Alaska School Leadership Institute 2012 Rural Alaska Principal Preparation Project May 30, 2012 – Creating a Vision Captain Cook Hotel Anchorage, Alaska Facilitated By Al Bertani, Senior Design Consultant RAPPS Program Alaska Staff Development Network

Strategy 1 Establish a Sense of Urgency Strategy 2 Build a Powerful Guiding Coalition Strategy 3 Creating a Vision Strategy 4 Communicating the Vision Strategy 5 Empowering Others to Act on the Vision Strategy 6 Planning for and Creating Short Term Wins Strategy 7 Consolidating Improvements and Producing Still More Change Strategy 8 Institutionalizing New Approaches From What Leaders Really Do; John Kotter; Harvard Business Review Book; 1999

CREATING A VISION ROADMAP Creating a vision that serves as the glue to hold things together and makes sense to the mind and the heart. CLARIFYING What is the problem you are trying to solve? IMAGINING What’s the vision or goal that describes the new desired state in a compelling way? VISIONING How can the vision be communicated simply, motivate people, and coordinate actions? STRATEGIZING How do you build short and long-term strategies to help catalyze the vision? COLLABORATING Where do good ideas come from – How do you involve others in creating the vision?

Creating A Vision – May 30, 2012 Al Bertani, Session Leader A clear vision can help everyone understand why you are asking people to do something different. The clearer the vision - what you are trying to transform – the easier for people to see the path forward. The leader is the person responsible for helping build a vision that is the glue that holds things together and makes sense of the transformation for both the mind and the heart.

How Leadership Influences Student Learning Wallace Foundation Leithwood; Seashore Louis; Anderson; and Wahlstrom By Setting Direction… Charting a clear course that everyone understands, establishing high expectations and using data to track progress and performance. By Developing People… Providing teachers and others in the system with the necessary support and training to succeed. By Making the Organization Work… Ensuring that the entire range of conditions and incentives in districts and schools fully supports rather than inhibits teaching and learning.

How Leadership Influences Student Learning Wallace Foundation Leithwood; Seashore Louis; Anderson; and Wahlstrom By Setting Direction… Evidence suggests that those leadership practices included in setting direction account for the largest proportion of a leader’s impact. This set of practices is aimed at helping one’s colleagues develop shared understandings about the organization and its activities and goals that can under gird a sense of purpose or vision. People are motivated by goals which they find personally compelling, as well as challenging but achievable. Having such goals helps people make sense of their work and enables them to find a sense of identity for themselves within their work context. Often cited as helping set directions are such specific leadership practices as identifying and articulating a vision, fostering the acceptance of group goals and creating high performance expectations. Monitoring organizational performance and promoting effective communication throughout the organization also assist in the development of shared organizational purposes.

How Leadership Influences Student Learning District-Level Strategic Actions Wallace Foundation – 2004 Step 1Gather the Excerpted Reading on Green Paper Under Tab 1 Step 2Form Learning Quartets with Participants from Other Tables Step 3Count-Off in Your Quartet – Participant 1, 2, 3, 4 Step 4Read Your Section as Assigned by Your Facilitator Step 5In Turn, Discuss the Strategic Actions Outlined in the Excerpt Step 6Discuss How Well Your District Is Engaging in Strategic Actions

How Leadership Influences Student Learning Successful School Leadership Wallace Foundation – 2004 Step 1Gather the Excerpted Reading on Yellow Paper Under Tab 1 Step 2Form Learning Quartets with Participants from Other Tables Step 3Count-Off in Your Quartet – Participant 1, 2, 3, 4 Step 4Read Your Sections as Assigned by Your Facilitator Step 5In Turn, Discuss the Strategic Actions Outlined in the Excerpt Step 6How Well You Are Engaging in Successful School Leadership Practices?

CREATING A VISION ComponentWorking Thoughts… Clarifying Imagining Strategizing Collaborating

Creating a Vision Clarifying What is the problem you are trying to solve/improve/transform? 1.How would you describe the problem as concisely and deliberately as possible? 2.What data indicates you have a problem? 3.What anecdotal information supports your concern? Take the next three minutes to record your ideas.

Creating a Vision Imagining/Visioning What’s the vision or goal that describes the new desired state in a compelling way? 1.How could you describe the vision in a concise and compelling manner? 2.How will your vision motivate your team/staff? 3.What stories might help you develop a sense of urgency and a call to action? Take the next three minutes to record your ideas.

Creating a Vision Strategizing How do you build short and long-term strategies to help catalyze the vision? 1.Who will you engage to help move the vision forward? 2.What are your initial steps in the short-term? 3.What long-term strategies need to be considered?

Creating a Vision Collaborating Where do good ideas come from – How do you involve others in creating the vision? 1.How could you use collaboration to power the vision forward? 2.How can you incorporate the ideas of others to make fuel the vision? 3.How can you sustain collaboration over time to bring the vision to life?

Our Learning Session… … In Review What research says about the impact of leadership on student learning? How can you clarify and imagine your vision? How do you engage others in the vision through strategies and collaboration?

Institute Purpose To build school and district leadership capacity using strategies, processes, tools, and protocols for leading and supporting change. Institute Objectives ➜ Learn about actions that leaders take to transform their organizations ➜ Explore how leaders help their organizations survive and thrive when leading change ➜ Understand how and when leaders decide to exercise authority and/or influence to initiate and sustain change.