1. Building Leadership Capacity
Jennifer Watson, Team Leader, Curriculum
Jackie Mania, Program Specialist
Office Standards and Curriculum
State Department of Education
Introductions
Welcome
Wednesday, July 15, 2009

2. Building Leadership Capacity
Professional Learning Communities
Academic Coaches
Academic Interventionists
Windows on Curriculum
Master Teachers Project
Building leadership capacity in our district leaders-principals, parents, instructional coaches, teachers and students is extremely important. We strive to build capacity at all levels; however, today we will concentrate on building leadership capacity by using our Title I funds and all funds wisely; by maximizing the use of time; and by developing our teachers as leaders. To develop teacher leaders, building administrators, and district leaders must be a priority.
Michael Fullan and Ben Levin stated:
“We all know that the quality of the teacher trumps all other in-school factors. The challenge is to help tens of thousands of teachers get better at what they do.”
In this presentation we will discuss creating , maintaining and sustaining Professional Learning Communities; investing our resources in academic coaches and interventionists; utilizing Oklahoma State Department resources such as the Master Teachers Project and Windows on Curriculum .
Building Leadership Capacity
Wednesday, July 15, 2009

3. What is “Building Leadership Capacity?”
Staff members who have a shared vision of leadership, teaching and learning.
A shared vision is important in moving a school forward and must be communicated daily by actions and beliefs.
Teacher leaders can be instrumental in shaping programs and guiding the school toward its goals.
Teacher leaders need to be committed to the work of reflection, inquiry, collaboration and focused action.
How can Title I funds be utilized to support this effort?
Pay stipends for additional time for teachers to collaborate
Purchase materials for book studies
Expand professional development opportunities
An effective school is one that realizes teachers are their greatest asset. The majority of school expenditures is on personnel so it is imperative to assist teachers in ongoing professional development that is aligned with school/district goals as well as personal goals.
Building Leadership Capacity
Wednesday, July 15, 2009

4. What is “Building Leadership Capacity?”
Staff members who are committed to working toward the goals of the school.
How can teachers serve in different leadership roles?
Grade level leader/Subject chair
Lead technology specialist
Vertical and horizontal leader
Mentor
Peer coach
Presenter
Who are the essential decision makers in the school?
Who are those individuals who can influence others?
Who are the individuals who will evaluate successes through measures of accountability?
In the book, Creating the New America School: A Principals’ Guide to School Improvement, it details the importance of principals in empower teachers as leaders.
Building Leadership Capacity
Wednesday, July 15, 2009

5. Professional Learning Communities
“A Professional Learning Community is a collaboration of teachers, administrators, parents, and students, who work together to seek out best practices, test them in the classroom, continuously improve processes, and focus on results.”
- Rick DuFour, 2002
PLC’s focus on a commitment to learning of each student. Focusing on results is a commitment to using data to inform instruction. Some schools are utilizing PLC coaches to help teams with using data to ensure all students receive appropriate interventions.
Discuss Ponca City West Middle School visit: Principal said that she after a schoolwide data review, she had it down to 1 student. In other words, the data was used to identify students and to make appropriate interventions.
Building Leadership Capacity
Wednesday, July 15, 2009

6. PLCs and School Improvement
“. . . the most promising strategy for substantive school improvement is developing the capacity for school personnel to function as a professional learning community (PLC).”
Robert Eaker, Richard DuFour, and Rebecca DuFour, Getting Started: Reculturing Schools to Become Professional Learning Communities
The National Staff Development Council indicated that: “Some of the most important forms of professional learning and problem solving occur in group settings within schools . “ Collective problem solving can yield high results.
Building Leadership Capacity
Wednesday, July 15, 2009

7. Building Leadership Capacity
PLC Essentials:
A PLC:
is a collaborative venture.
is always focused on student learning.
distributes leadership responsibilities.
narrows the curriculum to its essence.
shares best practices as a means of improving instruction.
uses “assessment for learning” in addition to the usual “assessment of learning.”
The most effective leaders focus on building the capacity of the staff to work toward a clear direction that will improve student learning.
What do we want the students to learn?
How do we know if they have learned it?
What do we do if they don’t know it?
What do we do if they do know it?
Building Leadership Capacity
Wednesday, July 15, 2009

8. Collaborative Teamwork
“Isolation is the enemy of learning. Principals who support the learning of adults in their school organize teachers schedules to provide opportunities for teachers to work, plan, and think together.”
NAESP, Leading Learning Communities: Standards for
What Principals Should Know and Be Able to Do
A principal’s responsibility is to create conditions that improve collaboration. Principals should empower staff to make decisions to improve student achievement. Shared leadership is at the heart of school reform.
Building Leadership Capacity
Wednesday, July 15, 2009

9. PLC Leadership Questions
How do you develop a collaborative culture in your school?
How do you arrange your master schedule?
What forms/tools are in place?
What type of team accountability procedures are in place?
What are the challenges?
What are the successes?
Building Leadership Capacity
Wednesday, July 15, 2009

