casda capital area school development ... york state center for rural schools, edward shafer -...

4
When organizations define success using a single measure, bad things happen. Businesses that focus on maximizing the next quarter’s bottom line rather than attending to long term sustainability usually flounder. Schools that devote almost exclusive attention to ELA and math score improvement usually fail in carrying out their broader mission. Though educators care deeply about whether their students are literate and numerate, they know that efforts in these areas are not sufficient. This is a source of anxiety for many and explains some of the resistance to state efforts to assess student achievement and teacher effectiveness by these single measures. As a result, educators are forced to pretend that they do not know what they really know—that the aims of education are much broader than our accountability systems would suggest. Here are a few of the things we really know: There are three enduring educational goals, not one. Currently, someone visiting New York schools for the first time would most likely conclude that the goal of education is to produce young people who are career ready. Though there is almost universal agreement that this is a good thing, many educators are concerned that it has become the only thing. Historically, in addition to vocational training, schools strove to help youth to become good citizens and contributing members of their communities. They also sought to develop young people’s personal competence so that they would be able to lead healthy, reflective and happy adult lives. The balanced curriculum found in our schools throughout the 20th century reflected these three broad aims of education. Today, the reduced emphasis on Social Studies, art, music, health, family and consumer science, physical education and other subjects is symptomatic of the loss of focus on the Citizenship and Personal Competence goals. Many educators are troubled by this, recognizing that these neglected goals are as important today as they were in the past. Dispositions are as important as knowledge. Our current accountability system requires regular assessment of student performance and educator effectiveness. Over the years, increasing amounts of school time have been given over to this function, the technical quality of tests has improved and the stakes for everyone have become greater. Yet, many educators would agree with the statement that “Not everything that matters can be measured and not everything that is measured matters.” If you ask young adults (and their parents), as I have, what mattered most in their successful transition to adulthood, they overwhelmingly cite certain attitudes and dispositions. Grit, perseverance, resilience, optimism, curiosity, love of learning, love of life, enthusiasm— these were critical, they say. If we are trying to prepare young people to lead functional and fulfilling lives, why don’t our tests help us to understand the degree to which we are succeeding in cultivating these habits of mind and spirit? The answer is simple--- measurement is difficult. As a result, tests of literacy and math knowledge and skill which are necessary but not sufficient come to constitute the entire assessment program. And, since what gets measured gets done, efforts of educators today focus almost entirely on these measured areas. In the past, educators took time in the classroom and on stages and playing fields to consciously develop these worthwhile attitudes and dispositions; educators today know that the system directs their time and attention elsewhere to their students’ detriment. Childhood isn’t just preparation for life. It is life. As our current system has narrowed the curriculum and assessment focus in our schools, it has also tightly dictated the use of classroom time. Though most educators would agree that this has resulted in better student performance in tested areas, many worry that there have been unintended negative consequences. Is there still time for recess, library, assemblies, holiday celebrations, teachable moments, co- curricular activities, project-based learning? Can curiosity, initiative and a love of learning be developed and student motivation sustained given the quickened pace of instruction and the emphasis on coverage? The best classrooms and schools are not just effective places. Continued on page 3 518-512-5198 Call or visit us online for the most current news and program updates. casdany.org Dr. James Butterworth The View from Here November 2012 November-December 2012 Jan. - Feb. 2013 January-February 2013

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Page 1: CASDA CAPITAL AREA SCHOOL DEVELOPMENT ... York State Center for Rural Schools, Edward Shafer - Director, CTE Technical Assistance Center, and Elizabeth Rickard - Director, Core Institute

When organizations

define success using a

single measure, bad

things happen.

Businesses that focus

on maximizing the next

quarter’s bottom line

rather than attending to

long term sustainability

usually flounder. Schools that devote

almost exclusive attention to ELA and

math score improvement usually fail in

carrying out their broader mission.

Though educators care deeply about

whether their students are literate and

numerate, they know that efforts in

these areas are not sufficient. This is a

source of anxiety for many and

explains some of the resistance to state

efforts to assess student achievement

and teacher effectiveness by these

single measures. As a result, educators

are forced to pretend that they do not

know what they really know—that the

aims of education are much broader

than our accountability systems would

suggest. Here are a few of the things

we really know:

There are three enduring educational

goals, not one. Currently, someone

visiting New York schools for the first

time would most likely conclude that

the goal of education is to produce

young people who are career ready.

