Close the Gap: Empowering Christian Leaders and Organizations

Use assessment to improve student use of a biblical perspective

2006-09-29T07:12:00.000+09:00

You know.

You know the following 5 statements are true:
(1) Writing essays helps your students improve their writing.
(2) Singing in concerts helps your students improve their singing.
(3) Giving presentations helps your students improve their presentation skills.
(4) Playing basketball games helps your students improve their basketball skills.
(5) Performing in plays helps your students improve their acting.

Why am I telling you this? Here’s why:
• Essays, concerts, presentations, games, and plays help your students improve.
• Essays, concerts, presentations, games, and plays are forms of assessment.
• Assessment helps your students improve.

Connection: Assessment helps your students improve their use of a biblical perspective.

That’s right. Your students will improve their use of a biblical perspective as they complete rigorous assessments that require them to connect course content, their lives, and a biblical perspective.

Ask yourself, “If my students completed an assessment in each unit like those listed below, how would that affect their proficiency?”

(1) Science 2: Write a 1–2 paragraph report about a dinosaur of your choice. Include where the dinosaur lived, when it lived, what it ate, what it looked like, its size, how it got its name, who found it, and any other interesting facts you found. Give three examples of how your dinosaur shows God’s creativity and power.

(2) Math 6: Construct a model of the solar system that accurately represents planet size and planet distance from the sun. Next, write a paragraph in response to the following question: What does math have to with God’s world? In your paragraph, make three connections between the biblical truths we studied in class and the model you made. Include quotations from two Bible passages.

(3) English 10: Write a 1000-word essay to answer the following two questions: Who are you? How does knowing who you are help you love your neighbor and/or heal what’s wrong in the world? In your answer use first-person, use six quotations (three from the literature studied in class and three from the Bible) and cite a minimum of seven sources (including works of literature, the Bible, and a Bible dictionary).

Now you know. Assessment helps your students improve their use of a biblical perspective of course content. Use assessment to help your students. Today.

Why use questions (to help students understand and use a biblical perspective)?

2006-09-22T09:07:00.000+09:00

Answer: Because it’s doable.
You already know how to ask questions. Your students already know how to answer questions. And you don’t have to have all the answers. You can start with the answers you have. I believe you have the expertise you need to start. Today. Right now. During your next class. Just ask a question. How about “How can we use what we are learning to serve others?”

Better answer: Because it works.
Students increase their understanding and use of a biblical perspective when they consider questions like: “How can I be a wise steward?” “How can I bridge cultural differences?” “How can I use math to make sense of God's world?”

Need some testimonials? Read on.
• Student: “Questions challenge me to think in new ways and help me be a discerning thinker, to use a biblical perspective.”
• Elementary teacher: “My students have learned to apply a biblical perspective to course content. I ask them questions like, ‘How can I show that I obey God?’”
• Middle school teacher: “In my classes I ask questions like, ‘How do authors help us see truth?’ Using questions like this helps my students see God’s will in all that they do and understand that God’s Word applies to all subjects.”
• High school teacher: “Using questions has helped my students think through a biblical perspective and apply it to course content and to their lives.”

Need more reasons to use questions? Here’s a starter list:
1. Using questions helps your students’ connect course content, their lives, and a biblical perspective.
2. Using questions is a time-tested teaching practice.
3. Using questions is fun.
4. Using questions is something you can do right now.

So, what’s the real question? Well, it’s not “Why use questions?” Instead, it’s “How will I use questions today to help my students understand and use a biblical perspective?”

Remember: Success is your students increasing their understanding and use of a biblical perspective by responding sincerely to the questions you ask—not you dispensing answers to your students or even you asking your students questions.

Use class time to help your students understand a biblical perspective

2006-09-22T09:05:00.000+09:00

“How can we help them get this better?” You’re in your classroom, thinking.

“We model Christlike behavior. We talk with students about our faith. We do devotions, Bible class, and chapel. Students get this part of a biblical perspective—they encourage each other, help lead devotions and chapel, and participate in Bible class discussions.

“But they don’t really seem to understand that they can use a biblical perspective in math and English and all their other subjects. How can we get them to understand this?”

Good news: Your students can increase their understanding of a biblical perspective of their subjects.

How? By using minutes. By using minutes during class. When your students have time in class to learn something, they learn it. There are always “good reasons” to not provide class time to help your students understand a biblical perspective. But remember, "good reasons" are the enemy of "best reasons."
• Covering course content is a "good reason."
• Helping students understand and use a biblical perspective of course content is a "best reason."

Answer 3 questions:
1. During your last unit, how many minutes were your students involved in learning a biblical perspective of unit content?
2. How many minutes do you students need to really understand a biblical perspective of unit content?
3. What’s your next step?

Use your answers. Use your answers when developing your next unit. Even better—use your answers today. Commit yourself to providing class time in each unit for your students increase their understanding of a biblical perspective of unit content.

To meet your students’ learning needs, answer 1 question

2006-09-22T09:03:00.000+09:00

Your students’ objective is to increase their understanding and use of a biblical perspective of course content. You want to help your student achieve their objective. Good.

Now what? Answer 1 of the following 10 questions. Then use your answer. You might be tempted to answer more than 1 question. Don’t. Keep it simple and doable. Just answer 1 question—then use your 1 answer.

Here are the 10 questions:
1. How can I help my students see the importance of understanding and using a biblical perspective?
2. How can I help my students understand that there’s biblical perspective of course content?
3. How can I help my students understand what effective application of a biblical perspective looks like on a classroom assessment?
4. How can I help my students understand how I teach from a biblical perspective?
5. What vocabulary words do my students need to learn?
6. What engaging instructional strategies will help my students?
7. How can I give my students opportunities to think through answers for themselves?
8. How much time during class do my students need for reflection?
9. How can I design assessments so that my students connect a biblical perspective with their lives?
10. How can I give my students more practice in using a biblical perspective?

Remember, the goal is not have an answer. The goal is to use your answer to help your students increase their understanding and use of biblical perspective of course content. Today.

What’s an IDEAL way to help your students?

2006-09-20T08:34:00.000+09:00

You’re sitting in your classroom thinking: “How can I help them get this? I’m supposed to teach them a biblical perspective. Maybe I should talk with Tom. Michele mentioned a good book and a workshop next month. I wonder if we should work as a department to develop some curriculum for this. What would be the best thing to do?”

Stop.

Don’t start by talking to a colleague. Don’t start by a reading book or attending a workshop. Don’t start by writing curriculum. These are solutions. Instead, begin by defining your students’ learning needs by looking at your students’ work and talking with them.

Remember, the goal is for your students to increase their understanding and use a biblical perspective, not for you to be the master at teaching from a biblical perspective.

What’s an IDEAL way to help your students? The IDEAL process is a five-step process you can use to help your students understand and use a biblical perspective:
*I*dentify the problem and ask God for help.

*D*efine your students’ learning needs. Look at your students’ work. Talk with your students or give them a survey (see below for sample secondary surveys). As necessary, talk with parents and colleagues. Do this in order to select one student learning need you will address.

*E*xplore ways to address the student learning need you selected (see “10 ways to help” for suggestions). Pick one and make a plan to address it. Now get the training and support you need.

*A*ct. Just do it! And be sure to tell your students what you are doing and why.

*L*ook at the results. Discuss them with your students and colleagues.

Use the IDEAL process to meet your students’ learning needs. Today.

To pursue excellence, answer 4 questions

2006-09-20T08:32:00.000+09:00

Your goal: To pursue excellence by meeting or exceeding each organizational standard.

Now what? Get answers to 4 questions:
(1) What’s the standard?
To meet or exceed the standard, you must know what the standard is. Does your organization have a set of standards? If not, get some. If so, learn them.

(2) What does it take to meet or exceed the standard?
To meet or exceed each organizational standard, you must know what “meeting” and “exceeding” the standard means. Does your organization have concrete definitions of “meeting” and “exceeding” each organizational standard? If not, develop definitions. If so, discuss them.

(3) What is the current performance level?
To meet or exceed each organizational standard, you must know the current performance level. Do you know which standards you currently meet or exceed? If not, find out. If so, use your data to develop action plans.

(4) What will I/we do to meet or exceed the standard?
To meet or exceed each organizational standard, use performance data to develop an action plan. Do you have an action plan? If not, develop one. If so, use it.

How can I lead effectively?

2006-09-15T07:04:00.000+09:00

Let me answer your question by comparing coaching and leading.

You’re coaching a sports team. Here are 7 tips that can help you coach effectively:
(1) Know your sport.
(2) Know what constitutes winning (high score as in soccer or low score as in golf)
(3) Before the athletic contest, tell your team the plan.
(4) Watch the athletic contest.
(5) Know the score.
(6) Use your timeouts to celebrate achievement of the plan, increase focus on the plan, and encourage players to win.
(7) Use your players’ stats to improve performance.

You’re leading a Christian school. Here are 7 tips that can help you lead effectively:
(1) Know your mission.
(2) Know what it take to achieve your mission in terms of measurable student learning.
(3) At the start of the school year, tell your staff what the plan is for increasing measurable student learning.
(4) Watch students learning.
(5) Know your students’ achievement levels.
(6) Use your staff meetings to celebrate student learning, increase focus on student learning, and encourage your staff to achieve the mission.
(7) Use your students’ assessment results to increase learning.

Remember, the real question isn’t “How can I coach effectively?” or even “How can I lead effectively?” The real question is “What am I going to do today to achieve our mission?”

What can you do? Here are 7 options:
(1) Memorize your mission statement.
(2) Define the achievement of your mission in terms of measurable student learning.
(3) Collaborate with staff to develop annual improvement plans that target mission achievement.
(4) Schedule 30-60 minutes each week to do walkthroughs and/or to examine student work.
(5) Use your definition of mission achievement and your student assessment results to determine your current level of mission achievement.
(6) At your next staff meeting, ask teachers for examples of how students have increased their understanding and use of a biblical perspective.
(7) At the end of each year, use your students’ assessment results to identify ways to increase your students’ understanding and use of a biblical perspective.

Which option will you use today?

Are you a player or a spectator?

2006-09-08T07:29:00.000+09:00

The game is achieving your mission. Are you a player or a spectator?

A player plays, knowing 3 things:
(1) To win, you have to play.
(2) If you play, you will lose. (No one always wins).
(3) What you learn from losing will help you win.

A spectator watches, never doing 3 things:
(1) Never winning.
(2) Never losing.
(3) Never learning to win.

Don't be a spectator.

Be a player. Play today. Achieve your mission.

Remember, the real question isn’t “Are you a player or a spectator?” The real question is “What step will you take today toward achieving your mission?”

How can I achieve the mission—without feeling hurried?

2006-09-01T15:59:00.000+09:00

Achieving your mission takes work. Hard work. A lot of hard work.

You know that working to achieve your mission means you’ll be busy. Busy you can deal with—but feeling hurried is something you can’t deal with. You don’t like feeling hurried, rushed, a little out of control. When you feel hurried, you don’t feel peaceful. Not good. Jesus agrees. On earth, He was busy achieving His mission, but He didn’t hurry.

So, how can you achieve your organization’s mission without feeling hurried?

Let me answer that question by asking you some questions:

(1) What’s your organization’s mission? (What is not your organization’s mission?)

(2) What does it take to achieve your organization’s mission? (What is not involved in achieving your organization’s mission?)

(3) In your job, how do you contribute to mission achievement? (What does your job not require you to contribute?)

(4) To contribute to mission achievement:
• What 1-2 measurable priorities will you target this year? (What measurable priorities will you not target this year?)
• What 1-2 “good things” will you stop doing? Remember, “good things” are the enemy of “best things.”
• What 1-2 ways will you model an unhurried work style?

(5) How will you monitor progress on #4?

(6) How will you get the support, encouragement, and accountability you need to move from being hurried to being unhurried?

Need a place to start? Get weekly coaching.

What 3 things can I do to help my students?

2006-08-25T11:35:00.000+09:00

To help your students increase their understanding and use of a biblical perspective of course content, answer 3 of the following questions:

(1) What 3 biblical values will I model?
(2) What 3 questions will I train them to ask?
(3) What 3 questions will I ask them?
(4) What 3 Bible verses will I help them memorize, understand, and apply?
(5) What 3 biblical principles will I help them understand and apply?
(6) What 3 skills will I help them improve?
(7) What 3 types of assessment will I use?
(8) What 3 engaging instructional strategies will I use?
(9) What 3 student learning needs will I meet?
(10) What 3 ways will I decorate my room?
(11) What 3 things will I put on my course handouts?
(12) What 3 classroom guidelines will I use?
(13) What 3 ways will I invite parents to be involved?
(14) What 3 things do I want from my principal or colleagues?
(15) What 3 things will I do to stay focused?

Now that you have answered 3 questions, use your answers. Use one of your answers today. Right now.

Remember, success is using your answers to help your students, not having the answers in your head.

How can I schedule more good days?

2006-08-23T11:16:00.000+09:00

Their eyes are shining. They’re smiling. They feel good about teaching. Their classes went really well. They think, “This is why I got into Christian education. I should do this more often.”

Do what?

Do a lesson that targets helping students connect course content, their lives, and a biblical perspective.

Teachers get really excited when students connect:
(1) Carbon emissions, personal consumption of fossil fuels, and biblical stewardship.
(2) World poverty, personal values and practices regarding money, and biblical teaching about wealth.
(3) A short story involving conflict, personal conflicts, and biblical teaching regarding being humble and being peacemakers.

And the really good news is lessons like this are both doable and repeatable.

So, schedule more good days. Schedule lessons that target helping students connect course content, their lives, and a biblical perspective.

What makes a good question good?

2006-08-23T11:15:00.000+09:00

To answer that question, let’s start with another question: What happens at a Christ-centered school?
• Students and staff ask good questions.
• Students and staff respond to good questions.

So, what makes a good question good? A good question:
(1) Grabs attention
(2) Requires upper-level thinking
(3) Allows a variety of appropriate answers
(4) Connects course content, life, and a biblical perspective
(5) Is Essential—universal, timeless, at the heart of learning
(6) Is Student/staff-friendly—short, with developmentally appropriate vocabulary

Want a memory tool for these 6 characteristics? Here it is: GRACES. A good question GRACES understanding.

What’s an example of a good question?: What’s wrong?

Use these 6 characteristics (GRACES) to develop a good question. Ask a good question today.

How significant would the impact be?

2006-08-23T06:55:00.000+09:00

Imagine.

Imagine Christian school students routinely asking each other...
What do you mean by...? How do you know? How does the Bible help? How can I respond?

Imagine Christian school teachers routinely asking students...
How can math help us learn about God and His creation? How do cultures affect/reflect worldviews? How do we balance needs and caretaking? How can we use our learning to serve?

Imagine Christian school teachers routinely asking each other...
What questions should students ask? What questions should we ask students? How can we help students increase their understanding and use of a biblical perspective? How can we achieve our mission?

Imagine Christian school principals routinely asking teachers...
What’s our mission? What’s our definition of mission achievement? What’s our current level of mission achievement? How can we close the gap between current and targeted levels of mission achievement?

