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THE UTAH SPECIAL
THE UTAH SPECIAL
EDUCATOR May 2007 • VOL. 27 NO. 5
•
Celebrating What Works!
• Feature: Quartermasters of Syracuse p. 8
• Finish Your Homework—Children In India
Are Starving For Your Job p. 52
The Utah Special Educator
May 2007
The Utah Special Educator is published by the
Utah Personnel Development Center,
Carriage Hill Office Building, 2290 E. 4500 S.,
Suite 220, Salt Lake City, Utah 84117,
(801) 272-3431, in Utah (800) 662-6624,
www.updc.org.
•
The Utah Special Educator is a publication of
the Utah Special Education Consortium. The consortium
board members are: Mark Riding, Nan Gray,
Ted Kelly, Gail Albrecht, Susan Ord, Helen Post,
Bruce Schroeder, Dianne Adams,
Kathryn McCarrie and Jan Whimpey.
•
The Utah Personnel Development Center Staff:
Coordinator - Mark Riding
Program Specialists:
Loydene Hubbard Berg, Ginny Eggen,
Michael Herbert, Terri Mitchell, Julie Mootz,
Connie Nink, Hollie Pettersson, Kit Giddings,
Suraj Syal and Amber Roderick-Landward
ON THE COVER: Technical Staff/Photographer:
Tom Johnson
Students in Hydrabad, India celebrate a rare field trip
to the local cultural center and become fast friends Secretarial Staff:
with staff of the Utah Personnel Development Center. Mary Baldwin, Cheryl Smith, Sylvia Valdez
The Utah Special Educator accepts manuscripts, artwork and photographs on The Utah Special Educator Editors:
topics related to improving educational outcomes for school-age individuals
with disabilities and learning challenges. Michael Herbert, Editor • Ginny Eggen, Co-Editor
Cheryl Smith, Editorial/Research
Submission guidelines and checklists for contributors are available online at
http:/ /www.updc.org/specialeducator/index.html. The editorial staff is dedicated
to assisting contributors in the successful completion of manuscripts.
The Utah Special Educator Art Director/Designer:
Please contact either Michael Herbert, Editor, michaelh@updc.org, Odin Enterprises • Edie Schoepp
or Ginny Eggen, Co-Editor ginnye@updc.org for consultation and assistance.
Phone 801-272-3431, or 800-662-6624 (in Utah)
•
The purpose of The Utah Special Educator is to serve as a medium for the
dissemination of information, promising practices and other dimensions in the
provision of a Comprehensive System of Personnel Development. The Utah Special
The Utah Special Educator is a symbol of the leadership of Dr. R. Elwood Pace Educator is also available online. All views and opinions expressed represent the
whose vision made the Consortium, the UPDC and this journal possible. authors and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the Utah Personnel
Development Center, the Utah Special Education Consortium, or the Utah State Office
of Education. The Utah Personnel Development Center is a project funded through
the Utah State Office of Education to the Utah Special Education Consortium for
a Comprehensive System of Personnel Development
2 May 2007 • The Utah Special Educator
Contents
4 From the Editors 66 Small Changes, Big Differences
Michael Herbert Don Delay
5 Proud Mother of Christian 70 Hot, New & Very Cool!
Kim Erickson Calendar of Events
6 Utah CEC Awards 71 Service Directory-Utah State Office of Education
8 Feature: Quartermasters
Contents
Scott Price
10 Betsy Rose Auwerda–Sterling Scholar
Linda & Chris Auwerda
12 Math and RtI-Tooele is Doing It!
Julie Mootz
14 New Visions for Teaching and Learning
Using Technology in the Provo School District
Jim Parkin, Gary Lacock & Bret MacCabe
16 What are “Real Life Skills” in the New Global Economy
Suraj Syal
18 Thirty Five Years of Making a Difference
Heather Butikofer Young
20 Shaping Special Education Teacher-Scholars:
USU Distance Master’s Program
David Forbush
22 Teacher as Scholar
Stephanie Podgorski
23 Teacher as Scholar
Noelle Converse
24 What We Know About the Attrition of Utah Special Educators
Mary Ann Pratter, Temma J. Harris, Lisa Dickison & Stephanie Harris
Utah Professional Development
26 Teacher Quality:
Understanding the Effectiveness of Teacher Attributes
Jennifer King Rice
2006-2007 Calendar
28 Recruiting New Teachers: A Project to Promote Teaching Careers
Bob Morgan, Darcie Peterson & Erin Horrocks
30 Closing the Achievement Gap Initiative
Stay Informed: Access the Web-based Calendar
B.J. Wise • Get up-to-date information on all CSPD activities and conferences
32 Response to Intervention: An Overview • Link directly to on-line web sites for details and registration
W. David Tilly III • Subscribe to a calendar and recieve email reminders of events
34 Peer Coaching: Changing Classroom Practice
and Enhancing Student Achievement • Submit events to be posted on the calendar(s)
