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Research into Reality ~
Have I Got Some
Answers for You!
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Dr. Rhonda J. Roos
Director of Middle Schools
New Albany Floyd County Schools
New Albany, Indiana
rroos@nafcs.k12.in.us
812.542.2141
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The Research
“An Examination of Principals in
High-Poverty Middle Schools with High Achievement”

Guidelines for selection of schools:

All Indiana public middle schools that include seventh grade (did not
include jr/sr high schools)= 282 schools

Schools with 50% or more of students qualifying for free/reduced lunch =
130 schools

The average ISTEP+ E/La score of the 130 schools = 68% and the average
math score was 75%

Schools with 80% or higher on 2013 ISTEP+ E/La AND math = 20 schools
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The Research
Consideration factors for selection of two schools:

ISTEP+ 2011 and 2012 E/La and math scores

Percentage of students passing both

No Title I funding in these schools

Degree of poverty

Tenure of the school principal

Ethnicity of the student population

Setting of the schools (urban, rural, suburban)

Grade configuration

Student population size
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School A - rural
86.3 White, 7.2 Hispanic, 3.5 Multiracial, 1.5 Asian & 1.3 Black
Poverty
Grades
School Day
Enrollment
54.4 (2103)
6-8
7:30-2:45
935
59.0 (2014)
6-8
7:30-2:45
932
ISTEP+
E/La%
Math%
Both%
2014
84.6
91.8
81.8
2013
82.9
87.5
78.8
2012
83.6
86.6
77.7
2011
81.7
74.7
74.7
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School B - urban
46.5 White, 26.6 Black, 17 Hispanic, 7.8 Multiracial & 1.3 Asian
Poverty
Grades
School Day
Enrollment
64.2% (2013)
6-8
7:25-2:40
617
66.0% (2014)
6-8
7:25-2:40
622
ISTEP+
E/La%
Math%
Both%
2014
80.8
84.9
76.5
2013
82.2
83.4
78.0
2012
83.1
85.0
74.2
2011
81.1
80.0
74.1
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June 2015 NAFC
Middle Schools’ Data
School
Enrollment
Free/Reduced
Ethnicity
Hazelwood
971
75%
White-68%
Black-16%
Multiracial-10%
Highland Hills
1548
18%
White-93%
Scribner
856
57%
White-67%
Black-13%
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New Albany Floyd County
ISTEP+ DATA
E/La
‘14
‘13
‘12 ‘11 Math
‘14
‘13
‘12
‘11
5
81
82
86
80
94
93
94
92
6
80
82
83
80
93
93
91
86
7
81
77
82
83
88
90
88
83
8
77
78
74
75
88
88
88
83
E/La
‘14
‘13 ‘12
‘11
‘10
‘09 Math ‘13
‘14
‘12
‘11
‘10
‘09
HMS
71
70
71
69
63
55
86
85
84
78
66
54
SMS
74
73
80
78
72
65
87
86
88
84
77
63
HHMS
89
89
88
88
84
80
96
96
95
92
87
83
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MIDDLE SCHOOL MATTERS
Five Things We MUST Get Right!
 Principal
 Strategic
 Daily
Leadership – July 21
System with Academic Core – September 21
Schedule of Students & Staff – February 9
 Teacher-led
Professional Development – February 9
 Team
Essentials for a Relational Learning Environment
February 9
 Overview
of All Five – November Fall Conference
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PRINCIPAL LEADERSHIP
That’s you.
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The Research on Principal Leadership

Wallace Foundation, 2013 – “sense of urgency to provide
students with effective teachers & quality principals”

Lewis, Leithwood, Wahlstrom & Anderson, 2010 – “the
school principal is the essential factor influencing school
success”

Whyte, 1956 – no longer is the principal the “overseer of
buses, boilers and books”
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Collins, 2001 – today’s “instructional leader draws from
contemporary corporate life that focuses on greater clarity
for the organization with an emphasis on what is essential
and how to get it done”
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The Research on Principal Leadership

Jesse, Davis & Pokorny, 2004 – the “principal’s leadership style
is less important than his or her ability to be an instructional
leader who is capable of building a culture of trust whether
using a hierarchical approach or a more collaborative style.”