Imagine a Christian school community routinely asking...
What happens at a Christ-centered school?

Imagine this happening...
How would this affect the efforts of Christian schools, of CAJ, to equip students to impact the world for Christ? Questions are powerful. And in a real sense, we become our questions.

Imagine the impact.

What is success?

2006-07-14T22:52:00.000+09:00

Everyone wants success. The questions is, “What is success?” Consider the following suggestions, develop your definition of success, and share your definition with colleagues:

1. Joining God is what He’s doing, not starting down your own path.
2. Achieving your mission, not implementing a Christian philosophy of education.
3. Using diversity to achieve one mission, not using unity to achieve diverse missions.
4. Building community in order to achieve the mission, not achieving your mission in order to build community.
5. Caring for others as you do mission, not doing mission as you care for others.
6. The Parable of the Talents, not the Parable of the Good Samaritan.
7. Getting targeted results, not getting results.
8. Reaching a pre-determined destination, not reaching a destination.
9. Getting it done, not getting it perfect.
10. Batting 300, not getting a 98%.
11. Distinction, not perfection.
12. Displacement, not distance.
13. Direction, not motion.
14. Hitting the bulls-eye, not going the distance.
15. Doing right things, not doing things right.
16. A program that is exemplary, sustainable, and replicable; not a program that is exemplary.
17. Quality outputs based on quality inputs, not quality outputs or quality inputs.
18. Increased student learning, not increased teacher learning.
19. A Christian who teaches Christianly, not a Christian who teaches.
20. Learning, not being learned.
21. Getting experience, not getting knowledge.
22. Doing, not knowing.
23. Using learning, not getting learning.
24. Professional development that targets mission achievement, not professional development that targets teacher knowledge.
25. Adding 1 best practice per year, not adding 5 best practices per year.
26. Asking questions, not dispensing answers.
27. Working smarter, not working harder.
28. Increasing “face” time, not increasing email.
29. Using data, not collecting data.
30. Maximizing strengths, not remediating weaknesses.
31. Reaching potential, not achieving at a high level.
32. Adding value to student learning, not students achieving to a high degree.
33. Getting things right through repeated failure, not getting things right the first time.
34. ReadyFireAim, not ReadyAimFire.
35. Using documents, not having documents.
36. Productivity, not effort.
37. Effort, not productivity.
38. Talking about student learning, not talking about schedule changes.
39. Looking at student work, not looking at teacher work.
40. Students learning, not teachers teaching.
41. Students learning, not students behaving.
42. Students behaving, not students getting good grades.
43. Students on task, not students wanting to learn.
44. Students achieving, not students trying.
45. Students trying, not students achieving.

Increase your mission quotient (MQ)

2006-07-13T22:03:00.000+09:00

Increasing your mission quotient (MQ) can help you achieve your mission.

To increase your MQ, answer the following 15 questions. Better yet, get a team together to answer the questions.
1. What is a mission statement?
2. What makes a good mission statement good?
3. To what extent are ends statements and mission statements related?
4. How do we develop a mission statement?
5. What is our mission?
6. How important is our mission?
7. How well can I explain our mission statement?
8. What does our mission mean? What does not our mission not mean?
9. If we achieve our mission, what would it look like?
10. How do I contribute to mission achievement?
11. To what extent are we mission driven?
12. How can we promote being mission driven?
13. To be increasingly mission driven, what do we need to keep doing, stop doing, and start doing?
14. How can I thwart being mission driven?
15. To do mission, what 2 crucial tasks do our students (outputs) and our staff (inputs) need to do this year?

The question is not “Can we?” The question is “Will we?”

2006-06-20T15:02:00.000+09:00

Imagine teachers involved in ongoing professional development that targets increased student understanding and use of a biblical perspective.

Imagine that as a result of this professional development:
(1) Teachers are increasingly intentional about helping their students understand a biblical perspective in all subjects.

(2) Teachers regularly ask students questions, for example: What’s true? What’s wrong? Who is my neighbor? How can I serve God and others? How should I respond to suffering?

(3) Teachers develop biblical perspective assessments, for example: Write a 1000-word essay to answer the following questions: Who are you? How does knowing who you are help you love your neighbor and/or heal what’s wrong in the world? In your answer use first-person, use six quotations (three from the literature studied in class and three from the Bible) and cite a minimum of seven sources (including works of literature, the Bible, and the Evangelical Dictionary of Theology).

(4) Teachers prepare students for biblical perspective assessments by using engaging instructional strategies, including case studies, discussion, debate, and journaling.

Now imagine that as a result of teachers implementing what they learned in their professional development, every student in every class in every unit proficiently uses a biblical perspective. Just imagine.

Imagine that this professional development is available 24/7 anywhere in the world. An online course, complete with video, audio, articles, resource lists, and Skype calls. And imagine that as a result of this training, your staff become certified trainers who train others.

This is doable. We have the knowledge. We have the technology. We have the finances and time.

The question is not “Can we?” The question is “Will we?”

Where are you now? How do you know?

2006-06-19T11:53:00.000+09:00

As a school leader, to what extent do you relate to the following?

You step on to the deck, smiling. You’re that captain of a boat that is transporting children to Anchorage, Alaska so they can do ministry. You’re excited about the voyage—good crew, good passengers, good destination.

The days, filled with passengers learning from the crew about life on a boat and about the ministry they will do on Anchorage, pass quickly. Everyone is feeling positive about the destination and the journey.

Except you.

You don’t have a compass; you are unable to read the stars. You say to yourself, “I know Anchorage is north. The sun sets in the west. I’m keeping the west on my left—so we must be going north.”

But it doesn’t help.

You don’t know where you are. You could be in anywhere. Anywhere in the southern hemisphere. Anywhere in the northern hemisphere.

To get "there," you need to know where "here" is.

As a school leader:
• Where are you now?
• How do you know?

Where are you going? Why?

2006-06-19T11:51:00.000+09:00

As a school leader, what to extent do you relate to the following?

Suddenly, you’re on a boat that is transporting children—and you’re the captain. This concerns you because you don’t know the destination. You consider asking the crew (or perhaps the children), but something tells you that you are supposed to know this and that letting others know you don’t know would be unwise. This is confirmed when you overhear your first mate mutter, “Where are we going?” and girl whisper, “Where do I get off?”

No one seems to know, and you need to act fast to keep up morale. Good food, good fellowship, and good activities quickly put everyone in good spirits. And soon, no one (including you) is asking about the destination—everyone is enjoying the journey, which is good since that’s what journeys are for.

Sort of. Deep down, you know journeys are also about destinations, about getting there.

Wherever "there" is.

As a school leader:
• Where are you going?
• Why?

What is coaching?

2006-06-16T15:47:00.000+09:00

Coaching is a relationship in which you receive the support, encouragement, and accountability you need to achieve the mission God has given you. Coaching is different than counseling. In counseling you focus on healing the past; in coaching you focus on improving the present.

In coaching:
1. You are in charge.
2. You identify your goals.
3. You sent the agenda of your coaching sessions.
4. You determine the type of coaching you want:
• Transformational Coaching: Your coach will help you grow as a person by asking questions so you can, for example, modify your attitudes, become more comfortable with difficult situation, and increase the degree you value students applying a biblical perspective of course content.
• Collaborative Coaching: Your coach will work with you to complete a project, write a policy, or plan an event.
• Instructional Coaching: Your coach will provide training in running effective meetings, defining mission achievement, and use assessment data to improve student learning.

With a coach you can:
• Define and implement strategic goals necessary for you to achieve your mission
• Think bigger and more clearly.
• Find a better way.
• Play to your strengths.
• Make your program exemplary, sustainable, and replicable.
• Get more focused and more organized
• Get the support, encouragement, and accountability you need to reach your goals

Here’s what I believe about coaching:
• God initiates change.
• Change is relational, experiential, and transformational.
• Change is more a function of motivation than of information.
• Each person is responsible to God for his/her life.
• Leaders grow as they take responsibility by defining, committing to, and achieving goals.

Does defining mission achievement help?

2006-06-13T13:50:00.000+09:00

At Christian Academy in Japan, we define mission achievement in terms of achievement of our student objectives, accreditation standards, and core values. How has defining mission achievement helped us? Here’s what two staff members had to say:

“As a teacher, having mission achievement stated in quantifiable terms lets me know if I am achieving the mission or how close I got to achieving the mission. It gives me a direction in my work (I know what I need to do with my students), and it gives me a way of knowing if what I'm doing is effective.” —Math Teacher

“In the Technology Department we continually keep the school's mission in mind as we make decisions. We feel strongly that everything that we do in technology should relate back to our mission of equipping students to impact the world for Christ. Decisions such as what hardware to buy and what services to provide all should relate to that mission. We are also concerned about how we meet student objectives. We look at how computers and related technologies relate to our student objectives. How can we use technology to help students become responsible learners, discerning thinkers, productive collaborators, effective communicators, and faithful caretakers? It is exciting to us to look at our student objectives and to see ways that the technology we provide here at CAJ will help our students achieve the student objectives.” —Educational Technology Coordinator

Take time to reflect

2006-06-10T06:44:00.000+09:00

You have worked hard all year to achieve your mission, and now your school year is done. Be sure to take time to reflect. I recommend journaling.

Here are 5 things you could journal about:
(1) This year I carried out our school’s mission by…
(2) To help students understand a biblical perspective of course content, I…
(3) I enjoyed collaborating with…
(4) I feel that I have grown as a professional in terms of…
(5) For me, one positive thing about focusing on mission achievement is…

Take a step toward mission achievement

2006-06-09T16:49:00.000+09:00

You want to achieve your mission. Good. Ask God about a step He wants you to take.

Here are some possible steps:
1. Define the achievement of your mission in measurable terms
2. Measure your current level of mission achievement
3. Define goals and specific steps necessary to close the gap between your targeted and current levels of mission achievement
4. Use calendar software to map out how to get your goals done
5. Use purpose, collaboration, and data to achieve your goals
6. Develop scoreboards that measure your progress and increase motivation to achieve your goals
7. Schedule 30 minutes each week during which you will asses and plan for mission achievement
8. Develop systems, processes, and policies
9. Lead effective meetings
10. Increase your students’ understanding and application of a biblical perspective of course content
11. Live your values
12. Think bigger
13. Think outside the box
14. Think more clearly
15. Get focused and stay focused
16. Get more organized
17. Get appropriate resources
18. Improve your job performance
19. Eliminate frustrations
20. Get the support, encouragement, and accountability you need

Share your thoughts about life and success

2006-06-02T13:49:00.000+09:00

When leading, coaching, or consulting, share your thoughts about life and success. Here are 10 of my thoughts:
(1) God is already working. Join Him.
(2) Want results? Invest in yourself.
(3) Do right things, then do things right.
(4) "Be" what you want to "see."
(5) There's usually a better way. You can find it.
(6) Defining your goal is the first step toward achieving it.
(7) Want to improve? Target your strengths.
(8) It's self-management, not time management.
(9) Make your program exemplary, sustainable, and replicable. Target outputs and inputs.
(10) Change is about motivation. Motivation is about getting support, encouragement, and accountability.

Want to take the next step? Write down 3-5 of your thoughts about life and success. Make sure each item is concise and easy to say. Next, share your thoughts with someone.

Steward the mission God has given you

2006-05-31T08:39:00.000+09:00

God has given your school a mission.

You are committed to it, you want to achieve it, and you believe that achieving it will impact the world for Christ.

But it’s Tuesday morning, and you have to get a sub for a teacher who is out sick, you have just been asked to attend a meeting at 9:30 regarding a student who is struggling, you have to talk with a 7th grader from a dysfunctional home who has been acting out in class, you learn that the father of your 6th grade social studies teacher has cancer, and 237 emails are sitting in your inbox.

Stop. Breathe. And remember that while Christian education is about responding to crisis and the parable of the Good Samaritan, it’s more about stewarding the mission and the parable of the talents.

Consider making one or more commitments regarding stewarding your mission. Here are 5 options:
(1) Commit to focusing on the mission and to responding to crises as a function of achieving your mission.

(2) Commit to investing 5 or more minutes during each staff meeting in discussing and celebrating progress toward mission achievement.

(3) Commit to investing 30 or more minutes each week in assessing progress toward mission achievement and planning next steps.

(4) Commit to getting 100% of your staff to be able to explain the answers to 4 questions:
• What is our mission?
• What is our definition of mission achievement?
• What is our current level of mission achievement?
• What strategic steps are we taking to close the gap between targeted and current levels of mission achievement?

(5) Commit to developing an attention-getting scoreboard that measures your current level of mission achievement and your progress on strategic steps you are taking.

If you make one or more commitments, consider ways to get the support, encouragement, and accountability you need to carry out your commitment(s).

Measure mission achievement in 3 ways

2006-05-31T08:38:00.000+09:00

You can use indicator data, survey data, and standards-based assessment data to measure your current level of mission achievement.

INDICATOR DATA
Brainstorm examples of how your schoolwide learning outcomes, accreditation standards, and core values are being achieved. For example:

(1) If your schoolwide learning outcome is “Organize information to support conclusions,” you could list examples of students doing this, including making graphs and charts, completing Venn diagrams, writing essays and lab reports, and providing supporting points in a debate.

(2) If your accreditation standard for the instruction is “Teachers use their professional experience, research-based knowledge about teaching and learning, and student performance data to select instructional strategies,” you could list examples of instructional strategies teachers used professional experience to select, for example:
• Art: teaching skills by demonstration and then having students practice the skills.
• Math: using direct instruction when students are not ready.
• PE: using a combination of direct instruction, demonstration, and practice.

(3) If your core value is “caring,” you could list examples of caring, including how:
• Students care for students (prayer, 2nd/5th buddies, 5th helping in kindergarten, older students looking out for younger students, attendance at co-curricular activities) and for staff (snacks for meetings).
• Staff care for students (prayer, attendance at co-curricular activities, Student Support Team), staff (prayer, sending bereavement cards, new staff orientation), and parents (Tuition Assistance Program).
• Parents care for students (prayer, attendance at co-curricular activities), staff (providing snacks and meals), and parents (PTA New Families Buddy Program).

SURVEY DATA
Analyze data from a survey that uses a set scale (4: Strongly Agree • 3: Agree • 2: Disagree • 1: Strongly Disagree) and that provides data on achievement levels for your schoolwide learning outcomes, accreditation standards, and core values. For example:

(1) If your schoolwide learning outcome is “Understands a biblical perspective,” ask:
• Students to respond to “I understand a biblical perspective of each subject I study.”
• Parents to respond to “My child understands a biblical perspective of each subject he/she studies.”
• Teachers to respond to “My students understand a biblical perspective of the subject(s) I teach.”

(2) If your accreditation standard about content is “Each student studies challenging, coherent, and relevant content,” ask:
• Students to respond to “I feel that what I am learning in my classes is important to my life both now and in the future.”
• Parents to respond to “I feel that what my child is learning in class is important to his/her life both now and in the future.”
• Teachers to respond to “I feel that what my students are learning in my class(es) is important to their lives both now and in the future.”

