the reader to reflect upon their own leadership characteristics. Each chapter also includes a “Dear Donna” section where Bates provides suggestions for handling typical situations that a teacher leader might confront.
   
Other Duties as Assigned does not offer groundbreaking information about leadership. That’s not its purpose. Instead, it serves as a conduit between established research and leadership applications and becomes a one-stop resource for learning, recalling, and applying strategies that will help every school leader keep focused on project goals. You’ll find protocols for getting a team organized and for making decisions, and the appendix includes a “Teacher Leader’s Toolkit” with exercises and templates for reflection, goal-setting, meeting agendas, and evaluations. The publisher also tells us how to access an interactive version of the toolkit at no extra charge through their website.
   
Other Duties as Assigned can be useful to all team leaders, novice or experienced, because the chapters examine how to develop team unity while strengthening the professional growth of the faculty. For the teacher who is not sure if leadership is the next step in their career, reading this book provides ample information to inform them of what skills and tasks are expected of a teacher leader. For more experienced teacher leaders, reading Other Duties as Assigned can serve as a reference for how to solve problems in situations when things are not going as smoothly as anticipated.

If a guiding reference book is needed for a book study on the topic of leadership, Other Duties as Assigned would be a useful choice. Each chapter invites teacher reflection and examines topics that easily lend themselves to discussion.

Should you say yes the next time your principal walks up to you and asks you if you can do “just one more thing,” you might want to add: “As soon as I’ve read this book….”

Ernie Rambo chairs the electives department at Walter Johnson Junior High in the Clark County (NV) School District, where she also serves as a new-teacher mentor. She’s active in the Southern Nevada Writing Project and a National Board Certified Teacher.

Teaching English Language Learners Across the Content Areas
By Judie Haynes and Debbie Zacarian
(ASCD, 2010)

Reviewed by Julie Dermody, NBCT
Elementary ESL Teacher (NC)
Teacher Leaders Network

As an English as a Second Language (ESL) Teacher, I felt like I was attending church services while reading this book as I wanted to shout out, “Amen” to the suggestions the authors make in supporting K-12 English Language Learners (ELLs) in the content areas. This is a book I want to put into the hands of teachers in my district as they work to ensure their lessons are comprehensible for the growing number of ELLs within our classrooms.

As they share real-life examples from elementary, middle and high school classrooms, readers get a sense of modifications (some small and some more extensive) that can make a big impact on ELLs’ learning and success. While the elementary teacher in me wanted this book to focus more on elementary classroom examples, it is easy to understand how the middle and high school scenarios would apply to elementary situations (and vice versa).

This book is organized around strategies for working with ELLs in the content areas. The strategies support teachers as they are: developing classroom learning environments, writing lesson plans, planning small group instruction, teaching vocabulary, designing reading and writing instruction, assigning homework and developing assessments, and communicating with the parents of our ELL students.

The authors start by sharing the stages of second-language acquisition. This is critical knowledge to have of ELLs since classroom lessons need to complement the stage of a student’s English.

Throughout the book, the authors remind readers that while some teachers may feel an ELL is competent in English because their listening and speaking skills are strong, the capacity to do ordinary classroom work in English includes the ability to “communicate appropriately in social and academic situations by listening, speaking, reading, and writing.”

The authors address these four abilities across content areas. For example, through a middle school math lesson we see how teachers can help ELLs develop all four skills by writing and reviewing lesson objectives; writing and exploring key vocabulary; modeling expectations; providing practice opportunities; using pairs of students to support each other; drawing from students’ lives to create activities; making sure to ask questions that match levels of English proficiency; observing students during each task; having the students provide feedback as a way to check for understanding; and assigning homework that relates directly to the day’s lesson, engages family members, and includes sentence frames for academic vocabulary support.

Communicating with parents of ELLs is often difficult when translators need to be contacted for every note and newsletter teachers want to send — or for notes received from parents. The chapter in this book dealing with parent communication offers many excellent suggestions, especially when working with a translator. For example, they suggest doubling the length of the conference time to account for the extra time translation takes, speaking in uncomplicated sentences, and speaking directly to the parents, not the translator.

A home language survey is included at the end of this book. I do wish the authors provided this form in Spanish also.

Recently, USA Today published some revealing facts about the American kindergarten class of 2010-11. They report that about 25% of 5-year-olds are Hispanic, a big jump from 19% in 2000. They also report that schools face “linguistic challenges” as the number of 5-year-olds who speak English at home slipped from 81% in 2000 to about 78%, and the share of Spanish speakers in the U.S. grew from 14% to 16%.

Lisa Guernsey, director of the Early Education Initiative at the non-profit New American Foundation, told USAToday that, “we really have a long way to go before we understand what the best methods are” for supporting second language learners. One place to start would be to provide a copy of this book to educators across the country.

Julie Dermody teaches English Language Learners at McDougle Elementary in the Chapel Hill (NC) Public Schools. She recently renewed her National Board Certification (Middle Childhood/Generalist). She reviewed an earlier book by Judie Haynes here.