At a recent medical appointment, the doctor struck up conversation as we spent time together.  Turns out we both went to Boston University, both are moms, and both have 5th graders.  When she discovered that I was an elementary school principal, her next question was, “Hey what do you think about all this Common Core stuff?”  Seeing as though I was laying on a table and unable to escape, I replied with a request for more information to better understand from where her question stemmed.  She elaborated, “I am really struggling with teaching my daughter math.  I just don’t get this new way of doing things.  When she brings home her homework, I can’t help her with it.  When I show her the way I would do it, she says that’s not the way they’re learning it at school.  I don’t know how to make sure she understands it.”

Where to begin?

My family, friends, and staff know that I am one who replies with candor.  If you ask me a question, I assume you want my real opinion and are not asking a rhetorical one to simply validate what you want to hear.  So...here goes.

I shared with this doctor three reflections.  

First, I confirmed that I did hear her say she was struggling with “teaching” her daughter math.  Without even batting an eyelash, she said, “Yes, that’s what I said.”  I pointed out that while as parents we have many responsibilities to teach our children many things, one of the reasons we send them to school is so that an expert teacher can relieve us of having to do it all.  I elaborated that while I am very competent and proficient in math, I myself am not teaching even my own children the subject areas that schools are in place to teach.

Second, a child coming home with homework that cannot be completed independently - is a problem.  We in the education field need to make certain that ALL children understand anything we ask them to take home for practice.  And if they don’t understand it, then our subsequent instruction must be design to mitigate the confusion that still exists.  A parent’s role in homework is to make sure it gets done, end of story.  If you correct your child’s homework, then the teacher will not know what he/she needs to reteach the next day.  Ahhh, but what about the grade?  Homework should NOT be graded.  As a district, we are in the process of transforming our mindset around this.  A grade denotes a stopping point, an end result - the final score in a game.  Once the game is over, there’s no way to adjust the outcome.  That’s not the point of homework.  Furthermore, there is abundant research outlining that homework has little to no impact on academic success in elementary school.  I have provided some links below.  

Lastly - I shared my concern over the amount of energy some are spending on arguing whether or not we should be teaching to the Common Core State Standards.  So, I got a bit feisty and said, “Here’s the basis of the argument I keep hearing.  As a parent, I’m frustrated that my children are being taught the fundamental concepts and worth behind numbers in mathematics.  I’m irritated that they’re learning to add with things like number lines and that they’re using foreign practices to me like tape diagrams.  What I want is for my child to memorize math facts, be able to spout them out quickly, and learn the formulas to combine numbers.  It is not important to me that they be able to talk about math, nor do I care about whether or not their attention to detail is there in terms of labeling or precise language.  I wasn’t held to that standard as a child and I’m a successful adult.  Frankly, it shouldn’t be necessary for my kids.”  My response has probably upset at least one of you out there reading this.  You’re welcome to stop me and bend my ear on this matter, or...we can accept that Common Core Standards are what we are teaching in education and focus our energies on how to help our children become the best thinkers they can possibly be.  Please see some links below that provide further information on this matter.

Homework Links

• http://news.stanford.edu/news/2014/march/too-much-homework-031014.html
• http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/mar07/vol64/num06/The-Case-For-and-Against-Homework.aspx
• https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2012/11/26/homework-an-unnecessary-evil-surprising-findings-from-new-research/

CCSS Math Links

• http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/K-12_Contrarian/2015/09/common_core_are_we_writing_checks_we_cant_cash.html
• https://medium.com/i-math/common-core-math-is-not-the-enemy-c05b68f46b3e#.4q447exc8

I’m sure many of you are familiar of Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.  Essentially, before a human can transcend to development at the top of the pyramid (self actualization), a stairstep of needs must be addressed: physiological needs, safety, love and belonging, esteem.

Today, I set aside Almond’s end goal of support students in realizing their full potential (tippy top of the pyramid) to address the base and its adjacent layer.

Physiological needs include such things as food and water.  If our children aren’t well nourished, they won’t be able grow their brains to support their future goals.  You are either a parent who provides your child with their lunch or utilizes Almond’s Hot Lunch program.  If you are the latter, then WE NEED YOU!  In the last few weeks we have not had sufficient parent volunteers for hot lunch.  We already have two daily student volunteers providing the service of distributing food.  We need our parents to volunteer and to honor the commitment to do so.  Please reach out to Vicky Lee regarding how you can support this basic need of our students.

