Woods_Internship+Log+2011-2013

Program for the Preparation of School Principals and SupervisorsInternship Log

LAST NAME2011 - 2013

Internship Hours to Date: Interim Report Form for the Internship

Objective 1 Objective 2 Objective 3 Objective 4 Objective 5














Objective 71

Objective 1

Use the worksheet provided to prepare a profile of the primary internship site. The profile has three sectionsa) Section I: Characteristics of the Site. A review of the community, students, families, faculty, staff,

plant, and school outcomes.b) Section II. Leadership of the Site.c) Section III: Analysis of Data and Recommendations for Improvement

STANDARDS: 1.1, 1.2, 1.3. 1.4, 1.5

Date Time started

Time ended

Number of hours

Description of activities

4/30/12 3:30 4:30 1 Started collecting data and information about the school in preparation for the objective 1 worksheet that needed to be filled out for Dr. Sellers.

5/1/12 9:00 3:00 6 Finished collecting data and information about the school in preparation for the objective 1 worksheet that needed to be filled out for Dr. Sellers.

5/2/12 8:00 3:00 7 Finished collecting data and information about the school in preparation for the objective 1 worksheet that needed to be filled out for Dr. Sellers; then wrote up the report to turn in to him.

Reflections and learning

As I collected data about Bassett High School, I was able to delve more into the diversity and economic climate that exists within the community. Each section above contributes to the makeup of the school facilitating partnerships with the community, and the perception people take away when they visit the school. I go into more detail in my paper which was turned into my advisor, Dr. Sellers.

Reading(s) Allen, R. (November 2003). Building School Culture in an Age of Accountability: Principals Lead Through Sharing Tasks. Volume 45 (7)

This reading brought up a very good point about the difficulty in maintaining culture with the push for accountability. Many schools try an “imitate” something another school does if they think it is successful and is helping their SOL scores rise; there is nothing wrong with this notion, but schools must make sure they do not compromise their individuality in seeking higher scores. As you read my paper, I start it off by talking about the community and how the school is a direct influence of it. Schools should seek a balance to promote uniqueness in their schools, while also achieving acceptable scores compared to their counterparts. As the journal reading said, “If the superintendent tells [the principal] that your job is on the line because of test scores, then you don't care about constructivism—you work to get the test scores up, but fretting about numbers won't necessarily cultivate a positive school culture that's focused on raising the achievement of all students.”

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Objective 2

Analyze a school’s SOL test scores for the previous three years using disaggregation software. Assist the site administrator or supervisor with developing a plan to improve the scores for all students with special emphasis on NCLB-targeted groups.

STANDARDS: 1.2, 2.3

Date Time started

Time ended

Number of hours


6/12/12 7:30 5:00 9 ½ Worked with Donna Hicks at central office reviewing Social Studies data over the last three years from Bassett High School (applying special interest to World History II scores).

3/17/13 5:00 7:00 2 Looked over data subgroups for Bassett High School for the last three years of Mathematics scores (2009-2012).

3/18/13 4:30 9:00 4 ½ Put together data tables and graphs showing trends for Bassett High School over the last three years in Mathematics scores (2009-2012).

4/6/13 9:00 5:00 8 Analyzed SOL test results for the Social Studies department, and looked at ways the Alternative school’s curriculum (NovaNet) can align with the standards.


Going through student’s data of any sorts (especially SOL scores) is important because it can highlight categories that need to be improved. Mrs. Hicks and I carefully reviewed the trend in SOL scores (especially in the Social Studies ones since that is what I teach) and drew out problematic areas. When going through the data we addressed possible areas that can be fixed through an array of different techniques and strategies. Examples include (but not limited to) unit graphic organizers for every unit and common assessments (to be used by everyone) to graph student progress throughout the semester to identify week areas before the SOL. For our NCLB groups, we talked about more parent-teacher communication to get these students more involved in school.

Reading(s) Pasi, R. (February, 2000). Educational Leadership. The SOL: No Easy Answers. Volume 57 (5), 75-76This journal article drew emphasis on the change in SOL standards (highlighting the state of VA), and how it is meeting a mixed reaction from educators and parents in the state. The article also brought up the “old” issue of SOL assessments actually measuring student growth in the classroom. I applied the content of this article as I went over the SOL data of the last two years (the “new” test) compared to the “old” SOL data strands.

