Chapter 8: The Principal as Decision Maker

Dr. Rob AndersonSpring 2011

Agenda• Leadership Book Presentations

– Laura, Kirsten, Marissa, Ayesha• Tallahassee update• Chapter 8: Principal as Decision Maker• Using school data to make decisions

Major Themes: Chapter 8• The decision making process• Rational decision making• Shared decision making• Leadership style continuum and decision

making

Florida Principal Leadership Standards

Standard 6: Decision Making. Effective school leaders employ and monitor a decision-making process that is based on vision, mission and improvement priorities using facts and data. The leader: • Gives priority attention to decisions that impact the quality of student learning and

teacher proficiency;• Uses critical thinking and problem solving techniques to define problems and identify

solutions; • Evaluates decisions for effectiveness, equity, intended and actual outcome;

implements follow-up actions; and revises as needed;• Empowers others and distributes leadership when appropriate; and • Uses effective technology integration to enhance decision making and efficiency

throughout the school.

The Decision Making ProcessIdentifying the Problem

Generating Alternatives

Evaluating Alternatives

Choosing an alternative

Implementing the Decision

Evaluating decision Effectiveness

Defining the Problem• Key piece to effective

decision making• Get specific when

defining any problem and make sure it is actually a problem

Common Methodologies used to Solve Problems

• Problem Solving Decision Making Analysis– Utilized forced ranking to

prioritize solutions amongst chosen variables for consideration

• SWOT Analysis• Decision Tree

– Developing a flow chart of decisions

Leadership-Style Continuum

Use of Authority by the Manager

Area of Freedom for subordinates

p. 216

Using Data to Make Decisions• Extremely valuable to new school leaders

– Experienced leaders can lean on experience to make decisions, new leaders cannot

• You have to be able to properly analyze data first

Case Study: Lake Nona HS

% at Level 3

or Higher in

Reading

% at Level 3

or Higher in Math

% Meeting

the Writing

Standard

% at Level 3

or Higher in

Science

% Making

Learning Gains in Reading

% Making

Learning Gains in

Math

% of Lowest

25% Making

Learning Gains in Reading

% of Lowest

25% Making

Learning Gains in

Math

Bonus points

for 11th-12th grade

Retakes

Points Earned (Sum of Previous 9 Columns)more info

LAKE NONA 53 77 80 39 54 78 47 66 10 504

Step One: Look at the data and analyze each area to determine next steps.

School NuSchoolLevelGradeFree and RMinority RaSGdetail1SG482010-2012010-201B481951SchoolCLRZ48195132010-11SGHSdetaSG482010-2012010-201B481951SchoolCLRZ4819513Click HereHigh Scho

What are your options?A. Data is on target. Strategy is working and

personnel is performingB. Data is not on target

A. Strategy is not workingB. Personnel is not performing

Case Study: Lake Nona HS

% at Level 3

or Higher in

Reading

% at Level 3

or Higher in Math

% Meeting

the Writing

Standard

% at Level 3

or Higher in

Science

% Making

Learning Gains in Reading

% Making

Learning Gains in

Math

% of Lowest

25% Making

Learning Gains in Reading

% of Lowest

25% Making

Learning Gains in

Math

Bonus points

for 11th-12th grade

Retakes

Points Earned (Sum of Previous 9 Columns)more info

LAKE NONA 53 77 80 39 54 78 47 66 10 504

Step Two: In areas where data is not on target, dig a little deeper within each area to develop a clearer picture

a) Is there anything that could have skewed the data?b) Is the data you are investigating an anomaly?

Consistent with prior years?

School NumberSchoolLevelGradeFree and Reduced LunchMinority RateSGdetail1SG482010-2012010-201B481951SchoolCLRZ48195132010-11SGHSdetaSG48

2010-201

2010-201B

Digging Deeper• School to school comparison

– Compare overall results with those of other schools within the district to understand how much above/below the mean each data point falls

– Look at schools with similar demographics to compare apples to apples?

Developing a Strategy • Once you have identified which data point you

are trying to move, you have to begin to implement a decision making strategy. Do you:– Make changes by yourself?– Enlist your leadership team to come up with

ideas?– Develop a committee of teachers/professionals to

weigh in?– Students, parents….?

Evaluating Personnel• How do you determine whether or not your

issue is the strategy or the people implementing the strategy?

• How do you ensure that your strategy has been implemented with fidelity?– Leading indicators vs. lagging indicators

Case Study: Lake Nona HS• In our case, after bringing together a team of

administrators, we realized that it was both a strategy and personnel issue.

• Our strategy did not provide enough support, so we developed additional interventions including• Pull out programs targeting our lowest

students• Integrating complex text with reading

strategies in Physical Science, Biology, Geography and World History

School NumberSchoolLevelGradeFree and Reduced LunchMinority RateSGdetail1SG482010-2012010-201B481951SchoolCLRZ48195132010-11SGHSdetaSG482010-2012010-201B481951SchoolCLRZ4819513Click Here forHigh School Components

Case Study: Lake Nona HS• After compiling data from our reading

program, we moved our lowest performing teacher into another subject and hired a high performing reading teacher. – This resulted in a Win-Win. The teacher (who was

admittedly struggling, is much more successful.

Case Study: Lake Nona High School• Results

– Use of leading indicators to measure progress real time

For Next Week• Osceola County Spring Break!!!