Though there is almost universal

agreement that this is a good thing,

many educators are concerned that it

has become the only thing.

Historically, in addition to vocational

training, schools strove to help youth to

become good citizens and contributing

members of their communities. They

also sought to develop young people’s

personal competence so that they would

be able to lead healthy, reflective and

happy adult lives. The balanced

curriculum found in our schools

throughout the 20th century reflected

these three broad aims of education.

Today, the reduced emphasis on Social

Studies, art, music, health, family and

consumer science, physical education

and other subjects is symptomatic of

the loss of focus on the Citizenship and

Personal Competence goals. Many

educators are troubled by this,

recognizing that these neglected goals

are as important today as they were in

the past.

Dispositions are as important as

knowledge. Our current accountability

system requires regular assessment of

student performance and educator

effectiveness. Over the years,

increasing amounts of school time have

been given over to this function, the

technical quality of tests has improved

and the stakes for everyone have

become greater. Yet, many educators

would agree with the statement that

“Not everything that matters can be

measured and not everything that is

measured matters.” If you ask young

adults (and their parents), as I have,

what mattered most in their successful

transition to adulthood, they

overwhelmingly cite certain attitudes

and dispositions. Grit, perseverance,

resilience, optimism, curiosity, love of

learning, love of life, enthusiasm—

these were critical, they say. If we are

trying to prepare young people to lead

functional and fulfilling lives, why

don’t our tests help us to understand the

degree to which we are succeeding in

cultivating these habits of mind and

spirit? The answer is simple---

measurement is difficult. As a result,

tests of literacy and math knowledge

and skill which are necessary but not

sufficient come to constitute the entire

assessment program. And, since what

gets measured gets done, efforts of

educators today focus almost entirely

on these measured areas. In the past,

educators took time in the classroom

and on stages and playing fields to

consciously develop these worthwhile

attitudes and dispositions; educators

today know that the system directs their

time and attention elsewhere to their

students’ detriment.

Childhood isn’t just preparation for

life. It is life. As our current system

has narrowed the curriculum and

assessment focus in our schools, it has

also tightly dictated the use of

classroom time. Though most

educators would agree that this has

resulted in better student performance

in tested areas, many worry that there

have been unintended negative

consequences. Is there still time for

recess, library, assemblies, holiday

celebrations, teachable moments, co-

curricular activities, project-based

learning? Can curiosity, initiative and a

love of learning be developed and

student motivation sustained given the

quickened pace of instruction and the

emphasis on coverage? The best

classrooms and schools are not just

effective places.

Continued on page 3

518-512-5198 Call or visit us online for the most

current news and program updates.

casdany.org

Dr. James

Butterworth

The View f ro m He re

4 CAPITAL AREA SCHOOL DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION

CASDA CAPITAL AREA SCHOOL DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION

STA

FF

E

XE

CU

TIV

E C

OM

MIT

TE

E

November 2012

JAMES BUTTERWORTH, Ph.D. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

[email protected]

BETSEY SCHÜHLE

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR

[email protected]

ED KOLLER ASSISTANT DIRECTOR

[email protected]

SHAYNE STUMP OFFICE MANAGER

[email protected]

NANCY ANDRESS EDUCATIONAL CONSULTANT

[email protected]

Chair

LYNN MACAN

COBLESKILL-RICHMONDVILLE

Vice Chair

CHERYL DUDLEY

GREENVILLE CENTRAL

JONATHAN BUHNER

SOUTH COLONIE CENTRAL

CHARLES DEDRICK

CAPITAL REGION BOCES

ROBERT DELILLI

JOHNSTOWN CITY

PATRICK GABRIEL

GERMANTOWN CENTRAL

JAMES HOFFMAN

AVERILL PARK CENTRAL

DOUGLAS HUNTLEY

QUEENSBURY UNION FREE

DOUGLAS KELLEY

HOOSIC VALLEY CENTRAL

ROBERT LIBBY

COHOES CITY

MICHAEL MARKWICA

JOHNSBURG CENTRAL

LAWERENCE SPRING

SCHENECTADY CITY

STEVEN TOMLINSON

BROADALBIN-PERTH CENTRAL

FOR THE UNIVERSITY

ROBERT BANGERT-DROWNS

DEAN, SCHOOL OF EDUCATION

GILBERT VALVERDE

CHAIR, DEPARTMENT OF

EDUCATIONAL ADMINISTRATION

AND POLICY STUDIES

DANIEL L. WULFF

PROF., BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES

November-December 2012 Jan. - Feb. 2013

UAlbany Day-Showcase at the Plaza

coming to the Plaza Feb. 4

The 6th Annual UAlbany Day – “College Exploration Day” on

Monday, February 4, 2013 at the Empire State Plaza is fast

approaching!