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Objective 3Assist a principal, assistant principal, department head, or a curriculum specialist with analyzing a variety of assessments, including student work samples, that yield individual, class, grade-level, and school-level data. Work with the principal, assistant principal, department head, or curriculum specialist as he or she collaboratively plans and implements interventions to make needed improvements.

STANDARDS: 2.3

Date Time started

Time ended

Number of hours


6/13/12 7:30 5:00 9 ½ Sat down with Denise Faultz (Pre-School Coordinator) and talked about the implementation of the Pre-School program in Henry County Public Schools.


I did not understand the importance and tremendous ramifications the pre-school programs have on education until I talked to Mrs. Faultz. We looked at how Mr. House (Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum & Instruction) and herself had been tracking kindegarten-3 grade scores and noticed alarming scores amongst the NCLB sub-groups; because of these alarming discrepancies, the pre-school program in Henry County had a huge overhaul breaking it up into three categories: one group for the “exceptionally bright” students, another for children with severe disabilities and handicaps, and one for students who scored very low on the entry-level assessment test. Henry County’s stance on their pre-school program is that each category can accurately meet the needs of those given children and better prepare them for when they enter Kindergarten.

Reading(s) Barnett, W and Hustedt J. (April 2003). Preschool: The Most Important Grade. The First Years of School. Volume 60 (7), 54-57This book ties in perfectly to my reflection because it highlights how important early introduction to education is, and how it can set the child on the right path of being a good student. The author makes sure to talk about how generally the wealthy and “exceptional” students have access to preschool while lower income families do not which defeats the purpose of preschool entirely. The core benefits of preschool that the book places heavy emphasis on: “Schooling—Participants were less likely to be retained in grade or placed in special education; Welfare—As adults, participants were more likely to get better jobs and earn more money; and The criminal justice system—Participants were less likely to break laws or participate in other delinquent acts.”

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Objective 4

Work with the principal and staff to prepare or implement a school renewal or school improvement plan.

STANDARDS: 2.2

Date Time started

Time ended

Number of hours


8/10/12 10:30 11:30 1 Sat in with my mentor Mrs. Renee Scott and the lead teachers (from different departments) to prepare the new school improvement plan for the upcoming school year.

8/16/12 3:30 5:00 1.5 Met with School Improvement team to tweak the plan some more.

8/30/12 3:30 4:30 1 Met with School Improvement team to tweak the plan some more.


Henry County has adopted a new way of creating a school improvement plan for each year. Instead of having each department making a goal they want to achieve then merging them all together, Mr. House wants the lead teachers at each school to sit down and map out goals that each department can achieve. Before they started listing goals however, the lead teachers at Bassett High School wanted to collect data from the weak areas in mathematics, literacy, and AP/SAT scores.

After looking at the SAT data for example, I had Mrs. Scott pull up the SAT scores of one of the students and see if there was a trend in certain classes juniors were taking that year, if they did better on the SAT that year. We found out that was the case for a majority, and as one of our goals, we will aim to get students in certain math classes to take the SAT that year since there will be a higher chance they will do better.

Reading(s) Davis, J. and Smith, R. (April 2013). Communicator: Seven Timely Tactics for School Turnaround. National Association of Elementary School Principals. Volume 36 (8)

This reading talks about the seven strategies for turning around a school; although all seven are vital, there of them tie into the components that contributed to the building of our school improvement plan:

- Collect, analyze, and use data as a springboard for positive change

- Educate teachers about meaningful ways to use formative and summative assessments

- Cultivate a culturally responsive staff

These three things were not only embedded in our own school improvement plan, but I feel they should be in everyone else’s. School improvement plans are meant to do exactly what the title implies, improve that school. These plans should be tailored accordingly to meet the needs of the individual school and not seem very generic and basic. To avoid those to problems I just stated, adhere to the three things at the top in the bold print.

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Objective 5

Analyze curriculum, pacing charts, and scope and sequence guides for one core area of the SOLs. Reflect on the value of these to student learning.

STANDARDS: 2.2

Date Time started

Time ended

Number of hours


6/14/12 7:30 5:00 9 ½ Worked with Sandy Strayer (Curriculum specialist) looking over pacing charts and sequence guides for mathematics matching them up with the current SOL standards that have changed.


