The More I Learn, The More I Learn I Have To Learn

Even though I'm a veteran administrator, the road to success seems to be constantly changing and is filled with more curves and off ramps than ever before. And just when I think I've come to understand the new road map, a newer version is printed. In other words, the more I learn the more I understand there is even more to learn.

For example, last week from Sunday through Wednesday, I attended the Summer Retreat sponsored by the state Principal's organization. The weather was great and the scenery was beautiful in northern Michigan, but there was also a great deal to learn.

The title of the conference was "Leadership That Works", however, it was really an intensive learning environment on the nuances of the ACT. As most of you know, the ACT now makes up the bulk of our state assessment, commonly called the Michigan Merit Exam (MME). This is the annual test given to all students in the spring of their junior year.

To do well on the ACT, it is imperative that juniors have taken the right classes along the way. That means a college-prep curriculum with the rigor necessary for strong academic performance. Over the first two years of MME testing, our students have done quite well. However, when students struggle, it is almost always because they are behind grade level in math and English.

We have been working with the middle school staff to make sure students enter the high school with the requisite skills. However, the task seems to be getting more daunting than ever. And as you might guess, these same students entered middle school lagging behind their classmates. We have to develop some type of summer learning experience that provides an opportunity for them to catch up with their peers.

What became most obvious to me during the sessions last week is that more than ever the reputation of our school will rest largely on two performance areas; 1) performance on the MME (ACT) and, 2) performance on Advanced Placement (AP) tests.

The task lying ahead of us is to make sure students are in the right classes, the correct standards and benchmarks are being taught in those classes, and students are prepared to take assessments in the format of the ACT. To do anything less is setting up our students, and ultimately our school, for failure. We will do better than that.