Comment on the poll.

Imagine you get a call from a state health official informing you that you must evacuate the building, close your doors, and allow no one on campus...for an indefinite period of time--days, weeks, perhaps months. Would your school be prepared to continue to deliver the curriculum?

This was the very situation in which principal Rick Herrig found himself several months back. A veteran U.S. principal, Herrig had just made a change and was enjoying his first year as principal at an American school in Mexico City. Then came the H1N1 flu scare and Herrig was told that no one should be allowed on campus. Herrig discusses his experience in the most recent School Leader's Review podcast and his tale offers a lesson to school leaders everywhere.

Herrig's school now includes remote delivery of curriculum as part of its crisis preparedness plan. Does yours? If you have not already done so, please take the current Principal's Poll at www.principals.org and leave your comments below.

Posted by Bob Farrace at 01:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The conversation begins around this time each year, this time courtesy of Milwaukee Journal Sentinel columnist Eugene Kane. Kane believes that with lavish eighth-grade graduation festivities, educators could actually be setting the bar so low that some students might begin to view eighth grade as the high point of their education instead of simply the latest step. Some minority parents disagree, however, arguing that any graduation is a cause for celebration, especially considering the city's high drop-out rate.

Your turn. If you have not already done so, please take this week's Principal's Poll at www.principals.org and leave your comments below.

Posted by Bob Farrace at 02:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

USA Today reports a landmark event: 46 states have agreed to develop a common set of rigorous reading and math standards—the Common Core State Standards Initiative—from kindergarten to high school, to set students on track for college and the workforce. The council, working with the National Governors Association, is planning to develop broad standards by July covering curriculum content, professional development, testing, and student support. Specific grade-by-grade expectations will be published by the end of the year and be ready for implementation in 2010. This breakthrough is consistent with NASSP's recent position statement on academic standards.

So is it a good idea? Will a common lens of national standards help us see student achievement more clearly? If you have not already done so, please take this week's Principal's Poll at www.principals.org and leave your comments below. (Poll is now closed.)

Posted by Bob Farrace at 02:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Dual enrollment programs have been growing in popularity over the years, but a Colorado measure might give dual enrollment a whole new prominence: In an effort to lower its drop-out rate and help win more stimulus money, the Denver Post reports, Colorado’s governor has signed a bill that would allow students in grades 9 through 12 to take an unlimited number of college courses at a community college with school districts picking up the tab. One catch: if a student does not complete a class, parents pay the tuition. Students who stay for a fifth year of high school can use a state subsidy set aside for all Colorado high school graduates to pay their tuition.

Colorado is banking on dual enrollment to curb its dropout problems. Will it work? If you have not already done so, please take this week's Principal's Poll at www.principals.org and leave your comments below. (Poll is now closed.)

Posted by Bob Farrace at 01:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The U.S. public education system has failed to recruit top teachers, according to a new study from the National Governors Association. Although many countries take their teacher workforce from the top 5-30% of college grads, the United States isn’t pulling from a similarly high-achieving pool. Only one in 10 new teachers in the United States scored in the 90th percentile on their high school standardized tests—a decline by half since 1964. (We're still waiting to see the statistics on governors, by the way.)

How do we fix it? Improve teacher and principal training and retention, the report suggests, and relax certification requirements for career changers.

It's hard to argue with the need to improve the training and retention rates of teachers and principals, though they sounds more like goals than strategies. But what of the relaxing of requirements for career changers? Would that change result in greater teacher quality? Principals are in the best position to say, so please let us know by taking this week's Principal's Poll at www.principals.org and leaving your comments below. (Poll is now closed.)

Posted by Bob Farrace at 01:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Proms, caps and gowns, yearbooks--these are among hallmarks of late spring...and they all cost. In this economy, the cost factor might be more pronounced in schools than in typical years. As principals Vance Dalzin and Alan Bernstein remind us in their article in the May Principal Leadership:

This is where school leaders' more-sensitive selves are called into play. Picking up important nonverbal cues from students, providing support and referrals where needed, not making the overly quick decision, reexamining one's biases and assumptions and encouraging faculty members to do the same--these are crucial aspects of school leadership when times are tough for students.

So just how pronounced can we expect the problem to be this spring? If you have not already done so, please take this week's Principal's Poll at www.principals.org and comment below to share how the economy is affecting your students' ability to participate in end-of-year activities. (Poll is now closed.)

Posted by Bob Farrace at 02:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Firing a tenured teacher can be--in the words of the LA Times--a dizzying effort, in some cases involving years of investigation, union grievances, administrative appeals, court challenges, and re-hearings.

However arduous the process may be for teachers and administrators, students are often the ones left to suffer from the drawn-out politics. One middle level principal noted that an ineffective teacher can instruct 125 to 260 students a year--up to 1,300 in the five years she says it often takes to remove a tenured employee.

How do principals rate the difficulty of dismissing a poor teacher with tenure? Is the process too burdensome or as onerous as it has to be to ensure a career educator isn't dismissed without just cause and due process? If you haven't already done so, take this week's Principal's Poll at www.principals.org and leave your comments below. (Poll is now closed.)