(3) If your core value is “caring,” ask:
• Students to respond to “My teachers collaborate with me.”
• Parents to respond to “Teachers collaborate with my child.”
• Teachers to respond to “I collaborate with my students.”

STANDARDS-BASED ASSESSMENT DATA
Use rubric-based assessment results regarding student work, accreditation standards, and core values to establish achievement ratings. For example:

(1) If your schoolwide learning outcome is “Communicate through writing, speaking, reading, listening, graphs and charts, and the arts,” use assessment data from student writing to determine how many students are below, at, and above standard on this schoolwide learning outcome.

(2) If your accreditation standard for assessment is “Assessment results are the basis for regular evaluation and improvement of content, assessment, and instruction,” have a committee review appropriate indicator data and survey data, as well as appropriate documentation, and then use a rubric to determine your achievement rating (“3: Assessment results usually are the basis for teacher evaluation and improvement of content, assessment, and instruction”).

(3) If your core value is “caring,” have a committee review appropriate indicator data and survey data, as well as appropriate documentation, and then use a rubric to determine your achievement rating (“4: Stakeholders care for others and are cared for by others”).

CHRISTIAN SCHOOL ACCREDITATION AGENCIES, PLEASE HELP
Measuring current mission achievement is both challenging and worthwhile. If Christian school accreditation agencies provided 2 tools, the task would be easier and schools could spend less energy on measuring current mission achievement and more energy on achieving the mission:

(1) A password-protected, customizable, online survey (a paper version would also be available):
• That has survey items which are aligned with accreditation standards.
• That tabulates, disaggregates, and graphs the data.

(2) A password-protected online database (complete with templates and data analysis tools)
• That can be used to monitor task completion.
• Into which report narrative can be inputted by standard and benchmark.
• Into which documented evidence can be submitted.
• From which the current level of mission achievement can be determined.
• From which a scoreboard of the current level of mission achievement and a self-study report can be published online, as a PDF, or on paper.

Can your students afford for you to not find out?

2006-05-31T08:37:00.000+09:00

If you knew you were coaching basketball, that your team was ahead 66-63, and that you were taking the ball in-bounds under your basket with 4 seconds remaining, how would this affect what you would tell your players in your final timeout?

If you knew that your goal was to have 90% of your students score at or above standard on using a biblical perspective of course content in an essay, that overall on the last assessment 78% scored at or above standard, and that on the last assessment 46% scored below standard on citing supporting Bible passages, how would this affect how you would prepare your students for the upcoming essay?

If you knew the definition of mission achievement and your current level of mission achievement, how would this impact your planning for next year regarding the following?
• Professional development
• Instructional supervision
• School environment
• School improvement plans
• Content, assessment, and instruction
• Support services
• Parent involvement
• Resource management and planning

How much is it worth to you to find out the definition of the achievement of your mission and your current level of mission achievement?

Can your students afford for you to not find out?

Christian teachers and accreditation agencies, target mission achievement

2006-05-31T08:35:00.000+09:00

Christian teachers, your mission is to equip students to impact the world for Christ. To achieve your mission, you need to increase your students’ understanding and use of a biblical perspective of course content. So you:
(1) Identify the content that students are to learn.
(2) Design an assessment, being sure it requires your students to connect course content, their lives, and a biblical perspective.
(3) Provide engaging instruction, including using models of student work, explaining rubrics, and giving direct instruction on vocabulary.
(4) Provide effective tools that your students can use to prepare for the assessment, including templates and web sites.
(5) Use a rubric to assess each student’s work, and provide each student with specific feedback designed to increase performance as described on the rubric.
(6) Give your students repeated practice on using a biblical perspective of course content.

Christian school accreditation agencies, your mission is to equip Christian schools to achieve their missions. So you:
(1) Identify the content schools are to learn:
• The definition of mission achievement (in terms of schoolwide learning outcomes, accreditation standards, and core values).
• The current level of mission achievement.
• The strategic steps needed to close the gap between targeted and current levels of mission achievement.

(2) Design an assessment that requires schools to demonstrate the identified content (see #1).

(3) Provide instructional support:
• Including sample documents (that come with a standards-based rubric ratings), rubrics for accreditation standards and benchmarks, and vocabulary lists.
• Through workshops, conventions, teleclasses, videoconferences, coaching, and online interactive tutorials.

(4) Provide effective tools for schools to use to prepare for the assessment, including:
• A password-protected, customizable, online survey that has survey items which are aligned with accreditation standards and that tabulates, disaggregates, and graphs the data. (A paper version would also be available.)
• A password-protected online database (complete with templates and data analysis tools) that can be used to monitor task completion and into which report narrative can be inputted by standard and benchmark, into which documented evidence can be submitted, from which the current level of mission achievement can be determined, and from which a scoreboard of the current level of mission achievement and a self-study report can be published online, as a PDF, or on paper.

(5) Use a rubric to assess each school’s work, and provide each school with specific feedback designed to increase performance as described on the rubric.

(6) Give your schools repeated practice by requiring them to use the online database (see #4) to update current levels of mission achievement on a semesterly or annual basis.

To achieve the mission, teachers and accreditation agencies must target mission achievement. Using the 6-step process can help.

To achieve your mission, define the current level of mission achievement

2006-05-26T12:32:00.000+09:00

You have a mission: Equip students to impact the world for Christ

You have defined mission achievement in terms of outputs and inputs:
(1) Outputs: Each of our 15 schoolwide learning outcomes will have an achievement rating of 90% of high school students at or above standard, scores being taken from a complete set of end-of-course common assessments

(2) Inputs: (A) Each of our 14 accreditation standards will have a rating of “above standard,” scores being based on a rubric. (B) Each of our 5 Christ-centered core values will have a rating of “above standard,” scores being based on a rubric.

Your next step is to determine the current level of mission achievement. Collect and analyze assessment data to answer the following 3 questions:
(1) How many of the 15 schoolwide learning outcomes have an achievement rating of 90% of school students at or above standard? Answer—7.
(2) How many of the 14 accreditation standards have a rating of “above standard”? Answer—9.
(3) How many of the 5 Christ-centered core values have a rating of “above standard”? Answer—2.

To achieve your mission, you must score 100% on your 3 outputs and inputs. So, your next step is to define and implement strategic action steps to close the gap between the targeted achievement level and current achievement level.

Any ideas? How about ensuring that 100% of your staff know the mission, the definition of mission achievement, and the current level of mission achievement?

For further information on defining the current level of achievement, please also visit my web site and download “MOSAIC_curriculum_framework,” a combination of two articles that describe how to align mission, schoolwide learning outcomes, standards, and assessments; and how to assess standards, and, consequently, schoolwide learning outcomes and the mission.

Please also see my May 24, 2006, blog entry, “What are you going to tell them?”

Rally around mission achievement

2006-05-26T12:31:00.000+09:00

As teachers, we rally in crisis. This is good.

• A 6th grader has chicken pox. As her teachers, we work together to create a list of assignments (making modifications as necessary), send appropriate materials home, invite the student and her parents to check in—and the student keeps up and makes a reasonably smooth transition back into class.

• A 9th grader is struggling. As his teachers, we review assessment data and talk together, talk to the student and his parents, and collaborate to develop a support plan that includes tutoring sessions before school—and his performance improves.

• Exams are 5 days away, and a senior has to attend her grandmother’s funeral in another country. The senior was close to her grandmother, is disturbed by her death, and is concerned about finishing the year. We as her teachers, in collaboration with the principal and counselor, develop an effective plan that provides time for grieving and for taking exams—the student attends the funeral, completes the exams, and heads off to summer vacation knowing we care for her.

In crisis, we rally, we focus, and we collaborate at a high level towards a common goal. And while we don’t live in constant crisis and wouldn’t want to, we do want to collaborate at a high level towards a common goal—on a regular basis.

What can we do? Define a rallying point. Ask for God’s help in identifying what He would have our school do (mission), define mission achievement, and work collaboratively to achieve the mission—daily.

God wants our best, both in and out of crisis. Our students need our best, both in and out of crisis, Most of life is not a crisis, and collaboratively focusing on achieving our mission is an effective way to rally, to achieve great things for God, and to serve students at a high level.

To achieve your mission, start by defining mission achievement

2006-05-26T12:29:00.000+09:00

Your goal is to run fast. You want to achieve your goal.

Any questions?

I have two:
(1) How far? 1 kilometer? 10 kilometers? 100 kilometers?
(2) How fast? 5 minutes per kilometer? 4 minutes per kilometer? 3 minutes per kilometer?

Get answers to these two questions, and you’ll have a clearer understanding of what you must do to achieve your goal. In other words, define achievement, and you’ll know what you need to do.

Make sure your definition of achievement is specific, measurable, attainable, and relevant. For example,
• Instead of “run fast,” run 400 meters in 51.2 seconds.
• Instead of “play the trumpet well,” earn a rating of 2 at the instrumental solo and ensemble festival.
• Instead of “read and write well,” earn a rating of 3 on the AP test for literature and composition.
• Instead of “get good grades,” earn a 3.3 GPA.

Defining achievement is useful for you—and for your organization. For example, your school has a mission: Equipping students to impact the world for Christ. You want to achieve it.

Any questions?

I have two:
(1) For a student to be equipped to impact the world for Christ, what must a student understand, be able to do, and value? Must your students be able to understand and use a biblical perspective of course content? Must your students be able to communicate through writing, speaking, reading, listening, graphs and charts, and the arts?

(2) For a student to be equipped, at what level must a student understand, do, and value? Below standard? At standard? Above standard?

Get answers to these two questions, and you’ll have a clearer understanding of what you must do to achieve your school’s mission. In other words, to achieve your school’s mission, start by defining mission achievement.

And be sure to define achievement in terms of outputs (what students do) and inputs (what the school does). For example:

OUTPUTS: Each of our 15 schoolwide learning outcomes will have an achievement rating of 90% of high school students at or above standard, scores being taken from a complete set of end-of-course common assessments.

INPUTS
• Each of our 14 accreditation standards will have a rating of “above standard,” scores being based on a rubric.
• Each of our 5 Christ-centered core values will have a rating of “above standard,” scores being based on a rubric.

Once you have defined mission achievement, your next two steps are:
(1) Define the current level of mission achievement.
(2) Implement action plans to close the gap between the current and targeted achievement level.

For further information on mission achievement, please see the following blog entries:
• April 28, 2006: Get answers to 4 questions
• Feb. 25, 2006: Develop effective ends and hold staff accountable to achieve them

Please also visit my web site and download “The_Rhetoric_Reality_Gap,” an article that describes how you can define mission achievement in terms of measurable student learning.

What are you going to tell them?

2006-05-24T15:47:00.000+09:00

You’re coaching a game.

You're not sure of the score (because there’s no scoreboard). You don’t have game stats. And you don’t have a handle on how well your players should be performing, given the team you’re playing. Meanwhile, you’re pleased that the crowd is cheering. You call for a time out. You have 60 seconds to talk with your players.

What will you tell them?

What will you tell them to do to reach success? Remember, you don’t know the score, the stats, or how well your team should be doing.

Well, what are you going to tell them? Your players are waiting.

Not a good situation. And one that may play out in life more often than we think. For example, to what extent is it similar to what happens in Christian schools?

You’re leading a Christian school.

You’re not sure how well you’re doing because you have not defined mission achievement or the current level of mission achievement. You don’t have disaggregated student assessment data. Meanwhile, you’re pleased that the parents are happy with the education their children receive.

You schedule a staff meeting. You have 60 minutes to talk with your staff.

What will you tell them? What you will you tell them to do to achieve the mission? Remember, you have not defined mission achievement or the current level of mission achievement.

Well, what are you going to tell them? Your staff is waiting.

Want increased results? Get coaching

2006-05-22T07:02:00.000+09:00

You have defined mission achievement, the current level of mission achievement, and a plan to close the gap. You believe that accomplishing your plan will make a significant difference.

You know that your schedule is full of good things that will distract you from achieving your plan. And you recall that this past year, you had planned to develop a staff development handbook—it still isn’t done.

What can you do?

Invest 30 minutes each week in coaching.

During your 30-minute coaching session, you’ll develop concrete steps to accomplish your plan, and you’ll receive the support, encouragement, and accountability you need to achieve your plan.

To get increased results, get coaching. Your mission is worth it.

Being a Christian does not equal understanding a biblical perspective of romaticism

2006-05-12T17:21:00.000+09:00

You are new teacher at Faithful Christian School. Your students come from Christian homes, say they are Christians, and regularly attend church, Sunday school, and youth group. They behave well, encourage each other, and focus on learning. You like teaching at Faithful Christian, and parents thank you for being a positive role model.

In your English class, you help your students grapple with romanticism and realism, and you ask them to use realism to evaluate romanticism. This involves upper level thinking, and your students do well.

Next, you ask your students to use a biblical perspective to evaluate romanticism, and they don’t do as well. You are puzzled, particularly since both assignments required a similar skill set. You wonder, “Why didn’t they get it?”

You reflect on what you did. “I used direct instruction to teach romanticism and realism, had them analyze several pieces of literature which reflect each perspective, had them role play each perspective, and finally had them complete a Venn diagram regarding the 2 perspectives. And they got it. They understood romanticism, and they know a lot about the Bible, so why didn’t they get it?”

Why didn’t they get it? In the second example, students did not:
(1) Receive direct instruction of a biblical perspective of the issues romanticism seeks to address.
(2)Analyze relevant Christian doctrines and Bible passages.
(3) Role play a biblical perspective.
(4) Complete a Venn diagram regarding romanticism and a biblical perspective.

What enabled students to succeed on the first assessment was not provided to students for the second assessment. Please remember that being a Christian who behaves well does not mean that a student proficiently understands and can use a biblical perspective of course content.

Make a plan to close the gap

2006-05-06T07:35:00.000+09:00

Use an effective school improvement plan to close the gap between the current and targeted level of mission achievement.

An effective school improvement plan:
1. Targets mission achievement as defined by your school: To what extent will accomplishing the plan increase mission achievement?

2. Is based on the current level of mission achievement: To what extent is your plan based on data regarding achievement levels of student learning and reaccreditation standards?

3. Is attainable: Does your organization have the capacity to accomplish the plan? Are the right people in the right roles? Does your plan have a limited number of action plans (so that staff do not get scattered)? Have you identified and addressed what your staff needs to do more, start doing, and stop doing for the plan to be accomplished?

4. Is cost-effective: Will you get more out than you put in?

5. Is collaboratively developed: To what extent does each action plan reflect the professional experience of those involved in executing a given action plan?

6. Facilitates staff focus on one action plan at a time (for example, developing curriculum): When staff focus on more than one action plan at a time, staff are less likely to accomplish a given plan.

7. Ensures that everyone understands what s/he needs to do: What mechanism will you use to ensure that everyone understands his/her role in accomplishing a given action plan? Understands the relationship between what s/he is to do, a given action plan, and mission achievement?

