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Increasing Leadership & Learning Capacity in Our Schools

• Linda Marrs-Morford, IPLI Director• Miriam Dalton, Eastbrook South Elementary School• Kelly Laffoon, Williamsport Elementary• Wes Mullett, Northern Heights Elementary School• Jason Watson, Southwestern Jefferson County Middle School• Courtney Wildoner, Dayton Elementary School• Sandra Wood, South Central Jr. Sr. High School

The mission of the Indiana Principal Leadership Institute

is to provide building-level principals with the skills and tools needed to increase their personal leadership capacities, as well as to increase the learning

capacities of their schools.

MISSION

• Senate Bill 402 – Passed in 2013

• Two-year intensive professional development

• Practicing principals

• Cohorts– Cohort #1: 2013-2015 – 56 principals, 11 mentors– Cohort #2: 2014-2016 – 52 principals, 13 mentors– Cohort #3: 2015-2017 – 61 principals, 11 mentors– Cohort #4: 2016-2018 – Taking Nominations at

http://www.indianapli.org/

STRUCTURE

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1st GRADUATING COHORT

2-Year Intensive PD

• Use action research/ inquiry model• 5 seminars each yearØ Keynotes from educational leadersØ Follow-up activitiesØ Development of action research projects

• Regional Focus-Cohort Meetings• Mentoring• Membership in Indiana Association of School

Principals• Registration for IASP Principals Conference• Registration for Ed Leaders Network• Access to IPLI resources: www.indianapli.org

Year #1

Focus on the Principal

• Use action research inquiry model to increase leadership capacity

• April: Action Research Showcase

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Year #2

• Focus on the School– 2 teachers join the principal forming

a mini leadership team

– Together, study their schools using existing data + Marzano High Reliability Schools data

– Focus on increasing the school’s learning capacity using action inquiry model

– April: Showcase of Schools

NEXUSSCHOOL CAPACITY

PERSONAL CAPACITY

TEAM ACTION RESEARCHcollect,

analyze datapractice

reflect, make adjustments

SELF ACTION RESEARCH

collect, analyze data

practice

reflect, make adjustments

CREATE/REVISE SCHOOL

IMPROVEMENT PLAN

REFLECTION

REFLECTION

away from seminar

away from seminar

at seminar

at seminar

PersonalCommitment, Identify Limitations, Promises and Obligations,

Identify External Support, Examine Leadership Capacity – Set/Revise Goals.

SELF ASSESSMENT

Faculty Commitment, Identify Limitations, Promises and Obligations,

Identify External Support, Examine Learning Capacity – Set/Revise Goals.

SCHOOL ASSESSMENT

YEAR 2

YEAR 1

CREATE/REVISE LEADERSHIP

CAPACITY PLAN

leadership puts it all together

Action Research/Inquiry

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• Wondering:Ø I wondered what steps could I take to develop my own

confidence as well as improve my credibility in the eyes of my followers

• Methods:Ø Identified the 5 roles in which I am a leader:üFatherüPrincipalüSafety specialistüRunnerüFirefighter

ØLeadership self-assessment using 4 point scale (1 low confidence, 4 high confidence)Ø Identified why I felt that way in each area

Leaders Need Followers: Why Should They Follow Me?

Jason Watson, Southwestern Elementary

• Discovered 5 factors that have a major influence on my level of confidence:Ø KnowledgeØ TrainingØ ExperienceØ SkillsØ Disposition

• Worked on those things I could directly control– One hour blocks of time 3 days per week for PDØ Indiana Principal Leadership InstituteØ Association for Supervision & Curriculum DevelopmentØ American Association of School AdministratorsØ NAESPØ Jon Gordan, Dr. Rodney Agan, Karla GaugerØ Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn

• Re-evaluated my confidence in each area

What did I learn?

1) Dedicating time for professional development increases the likelihood that you will take the time to develop as a professional.

2) There are a number of valuable sources that I can use for high quality professional development.

• In this process, the key to my success was simple. I used a calendar to schedule hour-long professional development three days a week.