Paying attention to pacing guides and sequence charts is very important for teachers and curriculum specialists alike. From a teacher standpoint, you need to make sure you pay attention to the dates so that you cover all the material in a timely fashion. From a curriculum specialist point of view however, it is a tad more complicated than what it appears. Mrs. Strayer and I reviewed math pacing guides (in particular middle school math) and looked at ways to alter the days spent on certain units. Since the SOL standards have changed, we had to tweak the pacing guides to more accurately match the current standards. We also drafted up a proposal to re-adjust the math classes taught in middle school and presented it to Mr. House.

Reading(s) David, J. (October 2008). Educational Leadership: Pacing Guides. Expecting Excellence. Volume 66 (2), 87-88According to Jane David, “Pacing guides are created by school district leaders to help teachers stay on track and to ensure curricular continuity across schools in the district. These guides serve a purpose similar to that of traditional scope-and-sequence documents, which lay out expectations of the material to be covered in each subject at each grade level.” The book talks about the positives that pacing guides offer and the reality in which they are used, then deviates to the underlying negatives that also come into play. The reading help put pacing guides into a better context for me, explaining their purpose and better ways to utilize them as a educator to teach the curriculum.

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Objective 6

Examine a textbook series used in the school division. Look for such issues as how the objectives match with the SOL standards and how the series deals with gender and ethnic diversity issues.

STANDARDS: 2.1

Date Time started

Time ended

Number of hours


6/2712 7:30 5:00 9.5 Reviewed the Science textbook used in the 2nd grade at Drewy Mason Elementary. Book title: McGraw-Hill, Science, VA edition


During my internship placement at Drewry Mason, I had the opportunity to examine and critique the 2nd grade Science textbooks. It was interesting seeing the difference between an elementary textbook and a high school one that I am more accustomed too. After going over the Science book, I was pleased to find that all of the 2nd grade VA SOL standards were present. The one possible exception however was 2.1 Scientific Investigation and Logic, but after reading through the textbook, I found this standard to be imbedded in every chapter as an activity. For example, in Chapter 1: Plants, one of the activities it offers teachers to try is having students pose the hypothesis, “How do plants grow?,” and then work through the rest of the steps. The book does not however list the standards in order, which makes me think teachers can either teach the curriculum at the pace the book has it, or stick to the pacing guide given to them by Henry County.

The only references I found pertaining to diversity and ethnicity is in the models that the book company had in their book. As I flipped through the pages I would see pictures of Asians, African-Americans, Caucasians, etc. I doubt students would recognize this, but it is a very interesting way to show diverse and ethnic backgrounds without even drawing direct attention to it.

Reading(s) Daniels, H. and Zemelman, S. (January 2004). Educational Leadership: Out With Textbooks, In With Learning. New Needs, New Curriculum. Volume 61 (4), 36-40Out With Textbooks, In With Learning discusses the possibility of textbooks being irrelevant in today’s school setting. I can’t believe I am saying this, but the article brought up some really interesting points to consider which had me pondering on the climate of student reading in my own classroom. The first point talked about how textbooks are very unreadable. Many times, they have a lot of factual information that is written in a way where it is not very appealing. As the authors put it, “Ever wonder why Algebra II has never topped the New York Times best-seller list?”

We are in the midst of a huge overhaul of educational practices with many of the areas stemming around technology. Many school systems are investing enormous amounts of money into technology and want to see it implemented in the classroom; causing many teachers to steer away from the “traditional textbook teaching style,” and move towards more innovative ways in student learning. In comparison with this objective however, the article talked about inaccuracies in some textbooks and teachers frustrations when the textbook does not match up accurately with standards. Textbook companies are doing their best to stay up to date with current diversity issues and changes in curriculum, but one can only wonder how long it might take for textbooks to become completely obsolete with tools such as I-pads (with wireless connection) and SmartBoards being assimilated into classrooms.

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Objective 7

Describe and critique your school division’s procedures for identifying and providing for students with disabilities, including how family members are involved in the process. Make recommendations for change.

STANDARDS: 4.2

Date Time started

Time ended

Number of hours


6/5/12 1:45 2:30 45 mins Read through Henry County’s Policy/Procedures pertaining to students with disabilities and how schools evaluate these students.


