January 29^th Edition

Studying Your Impact… Major Key for Professional Learning Communities and Collaborative Team Success

by Jon Yost, Solution Tree Associate

In the fall of 2003, Rick DuFour published an article, “Leading Edge: ‘Collaboration Lite’ Puts Student Achievement on a Starvation Diet.”  In the article, he warns school leaders and teacher teams that they cannot settle for what he termed ‘collaboration lite’ (such as congeniality, coordination, and delegating responsibilities) and must define collaboration as the systematic process in which we work together to analyze and impact professional practices.  John Hattie, in his ongoing and recent expansive “Visible Learning” research, recently published a paper titled, “Real Gold vs. Fool’s Gold: The Visible Learning Methodology for Finding What Works Best in Education.”  Hattie, much like DuFour, also emphasizes the concept and importance of schools studying the impact of their professional practices.

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AWSA Authors: Sirens: How to Pee Standing Up-An Alarming Memoir of Combat and Coming Back Home

by Laura Colbert, Principal, Waupaca Middle School

Every year, AWSA members publish books on educational leadership. We invite AWSA authors to submit articles on their books that we can include in the Update.

Laura is the Waupaca Middle School principal. She was raised in a family where service was embedded into their every fiber. Her mom worked as an area coordinator for Head Start, and her dad owned his own consulting firm where he developed programs across the state for at-risk youth. Laura was given the opportunity and honor to pay for college on her own, even though it might not have seemed like it at the time. This taught her resilience, money-management, and a sense of pride. Six months before September 11th, the United States was living with long-standing peace. It seemed like the perfect time to join the National Guard. It was a great way to serve our great country, stay in shape, pay for college, and enjoy adventures. That's exactly what Laura did in March of 2001. Once September 11th happened, her 32nd Military Police Company began to prepare for deployment. 

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Podcast on Current Research on the Positive Potential of Looping Teachers

In a new episode of Policy Outsider, the podcast of the Rockefeller Institute of Government, guest Dr. Leigh Wedenoja, senior policy analyst at the Institute, shares research on the effects of teacher looping on student outcomes. 

In the episode, Wedenoja shares how she and fellow researchers John P. Papay and Matthew A. Kraft of Brown University looked at all students in grades three through 11 in the state of Tennessee and found significant improvements to test scores when students were paired with a repeat teacher. They also found that, across all grade levels, having a repeat teacher reduces absences and suspensions.

AWSA Membership Satisfaction Survey

Every other year, AWSA requests member input on the Member Satisfaction Survey. We are asking that AWSA members take 5-10 minutes to complete this important survey. 

We know your time is valuable, and thank you for taking the time to improve our association. Should you have any questions, please call the AWSA office at 608-241-0300.