Posted by Bob Farrace at 11:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)

Posted by Bob Farrace at 02:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Which time option below produces better achievement?
Final results

49% Shorter days, longer calendar
22% Longer days, Shorter calendar
28% Makes no difference

Total votes: 99

--------------------------------------------------------------------

An interesting debate in Michigan: According to the South Bend Tribune, the Michigan Association of School Boards (MASB) is working with state legislators to reinstate a mandatory minimum number of school days. The action comes as districts are trying to cut back on the number of days spent in the classroom, while adding hours to each day to save money. MASB argues that cutting down on the number of required days students must spend in school will continue to put the nation's students at a competitive disadvantage when compared to students internationally.

Let's help Michigan out. If you have not yet taken this week's Principal's Poll, please visit www.principals.org and indicate which time option--if either--produces better results in student achievement. And be sure to leave your comments on the debate below.

Posted by Bob Farrace at 01:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

What has been your experience of teachers who have alternative certification?
Final results

29% Generally quite favorable
14% Somewhat favorable
39% Pretty mixed
15% Somewhat unfavorable
  3% Will not make that mistake again

Total Votes: 114

--------------------------------------------

While career changers usually make up about one-third of new teachers, that number has risen over the last decade and is expected to continue rising with the current economy, the AP reports. More pathways to teaching are also opening up, giving career changers the opportunity to enter classrooms more quickly. And the benefits of hiring career changers are more evident considering that once placed in the classroom, they tend to stick with teaching longer than other new teachers, according to the National Center for Alternative Certification.

Principals are, of course, in a perfect position to see trends in the quality of teachers certified through alternative routes. Tell us what your experience has been of such teachers. If you have not already done so, take this week's Principal's Poll at www.principals.org and leave your comments below. (Poll is now closed.)

Posted by Bob Farrace at 09:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Would ELL students be better served in a separate school-within-a-school?
(Final results)

70% No
30% Yes

Total votes: 117

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Sparking intense debate, some U.S. high schools have responded to the influx of immigrant students by separating them into a "school within a school." According to a report in the New York Times, education experts estimate that it takes the average learner of English at least two years of study to hold conversations, and five to seven years to write essays, understand a novel, or explain scientific processes at the level of their English-speaking peers. In an effort to best assimilate ELL students, high schools are offering them special services with their own classes, clubs, and activities to prepare them before entering mainstream classes.

So is this a case where separating students by knowledge or ability level is the best answer? Principals, if you have not already done so, please take this week's Principal's Poll at www.principals.org and leave your comments below.

Posted by Bob Farrace at 12:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Which of the following comes closest to your opinion of merit pay for teachers?
(Final results)

21% It is essential for any teacher quality plan
25% It can work with strict conditions
30% It is a nice idea that will not work in practice
25% The idea is fundamentally flawed

Total Votes: 362

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In his first major education address as president, President Barack Obama called for higher pay for better teachers, the Associated Press reports. "Too many supporters of my party have resisted the idea of rewarding excellence in teaching with extra pay," the president said, "Even though we know it can make a difference in the classroom."

Of course, this isn't a new idea. While better pay for better performance sounds like a no-brainer to many, critics point to inevitable flaws in implementation and the myriad ways that extra pay could be doled out unjustly--rewarding all the wrong behaviors.

Likely, principals would have a large role in determining the "merit" that results in higher teacher pay. If you have not already done so, please take this week's Principal's Poll at www.principals.org and contine the conversation with your comment below. (Poll is now closed.)

Posted by Bob Farrace at 12:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Does the savings of a four-day week outweigh the challenges it presents?
(Final results)

50% Yes
50% No

Total Votes: 255

-----------------------------------------------

Kids in Florida public schools could be going to classes four days a week instead of five next fall, the Orlando Sentinel reports, if the state legislature lets financially strapped school districts adopt the cost-saving measure. According to the article, school boards have been hinting that a four-day school week would save a bundle on utilities and other expenses, but the state won't permit it--perhaps until now. Some Florida legislators are pushing just such a proposal.

So school boards and legislators will define the policy, but you could help them out by letting them know how such a policy would look at the ground level. Sure, there will be savings...but at what cost? If you haven't taken this week's Principal's Poll at www.principals.org, please do so and leave your comments below. (Poll is now closed.)

Posted by Bob Farrace at 02:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Would you favor the adoption of flex time to improve achievement for struggling students?
Final results:

93% Yes
  7% No

Total votes: 143

------------------------------------------------------

The Washington Post reports that one school district in Northern Virginia is quickly adopting "flex periods" to offer students remediation and enrichment during the school day, representing a nationwide trend among high schools. The periods, ranging from 40 to 90 minutes, are helping schools save on after-school tutoring costs while simultaneously raising student achievement. Mel Riddile, NASSP associate director of high school services, commented in the article that flex periods have largely replaced study halls, which might have become largely extinct in the 1990s. "People came to realize we needed to make the most of every minute," he said. "This is a big issue with student achievement. Some students need more time and don't learn at the same rate."

Are flex periods the next reasonable evolution is a standards-based education world? If you have not already done so, please take this week's Principal's Poll at www.principals.org and leave your comments below.

