Myths About Rigor

In recent years I've found that the mere mention of "rigor" provokes a variety of reactions. Some see rigor as an agenda that undermines the student centered school. Others see rigor as some political agenda. Others see rigor as a commitment to assuring that every student is provided the tools for success in school.

I've written a lot about rigor the last few years and with my colleague Barbara Blackburn have provided principals with tools they can use to work with their teachers, families and communities to improve the rigor of their schools. Our books, Rigorous Schools and Classrooms: Leading the Way, and Rigor in Your School: A Toolkit for Leaders, have proven to be useful guides for school leaders.

We identified four myths that exist about rigor.

• Myth 1: Lots of Homework is a Sign of Rigor - For many people rigor is measured by the amount of homework and many teachers pride themselves on the amount they assign. But the evidence is that lots of homework is not an indicator of rigor because "doing more" often means doing more low-level activities. Rigorous and challenging learning experiences take many forms and will vary with the student. More homework is not the answer.
• Myth 2: Rigor Means Doing More - Some suggest that rigor means doing more than they currently do. The evidence is just the opposite. It shows that more often leads to low-level activities rather than the more in-depth analysis and synthesis that is important for long-term learning. True rigor is expecting every student to learn and perform at high levels.
• Myth 3: Rigor is Not For Everyone - There is also a belief that the only way to assure success for every student is to lower standards and lesson rigor. The National High School Alliance says that an agenda of rigor must assure that every student is prepared for post-secondary education, a career and participation in civic life. It is about high-quality, rigorous learning for every student.
• Myth 4: Providing Support Means Lessening Rigor - The belief in rugged American individualism---doing things on your own, often gets in the way of student learning. Barbara and I've found that supporting students so that they learn at high-levels is central to a rigorous school and classrooms. Howard Johnston and I conducted a study where we asked adults, teachers and parents, about rigorous experiences. They invariably described the challenge and the high levels of support and encouragement they experienced. The same is true for students. They are motivated to do well when they value what they are doing and when they believe they will be successful.

The most successful schools are those that build a culture of success, celebrate success, and build a success mentality. I'd enjoy hearing from you about your response to these four myths and how you're working to provide a rigorous, challenging and engaging educational experience for your students.

Instructional Rounds

Instructional rounds is adapted from the medical rounds process used in the medical schools to diagnose and identify treatment and is based on a belief that by working together educators can solve common instructional practices. It is based on the work of Dr. Richard Elmore.

Rounds is a multi-step process. First is identification of a "problem of practice," or an area of inquiry. Then a team "makes the rounds" by visiting classrooms throughout the school. The observers then debrief their observation and the data is used to identify appropriate next steps.

The South Lane School District in Cottage Grove, OR, an Oregon GEAR UP district, implemented an Instructional Rounds model. In South Lane each school selects a "problem of practice" or an area of inquiry that is their focus for the year. Visits by teams of district administrators makes the "rounds," visiting classrooms to gather information. Following the "rounds" the team meets, debriefs and provides the school's principal with advice about next steps.

The emphasis is on identifying factual patterns from the observations, not personal opinion or personal judgment. The debriefing does not identify specific teachers or classrooms but rather looks for trends across the school's classrooms.

A brief PowerPoint from the Oregon Leadership Network describes the South Lane Instructional Rounds model.

I'd enjoy hearing from you about other ways you work with your teachers to improve instruction in your school.

Student Shadow Studies - Data from Students

Schools are awash in data and principals and their staff are expected to use that data to guide improvements. Recently I was reading some materials from NASSP and was reconnected to the idea of a Student Shadow Study.

A shadow study is a different way of gathering information about how students experience your school. They involve selecting students at random and “shadowing” them throughout their day. The process, originally developed by NASSP, charts what students are experiencing every 5 minutes or so. This allows the observer to chart the ebb and flow of activities during the day. The emphasis is on what the student experience and it provides interesting insights into your school’s program.

Of course students quickly figure out that something is going on. So the best approach is to talk with the student you’re shadowing and assure them that you are not gathering information about them to share with the office. At the end of the day, spend some time with the student. Ask him or her about the day and about his or her typical experiences. Provide time for the student to tell you about their school.

Typically, several students are “shadowed” on the same day. The goal is to put together a collection of snapshots that can help design a portrait of your school from the student’s perspective. The data can then be used to complement other data and inform your school improvement efforts.