DuFour, 1999 – five critical principal qualities

Develops school beliefs & sets goals alongside staff

Focuses on learning

Works hard to build a collaborative environment

Involves staff in decision-making with worthy PD & time for collaboration

Makes decisions based on reviewed data
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Principal Leadership ~
“Clarity is the antidote to anxiety.”
`Marcus Buckingham, The One Thing You Need to Know
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Leading his/her staff in high expectations by creating &
embedding a system for the academic core by using all
resources
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Observing teachers and facilitating critical conversations
(including lots of data) with each staff member to “nudge
the building forward”

Hiring the right people, getting them ready and supporting
them in critical aspects

Building relationships and creating leaders within the
building
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Leading his/her staff . . .

“He’s the glue that holds us together because we respect him.”

“We’ve learned from our principal that it’s only an opinion if there’s not
data to back it up. So you better know your data. If not, you can’t
participate in the discussions. And then he’ll call on you! You have to
know your stuff.”
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“He’s not afraid to put it out there and ask the tough questions. Then he
follows up. Darn! He follows up every time. He holds us accountable.
But it’s a transparent system and it makes me feel professional.”
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“We’re done with outside presenters here! He uses us. It’s so much
better and worth our time. No more ‘one stop shop’ – we know what
needs to be done here.”
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“Our principal is driven. He wants every student to grow. So if you
don’t want to work hard on the right things, this isn’t the place for you to
teach. People know that in our district.”
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Leading his or her staff . . .

“I know the focus of this building. So I say ‘no’ a lot. I’ve got to
keep us on the right track.”
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“It’s not about you or me. It’s about these kids. You’re struggling
in this one area, so I have a sub for you to go observe two of our
other teachers. We can get this right together.”
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“I point out the areas of growth. I don’t give them the answers. I
make certain they understand exactly what I’m looking for
(that’s only fair) and then I give them time to figure it out. If they
don’t, I’ll put my plan in place.”

“We’ve been told to let students struggle a bit in their learning
& work toward the answers. That’s exactly what he’s doing with
us.”
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Principal Leadership

SCHOOL A

SCHOOL B

Sets high expectations for
academic core


Is data-driven
Understands the school’s
specific challenges &
opportunities

Has high expectations for
academic core
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Develops leadership
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Observing teachers and facilitating critical
conversations (including evaluations) with each staff
member to “nudge the building forward.”

Whatever instrument you’re using, there must be a clear (and
continually clarified) Academic Core. When we make
observations, teachers should be fully aware of the
expectations and what we are looking for in effective
instruction and “best practices” in our schools.

Barkan, 2011 – “Evaluating teachers is not rocket science
and it shouldn’t be!”
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Marshall, 2013 – “Principals should make enough visits to
see daily reality and continually polish feedback skills,
always focused on student learning.”
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Ten Questions
You choose two and I’ll pick one!

Talk with me about your latest discussion with our Literacy
Coach about Guided Groups in your classroom. Share two things
you’re working on with students in those small groups.