When it comes to safety, it’s a no brainer!  Our students need to be both physically and emotionally safe.  Again, WE NEED YOUR HELP!  You must sign in at the office when you intend on going past the Almond Rotunda (the circular area outside of the multi).  And when you sign in, you MUST wear a name tag.  As a staff, we will be stopping you if you do not have a name tag and we will be asking you to return to the office to sign in.  For the safety of our students, we need to know who is on campus at all times.  For your safety, we need to know your location so that we may support you in the event of an emergency.

Next week you will begin seeing signs and stanchions around campus expressing our expectations around safety and visitors.

Thank you for your support and cooperation!

When one flitters by, it always catches my attention whether it is a nondescript Cabbage White or a striking Monarch.  I adore butterflies.  Today’s Thursday Word is inspired by Austin’s Butterfly, which happens to be a Tiger Swallowtail.

Austin is a 1st grade student who is faced with a learning objective to create an accurate scientific drawing of a butterfly.  He is supported in this effort by a “critique group” comprised of his peers.  His fellow 1st graders provide Austin with honest, precise advice that is split between the shape of the butterfly and its wing pattern.  He begins his first attempt with, “Okay, I’ll go try,” and gains confidence which increases his momentum through visible progress towards his goal.  This meaningful feedback is delivered in a nonjudgemental, very specific manner that motivates Austin to complete 6 drafts that result in a beautiful final rendition.  Austin and his peers embody the growth mindset at its very best.

In the coming weeks you will be hearing more about the difference between traditional grading (% scores, # correct over total #, A-F, etc...) and LASD’s work towards standards-based grading (mastery rubric of 1-4).  As information begins to flow, do not let the change from letters and scores to a descriptive rubric cloud the underlying value of this paradigm shift.  Do not permit your comfort level with what once was, and the discomfort that naturally surfaces with a new approach, interfere with your ability to see the end result we’re working towards.  

How can we provide students with better feedback about their learning to improve their growth?  

This essential question is at the heart of this transformation, the rest is just noise.

Download: Queen’s “We Will Rock You.”

Get your hands and feet ready: Stomp, stomp, clap.  Stomp, stomp, clap.  Stomp, stomp, clap.  Stomp, stomp, clap.  Stomp, stomp, clap.  Stomp, stomp, clap.  Stomp, stomp, clap.  Stomp, stomp, clap.

Replace the existing lyrics with:

Almond you are awesome, make it known

By registering for the Almond Walk-A-Thon

You got your t-shirt on

You big rockstar

Walking those feet on our blacktop

Singin’

We will we will rock you

We will we will rock you...

Then: Get onto a computer and register for this year’s Walk-A-Thon.

As of today, there are 117 of 535 students registered.  That’s only 21.8% of our students.  I know we can do better than that!!!!!!! Here's the link.

I hope to see you all on Saturday, October 10th, for the annual, beloved Walk-A-Thon.

The California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) individual reports arrived at the district office yesterday.  These are the SBAC and CST assessments that students in grades 3-6 took in the spring of 2015.  They will be sent home directly from the district office as soon as they are able to be stuffed in envelopes with the corresponding address information.

As many of you know, I traverse this path of education from two standpoints; principal and parent.  The Benadom household will be receiving a parent report for our current 5th grader in the Los Gatos School District.  We will be using the guidance from this website to interpret this one data point that comes our way.  

Husband and wife are still in conversation in regards to whether or not we will share these results directly with Sammi.  

Here are some questions we’re working through:

• Does Samantha’s achievement impact our decision as to whether or not we share the results?  
• Would we share the data if she performed well and not share if she did not meet standards?
• What would be the value in sharing the data?
• Would sharing the data with her, regardless of her performance, provide her with some context as to how this singular measure defines her progress?
• How are we going to feel with whatever results come our way?  
• If she is meeting/exceeding standards what will that tell us?
• If she is not meeting standards, what will that tell us?
• What will be our next steps in either scenario?
• The state guidance emphasizes that this was the first year of these assessments and that this is one single measure of learning.  With that in mind, should we wait to share the data with her until next year’s results are in because then we will have two points to consider?
• What is our family value system around standardized testing data results?
• What are the best ways for us to address any concerns that might come forth from the results?
• If we ultimately decide to share these results with her, how do we do so in a way that demonstrates our emphasis on her growth as a whole human being?