Les Foltos
38 Thanks Coach!
Suraj Syal
40 Present Levels of Academic Achievement and
Functional Performance: The Key to Effective Instruction
John Copenhaver
42 RtI=Road to India
Michael Herbert
46 India: Living in a Gray Zone
Prem Kumar
49 Students are Children
Terri Mitchell, Julie Mootz, Hollie Pettersson & Amber Landward
50 Errors
Mark Riding
52 Finish Your Homework:
Children In India Are Starving For Your Job
Mark Riding
54 The Problem Solving Approach: Quality is Everyone’s Business Instructions for getting there
Pritesh Adams • Enter http://www.updc.hosted.webevent.com/cgi-bin/webevent.cgi
60 Living the Dream in the Promised Land: • For quick reference to the calendar you’ll want
Features of Highly Successful Schools that Serve Students of Color
Nancy J. Harris-Murrim to save/bookmark this page!
64 Leading in the 21st Century School
Steven W. Edwards & Rebecca Edwards
Leading the
Century School
21st
Steven W. Edwards, Ph.D., Rebecca Edwards, M.A.
Educational leaders today face a myriad of issues and complexities that
did not challenge principals only twenty years ago. Education and educational
demands have changed so radically over the past few decades—consider high
stakes testing, federal mandates, the No Child Left Behind act, increased
student mobility, and tremendous gains in technology and associated globaliza-
tion of our world. What skills and qualities must today’s educational leaders
possess that were not required only a short time ago? What kind of leader can
ensure that students will be successful in meeting the cavalcade of demands
evident in schools and communities across the United States? And is this the
same person that was a successful school leader in years past? Arguably, no.
Today’s educational leaders bear the responsibility of not only managing staff
and students, but also forging relationships with students, staff, parents, and a
global community, as well as shaping a vision that will take schools well into
the 21st century. Indeed, the schools have changed dramatically. But have
school leaders kept up?
I. Educational Leadership of Yesterday
What did it mean to be an educational leader thirty, forty or fifty years
ago? If you were to visit an America school in the 1950’s, you would likely
see many students seated in perfect rows in perfect clothes behaving perfectly.
We know things were not actually perfect, but yesterday’s school leaders did
not face the same issues that confront today’s leaders. Most students were
from two-parent families who grew up in this country where English was their
primary language. Many of the cultural norms and values were the similar,
and children understood that the school’s expectations were likely in synch
with what was expected at home.
Educational leaders of yesterday’s schools were part of a strict hierarchy,
where leadership and decision-making was essentially in the hands of a few.
A “top-down” structure of leadership infused most schools, which sought to
64 May 2007 • The Utah Special Educator
maintain the status quo and manage the students it housed. Consistent changing world. School leaders of today who believe that what was
with the Industrial Age of the time, educational leaders maintained a done a few years ago still works will simply not be successful, which,
“one-size-fits-all” model; dropout rates and school completion and in turn, will result in students who also will not be successful. With
promotion were not on the leaders’ agendas. Typical duties of the educa- educational opportunities available 24/7 through technology and with
tional leaders of yesterday included student management, maintaining dramatic increases in charter schools, voucher programs, on-line
an orderly environment, and basic budgeting. They were responsible for courses, and home schooling, school leaders must adopt the mindset
educating only those students who were perceived to have the abilities of “adapt or perish.”
and aptitude of being educated—the “best of the best.” Because job
opportunities were readily available to most high school dropouts, The 1983 report, A Nation At Risk, (The National Commission on
educational leaders were not charged with the task of ensuring that Excellence in Education, 1983) spearheaded the country’s increasingly
“all students succeed.” critical views on our public schools. Since then, the call to action by
the public coupled with the demands by the federal government and
II. Shifts in Society That Have Influenced Public Education changes in society have influenced school leaders to accept that many
people in our country are questioning the competence of our schools.
