Author Archives: matthewsdl

Last night our cohort teammates began the process of presenting Executive Summaries to the class. We were assigned the task of “evaluating” their performance and offering areas of consideration using a standard rubric. I was so humbled that I have had the privilege of working with so many professional people! My cohort members displayed that ever … Continue reading →
Read more »

Recently Louisa County made the news in a horrific incident that affected a student at an elementary school. A video captured an adult in the school that followed a young boy into a bathroom. Later, the boy reported to his parents that he was molested. The attached news link shows the incident and the interview … Continue reading →
Read more »

The attached article addressed a move to encourage the federal government to leave school decisions to the local governing agency the school board.  The National School Board’s Association addressed concern over the “unnecessary and counter-productive federal intrusion”  that has been happening to schools across the nation.  This comes at an interesting time in the debate over federal … Continue reading →
Read more »

When answering the titled question listed above, most people would automatically state that all students should have the opportunity to participate in high school athletic programs. The truth is that even though students may sign up and try out, the majority of physically disabled students may not make the cut. So how do we allow students … Continue reading →
Read more »

Featured in the Potomac Local News, January 22, 2013,  the bill now being nicknamed “Gwyneth’s Law” has been introduced to the Richmond Legislature.  This bill supports the adoption of CPR training for all ninth graders entering public school, effective with the fall  of the 2014-2015 school year. This bill was in response to a local … Continue reading →
Read more »

I have just competed my literature review for my fall project. The review serves to update my client or reader in the many areas of research or publications related to the program I am evaluating in the spring semester. I enjoyed the process and found the review process interesting. I loved reading the updated information and reviewing … Continue reading →
Read more »

Learning to code responses using a qualitative data collection format has been very interesting. It was amazing as I worked with my partner to discover the real possibilities of data collection topics for our new project. As we interviewed our evaluand partners, I was surprised to find out the many areas of similarities between the various … Continue reading →
Read more »

ASCD published an article discussing the differences and the practicality of using the instructional coach as an evaluator and the concerns that these dual roles can have on teacher improvement, acceptance, and morale within a school building. As a key building level administrator, understanding that evaluation as a “stand alone” process does little to improve instruction … Continue reading →
Read more »

Does your school practice instructional rounds? You might ask, What is an instructional round? I would best describe the process as the development of a professional network aimed at sharing and collaborating  on positive instructional practices… and results oriented approaches.  In forming a simple instructional round, educators decide on a common time, free from distractions … Continue reading →
Read more »

Have you ever heard of these 14 principles? Let’s review them to determine which you have available within your school. They are as follows: shared beliefs and vision, literacy coaches, literacy blocks, principal as the instructional leader, intervention strategies, case management, professional development in regards to student literacy, during school grade meetings designed to focus … Continue reading →
Read more »