EXCELLENCE & ETHICS

Updates from May, 2010

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  Phelps School Commencement Address

  Matt Davidson posted in Character Blog at 10:50 am on May 26, 2010 | 0 Permalink | Reply
  

  This past weekend I had a unique opportunity to participate in the Commencement Exercises at the Phelps School, a private school for boys in Malvern, PA.  I’ve done a lot of speeches and presentations, but this was my first commencement address.   In preparation I tried to recall something from my own high school (or college) commencement addresses.  I couldn’t recall anything. Nothing. I remember that actor Paul Sorvino offered the commencement address at my graduation from the University of Scranton, but I remember not one word or idea from the actual address. (Sorry, Mr. Sorvino. Please don’t let that dissuade you from donating to our important work at IEE).  Most people I spoke to had had a similar experience regarding commencement addresses—although most everybody had a bad experience seared in their memory—long, tedious, boring, hot.  Suffice to say, that with the power of low expectations as a guide, I went for it!

  I know these are high school students.  I know that they don’t have a lot of patience or interest in the thoughts and advice of fast-aging bald man, sweating all over his notes.  But, I also knew from the Phelps Senior Speeches I had observed the night before that there was clearly a capacity in these young men for self-reflection and a willingness to share with courage their experiences and convictions. I tried to respect them by doing the same.  For those interested, here’s a link to the address I delivered. https://backup.filesanywhere.com/fs/v.aspx?v=8969688f596571ab9c9c

  I must say, I enjoyed this experience at a very deep level.  I genuinely respect and appreciate the vision that guides the staff and administrators at Phelps, and I enjoyed every part of the commencement experience at Phelps.  After all the work we have done with students around the country this year in our Power2 programming, I think this was an important capstone for me personally.  Like the staff at Phelps, we’ve been in the trenches with our Power2 students for a tough, but rewarding year.  At times we’ve annoyed them; they have certainly annoyed us.  But hopefully they know that we truly want the best for them, which is why we challenged them with intense and intentional programming essential for their success in school, work, and beyond.  We didn’t give them cheesy ice-breakers and other ridiculous forms of brain candy which often goes under the name “character education.”  We took away their chill time, their time for doing homework, and forced them to think and reflect on important ideas. We also worked tirelessly to respond to their critique.  That still doesn’t mean that they love it like you love a trip to the amusement park; hopefully, however, they will remember it the way you remember a challenging hike, or other similar difficult, but impactful experiences in your life.  They will always be our first graduates. We appreciate them and wish them well.

  

   

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  The Power of Public Presentation--Senior Speeches at the Phelps School

  Matt Davidson posted in Character Blog at 1:00 pm on May 25, 2010 | 0 Permalink | Reply
  

  I was privileged to be a part of the Phelps School Commencement Experience this past weekend.  Phelps is a private school for boys in Malvern, PA.  As part of the weekend I prepared a presentation for Friday evening that was to conclude their senior speeches, and a commencement address for Saturday.  I had worked with the Headmaster, Mike Reardon, for several weeks in preparation. Over coffee one Saturday earlier in the spring we had a chance to meet for a couple of hours to get to know each other, and for him to educate me on the schools mission and vision, and on the events of this particular school year. Mike continued to educate me via email with background information.  (A side note: amazing how helpful it is for a presenter when those bringing you in take the time to really educate you on their current and desired state!)

  We often present at conferences, and we pride ourselves on preparing something that is custom-matched to the needs of the group. Sure, it draws upon the base of work, but we don’t simply use the same speech or presentation countless times–sure would be easier if we did!  But I just don’t think that a stock presentation would allow you to really connect with the group.   So, in this case I worked hard to prepare a PowerPoint that would offer the young men a sticky message, and I tried to do so using quotes and pictures.  I also tried to use my own experiences to try and breakthrough whatever sense they might have that “successful” people that give commencement addresses were born that way–that is, successful–and that they must have known what they wanted to do, been good at, and that luck or talent must be the secret.