In Henry County, our policy for identifying students with a disability matches federal guidelines imposed by Section 504 and IDEA verbatim. The one thing I noticed we do that might be a tad different from other school systems is how we use our RTI’s (Response To Intervention). In Henry County, we have a RTI meeting before any one of the following processes (IEP or 504) are carried out to make sure we do not diagnose the student improperly. In a nutshell, our policy is like this: 1st, the student is recommended for evaluation (by a teacher, parent, or someone else in the school); 2nd, a child-study team is formed; 3rd, a RTI meeting is held to determine potential problems and results to ratify the problem (and to see which plan to possibly implement (504 or IDEA); from there, if the RTI does not work, then the student is evaluated through one of the two processes.

Reading(s) White, R., and Calhoun, M. (1987). From referral to placement: Teachers’ perceptions of their responsibilities. Exceptional Children, 53(5), 460-468 and Henry County Policy on Evaluating Students with Disabilities and HandicapsThe reading highlighted the teacher’s responsibilities and feelings they have towards identifying their students in the classroom. The passage not only walked through the processes a teacher must abide by in the 504/IEP procedure, but also the after affects when the student is placed with accommodations. When comparing this to our procedures in Henry County, I thought about how I feel about all the procedures and reflected on the IEP meetings and accommodations I have had to make for some of my students this school year.

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Objective 8

Participate from an administrative or supervisory perspective in all phases of implementing federal and state laws, rules and regulations covering children with disabilities. (Participate in the child study, IEP and other special education processes in the school.) Write reflections on the effectiveness of these processes in meeting the needs of the children involved.

STANDARDS: 4.2

Date Time started

Time ended

Number of hours


4/19/12 10:00 10:30 1/2 Helped revise a student’s revised LEP plan with my assistant principal, guidance counselor, and the ELL teacher.

5/4/12 1:50 2:20 1/2 Helped revise a student’s revised LEP plan with my assistant principal, guidance counselor, and the ELL teacher.

5/29/12 2:00 2:30 1/2 Helped set-up a student’s new IEP transitioning from middle school to high school. The case manager from the middle school met with the high school case manager to swap information.

11/1/12 2:30 3:00 ½ Participated in a child study meeting to

evaluate a student.4/19/13 8:45 9:15 ½ Helped revise a student’s revised LEP plan

with my assistant principal, guidance counselor, and the ELL teacher.

4/24/13 9:00 9:30 ½ Helped revise a student’s revised LEP plan with my assistant principal, guidance counselor, and the ELL teacher.

4/24/13 3:15 4:15 1 Helped set-up a student’s new IEP transitioning from middle school to high school. The case manager from the middle school met with the high school case manager to swap information.


There are a lot of processes and procedures that go into the implementation of an effective IEP/LEP. As the administrator, it is extremely important that you review all of the accommodations recommended by the case manager, teachers, and parents, and make sure that you can provide these services at your school before you sign the IEP/LEP into fruition.

Reading(s) Allen, R. (2000). Making Accommodations. Curriculum Update: Learning Disabilities: At the Assessment Crossroads. Association for Supervision and Curriculum DevelopmentThis article helped me understand the importance of listing a student’s accommodations appropriately and accurately so there is no confusion on what the student is entitled too. There are a lot of legal complications an administrator can run into if things are not carried out properly.

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Objective 9

Participate from an administrative or supervisory perspective in all phases of implementing federal and state laws, rules, and regulations covering children under Section 504 of the Vocational Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Write reflections on the effectiveness of these processes in meeting the needs of the children involved.

STANDARDS: 4.2

Date Time started

Time ended

Number of hours


6/12/12 1:45 2:30 45 minutes

Talked to our 504 Coordinator (Debbie Strickland) about implementing policies related to Section 504 by the administrator, and what all would take place in a meeting with parents, students & staff.

10/18/12 9:00 9:30 30 mins Sat in a 504 evaluation meeting as a student/parent setup the accommodations the student would start receiving.

4/22/13 9:00 9:30 ½ Sat in a 504 evaluation meeting as a student/parent setup the accommodations the student would start receiving.


The Section 504 of the Vocational Rehabilitation Act of 1973 is a civil rights act that no one can be discriminated on based on their physical/mental disability or handicap. The 504 plan has the accommodations that the individual needs to perform at the same level like everyone else. Mrs. Strickland walked me through the processes that an administrator would have to do during a 504 plan meeting. The most important thing she stressed was that an administrator should always be present at these meetings, and never sign off on an accommodation or process they are unaware of, or do not full understand. Once everything has been approved, it must be carried out; if unable to do so then the school is in violation of the law.

