Dr. Timothy Mitchell Rapid City Area Schools Administrative Advance

“Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other” John F. Kennedy Words never spoken Speech to be delivered November 22, 1963-Dallas,TX

Welcome and Introduction of New Staff

7:30-8:00Continental Breakfast 8:00-9:00“Systems That Learn”-Part I 9:00-9:15CSAC Feedback Survey 9:15-10:00Support Services 10:00-10:15Break 10:15-10:45Human Resources 10:45-11:15Indian Education 11:15-11:45Federal Grants/Assessment 11:45-1:00Lunch--(On Own)

1:00-1:30Curriculum and Instruction 1:30-2:00Business Office 2:00-2:15Break 2:15-3:15Special Education 3:15-3:45Technology 3:45-4:15Student Achievement 4:15-4:30“Systems That Learn-Part 2”

In Latin, the word retreat means "to draw back." Many view retreating in a negative way - that it is somehow cowardly or unproductive. Gaining perspective before action is the best way to advance.

What do we do during our ADVANCE: Invest in yourself and your relationships Quiet the mind to help see things clearer Time to reflect on difficult decisions Plan and strategize your vision Celebrate past success

Building a community of life long learners, one student at a time.

All Rapid City Area School students will achieve to their full potential.

Goal #1: RCAS will develop a guaranteed and viable curriculum in all grade levels and in all courses so that all students have access to the same essential learning. Goal #2: RCAS will develop a comprehensive system of assessment that is aligned with content standards, curriculum materials and instructional practices. Goal #3: RCAS will develop diverse opportunities for students to learn and be academically successful.

 Guaranteed, Viable, Relevant Curriculum  Life and Career skills  Technology Literacy (21 st century skills)  Staff Effectiveness and Organizational Capacity- Building  Comprehensive System of Assessment  Diverse Opportunities for students to learn and be academically successful

Learning Target: To build a district-wide shared understanding of PLC principles, practices, and concepts with an emphasis on the four critical questions and how they interconnect and support each other. To develop a high-performing collaborative team at the district and building level in order to achieve the collective purpose of high levels of learning for all students

Learning Target: To clarify what all district employees must know and be able to do to achieve a high performing learning culture that supports a highly functioning PLC. To develop and deploy frequent team-developed evaluation processes to provide specific and immediate feedback to the district that will support the development of a highly functioning PLC.

Criteria for Success: The RCAS Administrative Team will develop as a Learning Team with a shared focus, shared priorities and shared understandings that support a highly functioning PLC. The RCAS Administrative Team will shift all behavior to align systems, structures, process and policies to create a high performing learning culture that will support a highly functioning PLC.

Part 1 Leading to Learn Learning to Lead

District-wide Survey-Spring Comments 80-Positive 87-Neutral 51-Negative Review of comments-Trends -Lack of consistency, understanding and confusion as to the work

*Creating and Sustaining Collaborative Relationships *Aligning Systems *Facilitating Shared Responsibility *Building Coherence and Clarity *Modeling Practices and Expectations *Reflecting on Leadership Effectiveness of Self and Others *Developing Leadership Capacity in Self and Others

The first three represent the core leadership practices Building coherence and clarity serves as the base The last two encircle the core work and extend and broaden the core and base

Changing practice requires focus and commitment to developing new beliefs and skills. These leadership practices help to create successful, sustainable PLCs

Helping individuals understand the why and the what with consistency is critical. Building coherence and clarity underpins each leadership practice

“Change can not happen unless educators bring people along, and people will not change without a compelling reason” Reeves

Devoid of a firm foundation in the area of the compelling WHY question all organizations do indeed “stand on shaking ground”

Each time resistance is found, leaders must redirect their efforts to engage their colleagues in building a personal rationale and shared understanding of their collective work.

In the absence of coherence and clarity, change becomes confusing, chaotic and ultimately unwieldy. Building coherence and clarity is foundational and it is imperative in everything we do.

In the absence of organizational coherence and clarity, the beliefs of a few, even when presented with strong conviction and authority seldom have staying power to carry the work forward.