What’s the most difficult part of the Problem-Solving Poster
Method you’re facilitating every other Friday? Bring a few
student papers to share with me.
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Bring a 4-5 minute video clip of your lesson on state indicator
7.3 and let’s discuss your strategies.
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Tell me about a book you’re reading for professional growth.
Share something that has caused you to change your practice.
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Explain the difference in a bell curve theory compared to an “L
to J” curve. Discuss your thoughts on allowing students to make
up any zeros earned on tests or assignments.
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The Irreplaceables
Low-cost Retention Strategies answering the question –
What did your principal do that made you stay?
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1. Provided me with regular, positive feedback
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2. Helped me identify areas of development
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3. Gave me critical feedback about my performance informally
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4. Recognized my accomplishments publicly
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5. Informed me that I am high-performing
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6. Identified opportunities or paths for teacher leader roles
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7. Put me in charge of something important
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8. Provided me with access to additional resources for my
classroom
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New Teacher Induction Program
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2-5 years
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Monthly meetings
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Two Meeting Goals: best classroom practices & school
procedures
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Provide a mentor in building
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New Teacher Meetings for 2015-16
8:00-8:50 – Principal’s Office
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August
Classroom Management/Open House with 3
Big Ideas and 4 Essential Questions
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September
Special Education/ IEP Review / 504
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October
Unit Essentials / Marzano’s Notetaking Strategy
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November
Counselor Chat (Suicide, DCS referral, etc.)
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December
Discussion Questions / Evaluation Review/ ½
Day Observation Review
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New Teacher Meetings

January
Student Writing at Scribner
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February
CFA Data Day – Your Role
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March
Department Partner Day
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April
½ Day Observation Review
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May
Strut Your Stuff!/ Close of School Procedures
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Building relationships

Three Signs of a Miserable Job by Patrick Lencioni

SIGN #1 Anonymous – People cannot be fulfilled in their
work if they are not known. All human beings need to be
understood and appreciated for their unique qualities by
someone in a position of authority.
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Three Signs of a Miserable Job

SIGN #2 Irrelevance – Everyone needs to know that their
job matters, to someone. Without seeing a connection
between the work and the satisfaction of another person or
group of people, an employee simply will not find lasting
fulfillment.
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Three Signs of a Miserable Job

SIGN #3 Immeasurement – Employees need to be able to
gauge their progress and level of contribution for
themselves. Without tangible means of assessing success or
failure, motivation eventually deteriorates as people see
themselves as unable to control their own fate.
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STRATEGIC SYSTEM with
ACADEMIC CORE
+ Alignment – “Let’s be the most highlyreliable middle school in our state!”
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ACADEMIC CORE = 80% of
students successful
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SCHOOL A

SCHOOL B
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ACADEMIC CORE
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“a strategic system is in place for a solid academic core in
each and every subject”
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Pacing Guides
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Enhanced Pacing Guides for math/conceptual learning
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Literacy Program in place at each grade level

Engaging Units with rigorous performance tasks

CFAs – Common Formative Assessments
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Effective Interventions
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Three Types of Students
 The “Cant’s”
 The “Wont’s”
 Need
 Need
more time
and more support
 The “Cans”
 Need
more
enriching, deeper
opportunities
motivation,
relevance and
engagement
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Gump Video here?
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English Pacing Guide
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Enhanced Math Pacing Guide
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LITERACY
5 Levels of Literacy
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LITERACY
90 Minute Literacy Block
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Rigorous Curriculum Design Units
RCDs
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GEOGRAPHY

UNITED STATES HISTORY

History of Sub-Saharan Africa
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The Worlds Meet

Modern Sub-Saharan Africa

Colonization
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History of Northern
Africa/Middle East
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Ind/Revolutionary Era
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Early Gov/Constitution
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The Presidency
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Modern Northern Africa/Middle
East
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History of South Asia
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Growth & Expansion

Modern South Asia

Build Up to War
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East Asia
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Civil War
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RCD Units for Science 7 & 8
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SCIENCE 7

SCIENCE 8
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“Method to the Madness”
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“She Blinded Me With
Science”
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“We Reach for the Stars”
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“Physical”
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“It’s Electric”
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“Radioactive”
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“Catch the Wave”
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“The Heat is On”
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“Feel the Earth Move”
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“It’s the End of the World”
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“We Will Rock You”
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“Brown-eyed Girl”
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“It’s Alive”
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“Riders on the Storm”
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RCD Units in English 7 & 8
(one each quarter with WRITING!)
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GRADE 7

