I admit that when I was a building administrator, and I thought about the end of the school year I concentrated on planning to avoid casualties. I missed opportunities to be a more effective academic leader in pursuit of survival.
I know now that there are number of things academic leaders can do to promote successful transition for students (even if there only two weeks left after testing is completed) and still survive. Perhaps the most important opportunity is to collect end of year data on every student that can be shared and help teachers plan for the students they’re going to have in class the next year.
Perhaps the most important data point is what Ed Directions coaches call an EOY student profile. The profile is basically a summary of data points relative to student status. Ed Directions coaches emphasize that having some quantifiable and perceptive data on students before school starts enable teachers to diversify class plans before the students reach school. A sample of an EOY summary profile used by Ed Directions coaches includes a number of data points.
In addition, the coaches include perceptive descriptors that can identify strengths and concerns that impact student learning and student performance. The goal is not to prejudice teachers but to provide “new” teachers with characteristics that are learner strengths and characteristics that are learner concerns.
Positive characteristics are characteristics that enable students to learn and perform at optimum levels without intensive teacher support. They represent characteristics related to the five legs that support student learning and student performance on assessments (knowledge, attitude, perception, thinking, and experience).
Positive characteristics
| CHARACTERISTIC | YES | NOTES |
| Independent | ||
| Positive attitude | ||
| Attentive | ||
| Strong work ethic | ||
| Appropriate language | ||
| Concept mastery | ||
| Highly engaged | ||
| Optimum behavior | ||
| Critical reader | ||
| Critical thinker | ||
| Critical writer | ||
| Thoughtful respond or | ||
| High expectations | ||
| Strong home support | ||
| Independent reader | ||
| Strong self perception | ||
| Revises work | ||
| Positive peer group | ||
| Rarely absent | ||
| Always prepared | ||
| Seeks clarity | ||
| Learning/task completion the priority |
Students possessing all or most of these characteristics are usually very successful in school, and have the potential to post top scores on state and national assessments. If handled correctly, they can serve as positive role models and positive leadership for students who need to develop those characteristics.
Likewise, the list of concerns can help alert the “new” teachers to characteristics that might put the student at risk of underperforming and can help inform decisions about preschool and opening activities.
Concerns
| CHARACTERISTIC | YES | NOTES |
| Teacher dependent | ||
| Attitude problem | ||
| Attention problem | ||
| Work ethic issue | ||
| Informal language | ||
| Concept issues | ||
| Compliant | ||
| Behavior issues | ||
| Recreational reader | ||
| Impulsive responders | ||
| Random writer | ||
| Impulsive responders | ||
| Inconsistent expectations | ||
| Little home support | ||
| Reluctant reader | ||
| Low self perception | ||
| Low expectations | ||
| Finishes/doesn’t finish work | ||
| Negative peer group | ||
| Attendance issues | ||
| Random preparation | ||
| Socializing the priority | ||
| Responds impulsively | ||
| Easily led astray | ||
| Demands attention | ||
| Physical/mental issue |
Students possessing all or many of these characteristics will probably underperform their potential if they don’t receive aggressive support for their priority needs in the first five weeks of school. This will be compounded by the fact that they will rarely be identified as student leaders, receive leadership opportunities, be considered for co-curricular and extracurricular activities (except for remediation), or receive commendations and recognition from teachers and administrators. Having a heads up for students who have multiple “at risk” characteristics can help a team of teachers develop a cohort of potentially underperforming students who can work with an adult mentor to build optimum academic and behavior patterns.
Student profiles are a valuable tool for teachers and academic leaders in planning the years curriculum, the years activities, and the years support systems.
Another type of data that can be collected is the type of data that usually overlooked. Most EOY “student perception surveys” (if used at all) deal with student likes and dislikes about the year. Usually, there is a time filter for those last few days of the school year. Another approach might be to probe student perceptions of how they learn in class. An example of a student EOY survey is included to show the types of things that help students learn even while they are not learning.