• The second key learning came from the fact that I don't have to go far for high quality professional development.

• In the future, this designated time for professional development will continue to be a staple in my weekly schedule.

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Leading Beyond ManagementMiriam Dalton, Eastbrook South Elementary

• Wondering:Ø How do I balance all the responsibilities of a principal in order to

build a cohesive, spirited team inspired to be innovative and take risks derived from ongoing learning and a shared vision?

• Methods:Ø Collected data about my current ability: üPre-Project Survey (current status and goals/vision)üNote to self… journal üInterview of team (staff)üField Notes (Gather information from formal observations of

teachers) üSchedule “research/read/learn time” into my calendar – keep

calendar üCollect digital pictures and videos of desired actions/changes

taking place üPost- Project Survey üOpen and read note to self

• Timeline:Ø December

ü Survey given to team (Gather feedback on PLC’s this semester, Professional Development, vision for semester 2, learning support, school in general)

ü Schedule personal learning time on my calendarü Identify core beliefs/non-negotiables

Ø Januaryü Collect Field Notes from formal observations and walk-throughsü Try various ideas for Professional Development (Jan – Apr)ü Interview Grade level teams about the inquiry

Ø February/Marchü Collect digital photos and videosü Catch up as needed

Ø AprilØ Gather feedback with a Post Project surveyØMake adjustments as necessary and move on to new inquiry

After creating a schedule, I then tallied days I did and did not stick to the schedule.

What did I learn?

• I enjoyed my role when I stuck to my schedule, which included more time with people (students and teachers). Observing students and teachers in action make my role go beyond the management role.

• The best research I can do is to study my school and the people in my school - to know what we are doing well and to know how we can improve.

• My goal was learn how to spend more time leading and less time managing. The days I spent more time in my office, not following my schedule were the days I felt like a manager. I learned you cannot influence (lead) people to change if you do not spend time with people. The need to put people first and task second is crucial. Otherwise, managing is all that will be accomplished.

• I was only following my schedule about 53% of the time. The time I set aside for research was helpful. However, I learned more about our students' and teachers' needs by observing them throughout the school day. Therefore, I learned the way to move from managing to leading is by making time for what matters most - people.

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• Wondering:Ø How can I increase my leadership capacity to formulate change

for student and teacher success by having hard conversations?

• Methods:Ø To gain insights into my wonderings I planned for crucial

conversations: üExamine data (observation) üBrainstorm & reflect üOutline mentoring plan & steps üCollaborate with other administrators to gather ideas üUse sentence starters & critical questions to guide a focused

conversation

Building Leadership Capacity: Oh the Places We Can go!

Kelly Laffoon, Williamsport Elementary

• Data Analysis: ØComparison of administrative observations: üIncreased student engagement üMaximized instruction time in small groups & partner worküImproved student collaboration & respect for others üDiminished behavioral interruptions üHigher level of academic & behavioral expectations üLowered level of noise during instruction üIncreased number of office visits initially, but decreased over

time after consistent implementation üHigher level of academic & behavioral expectations

Ø I collected data for a semester.

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What did I learn?

• As a result of analyzing my data, I used a proactive approach, developed a targeted goal for the teacher and myself, professional relationships were enriched, and student success became evident. Throughout my wondering, I found that “leadership is lifting a person’s vision to high sights, the raising of a person’s performance to a higher standard, the building of a personality beyond its normal limitations.” (Peter Drucker)

• I also found that “…a leader takes people where they want to go. A great leader takes people where they don’t necessarily want to go, but ought to be.” (Rosalynn Carter)

What did I learn?

• I have learned that I need to be more prepared for critical conversations. I am the person that can lead the conversation. Many times I would not take a proactive approach and try to allow situations to work themselves out. In some situations that works, but I have found that I can have more guidance for positive outcomes if I approach situations proactively. For the future, I will continue to approach critical conversations as an opportunity to make my school a more successful place for students.