UAlbany Day is an “open to the public,” student-focused day

dedicated to exposing our community – especially K-12 school

students – to the vitality and richness of college life at the University

at Albany.

This year’s UAlbany Day will

showcase: Live student

performances, groundbreaking

research and discovery,

campus information, two

chances to win a $1,000

scholarship, and much, much

more.

School districts should take

full advantage of this special event by inviting classes, parents, and

other members of the district community to UAlbany Day. It is a day

that provides a wonderful opportunity for the next generation to

learn more about the importance of higher education.

If your school is able to attend or you would like to learn more,

please contact CASDA Associate Director, Betsey Schuhle at (518)

512-5198 or by email at [email protected].

You can register your school by visiting UAlbany’s official page on

the University website:

w w w . a l b a n y . e d u / u a l b a n y d a y

UAlbany students demonstrate some equipment

to students from a local district.

January-February 2013

Page 2: CASDA CAPITAL AREA SCHOOL DEVELOPMENT ... York State Center for Rural Schools, Edward Shafer - Director, CTE Technical Assistance Center, and Elizabeth Rickard - Director, Core Institute

2 CAPITAL AREA SCHOOL DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION

The Capital Area School

Development Association (CASDA)

partnered with the USDOE Regional

Laboratory for Northeast and the

Islands (REL-NEI) to conduct an

Eastern New York Rural School

Summit on Friday, January 11 on the

University at Albany East Campus.

This was the second annual summit

designed to help rural leaders with

problems specific to their type of

district. The audience consisted of

rural superintendents, district officials,

principals, board of education

members and agency partners from

Eastern and Northern New York as

well as those from the Catskill

Mountain and Mohawk Valley regions.

The program kicked off with a keynote

by Dr. Bruce T. Fraser titled

"Responding Effectively to the

Challenges Facing Rural Schools".

Dr. Fraser, Executive Director of the

NYS Rural Schools Association,

discussed his thoughts on the

Education Reform Commission's

recommendations and provided

commentary on the Governor's State of

the State address. Dr. Fraser also

discussed reorganization, analysis of

the local property tax cap's impact

including the fiscal impact, voting

behavior year 1 under the cap, and

effective advocacy on behalf of rural

schools.

Dr. Fraser’s keynote was recorded and

will be available for viewing on the

CASDA website soon.

The day also consisted of essential

workshops on topics including: School

Benchmarking, Role of Career and

Technical Education , Core Institute -

career opportunities in rural education,

and School District Reorganization/

Merger from experts in the field

including Dr. John Sipple - Director,

New York State Center for Rural

Schools, Edward Shafer - Director,

CTE Technical Assistance Center, and

Elizabeth Rickard - Director, Core

Institute Milford CSD.

CASDA faculty member Jerry Steele,

a former superintendent of a small

school district, organized this year’s

summit.

CAPITAL AREA SCHOOL DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION 3

CASDA has grown to include over 25

faculty members. Each newsletter we

will feature a few in this section.

Diane Albano

Diane Albano,

Ed.D. is a

skilled

educational

consultant and

leadership

coach

supporting

and

facilitating

district and

building level

school improvement plans and efforts.

She has facilitated team building

initiatives with central office

personnel, building administrators

and teacher leaders. Diane has

participated as a team member

conducting special education reviews

at both the local and State level. She

has worked with special education

departments to set goals, design action

plans and provide progress monitoring.

Currently, she is an Adjunct Professor

at the SUNY Plattsburgh Educational

Leaders program , an executive coach

for the Educational Leadership

Doctoral Program at Sage College and

supports building principals with

classroom and teacher evaluation

strategies.

Diane’s leadership experiences include

serving ten years as Assistant

Superintendent for Instruction in the

Ravena Coeymans Selkirk CSD

overseeing curriculum and

instructional programs and committees,

literacy initiatives, professional

practices, competitive and non-

competitive grants and seven years as

Director of Pupil Services responsible

for special education programs in the

district. Her special education

experience was for 14 years with

Questar III as Coordinator of Special

Programs, prior to teaching as a special

education teacher.