Posted by Bob Farrace at 01:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

What will be the actual Obama Effect on minority achievement?
(Final results)

19% Positive, long-term change
40% Initial improvement that will need nurturing
29% Minimal improvement
13% No improvement

Total Votes: 91

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Much has been said by pundits and policymakers about President Obama's "inspirational" qualities. But can the president, our nation's first Black president and someone who was considered a model student, actually inspire young Black students to higher achievement? So goes the theory of the "Obama effect," which the New York Times reports is now being validated in research.

If you have not already done so, please take this week's poll at www.principals.org and let us know what school leaders believe will be the real impact of the Obama effect on closing the achievement gap. And please leave your comments on the poll below.

Posted by Bob Farrace at 01:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Final results: 

How effective are your state's teacher-review policies in weeding out ineffective teachers?

  6% Very effective
23% Somewhat effective
27% Somewhat ineffective
44% Ineffective

Total Votes: 106

--------------------------------------------

The Associated Press reports on a recent national study by the National Council on Teacher Quality, which indicates that most state policies are pretty inadequate in identifying and weeding out ineffective teachers. States were given letter grades in the study, earning a D-plus on average. The group gave its highest overall mark, a B-minus, to South Carolina, saying the state does better than any other at allowing ineffective teachers to be fired.

Principals and APs, of course, conduct the reviews, and so can probably say better than anyone how effective state policies are in keeping the right teachers and letting the others go. If you have not already done so, please take this week's Principal's Poll at www.principals.org and leave your comments below.

Posted by Bob Farrace at 12:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Comment on the poll.

A recent issue if U.S. News and World Report spotlights two high schools, one in Milwaukee and one in New York City, that are havens for gay students and other students prone to bullying. Despite the improved graduation rates and grades enjoyed by the students in both schools, some critics argue that such schools are just another form of segregation, masking the real problem instead of solving it. Plans for another gay school, slated to open in Chicago, have stalled among skepticism.

While schools strive to be safe havens for all students, some school leaders acknowledge that gay students remain casualties in the fight against bullying. So, principals, are "gay-friendly" schools the answer to keeping these students safe? If you have not already done so, please take this week's Principal's Poll at www.principals.org and leave your comments below.

Posted by Bob Farrace at 11:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)

Should schools abandon traditional grade levels in favor of proficiency-based advancement?
Final results:

72% Yes
28% No

Total Votes: 319

------------------------------------------------------

The Denver Post reports that Adams 50 School District in Colorado has dropped the traditional K–12 grade levels in favor of a system that lets students move through 10 levels as they achieve proficiency. While currently being carried out in a few small Alaska districts, such a standards-based model has never been tested on a district as large as Adams 50. As part of the new system, Adams 50 students will not be graded on an A–F scale, but will instead earn scores of 1–4, allowing them to maintain a GPA that colleges can recognize.

Principals, is this the next logical step in a standards-based movement--and is it the right step to take. Let us know your opinion by taking this week's Principal's Poll at www.principals.org and leave your comments below.

Posted by Bob Farrace at 02:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

Should eighth graders be required to take algebra?

Final results:

52% Yes
48% No

Total Votes: 42

 -------------------------------------------

The news from California is that a judge has blocked an attempt by the state board of ed and the governor to require algebra for all eighth graders. The attempt seemed a bit drastic to most education groups, yet a recent report by ACT reveals that there's merit in a rigorous eighth-grade program, as eighth-grade performance is the greatest indicator of postsecondary success.

It's a tough call, so we turn to principals to make it. If you haven't already done so, please take this week's Principal's Poll at www.principals.org and leave your comments below. (Poll is now closed.)

Posted by Bob Farrace at 11:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Does Arne Duncan's selection as ED secretary give you hope for a more reasonable NCLB?
Final Results:

61% Yes
39% No

Total Votes: 90

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Arne Duncan, the Chicago schools superintendent known for taking tough steps to improve schools while maintaining respectful relations with teachers and their unions, is President-elect Barack Obama’s choice as secretary of education. Duncan, a 44-year-old Harvard graduate, has raised achievement in the nation’s third-largest school district and often faced the ticklish challenge of shuttering failing schools and replacing ineffective teachers, usually with improved results.

NASSP wasted no time is offering its enthusiastic endorsement of the selection. "Duncan's efforts reflect NASSP's priorities," said NASSP Executive Director Gerald N. Tirozzi, "To have an effective instructional leader in every school."

The education community awaited the selection with anticipation, knowing well that this secretary would likely have a hand in crafting the next round of NCLB and will certainly oversee the development of regulations that emerge from it. So how does this selection look from the schoolhouse window? Is you have not already done so, please take this week's Principal's Poll at www.principals.org and leave your comments below. (Poll is now closed.)

Posted by Bob Farrace at 02:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

How confident are you in the safety of the air in and around your school?