Over the past few decades, society—and, in turn, public education— Successful school leaders of today and tomorrow will constantly
has undergone a number of changes that influence how school leaders reinvent themselves and adapt to the changing environment in order
must operate. With today’s federal mandates, cultural and demographic to achieve their goals. They will understand that the “skill set” must
shifts in society, and the explosion of technology, the pace of change change to meet the needs of the ever changing external world, and
is now constant. For school leaders to stay current with the needs of will emphasize key principles to make schools successful:
society and, in turn, our children, they must continuously adapt as lead-
ers. New federal mandates, societal shifts, and improved technology • Utilize effective teaching strategies and match the appropriate
force today’s educational leaders to challenge the status quo and teaching strategy to students’ needs;
become the innovative, adaptive leaders of tomorrow’s schools. • Develop relationships and personalize your schools;
• Use data to drive decision-making;
What are most of today’s schools and school leaders concerned • Engage both internal and external resources;
with? Testing. Meeting AYP. Ensuring that “No Child Left Behind.” • Build teaming, shared decision-making practices, and build trust; and
Federal mandates, including NCLB and IDEA, impose a reality on • Utilize a multi-level approach: classroom, school, district,
school leaders that was non-existent a few years ago. Not only have community, world
these mandates dictated the structure of education, but other innovations
in society have also determined how school leaders operate. The past Successful school leaders of the 21st century will be prepared to take
fifty years have witnessed dramatic changes in society that have directly risks to achieve their stated goals. They understand that effective school
impacted schools, teaching, and learning. The family itself has morphed leadership is fundamentally about rethinking organizational design to
into a myriad of definitions; some children are from two parent families, build internal capacity (Harris, 2007), and they view leadership as a
but many are being raised by one parent, by a grandparent, older practice, not a role or function.
sibling, or other guardian. Families, too, are now from all parts of
the globe, which results in many more students now than in the past VI. Concluding Thoughts
21st
needing ELL services, and a dramatic increase in student mobility. Society and our world have changed dramatically over the past
few decades and will continue to change at an accelerated pace. Many
Although the increased federal mandates and societal shifts have other businesses and institutions have kept up with these changes,
impacted schools and their leaders, perhaps the greatest impact on but our schools have lagged behind. More importantly, school leaders
how our society operates is the explosion of technology. We rely on must challenge their thinking and beliefs about what successful school
technology for multiple functions in our everyday lives. Cell phones, leadership looks like. In many cases, schools and classrooms of today
computers, iPods, text messaging, on-line shopping, and instant still function as isolated entities within a global society and prepare
communication, among others, have drastically shrunk our world. students to be capsules of facts and information, rather than problem-
Today’s schools, however, have not kept up with this rapid pace of solvers and thinkers. To successfully meet the needs of the 21st century
globalization. School leaders must realize that technology is no longer learner, school leaders need to challenge themselves to redesign their
an isolated course on the curriculum; it is a part of everyday life. To fundamental thinking about how schools operate. Leadership is a
really prepare students for this globalized society, school leaders must continuous procession of reflection and renewal, where outdated
face the challenges—and tremendous opportunities—offered by the paradigms are challenged and the demands of a knowledge economy
technology age. are met to prepare our children for an ever-evolving world.
III. Educational Leaders of Today and Tomorrow References available upon request from the Utah Personnel
Development Center
The organizational structure of yesterday’s educational institutions
has flattened. Today, school leaders distribute their leadership through
Bibliography
academic teaming, the use of ad-hoc committees, and shared decision-
The National Commission on Excellence in Education.
making practices. Today’s school leaders are no longer charged with
A Nation at Risk: The Imperative For Educational Reform. 1983.
maintaining the status quo or acting as school manager; they are
Harris, Alma. Distributing Leadership in Schools: Challenge or
challenged to be visionaries, forward-thinkers, who constantly
Possibility. University of Warwick, UK, 2007. I
evolve through adaptive leadership to meet the demands of our
The Utah Special Educator • May 2007 65
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