Rebecca Gardner

Rebecca

Gardner is

currently a

Faculty

Member for

CASDA

working with

area schools to

build capacity

in relation to

improving

school climate

and culture, professional learning

communities, building leadership

teams, coordinated school health and

wellness, and DiSC (Improving

Workplace Behavior Styles).

Rebecca is retired from the New York

State Education Department as Bureau

Chief for Student Support Services.

She has served as a full time Visiting

Professor at The College of St. Rose

teaching in the Education

Administration Program and as the

Internship Coordinator for those

becoming school principals and

superintendents. Rebecca has also

been a consultant to the School

Administrators Association of NYS

(SAANYS) where she oversaw a

statewide student leadership program

and also with the International Center

for Leadership in Education (ICLE).

Janice White

Dr. Janice White is currently a faculty

member at CASDA working with area

school districts on leadership

development, principal evaluation,

results based goal setting, strategic

planning, and board of education

development. Recently she has

worked with Capital Region BOCES

on Principal APPR training for lead

evaluators and principals and

superintendent

mentoring for

WSWHE

BOCES. She

is an adjunct

professor in the

Educational

Leadership

doctoral

program at

Sage Graduate

School.

Professionally, she recently retired as

Superintendent of Schools of the

Saratoga Springs City School District

after five years. Previously at Saratoga

Springs CSD, she was Deputy

Superintendent for 6 years and Director

for Elementary and Middle School

Education for two years. Her prior

experience in education was as a

principal in Lansingburgh Central

School District and as an elementary

teacher and assistant principal in the

Voorheesville Central School District.

CASDA Faculty team boasts exper ts in their fields CASDA Hosts Second Annual Rural Schools Summit

Rebecca Gardner

Diane Albano

Janice White

S a v e T h e s e D a t e s

Participants arrive before the keynote.

CASDA associate Director Betsey Schuhle

mans the registration table.

Brian Sherman, superintendent of

Schoharie Central CSD, discusses

Distance Learning.

Dr. Kathryn Schiller of UAlbany conducts a workshop

about implementing Teacher Evaluation and the

Common Core.

Preparing College Ready Graduates

January 22, 2013

UAlbany East Campus

8am-2:30pm

This conference will examine ways to

Improve, Change and Update

Instruction in Family and Consumer

Sciences (FACS,) Technology, Music,

Business, Art, Health and Languages

Other Than English (LOTE) to Produce

College and Career Ready Graduates.

Register:

www.surveymonkey.com/

s/2013encorecasda

Teaching Students with Challenging

Behaviors

February 26, 2013

UAlbany East Campus

9am-3pm

This workshop will provide

administrators and teachers with an

understanding of the meaning behind

behaviors and will focus on strategies

that support a positive and practical

approach to teaching challenging

students.

Register:

www.surveymonkey.com/s/TSCB

Defuse and Manage Problem Students

and Confrontational Parents

February 22, 2013

UAlbany East Campus

9am-3pm

This conference will convey school and

police tactics that are proven and lawful

ways to defuse and manage problem

students and confrontational parents.

Participants will analyze a range of

student/parent situations.

Register:

www.surveymonkey.com/s/DEFUSE

The View From Here Continued from page 1

They are joyous places where

children enjoy their childhoods and

develop their social, emotional,

physical and moral as well as

intellectual capacities. Such learning

environments are more than simply a

means to the end of instructional

improvement. They are a worthwhile

end in themselves.

Change in education is necessary,

inevitable—and hard. Those of you

who must implement such change

will always have to deal with

resistance. As you do, it is critical

not to overgeneralize, ascribing all

opposition as coming from those who

wish to stay in their comfort zone to

minimize additional effort. Many

educators have important concerns

which need to be heard and

addressed. Our children will benefit

when we do.

Page 3: CASDA CAPITAL AREA SCHOOL DEVELOPMENT ... York State Center for Rural Schools, Edward Shafer - Director, CTE Technical Assistance Center, and Elizabeth Rickard - Director, Core Institute

2 CAPITAL AREA SCHOOL DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION

The Capital Area School

Development Association (CASDA)

partnered with the USDOE Regional

Laboratory for Northeast and the

Islands (REL-NEI) to conduct an

Eastern New York Rural School

Summit on Friday, January 11 on the

University at Albany East Campus.