  I’ve been to a lot of school events, but I must say that I don’t think I’ll ever forget the Senior Speeches at Phelps.  For the Senior Speeches, each student shares their journey to Phelps and what they have learned through Phelps.  They also share their thanks with the family, teachers, and friends who have provided support and challenge during their journey.  They present their speech to the entire school body during the week, and then on Friday before graduation they share them with their senior classmates and their parents and loved ones.  The speeches I observed were simply amazing. They were heartfelt, honest, self-reflective, and courageous. They were very emotional, with many of the young men crying during their speeches, and many more crying for one another as they listened.  It wasn’t an emotional arms race; some were light and even humorous. Each, without exception, was an authentic and real sharing of the real self.  For that brief period of time all the vestiges of “fake self” were gone. All posturing–all pretending that they didn’t care, weren’t nervous, that they knew it all, that they didn’t need help–it was all gone.

  In our work we have identified 4 KEY strategies that make for powerful educational rituals and practices, :  Self-Study, Other-Study, Public Performance/Presentation, and Support & Challenge.  When these occur individually you have a good practice; when they are strategically combined you get a powerful, defining, or what we call “signature practice.”  Preparing the speech required a powerful Self-Study, which was followed by a Public Performance/Presentation, shared within a Community that was Safe and Supportive. As each person shared their Self-Study in a Public Performance/Presentation, they each received a powerful Other-Study on the Phelps Way, and on what it means to be a man of character willing to pursue “truth without fear,” which is the Phelps Motto.  I believe that technically speaking the 4 KEYS structure is what made the speeches work. But, it was clearly the fidelity with which they were carried out that made such a lasting impression last Friday.

  I was deeply impressed by the experience, and the students and staff at Phelps should be tremendously proud of this important and powerful tradition. I was truly humbled by what I observed.  For those interested, here’s a link to the PDF of the PPT and script from which I worked.  https://backup.filesanywhere.com/fs/v.aspx?v=8969688e586675a76e9e

  

   
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  "A Metacurriculum of 21st Century Learning"

  Kyle Baker posted in Character Blog at 5:29 pm on May 18, 2010 | 0 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: 21st century skills (4), crossroads, diverse, educational leadership, educational needs, families, high schools, intense, intentional, metacurriculum, parents (2), Power2Achieve (7)

  In a recent issue of Educational Leadership (April, 2010), Ed Coughlin at times sounds as if he’s describing IEE’s Power2 programming in his article, “High Schools at a Crossroads.” In the article Mr. Coughlin addresses a variety of issues regarding the educational needs of diverse high school students in the 21^st century.

  In a section titled, “A Better Future: A Metacurriculum of 21st Century Learning,” Mr. Coughlin suggests that schools must see traditional academic programs as only one part of a student’s educational experience, describing another essential piece as being a 21st century metacurriculum:

  “Whereas the academic curriculum focuses on the knowledge that students must master within the content areas, the metacurriculum focuses on the learning skills, habits of mind, and life and workplace skills students need to be successful in a competitive, shrinking world.”

  The author then identifies four beliefs that support this approach:

  1)       “Important 21^st century skills, such as critical thinking, innovative thinking, and self-directed behavior, can be explicitly taught, applied, and assessed.”

  2)      “21^st century skills are not “soft skills” but important qualities that may contribute more directly to student success in future education, life, and careers than many academic skills do.”

  3)      “Students can most effectively develop 21^st century skills in the context of rich, authentic academic learning opportunities that closely mirror the type of work done by professionals.

  4)      “Schools and parents share joint responsibility for helping all students attain these skills.”

  Mr. Coughlin’s description of a metacurriculum becomes more powerful when it is united with the concept of intentional and intense character development programming.

  As we work to continue developing Power2Achieve programs, we continue to align with the student outcomes identified by the Partnership for 21^st Century Skills (1), lay the groundwork for experiences that apply to students’ lives both in and out of the classroom (2), develop student competencies through authentic experiential activities (3), and find new and innovative ways to strengthen the educational partnership between schools and families (4).

  Mr. Coughlin closes his article with the following challenge:

  “The schools that will be successful will transform themselves from transmitters of knowledge and information to orchestrators of a complex program of learning facilitation and cognitive development.  Will yours be one of them?”

  More than any other program available today, Power2Achieve allows schools to answer “YES.”

