A group of highly engaged 4th graders in math stations at Jane Long Elementary School
“Nothing so conclusively proves a man’s ability to lead others as what he does from day to day to lead himself.” -Thomas J. Watson, founder of IBM
“A leader is a dealer in hope.” -Napoleon Bonaparte
Since I’m not an administrator, I posed this question to principal Lorrie Kloss who began her journey in Tabor Rotation in May, 2014 and has seen ASTOUNDING results,
“How can an administrator support Tabor Rotation?”
Here was her response. (Data to support the reasons why you should believe her are found on the NEWS & RESULTS page of this website.)
The Top 5 Things an Administrator can do to Support Tabor
1. Facilitate Change
Initially, support your teachers in taking risks. Encourage them to try, while also letting them know you are very aware it will not be perfect! Hurdles will present themselves, and mistakes shall be made, however always be there to support them as they encounter struggle. Let them know that everyone will use this knowledge to be even better the next time around.
2. Select a Winning Team
Attend the initial Tabor Rotation Institute with a core group of staff who are handpicked. Choose wisely! These staff must be the ones who have leadership qualities, are open to change, and who are, first and foremost, teachers who make student learning their top priority.
3. Plan Strategically
Our school was fortunate enough to be able to attend Tabor Rotation training in May, which afforded our team the opportunity to meet together throughout the summer. Scheduling follow-up days with our core team was vital for the initial implementation push at the beginning of the school year. Throughout these trainings and the summer, we were able to identify resources and supplies we might need, and had the time to seek them out as well. In addition, our core team trained the remaining staff in our back- to-school professional development week. We also modeled for the staff what a guided math lesson with workstations and teacher time would look like.
It was during this time that I laid out my expectations to the staff on implementation, and that this was a part of our campus improvement plan. I also shared the data that showed the Tabor Rotation Framework worked with groups of students who matched our demographics and gave the staff reason to believe!
4. Ongoing Professional Development
Select on-site coaching dates, with Glenna Tabor, at the beginning of the school year for your staff. Attend these coaching sessions with your staff and support them fully! Further, arrange for continued support from Glenna Tabor whenever or however you can. Email Glenna questions; she will answer them! Sign up for web-based sessions with Glenna if time or funds are limited!
5. Support, Support, Support!
Last, ask lots of questions. Treat your faculty as though they are the experts. Celebrate their success and cry with them when they are frustrated. Ask them what they need and go find it. Schedule time for your teachers to watch model , plan together, and network with others for ongoing support.
Are these “top five things administrators can do to support Tabor Rotation” working for this principal and her school? Has it been worth all the time and energy invested? Her answer is most definitely, yes!
After just three months of implementation of Tabor Rotation, Jane Long Elementary School’s 4th grade overall passing rate on district assessments rose 9%. The 4th grade surpassed the district by 18% while district scores remained flat. Jane Long Elementary was also realizing overall growth in all at-risk sub-populations and advanced learners. The commended scores in 4th grade at Long were 11% higher than the district. Recent mid-year tests have shown even greater gains.
What about qualitative data—the things you can’t measure easily and put into a graph? After sharing her amazing results with me she related how Tabor Rotation isn’t just changing scores—it’s changing the entire community.
“…a parent called me this morning, in tears! She was blown away at the treatment of her daughter by one of our teachers, Mary Baumgardner, and wanted me to know. Her daughter, after being tutored for years, and feeling distraught about math finally is showing confidence in her ability, and is showing exceptional academic progress. This student has grown 1 yr and 2 months in just 4 months time this year. I thanked the mom and told her I would make Mary’s day with this news…”
What can an administrator do to support Tabor Rotation and effective, differentiated, small-group instruction in the classroom? John Maxwell said it well,
“A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.”
Lorrie Kloss, and all other successful Tabor Rotation School principals, are doing just that. My hats go off to all of them as they guide our schools into the next century!