This was the second annual summit

designed to help rural leaders with

problems specific to their type of

district. The audience consisted of

rural superintendents, district officials,

principals, board of education

members and agency partners from

Eastern and Northern New York as

well as those from the Catskill

Mountain and Mohawk Valley regions.

The program kicked off with a keynote

by Dr. Bruce T. Fraser titled

"Responding Effectively to the

Challenges Facing Rural Schools".

Dr. Fraser, Executive Director of the

NYS Rural Schools Association,

discussed his thoughts on the

Education Reform Commission's

recommendations and provided

commentary on the Governor's State of

the State address. Dr. Fraser also

discussed reorganization, analysis of

the local property tax cap's impact

including the fiscal impact, voting

behavior year 1 under the cap, and

effective advocacy on behalf of rural

schools.

Dr. Fraser’s keynote was recorded and

will be available for viewing on the

CASDA website soon.

The day also consisted of essential

workshops on topics including: School

Benchmarking, Role of Career and

Technical Education , Core Institute -

career opportunities in rural education,

and School District Reorganization/

Merger from experts in the field

including Dr. John Sipple - Director,

New York State Center for Rural

Schools, Edward Shafer - Director,

CTE Technical Assistance Center, and

Elizabeth Rickard - Director, Core

Institute Milford CSD.

CASDA faculty member Jerry Steele,

a former superintendent of a small

school district, organized this year’s

summit.

CAPITAL AREA SCHOOL DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION 3

CASDA has grown to include over 25

faculty members. Each newsletter we

will feature a few in this section.

Diane Albano

Diane Albano,

Ed.D. is a

skilled

educational

consultant and

leadership

coach

supporting

and

facilitating

district and

building level

school improvement plans and efforts.

She has facilitated team building

initiatives with central office

personnel, building administrators

and teacher leaders. Diane has

participated as a team member

conducting special education reviews

at both the local and State level. She

has worked with special education

departments to set goals, design action

plans and provide progress monitoring.

Currently, she is an Adjunct Professor

at the SUNY Plattsburgh Educational

Leaders program , an executive coach

for the Educational Leadership

Doctoral Program at Sage College and

supports building principals with

classroom and teacher evaluation

strategies.

Diane’s leadership experiences include

serving ten years as Assistant

Superintendent for Instruction in the

Ravena Coeymans Selkirk CSD

overseeing curriculum and

instructional programs and committees,

literacy initiatives, professional

practices, competitive and non-

competitive grants and seven years as

Director of Pupil Services responsible

for special education programs in the

district. Her special education

experience was for 14 years with

Questar III as Coordinator of Special

Programs, prior to teaching as a special

education teacher.

Rebecca Gardner

Rebecca

Gardner is

currently a

Faculty

Member for

CASDA

working with

area schools to

build capacity

in relation to

improving

school climate

and culture, professional learning

communities, building leadership

teams, coordinated school health and

wellness, and DiSC (Improving

Workplace Behavior Styles).

Rebecca is retired from the New York

State Education Department as Bureau

Chief for Student Support Services.

She has served as a full time Visiting

Professor at The College of St. Rose

teaching in the Education

Administration Program and as the

Internship Coordinator for those

becoming school principals and

superintendents. Rebecca has also

been a consultant to the School

Administrators Association of NYS

(SAANYS) where she oversaw a

statewide student leadership program

and also with the International Center

for Leadership in Education (ICLE).

Janice White

Dr. Janice White is currently a faculty

member at CASDA working with area

school districts on leadership

development, principal evaluation,

results based goal setting, strategic

planning, and board of education

development. Recently she has

worked with Capital Region BOCES

on Principal APPR training for lead

evaluators and principals and

superintendent

mentoring for

WSWHE

BOCES. She

is an adjunct

professor in the

Educational

Leadership

doctoral

program at

Sage Graduate

School.

Professionally, she recently retired as

Superintendent of Schools of the

Saratoga Springs City School District

after five years. Previously at Saratoga

Springs CSD, she was Deputy

Superintendent for 6 years and Director

for Elementary and Middle School

Education for two years. Her prior

experience in education was as a

principal in Lansingburgh Central

School District and as an elementary

teacher and assistant principal in the

Voorheesville Central School District.

