Group Input from Discussion During the 2008 NASB Pre-Conference Program

“Who’s On First: The Changing Game of Accountability”

The following statements were compiled during group processing activities during the day-long NASB Pre- Conference. They are provided to participants in the session and others with an interest in the role of school board members in the roles and functions of learner performance accountability, especially in this time when a new statewide assessment will take effect and which then must integrated into a district-wide accountability system that is balanced between curriculum-based classroom assessments and this new state measure.

REGARDING WHAT BOARD MEMBERS NEED TO KNOW REGARDING DISTRICT INSTRUCTION, CURRICULUM, AND ASSESSMENT:

Process Question #1: What is important for you as a school board member to know or be informed about regarding Instructional Practices of the District?

 How technology is used as a part of the instruction.

 How do we, as a board, best support the technology resources?

 Understand and appreciate the resource of time required for planning, design, delivery, evaluate, develop new skills, etc.

 Provide opportunities for classroom teachers and students demonstrate current effective teaching, either at board meetings or facilitating classroom observations by board members.

 Staff and students sharing first-hand new and innovative instructional strategies.

Process Question #2: What is important for you as a school board member to know or be informed about regarding the Curriculum of the District?

 Be aware and knowledgeable of the curriculum process.

 Know the policies and administrative guidelines related to curriculum.

 Create an expectation of a consistent curriculum among all schools in the district.

 Solicit input from the staff regarding curriculum processes and issues.

 Teach board members how to respond to issues when constituents ask them.

 Assure that the curriculum as a whole is comprehensive, aligned, and preparing students for their post- secondary experience and the world of work in the 21st Century.

Process Question #3: What is important for you as a school board member to know or be informed about regarding assessments use within the District?

 Provide support to board members so they are knowledgeable and are able to explain results to their publics.

 Opportunities to observe classroom assessments.

1 The FGR Group, LLC  Be aware of the different types of assessments given, their purpose, and when they are administered.

 Evaluate if the assessments used are dynamic and are capable of measuring 21 st Century skills.

 Board members must be knowledgeable enough of the assessments that they do not have make excuses for them.

REGARDING THE BOARD’S ROLES IN USING LEARNER PERFORMANCE DATA:

Process Question #4: What roles should school board members play regarding use of learner performance data?

 Expect trend line data on important performance indicators by sub-groups of students.

 Inquire as why a trend line moved in the direction it did, indicating either improving or declining student performance.

 Use data as one of the indicators in the evaluation of program offerings.

Process Question #5: What roles should school board members NOT play regarding use of learner performance data?

 Apply to the evaluation of individual teachers.

 Use the data to “micro-manage” the school.

 Interpret the data. That is the role of professional educators in the school.

REGARDING WHAT WE UNDERSTAND TO BE THE CHARACTERISTICS OF GREAT TEACHERS:

Process Question #6: Brainstormed list of characteristics board members associate with great teachers:

 Passion

 Focus

 Caring

 Flexible

 Encouraging to students

 Humorous

 Accepting of diversity

 Tenacious

2 The FGR Group, LLC  Ethical

 Energetic

 Innovative

 Encompassing

 Challenges students

RESEARCH COMMENTS: When researchers conducted a meta-analysis of these characteristics, the following three conditions were synthesized:

1) Rigorous Instruction 2) Relevance of Learning 3) Quality Relationships

A quality relationship was by far the most important teacher factor in facilitating learning in all learners.

REGARDING THE NEW NEBRASKA STATE ASSESSMENTS:

Process Question #7: What are your WORST FEARS regarding this new requirement?

 Funding tied to scores

 Designing of the test and the possible result of teaching only to the test

 Pressure on all stakeholders because of lower than acceptable rankings

Process Question #7: What are your WORST FEARS regarding this new requirement? (CONT.)

 Performance-Based Teacher Pay

 Funding effects on small schools

 Effects on the High-Ability Learner

Process Question #8: What are your BEST HOPES regarding this new requirement?

 All schools will get better

 Performance-Based Teacher Pay

 Federal government will finally leave Nebraska alone

 Local school districts will get better because their curriculum and assessments are more focused

Process Question #9: Additional Questions and Comments During Closure Discussion:

 Who is making the decision as to what constitutes Proficiency?

3 The FGR Group, LLC  What happens if we don’t get a pilot period before full implementation?

 What is this going to do to classroom instruction time?

 Why was a one-time test ever imposed over classroom assessments?

DISCLAIMER: The comments and statements included in this summary are best effort interpretations and recollections of the facilitators and chartographers during the actual large group discussions. They are not to reflect the opinions or positions of the Nebraska Association of School Boards or The FGR Group who facilitated this training.

4 The FGR Group, LLC