8. Has built-in support, encouragement, and accountability: For the plan to be accomplished, what support (e.g., professional development) is needed? Who will provide it? Given that change is challenging, who will provide encouragement? And what about accountability? How will action plan progress be monitored? Who will do this? How often? (Weekly? Monthly? Quarterly?) What happens if an action plan is accomplished? What happens if an action plan is not accomplished?

Want to learn more? I am available to dialogue with ACSI international/MK schools located in Asia, on a time-permitting basis. Please contact me by sending me an email (click on “comment” link or open my profile and click the “Email” link).

Take 3 steps to close the gap

2006-05-04T14:05:00.000+09:00

(1) DEFINE mission achievement, the current level of mission achievement, and the strategic steps needed to close the gap between current and targeted achievement levels.

(2) IDENTIFY behaviors you need to keep doing, start doing, and stop doing in order to take the strategic steps.

(3) GET the support, encouragement, and accountability you need to take the strategic steps, to close the gap.

Training can help you achieve your mission

2006-05-02T10:14:00.000+09:00

You are working to achieve your mission. You want 100% of your school’s staff to understand the:
(1) Mission
(2) Definition of mission achievement
(3) Current level of mission achievement on all schoolwide learning outcomes
(4) Strategic steps they need to take to close the gap between current and targeted achievement levels

You feel good that all of your staff know and can recite the mission. Now you want to define mission achievement, define the current level of mission achievement, and help staff know what they need to do to achieve the mission.

How will you do this?

How about offering training? What might happen if your staff participated in the following four 90-minute workshops?

(1) Define Mission Achievement: Want to achieve your mission? Start by defining mission achievement in terms of measurable student learning. Learn what schoolwide learning outcomes are and effective criteria for developing them. Create a plan for developing (or revising) learning outcomes. Next, define the level of student learning needed to achieve the mission.

(2) Measure Mission Achievement: To what extent are you achieving your mission? Learn 4 ways to measure your mission in terms of student learning. Practice using each way. Next, develop a plan to measure your mission.

(3) Measure Student Application of a Biblical Perspective: Want to increase student application of a biblical perspective to course content? Learn how to use classroom assessments to measure and increase student achievement. Use 4 criteria to develop an effective biblical perspective assessment. Practice using one or more “hot tips” to make your assessment even more effective.

(4) Increase Student Application of a Biblical Perspective: How? Learn the 5-step IDEAL process. Use the process to define your students’ learning needs regarding understanding and using a biblical perspective of course content. Explore ways to address learning needs. Develop a plan for addressing student learning needs.

Interested? I am available to offer these workshops to international/MK schools located in Asia, on a time-permitting basis. Please contact me by sending me an email (click on “comment” link or open my profile and click the “Email” link).

Get the answers to 4 questions

2006-04-28T13:04:00.000+09:00

Christian schools work hard to achieve their missions. Four key questions to consider regarding mission achievement are:
(1) What is the mission?
(2) What is the definition of mission achievement?
(3) To what extent is your school achieving its mission?
(4) How will you close the gap between current and desired achievement?

Answers to these 4 questions are powerful tools in helping your school achieve the mission.

Just imagine the impact of having 100% of your school’s staff understand the:
(1) Mission: To equip students to impact the world for Christ.
(2) Definition of mission achievement: 90% of students at or above standard on all schoolwide learning outcomes.
(3) Current level of achievement on all schoolwide learning outcomes—for example, 69% of students at/above standard on applying a biblical perspective of course content.
(4) Strategic steps they need to take to close the gap between current and targeted achievement levels—for example, giving students 6 assessments per year that require them to connect course content, life experience, and a biblical perspective.

Need a place to start?

Start by defining mission achievement in terms of measurable schoolwide learning outcomes.

To learn more, please visit my website (see profile) and download “The_Rhetoric_Reality_Gap” which outlines 8 things to consider when developing schoolwide learning outcomes, sample outcomes, and a set of criteria for developing effective outcomes.

You can also read related entries in this blog, including:
• “Develop effective ends” (Feb. 25, 2006)
• “6 ways to focus energy on mission achievement” (Jan. 13, 2006)
• “5 reasons we use student objectives” (Nov. 3, 2005)
• “14 characteristics of effective student objectives” (Oct. 18, 2005)
• “Attainable vision (2), define the rhetoric” (June 20, 2005)

I am available to consult with ACSI schools (particularly international/MK schools located in Asia that have joint ACSI/WASC accreditation), on a time-permitting basis. Interested? Please contact me by sending me an email (click on “comment” link or open my profile and click the “Email” link).

I am committed to biblical perspective literacy

2006-04-27T11:47:00.000+09:00

A key success of Christian education is students having a high level of biblical literacy, including knowing Bible stories, the cultural mandate and Great Commission, the plan of salvation, the 10 Commandments and Beattitudes, the books of the Bible, and the fruit of the Spirit.

I am committed to biblical literacy, and I am committed to biblical perspective literacy.

I am committed to students understanding a biblical perspective of all subject areas and all course content—including key concepts/issues (like ecology, social justice, wealth, government, mass media, substance abuse, and conflict), world religions, and worldviews.. And I am committed to students proficiently using a biblical perspective, to students using a biblical perspective with a high degree of automaticity.

I am committed.

Join me.

Take your meetings to the next level

2006-04-21T18:20:00.000+09:00

Closing the rhetoric/reality gap involves meetings—purposful collaboration sessions that result in increased clarity regarding what each person needs to do for the mission to be achieved.

To take your meeting to the next level, what do you need do?

Here are 5 options:
(1) Explain how each agenda item is connected to the big picture.
(2) As much as possible, only put Quadrant 2 (important/not urgent) items on the agenda. Do not put Quadrant 3 (urgent/not important) or Quadrant 4 (not important/not urgent) items on the agenda.
(3) Use a specific meeting structure; for example, report on assigned tasks, identify team goals to be achieved by the next meeting, discuss issues related to achieving those goals, and specify SMART goals for each person necessary for achieving the team goals. Train those who attend to use the structure.
(4) Make sure everyone has a SMART goal to accomplish by the next meeting.
(5) Adopt explicit meeting purposes and norms. Use them to run your meetings.

If you implemenented 1 or more of these options, what might happen? To what extent would productivity be increased? To what extent would meetings become purposful collaboration sessions that result in increased clarity regarding what each person needs to do for the mission to be achieved?

99 questions you can use to help students understand and use a biblical perspective

2006-04-17T14:21:00.000+09:00

1. How am I a witness for God?
2. How are God's mercy and justice related?
3. How aware should I be of culture?
4. How can art express my beliefs?
5. How can art express our relationship with God and creation?
6. How can I be a good caretaker?
7. How can I be a wise steward?
8. How can I bring change?
9. How can I care for God's creation?
10. How can I care for my body?
11. How can I care for sound?
12. How can I communicate the truth in love?
13. How can I depict the Christian faith?
14. How can I maintain my body as God's temple?
15. How can I make healthy decisions?
16. How can I relate to the target culture?
17. How can I bridge cultural differences?
18. How can I repair relationships?
19. How can I serve God and others?
20. How can I solve the problem?
To see questions 21-99, please go to http://classes.caj.or.jp/messenburg
Download "99BiblicalPerspectiveQuestions."

Is your organization’s scoreboard effective?

2006-04-17T14:10:00.000+09:00

Your organization regularly uses a scoreboard to report progress towards goals. This scoreboard:
(1) Describes progress toward mission achievement
(2) Is used to drive mission achievement
(3) Gets paid a lot of attention to by a variety of stakeholders

What is it?

Before answering that question, let’s review 2 reasons why it is important to use an effective scoreboard:
(1) What gets reported is valued or becomes valued by scoreboard developers
(2) What gets reported is valued or becomes valued by scoreboard users

So back to my question: What’s the scoreboard your organization (school) regularly uses? The report card. How you report student achievement affects what students, parents, and staff think about Christian education.
(1) How effective is your report card/scoreboard?
(2) What does your report card/scoreboard communicate?
(3) What does it say should be valued?

Christian schools provide Christ-centered education—education that is distinctively Christian and academically excellent. Christian schools should use a report card that includes information on “distinctively Christian” and “academically excellent.” What kind of report card does your school use?

Look at the following and identify if the report card (scoreboard) provides information on “distinctively Christian,” “academically excellent,” or both.
(1) Subjects: Bible, English, math, music, science, and social studies.
(2) School Outcomes: Responsible Learners, Discerning Thinkers, Productive Collaborators, Effective Communicators, and Faithful Caretakers.

My recommendation? Use a combination of 1 and 2.
• Option 1 (subjects) is user-friendly for students, parents, and other schools and colleges.
• Option 2 (school outcomes) will include specific data on “distinctively Christian.”

What might the short-term and long-term effect be if, for example, your report card contained data on “Discerning Thinker 1: Uses a biblical perspective of course content”? What might scoreboard developers and users value if the scoreboard contained data on “Productive Collaborator 1: Respects self and others as image bearers of God” and “Faithful Caretaker 1: Serves God and others, and cares for creation”?

I am encouraged that our elementary school is developing an effective report card/scoreboard by using a combination of 1 and 2. This new report card/scoreboard will report both “distinctively Christian” and “academically excellent.” In doing so, it will communicate:
• That we value “distinctively Christian” and “academically excellent”
• How we equip students to impact the world for Christ

Close the Gap: Empowering Christian Leaders and Organizations

2006-04-14T07:39:00.000+09:00

Michael Essenburg: Coach • Consultant • Catalyst

My mission:
Empowering Christian leaders and organizations to close the rhetoric/reality gap

I am passionate about:
1. Faithfulness to God
2. Empowering Christian leaders and organizations
3. Mission achievement
4. Asking questions
5. Collaboration
6. Innovation
7. Transformational change

Services I provide include empowering Christian leaders and organizations:
1. To define the mission in measurable terms
2. To define important goals necessary for mission achievement and to take specific steps to achieve the goals
3. To develop scoreboards that measure progress and motivate staff to focus on achieving the goals
4. Through coaching by providing the support, encouragement, and accountability that leaders need to increase personal and professional effectiveness
5. By developing prototype processes and policies
6. Through training in specific ways of closing the gap

It needs to be automatic

2006-04-13T07:06:00.000+09:00

It needs to be automatic. Not mindless—automatic.

Being educated involves being able to do some things automatically. For example:
• Typing the correct letters on the keyboard
• Knowing when to go left in a basketball game
• Reciting John 3:16
• Using the writing process when doing an essay
• Speaking with appropriate volume and pace
• Knowing that 5 X 5 = 25
• Spelling words correctly

How much practice does a student need before she can do the above?

It needs to be automatic. Being educated at a Christian school involves being able to do some things automatically. For example, using a biblical perspective.
(1) How much practice does a student need to “automatically” use a biblical perspective in each subject area?
(2) How much practice do students currently receive?
(3) What will you do to close the gap?

Give students quality practice to help them proficiently use a biblical perspective

2006-04-11T11:39:00.000+09:00

Learning involves practice:
(1) How many math problems does a student need to successfully complete to learn math?
(2) How many essays does a student need to write to write effectively and efficiently?
(3) How many times does a choir need to rehearse a song in preparation for a concert?
(4) How many keystrokes does a student need to make to master keyboarding?

Yes, learning involves practice. Involves repetition.

So, how many times does a student need to practice using a biblical perspective in a given subject so that she can use it effectively and efficiently on a classroom assessment?

If every student in every class in every unit completed an assessment requiring the use of a biblical perspective, would that be sufficient practice? Yes and no.

• Yes—that would be enough practice. This would mean that students would do 6-8 assessments per year requiring them to use a biblical perspective. Assuming a student takes 6 classes, that means 36-48 assessments per year. That's 144-196 assessments during high school. Sound like a lot? It's not, really. How many math problems do students do per chapter, per year, during high school?

• No—I say no, because repetition alone is insufficient. In addition to repetition, students need quality practice, need quality assessments. What are the characteristics of an effective biblical perspective assessment? An effective biblical perspective assessment:
(1) Requires students to connect course content and a biblical perspective OR course content, their lives, and a biblical perspective
(2) Assesses student learning (not student faith)
(3) Is worthy of being taught to
(4) Is rigorous—challenging, engaging, requires appropriate thinking levels
(5) Students can make choices about content and format

In summary, students need quality practice in order to proficiently use a biblical perspective.

Use engaging instructional strategies to help students understand and use a biblical perspective of course content

2006-03-31T15:50:00.000+09:00

At Christian schools, students develop an informed commitment to Jesus.
(1) To develop an informed commitment, students need to understand and use a biblical perspective.
(2) Students increase their understanding and use of a biblical perspective in all subjects by responding to biblical perspective questions regarding course content.
(3) Students increase their understanding and use of a biblical perspective as they complete rigorous assessments that require them to connect course content, their lives, and a biblical perspective.
(4) Student assessment performance increases when students prepare for assessments by experiencing engaging instructional strategies.

At CAJ, using engaging instructional strategies means:
(1) Using student-centered instruction, in recognition that it's the students that have to understand and use a biblical perspective.
• not •
Using teacher-centered instruction, the goal being for the teacher to be a master at teaching from a biblical perspective.

(2) Students doing discussion, debate, case studies, answering difficult questions, and journaling.
• not •
Teachers talking.

(3) Students responding to biblical perspective questions.
• not •
Teachers praying at the start of class OR teachers asking students to sing a song that is not explicitly connected to course content OR teachers reading a verse at the start of class and not explaining it OR teachers doing object lessons.

(4) Students using a biblical perspective to develop a variety of acceptable answers.
• not •
Teachers using a biblical perspective to tell the students the acceptable answers or what to think.

(5) Students using classtime to reflect. During each unit, have your students journal about connections between their faith and what they are studying.
• not •
Students reflecting on their own time.

Use assessments to help students understand and use a biblical perspective of course content

2006-03-31T15:39:00.000+09:00

At Christian schools, students develop an informed commitment to Jesus.
(1) To develop an informed commitment, students need to understand and use a biblical perspective.
(2) Students increase their understanding and use of a biblical perspective in all subjects by responding to biblical perspective questions regarding course content.
(3) Students increase their understanding and use of a biblical perspective as they complete rigorous assessments that require them to connect course content, their lives, and a biblical perspective.

At CAJ, assessing student understanding and use of a biblical perspective of course content means:

(1) Requiring students to connect course content and a biblical perspective OR to connect course content, their lives, and a biblical perspective. For example: “Write a 500-word critique of a favorite song from a biblical perspective. Explain the author’s meaning, the literary and poetic techniques the author uses to communicate the meaning, evaluate that meaning from a biblical perspective, and weave in your response to the lyrics.”
• not •
Requiring students to address course content OR address a biblical perspective OR connect course content and their lives OR connect their lives and a biblical perspective

(2) Giving rigorous assessments that are challenging and engaging, and that require appropriate thinking levels.
• not •
Giving assessment that are easy to do, feel like school work instead of real work, and require thinking levels that are too low or too high.

(3) Assessing student learning.
• not •
Assessing student faith.

(4) Assessing what students have learned at school.
• not •
Assessing what students learned at home or in church.

(5) Giving assessments that are worthy of being taught to—you cannot over prepare students for a really good assessment.
• not •
Not worthy of being taught to.