CASDA Faculty team boasts exper ts in their fields CASDA Hosts Second Annual Rural Schools Summit

Rebecca Gardner

Diane Albano

Janice White

S a v e T h e s e D a t e s

Participants arrive before the keynote.

CASDA associate Director Betsey Schuhle

mans the registration table.

Brian Sherman, superintendent of

Schoharie Central CSD, discusses

Distance Learning.

Dr. Kathryn Schiller of UAlbany conducts a workshop

about implementing Teacher Evaluation and the

Common Core.

Preparing College Ready Graduates

January 22, 2013

UAlbany East Campus

8am-2:30pm

This conference will examine ways to

Improve, Change and Update

Instruction in Family and Consumer

Sciences (FACS,) Technology, Music,

Business, Art, Health and Languages

Other Than English (LOTE) to Produce

College and Career Ready Graduates.

Register:

www.surveymonkey.com/

s/2013encorecasda

Teaching Students with Challenging

Behaviors

February 26, 2013

UAlbany East Campus

9am-3pm

This workshop will provide

administrators and teachers with an

understanding of the meaning behind

behaviors and will focus on strategies

that support a positive and practical

approach to teaching challenging

students.

Register:

www.surveymonkey.com/s/TSCB

Defuse and Manage Problem Students

and Confrontational Parents

February 22, 2013

UAlbany East Campus

9am-3pm

This conference will convey school and

police tactics that are proven and lawful

ways to defuse and manage problem

students and confrontational parents.

Participants will analyze a range of

student/parent situations.

Register:

www.surveymonkey.com/s/DEFUSE

The View From Here Continued from page 1

They are joyous places where

children enjoy their childhoods and

develop their social, emotional,

physical and moral as well as

intellectual capacities. Such learning

environments are more than simply a

means to the end of instructional

improvement. They are a worthwhile

end in themselves.

Change in education is necessary,

inevitable—and hard. Those of you

who must implement such change

will always have to deal with

resistance. As you do, it is critical

not to overgeneralize, ascribing all

opposition as coming from those who

wish to stay in their comfort zone to

minimize additional effort. Many

educators have important concerns

which need to be heard and

addressed. Our children will benefit

when we do.

Page 4: CASDA CAPITAL AREA SCHOOL DEVELOPMENT ... York State Center for Rural Schools, Edward Shafer - Director, CTE Technical Assistance Center, and Elizabeth Rickard - Director, Core Institute

When organizations

define success using a

single measure, bad

things happen.

Businesses that focus

on maximizing the next

quarter’s bottom line

rather than attending to

long term sustainability

usually flounder. Schools that devote

almost exclusive attention to ELA and

math score improvement usually fail in

carrying out their broader mission.

Though educators care deeply about

whether their students are literate and

numerate, they know that efforts in

these areas are not sufficient. This is a

source of anxiety for many and

explains some of the resistance to state

efforts to assess student achievement

and teacher effectiveness by these

single measures. As a result, educators

are forced to pretend that they do not

know what they really know—that the

aims of education are much broader

than our accountability systems would

suggest. Here are a few of the things

we really know:

There are three enduring educational

goals, not one. Currently, someone

visiting New York schools for the first

time would most likely conclude that

the goal of education is to produce

young people who are career ready.

Though there is almost universal

agreement that this is a good thing,

many educators are concerned that it

has become the only thing.

Historically, in addition to vocational

training, schools strove to help youth to

become good citizens and contributing

members of their communities. They

also sought to develop young people’s

personal competence so that they would

be able to lead healthy, reflective and

happy adult lives. The balanced

curriculum found in our schools

throughout the 20th century reflected

these three broad aims of education.

Today, the reduced emphasis on Social

Studies, art, music, health, family and

consumer science, physical education

and other subjects is symptomatic of

the loss of focus on the Citizenship and

Personal Competence goals. Many

educators are troubled by this,

recognizing that these neglected goals

are as important today as they were in

the past.