Final results:
50% Very confident
25% Somewhat confident
18% Somewhat unconfident  
 8% Very unconfident

Total Votes: 106

----------------------------------------------------------

An intensive USA Today examination of the quality of air outside U.S. schools—based on the government’s most up-to-date model for tracking toxic chemicals—has revealed alarming results. Outside at least one-quarter of the schools examined, students were exposed to higher levels of industrial pollution in 2005 than they were 10 years ago. Additionally, high levels of toxic chemicals were found outside schools such as nickel, magnesium, chromium, and the carcinogens benzene and naphthalene. Some of the levels surpassed the EPA’s safety threshold for long-term exposure. In total, the report examined 127,000 elementary, middle, and high schools.

So, principals. breathe deep (or don't) and respond to this week's Principal's Poll at www.principals.org. Let us know how confident you are in the air quality in and around your school, and leave your comments below.

Posted by Bob Farrace at 03:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Comment on the poll.

Do AP and IB classes set unprepared students up for failure? Not according to Jay Mathews from the Washington Post. Mathews argues that when advanced courses are not offered to all students, particularly to minority and low-income students, the students and their teachers don't get a chance to measure themselves against the standard of an AP exam written and graded by outside experts. “Without that tough benchmark, high school courses, even those labeled ‘honors’ or ‘advanced,’ often settle for mediocrity, giving students good grades for little work,” he said. However, one Maryland education consultant disagrees, claiming that such advanced courses are inappropriate for students with low SAT scores and/or below-average grades, and often set minorities up for failure.

If you have not already done, please take this week's Principal's Poll at www.principals.org and leave your comments on the debate below.

Posted by Bob Farrace at 03:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Are you content with the number and nature of elective courses your school offers?
Final results

23% Yes
77% No

Total votes: 116

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The pendulum continues to swing for elective courses in schools. The "back to basics" movement of the final decades of the 20th century was capped by the passage of the No Child Left Behind Act, which prompted a number of schools to abandon electives courses in favor of double-reading and triple-math schedules. But now, the title of a recent New York Times article suggests, electives are making a comeback.

If you haven't already done so, please take this week's Principal's Poll at www.principals.org and let us know how content you are with the range of electives you're able to offer at your school. And don't forget to leave your comments below. (Poll is now closed.)

Posted by Bob Farrace at 02:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Would anonymous tiplines reduce the incidence of bullying in schools?
(Final results)

57% Yes
43% No

Total Votes: 163

---------------------------------------------

MSNBC recently reported on the availability of a new tipline by which students can anonymously report threats and incidents of bullying in their schools. The Web site at SchoolTipline forwards the anonymous tip to the school and sends a reminder to the school official if the tip has gone unread after a day or so.

Principals in middle and high schools regularly confront issues of bullying in school. So where does an anonymous tipline fit among the arsenal of antibullying resources available to schools? Can they help make a difference? Please take this week's Principal's Poll at www.principals.org and leave your comments on the topic below. (Poll is not closed.)

Posted by Bob Farrace at 10:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)

Should schools abandon the practice of ranking in class?
47% No
53% Yes

Total Votes: 249

--------------------------------------------

The formula for college admission back in the day was clear: high grades, high SATs, leadership positions in student activities, and high class rank. The combination wouldn't guarantee admission, of course, but a deficiency would often shut the door to your first-choice school. Now it seems college admissions offices and high schools are taking another look at the traditional practice of class ranking. School officials recognize that, as a recent Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel article reports, class rank sometimes distorts a student's complete profile and, as a result, colleges are de-emphasizing the statistic and some high schools are abandoning the practice altogether.

Is class ranking a practice that has outlived its utility? Pleae respond to this week's Principal's Poll at www.principals.org and leave your comments below. (Poll is now closed.)

Posted by Bob Farrace at 10:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

What is the best indicator of readiness for college? (Final results)

13% High school GPA
61% Performance in high-level high school classes
13% SAT or ACT scores
  3% Middle level GPA
  9% Other (please comment)

Total Votes: 150

----------------------------------------------

Who is ready for college--and how can we know? A few releases in the past couple of weeks have examined the question. An Ed in '08 study highlights the amount of remediation incoming college freshmen require--an assessment that's riddled with challenging issues. And more recently, a group of college admissions officers gathered to encourage a heavier reliance on high school curriculum tests and a lesser reliance on SAT and ACT scores.

Oddly, no one has asked educators--who are in the best position to judge--what the best indicators are for college success. So we'll ask. If you haven't taken this week's Principal's Poll at www.principals.org, please visit and leave your preferred indicator as a comment if you don't see it in the list. (The poll in now closed, but please leave your comments on the results.)

Posted by Bob Farrace at 12:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Is hiring teachers from overseas good for U.S. schools?
Final results

35% Yes
65% No

Total votes 258

------------------------------------------------------------------------ 

To fill teacher shortages, particularly in areas like science, math, and special ed, districts are looking more and more to countries like the Phillipines and India to staff schools with skilled instructors, reports USA Today. Some critics, however, believe that turning to international hires is a "quick fix" and without the proper support and mentoring, these new teachers may not stay.

So which is it? If you have not already done so, please take this week's Principal's Poll at www.principals.org and leave your thoughts below on the impact on schools you believe hiring overseas teachers will have. (The poll is now closed, but please leave your comments below.)

Posted by Bob Farrace at 01:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

Final Results 
What's your biggest resolution for the new school year?