GRADE 8
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“Tell Me A Story”
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Anne Frank
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“Compassion”
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“Sneeches to Speeches”
“Suspense – Strange &
Mysterious”
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Argumentative
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Poetry & Figurative Language
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“Greek Mythology”
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7th GRADE GEOGRAPHY
Unit Title
Length
Performance Task
Highlights
(writing prompt with
rubric)
History of SubSaharan Africa
3 weeks
-colonization/claim
countries
-add slavery complex text
-Task 3 Writing is awesome!
Modern SubSaharan Africa
6 weeks
-comparing 4 complex texts
-”Cry Freedom” video
History of
Northern
Africa/Middle
East
5 weeks
-religions/create children’s
book!
-archeological dig!!
-3 complex texts
Engaging
Scenario
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RCD Unit Template Components

Essential Standards / Unwrapped Indicators

Unwrapped Concepts
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Essential Questions
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Corresponding Big Ideas
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Supporting Standards-Common Core Literacy Standards
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Performance Tasks and Scoring Guides
 Engaging
Scenario!
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Does the Teacher Matter. . . in the
midst of the “hormone river” coming through
your classroom door each day?
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Reading
Teacher
School
District
Student
P50
P50
P50
P50
P84
P50
P50
P60
P98
P50
P50
P70
P50
P84
P84
P57
P50
P98
P98
P63
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Mathematics
Teacher
School
District
Student
P50
P50
P50
P50
P84
P50
P50
P64
P98
P50
P50
P76
P50
P84
P84
P59
P50
P98
P98
P67
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Effect Size
.4 = 2 to 3 years of growth
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Highest Effect Size
.4 = 2 to 3 years of growth

Kids must own their own learning.

Clear and specific goals must be set for each student for
each unit or topic of instruction.

“Here’s what I’m supposed to know at the end of this unit.”
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Self-reported grades and goals are paramount.

Each student must have high expectations for himself/herself
with a very clear understanding of where he/she is headed.
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Math in the MIDDLEPhenomenal Results!
Five Easy Steps to a Balanced Math Program (they’re not so easy)

DMRs
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CFAs

Math Fact Mastery (5th Grade – Toolkits made & ready)

Problem-solving

CONCEPTUAL LEARNING
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Assessment System in Place

Data Rooms – time to have real conversations

Meaningful data discussions about students

Collaboration time by department

Common Formative Assessment Results (CFAs)

Unit Assessments

Acuity Results

SRI (Scholastic Reading Inventory) – lexile levels
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Intervention System in Place

Bruce’s slide of Steven’s growth here
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DAILY SCHEDULE of
STUDENTS & STAFF
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TIME

Department time together

Collaborative weekly time

Layers of Literacy / Double Periods

Acceleration time at each grade level

Additional time in math and E/La Core for 5th & 6th grades (90
mins each)

Instructional aides trained and used critically

After-school interventions if daily embedded interventions are
in place first

Looping of teacher to next grade

Goals and clear focus established for each department
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Teacher-led Professional
Development
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Professional Development

Teacher-driven

Coaches – Teachers coaching teachers

Timely and meaningful

Embedded in the day

Strong Teacher Leaders for each department
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TEAM ESSENTIALS for a
Relational Learning Environment
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Five Dysfunctions of a Team

Trust

Accountable

Results
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Brittany
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Dr. Rhonda J. Roos
Director of Middle Schools

rroos@nafcs.k12.in.us

2813 Grant Line Road

New Albany, IN 47150

812.542.2141
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New Albany Floyd County
Middle Schools ~ Grades 5-8

HAZELWOOD MIDDLE

HIGHLAND HILLS MIDDLE

Enrollment = 977

Enrollment = 1535

F/R = 73%

F/R = 17%

SCRIBNER MIDDLE

Enrollment = 850

F/R = 55%