(6) The audience is someone outside the classroom.
• not •
The audience is the teacher or students in the class.

(7) Students making choices about content and format.
• not •
Students not making choices about content and format.

Ask students questions to help them understand and use a biblical perspective of course content

2006-03-31T15:27:00.000+09:00

At Christian schools, students develop an informed commitment to Jesus. To develop an informed commitment, students need to understand and use a biblical perspective.

Students increase their understanding and use of a biblical perspective in all subjects by responding to biblical perspective questions regarding course content. At CAJ, we ask students biblical perspective questions that:
(1) Connect course content, students' lives, and a biblical perspective.
•not that•
Address course content OR students' lives OR a biblical perspective.

(2) Require students to recall, comprehend, analyze, synthesize, and evaluate.
•not that•
Require students to recall and comprehend

(3) Grab students' attention.
•not that•
Bore students or leave students feeling uninterested.

(4) Allow for a variety of acceptable student answers.
•not that•
Allow for teacher answers OR 1 right answer.

(5) Are 10 words or less.
•not that•
Are more than 10 words.

(6) Using words students understand and gravitate to.
•not•
Using words that students don't understand or don't gravitate to.

Help students use a biblical perspective

2006-03-31T15:19:00.000+09:00

At Christian schools, students develop an informed commitment to Jesus. To develop an informed commitment, students need to understand and use a biblical perspective.

At CAJ, helping students use a biblical perspective means:
(1) Students applying biblical principles.
• not •
Students recalling biblical principles.

(2) Students applying subject-specific biblical truths, Bible verses, or content from articles they have read about what Christians believe and think.
• not •
Students learning subject-specific biblical truths, memorizing Bible verses, and reading articles on what Christians believe and think.

(3) Students identifying which Christian position on war they hold and applying this position to the war in Iraq.
• not •
Students identifying which Christian position on war they hold OR students applying a position on war not held by the Church or not taught in class.

(4) Before assigning an essay requiring students to use a biblical perspective, having your students read two or more sample essays that demonstrate using a biblical perspective effectively.
• not •
Assigning an essay and not providing example essays that demonstrate using a biblical perspective effectively.

(5) Having them do case studies, projects, and presentations.
• not •
Once each semester, giving your students practice in applying a biblical perspective to course content.

Help students understand a biblical perspective

2006-03-31T15:09:00.000+09:00

At Christian schools, students develop an informed commitment to Jesus. To develop an informed commitment, students need to understand and use a biblical perspective.

At CAJ, helping students understand a biblical perspective means:
(1) Students learning subject-specific biblical truths, memorizing Bible verses, and reading articles on what Christians believe and think.
• not •
Students applying subject-specific biblical truths, Bible verses, or content from articles they have read about what Christians believe and think.

(2) Building on what students have learned at home or in church by providing value-added content. (Value-added content includes new content and/or helping students make connections between course content and a biblical perspective.)
• not •
Relying on the home or church to teach a biblical perspective of course content

(3) Students recalling 5 biblical truths for a given subject area and developing each truth using several Bible verses
• not •
Students listing Bible verses OR taking verses out of context OR developing biblical truths primarily with their own thinking

(4) Students explaining Christian positions on war.
• not •
Students explaining their position on war.

(5) Students explaining what the Bible teaches.
• not •
Students giving their opinions.

(6) Students learning multiple evangelical Christian positions on social issues
• not •
Students learning 1 evangelical Christian position on social issues

(7) Students learning biblical principles that apply to a given social issue.
• not •
Students recalling Sunday School answers.

(8) Students doing recall and comprehension.
• not •
Students doing application (which would mean using a biblical perspective).

(9) Explaining how your faith informs your selection of content, development of assessments, and selection of instruction strategies. For example, explain to your students that they are going to learn about ecology because God commands us to take care of His world.
• not •
Assuming that students understand how you use a biblical perspective to select content, develop assessments, and select instructional strategies.

(10) A Christian who teaches Christianly.
• not •
A Christian who teaches.

(11) Teaching key vocabulary: biblical perspective, integration of faith and learning, image bearer, temple of the Holy Spirit, and worldview.
• not•
Assuming that students understand the vocabularly used with talking about a biblical perspective.

Help students develop an informed commitment to Jesus

2006-03-31T14:51:00.000+09:00

We believe that God gives parents the primary responsibility for the education of children.
(1) Parents are primarily responsible to help their children develop an informed commitment to Jesus.
(2) CAJ assists parents by helping children develop an informed commitment to Jesus.

At CAJ, what does helping students develop an informed commitment to Jesus mean? It means:
(1) Teaching course content and teaching a biblical perspective of course content.
• not •
Teaching only course content or teaching only a biblical perspective.

(2) Helping students learn about the Bible so that they can make an informed commitment to Jesus.
• not •
Focusing primarily on asking students to make a commitment to Jesus.

(3) Remembering church, home, and school work together.
• not •
Thinking the school has to do it all.

(4) Doing devotions to start the day.
• not •
Doing devotions in every class every day.

(5) Staff modeling Christ-like behavior to establish an environment that encourages students to learn about a biblical perspective.
• not •
Staff modeling Christ-like behavior and regularly using a good portion of instruction time to talk about Christ-like behavior.

(6) Assessing student understanding and use of a biblical perspective of course content.
• not •
Assessing how committed students are to using a biblical perspective of course content.

(7) Middle schoolers feeding poor people in Ikebukuro.
• not •
Middle schoolers regularly feeding poor people in Ikebukuro at the expense of instructional time.

(8) Grading student work that demonstrates understanding and use of a biblical perspective of course content.
• not •
Not grading student work that demonstrates understanding and use of a biblical perspective of course content.

3 steps to closing the gap

2006-03-30T16:39:00.000+09:00

(1) Target 100% of staff...
• Being able to recite the mission statement.
• Knowing how your school defines mission achievement.
• Knowing the top 3 improvement plans your school is implementing in order to achieve your mission.
• Knowing what they have to do in order to achieve the improvement plans.
• Being regularly held accountable to achieve the improvement plans (and consequently your mission).

(2) Determine the current percentage for each item.

(3) Identify and take steps to move the percentage for each item to 100.

Use coaching to navigate change and to achieve your mission

2006-03-23T06:43:00.000+09:00

We are faced with change:
1. Change is a function of the information age. Change has and will continue to happen in schools.
2. To achieve your mission, you have, are, and will implement change.

To effectively make the necessary changes, we need to understand the change process:
1. Change involves knowing what to do and receiving the support, encouragement, and accountability to do it.
2. Change is more a function of motivation than information.
3. Change is relational, experiential, and transformational.
4. Change happens as staff take responsibility by defining, committing to, and achieving goals.

Coaching helps staff to navigate change effectively and to achieve the mission:
1. Coaching helps staff reflect on and grapple with change.
2. Coaching provides the support, encouragement, and accountability staff need in order to successfully make changes, for example, in developing curriculum.
3. Coaching increases the payoff of professional development.

If the goal is to achieve the mission and if the context is change, I recommend that schools increasingly move toward a culture of coaching, preferably one that helps staff achieve professional and personal growth goals.

Consider 2 adaptations of policy governance

2006-03-20T09:05:00.000+09:00

Using policy governance has helped us focus and be more accountable. To get the most out of policy governance, I recommend 2 adaptations:

(1) That the board develop overall ends and ask the administration to develop ends addressing student learning (for information, see Feb. 25: “Develop effective ends and hold staff accountable to achieve them”).

(2) That the mission statement, provided it is does not directly correspond to the overall end, be developed by the administration.

What does adaptation #2 look like?

Imagine that the overall end is as follows: Consistent with Article II and III of the Constitution, assist evangelical missionaries living in Japan with the education of their children by providing financially affordable, day-school Christian education.

This end, while effective as an overall ends statement, is not effective as a mission statement. Given this, I recommend that the board use policy to require that the headmaster use a mission statement to focus energy on achieving the ends.

Doing this requires the headmaster to use sound research and practice (using a mission statement) and allows the headmaster to develop a tool to focus energy on achieving the ends.

What would a board policy requiring the headmaster to use a mission statement look like? The headmaster shall not fail to have mission statement.
(1) The mission statement shall:
• Identify the school name, target population, and purpose
• Be consistent with Articles I, II, and III of the Constitution
• Be consistent with Board Policy 1.0
• Be consistent with Board Policy 2.4.1
• Be user-friendly, meeting at least 3 of the following 4 criteria: jargon-free, is 25 words or less, precise, and easy to memorize.
(2) The mission statement shall be submitted to the board for review to determine whether it meets the board's established criteria.

Use the GROW model to achieve your mission

2006-03-18T15:55:00.000+09:00

You’re on a mission—to equip your students to impact the world for Christ. Good. How are you going to operationalize your mission? What steps will you take to achieve your mission? Where will you begin?

Begin by using the GROW model, a 4-stop process:
(1) Goal: What’s your goal?
(2) Reality: What’s the current reality?
(3) Options: What are some options you can pursue to reach your goal?
(4) Will: What SMART goal will you implement?

What does the GROW model look like in action? Here’s a summary of a coaching session I did with a teacher:

(1) GOAL:
Coach: What’s your goal? What do you want to see happen?
••Client: I want all my students to be able to use a biblical perspective in an essay--at a satisfactory or above level.

(2) REALITY:
Coach: A worthy goal. What’s the current reality?
••Client: Well, my students need to a better understanding of a biblical perspective, and they aren’t able to provide substantial evidence. A few of the kids don’t see why using a biblical perspective is important. I’m not clear enough on what effectively using a biblical perspective looks like.

(3) OPTIONS:
Coach: What are 5 options you could pursue?
••Client: I could give more practice. I could have them read an article about a biblical perspective or modify my assessment prompts. I could give students skill practice in citing at least 3 Bible verses to support a given point. And I could talk about how God sees things, rather than talking about a biblical perspective.

(4) WILL:
Coach: What will you do? Make a SMART goal.
••Client: By next Friday, my students will demonstrate their understanding of 3 biblical views of women through journal entries.
Coach: On a scale of 1-10 (10 being high), how committed are you to this goal?
••Client: 9

So, that’s the GROW model in action. Now, here’s your chance to use it to work toward achieving your mission. I recommend you write down your responses, or even better, talk with a coach.
(1) Goal: What’s your goal?
(2) Reality: What’s the current reality?
(3) Options: What are some options you can pursue to reach your goal?
(4) Will: What SMART goal will you implement?

Every student, in every class, in every unit

2006-03-14T18:12:00.000+09:00

Imagine.

Every student, in every class, in every unit—proficiently demonstrating an understanding and/or use of a biblical perspective to complete an assessment.

Imagine.

If this happened...
(1) How would this affect your students' understanding of the importance of looking at all of life through the lens of Scripture?
(2) How would this affect your students' ability to impact the world for Christ?
(3) How would current parents respond?
(4) How would parents considering sending their children to your school respond?
(5) How would staff at your school respond?
(6) How would your board respond?
(7) How would this affect the achievement of your school's outcomes and mission?

Just imagine.

What are you willing to do to make this a reality?
(1) On a scale of 1-10 (10 being high), how committed are you to this? (How committed is God to having students at Christian school proficiently using a biblical perspective on course content?)

(2) If you said 8 or less, what would it take for you to say 9 or 10?

I want students at Christian schools to be proficient

2006-03-08T08:06:00.000+09:00

I want students at Christian schools to be proficient in:
• Understanding a biblical perspective of course content.
• Using a biblical perspective of course content.
• Respecting themselves and others as God's image bearers.
• Serving God/others and caring for God's creation.
• Valuing and maintaining physical, social, emotional, moral, and spiritual health.

I believe that helping students become proficient in these areas will support/is aligned with our efforts to provide academically excellent, Christ-centered education. And I want to collaborate with others to help students do this.

5-step plan to help students understand and use a biblical perspective of course content

2006-03-01T21:31:00.000+09:00

(1) Make your mission Christ-centered

(2) Develop distinctively Christian student objectives, one of which should be "understand a biblical perspective of course content."

(3) For each subject area, identify what a student must know in order to "understand a biblical perpective of course content." This can done through enduring understandings, essential questions, or both.

(4) Use authentic assessments to assess how well a student understands and can use a biblical perspective of course content.

(5) Prepare students for the authentic assessments with engaging instructional strategies, including journaling and case studies.

Develop effective ends and hold staff accountable to achieve them

2006-02-25T08:57:00.000+09:00

To close the rhetoric/reality gap in Christian education, develop ends and hold staff accountable to achieve the ends. The ends must be written in a way that staff can be accountable to achieve them.

What are 2 ways to develop ends?
(1) The school board can develop the overall and specific ends.
(2) The board can develop the overall end and delegate development of specific ends (schoolwide outcomes) to the administration.

I recommend the second option, and at CAJ, the board had developed a policy that the administration must use when developing specific ends (what we call, student objectives).

Are there criteria for developing schoolwide outcomes/student objectives? Yes. At CAJ, we use the following criteria (from CAJ’s board policy)—the commentary is my explanation of each. Schoolwide outcomes should be:

(1) Consistent with overall board-stated end: Outcomes should define overall end in terms of student learning, making the overall end actionable in specific ways.

(2) Christ-centered, promoting the development and application of a biblical worldview.
• True to Christian faith commitments
• True to the creation-fall-redemption-restoration motif
• True to the 4 Greats: Great Mandate (Gen. 1:26-28), Great Commission (Mt. 28: 18-20), Great Law (Matthew 22:37-39), and Great Body—the Church (Ephesians 4:16)
• True to helping students develop an informed commitment to Jesus Christ

(3) Based on sound, current research and practice: Outcomes should be based on a Christian philosophy of education and on current research and practice.

(4) Measurable: Outcomes should be measurable using classroom assessments and should be written in terms of what students will do (not what teachers will do).

(5) For all students: Outcomes should define what you want all your students to achieve.

(6) Applicable to the whole person: Outcomes should address the spiritual, intellectual, aesthetic, social, emotional, physical, and moral.

(7) Interdisciplinary: Outcomes should not subject-specific. Subject area standards identify what a student must achieve in a given subject in order to achieve the outcomes.

(8) Attainable: Outcomes should be doable. Don’t list outcomes your students cannot achieve.

Change is more function of motivation than information

2006-02-17T23:37:00.000+09:00

I believe that change is more a function of motivation than information. I am working to apply this belief as I work to help Christian school students better understand and use a biblical perspective of course content.

As a starting point, I have written an initial description of how a 6th grader, 12th grader, teacher, and principal might view increasing student understanding and use of a biblical perspective of course content.

6TH GRADER
This doesn’t seem important. My teachers don’t grade me on this. When I wasn’t doing well in science, my teacher talked to me—I don’t think I understand a biblical perspective, and no teacher has talked to me about this. Do teachers really think this is important?

12TH GRADER
This doesn’t seem important. My teachers don’t grade me on this. It’s not part of PSAT, SAT, or AP tests. It wasn’t on my college application. When I wasn’t doing well in English, my teacher talked to me—I don’t think I understand a biblical perspective, and no teacher has talked to me about this. Do teachers really think this is important?