63% To spend more time observing teachers
10% To make more time for my own professional growth
21% To spend more time with beginning teachers
  4% To attend more school activities
  3% Other (please comment)

Total Votes: 126

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The new school year is here, and everyone--including the principal--benefits from the atmosphere of renewal. You get a do-over, after all. All those things you wanted to try at the beginning of the last school year cn drop right into place now, and you resolve that this will be the year X happens. I resolve to spend more time on what's important, not urgent. To spend more time in classrooms. To attend more school activities. To mentor beginning teachers. To network more actively with principals of feeder schools. And on. And on.

If you haven't taken this week's Principal's Poll at www.principals.org, please take a moment to do so and let us know which resolution is at the top of your list. If you don't see your resolution listed, please include it as a comment below.

Posted by Bob Farrace at 02:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Final Results:

Should school staff be allowed to carry concealed weapons in school?
3% Yes, unconditionally
24% Yes, with proper training
17% Only in very rare cases
57% Not under any circumstances

Total Votes: 683

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In a decision that's sure to generate some nationwide reaction, leaders of the Harold Independent School District in Texas have been given the green light to carry concealed handguns in school for self-protection. Read more about the decision in this Houston Chronicle article, and be sure to take this week's Principal's Poll at www.principals.org. (Poll is now closed.)

We know you'll have comments. Please offer the below.

Posted by Bob Farrace at 06:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (8)

What effect is digital-media interaction having on students' literacy skills?
(Final results)

40%  Making them worse
35%  Improving them
  6%  Having no effect
19%  Not sure

Total votes: 97

The debate rages on, indicates a recent New York Times article. On one side are those who believe that reading test scores have dropped or stagnated due in large part to the amount of time students spend interacting with and on the Internet--at the expense of time spent reading books. The other side, however, sees a new kind of literacy, an essential set of literacy skills for the digital age that schools should not discount, but embrace.

Take this week's Principal's Poll at www.principals.org to let us know where you stand--and leave your comments below.

Posted by Bob Farrace at 02:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Should students be assessed a fee for participating in school activities? (Final results)

64%  No
36%  Yes

Responses: 228

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The NASSP Board of Directos recently indicated its intention to adopt a position statement in opposition to "pay-to-play" policies--policies that allow public schools to charge students a fee for participating in cocurricular activities. Although a handful of states have approved policies both approving and prohibiting such policies, the issue remains unsettled in many communites. In the words of the position statement:

The question centers on whether cocurricular activities are part of the free public school system to which everyone is entitled by law. Those in favor of assessing fees argue that activities are not a fundamental part of the education process rising to the level that would require them to be provided at no cost, while those opposed to the pay-for-play system argue that cocurricular activities are as important to the school program as academic classes.

This poll is now closed, but  please leave your comments on pay-to-play policies below.

And please remember to leave your comments on the position statement.

Posted by Bob Farrace at 02:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

Posted by Bob Farrace at 12:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Have eighth-grade graduation festivities become too elaborate?
(Final results)

88% Yes
12% No

Total Votes: 366

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Even presidential candidate Barack Obama has chimed in: “Now hold on a second — this is just eighth grade,” he said. “So, let’s not go over the top. Let’s not have a huge party. Let’s just give them a handshake.” He continued: “You’re supposed to graduate from eighth grade.”

As a recent New York Times article reports, eighth-grade graduation festivities have become increasingly elaborate over the years. So is it time to tone them down? Does an elaborate celebration mark eighth-grade graduation as an end point, and not the transitional point it's intended to be? This poll is now closed, but we invite you to leave your comments below.

Posted by Bob Farrace at 03:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

What percentage of your teaching staff will turn over before the start of the next school year? (final results)

41% Less than 5%
28% 6-10%
18% 10-20%
  5% 20-30%
  8% More than 30%

Total Votes: 225

---------------------------------

If you have not already done so, take this week's Principal's Poll at www.principals.org and let us know what percentage of your teaching staff will be turning over before school opens for the 2008-09 year. Leave your comments on the poll below.

Posted by Bob Farrace at 03:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Has your school or district had to curtail events because of rising gas prices?
Final results

No 40%
Yes 60%

Total Votes: 95

----------------------------

Take a look at the USA Today article featured in this week's Principal's Update and respond to this week's Principal's Poll at www.principals.org: Has your school had to curtail events because of rising gas prices?

Update: This poll is now closed, but pleae leave your comments below.

Posted by Bob Farrace at 03:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Should schools adopt policies to raise the minimum grade from zero to 50?
Final results

66% Yes
34% No

Total Votes: 365

--------------------------------------------------

It seems the debate re-emerges every few years: Does a grade of 0 make it impossible for a student to improve his/her score to passing at the end of the term? Should schools make 50 the lowest possible grade to signal hope for improvement--and that grades and not intended to be punitive? A recent USA Today article revisits the debate and raises many of the same questions. NASSP members might recall an article by Tom Guskey in Principal Leadership, "Zero Alternatives" (NASSP member log-in required), in which the author proposes some alternatives to the punitive 0, including a more liberal use of the "I" for Incomplete.