I’d enjoy hearing form you about other ways you gather data directly from students about their experience in your school.

Using Lesson Study to Improve Instruction

Recently I was talking with Jim Boen, principal of La Pine Middle School in La Pine, OR about his school’s use of lesson study as a professional development tool. Jim discussed how interdisciplinary teams use the lesson study design as a way to focus on improving instruction and building a collaborative culture.

Lesson study, originally used by Japanese teachers, involves groups of teachers in a collaborative process designed to systematically examine their practice with the goal of becoming more effective. It emphasizes working in small groups to plan, teach, observe and critique a lesson.

A sample lesson study protocol:

• Participants should be volunteers
• Members work collaboratively to design a lesson
• One member teaches the lesson in a real classroom while other members observe
• The group discusses their observations about the lesson and student learning
• The lesson is revised and another member of the group teaches the revised lesson while other members observe
• The group reconvenes to discuss the observed lesson

The revision process may continue as long as the group believes it is necessary.

I'd enjoy hearing from you about your experience with lesson study and other strategies for working with your teachers to improve student learning.

Resources on Lesson Study:

What is Lesson Study? – Columbia University www.tc.columbia.edu/lessonstudy/lessonstudy.html

Chicago Lesson Study Group - www.lessonstudygroup.net/05lesson_study_resources.html

Assessing Student Learning

As a principal I always enjoyed the opportunity to visit classrooms for informal as well as formal observations. They allowed me to gain a better understanding of our students and their learning. Part of every classroom visit was a brief conversation with students about their learning.

A friend of mine, Clifford Weber, Superintendent in Bloomfield, New Mexico does something similar. He has three questions he asks of students and says that "The answers tell you a lot about students' experiences in schools."

• "What are you doing?"
• "How are you doing with it?"
• "Why are you doing it?"

While in Bloomfield he worked with the staff to turn these questions into opportunity for student reflection and self-assessment during lessons. Teachers also asked "What do you already know about a [a topic]?" and "When are you going to use it?" The questions became a routine part of class and helped students connect their current lesson with past learning and future application.

I'd be interested in hearing from you about what you look for when observing in classrooms and how your teachers provide opportunities for students to reflect on their learning.

Conduct a Data Night

Recently I was working with a school near Chicago on their school improvement plan. A task force of parents, teachers and administrators revised the school's vision and then selected twenty different types of data that could be used to help identify action steps. Every member received a notebook full of data and a wiki was created so that members could share their observations and thoughts about the data.

The group held several "data nights" where they met, worked together to examine the data, discuss its implications, and assess the school's current success on each indicator. Small work groups met to continue the analysis and suggest next steps.

The data nights were helpful because they assured that everyone had the same data, had an opportunity to talk about its meaning, and to contribute to the analysis. These "data nights" helped the group move forward to develop a plan for their school's continued improvement.

A protocol for planning and conducting a data night are included in my recent book, Rigor in Your School: A Toolkit for Leaders available from Eye on Education (www.eyeoneducation.com).

Consensus - The "Fist to Five"

Building consensus can be a challenge. While often the preferred way to make decisions, consensus can be fleeting. It doesn't mean that everyone agrees wholeheartedly with the decision, but it does mean that everyone can support the decision. At a minimum, everyone should agree they can live with the decision.

One tool I've found to be useful is "Fist to Five." It can help you seek common ground and is a quick way to assess the support among every participants. Ask every participant to indicate their level of support from a closed fist (no support) to all five fingers (enthusiastic support). Most groups I work with agree that the discussion continues until everyone holds up at least three fingers. Here's the complete set of descriptors adapted from those prepared by Adventure Associates (2009)

Fist	“I need to talk more on the proposal and require changes to support it.”
1 Finger	“I still need to discuss some issues and I will suggest changes that should be made.”
2 Fingers	“I am moderately comfortable with the idea but would like to discuss some minor things.”
3 Fingers	“I’m not in total agreement but feel comfortable to let this idea pass without further discussion.”
4 Fingers	“I think it’s a good idea and will work for it.
5 Fingers	“It’s a great idea and I will be one of those working to implement it.”

I've used "Fist to Five" many times and it is always helpful to gauge the level of support for a decision. I'm convinced that we made a better decision when we worked to build a higher level of support. I'd enjoy hearing from you about how you work with groups to reach agreement. I'd also enjoy learning about your experience using the "Fist to Five" approach.