TEACHER
Speaking practically, this doesn’t seem to be a real priority. I mean, teachers model Christlike behavior, talk with students about Christ, and do devotions, Bible class, and chapel. Students get this part of a biblical perspective—they encourage each other, help lead devotions chapel, and participate in Bible class. And parents like what we do—seems pretty good as is.

Is increasing student understanding and use of a biblical perspective of course content a real priority? I’m not asked to grade my students on this. It’s not part of ITBS, PSAT, SAT, or AP tests. It’s not on college applications. If my students don’t master a certain skill, parents are concerned—no parent has ever talked to me about how well their child understands a biblical perspective of my course content. When my students don’t master certain content or skills, I hear about it from the teacher above me—I don’t think I really teach a biblical perspective of my subject, and no teacher above has talked to me about this.

Neither has my principal. And my principal has not asked to see sample assignments in which my students demonstrate their understanding and use of a biblical perspective. I think I could get this if someone would work with me and if I was held accountable to do this.

PRINCIPAL:
Speaking practically, this doesn’t seem to be a real priority. Our teachers model Christlike behavior, talk with students about Christ, and do devotions, Bible class, and chapel. Our students get this part of a biblical perspective—they encourage each other, help lead devotions chapel, and participate in Bible class. And our parents like what we do—seems pretty good as is.

Is increasing student understanding and use of a biblical perspective of course content a real priority? It’s not part of ITBS, PSAT, SAT, or AP tests. It’s not on college applications. If our students don’t master a certain skill, parents are concerned—no parent has ever talked to me about how well their child understands a biblical perspective of course content. When our students don’t master certain content or skills, teachers hear about it from the teachers above them—I’m not sure our students are learning a biblical perspective of course content, and I don’t recall teachers holding each other accountable to do this.

When I was teaching, I liked my principal, and she did not hold me accountable to help my students learn a biblical perspective or ask to see sample assignments in which my students demonstrated their understanding and use of a biblical perspective. I think I could get this if someone would work with me and if I was held accountable to do this.

-----
I will continue addressing motivational issues through:
1. Prayer
2. Talking
3. Teams
4. Coaching leaders
5. MOSAIC curriculum framework
6. IDEAL process
7. SMART goals
8. Scorecards
9. Encouragement

Here’s how our 10th graders are using questions in English class

2006-02-04T06:10:00.000+09:00

“Who am I?” “Who is my neighbor?” “What’s wrong with the world?” “What is the significance of words?” Students respond to these four questions in English 10.

In September, students wrote an essay in which they identified which three of the four questions most intrigued them, citing both the biblical teaching and the literature.

One student wrote: “I think that the question ‘Who am I?’ is a very hard question to answer as a third-culture kid…. However, during this summer’s Gospel Team, I heard one testimony…about a TCK girl finding out that even though she doesn’t belong to any group culturally or physically, her sole identity is in God. In the Bible it says that we should live as children of God. The poem ‘A Pace like That’ reminds me to be myself and not what others expect me to be.’”

In November, students considered “Who is my neighbor” and “What’s wrong with the world?” as they read the Holocaust memoir Night and watched Hotel Rwanda. Students then wrote a reflection paper about the roots and effects of stereotyping, prejudice, and racism, and about what our response as Christians should be.

Wrote one student, “‘So God created man in his own image.’ This means that if we reject and discriminate against other humans, we are, in effect, rejecting and discriminating against God.”

For the semester assessment, students made creative projects that addressed one course question and one literature selection. As part of the project, students made a commitment to apply what they learned. Here are some of the commitments:
1. “Not just ignore the fact that humans hurt each other. As a start, begin encouraging people whenever I feel like putting someone down, even if it is intended as a joke.”
2. “Read the newspaper to find out about the problems in the world.”
3. “Give away five care boxes to kids with less than me in other countries.”

Using questions to equip students to impact the world for Christ

2006-02-04T06:03:00.000+09:00

We teach from a biblical perspective. We model Christ and talk with students about Christ. We provide students with Bible classes, chapels, and service opportunities. Why? Because we want our students to understand and use a biblical perspective.

An additional way we do this is by asking students worldview questions: How should I live in God’s world? How do authors help me see truth? How can I see God’s creative power in the world around me?

Throughout the year, students discuss these worldview questions in the context of their studies, learn what the Bible says, and demonstrate their understanding and application of a biblical perspective through posters, PowerPoint presentations, projects, and essays.

Says one student, “Talking about questions has helped me define why I am a Christian. Questions challenge me to think in new ways and help me be a discerning thinker, to use a biblical perspective.”

Adds one teacher, “In my classes I ask questions like, ‘How do authors help us see truth?’ Using questions like this helps my students see God’s will in all that they do and understand that God’s Word applies to all subjects. The more students discuss the questions, the more they are able to look beyond the surface of what they are studying to see what God is calling them to be and do.”

What are some questions you can ask your students?
1. How is Jesus the purpose of my life and learning?
2. What’s true?
3. What’s wrong?
4. How does this fit with other parts of God’s creation?
5. Is this important?
6. How does God’s Word help me see?
7. What would happen if…?
8. How can I live, learn, and serve with others?
9. How can I communicate the truth in love?
10. How can I use my gifts and learning to serve God and others?
11. How can I use my gifts and learning to care for God’s creation?
12. How can I make healthy decisions?

What are characteristics of effective Christian worldview questions?
1. Involve students in connecting the Bible, life experience, and course content
2. Address head, heart, and hands
3. Timeless
4. Not fully answerable
5. Intriguing
6. Allow for a variety of responses
7. Student-friendly
8. Postable on bulletin boards

TPOV on coaching

2006-02-04T05:50:00.000+09:00

My goal is to enable Christian school leaders through coaching. My teachable point of view (TPOV) on coaching contains 5 key ideas, 5 operational values necessary for the implementation of the ideas, and 7 ways to focus energy on implementation of the ideas.

KEY IDEAS
(1) God initiates change.
(2) Change is relational, experiential, and transformational.
(3) Change is more a function of motivation than information.
(4) Each person is responsible to God for his/her life.
(5) Leaders grow as they take responsibility by defining, committing to, and achieving goals.

OPERATIONAL VALUES
(1) Prayer
(2) Relationship
(3) Listening
(4) Questions
(5) Impact

WAYS TO FOCUS ENERGY
(1) Prayer
(2) GROW model
(3) Listening
(4) Questions
(5) SMART goals
(6) Follow-up
(7) Encouragement

TPOV on helping students understand and use a biblical perspective

2006-02-03T19:30:00.000+09:00

As a result of Christian education, students should be able to understand and use a biblical perspective of course content. My teachable point of view (TPOV) on helping students understand and use a biblical perspective through classroom assessments contains 5 key ideas, 5 operational values necessary for implementation of the ideas, and 9 ways to focus energy on the implementation of the ideas.

KEY IDEAS
(1) At Christian schools, students develop an informed commitment to Jesus.
(2) To develop an informed commitment, students need to understand and use a biblical perspective.
(3) Students increase their understanding and use of a biblical perspective in all subjects by learning enduring understandings and answering essential questions.
(4) Students increase their understanding and use of a biblical perspective as they complete rigorous assessments that require connecting faith, learning, and life.
(5) Student assessment performance increases when students prepare for assessments by experiencing engaging instructional strategies.

OPERATIONAL VALUES
(1) Faithfulness
(2) Caring
(3) Collaboration
(4) Equipping
(5) Impact

WAYS TO FOCUS ENERGY
(1) Prayer
(2) Talking
(3) Teams
(4) Coaching leaders
(5) MOSAIC curriculum framework
(6) IDEAL process
(7) SMART goals
(8) Scorecards
(9) Encouragement

TPOV on Christian education

2006-02-03T19:24:00.000+09:00

Through Christian education, students are equipped to impact the world for Christ. My teachable point of view (TPOV) on Christian education contains 4 key ideas, 5 operational values necessary for implementation of the ideas, and 7 ways to focus energy on the implementation of the ideas.

IDEAS
(1) At a Christian school, students love Jesus Christ and impact the world for Him, now and throughout their lives.
(2) Through Christian education, students increasingly are responsible learners, discerning thinkers, productive collaborators, effective communicators, and faithful caretakers.
(3) At Christian schools, students and staff live Christ-centered values.
(4) Christian education programs are exemplary, sustainable, and replicable.

OPERATIONAL VALUES
(1) Faithfulness
(2) Caring
(3) Collaboration
(4) Equipping
(5) Impact

WAYS TO FOCUS ENERGY
(1) Prayer
(2) Talking
(3) Teams
(4) Coaching leaders
(5) SMART goals
(6) Scorecards
(7) Encouragement

Here’s an IDEAL way to help your students understand and use a biblical perspective

2006-01-24T15:43:00.000+09:00

You’re sitting in your classroom thinking: “How can I help them get this? I’m supposed to teach them a biblical perspective. Maybe I should talk with Tom. Michele mentioned a good book and a workshop next month. I wonder if we should work as a department to develop some curriculum for this. What would be the best thing to do?”

Stop.

Don’t start by talking to a colleague. Don’t start by a reading book or attending a workshop. Don’t start by writing curriculum. These are solutions. Instead, define the problem by talking to your students.
Remember, the goal is for your students to understand and use a biblical perspective, not for you to be the master at teaching from a biblical perspective.

What's an IDEAL way to help your students?
(I) Identify the problem and pray about it.
(D) Define your students’ learning need. Talk with your students or give them a survey, look at student work, and as necessary talk with colleagues. Identify one student need you will address.
(E) Explore ways to address the student need you selected. Pick one and make a plan to address it. Then get the training and support you need.
(A) Act. Just do it! And be sure to tell your students what you are doing and why.
(L) Look at the results. Discuss them with your students and colleagues

10 ways to help your students understand and proficiently use a biblical perspective

2006-01-24T15:40:00.000+09:00

(1) Demonstrate to your students that you value this by grading their assignments on using a biblical perspective.

(2) Teach your students five biblical truths about your subject. Post the truths on your bulletin board and refer to them throughout the year.

(3) Before assigning an essay requiring students to use a biblical perspective, have your students read 2 or more sample essays that demonstrate using a biblical perspective effectively.

(4) Regularly explain how your faith informs your selection of content, assessment, and instruction.

(5) Teach key vocabulary.

(6) Use discussion and debate.

(7) Ask open-ended questions: Where do I belong? What’s wrong? How can I use my gifts and learning to serve God and others?

(8) Give your students time to reflect in class. During each unit, have your students journal about connections between their faith and what they are studying.

(9) Give assignments that require your students to connect the Bible, their lives, and course content.

(10) Give your students repeated opportunities to practice using a biblical perspective. Have them do case studies, projects, and presentations.

10 reasons students don’t understand and proficiently use a biblical perspective

2006-01-24T15:37:00.000+09:00

(1) This doesn’t seem important. My teachers don’t grade me on this. It’s not part of PSAT, SAT, or AP tests. It wasn’t on my college application. When I wasn’t doing well in science, my teacher talked to me—I don’t think I understand a biblical perspective, and no teacher has talked to me about this. Do teachers really think this is important?

(2) This doesn’t come up at my church or at home. My family and my church talk about being a Christian. We talk about living for Jesus, doing devotions, and telling others about Jesus. I don’t get what my faith has to do with World War I or The Nutcracker Suite. The teacher did mention this in the beginning of the year, but that was a long time ago, and I kind of forgot how it all connects. I think other students might get this, so I don’t want to ask.

(3) I don't know what it looks like. I know what telling others about Jesus looks like—we read missionary biographies at school and I go on mission trips with my church. What does doing a good job on using a biblical perspective look like in an essay? And what does this look like in the business world? I’m interested in chemistry.

(4) My teachers say they teach from a biblical perspective, but I don’t understand how that works. I believe them, but I don’t get it. They have us work in groups and learn muscle names, but they don’t explain how this is part of Christian education. We seem to mostly do the same things my friends do at schools that aren’t Christian. What’s the difference?

(5) I don't understand the vocabulary—biblical perspective, integrate faith and learning, image bearer, temple of the Holy Spirit, worldview. Teachers talk, but I don’t always understand the words. Could I get a vocabulary list with definitions on it?

(6) Learning what the Bible teaches is boring. Or at least the way teachers teach about the Bible is boring. My teachers lecture about the Bible and sometimes give object lessons—but this doesn’t really help me understand a biblical perspective of what I’m studying. I like discussing and debating things. So do my friends.

(7) I need to think through answers for myself. I listen to teachers talk. They give good answers. But to really understand the answers, I need to think them through for myself. Maybe the teachers could ask more questions. Questions that have more than one right answer. One of my teachers asks us, “Where do you belong?” I like that question.

(8) I need time to think about what I’m learning. We don’t really do this in class, and I’ve got sports after school and homework at night. When am I supposed to find time to reflect? Could we do some journaling during class?

(9) To really get this, I need to connect the Bible with my life, not just with what I study in class. If my teachers would give me chances to connect the Bible with my life—my music, my relationships, my problems—I think I could get it better. One of my homeschooler friends got to analyze a CD from a biblical perspective. That sounds pretty cool.

(10) I need more chances to practice. It’s hard for me to get good at using a biblical perspective when I don’t get enough practice. Using a biblical perspective takes skill. I get repeated skill practice in math, and I’m good at it. Can I get more skill practice?

6 ways to focus energy on mission achievement

2006-01-13T09:58:00.000+09:00

(1) SMART GOALS: Use SMART goals to define and drive mission achievement. We have 3 overall goals that address student learning, our educational program, and our values.

To achieve our goals, not later than Thursday, June 12, 2008:
• Each student objective indicator will have an achievement rating of 90% of high school students at or above standard, scores being taken from a complete set of end-of-course common assessments.
• Each system standard will have achievement rating of 3.5 or above, scores being based on system rubrics.
• Each Christ-centered value will have an achievement rating of 4.0 or above, scores being based on system rubrics.

(2) TEAMS: Have staff work in teams to achieve the SMART goals and to support each other. Working in teams is fun, encourages accountability, and provides increased results. Provide time for teams to meet regularly. For example, provide 1 meeting per month for English teachers to work on increasing student reading scores.

(3) TALKING: Talk about the mission. Talk about SMART goals and improvement plans. Talk about how students use their learning to impact the world for Christ, how students and staff live out the values, and how school improvement efforts result in mission achievement. Talk. Talk. Talk.

(4) COACHING: Provide 30-60 minutes of coaching each week for school leaders. During coaching sessions, encourage each coachee to determine a personal SMART goal, identify what the current reality is, list what options are available for achieving the goal, and define what s/he will do before the next meeting. Coachees may want to use coaching sessions to identify their beliefs, vision, values, and ways of focusing energy on mission achievement. For example:

• Beliefs: Our purpose is to glorify God. God is a Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. All people are sinners and need salvation. Jesus, the God-man, died for our sins, rose from the dead, is in heaven, and is coming again. We are saved by grace through faith in Jesus. The Bible is God’s Word. Christians are part of the Church and should obey God’s Word. God gives parents the primary responsibility to educate their children.