• Wondering:Ø How can I create an environment where there is a shared

vision between all staff members?• Methods:Ø I sent out a Google survey form to all teachers in my building asking 3

questions:1. Do you know our school’s mission statement? ü21% Yes-79% No

2. Do you know our school’s vision statement?ü8% Yes-79% No

3. Lastly, would you be in favor of bringing back an updated version of the Falcon Guidelines for morning announcements? ü88% Yes-13% No

“Houston…MES Mission/Vision Control Does Not Have a Problem!”

Wes Mullett, Manchester Elementary School

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Process to Create Mission & Vision

Met with team leaders to collaborate on three things:1. Updating our school’s mission statement2. Creating options for our school’s vision statement3. Adopting the corporation Squire Guidelines

Vision Statement Data• Dare To Be Excellent 16.3% • Every Student Counts, Every Moment

Counts 23.3%• DREAM Of A Bright Future, BELIEVE In

Yourself And Others, ACHIEVE Your Highest Potential 46.5%

• Love To Learn 16.3%

What did I learn?

• As a result of analyzing my data I learned:1) There is power in giving teachers voice.2) Teachers crave to be part of school solutions.3) Teachers like feeling like professionals.

• I learned the power in giving voice to teachers. They had some "stake in the game" with this venture and there was more buy-in because of it. They can walk by our new mission and vision posters and know that they had a part in it.

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Effective Time Management Strategies for the Busy Principal

Courtney Wildoner, Dayton Elementary• Wondering:Ø How could I manage my time wisely so I feel purposeful

and meet the needs of students and teachers on a daily basis?

• Methods:Ø It began with another question…ØWhat would I accomplish in a day that would make me feel like it

was purposeful? What was important to me?Ø Making connections with studentsØ Making connections with teachersØ Office workØ Professional development

Next Questions

• How could I organize my day into these 4 categories?

• What would be the best time for office work? Visit classrooms?

• Could I create a template for teacher visits to spread the love?

• If I tracked classroom visits, would I be more purposeful about who I visited?

Data

★ Created a spreadsheet listed by teacher and week.

★ Recorded day of visit and the subject area.

★ Reflected after visits and wrote down my next steps or follow up for the next day.

★ Keep reminding myself of my overall purpose and specific goals for the grading period.

Here is what it looks like…• Spreadsheet• Big Picture Schedule

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Data

★ Based upon my informal observations, I created a dailyto do list based upon the 4 main categories:

OW = Office WorkTC = Teacher ConnectSC = Student ConnectPD = Professional Development

Journal Entries

The days I felt great at the end of the day correlated with the days I had planned visits based upon my spreadsheet and took time that morning to write up my to do list based upon the 4 categories.

At the end of the day...

What did I learn?

★Reflecting what made me have a great day was absolutely key.

★Being purposeful about planning my day made a huge difference. We expect teachers to plan so should we.

★Observations informed my daily interactions with students and teachers. It determined my direction and intervention with both parties.

Next Steps

• Version 2.0 added the mission statement and goal section.

• Law of Process and Law of NavigationØ Good leaders have a plan of attack and know

where they are going.

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Projecting Positivity: How does my attitude affect the instructional program in my school?Sandra Wood, South Central Jr. Sr. High School

• Wondering:Ø How can making a specific effort to always be seen with a smile

on my face support the instructional program at my school?

• Methods:

Ø Conscious effort to smile

Ø Informed staff

Ø Kept a journal with reflection on my personal mood and how it was affected by the simple act of putting on a smile.

Ø Surveyed staff members at the beginning and again at the end to see how their perceptions of the general “mood” of the school had changed based upon my persistent portrayal of positivity

What did I learn?

• Smiling is difficult, and making a consistent effort to always be seen with a smile was noticed by the school community.

• My efforts contributed to a positive personal improvement in mood and general frame of mind, as evidenced by my personal rating of mood and mindset throughout my journaling.

Next Steps

• I would like to expand the experiment to include ALL staff members so that I can gain insight into the effect the change in mindset would have on the school more wholly.

• I would also like to expand the data collected to include data on discipline, attendance, and academics.

• Additionally, I hope to continue the experiment personally and make it a way of life, not only for professional improvement, but also for personal reasons!

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