The School Administrator

June 2011 Number 6, Vol. 68Resuscitating 12th GradeCreating educational experiences, including early college programs, to cure the ills of senioritis

Features

Redesigning the Senior Year
by JANICE R. DREIS AND LARRY D. REHAGE
How can you create an educational experience that matches the developmental profile of high school seniors? These authors have done that in multiple communities. Here, they identify several key premises that can guide educators.
Similar Reading: Supplanting AP Classes With Our Own and Senior Exit Interviews
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Early College Designs
by JOEL H. VARGAS AND MARC S. MILLER
Once a radical concept, early college high schools are flying soundly today. Expansion is taking place through the creation of early college districts covering all students and the use of early college designs as a statewide strategy.
Similar Reading: Q&A: A Superintendent Behind Early College for All and Putting Dropouts on the Path to College
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Opening Doors to College Access and Success
by MONTE C. MOSES AND JIM NELSON
A pair of former superintendents have distilled what they’ve seen effectively improve educational attainment for all students. They have created a set of 10 actions to address the readiness of graduates for postsecondary pursuits.
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Tracking College Readiness
by KEVIN A. SKELLY AND SCOTT T. LAURENCE
A small consortium of superintendents shares what it is learning about graduates’ disparate experiences at the community colleges, public universities and selective private colleges where they’ve enrolled.
Similar Reading: About the 21st Century Consortium and AASA Partner Tracks Districts’ Graduates
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Profile

Forging Ahead as a Team by FRANCESCA DUFFY

Humility is a personal trait Tom Trigg embraced after reading Good to Great by Jim Collins, who says top-level leaders put their own self-interest on the back burner to unify an organization. Trigg was a 2011 finalist for the National Superintendent of the Year award.

Departments

Board-Savvy Superintendent

Adding Spice To Prevent Burnout by DOUG EADIE

Chief executives should pay close attention to providing their board members with various forms of nonmonetary compensation as a way of counteracting the inevitable wear and tear of governing work.

Focus

A Startup of Performance-Based Pay by MICHAEL W. JOLIN

The superintendent in Thompson, Conn., describes the negotiations that followed the school board’s proposal to link compensation to improving student performance, given the reluctance of principals and other administrators.

Guest Columns

Making Transparency Concrete by CHRIS J. KENNEDY

Demystifying the work of schools and school districts when so much is expected of them is a personal responsibility for the superintendent in West Vancouver, British Columbia.

Just Close the Doors and Teach by PAMELA R. MORAN

Educators need to learn from each other — new technologies, strategies and ways of connecting with young people — especially as this veteran superintendent is hearing administrators and teachers express a troubling sentiment that it’s hard to keep coming back to work.

Punchback: Answering Critics

Vicious Blog Postings: Are You Protected? by MICHELE V. HANDZEL

The attorney for a statewide superintendents group discusses the legal remedies for dealing with venomous blog attacks that can bring down careers. Given the relative novelty of the issue, more questions than answers exist.

President's Corner

Finishing Up or Just Beginning? by EDGAR B. HATRICK

Concluding realizations and wishes from AASA’s president of 2010-11.

Executive Perspective

A Commencement Address by DANIEL A. DOMENECH

A pitch talk to this spring’s high school graduates about considering education as a career. “You can truly shape the future of those you come in contact with,” writes AASA’s executive director.

People

People

This month’s People page showcases promotions, along with plenty of
deserved retirements.

The School Administrator

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