Terrell L. Donicht.

A 'Gem' Shines Brightly in Idaho

As a veteran school board member in Twin Falls, Idaho, Vera Red-man gets plenty of feedback from community members. But she's never fielded calls such as those that came from several district administrators not long ago.

The subject of her calls was Terry Donicht, Twin Falls' superintendent for the last 10 years.

"They specifically called me to say, 'I want you to know what we have here. We have a gem here. Hang on to him."'

That episode reaffirmed Redman's view of the superintendent as a visionary educational leader who doesn't "get bogged down in all the financial details and other stuff that has to get done."

Donicht, a native of Pocatello, Idaho, has fixed his sights firmly on bottom-line student achievement measures in the 7,200-student system, the 8th largest in Idaho. He is information driven, focused on results and eager to open the governance structure wide enough for teachers and parents to influence major educational initiatives.

Not long after coming to Twin Falls, Donicht created the Quality Schools Committee, a body consisting of parents, teachers and each of the district's 11 principals, which meets six times a year to identify strategies that address student needs. The QSP recently completed a booklet of preferred classroom practices on such matters as homework assignments, classroom management and grading.

As a vocal proponent of standards-based education, Donicht has had to withstand some blistering criticism over the years from the politically conservative forces that occupy the southern end of Idaho. Twin Falls was among the state's first to pursue what was known as an outcome-driven developmental model, which the fundamentalist right viewed as part of a nefarious conspiracy by the federal government.

"It's been much easier for us since the standards-based movement has arrived nationwide, and we have enough sense to drop the name 'outcome' from our efforts," Donicht says.

More recently, he has been trying to persuade district teachers to abandon the longstanding practice of factoring attendance, effort and behavior into their end-of-year and end-of-course grades.

Under his tenure, the school district has aligned its curriculum in all disciplines, based on benchmarks at every level. Students are tested at the end of every year in every core subject. These efforts and others have led to steady achievement gains, even though the district counts 40 percent of its students as economically disadvantaged in a state that ranks 49th in taxpayer support to public education. At some grade levels, student performance has moved from the 50th percentile to the 90th.

"I've found it's extremely easy to introduce change," says Donicht, who was appointed to his first superintendency in Challis, Idaho, as a 35-year-old. "But it's extremely difficult to sustain it. Everybody wants to jump on to the next thing. ... There's drudgery involved in refining strategies that produce results. So many more things are more fun to do."

The superintendent's personal successes and the strides of his district have made Twin Falls a model for other school communities in Idaho. Donicht's colleagues statewide have picked him to serve as president of the Idaho School Superintendents Association in 2000-2001.

Donicht, whose wife Candis serves as a district superintendent five hours north in Salmon on Idaho's border with Montana, acknowledges he does not have a lock on the best answers. "I pride myself that we have people here who will be candid around me. Not all of my ideas are great ideas."

Thus each spring the superintendent asks his principals and central-office administrators to anonymously evaluate him using 55 criteria, more than half of which deal with instructional leadership. The district's personnel director compiles the data and comments from the 29 respondents.

"I look at the lowest averages and ask myself, 'Is there a grain of truth or is this just a perception?' Either way, I need to address it."

Jay Goldman is the editor of The School Administrator.

BIO STATS: TERRY DONICHT

Currently: superintendent, Twin Falls, Idaho

Earlier: director of secondary education, Pocatello, Idaho

Age: 55

Greatest Influence on Career: When my 9th grade English teacher, Melba Barnett, and my algebra teacher, Leon Morris, convinced me I could learn, that learning was enjoyable and that teaching carried with it a multitude of rewards.

Best Professional Day: Each graduation day in the spring when I see 450 to 500 students cross the stage and receive their diplomas, knowing I played some part in their success.

Books at Bedside: Zapp! The Lightning of Empowerment by William C. Byham with Jeff Cox, The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli, When You Lick a Slug, Your Tongue Goes Numb: Kids Share Their Wit and Wisdom by H. Jackson Brown Jr.

Biggest Blooper: At my first "meet the superintendent" gathering in a small two-room school in the middle of Idaho, I made the mistake of coming attired as an educational researcher, my previous job. In my leisure suit and long hair that covered my ears and collar, I was confronted by a crusty old rancher who asked, "Why should my daughters follow the directives of someone who looks more like a girl than they do?"

A Reason Why I'm an AASA Member: Professional development opportunities with noted professionals and personal relationships with experienced administrators are invaluable to my own growth.