The other important note for school administrators to remember is that a manifestation plan is written up if the student has been suspended for ten days or faces out-of-school suspension. If the offense is due to the child’s disability, then the 504 plan must be reviewed and altered. of the student’s If the offense has nothing to do with the disability, then the student will receive disciplinary action like any other student would get for doing that same violation.

Reading(s) Zirkel, P. (October 2011). It’s the Law: The “New” Section 504. Principal September/October: The Healthy Child.Dr. Romano taught us the importance of distinguishing the differences between an IEP and a 504 plan, and knowing which one is appropriate for the given situation at hand. This reading however drew light on this issue; stating how educators often view the 504 plan as a “light version of the IEP”when that is not its purpose in the first place. The article taught me the importance of accurately evaluating a student to provide them with the necessary accommodations they need to perform at a level equal to their classmates.

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Objective 10

Write or revise a plan for identifying at-risk students and for helping them to increase their academic achievement and aspirations. Make recommendations for adding or changing relevant policies.

STANDARDS: 4.2

Date Time started

Time ended

Number of hours


6/11/12 7:30 5:00 9.5 Reviewed the Henry County “Local Plan for the Education of the Gifted & at-Risk Children” going over the procedures for identifying and providing instruction to these students/ attended a meeting at central office proposing ways to inspire these students.


Henry County has one of the lowest economic status’ in the country. Due to this, the school personal in central office tries and develops ways to get the students in this area motivated. I read the procedures that Henry County uses to identify not only their at-risk students, but also their gifted students as well. Henry County public schools provide a vast amount of programs to get children involve using outside resources such as MHC and the local YMCA’s. Using these connections, they seek to strengthen the importance that academics can have on one’s life.

When I sat in the meeting at central office, I found out that they use a multitude of ways to identify children they feel are at-risk (with it constantly changing all the time). The most common way they identify students at the high school level is to take a grade level/age group, and put together a list of a cut-off gpa score and the verified credits they have earned to date. Typically when you look at these two items, most of your behavior problems pop up and students who most likely will not graduate on time without some assistance. The only recommendation I would make to this process is having a plan that is more-detailed. Most of what I was told was just “word of mouth.” Even though there is a plan on the website, it constantly is changed so much that many do not even reference it.

Reading(s) Jorgenson, O. (June 2012). What We Lose in Winning the Test Score Race. National Association of Elementary School Principals, 13-15.The journal article centered on the many pitfalls schools when they place all of their “eggs into one basket.” It is important to strive for high SOL scores but don’t forget about teaching students skills they need to take outside of the classroom into the real world which can’t be evaluated by standardized testing. Adding substance to what you are teaching can help students take skills such as moral standards and common sense rationale, and allow them to apply it to a multitude of things they are interested in. When educators just focus on looking good and posting great test scores, we forget that there is more to teaching children than just the content of our subject.

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Objective 11

Participate in, monitor, and observe the preparation of the school’s schedule (elementary and middle) or assist with scheduling activities (high school) for the following year. Use available software to do the schedule. Write a brief reflective piece on how the schedule contributes to student learning.

STANDARDS: 3.3

Date Time started

Time ended

Number of hours


4/30/12 3:30 4:30 1 Meeting with department heads in the school to discuss scheduling for next year & any problems that occurred with the master schedule.

6/6/12 8:00 4:30 8 ½ Worked with Mrs. Scott on preparing the master schedule for the upcoming school

year (Fall 2012- Spring 2013)6/7/12 8:00 4:00 8 Worked with Mrs. Scott on preparing the

master schedule for the upcoming school year (Fall 2012- Spring 2013)

6/28/12 7:30 5:00 9 ½ Assisted Mrs. Wendy Durham (Drewry Mason Elementary Principal) in making her master schedule for the upcoming school year.

7/2/12 9:30 5:00 7 ½ Put together a list of students that need to be called about AP Statistics and offering it year round instead of only a semester.

7/3/12 8:00 4:30 8 ½ Called students and asked about AP Statistics and found it if they still wanted to take it now that it is year-long, or wanted to adjust their schedule.

7/17/12 12:00 5:00 5 Discussed the middle school schedule for the upcoming year with Mr. Gravely, and talked about potential problems concerning the middle school math pacing.

1/23/12 3:30 4:30 1 Sat in a meeting between the administrators, guidance counselors, and departmental heads about scheduling concerns this year and for the upcoming school year.