Where do principals fall on the question today? Should the 0 be abolished in favor of a 50? If you haven't done so already, please take this week's Principal's Poll at www.principals.org and leave your comments below.

Posted by Bob Farrace at 01:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (14)

Should districts maintain alternative schools for pregnant and parenting teens?
Final results

42% Yes, they need a special environment
40% Only if services are not otherwise available
17% No

Total Votes: 99

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The future is up in the air for some special schools catering to pregnant teens, reports the Christian Science Monitor. Funding constraints, along with a trend toward "mainstreaming" pregnant girls into regular public schools, have put the alternative schools in jeopardy. One such school in Boise, ID, offers services that traditional public schools just aren’t equipped to provide—day care, government aid, parenting classes, an onsite baby supply store, and even relationship advice. The debate raises the perenniel issues of equity, though even the stauchest supporters of such schools will bend if there's evidence that the services such students require are available to the students as they're mainstreamed.

So where do principals fall in the debate? This poll is now closed, but we invite you to leave your comments on the results below.

Posted by Bob Farrace at 03:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Have you had to address a teacher about inappropriate content in his/her online profile?
Final results

46% Yes
54% No

Total Votes: 152

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Probably more clueless than careless, many young teachers are entering the ranks of professional life and failing to consider how their collegiate online profiles continue to follow them. A Washington Post article highlights the issue and offers an anecdote of one administrator who reviews the teacher candidate's Facebook profile with the candidate during an interview.

The words of one young teacher probably sums it up best: "I never thought about parents and students seeing [my Facebook profile]." And more and more principals are making it their jobs to get teachers to think about it. This poll is now closed, but we invite you to leave your comments on the results below.

Posted by Bob Farrace at 03:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Do mainstream media generally treat schools fairly?
Final results

  1%  Always
  9%  Most of the time
40%  They get it right about half the time
49%  Usually not
  2%  Never

Total Votes: 129

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A new survey by the National School Board Association has found that parents who rely heavily on newspapers for their news have more negative views of school safety, teacher quality, and academic success than those of parents who get their information elsewhere. One example finds that 85% of parents who rely on their children as a primary source of information on the schools agree that "teachers care about their child’s success"—yet only 57% of parents who rely on newspapers agree with the same statement.

School leaders will find these data pretty frustrating, especially as principals are often the ones who find themselves in front of the camera or in print. So how bad is it really. This poll is now closed but we invite you to leave your comments on media treatment of schools below.

Posted by Bob Farrace at 02:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Should schools require all students to take AP or IB courses and exams?
Final results

25% Yes, all students need this kind of preparation
75% No, the material is way over some students' heads

Total Votes: 150

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Educators agree that all students should be exposed to a rigorous academic program, but the debate rages on about how to provide that rigor, especially to students from traditionally low-performing populations. A few news items from the past week highlight one element of that debate: the value of requiring all students to take challenging tests such as those offered in the AP and IB programs.

At Bell Multicultural High School in DC, principal Maria Tukeva requires all students to take the AP English battery, which--although scores do not reveal high levels of mastery--exposes all students to the kind of rigorous work they should expect to see in college, some educators argue. The belief is the foundation of Newsweek magazine's Challenge Index, a annual ranking of high schools based exclusively on the ratio of students-to-AP/IB exams taken. But another camp of educators find that such exposure forces some students to deal with material that is way over their heads, frustrating them rather than motivating them.

Principals certainly have opinions about the best way to infuse rigor into the curriculum for all students, and we'd like to hear them. This poll is now closed, but please leave your comments on the results below.

Posted by Bob Farrace at 11:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Can "looping" (keeping teachers with students for more than one year) help personalize high schools?

Final results
83% Yes
17% No

Total Votes: 137

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Looping--the practice of keeping students with the same teachers for several years--has long been a practice in middle schools, but how would at work at the high school level? A recent ABC News item offers part of an answer. Clover Park High School in Lakewood, WA, has seen its graduation rate nearly double in the past few years--a phenomenon the principal John Seaton attributes in large part to a restructuring that keeps students with the same teachers for four years. "You've got a relationship that is so tight with those kids that they're willing to share their life with you," Seaton says in the article.

File this under "Breaking Ranks in Action." Central to Breaking Ranks reform is personalization--a fundamental tenet that (to paraphrase Ted Sizer) we must know students well if we are to teach them well.

Can the practice of looping at Clover Park be replicated in other high schools? This poll is now closed, but we invite you to leave your comments on the results below.

Posted by Bob Farrace at 02:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Comment on the poll. 

A study recently presented at the AERA conference in New York paints a grim picture of the impact of "supplemental education services" the NCLB term for after-school tutoring. NCLB mandates that schools in need of improvement use Title I funds to make SES available to low-peforming students, but the results of the most recent study show that it's money poorly spent: Federally mandated public after-school tutoring isn't always reaching the children it's intended to help--and when it does, it doesn't always help as much as it could.

Of course, this study focused on a limited sample--three urban areas--to reach its conclusions. What about the rest of the country? Has SES been a worthwhile way for schools to spend their Title I funds? If you have not already done so, please take this week's Principal's Poll at www.principals.org and leave your comments below.