• Vision: Our students love Jesus Christ and impact the world for Him, now and throughout their lives. Our students are responsible learners, discerning thinkers, productive collaborators, effective communicators, and faithful caretakers. Our students and staff live our Christ-centered values: faithfulness, caring, collaboration, equipping, and impact. Our program is exemplary, sustainable, and replicable.

• Values: faithfulness, caring, collaboration, equipping, and impact

• Ways to focus energy: see #1-6

(5) DATA: Use data to measure progress toward achieving the SMART goals and to develop improvement plans designed to achieve the SMART goals (and consequently the mission). For example, we used student assessment data to determine student achievement on Discerning Thinker 1 (using a biblical perspective). As a result, we developed the following improvement plan: By June 13, 2007, Discerning Thinker 1 will have an achievement rating of 90% of K-12 students at or above standard, scores being taken from a complete set of end-of-course common assessments and elementary core report card data.

(6) CELEBRATION: Celebrate progress. Often. Working toward mission achievement is challenging, and through celebration we encourage each other. Thank staff in meetings, give certificates and prizes (I like giving chocolate), and have parties.

8 things to remember when developing and implementing an improvement plan

2005-12-12T13:03:00.000+09:00

(1) Target student learning.
(2) Base your improvement plan on student assessment data, professional experience, program data, and survey results.
(3) Verify that your action plans address root factors that contribute to current achievement levels.
(4) Get consensus on the improvement plan.
(5) Focus on getting staff motivated to do the plan.
(6) Keep your plan simple and short.
(7) Use a SMART goal format for your improvement plan and action plans.
(8) Provide staff with training, time, and tools necessary to carry out the improvement plan.

To close the gap, implement a plan

2005-12-02T15:16:00.000+09:00

Our Improvement Plan:
By June 13, 2007, Discerning Thinker 1 will have an achievement rating of 90% of K-12 students at or above standard, scores being taken from a complete set of end-of-course common assessments and elementary core report card data.

To achieve our improvement plan, we will:
1. Help students answer Christian worldview questions and apply the answers.
2. Assess student answers to the questions and how they apply the answers.
3. Use effective instructional strategies.
4. Use rubrics to assess student work.
5. Use assessment results to monitor and increase achievement.
6. Talk together each month.
7. Learn more about how to help students use a biblical perspective.
8. Clarify the big picture.
9. Clarify what we teach.
10. Help students who do not have sufficient background knowledge/skills.
11. Get parents further involved.
12. Have the Leadership Team focus CAJ’s energy on this plan.
13. Give RL1/DT1 awards.
14. Get resources and tools.

Connect beliefs, mission, vision, and objectives

2005-12-02T15:03:00.000+09:00

To help staff connect beliefs, mission, vision, and objectives, develop a one-page document that identifies these. Discuss the document with staff annually.

What might the document look like?

Beliefs
1. Our purpose is to glorify God.
2. God is a Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
3. All people are sinners and need salvation.
4. Jesus, the God-man, died for our sins, rose from the dead, is in heaven, and is coming again.
5. We are saved by grace through faith in Jesus.
6. The Bible is God’s Word.
7. Christians are part of the Church and should obey God’s Word.
8. God gives parents the primary responsibility to educate their children.

Mission
Christian Academy in Japan, a school for the children of evangelical missionaries working in Japan, equips students to impact the world for Christ.

Vision
1. Our students love Jesus Christ and impact the world for Him, now and throughout their lives.
2. Our students are responsible learners, discerning thinkers, productive collaborators, effective communicators, and faithful caretakers.
3. Our students and staff live our Christ-centered values: caring, collaboration, stewardship, and equipping.
4. Our program is exemplary, sustainable, and replicable.

To achieve our vision, not later than Thursday, June 12, 2008:
1. Each student objective indicator will have an achievement rating of 90% of high school students at or above standard, scores being taken from a complete set of end-of-course common assessments.
2. Each Christ-centered value will have an achievement rating of 4.0 or above, scores being based on a system rubric.
Each system standard will have an achievement rating of 3.5 or above, scores being based on system rubrics.

12 characteristics of an effective rubric

2005-12-02T13:19:00.000+09:00

1. Includes appropriate columns: student objective indicator, standard, criteria, 5 levels of descriptors.
2. Criteria define SO/standard achievement.
3. Criteria are logically ordered (if applicable).
4. Criteria and descriptors are written in clear, concise, student-friendly wording.
5. Descriptors define criteria achievement.
6. Descriptors are measurable.
7. Descriptors identify what the student does (not what the student doesn't do or what the student is missing).
8. Descriptors elements present at all levels and in the same order.
9. Descriptors are evenly graduated from Level 1 to Level 5.
10. Descriptors define student objective indicator/standard achievement at Level 3.
11. Descriptors are written in clear, concise, student-friendly wording.
12. Students and teachers can use it to assess student objective indicator achievement effectively and efficiently.

9 characterstics of effective Christian worldview questions

2005-12-02T11:47:00.000+09:00

(1) Universal
(2) Not fully answerable
(3) Intriguing
(4) Allow for a variety of responses
(5) Involve students in connecting the Bible, life experience, and course content
(6) Address 1 or more of the following 10 questions:
•• What did ___ (subject/topic) look like when God created it?
•• How does ___ (subject/topic) help me develop as a person?
•• How does ___ (subject/topic) help me glorify God and enjoy Him forever?
•• How does ___ (subject/topic) help me learn about God, myself, others, and God's creation?
•• How does the Fall affect ___ (subject/topic)?
•• How can I use ___ (subject/topic) wrongly?
•• How does ___ (subject/topic) help me serve others?
•• How does ___ (subject/topic) help me care for and enjoy God's creation?
•• How does ___ (subject/topic) help me serve in the Church?
•• How does ___ (subject/topic) help me carry out the Great Commission?
(7) Address head, heart, and hands
(8) User-friendly: concise (3-7 words), developmentally appropriate vocabulary
(9) Postable on bulletin boards and Web sites

20 factors that explain why we are not reaching our goal

2005-11-15T17:45:00.000+09:00

Once we’ve established a goal and current achievement levels, we’ll need to identify what is causing the gap between the goal and current performance levels. When factors are identified, we can identify and implement solutions.

Here are the 20 factors:
1. We don’t know what our goal is.
2. We’re not sure what we’re supposed to teach.
3. The content we teach is not challenging, relevant, or coherent enough.
4. We don’t have enough time to teach the content/skills.
5. Students don’t have enough background knowledge/skills.
6. Students don’t do well on a particular rubric line.
7. We don’t provide enough feedback to students and/or to our dept.
8. Our assessment prompts need work.
9. Our rubrics need work.
10. Students are not engaged enough.
11. The instructional strategies we use aren’t effective enough.
12. We don’t provide enough support services.
13. Parents aren’t supportive enough.
14. Parents don’t understand how their child is performing.
15. The Leadership Team does not focus enough of CAJ’s energy on this.
16. We don’t know how to collaborate effectively enough.
17. We don’t have enough time to talk.
18. We don’t have enough training.
19. Our classrooms are not safe and healthy enough.
20. We don’t have the instructional materials we need.

6 questions to ask when working on an improvement plan

2005-11-15T17:43:00.000+09:00

1. What is the goal?
2. How are we doing right now?
3. What is causing the gap between the goal and current achievement levels?
4. What proven solutions will address the causes of current performance?
5. Do we all agree on the plan?
6. When do we start working on the plan?

Make your beliefs, mission, vision, and objectives user-friendly

2005-11-04T12:48:00.000+09:00

To increase focus on and use of your beliefs, mission, vision, and objectives, make them user-friendly.
(1) Keep the wording concise, precise, and jargon free.
(2) Develop a one-page document that lists your beliefs, mission, vision, and objectives.

What follows is my attempt.

BELIEFS
(1) Our purpose is to glorify God.
(2) God is a Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
(3) All people are sinners and need salvation.
(4) Jesus, the God-man, died for our sins, rose from the dead, is in heaven, and is coming again.
(5) We are saved by grace through faith in Jesus.
(6) The Bible is God’s Word. (3a)
(7) Christians are part of the Church and should obey God’s Word.
(8) Parents are primarily responsible for the education of their children.

MISSION
Christian Academy in Japan, a school for the children of evangelical missionaries working in Japan, equips students to impact the world for Christ

VISION
(1) Our students love Jesus Christ and impact the world for Him, now and throughout their lives.
(2) Our students are responsible learners, discerning thinkers, productive collaborators, effective communicators, and faithful caretakers.
(3) Our students and staff live our Christ-centered values: caring, collaboration, stewardship, and equipping.
(4) Our program is exemplary, sustainable, and replicable.

OBJECTIVES
To achieve our vision, not later than Thursday, June 12, 2008:
(1) Each student objective indicator will have an achievement rating of 90% of high school students at or above standard, scores being taken from a complete set of end-of-course common assessments.
(2) Each Christ-centered value will have an achievement rating of 4.0 or above, scores being based on a system rubric.
(3) Each system standard will have achievement rating of 3.5 or above, scores being based on system rubrics.

8 things to remember when developing and aligning values, standards/practices, and objectives

2005-11-04T12:37:00.000+09:00

(1) Use 1 word to identify each value.
(2) Use a total of 5 values.
(3) Your values should tell you what to be like and what not to be like.
(4) Your values help you achieve your objectives and implement your standards/practices.
(5) Your standards/practices should be based on current research and practice.
(6) Your standards/practices should be aligned with your values and help you achieve your objectives.
(7) Your objectives should be SMART.
(8) Your objectives should be aligned with your values and standards/practices.

5 reasons we use student objectives

2005-11-03T16:32:00.000+09:00

(1) Using student objectives helps us know how well we’re achieving our mission.
(2) Using student objectives helps us connect mission, student learning, curriculum, and school improvement planning.
(3) Using student objectives helps our parents better understand and support our mission.
(4) Using student objectives helps our students catch our vision for Christian education.
(5) Using student objectives provides us with a platform for collaborating with other ACSI schools. And collaborating with other schools would help us close the rhetoric/reality gap.

Imagine if ACSI schools in Asia used the same student objectives

2005-11-03T16:23:00.000+09:00

Your goal is to achieve the mission by helping your students achieve the student objectives. You have looked at assessment data and note that 60% of high school students are at or above standard on “discerning thinkers who use a biblical perspective.” Your goal is 90%.

The fall editions of ACSI magazines and newsletters have been focusing on this student objective, as well as on “effective communicators who communicate through writing, speaking, reading, listening, graphs and charts, and the arts.” Your faculty has read and discussed these articles during faculty meetings, and your English department is considering how to implement Power Point at the secondary level.

You realize that your curriculum does not sufficiently describe what a student needs to learn in order to understand a biblical perspective of each subject. You determine that in order to raise scores on using a biblical perspective, you need to address this.

You remember that the ACSI Web site has resources on this. You go there and find a framework that helps a student understand a biblical understanding of each subject area. You click on “God reveals Himself to us through the Bible and ___ (subject/topic).”

There you find Christian worldview questions listed by subject area. For example, in English you find:
• English K-5: What makes a good book good?
• English 6: How do authors help me see truth?
• English 7: How are conflicts resolved in literature and life?
• English 8: What does literature teach me about the need to “Take a Stand ” in spite of opposition?
• English 9: What is the importance of written and spoken words?
• English 10: What is “good” and how will I achieve it? What hinders and helps me in this pursuit?
• English 11: How do Christian and non-Christian authors help us see?
• English 12: How should Christians live in a world filled with suffering?

You keep clicking, and you find a database of assessments (complete with rubrics) that can be sorted by student objective, assessment type, grade level, and subject. You also find several lists—professional readings, upcoming video conferences, and administrators and teachers who are willing to share their expertise.

You look over these resources, and then use skype.com to call a curriculum coordinator listed on the ACSI Web page. You tell her about your students’ performance on using a biblical perspective. She mentions several resources, and she wonders if you have resources to help her increase students’ performance on “faithful caretakers who serve God and others, and care for God's creation.”

You share what you have and tell her that you have just been looking at the ACSI Web site where you have seen that next month there will be a video conference on this student objective.

A month later, several of your teachers participate in the video conference on helping students use a biblical perspective. Your teachers develop worldview questions and use the questions to develop assessments. They network with other participants and share assessments.

Meanwhile, one of your teachers is leading a video conference on “productive collaborators who work effectively with others.” He explains how your school has implemented this student objective in math and social studies. Next, he invites the participants to get in subject area groups to discuss assessments they use to see how well students are achieving on this student objective. The session closes with a question and answer session.

Imagine this happening. If it did, would you be closer to closing the rhetoric/reality gap? We would.

8 questions to answer before developing student objectives

2005-11-03T16:21:00.000+09:00

(1) Who initiates the development of student objectives? The administration.

(2) Aren’t student objectives the province of the board? Yes and no. Student objectives define the mission in terms of measurable student learning. They resemble “ends” statements, and the development and approval of “ends” statements is generally the province of the board.

However, student objectives are also overarching curriculum standards. Given this, and that curriculum standards are the province of the administration, and that curriculum training and experience are needed to develop effective student objectives, I recommend the board rely on the experts it has hired to carry out the mission—that is, the administration.

(3) What is the board’s role in the development and approval of the student objectives? Policy. Rather than playing a direct, hands-on role, I recommend that the board develop a policy for student objectives and hold the administration accountable to this policy.

(4) Who should the administration involve in the development of student objectives? Students, parents, staff, and board members.

(5) What process can the administration use to develop student objectives? Roundtable discussion.

(6) Is it mandatory that we develop our own distinct set of student objectives? No, nor is it necessarily wise to do so.

(7) Doesn’t using another school’s student objectives diminish our distinctiveness? No, I don’t think so, anymore than using denominational creeds, hymns, and procedures diminishes your church’s distinctiveness.

(8) If we start with another school’s student objectives, do we need to modify the process? A little bit.

Feel free to email me for expanded answers.

Imagine what might happen if...

2005-10-29T07:01:00.000+09:00

(1) This week all teachers asked 1 or more students a Christian worldview question.

(2) Teachers planned and taught a unit which revolved around 1 or more Christian worldview questions.

(3) All students in all classes had the opportunity to demonstrate their achievement of Discerning Thinker 1: Using a biblical worldview.

(4) Our teachers could submit/search for Discerning Thinker 1 (DT1) assessments in an online assessment bank. (Other schools could contribute, too.)

(5) We had a DT1 Award given at staff meetings.

Imagine.

10 important questions for students

2005-10-18T16:10:00.000+09:00

(1) What did ___ (subject/topic) look like when God created it?
(2) How does ___ (subject/topic) help me develop as a person?
(3) How does ___ (subject/topic) help me glorify God and enjoy Him forever?
(4) How does ___ (subject/topic) help me learn about God, myself, others, and God's creation?
(5) How does the Fall affect ___ (subject/topic)?
(6) How can I use ___ (subject/topic) wrongly?
(7) How does ___ (subject/topic) help me serve others?
(8) How does ___ (subject/topic) help me care for and enjoy God's creation?
(9) How does ___ (subject/topic) help me serve in the Church?
(10) How does ___ (subject/topic) help me carry out the Great Commission?