Student________________ Class___________ Period________
| Class activity | Rate each activty from “1” to “5,” where 1 means that you would definitely participate in the activity and 5 means that you would never take part. | |
| My Rating | I would like to say this about that | |
| Lecture and notes | ||
| Text reading | ||
| Group work | ||
| Hands on work | ||
| Real world study | ||
| Reviews for tests | ||
| Work sheets | ||
| Text questions for practice | ||
| Demonstrations | ||
| Discussions | ||
| Question and answer sessions | ||
| Competition and games | ||
| Teaching others | ||
| Tests and quizzes | ||
| Simulations and role play | ||
| Problem solving and decision making | ||
| Homework | ||
| Teachers who expect a lot | ||
| Teachers who expect little | ||
| Study sessions with friends | ||
| One on one work with the teacher | ||
| Writing about what i am learning | ||
| Library/internet research | ||
| Pair/share work | ||
| Creating charts and graphs | ||
My favorite unit was___________________________________
I learned the most about________________________________
Helping students think about themselves as students, not only helps build attitude and perception, but also supports student ownership of the learning process. It also gives teachers data points that they can use to shape their teacher and student work for the coming year.
Another valuable tool for the end of the year, or the beginning of the year if it wasn’t done the year before, is a student interest survey. Most strong students get a chance to engage regularly in activities that they enjoy, but the same isn’t true for students who are under-performing academically or behaviorally. Research indicates that activities beyond the classroom that gives the students an opportunity to be immersed in an activity that they enjoy and want to pursue proficiency if not excellence. Immersion activities, talent extension activities, and life experience extension activities are all valuable in preparing students to engage at high levels, and as result support, erasing performance gaps and under-performance. A sample of an Ed Directions interest survey includes both athletic and nonathletic activities.
This activity is designed to help school leaders identify activities that can support student growth over the summer and during the school year.
The goal is to identify the activities that you would be most want the school to offer next year. You do not have to put your name on the form but if you want to be given priority in signing up you should include your name.
Grade__________ Name (optional)_______________
Athletics schoolwide | Rate each activty from “1” to “5,” where 1 means that you would | |
| My Rating | I would like to say this about that | |
| School teams – baseball | ||
| School teams – basketball | ||
| School teams – football | ||
| School teams – track | ||
| School teams – softball | ||
| School teams – field hockey | ||
| School teams – soccer | ||
| School teams – volleyball | ||
| School teams – archery | ||
| School teams – bowling | ||
| School teams – cheerleading | ||
| School teams – dance | ||
Athletics intramural | ||
| Basketball | ||
| Softball | ||
| Volleyball | ||
| Soccer | ||
| Archery | ||
| Bowling | ||
| Clubs | ||
| Science club | ||
| Astronomy club | ||
| Photography club | ||
| Art club | ||
| Fishing club | ||
| Model aviation club | ||
| Bookclub | ||
| Other | ||
| Co-curricular activities | ||
| School newspaper | ||
| School TV/radio station | ||
| Science fair | ||
| Robotics | ||
| Debate/speaking | ||
| Theater – classical | ||
| Theater – musical | ||
| Filmmaking | ||
| History/archaeology | ||
| Summer activities | ||
| Class or group Travel | ||
| Archaeology dig | ||
| Aviation introduction | ||
| Community service | ||
| State history travel | ||
| Writing workshop | ||
| Robotics | ||
| Flyfishing camp | ||
| Other | ||
| Other | ||
| Other | ||
| Other | ||
My top choice is ___________________________________
my second choice is ________________________________
Getting students involved in activities that they enjoy and are willing to give “best effort” can change not only the student’s attitude and perception but can give the student a reason to want to come to school.
For the academic leader, the end of school is going to be a time of stress, but can also be a time of opportunity.
Who we’re going to have in school next year and what their profiles and preferences are will provide valuable information towards developing an optimum learning environment for all students. One of the goals for high-performing schools is to see that every student gets involved in some ongoing activity that interested uses the students to the learnings of an area of interest, and engages the students at high levels. One of the Ed Directions goals for all schools curricular, co-curricular, and extracurricular activities is that all students benefit from immersion in something of interest.
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