Posted by Bob Farrace at 12:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

What kind of sex ed stands a greater chance of reducing teen pregnancy rates?
Final results.

16% Abstinence only
79% Comprehensive--birth control and abstinence
  5% None--sex ed is the responsibility of the parents

Total Votes: 196

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The federal government has endorsed abstinence-only education for more than a decade, a recent Seattle Times article reminds us, but researchers are gathering evidence that comprehensive sex education--that includes discussion of condoms, birth control, and abstinence--more effectively reduces teen pregnancy without increasing the incidence of teen sexual activity.

Research and values continue to collide in discussions of sex education, and we'd like principals to add their voice to the conversation. This poll is now closed, but we invite you to leave your comments on the results below.

Posted by Bob Farrace at 03:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

How much time do you devote in a week to your own professional development?

  6% 10 hours or more
  5% 7-9 hours
  9% 5-6 hours
17% 3-4 hours
28% 1-2 hours
35% Less than an hour

Total Votes: 127

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NASSP recently released the Leadership Skills Assessment, an online program that engages school leaders in a process of assessing their strengths and priorities for development. The program presumes, of course, that principals take time for their professional development. And while constantly on the lookout for how their teachers can improve their skills, it's easy for principals to forget about increasing their own capacity.

This poll is closed, but please leave your comments on the results below.

Posted by Bob Farrace at 02:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Comment on the poll. 

According to a Baltimore Sun article, 60% of teachers in one Maryland district report having been harassed or bullied by parents. Perhaps some of this harassment is a misunderstanding--e-mail communication, after all, is quick and doesn't convey tone very well. But when the harassing takes place in person, there's little disputing it.

Is the problem isolated to this one Maryland district or is it the experience of teachers all over the country? Take this week's Principal's Poll at www.principals.org and leave your comments below.

Posted by Bob Farrace at 02:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

How big of a problem are cheating and plagiarism in your school?

Final results:

12% A severe problem and a priority issue for us
30% A big problem, but not a priority
47% Somewhat of a problem
11% Not a problem

Total Votes: 130

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Some principals might find startling the results of a recent national survey that revealed two-thirds of high school students admit to "serious cheating" and 90% admit to cheating on homework.

This poll is now closed, but we invite you to leave your comments on the results below.

Posted by Bob Farrace at 04:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Should educators pursue litigation for cyberbullying and online pranks?
Final results

72% Yes, students need to know it's a serious offense
17% Yes, only when there's no school-based recourse
4% No, litigation won't let the school heal
 1% No, such activities rarely cause real harm
 6% No, it's a school matter only

Total Votes: 189

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It's now trite to say that cyberbulling and online harassment are huge issues for administrators, and as ed law professor Scott McLeod pointed out in his session at the 2008 NASSP Convention this past weekend, the courts have not been particularly friendly to administrators who have taken action to curtail such activities. (Click here to see Scott's PowerPoint, handout, and other guidance.)

Yet, as a recent Christian Science Monitor article explains, while school leaders' hands are often tied to treat cyberbullying as a school matter, more and more educators are pursuing private litigation or criminal charges to strike back against online pranksters.

This poll is now closed, but we invite you to leave your comments on the results below.

Posted by Bob Farrace at 01:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Is there consensus at your school on what critical thinking means?
Final results

23% Yes
63% No
13% Not sure

Total Votes: 115

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One University of Virginia professor has an interesting take on critical thinking skills: "There's no such thing." It's a surprising conclusion for many educators, given that so much of our professional lives are built around the development of such skills in students. Certainly, we have a notion of what critical thinking skills look and sound like but, as explained in a recent Washington Post article, there's no real national consensus on what "critical thinking skills" means.

How about in your school? Do your teachers and staff have a common understanding of "critical thinking skills"? This poll is now closed, but we invite you to leave your comments on the poll results below.

Posted by Bob Farrace at 01:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Should schools be penalized if students need more than four years to meet graduation requirements?

Final results:
  6% Yes
94% No

Total Votes: 289

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According to a Detroit News article, some Michigan students would be able to attend a fifth year of high school if the federal government grants a request by the State Board of Education. If approved, kids who drop out and then return to school for a fifth year will not be counted as dropouts under NCLB. The exemption would be requested by schools for each student on a case-by-case basis.

It's obvious to most educators that some students simply need more time than others to meet the same requirements--and such a reality seems perfectly consistent with a standards-based education. Yet, policymakers are inclined to draw a line in the sand at the four-year mark to determine dropout and graduation rates. And such a determination has big implications for schools in the NCLB era.

This poll is now closed, but we invite you to  leave your comments on the poll results below.

Posted by Bob Farrace at 03:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Should school time be extended?
Final Results

39% No
22% Yes, days should be added to the calendar
12% Yes, the school day should be extended
27% Yes, both the day and calendar should be extended

Total Votes: 412

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A recent article in the Washington Post, "Finding Time for Success," revisits the debate over school time. Some schools have had success extending the calendar or the day to ensure kids get enough reading and math without having to cut art and music. But the same old problems persist in many areas: extending school time can cause conflicts with teacher unions, interfere with sports and cocurricular activities, and wreak havoc with bus schedules. Are these battles worth fighting? Would students benefit from extended school time?

