WHAT MAKES A RESILIENT LEADER DR. CASTRUITA

Resilience Tools CLARITY OF DIRECTION HAVING A VISION AND A RELALISTIC STRATEGY FOR THE FUTURE, COMMUNICATING EFFECTIVELY TO ALLIGN PEOPLE TO YOUR VISION AND HAVING THE DETERMINATION TO KEEP GOING IN THE FACE OF ADVERSITY RESILIENT DECISION MAKING BEING ABLE TO TAKE A VALUABLE IDEA FROM CONCEPT TO REALITY, CHALLENGING YOUR OWN AND OTHERS BIASES AND CONSIDERING THE IMPACT, PACE AND STYLE OF YOUR DECISION MAKING

RESILIENCE TOOLS continued AWARENESS APPRECIATION OF YOUR OWN AND OTHERS MOTIVATIONS, CULTURES, STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES AND USING THIS KNOWLEDGE TO ADAPT TO THE FORCES THAT AFFECT YOUR CHANGING ENVIORNMENT LEADERHIP PRESENCE BEING TRUE TO YOURSELF, YOUR VALUES AND ETHICAL CODE, BEING IN SERVICE TO OTHERS AND BRINGING A FOCUS AND BIAS FOR ACHIEVEMENT TO YOUR ORGANIZATION AND OTHERS AROUND YOU

The Priorities of the 21st Century Secondary School Principal: Identified as a Change Agent [Dufour et al. (2002), Fullan (2002), Marzano et al. (2005),] Identified as an Instructional Leader (Reeves, 2008) Identified as a Community Leader (Fullan, 2001) Identified as a Visionary Leader (Usdan et al., 2000).

Superintendent Selection Criteria for 21st Century Secondary School Principals: Demonstrate a deep commitment to diverse student learning needs Ability to engage stakeholders through collaboration and interaction Identify with and closely reflect the vision of the Superintendent Display strong communication skills Prioritize staff training and professional development Demonstrate the ability to tolerate high levels of stress Possess strong understanding about the “politics” of the job Identify with being a risk-taker, flexible, self-starter, and possess the ability to think “outside the book”

Superintendent Selection Criteria (contd.) Strong Knowledge of employee discipline and union contracts Highly experienced in classroom supervision and teacher evaluation Trained in the use of assessment data to drive accountability for student learning Experience and knowledge of secondary instruction Understand the effective allocation of site budgets Understand accountability measures such as API, AYP and PI and demonstrate past performance of raising test scores: Ability to create reform through initiatives such as PLC, SLC and CTE

District Initiatives That Support Secondary Principal Success: Ensure that Principals are trained and understand the evaluation standards based on the six ISLLC/CPSEL standards Have strategies in place to support the “Political Framework” aspect of Principal Leadership Introduce organized and regular opportunities for support services for Principals Create in-house training programs for current and future administrators Using stakeholders to be part of the selection process to ensure the best match:

Factors Contributing to Unsuccessful Tenure for Secondary Principals: Principals who fail to take responsibility for their decisions Principals who fail to understand the political ramifications of the decisions that are made The principal’s inability to create teams which result in the lack of teacher voice and create staff disengagement

Recommendations for Principal Preparation Programs; USC will be considering the following recommendations: Incorporate lessons around strategy, practice and role play involving situational discussions. Allow candidates to make real decisions related to difficult parent and student behaviors based on case studies and legal decisions as reference. Provide candidates with deeper understanding of the Principal position and the political impact this position has on the decisions of diverse groups. Provide candidates with knowledge of how to analyze and apportion site budgets to create programs. Focus on the interpretation and use of student achievement data to address accountability measures and increase the schools status related to PI, API, AYP, Safe Harbor. Redesign the programs to be more in line with existing partnership programs between districts and universities (intern administrative credential programs) Prepare candidates for interviews which reflect current federal legislation and accountability measures and accompanying implications.

Recommendations for Principal Preparation Programs (Contd.) Training to assist with identifying and engaging staff to provide effective professional growth and staff development. Training in appropriate introduction of research based reform initiatives and strategies such as PLC, and SLC and support that with data that would create stakeholder buy-in, and create ongoing improvements. Training around Personnel standards, related to knowledge of staff discipline, creating a Focus on use of data to monitor and introduce programs and services and teacher efficacy. Focus on principal training around evaluations and observations to address teacher efficacy related to pedagogy, student engagement, and rigor and relevance.

Next Steps: Assessment of current Principal Preparation Program options, vis-à-vis, University programs, Online programs, ACSA AB 430, and existing partnerships between school district and local University resulting in In-house certification programs through: a) observations of course content and real world preparation standards; b) surveys of principals who are recent graduates of these programs and their personal preparation for their positions; (c) interviews of district administrators and their response to principals hired from these programs and how they are performing on the job.

For further information contact: Rudy M Castruita, Ed.D, Professor Rossier School of Education, University of Southern California Email: rcastrui@cox.net and Fal Asrani, Ed.D, Administrator, High School Reform Antioch Unified School District. Email: asranifal@gmail.com