Key Concepts: -Focusing on the ONE Thing -Answering the WHY Question Before the HOW -Clearly Communicating Priorities -Framing Collaborative Conversations to Ensure Shared Understanding

Focusing on the ONE Thing Collins (2001) stated that great organizations “simplify complex world into a single organizing idea, a basic principle or concept that unifies and guides everything”

Focusing on the ONE Thing Every failed organization had a gradual movement and retreat from the fundamental purpose and guiding principle of the organization. (Collins)

Focusing on the ONE Thing Effective PLC leaders: Did not waiver in their belief in the fundamental purpose and guiding principle “facilitating high levels of learning for all”

Focusing on the ONE Thing Simplify, Simplify, Simplify KISS (Keep It Simple, Silly)

Answer WHY Before WHAT Rationale that all understand and share Use data to identify the rationale Link all actions to the idea Ensure support for all aligned programs

Clearly Communicate the Priorities Intentional and Thoughtful with Communication Not a One-time Event Develop the Common Vocabulary Invest Time and Emotional Energy in Dialogue

Framing Collaborative Conversations Less Meetings—More Dialogue Less Speaking—More Listening

The journey is first and foremost about orientation. Developing coherence and clarity through building capacity is key to helping everyone in the organization.

Part 2 WHY? It is All About Learning!

Consider the following questions: *Have researchers ever shown that teacher isolation is more educationally effective strategy that teachers collaborating toward common goals? *Is there evidence that top-down management is more effective that teacher problem-solving and leadership at all levels of the school system?

Consider the following questions: *Is there evidence that school structures based upon standardization are more effective that school structures that are differentiated based on actual student needs? *Lastly, is there any evidence in the private or public sector that employees do not need frequent training and quality supervision throughout their career?

The answer to each question is “NO”. There is no research that supports the claim that high employee performance is based on isolation, top down management, standardization and lack of employee training.

The Big Idea The learning dynamics that a teacher establishes in his/her classroom is similar to the learning dynamics a principal/instructional leader establishes in his/her school, and is similar to what a superintendent does to promote learning within the district leadership team.

Decreasing costs and increasing student achievement can not be opposing goals. Resource allocation needs to be part of the solution. The hardest part is winning the support for these bold and necessary decisions.

Working smarter as a school or school system does not require a larger school budget

Strengthening the adult learning will benefit students: *When School Boards learn *When Central Administrators learn *When Building Administrators learn *When Schools and departments learn *When individual teachers learn

Overarching Theory When a school systems learns, continuous improvement enables educators to close achievement gaps and ensures that all students grow and develop as learners.

Creating team time does not guarantee improvements Structural change is not cultural change. Simply altering the schedule to provide time to meet does not create conditions for learning.

“School leaders and teachers need to create schools and classroom environments in which error is welcomed as a learning opportunity, in which discarding incorrect knowledge and understanding is welcomed, and in which teachers feel safe to learn, re-learn, and explore knowledge and understanding” J. Hattie

What Do We Need to Do? *Listen, listen, listen *Be willing to display fallibility *Invite participation & dissent-value open and honest communication *Reframe failures as learning opportunities

In order to disagree, learn from mistakes, successfully manage conflict, and continually learn, the systems needs sufficient: Trust Capacity building for ALL educators Collaboration in All directions Leadership at all levels

Learning Target: To build a district-wide shared understanding of PLC principles, practices, and concepts with an emphasis on the four critical questions and how they interconnect and support each other. To develop a high-performing collaborative team at the district and building level in order to achieve the collective purpose of high levels of learning for all students

Learning Target: To clarify what all district employees must know and be able to do to achieve a high performing learning culture that supports a highly functioning PLC. To develop and deploy frequent team-developed evaluation processes to provide specific and immediate feedback to the district that will support the development of a highly functioning PLC.

Criteria for Success: The RCAS Administrative Team will develop as a Learning Team with a shared focus, shared priorities and shared understandings that support a highly functioning PLC. The RCAS Administrative Team will shift all behavior to align systems, structures, process and policies to create a high performing learning culture that will support a highly functioning PLC.

“Leadership is about going somewhere. If you and your people don’t know where you are going, your leadership doesn’t matter.” Ken Blanchard