HQS 2 School Leadership Glenna Heinlein and Kathy Hypes October 1, 2013

Why the West Virginia Standards for High Quality Schools? These standards describe the seven common standards expected of schools to ensure a high quality education, in an engaging learning environment. The policy represents a coherent and aligned set of expectations necessary to transform schools into outcome focused, innovative, accountable learning organizations that can prepare all students to be contributing citizens for the global, digital age of the 21st century.

Objectives School Leadership teams will: 1.Reflect on the High Quality Standard for this session. 2.Compare and contrast their school’s diagnostic with the high quality standard. 3.Prioritize the needs as identified from the SLT discussions on the standard and the school diagnostic. 4.Develop a goal for their Strategic Plan. 5.Specify what evidence will be used to measure successful completion of their school improvement goals.

Standard 2: School Leadership Each school team will develop a specific school improvement goal based on the WV Standards for High Quality Schools using their diagnostic review and other available data to incorporate in their strategic plan.

What is School Leadership? Activity Talk at you table and create an operational definition of school leadership. Chart the group definition Share out with whole group. As individual schools read their definition, circle similar/same words. Debrief activity.

Standard 2: School Leadership Activity At your table…… Discuss types of leadership List what types you have in your school Reflect and discuss how to improve what you have Determine, if needed, new implementation

Preferred Vision It is one year from today… Describe what you want to see taking place in your school around Standard 2: School Leadership. How will you get there??

Writing the goal…

Strategic and Specific What exactly is to be accomplished? Measurable How will one know when goal is accomplished? Attainable Is there sufficient time to accomplish the goal? Results- Oriented Does it align to the HQS and/or the Diagnostic recommendations? Time-bound When will one achieve this goal? When will one undertake activities to achieve our goal?

Diagnostic Observation…HQS2 Example 1 Teachers feel they can voice their concerns to the administration. The established school leadership meets monthly. Collaborative teams meet twice a month. There was no evidence of student input into the decision making process of the school. There is a student council. They meet occasionally with Mr. Teacher to talk about service-type activities, but are not involved in any true student- school leadership. Eighth-grade students seemed to be very aware of the council while the 6 th and 7 th grade students knew very little of the council’s existence. Teachers report that the administration uses ineffective methods and processes to communicate with stakeholders. Communication to the staff is not timely and there is a lack of communication with parents and community.

Example 1a: Putting It Together Diagnostic Observations There was no evidence of student input into the decision making process of the school. There is a student council. They meet occasionally with Mr. Teacher to talk about service-type activities, but are not involved in any true student- school leadership. Eighth-grade students seemed to be very aware of the council while the 6 th and 7 th grade students knew very little of the council’s existence. Goal: During the school year To provide student leadership opportunities that facilitate “student voice”. Action Step/s: 1. Student council and leader will meet to discuss roles of student council and leadership responsibilities. 2. Develop a calendar with regular scheduled meeting times. HQS 2.D.1-6:

Example 1b: Putting It Together Diagnostic observation Teachers feel they can voice their concerns to the administration. Teachers report that the administration uses ineffective methods and processes to communicate with stakeholders. Communication to the staff is not timely. There is a lack of communication with parents and community. HQS 2.A.4 Goal: To provide consistent on- going communication to, among and between all stakeholders. Action Steps: 1. Develop a monthly school newsletter for parents. 2. Principal will send a monthly calendar to teachers. 3. Principal will send a weekly memo to all staff with pertinent information.

Diagnostic Observations…HQS2 Example 2 Teachers report that administration is rarely in the classrooms and provides very little feedback on instruction and lesson plans. Based on teacher interviews it appears that walkthroughs are not completed by the administration. The principal and teachers reported that administration does very little (beyond Evaluation) walk-through or classroom observations with feedback. Students report that they never see an administrator in their classrooms.

Example 2: Putting It Together Diagnostic observation Teachers report that administration is rarely in the classrooms and provides very little feedback on instruction and lesson plans. Based on teacher interviews it appears that walkthroughs are not completed by the administration. The principal and teachers reported that administration does very little (beyond Evaluation) walk-through or classroom observations with feedback. Students report that they never see an administrator in their classrooms. HQS 2.?.? Goal:. Action Steps:

Standard 2: School Leadership School Improvement Goal Using Diagnostic observations and recommendations determine…… Goal Action steps

School Wide Improvement: Goal As a school leadership team go back through the HQS Rubric and Diagnostic and identify 2 to 3 items that will address the barriers as well as help the school accomplish the vision for a year from now. Each team should come to consensus on the items. Question: How will we get there?

Lets Work ! Write the goal with action steps to accomplish the goal……… Remember… SMART