Well intentioned as it is, Mr. Science finds


that his plan – despite numerous revisions – doesn’t maximize lab time. Students fre- quently forget or misunderstand the learn- ing goal and the lab’s connection to previous learning, and other critical information. As a result, he frequently must review informa- tion from the previous day, and students often make mistakes and must repeat por- tions of their lab assignments. In the end, the lab preview actually reduces the amount of time students have to complete their lab projects and leads to inferior student work. It becomes clear to Mr. Science that if


he expects to improve his students’ perfor- mance, he needs to stop using the lab pre- view to identify learning goals and activate his students’ prior knowledge.


The Four Essential Questions: A User-friendly tool for principals


The only reason to believe that student


outcomes at your school will improve is be- cause your teachers will continuously strive to improve instructional practice and pro- duce increasingly better student outcomes. More specifically, they will regularly: 1. Re- view evidence of student learning; 2. Evalu- ate, based on the evidence, the effectiveness of their teaching practices; and 3. Make the adjustments necessary to increase the likeli- hood that students will be able to retain, re- call and apply what they have been taught. Without this commitment to continuous improvement, there is no reason to expect student achievement to rise. To establish a culture of continuous im-


provement at your school, you – the princi- pal – will have to instill a standard of prac- tice in which your teachers are motivated to regularly question the impact of their instructional practices, and provide your teachers with user-friendly tools and strat- egies to help them systematically reflect on their practices and make effective adjust- ments in instruction. The Four Essential Questions for Con-


tinuous Improvement provide a powerful process that honors the professionalism of teachers, generates in-depth professional analysis of instructional practices, promotes insightful decision-making and leads to the kinds of adjustments in instructional prac-


tices that result in markedly improved stu- dent learning. n


References


Danielson, C. (2007). Enhancing Professional Practice: A Framework for Teaching, 2nd Edition. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Develop- ment, 54.


Friedman, T. (7/20/08). “9/11 and 4/11.” The


Helping principals lead more successful schools


W


hen the research organization RAND Corp. studied how to help principals lead schools, it came up with answers every educator could fully embrace.


Skill alone isn’t enough to lead a


school to success, researchers found. Principals also need support as new leaders; a quality evaluation system; and resources such as targeted pro- fessional development, coaching and common planning time with teachers to analyze data to improve instruc- tion. Another key to success is match- ing the correct principal candidate with the appropriate school. States and districts “are adding to


the already significant responsibili- ties principals must fulfill,” said Susan M. Gates, senior economist at RAND. “As the role of the principal continues to grow, these actions will go a long way toward fostering effective school leadership.” Researchers recommended the


following steps: • Implement effective hiring prac-


New York Times. Sunday Review, 11.


Goodwin, B. and Hubbell, E.R. (2013). The 12 Touchstones of Good Teaching: A Checklist for Staying Focused Every Day. Alexandria, VA: ASCD, 145-146.


Maxwell, L. (2013). “Chicago Initiative Aims to Upgrade Principal Pipeline.” Education Week, 32(35), 1, 24-25.


Dennis Fox is an independent education


consultant. He formerly served as senior project director, Center for Accountability and Assess-


ment, LA County Office of Education; consultant, Southern California Comprehensive Assistance Center; and consultant, Division for School Improvement, LACOE. He was also an elementary


and middle school principal. He can be reached at: fox_dennis@verizon.net.


tices that take school context into ac- count so a principal’s skills match the school’s specific characteristics. • Build evaluation systems that


clarify expectations, provide forma- tive feedback, promote district goals and support management decisions. • Increase autonomy levels of prin-


cipals who have records of success in raising achievement and improving school climate. • Enable principals to delegate re-


sponsibilities, or reduce the adminis- trative burden when delegation isn’t possible. Support data-driven deci- sion making by investing in training. The report, “Laying the Founda-


tion for Successful School Leadership,” can be found at www.rand.org.


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