When you receive your individual student reports, you will have some decisions to make that are right for your child and your family.  You may want to take next steps in terms of following up with the school to better understand why your child’s performance may not align to what you had expected.  I would like to offer some information that can be generalized for all Almond students.  

• We have a data management system that permits us the flexibility to look at the data in a number of ways to ask a variety of questions.  We have begun to do this.  This system also supports us in looking at the data by student.  
• We believe that if we offer an instructional program that meets the varying needs of each and every child that we will see a correlation in terms of a high percentage of students meeting and exceeding standards on this one measure.
• Our results in some grade levels and with some populations demonstrates we have important work to do.
• We will always examine this singular measure in context with other measures of student learning.
• We want 100% of students to meet/exceed standards.  While this may not be realistic, we will always work towards this ultimate goal, child by child, level by level.  If a child is not meeting standards, it will be our goal to support their academic program towards meeting standards.  If there are students who over time are consistently meeting standards, we will look to ways to support them in exceeding standards.
• Our LASD and Almond Learning Principle to personalize learning by using each student’s abilities and interests to maximize learning is the core essence of our prototype work.  We will not falter, nor veer from this mission.
• We have already examined how we can lessen any technical mishaps and proctoring challenges that may have been experienced in the 2014-15 school year.  We are looking at the supports we can offer students to ensure they are well equipped in demonstrating their knowledge via this digital testing measure.

In the event that this does suffice in answering questions you have, great.  In the event that it doesn’t, should you wish to speak with this year’s teacher, please understand that they will speak to the work we are doing as a school to personalize your child’s learning and our confidence that this work will translate into positive results via the SBAC and CST assessments of spring 2015.  I too am always available to hear your thoughts.  If I have responses, I will offer them.  If I don’t, I will certainly listen to your concerns and reflect on them as we continue our work as a district and school to meet the learning needs of ALL children.

Finally, in the parent report there will be text that reads accordingly, “These results are one measure of _____’s academic performance and provide limited information. Like any important measure of your child’s performance, they should be viewed with other available information—such as classroom tests, assignments, and grades—and they may be used to help guide a conversation with ______’s teacher about how to progress in ELA and mathematics.”  You are welcome to request a meeting at any time with your child’s teacher.  Should you wish to discuss these summative results, I recommend that you do so at the November parent conferences when we are able to speak to multiple data sources that include our own local benchmark measures (K-2 ELA: ESGI, 2-6 ELA & Math: iReady, and K-6 Literacy: Fountas & Pinnell) and formative assessments (classroom scores that include projects, tests, quizzes, etc…).  

Please join me in the multi on Friday after the morning assembly to hear more about Haiku and Standards Based Grading (SBG).  There will be a hands-on portion with support to get you signed in if you haven’t done so yet.  I will also go over how you may adjust settings to assist in wrangling the information that is shared.  Finally, there will also be a brief explanation about School Site Council (SSC) with an opportunity for you to provide input into some draft goals that the staff will be refining.

On Thursday, 4/24/2014, I wrote about Warren Berger’s article, “Chasing Beautiful Questions.”

On Thursday, 5/5/2015, I wrote about my own insatiable curiosity to ask the question, “WHY?”

Last night, I pulled Warren Berger’s book off my bookshelf to revisit the topic of “A More Beautiful Question” as I reflected on the statewide release of Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) data.

The California Department of Education (CDE) has provided a link to view school wide results of the 2014-15 SBAC.  These results have been eagerly anticipated for many reasons.  For one, the new assessments incorporate technology enhanced items that allow for mastery of content to be demonstrated beyond the former multiple choice option.  The new assessments are computer adaptive, meaning they adjust in difficulty to how a student responds.  But more exciting is the fact that these measures allow students to participate in performance tasks that challenge deeper thinking and application of knowledge and skills.

There is new terminology that accompanies these assessments.  Instead of “performance levels” (old terminology), the new language is “achievement levels.”  Instead of proficiency, the new levels are: standard exceeded, standard met, standard nearly met, standard not met.

For those of you who may not know my background, I’m somewhat of a data geek (and proud of it!).  The data was released to the education school community a bit earlier than the general public so that we could begin digesting its significance.  I immediately created spreadsheets and charts to process the information.

At first, I looked at Almond’s achievement as a stand alone piece of data.  I examined how each grade level achieved in English Language Arts (ELA) and Math.  My brain began to ask questions.  WHY is the percentage of students meeting/exceeding at this grade level higher/lower than that one?  WHY are our math percentages higher than our ELA percentages?  HOW are students from the different demographic subgroups achieving?