10 characteristics of an effective assessment

2005-10-18T16:02:00.000+09:00

(1) Connects faith, learning, and life
(2) Addresses head, heart, and hands
(3) Aligned with the student objectives and standards
(4) Developmentally appropriate—fit with benchmarks
(5) Rigorous—challenging, engaging, requires appropriate thinking levels
(6) Addresses course content
(7) Worthy of being taught to
(8) Audience is beyond the classroom
(9) Purpose is real
(10) Students can make choices about content and format

10 types of assessment to use to assess student objective achievement

2005-10-18T16:00:00.000+09:00

(1) Collaboration
(2) Competency tests
(3) Discussion
(4) Labs
(5) Presentations
(6) Projects
(7) Research
(8) Service
(9) Simulations
(10) Writing

14 characteristics of effective student objectives

2005-10-18T15:57:00.000+09:00

(1) Specific
(2) Measurable
(3) Attainable
(4) Research-based
(5) True
(6) Essential
(7) Quotable
(8) Usable
(9) Interdisciplinary
(10) Promote academically excellent, Christ-centered education
(11) Manageable
(12) Exciting
(13) Noteworthy
(14) Total person addresses

SMART EQUIPMENT—your student objectives provide your student with smart equipment which they can use to impact the world for Christ.

10 characteristics of an effective mission statement

2005-10-18T15:53:00.000+09:00

(1) Identifies the school
(2) Identifies the school's purpose
(3) Identifies the school's constituency
(4) Reflects the school's beliefs
(5) Describes a compelling direction
(6) Can be used to guide school decisions
(7) Is concise (15-25 words)
(8) Is precise
(9) Is jargon free
(10) Is easy to memorize

Use student objectives to close the rhetoric/reality gap

2005-10-13T14:48:00.000+09:00

“There’s a gap.” Helen sits in her office, mulling over the gap between the mission statement and the reality of her program. “This is a Christian school—Christian teachers, devotions, Bible class, chapel, a positive environment. These are good, but only take us so far in achieving our mission. We need more. I need more. I need an additional way to close the gap.”

Helen leaves her office and heads for the staff room, wondering if defining the mission in terms of student learning would help. “We need to move from activities to goals, goals that help us increasingly do the mission in the classroom.” On the bulletin board she sees a workshop on student objectives. She reads, “Use student objectives to close the rhetoric/reality gap.”

Helen thinks, “Student objectives. That sounds familiar. Something like schoolwide outcomes. Wasn’t that was Henry called expected schoolwide learning results?” She keeps reading, “Student objectives define your mission in terms of measurable student learning. They are overarching curriculum standards that are attainable.”

“That’s what I need,” thinks Helen. “Something attainable. Something measurable. Something connected to student learning—that’s what school is about.”

Ever feel like Helen?

Are student objectives right for you and your school? Find out by answering 6 questions:
1. Yes/No: I want to close the gap between our rhetoric (our mission) and our reality.
2. Yes/No: I want to know how well we’re achieving our mission.
3. Yes/No: I want to connect mission, student learning, curriculum, and school improvement planning.
4. Yes/No: Using student objectives would help our parents better understand and support our mission.
5. Yes/No: My students would catch our vision for Christian education better if they understood what it meant in terms of student learning.
6. Yes/No: Collaborating with other ACSI schools would help us close the rhetoric/reality gap.

If you answered “Yes” to any of the 6 items above, feel free to email me for more information.

10 key items to schedule each week

2005-10-03T14:34:00.000+09:00

1. Devotions (50 minutes each week): Attend daily staff devotions.

2. Walkthroughs (30 minutes each week): Walkthrough classes to see what student objective indicators students are involved in.

3. Examining student work, using the following protocol (30 minutes each week): What is the assessment? (type/prompt) What student objective indicators is __ demonstrating? (see rubric) What is __'s achievement level? (see scored rubric) How do you feel about the assessment and __'s achievement level? How can you use examining student work to achieve Staff Objective #1 and Improvement Plan #2?

4. Talking about student learning for 15 minutes during weekly staff meetings (15 each week). Use the following protocol: What is __ studying? How is __ performing? How do you feel about __'s performance? What can you do to increase student learning?

5. Reflection (30 minutes each week): What did you accomplish this past week? What are the goals for next week?

6. Coaching (30 minutes each week): Attend a coaching session or provide a coaching session.

7. Greeting students (30 minutes each week): Greet students one morning each week.

8. Eating lunch (30 minutes each day, 2:30 each week)

9. Uninterrupted work time (45 minutes daily): Schedule 45 minutes each day to work on key tasks.

10. Completing annual tasks: admissions, instructional supervision, board meetings, budgeting, strategic planning…

Use questions and assessments to help students understand a Christian worldview

2005-09-22T16:55:00.000+09:00

We can help students understand a Christian worldview by asking questions and by assessing their understanding of those questions. Use the following 4 steps to develop an assessment:

(1) Select a question: What’s wrong with the world?

(2) Brainstorm answers to the question.

(3) Select an assessment type (collaboration, competency tests, discussion, labs, projects, presentations, service, simulation, writing): Writing.

(4) Write the prompt: In a 750-word persuasive essay, answer the following: "What's wrong with the world?" Support your answer with an effective combination of references to the Bible and to the stories we studied in class.

Now that you have developed the assessment, prepare your students for it. Start by asking them the question you selected.

Check progress on a weekly basis (3)

2005-09-22T16:51:00.000+09:00

(1) 10 of 14 system standard rubrics are finished
(2) We completed 6 walkthroughs (total of 27 since August 31).
(3) We used our protocol for talking about student learning.
(4) I examined student work.
(5) I participated in 12 coaching/capacity building sessions.
(6) I reflected for 30 minutes.

Check progress on a weekly basis (2)

2005-09-09T16:06:00.000+09:00

I am working to develop a set of items I check on a weekly basis to monitor progress on our 2 improvement plans (developing 4-5 improvement plans, collecting student objective baseline data).

Items I monitored this week include:

(1) 8 of 14 system standard rubrics are finished
(2) We completed 6 walkthroughs.
(3) We used our protocol for talking about student learning.
(4) I examined student work.
(5) I participated in 13 coaching/capacity building sessions.
(6) I reflected for 30 minutes.

Check progress on a weekly basis (1)

2005-09-02T16:20:00.000+09:00

As we work to close the rhetoric/reality gap, we need to check our progress. Below is a check on progress toward implementing activities listed in "10 ways to focus our energy on mission achievement" (August 25):

(1) We completed 4 walkthroughs.
(2) We distributed the protocol for talking about student learning.
(3) We developed a training schedule that is a function of our 2 improvement plans (collecting baseline data, developing 4-5 improvement plans).
(5) I read portions of Leadership Capacity for Lasting School Improvement.
(6) We had a training sessions for turnitin.
(7) I participated in 5 coaching/capacity building sessions.
(8) I reflected for 30 minutes.
(9) The administration has used iCal to schedule walkthroughs, examining student work, and professional growth activities.

10 ways to focus on worldview development

2005-08-25T07:48:00.000+09:00

(1) Make “understanding a Christian worldview” into a student objective indicator.
(2) Help students understand a Christian worldview in all subjects at all grade levels.
(3) Ask questions: Who am I? What is good? How should Christians live in a world filled with suffering?
(4) Put questions on your syllabus.
(5) Post questions on a bulletin board. Make the print big enough so that students in the back of the room can read the questions.
(6) Develop assessments that ask students to demonstrate that they understand a Christian worldview (can answer the questions).
(7) Teach to the assessments using case studies, stories, or journaling.
(8) Talk about assessment results with students and staff.
(9) Use assessment results to modify the questions, assessments, and/or instructional strategies.
(10) Quantify the number of minutes, lessons, and assignments that help students understand a Christian worldview. Determine the relationship between the current practice and our goal of having 90% of students being at or above standard on understanding a Christian worldview.

10 ways to focus our energy on mission achievement

2005-08-25T07:46:00.000+09:00

(1) Walk through classes to see what student objective indicators (SOIs) students are involved in.
(2) Examine student work to see what SOIs students are demonstrating
(3) Talk about student learning during Wednesday meetings: What is __ studying? How is __ performing? How do you feel about __'s performance? What can you do to increase student learning?
(4) Develop a professional growth goal that is a function of our 2 improvement plans (collecting baseline data, developing 4-5 improvement plans).
(5) Read.
(6) Attend training on Wednesday afternoons.
(7) Get coaching or do peer coaching.
(8) Reflect for 30 minutes each week.
(9) Use iCal to schedule 1-8.
(10) Make room for 1-8 by stopping some activities.

Achieve the vision (4): Thoreau, Edison, Goethe, Eliot

2005-07-15T06:08:00.000+09:00

Thoreau says, “If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put foundations under them.” I need to keep working to achieve an attainable vision, in part by providing additional training (each Wednesday), time (teachers will talk about learning each Wednesday morning), and tools (the initial version of the MOSAIC website is up).

Edison says that “every wrong attempt discarded is another step forward.” If I want to close the rhetoric/reality gap in Christian education, I need to see failure as a sign of success, a sign that I am trying. As I worked on the MOSAIC website this week, I learned by getting it wrong—but now the site is up!

Goethe says, “We have time enough if we will but use it aright.” If I want to close the rhetoric/reality gap in Christian education, how should I use time? One answer is providing additional training. For example, teachers need training to effectively implement new curriculum.

Eliot says, “The end is where we start from.” If I want to close the rhetoric/reality gap in Christian education, what do I need to end, to stop doing? I need to stop assuming that if a tool is available, people know how to use it. I need to provide additional training.

Achieve the vision (3), provide additional training

2005-07-08T15:50:00.000+09:00

To achieve the vision, we need to provide additional training. This training should be a function of our annual goals, goals which are designed to help us achieve the vision:
(1) By January 25, 2006, collaboratively establish where we are (focus group reports) and 4-5 improvement plans we will implement to achieve our staff objectives.
(2) By June 16, 2006, use a complete set of student objective indicator baseline data to make decisions to achieve staff objective #1 and to revise our 4-5 improvement plans.

Training for annual goal #1 could include:
(1) Using data to get results
(2) Review Marzano's What Works in Schools
(3) Using systems thinking
(4) Developing SCORES improvement plans (SMART • Cost effective • Objective-based • Result in increased student objective achievement • Evidence-based (experience + assessment data) • Systems-based)
(5) Using the MOSAIC web site

Training for annual goal #2 could include:
(1) Reviewing the big picture (MOSAIC)
(2) Aligning student objectives and department standards
(3) Integrating faith and learning
(4) Using tables in Word to develop department charts (a department’s mission and the alignment of the assigned student objective indicators and the department’s standards, assessments, and instructional strategies)
(5) Developing effective assessments
(6) Developing student objective/standards-based rubrics
(7) Using spreadsheets/databases to input/analyze assessment data
(8) Using protocols for discussing/examining student work
(9) Using data to improve student learning
(10) Developing department portfolios
(11) Using the MOSAIC web site

If we are going to provide additional training, we need to designate additional venues. Next year, we're providing:
(1) Training each Wednesday afternoon, 4:00-5:00
(2) Coaching
(3) 2 additional professional development days (Sept. 23, Nov. 23)
(4) 2-6 training/annual planning days in June (possibly June 15-16 and 19-22)

Achieve the vision (2), provide additional time

2005-06-27T14:52:00.000+09:00

To achieve the vision, teachers need additional time to talk about student learning and about progress toward reaching our goal of 90% of HS students at or above standard on each of our student objective indicators.

Talking about student learning focuses on:
(1) What students are learning (content).
(2) How well students are learning it (assessment).
(3) How students are being helped to learn and to demonstrate what they are learning (instructional strategies).

Talking about student learning does not focus on things like:
(1) Curriculum development
(2) Professional development
(3) Schedules or logistics
(4) Dress code
(5) Board or administrative policy

The above 5 things are important, they have their place, and they are not the main thing—they are not student learning.
(1) What would happen if staff meetings focused primarily on student learning?
(2) What would happen if staff had 15-30 minutes each week during staff meetings to talk about student learning?

Achieve the vision (1), provide additional tools

2005-06-25T08:43:00.000+09:00

We have:
(1) Defined the “rhetoric” (mission) by developing student objectives (see June 20).
(2) Defined the “reality” (the “level” of student learning needed to achieve the mission) by developing a SMART goal—90% of HS students at or above standard on the 15 student objective indicators.
(3) Used the MOSAIC framework (see June 3) to align our student objectives indicators, standards, assessments, and instructional strategies.
(4) Measured student achievement on some of our student objective indicators.

To continue implementing this vision, we need to provide additional tools. How about…?
(1) A 1-page chart documenting a department’s mission and the alignment of the assigned student objective indicators and the department’s standards, assessments, and instructional strategies? I’ve developed prototype chart for the Music Dept. Teachers could use this chart to review the big picture, discuss student learning, and develop curriculum.

(2) A Web site designed around the MOSAIC framework? Teachers could read about each component of the MOSAIC framework, download curriculum documents (including the 1-page department charts), download other resources (PowerPoint shows from trainings, documents from other schools), and post assessments into an online database and so share what they are doing with others.

Attainable vision (7), 14 questions

2005-06-22T09:19:00.000+09:00

To what extent…?

(1) Can we recite our mission?

(2) Do we understand the mission in terms of what it means and what level of learning is necessary to achieve it?

(3) Do we understand that our job is to help our students achieve the mission?

(4) Do our schoolwide student objectives define mission achievement in terms of measurable student learning?

(5) Do we/our students understand what each student objective means?

(6) Do our department standards define what students must achieve within a given subject (in order to achieve the student objectives)?

(7) Are our assessments explicitly standards-based?

(8) Do we give our students rubrics before students work on assessments?

(9) Do we use assessment results to determine how our students are doing on our student objectives?

(10) Do we teach to the assessments?

(11) When asked what we teach, will we say we teach students or say we teach course content?

(12) Do we know how many of our students are above, at, or below standard on each student objective indicator?

(13) Do we base our annual planning on student performance data and on increasing student objective achievement?

(14) Are we closing the rhetoric/reality gap?

Attainable vision (6), what would happen if...?

2005-06-22T09:05:00.000+09:00

What would happen if...?

(1) Our school defined the mission in terms of measurable student learning by developing student objectives (also known as expected student outcomes, school-wide goals, and expected student learning results)?

(2) Our board members asked our administrators to report for 15 minutes at each board meeting on student objective achievement?

(3) Our administrators used 15 minutes at each faculty meeting to analyze student objective achievement?

(4) Our teachers assessed student achievement of the student objectives?

(5) Our students assessed their learning in terms of the student objectives and used their assessment results to develop SMART goals?

(6) Our parents helped their children achieve their SMART goals?

(7) All stakeholders focused on a SMART goal related to increasing student objective achievement?

If some or all of this happened, would we be closer to proving the value of Christian education? Would we be closing the gap between the rhetoric and reality of Christian education?