Brian M. Stack's School Leadership Blog

This article was written originally for MultiBriefs Education . In this recent MultiBriefs exclusive , I reported on how competency-based learning (CBL) systems continue to take hold across the nation. According to the International Association of Online K-12 Learning (iNACOL), 49 out of 50 states currently have policy language in place to support CBL systems in schools and school districts. Competency-based learning is sometimes referred to as mastery learning, proficiency-based learning, and, to a lesser degree, standards-based learning. It is part of a larger movement known as personalized learning, a philosophy which puts students at the center of their learning, and encourages schools to identify multiple pathways for student learning and achievement. In effective competency-based schools, the following is true: ●        Students advance upon demonstrated mastery. ●        Competencies include explicit, ...

This article was written originally for MultiBriefs Education . As a child, I was always enamored with books and movies that let me imagine what the future would look like. I wasn’t excited about the idea of traveling on spaceships from planet to planet with the crew on Star Wars, and I didn’t care so much about flying a car like the people from Back to the Future 2. Maybe I was afraid of heights. I did, however, love the idea that one day computers would be as smart (or smarter) than humans. That day has been slowly creeping up on us, and we haven’t even noticed. Perhaps it is because we don’t have robots walking around our home and our office, looking like “us.” Remember the character “Data” from the Star Trek the Next Generation series? He was my favorite! My interest as a child was always centered around examples of artificial intelligence, also known as “AI.” By definition, AI can be any task performed by a program or a machine that, if a human carried out the same act...

This article was written originally for MultiBriefs Education . Imagine having the option to schedule your school days as four ten hour days instead of five eight hour days. Earlier this summer, We Are Teacher’s blogger Elizabeth Mulvahill reported out that 25 states are currently testing four day school weeks . What started as a logistical solution for rural school districts is now gaining popularity in both suburban and urban ones. According to Mulvahill, “ Research by The National Conference of State Legislatures estimates 560 school districts in 25 states have at least one school with a four-day schedule. Leading the charge are Colorado (55%), New Mexico (43%), Idaho (38%), and Oregon (32%).” Of all the reasons to make the switch, many school districts cite financial savings as their top motivator. The move to a four day week can bring about some financial savings, particularly in the areas of building operations/maintenance, food service, and transportation. According ...

This article was written originally for MultiBriefs Education . Last month, ASCD released a series of articles on grading reform where both teachers and researchers identified key considerations for assessments that “fairly gauge and report students' learning” with the rise of the “no-grades classroom”, one where the traditional A–F system is replaced by teachers by one with methods that encourage students to take charge of their learning progress. Included in the list was this recent ASCD article by Jay Percell, which discussed “Strategies for Diving into Successful Grading Reform.” Percell started by making the case for grading reform, noting that traditional grades can be demoralizing to students, inhibit creative thinking, and ultimately stifle lifelong learning. Percell went on to identify a set of stratrategies that teachers could use when starting with grading reform. They included things such as: ●        Don't Go It Alone: Percell...

This article was written originally for MultiBriefs Education . Earlier this summer, Education Week published a thought-provoking blog by Maryland elementary principal Margaret Pastor where she explored the question, Why Standardized Tests Aren't Working for Teachers or Students ? Pastor talked about how her view of the role of standardized testing changed when a colleague told her that she should match her lowest performing kindergarten teacher with her highest performing teacher, based on recent standardized testing. She realized that using that metric was impossible since it was the same teacher who had both scores (because she taught both morning and afternoon classes). From there, she began to formulate her opinion that many educators have “deep misgivings” about the role standardized tests should play. Pastor went on to compare her work as an educator to that of her husband, a scientist. “While my husband carefully chooses which plants and which growing conditions...

This article was written originally for MultiBriefs Education . Earlier this summer, the International Association of Online K-12 Learning, better known as iNACOL, released its most recent map displaying the implementation of state-wide K-12 competency-based learning policies across the nation. The map now shows 17 states that have reached an advanced level of implementation with comprehensive policy alignment and/or an active state role to build capacity in local school systems for competency-based learning. Another 14 states have been categorized as developing, with the remaining at the emerging level. In this version of the map, Wyoming is the only state that has yet to begin any level of state-wide work in this area. This current map is in stark contrast to the 2012 map which listed just three states at the advanced level. Several advances have been made since iNACOL last published a map in 2018 . California is one state that has been on the move this past year, movin...

This article was written originally for MultiBriefs Education . In an article published last month, Chalkbeat’s Patrick Wall reported that early data shows attendance gains in Newark, NJ, as a result of a district push to combat absenteeism. Wall reported that Superintendent Roger León launched an attendance campaign this past school year called "Give Me Five," where every district employee reminded five students to show up for the first day of school. León proudly announced that 24 percent of students were classified this year as chronically absent, a number that is a 5.4 percentage point improvement over the previous year, which translates to 2,100 fewer students missing 10 percent or more of school days. Additionally, Newark Schools also improved their average daily attendance rate from 86 to 91 percent this past year. Newark has long been under the state’s microscope for its attendance issues. Although year to year attendance rates can be impacted by so many ...