One of the first things my mentor and I worked on this summer was the master schedule. I was pleased to find out this was one of her assigned duties (by Mr. Dillard), so I would be able to see a lot of what it takes for the schedule to be completed. We first made multi-colored flash cards with all of the teacher’s names and class assignments, separating them by subject. After we finished all of the cards, we got on PowerSchool made sure we had all of the teacher’s class subjects, class sizes, and room numbers uploaded accurately. Mrs. Scott is more of a visual person, so we taped the classes (flashcards) up on the wall in the conference room and arranged them so that certain classes would not overlap; such as AP classes and governor school students in the mornings.

The schedule contributes heavily to how well a student performs, because it can dictate what type of classes they will be able to request for the upcoming school year. For example, Mrs. Scott tried to make sure certain AP classes were offered during the evening blocks (3rd and 4th) so governor school and ACE academy students would be able to take them when they returned to school. If we offered majority of them during the morning blocks (1st and 2nd) and we know a huge portion of our AP students are also governor school or ACE academy students, then we would be hurting ourselves.

One of the key aspects that Mrs. Scott shared with me during this process is that you need to make sure the schedule adheres to your student population. Try to address problems that you had with the schedule from last year as you make the new one so you can “nip it” before it becomes a problem again. You cannot always make the schedule workout perfectly, but try and make it as perfect as possible to minimize potential issues. When you have a functioning master schedule, it allows more options for students to take class’s that- 1: interest them (potentially leading them into a career after they graduate) and 2: allows them flexibility when they have to take a required course for graduation purposes.

Reading(s) Danielson, C. (2002). Enhancing Student Achievement: Chapter 5. School Organization. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, (5) and Meador, N. (February 2012). Ten to Teen: Moving to the Middle: Keys for Success. National Association of Elementary School Principals, 38.Both of these readings reiterated the significance of student learning linked with scheduling events. Anything ranging from the master schedule (classes for the entire year), sporting activities, clubs etc. all play into student’s performance for the year. For example, both readings proposed different scenarios of how a student grades could fluctuate depending on what type of extra-curricular activity they are involved in, and when the class they want to take is being offered. Effective administrators should take this into account when they are making a school’s schedule and strive to ensure that the schedule has minimal (if any) conflicts that can be foreseen.

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Objective 12

Using the locally adopted policy for professional staff evaluation, conduct a comprehensive performance evaluation with appropriate pre and post conferences.

STANDARDS: 3.1

Date Time started

Time ended

Number of hours


2/26/13 4:00 4:30 ½ Had a pre-conference with Mr. Eanes today about the upcoming formal observation.

3/7/13 1:30 3:30 2 Conducted a formal evaluation for Mr. Eanes; followed up with Mrs. Scott.

3/9/13 9:00 9:30 1/2 Held Mr. Eanes’ post-conference (w/ Mrs. Scott being present); followed up with her afterwards for suggestions.

3/22/13 4:00 4:30 ½ Had a pre-conference with Mrs. Morris today about the upcoming formal observation.

3/27/13 9:15 9:45 ½ Conducted a formal evaluation for Mrs. Morris; followed up with Mrs. Scott.

4/9/13 8:00 8:30 ½ Held Mrs. Morris’ post-conference (w/ Mrs. Scott being present); followed up with her afterwards for suggestions.


A lot of time goes into conducting a successful observation. An administrator needs to go into every observation (pre/post-conferences) as the “helper.” Many times, teachers will become very defensive during these conversations because they will be prone to think that you are looking for things they do wrong. Although that is partly true, that does not encompass all of what you are doing. You are there mostly to provide support to the teacher and assist them in growing in their profession. If you are able to deliver the purpose of the evaluation like this, you can possibly avoid confrontation and make this experience reward-able for both you and the teacher.

Reading(s) Untitled author. (November 2012). Communicator: Meaningful Evaluations Inform Principals’ Practice. National Association of Elementary School Principals. Volume 36 (3) and Marshall, K. (November 2012). Educational Leadership: Teacher Evaluation: What's Fair? What's Effective? Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, Fine-Tuning Teacher Evaluation. Volume 70, (3), pg.50-53.