  _________

  Reference: Coughlin, E. (2010, April). High schools at crossroads. Educational Leadership, 67(7), 48-53.

  

   
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  DOE Proposes Doubling Federal Funding for Parental Engagement

  Institute for Excellence & Ethics posted in Power2Achieve Community at 10:51 am on May 18, 2010 | 0 Permalink | Reply
  

  U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan announced the Education Department’s proposal to double the amount of federal dollars set aside for family involvement. The Department also proposed allowing states to use federal funds to hold a competition to generate the best local ideas on family involvement. (More …)

  

   
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  Transforming Character Education From Nice to Necessary

  Matt Davidson posted in Character Blog at 6:05 pm on May 17, 2010 | 0 Permalink | Reply
  

  A couple of weeks back I heard a speaker at a Rotary breakfast who was talking about taking the work of his organization from “nice to necessary.”  It’s a sticky phrase that concisely distills what we have been arguing about the kind of transformation needed in the field of character education.  There are reasons that the field of character education is a fringe field, a reason why it has had little relevance to date in competitive environments (like high schools, post-secondary schools, workforce, etc.), less still in struggling schools, urban schools, alternative schools.  It’s nice–nobody is against it, or thinks it’s a bad idea–they simply don’t see it as necessary for reducing their most persistent challenges, or enhancing their core mission.

  It’s a tough economy; it’s a tough educational climate.  Everybody’s focused on the bottom line.  That means, unfortunately, that some important things get left out, some important initiatives simply aren’t going to take place, and it’s possible that a short term view is adopted that is not in the best interest of kids.  However, it’s also possible that the tough economic and educational climate forces schools to stop doing some of what we’ve always done, simply because they’ve always done it. Too often schools operate as an “Old Country Buffet” of programs and initiatives.  However, in our experience the best schools operate more like a fine dining experience—there is often less overall (on the menu and on the plate), but it is incredibly well constructed, integrated, and distinct.  No element of a fine dining experience is extra; each is absolutely essential to the enhancing the experience—and oh that that were true in all schools! 

  In the past educators could walk past the Character Education Buffet and see lots of nice things–some posters, an ice-breaker, a word of the month, a moral of the story, an assembly, how-t0-strategies for a good handshake, etc.–and yet rarely did they find something that was absolutely necessary to reducing their most persistent challenges or enhancing their core mission of teaching and learning–which is why schools haven’t dedicated many resources (i.e., money or time) to it.  It’s not that much of what has been done in the past in character education isn’t nice or good or important at some general level. It is (although, there is certainly some stuff out there that is cheesy and contrived and void of a theory of learning, or evidence of impact).  However, it’s simply not viewed as necessary. 

  When the bottom line of performance matters, organizations rightfully want to know the old WIFM–or, “what’s in it for me?”.  We’re answering by showing them that we can provide them intense and intentional ways of teaching students to do their best work, to respect and care for one another’s ideas, their work, and their continuous improvement; we can teach them how to manage their stress and to demonstrate emotional intelligence and ethical behavior; we can teach them the role of effort, and attitude, and the habits for excellence needed to maximize their potential; we teach them to give and receive criticism, to collaborate, and to be creative–these are not nice if you can get ‘em; these are dead if you don’t have ‘em as the foundation for teaching and learning. Without the character and culture of excellence defined by the presence of these skills, the best teachers in the world, using the best pedagogies will not reduce or alleviate their most pressing challenges, or realize their potential for excellence.

  What are we doing to develop transform our programming from nice to necessary?  The Power2Achieve™  approach:

  1. develops the essential character competencies and cultural assets NEEDED FOR effective teaching and successful learning.
  2. is authentically aligned with the major educational standards and theoretical frameworks.
  3. integrates and distills the research educators need to know and be able to use.
  4. respects and empowers faculty and students through flexible programming that delivers compelling content (music, literature & videos), interactions with peers, and experiential activities, and by equipping them with the replicable tools and strategies needed for success in school, work, and beyond.
  5. provides comprehensive assessment for and of learning.

   

  We are still working hard to transform our own programming, and to transform the perspective of educators so that they can begin to see that character education, properly conceived, is absolutely necessary for realizing the core mission of schools.