Dispositions are as important as

knowledge. Our current accountability

system requires regular assessment of

student performance and educator

effectiveness. Over the years,

increasing amounts of school time have

been given over to this function, the

technical quality of tests has improved

and the stakes for everyone have

become greater. Yet, many educators

would agree with the statement that

“Not everything that matters can be

measured and not everything that is

measured matters.” If you ask young

adults (and their parents), as I have,

what mattered most in their successful

transition to adulthood, they

overwhelmingly cite certain attitudes

and dispositions. Grit, perseverance,

resilience, optimism, curiosity, love of

learning, love of life, enthusiasm—

these were critical, they say. If we are

trying to prepare young people to lead

functional and fulfilling lives, why

don’t our tests help us to understand the

degree to which we are succeeding in

cultivating these habits of mind and

spirit? The answer is simple---

measurement is difficult. As a result,

tests of literacy and math knowledge

and skill which are necessary but not

sufficient come to constitute the entire

assessment program. And, since what

gets measured gets done, efforts of

educators today focus almost entirely

on these measured areas. In the past,

educators took time in the classroom

and on stages and playing fields to

consciously develop these worthwhile

attitudes and dispositions; educators

today know that the system directs their

time and attention elsewhere to their

students’ detriment.

Childhood isn’t just preparation for

life. It is life. As our current system

has narrowed the curriculum and

assessment focus in our schools, it has

also tightly dictated the use of

classroom time. Though most

educators would agree that this has

resulted in better student performance

in tested areas, many worry that there

have been unintended negative

consequences. Is there still time for

recess, library, assemblies, holiday

celebrations, teachable moments, co-

curricular activities, project-based

learning? Can curiosity, initiative and a

love of learning be developed and

student motivation sustained given the

quickened pace of instruction and the

emphasis on coverage? The best

classrooms and schools are not just

effective places.

Continued on page 3

518-512-5198 Call or visit us online for the most

current news and program updates.

casdany.org

Dr. James

Butterworth

The View f ro m He re

4 CAPITAL AREA SCHOOL DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION

CASDA CAPITAL AREA SCHOOL DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION

STA

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CU

TIV

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MIT

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November 2012

JAMES BUTTERWORTH, Ph.D. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

[email protected]

BETSEY SCHÜHLE

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR

[email protected]

ED KOLLER ASSISTANT DIRECTOR

[email protected]

SHAYNE STUMP OFFICE MANAGER

[email protected]

NANCY ANDRESS EDUCATIONAL CONSULTANT

[email protected]

Chair

LYNN MACAN

COBLESKILL-RICHMONDVILLE

Vice Chair

CHERYL DUDLEY

GREENVILLE CENTRAL

JONATHAN BUHNER

SOUTH COLONIE CENTRAL

CHARLES DEDRICK

CAPITAL REGION BOCES

ROBERT DELILLI

JOHNSTOWN CITY

PATRICK GABRIEL

GERMANTOWN CENTRAL

JAMES HOFFMAN

AVERILL PARK CENTRAL

DOUGLAS HUNTLEY

QUEENSBURY UNION FREE

DOUGLAS KELLEY

HOOSIC VALLEY CENTRAL

ROBERT LIBBY

COHOES CITY

MICHAEL MARKWICA

JOHNSBURG CENTRAL

LAWERENCE SPRING

SCHENECTADY CITY

STEVEN TOMLINSON

BROADALBIN-PERTH CENTRAL

FOR THE UNIVERSITY

ROBERT BANGERT-DROWNS

DEAN, SCHOOL OF EDUCATION

GILBERT VALVERDE

CHAIR, DEPARTMENT OF

EDUCATIONAL ADMINISTRATION

AND POLICY STUDIES

DANIEL L. WULFF

PROF., BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES

November-December 2012 Jan. - Feb. 2013

UAlbany Day-Showcase at the Plaza

coming to the Plaza Feb. 4

The 6th Annual UAlbany Day – “College Exploration Day” on

Monday, February 4, 2013 at the Empire State Plaza is fast

approaching!

UAlbany Day is an “open to the public,” student-focused day

dedicated to exposing our community – especially K-12 school

students – to the vitality and richness of college life at the University

at Albany.

This year’s UAlbany Day will

showcase: Live student

performances, groundbreaking

research and discovery,

campus information, two

chances to win a $1,000

scholarship, and much, much

more.

School districts should take

full advantage of this special event by inviting classes, parents, and

other members of the district community to UAlbany Day. It is a day

that provides a wonderful opportunity for the next generation to

learn more about the importance of higher education.

If your school is able to attend or you would like to learn more,

please contact CASDA Associate Director, Betsey Schuhle at (518)

512-5198 or by email at [email protected].

You can register your school by visiting UAlbany’s official page on

the University website:

w w w . a l b a n y . e d u / u a l b a n y d a y

UAlbany students demonstrate some equipment

to students from a local district.

January-February 2013