This poll is now closed, but we invite you to submit your comments on the results below.

Posted by Bob Farrace at 12:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

 What is the biggest obstacle to teachers using data to make instructional decisions?
Final results

30% Lack of time
42% Lack of training/know-how
11% Not part of school culture
10% Fear of revealing unflattering info
  6% Other

Total votes: 253

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Assistant principal Michael Waiksnis, a regular blogger and NASSP AP task force member, recently wrote on Middle View about his school's approach to getting teachers to use data. His three-step data plan is a must-read for any principal who struggles to incorporate data into instructional decisions. And we all struggle--both to use data ourselves and to get teachers to use it. This poll is closed, but we invite you to leave your comments on the results below.

Posted by Bob Farrace at 01:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Would schools be better served by principals trained in a business model?
Final Results:

38% Yes
62% No

Total Votes: 343

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A recent Washington Post article highlights a proposed program by Rice University to train principals as MBAs--focusing on a business model of leadership rather than the instructional leadership emphasized in principal-prep programs in schools of education. So we want to know from principals: Would schools be better served by principals trained in a business model--with an MBA instead of an EdD?

Posted by Bob Farrace at 02:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

37% Student supervision (discipline, bus duty, etc.)
16% Instructional leadership
 5% Parent and community relations 
  1% Your own professional development
41% Management (facilities, paperwork, etc.)

Total Votes: 190

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"If only I had more time..." Far too common a refrain for principals in today's middle level and high schools--and that's even after working a documented 65-hour week. So what are the greatest time consumers in the principal's professional life? If you haven't already done so, please take the Principal's Poll at www.principals.org and leave your comments below.

Comment on the poll.

Posted by Bob Farrace at 02:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Final results: Which of the following strategies would best improve boys' academic performance?

Posted by Bob Farrace at 03:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Final results: 

What strategy would work best to retain principals in high-need schools?

18%   Financial bonuses for improved test scores
43%   Increased central office support and resources
33%   Flexibility/Waivers from district/union policies
6%   Other

Total Votes: 204

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A study of Maryland principal retention revealed an alarming, though not unfamiliar, reality: The poorest and lowest-performing schools have the least-experienced principals and struggle with high turnover in leadership. The study sparks an interesting conversation about what it might take to keep good principals in high-need schools. More money? More resources? More support? One Denver middle school principal has an answer and was courageous enough to turn the idea into a proposal to improve her school by reducing onerous restictions from the district and the teachers' union.

Comment below on the results of the poll.

Posted by Bob Farrace at 03:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

How accurately do international tests like PISA reflect U.S. students' ability to compete globally?

5% Very accurately
37% Somewhat accurately
28% Somewhat inaccurately
30% Not at all accurately

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The Paris-based Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, an international group that represents 30 of the world's wealthiest nations, recently released the results of the 2006 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), a trienniel test of 15-year olds in math and science (and reading, but this year's tests were misprinted).

The bottom line: 16 nations scored better than the United States in science, and we trailed 23 other nations in math. The message of these data: Finland and Estonia are going to eat our lunch!

Or perhaps you see a different message. Check out the Principal's Poll at www.principals.org to offer your opinion of how accurately such international comparisons as PISA reflect U.S. students' ability to complete in a global marketplace. Be sure to leave your comments below.

Posted by Bob Farrace at 02:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

U.S. News and World Report magazine entered the school-ranking game with the release of its first ranking of "America's Best High Schools." It didn't take long for Jay Mathews, the Washington Post education reporter who for 10 years has held the monopoly on U.S. high school rankings, to release his reaction to the U.S. News list. So what do practitioners think? The poll is closed, but leave your comments below.

Posted by Bob Farrace at 01:46 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Which of the following comes closest to your opinion of online learning?

35% It has the power to revolutionize schooling
23% It provides opportunities to personalize learning
28% It has promise, but needs regulation
10% It is not an effective way to teach or learn
4% It is a fad that will pass

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An eSchool News article discusses the recent study by the North American Council for Online Learning (NACOL) that annually benchmarks online learning. The study's conclusions: online learning continues to grow at a rapid pace, with 30 states—6 more than last year—now offering state-led programs or initiatives. NACOL warns that more oversight of online learning programs is needed if this growth is to continue.

Yet, while online learning continues to expand, questions remain in many principals' minds about the effectiveness of online instruction and they remain concerned about quality control. If you haven't already done so, take this week's Principal's Poll and leave your comments on online learning here.

Posted by Bob Farrace at 03:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

It's a landslide. More than 250 folks responded to the poll question, "How do APs in your school spend the majority of their time?" and the answer is pretty definitive: 80% say their APs spend most of their time on discipline, with special education, student activities, and instructional leadership registering in the single digits.

So is this how we want APs to be spending their time? The newly formed NASSP task force on the assistant principalship will be addressing this question as part of its charge. In the meantime, we hope APs and principals will chime in and share some models for using APs in ways that provide them ample opportunities for building leadership capacity.

Posted by Bob Farrace at 04:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)