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VFEL Webinar Series
Eight Elements of High School ImprovementLeadership and GovernanceResources for Sustainability
March 2012
The ultimate goal in school improvement is for the people attached to the school to drive
its continuous improvement for the sake of their own children and students.
Dr. Sam Redding
Virginia Foundation of Educational Leadership (VFEL)
Webinar Faculty:Dr. Roger E. Jones
[email protected] Dr. Carol C. Robinson
[email protected] Dr. John C. Walker
Today’s Agenda
1. Welcome (2 minutes)2. Team reports – (10 minutes)3. Research regarding Elements 6 and 8:
Leadership and Governance; Organization and Structure (30 minutes)
4. Activity/Discussion – School and Division Expectations (10 minutes)
5. Reflections/Next Steps (8 minutes)
Objectives Participants will be able to identify the
defined practices in their school relative to effective leadership.
Participants will be able to identify the defined practices in their school relative to sustainability.
Participants will be able to identify steps to improve the Graduation and Completion Index.
Report Out
What are your defined practices for student and family supports and stakeholder engagement? Are they effective?
Leadership and Governance – Element 6 A distributed leadership approach is in
place to promote high school improvement.
High school improvement strategies and initiatives are guided by an effective high school improvement plan.
School leaders possess the prerequisite knowledge of school change to support high school initiatives and improvement strategies.
Distributed Leadership
Leadership is the province of all, not just a privileged few It is an interactive process in which
leaders and followers engage in mutual interaction in a complex environment to achieve mutual goals
Must acknowledge all elements of the process, not just the actions of the leader
Distributed Leadership
High school improvement strategies and initiatives are guided by an effective school improvement team.
Building Teams
“Team Life Cycle” “Team Performance Assessment” How can these be used?
Building Teams
School leaders possess the prerequisite knowledge of school change to support high school initiatives and improvement strategies.
Resources for Sustainability (Element 8)
Appropriate time and necessary fiscal support are provided so that high school improvement strategies and initiatives can be implemented and sustained.
Facilities and materials are continually assessed and upgraded to keep pace with evolving standards and technology.
Teachers and principals continuously develop their knowledge and skills to incorporate high school improvement strategies and initiatives within their instructional leadership practices.
Sustainability You can only create and sustain what
you value! Implementing is easier than
sustaining. Sustain only those programs/
initiatives/strategies that work. Match intent with practice.
SOL Changes
Social Studies—standards changed in 2008 and assessments changed in 2010-2011
Math—standards changed in 2009 and assessments changed in 2011-2012
English and Science—standards changed in 2010 with assessments to change in 2012-2013
Additional Areas of Focus
College and Career Readiness• Advanced Proficient on EOC Assessments• Industry Certification
Academic Rigor• Governor’s Challenge to State Board• USED Waivers to NCLB
Evaluations Linked to Student Achievement
Graduation and Completion Index
Critical Points for Sustainability
To sustain change, schools must focus energies beyond short-term effectiveness and toward a greater vision
Hargreaves & Fink (2006), Reeves & Allison (2009), Wheatley & Frieze (2007)
Critical Points for Sustainability
Sustainability is Connected to School Culture (Kurt Lewin)
Culture (defined practice) is the institutionalized way you do things in your school (it is what you espouse and what you accept)
School Culture is frozen – it will not change without a reason
Unfreeze the culture, then implement the change
Refreeze the culture so the change becomes part of “who you are”
Critical Points for Sustainability
Structural Change ≠ Cultural Change
Structural Change Examples Small Learning Communities Ninth Grade Academies Block Schedule Career Academies Professional Learning Communities
Structural Change ≠ Cultural Change
Cultural Changes Vision that Drives Decisions Common Set of Guiding Principles Heightened Expectations Belief Structure of Teachers/Staff Language of the Responsible v.
Language of the Victim
Sustain Change that:
• Prepares students for their future, not our pasts;
• Prepares students for jobs that may not yet exist; and
• Prepares students to solve unknown problems.
Sustainability Process
Two Critical Elements of Sustainability
• Non-negotiables– Those things you
will lock horns over.
• Intentionality– Those things you
agree to focus on every day.
Summary Effective teachers continuously build their content
knowledge and pedagogical and classroom management skills to meet the needs of all students.
Collaboration among teachers and instructional staff members across all content areas and categorical programs is critical if schools are going to meet the needs of all students.
Professional development opportunities must be job-embedded at the school and classroom levels, aligned to high school improvement strategies and initiatives, and offered throughout the school year.
Efforts in teacher quality and professional development that are NOT based on student needs will NOT raise your graduation rate.
School Administration
Efforts
School Department
Efforts
Feeder School Efforts
Central Office Efforts
Leadership and Sustainability
Needs Assessment
Take a few minutes to review the results of your needs assessment for Element 2
Select an indicator that is a strength and be prepared to explain why it is a strength
Questions to consider to stimulate team reflections How is leadership distributed at our school?
To what degree are staff involved as partners in the improvement process?
How is sustainability addressed and evidenced in our school and division? What are our non-negotiables?
What is the compelling vision that guides our school and division reform efforts?
What structural changes have we made or are we preparing to make? Are we changing the culture?
Resources for Elements 6 and 8Hargreaves, A. & Fink, D. (2006). Sustainable leadership. San
Francisco: Jossey-Bass.National Association of Secondary Principals. (2004). Breaking ranks
II: Strategies for leading high school reform. Reston, VA: Author.Noguera, P. Presentation made at the Virginia Middle and High School
Principals Conference and Exposition, June 27-29, 2011Reeves. D. B. & Allison, E. (2009). Renewal coaching: Sustainable
change for individuals and organizations. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Squire, K. D. & Reigeluth, C. M. (2000). The many faces of systemic change. Educational Horizons, 78(3), 145-154.
Wheatley, M. & Frieze, D. (2007). Beyond networking: How large-scale change really happens. School Administrator, 64(4), 35-38.
What was one idea I learned during today’s webinar that I
plan to share with colleagues at
my school?
Next Steps
Revisit your needs assessment results. Have your perceptions changed as a result of your participation in the webinar series?
Regional meetings in April Evaluation survey – online, will be
available mid-April through May 1 – please complete this for us!
School Improvement Plan due May 1
Regional Liaisons
Frank Ehrhart ([email protected])
Courtney Graves ([email protected])
Linda Hyslop ([email protected])
Steve Sage ([email protected])
Melanie Yules ([email protected])