Then my analysis expanded to schools within the Los Altos School District.  I asked similar questions and dug deeper into the data.  And finally, I expanded my analysis to surrounding districts.

Why did I delve so quickly into the data? I’ll be painfully honest with you.  1) I wanted to understand the data so that Almond can utilize it to inform our academic program and prototype work.  2) I knew the media was going to report out the results and I wanted to be one step ahead of you.

While my initial motivation was and continues to be altruistic and focused on asking questions that serve ALL students, my secondary goal was necessary to appropriately respond to some of the observations that have already come my way. 

Here is how I’ve responded to initial reflections from our parent community:

It is very important that we look at this data by grade level so that we’re comparing apples to apples.  In doing that, Almond’s met/exceeded percentages were lower than other LASD schools in 3rd (by 1 and 2 percentage points from the nearest score) and 4th (by 13 and 7 percentage points from the nearest score).  However in 5th and 6th, there were some schools with lower percentages and some with higher.

In addition to analyzing our own district’s performance, I’ve also looked at the performance of surrounding districts (Saratoga, Cupertino, Hillsborough, Menlo Park, Palo Alto).  As a whole, Los Altos is performing comparably and in some cases ranking only second to these like districts.

Our Almond Leadership Team looked at these results on Wednesday afternoon.  It is critical that we take a balanced approach to looking at this data.  We do not want to discount it and rationalize why our scores are the way they are.  Instead, we want to look at the information and allow it to generate questions to guide our work.  We need to provide an academic program that meets the needs of all students, regardless of their demographics and life circumstances.  This underscores the need for us to maintain our focus on personalizing learning for students so that the instruction they receive matches their learning needs.

This year sets a baseline.  We expect only the best from ourselves and will work tirelessly to provide our students with the learning they need.  It is our expectation that by doing this, our students will effectively be able to demonstrate their knowledge through this testing medium.

It is our shared goal at Almond to support ALL (that means 100% of our students) in meeting and exceeding standards.  We will incorporate these data results into the collection of multiple measures we utilize to design personalized instruction for our students.  In that process here are some of the “more beautiful questions” that we have already begun to tackle:

• What if every single student at Almond not yet meeting standards were able to do so in the 2015-16 school year?
• What if every single student already meeting standards were supported to exceed standards in the 2015-16 school year?
• How might we restructure our delivery of instruction to meet the varying needs of students for language arts and math?
• How might we gain more detailed information about the strengths and specific needs of each and every child?
• How might we learn from some of the technological challenges we faced last year in administering the assessment to ensure a positive experience that reflects accurate capabilities of all of our students?

While asking these questions, we will be certain to keep at the forefront of our minds that there is more to a child than a single number associated with academic achievement.  In Los Altos, and at Almond, we value what comprises a whole child.  This includes their talents as musicians, athletes, scientists, historians, collaborators, thinkers, and compassionate, contributing members of our community.

If you and I have had any sort of interaction beyond a generic greeting, you’ve probably noticed I exhibit a heightened awareness of word choice.  If it’s any consolation, it drives my husband batty...and after 15 years of marriage he’s still working on “saying it right” and I’m still striving to “be less sensitive.”

Why is the precision of language important to me?  Because once we say something, we can’t take it back.  And, what we say...MATTERS.  While words may just be that...words, I contend that our words communicate messages capable of evoking a wide array of emotions.

As we embark on a concerted, gradual journey to increase personalized learning for children at Almond, students will be regrouped into a learning setting that matches their learning need and the type of instruction they will receive.  (You will hear more about this tonight - so I won’t go into detail here.)  Should I hear such words as...“slow,” “low,” “normal,” “advanced”...come out of the mouth of any child, staff member, or PARENT...it will take everything in me to maintain my calm.  Of course I will (maintain my calm that is), because I always do, and will use such a circumstance as an opportunity to introduce different terminology to talk about whatever it may be.

Consider this.  I am currently taking guitar lessons with my 8 year old daughter.  I am an experienced oboe player.  I have read music for decades.  I understand beats and rhythm.  After my first lesson, my pointer finger was raw from the strings and my brain full of new terminology associated with guitars that I had no idea existed (fret).  The chords are written in a fashion with which I’m not familiar and my fingers have to move in a way they haven’t before.  Alex has practiced every day since our first lesson and admonished me several times for not doing so myself.  Her next lesson was today (I was partying with all of you at Almond’s BTSN) and she’s so excited to show her growth and talent to her teacher.  

