Supporting Rigor, Relevance and Relationships in

the 21st Century

Raymond J. McNulty, Senior Vice President

International Center for Leadership in Education

Themes

• Share Some Thoughts

• Rigor, Relevance and Relationships

• Motivation

• Innovation

• Closing Thoughts

SUCCESS BY DESIGN NOT BY CHANCE

Generally, we get what we design for!

What got us to where we are today in education,

will not get us to where we need to be!

CHANGE

What happened to GM..??

Educators need to become the agents of change.

Objects of Change

VS.Agents of Change

Federal/State Gov’t.

SEA, Policy

Districts, Schools, Staff, Students,

Community

Districts, Schools, Staff, Students,

Community

Federal/State Gov’t.

SEA, Policy

THE IMPLEMENTATION DIP….

THE POSSIBILITY CURVE..

Fullan--1990

The primary aim of education is not to enable students to do well in school, but to help them do well in the lives they lead outside of school.

We’ve created false proxies for learning…

• Finishing a course or textbook has come to mean achievement

• Listening to lecture has come to mean understanding

• Getting a high score on a standardized test has come to mean proficiency

Learning should have its roots in..

• Meaning, not just memory

• Engagement, not simply transmission

• Inquiry, not only compliance

• Exploration, not just acquisition

• Personalization, not simply uniformity

• Collaboration, not only competition

• Trust, not fear

• Basic Knowledge/Skills

• English Language (spoken)

• Reading Comprehension • (in English)• Writing in English • (grammar, spelling, etc.)• Mathematics

• Science

• Government/Economics

• Humanities/Arts

• Foreign Languages

• History/Geography

“Are They Really Ready To Work?”

Applied Skills

•Critical Thinking/Problem Solving

•Oral Communication

•Written Communication

•Teamwork/Collaboration

•Diversity

•Information Technology Application

•Leadership

•Creativity/Innovation

•Lifelong Learning/Self Direction

•Professionalism/Work Ethic

•Ethics/Social Responsibility

“This is the story about the big public conversation the nation is not having about public education… whether an entire generation of kids will fail to make the grade in the Global Economy because they can’t think their way through abstract problems, work in teams, distinguish good information from bad, or speak a language other than English.”

Time Magazine Dec. 18, 2006

ALL STUDENTS

• RIGOR

• RELEVANCE

• RELATIONSHIPS

HOWEVER….##??

ALL STUDENTS

• Relationships

• Relevance

• Rigor

“It is virtually impossible to make things relevant for, or expect personal excellence

from a student you don’t know.”

Carol Ann Tomlinson

You can’t teach kids you don’t know….

Motivation is a key ingredient for success in learning.

Talking with kids…

It’s not us against them!

Think about how our education system

generally behaves…

We need more artists, so here’s our plan.

REQUIRE ALL HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS TO TAKE MORE ART!

We need more scientists and mathematicians, so here’s our

plan.

REQUIRE ALL HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

TO TAKE MORE MATH AND SCIENCE!

What Works Best?

• REQUIRE

• MANDATE

• FORCE

• EXCITE

• CREATE PASSION

• MOTIVATE

When I say it this way….

• Relationships

• Relevance

• Rigor

R X R X R = LCWRS

Relationships X Relevance X Rigor =

Life, College, Work Ready Students

So relationships, I’ve got that.

What’s this Rigor Relevance about? Is it another add on to

my already hectic life?

Rigor and Relevance is

NOT

a new add –on !!

Rigor and Relevance

is a

Philosophy of Teaching !!

Knowledge TaxonomyKnowledge Taxonomy

1. Recall Knowledge1. Recall Knowledge2. Comprehension 2. Comprehension 3. Application 3. Application 4. Analysis 4. Analysis 5. Synthesis 5. Synthesis 6. Evaluation 6. Evaluation

AssimilationAssimilationof knowledgeof knowledge

Acquisition Acquisition of knowledgeof knowledge

Thinking Thinking ContinuumContinuum

Application ModelApplication Model

1 Knowledge of one discipline1 Knowledge of one discipline2 Application within discipline2 Application within discipline3 Application across 3 Application across

disciplinesdisciplines4 Application to real-world 4 Application to real-world

predictable situationspredictable situations5 Application to real-world 5 Application to real-world

unpredictable situationsunpredictable situations

AcquisitionAcquisitionof knowledgeof knowledge

Applicationof knowledge

Action Continuum

Relevance of learningto life and work

1 2 3 4 5

ApplicationApplication

KnowledgeKnowledge

1

2

3

4

5

6

Rigor/Relevance FrameworkRigor/Relevance Framework

We don’t have TIME to teach in this deep a manner.

So how do we find the time to keep teaching

material over and over?

AS A SYSTEM WE NEED TO HAVE THE ABILITY TO…..

• LEAD

• ADAPT

• INNOVATE and CREATE

We have a flawed perspective of always listening to our best

customers… They tell us how good the system is working for

them!

BANKING

• Sears

• IBM

• Xerox

A Story….

• Sir Ken Robinson • Paul McCartney

• George Harrison

-Shurnyu Suzuki

“In the beginner’s mind there are many

possibilities; in the expert’s mind there are few.”

Sustaining Innovation

and

Disruptive Innovation

System Innovation

Sustaining InnovationDisruptive Innovation

Closing Thoughts

Standardized Assessment

Necessary but NOT SUFFICIENT

STANDARDIZED TEST SCORES ARE AN

ACCURATE MEASURE OF STUDENT LEARNING AND

SCHOOL SUCCESS.

We behave like………..

OUR WORK IS COMPLEX

A test score is not a synonym for what a student has learned or a school has

accomplished.

TO DO THE JOB WELL

• QUANTITATIVE DATA

• QUALITATIVE DATA

• GREAT QUESTIONS…

SUCCESS BY DESIGN NOT BY CHANCE

INTERNATIONAL CENTER FOR LEADERSHIP IN EDUCATION

STRATEGY

Themes

• Learning

• Collaboration

• Continuous Improvement

• Implementation

Not About

• Judgment

• Individuals

• Past

• Criticism

Learning Criteria to Support 21st

Century Learners

Foundation Learning

Stretch Learning

Learner Engagement

Personal Skill Development

Components of School

Excellence

•Embrace a Common Vision and Goals•Inform Decisions Through Data Systems•Empower Leadership Teams to Take Action and Innovate•Clarify Student Learning Expectations•Adopt Effective Instructional Practices•Address Organizational Structures•Monitor Progress/Improve Support Systems•Refine Process on an Ongoing Basis

6

5

4

3

2

1

1 2 3 4 5

Rigor/Relevance Framework

Supported by Relationships

FIDELITY OF IMPLEMENTATION

You will need to plan to improve the design of your system, but plan to learn, not plan to be right.

LEARN YOUR WAY INTO THE FUTURE.

BUT ALWAYS REMEMBER…..

who put chocolate fingers everywhere,

who like to be tickled,

who stomp in puddles and ruin their new pants,

who can never find their shoes.

We Educate the Children

who never get dessert,

who don’t have new pants to ruin

who can’t bound down the street in a new pair of sneakers

who are born in place we wouldn’t be caught dead.

And We Educate the Children

who squeeze the toothpaste all over the sink,

who shove dirty clothes under the bed and never rinse out the tub,

who don’t like to be kissed in front of the carpool.

We educate the children

who have only dirty clothes to wear,

who aren’t spoiled by anyone,

whose pictures aren’t on anyone’s dresser.

And we educate the children

We educate the childrenCourtesy of Creative Leaps, Inc.