  

   
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  CEEA v4.2 Reliability/Validity Reflections

  Institute for Excellence & Ethics posted in IEE & Partners' News, IEE Insider at 4:43 pm on May 10, 2010 | 0 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: assessment (5), CEEA (2), research (3)

  I just posted current validity information about CEEA v4.2 (formerly, CREE) on IEE’s website. Currently, 12 schools have collected the surveys from at least part of their student body and staff, and we had data from over 20 schools in the fall.

  The preliminary data results can be seen at: http://excellenceandethics.com/assess/CEEA_v4.2_ReliabilityValidity.pdf

  As I shared before, all scales, including the ones added in version 4.2, have Cronbach’s alphas that range from .83 to .94. These are excellent results for the internal consistency of the scales supporting reliability and validity of CEEA. Validity of a survey is further demonstrated by how well the pattern of relationships identified in the data confirms what can be expected theoretically. Let me mention just a couple of observations that point to strong validity of CEEA.

  Individuals tend to perceive themselves more positively than others, especially if they are asked to report on ability, rather than actual behavior. In these data, just as one would expect, students on average report much higher perceptions of their own Competencies of Excellence/Ethics (3.74/3.82), compared to their reports of peer behaviors captured in the scales of Culture of Excellence/Ethics (2.88/2.91).

  When examining the pattern of bivariate correlations in student data, the highest predictors of student competencies and school culture are faculty practices impacting excellence/ethics and faculty support for & engagement of students. At the same time, Student Safety is barely correlated with students’ reports of competencies and strongly correlated with their perceptions of student culture. Again, taken together, this pattern of relationships confirms what would be expected theoretically.

  There is a similar pattern in the faculty data. Faculty give highest responses on the items about their own practices impacting excellence and ethics (4.17 and 4.09). However, in the correlations data, we see that these same scales are just barely correlated with faculty assessments of student competencies and student culture of excellence and ethics (from .111 to .169). Instead, faculty perceptions of what other faculty do (measured by such scales as Faculty Support for & Engagement of Students, Faculty Beliefs & Behaviors) are all much strong predictors of student competencies and culture (from .412 to .553).

  For students, perceptions of peers (the Culture scales) are only modestly correlated with reports of students’ own competencies (from .269 to .306). In faculty data, however, student culture scales are stronger predictors of student competencies than any of the faculty practices/behaviors (from .610 to .688). This is to be expected, as faculty tend to think similarly about students and somewhat differently about themselves and colleagues. (In statistical and research methods language, one would refer to this pattern of findings as evidence of divergent/convergent validity).

  More work remains to be done to collect the remaining data and generate school CEEA (CREE) reports. While giving strong support to the validity of the instrument, these results also identify a range of concerns, such as the discrepancy in faculty’s beliefs about their own work and what happens around them in the school I just mentioned. When studied carefully and discussed with an open mind by school leadership teams and faculty, the CEEA reports should provide excellent entry points for serious dialogue and decision-making for improvement.

  

   
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  Eric Martin posted in Power2Achieve Community at 2:19 pm on May 10, 2010 | 0 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: 21st century skills (4), Iowa (2), moral character (2), P2A (2), performance character (4), Power2Achieve (7)

  In Iowa, we continue to create a strong foundation and partnerships for the continued growth of the Power2Achieve programming across the state. As the first Power2Achieve Regional Center in the nation, we are thrilled to partner with IEE on several innovative projects that has an impact on the culture of excellence and ethics.

  Starting several years ago with our initial training at IEE, we have partnered with the Iowa Department of Education, inviting the DE Learning Supports Consultant to attend an intense and inspiring immersion in the Smart & Good research and the evolving Power2Achieve programming. This collaboration has been invaluable as we all work together to define and refine the P2A program and its authentic alignment with Iowa’s Core Curriculum and 21st Century Skills roll out. Our complimentary work together is best captured in a document that was generated by Director, Judy Jeffrey and her colleagues at the Department of Education which I have posted below.

  We’ve established the foundation and are looking forward to continued opportunities to work with the DE, administrators, faculty and students in Iowa’s schools with the Power2Achieve programming.