10. Academic Interventionist
Provide assistance with instruction for designated students during the school day.
Provide instructional support to teachers and students by co-teaching, mentoring and modeling in classrooms.
Plan and support grade level teams on a regular basis with instruction, resources, interventions and data-driven decision making.
What is an interventionist?
Job focuses on 4 areas: professional development, working with students, utilizing data, working with teachers (co teaching, mentoring and modeling in classrooms).
Work with low performing mathematics students daily. Collaborate with math specialist and classroom teachers to analyze student data and plan focused interventions. Collect and submit data on student progress to the district interventionist.
Intervene early. This goes for helping struggling students and improving low-performing schools.
Building Leadership Capacity
Wednesday, July 15, 2009

11. Building Leadership Capacity
Academic Coach
Excels in (reading/math) content knowledge, specifically as related to the Oklahoma Priority Academic Student Skills (PASS).
 Experience in working with reading/math teams to vertically align K-12.
 Experience in gathering data from formative assessments to drive differentiated instruction.
Academic Coaches should have a clear job description.
A coach helps teachers develop their skills as problem solvers.
A coaches’ role is to develop teachers’ deeper skills and have a lasting impact on the quality of instruction.
A coach should be able to provide support to teachers in defining
What is our purpose?
How will we accomplish our goal?
What will we do if we don’t reach incremental goals?
Building Leadership Capacity
Wednesday, July 15, 2009

12. Building Leadership Capacity
Academic Coach
Observes and coaches teachers in the use of best practices in the classroom.
Prepares and conducts classroom model lessons .
Experience in conducting professional development for staff members.
Academic Coaches should remain current on the best SBR practices and should model best practices lessons in the classroom.
Academic Coaches should also offer professional development to support the goals and needs of the school.
Building Leadership Capacity
Wednesday, July 15, 2009

13. Windows on Curriculum (WOC)
The WOC training program:
Builds reflective practice.
Provides skills to look into any classroom.
Provides a deeper
understanding of what
you see.
Building Leadership Capacity
Wednesday, July 15, 2009

14. Windows on Curriculum (WOC)
WOC offers:
A research-based picture.
Accessible classroom viewing guide.
Ways to apply the collected data.
Opportunities to
collaborate for continuous
school improvement.
Building Leadership Capacity
Wednesday, July 15, 2009

15. Building Leadership Capacity
Windows on Curriculum
Aligned with One Goal: Oklahoma Nine Essential Elements.
Building Leadership Capacity
Wednesday, July 15, 2009

16. Opening Windows on Curriculum
Method to collect data about relevant Oklahoma Essential Elements performance indicators.
Building Leadership Capacity
Wednesday, July 15, 2009

17. Opening Windows on Curriculum
Strategies to build reflective practice.
Oklahoma Essential Elements One through Four.
Building Leadership Capacity
Wednesday, July 15, 2009

18. Opening Windows on Curriculum
Tools to facilitate the Instructional Leadership role
Teaming
Collaborating
Mentoring
Building Leadership Capacity
Wednesday, July 15, 2009

19. Opening Windows on Curriculum
Who participates in training and implementation?
The trained observer, including administrators and professional staff members.
Building Leadership Capacity
Wednesday, July 15, 2009

20. WOC Training Components
Practice and coaching in use of reflective prompts and other reflective practices.
Roles of instructional
leadership.
Building Leadership Capacity
Wednesday, July 15, 2009

21. WOC Training Components
Analysis of student activity through the PASS lens.
Looking at student work to check for grade level “slippage”: work that meets learning standards at a lower or higher grade level.
Building Leadership Capacity
Wednesday, July 15, 2009

22. State Superintendent’s Master Teachers Project
Learning communities
Leadership
Resource allocation/development
Data-driven decision making
Evaluation to guide improvement
Quality teaching
Building Leadership Capacity
Wednesday, July 15, 2009

23. State Superintendent’s Master Teachers Project
Research-based planning
Designing strategies to support goals
Learning and change theory
Collaboration
Equity
Family involvement
Building Leadership Capacity
Wednesday, July 15, 2009

24. State Superintendent’s Master Teachers Project Components
Master Teachers facilitate book study groups in their schools.
Study groups engage in discussion and reflection regarding educational research and practice.
Many groups have developed
action plans for school improvement.
Building Leadership Capacity
Wednesday, July 15, 2009

25. State Superintendent’s Master Teachers Project Components
Each Master Teacher serves as a planning committee member for a one-day curriculum conference to be held in his/her region.
Each Master Teacher makes a presentation on content enrichment or best teaching practice, and recruits another highly qualified presenter.
Building Leadership Capacity
Wednesday, July 15, 2009

26. Master Teachers Project 2 (MT2)
Successful graduates of Masters Teachers Project are eligible to apply for MT2, a statewide leadership cadre.
MT2 members will research, design, and implement a comprehensive school improvement project.
Building Leadership Capacity
Wednesday, July 15, 2009

27. Building Leadership Capacity
Questions and Answers
Building Leadership Capacity
Wednesday, July 15, 2009