Shall I wallow in my limited progress?  Do I feel less than whole because my 8 year old is catching on more quickly than I am?  NO!!!!!!!  Why?  Because...I am me and she is she (how’s that for a sophisticated sentence).

We worry so greatly as grown ups about how our children will feel.  We should!  How is it though that they interpret messages that potentially can convey inadequate achievement?  Uhhhhhh, that would be from us!  They hear us.  All.  The.  Time.  Their ears are on when they’re watching T.V. and we’re in the kitchen chatting.  They take in every word when we’re venting with a friend on the phone while they’re in the back seat of the car.  They hear us.  All.  The.  Time.

Each and every brain that spends time daily on the Almond campus is designed like no other.  Unique.  An individual.  There are no two brains that are alike.  That means we all learn differently.  And...in case you haven’t already come to the realization, there is no “right” way for a brain to grow.

As you begin to learn more about our plan to enhance personalized learning at Almond, I beg you to ask yourself this.  Do I want my child’s learning needs to be matched with the instruction they receive?  If so, take all those words that you might have used that have a connotation of judgement, right or wrong, and eradicate them from your vocabulary when talking about children and school.

Watch THIS.

Did you get goose bumps?  I did, and do every time I watch it.

Is it James Earl Jones and his commanding voice?  Or perhaps the beautiful writing, “dipped themselves in magic waters?”  It must be the music.  No, it's the light of dusk that coats all the scenes in a gold luster.

Actually, for me...it’s none of those things.  Instead, it is the pivotal moment when Ray needs to decide whether he’s going to follow a dream that he believes in or let the doubts of others sway his conviction.

Now watch THIS.

I imagine at some point many of you have used the phrase, “it’s as if we’re building a plane while flying it.”  This is most certainly true if you’ve been part of a start up venture. Especially relevant if your team practices the agile software development method where you launch a product with a base set of features and release new ones in short, rapid cycles.

My favorite line in this video is, “We’re not just building a plane, we’re building a dream.”

This year, the Almond staff has a dream to advance our work in personalizing learning for ALL students.  

Please join me at the principal updates prior each classroom visit session on Back to School Night.  I will provide you with some additional information about our dream and how WE WILL BUILD IT.  I hope that YOU COME!

It is a hoot to double as a parent and principal during the first week of school!

My favorite parent tidbit was Alex’s revelation that her teacher this year is really strict.  When I asked her the source of this conclusion, she remarked, “When she tells us not to talk, she REALLY means that we’re not supposed to talk.  Like, not say anything.”  After Back to School Night earlier this evening, she asked, “Did you see what I mean mom?”

We had such a blast talking on the way home about all the different types of personalities that will certainly be encountered throughout their lives.  Chris and I reminisced about some memorable bosses and peers and reflected on the need to be able to interact and productively engage with all sorts of different perspectives.  I have a feeling this is going to be a year full of great stories from my two squirts.

On the principal front, it’s truly been a joy to reconnect with our Almond children and to meet all the new faces.  They are so full of life, energy, and enthusiasm.  It feeds my soul and reminds me of all that is good in this world.  

I’ve watched friends who were apart all summer join in play on the blacktop.  Stick City and Dirt City are already being planned.  One student even shared that she devised some laws that she typed up to help govern these worlds so that they don’t get shut down again this year. (If you have no idea about what I’m talking because you just joined our community...just you wait.)  

And, I had my own revelation today while walking around campus at recess and lunch.  Something felt different.  I couldn’t quite put my finger on it, so I kept walking about, observing, and then it hit me.  You see, this is only my 4th year as a principal, 3rd year at Almond, so I am just now learning the rhythm.  The girls who always played on the kickball court two years ago weren’t there, and the group of 6th grade boys that played basketball each and every day last year were also not there.  I shifted my gaze and rather than looking for what I had expected, I breathed in and looked at what was there.  

Now there’s a whole group of boys who have organized soccer, and all of a sudden the lower basketball courts are in play.  There were students swinging to their heart’s content on the swings because they are now 3rd graders and have access to that play structure.  First graders who were in their own separate area last year are exploring every crevice of the the bigger play area.  The wonder and amazement in their faces is so very endearing.

Welcome back everyone!  We’re only two days in and it’s already a marvelous year!!!