  A statement by the Iowa Department of Education on Power2Achieve™ Programming:

  Although significant resources have been invested in improvements to teaching and learning, most schools across the nation have failed to close the achievement gap. Iowans want every student prepared for today’s technology-rich, global economy regardless of ethnicity, income, or geographical location. The Core Curriculum helps Iowa Schools deliver that education through a student-based approach that supports higher expectations for all students. It builds on Iowa’s long history of community leadership in education and relies on partners across the state for implementation in high schools by 2012. The Iowa Core Curriculum bolsters Iowa’s education structure through mandated state content standards and benchmarks aligned to improve student achievement. A continuum of learning supports that remove barriers to learning will increase the capacity of the Iowa Core Curriculum to reach all students.

  Power2Achieve™ programming is designed to develop the culture and competencies of excellence and ethics needed for teaching and learning in Iowa’s high schools. Implemented together the programs boost teaching and learning in all classrooms (1) by identifying the competencies needed for learning and developing them through everyday teaching and learning, and (2) by reinforcing academic achievement and pro-social development through the whole-school culture of excellence and ethics. The Power2Achieve programming is designed to impact essential elements of the Iowa Core Curriculum and newly required 21st Century Skills. The combination of a highly relevant and rigorous Core Curriculum within a school-wide culture dedicated to the development of excellence and ethics is a recipe for success.

  Through collaboration with the Institute for Character Development and the Institute for Excellence & Ethics the Iowa Department of Education will connect the culture and competencies of excellence and ethics with the Core Curriculum (21st Century Skills) and Learning Supports Initiatives. Power2Achieve™ programming is based on the ground breaking research of Dr. Thomas Lickona and Dr. Matt Davidson outlined in the Smart & Good High Schools Report. To support data-driven school improvement, the Power2Achieve programming utilizes the Collective Responsibility for Excellence and Ethics (CREE) Assessment Tools and Processes to benchmark and continuously assess the culture and competencies of excellence and ethics.

  Four field research schools in Iowa are implementing Power2Achieve programming (Power2Learn and Power2Teach) during the 2009-2010 school year (along with approximately 20 high schools around the country). The Power2Achieve™ programs are supported by including leadership development, staff and faculty coaching, ongoing professional development and user-friendly multimedia learning support resources.

  The innovative Power2Achieve™ programs provide powerful tools for realizing the goals of the Core Curriculum and the 21st Century Skills across the state of Iowa including decreasing dropouts, boosting academic achievement, improving workforce preparation, and preparing youth to become productive citizens and lead fulfilling lives.

  

   
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  Eric Martin posted in Character Blog at 12:41 pm on May 10, 2010 | 0 Permalink | Reply
  

  A Smart & Good interview: I just got off the phone with a highly respected and award winning middle school educator in our community, he was on his way to participate as a panel member in an interview for a new high school principal. He informed me that he had his copy of the Smart & Good report in his hands and planned to have it out in front of him on the table and refer to it throughout the interview, connecting his interview questions to the concepts found in the report.

  His question to me was this: “What (character-based) questions would you ask if you were on this panel?” During this very brief discussion on the phone we talked about forming questions around the culture of the school and the culture of the community, 21st Century Skills as they relate to Performance and Moral Character and how the principal would plan to bridge the strength of the character development work done in the elementary and middle schools that feed into this high school.

  It was an energizing and insightful conversation for several reasons. 1) This outstanding champion educator simply “gets it” when connecting character to academics. 2) It reinforces how important it is for an Administrator to have a vision for character development and the impact it has on the school and community and 3) What a great way to embed the numerous strategies found among the top performing high schools in the nation into an interviewing process. I would love to be a fly on the wall to hear the candidates responses.

  My questions for you is: What Smart & Good questions would you ask if you were on that interview panel?

  

   
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  Focus Your Effort

  Kyle Baker posted in Character Blog at 10:56 am on May 10, 2010 | 0 Permalink | Reply
  Tags: Attitude (2), Effective, Efficient, Effort (2), Focus, P2A (2), Power2Achieve (7), Productivity

  Today we at IEE have been discussing the opportunity to implement elements of Power2Achieve Foundations in an arena we haven’t been in before.  It’s exciting but we know as with any new venture, there is always some risk involved.