Both readings talk about the applications of teacher evaluations; from their overall purpose, to the need for improved rubrics for administrators to go by. Not only do these evaluations provide feedback to the administrator about the teacher, but they can be used as reflection pieces for the administrator to address a problem that might be common among all of the teachers on their staff. For example, if the administrator reviews his notes, and realizes that only 2/12 teachers evaluated had some form of writing incorporated in their daily lesson, maybe that administrator will address the need for more writing in assignments as his next faculty meeting.

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Objective 13

Work with a principal in developing a plan of action or an improvement plan for a teacher who has deficiencies.

STANDARDS: 3.1

Date Time started

Time ended

Number of hours


7/10/12 7:30 5:00 9 ½ Talked with Mr. Gravely about developing a plan of action for a teacher who was not performing “up to par” (not turning in end of the year reflection paper, not checking email, not following school procedures, etc.). Participated in the write-up of the plan of action.


It can be a “hard pill to swallow” for some when it comes to developing a plan of action for a teacher who has deficiencies. A lot of people have a difficult time when it comes to addressing someone who is having issues in their profession, but as an administrator it is a duty that one must be prepared to do when the time arises. While at my middle school placement, I worked with Mr. Gravely on preparing a plan of action for a teacher who he was having some issues out of during the school year.

The teacher would continuously disregard important emails pertaining to feedback and staff meetings at the school, routinely break established school procedures, and other things of that nature. Although none of her infractions were classroom oriented (instructional practices, classroom management, etc.), the fact she was being unprofessional in the previous examples mentioned warranted a response from Mr. Gravely. He made sure to point out to me the importance of having all of your staff in order because one “crow” can mess up your staff’s chemistry.

Reading(s) Boynton, C. and Boynton, M. (2007). Educator's Guide to Assessing and Improving School Discipline Programs: Chapter 7. Improvement Plans for Teachers Struggling with Discipline Issues. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, (7).The authors start off by saying, “…many teachers who need to improve their classroom management have neither the capability nor the motivation to analyze their weaknesses honestly and make a plan for improvement on their own.” This is where administrators step in to make the necessary steps for improvement. I do not view it as passing judgment, more like honest criticism. The article points out an administrator should “be able to tell the difference between fundamentally unsatisfactory teachers and those who are merely inexperienced and thus have the potential to improve.” The importance between the two is it will dictate what type of plan an administrator will setup to help the teacher, or unfortunately seek to move the teacher out of their building.

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Objective 14

Assess staff development needs and prepare a multi-year plan to meet those needs. Include annual assessments of progress.

STANDARDS: 2.4

Date Time started

Time ended

Number of hours


8/10/12 10:30 11:30 1 Sat in with my mentor Mrs. Renee Scott and the lead teachers (from different departments) to prepare the new school improvement plan for the upcoming school year.

4/8/13 12:45 1:15 ½ Put together an action plan to help improve mathematics test results for the upcoming year since they took a dip from last year (because of the technology-enhanced questions)

4/8/13 4:00 8:00 4 Put together an action plan to help improve mathematics test results for the upcoming year since they took a dip from last year (because of the technology-enhanced questions)


Reviewing data can be very tiresome and in some ways completely boring. Even though it can fill mind-numbing sometimes, it can reap a lot of rewards when analyzing the data correctly. Assessing staff development, students test scores, complaints, etc. can help take a school move from average to great.

When creating these plans however, I learned the importance of checking on these plans in intervals to make sure they are being carried out correctly. Having benchmarks/checkpoints can help administrators view the success (or lack thereof) of whatever they have instituted.

Reading(s) Lipton L. and Wellman B. (2001). Developing Minds: A Resource Book for Teaching Thinking, 3rd Edition. Chapter 21. From Staff Development to Professional Development: Supporting Thoughtful Adults for Thinking Schools. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Chapter 21 from this book discussed the importance of providing helpful feedback to staff members to help them grow in their profession. As you help them grow as an individuals that helps your school grow as well. They are the “food” to your “body.”

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Objective 15

Participate in screening and interviewing both faculty and classified staff to fill vacant positions. Prepare a one-page guide of principles that you will use in hiring professional and classified staff for your school or district.

STANDARDS: 3.3

Date Time started

Time ended

Number of hours


6/7/12 10:00 10:30 1/2 Served on an interview committee screening an individual for an English position open at Bassett High School.

7/9/12 8:00 5:00 9 Served on an interview committee screening an individual for a Math position open at Bassett High School.