  During our conversations today, Matt pointed out that it’s critical to help teachers and other administrators “focus their effort” on the right things as they implement P2A-Foundations.

  In trying to help us think through our strategy for this particular opportunity, I think Matt hit right on one of the reasons we’re all in education in the first place, and also something that we strive for as life-long learners…we must always be learning how to better focus our effort.

  Our P2A Effort & Attitude Rubric and the instructional content around it is designed to help students develop a positive mindset and increase their amount and concentration of effort in healthy ways as they work to achieve their goals.

  I think this week I’ll use a personal adaptation of the phrase Matt put forth in his email to ensure that I’m fully present in all that I do.  On a 3×5 index card I wrote “Focus my effort.”  I’m going to keep that card in my pocket throughout the week and put it on my desk as I work, on the counter as I cook my meals, and look at it whenever else I might need a reminder.  I’ve got a feeling it just might lead to a more effective, efficient, and enjoyable week.

  

   
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  Business Council Leader Highlights Moral & Performance Character Needed for 21st C Success

  Matt Davidson posted in IEE & Partners' News at 10:27 am on May 7, 2010 | 0 Permalink | Reply
  

  A recent editorial in the Des Moines Register by  Elliott Smith, Executive Director of the Iowa Business Council, highlights the essential need for developing the moral and performance character competencies targeted in our Power2 programming.  The full text submitted by Mr. Smith can be accessed here IBC op ed re IDoE visionary leadership – Apr 2010 _5_.  It’s a hard driving and nuanced perspective on preparing youth to thrive in the 21st century.  I’ve excerpted (and added highlighting) below to the parts that highlight direct connections to our approach.  With our partners at the Institute for Character Development we have have worked closely with the IBC to align our programming with their strategic growth areas.  Power2 programming is an essential part of the rigorous and innovative education being used by schools in Iowa and around the country to prepare youth for success in the 21st C.

  —————–

  April 26, 2010

  IOWA NEEDS VISIONARY LEADERSHIP IN EDUCATION

  By Elliott Smith – Executive Director, Iowa Business Council

   In the 4^th century B.C., Aristotle said, “The fate of empires depends on the education of youth.”  Today, more than ever, education is the key determinant of who will best succeed in the 21^st century, when technology dominates as never before.

   It is difficult to discuss the concept of economic development without recognizing its critical dependence on a rigorous education system.  The new “typical worker” will be asked to competently apply basic math, reading, and science skills in ever-more creative and innovative business environments.  The proficiency of educators to stimulate and engage the interest of students in these areas will determine the extent to which Iowa’s economy continues to grow and compete in the world marketplace.  IBC believes:

   — Our children and young adults must be prepared for the demands of today’s global society,engaged with an innovative and vibrant preK-16 education system that:

   spurs student achievement in key subject areas like math, science, reading, problem solving, creative thinking, team building, cultural awareness, foreign languages, financial literacy, physical and nutrition education, and the arts;

  • incorporates the latest best practices and current technologies;
  • drives administrative efficiency throughout the system; 
  • promotes excellence and ethics in all aspects of performance and moral character, such as health and wellness, effort, diligence, work ethic, positive attitude, self-discipline, honesty, respect, dependability, and integrity;
  • encourages and facilitates professional development for teachers and merit-based assessment of their performance; and,
  • enhances a meaningful lifelong learning experience for all Iowans.

   — To be most effective, the academic opportunities for the flow of students between Iowa’s secondary and post-secondary school systems need to be as seamless as possible.  It is essential to have healthy, aggressive, and accessible post-secondary institutions that offer advanced learning opportunities to high schools.  

  This state owes much of its current stature to the investment of human and financial resources made by past generations.  Going forward, our obligation is to renew those commitments in education, research, and innovation.  This will ensure that Iowans continue to benefit from the remarkable opportunities offered by the global economy and its considerable underpinning in technology.

   # # #

   Elliott Smithis Executive Director of the Iowa Business Council based in Des Moines.  He can be reached at 515.246.1700 or esmith@iowabusinesscouncil.org.