7/10/12 7:30 5:00 9 ½ Helped interview candidates at Laurel Park Middle School for the Business/Marketing teaching position.


Below are the questions (or categories) I would address during the interview. I would have my administration team ask things such as these to the potential candidate, proceeding in a “round-robin” array of questioning. I would want personal who are hired to be qualified, have good moral standing, and who can operate at an efficient level to keep pace with the cohesiveness I have established at my school.

1. Discuss job expectations, department, goals, etc.2. Tell me about you and your experience/education in the position

you are applying for in our school.3. How do you get students to buy into your subject material?4. Describe a typical day in your classroom.5. How do you rate your classroom management skills?6. How do you handle the disruptive student vs. the apathetic student?7. What valuable or unique assets or experiences do you bring to your

department?8. (School name) is a diverse school (economically, academically and

ethnically) - how would you connect to each student regardless of their background?

9. How do you insure that your lessons are rigorous regardless of the level of students you teach?

10. What would be your number 1 goal in your 1st year at (School Name)?

11. Interviewee questions/comments/concerns

Reading(s) McCoy, R. (May 1972). Ingredients of Leadership. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 672-673,.Having proper guidelines and procedures in place for filling positions is vital to a schools performance. The article discussed how the questions one asks a potential candidate can factor in on the type of response you get. As staff members move on (either for personal reasons or professional ones), administrators must make sure they can transition a new person in who can best fit the position available. In closing, this quote from the article sums it up perfectly. “In order to legitimize their subjective selection, they must ask peculiar questions and the candidate must be prepared for them.”

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Objective 16

Review the vocational (career and technical) education plan for the school division with the career and technical director. Write reflections on the place of career and technical education in PK-12 education, including an assessment of the adequacy of the career and technical program in your school system to meet the needs of all children.

STANDARDS: 2.2

Date Time started

Time ended

Number of hours


6/11/12 7:30 5:00 9.5 Talked to Mrs. Sandy Strayer and Donna Hicks about the implementation of the Career & Technical Instruction (CTI) in PK-12; examining the impact it is having on altering pacing guides/diploma requirements. Assisted them on breaking down the data results from last year.

Reflections of learning

From talking with Mrs. Strayer and Mrs. Hicks, I have learned that there has been a tremendous push in Henry County to incorporate career and technical programs into the curriculum. Let’s face reality, not every child will go to college, but does that mean they cannot be successful? Certainly that is untrue; students can get certification to become plumbers, electricians, hair stylists, etc. and still be successful and competitive in today’s struggling economy. For a time period (mainly due to budget cuts) programs like these were cut out of schools leaving many students at a disadvantage. Thankfully, the trend has started to reverse itself and Henry County prides itself on the money and effort they put into building their career and technical programs back up.

Starting next year, career and technical certification will help count towards graduation requirements, allowing students to graduate with one or more certifications/licenses such as: hair stylist, criminal justice, word processing and many more. Assessments like these will help to diversify education to a wider populace to show their hidden talents and see their dreams manifest into a positive outlet.

Reading(s) Franklin, J. (Winter 2001). Curriculum Technology Quartely (Career and Technical Education): Setting the Standards for Meeting Standards. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, Volume 11, number 2 and Senate Hearing to Examine Cuts and Education, email submitted by [email protected] on Wed, 2012-07-25 12:26, National Association of Elementary School Principals.Mr. Franklin speaks about how times are changing and we as educators must keep pace with the ever-evolving job market. Preparing students for the “real world” is one of our main objectives and to do so, the author states we need look beyond test scores and make sure students can practically apply the knowledge they are learning. The best way to do this is to partner with career and technical professions, allowing them to work with our teachers to collaborate on lessons and activities.

As I alluded to however in my reflection, budgets are getting tighter and tighter every year. The email I read had Senator Tom Harkin calling a meeting to talk about the possible disadvantages that might arise if money for career and technical programs is cut.

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Objective 17

Write a research-based plan for identifying and providing assistance to students not reading at grade level or review current reading remediation plans. Critique the plans and offer research-based recommendations for change.

STANDARDS: 2.2

Date Time started

Time ended

Number of hours


2/11/13 4:00 6:00 2 Reviewed the Read 180 program that is used in Henry County and provided input

about potential problems that could arise.


Reading (English) is the most important concept that schools should focus their attention on. Essentially everything we do in school (and life) requires the ability to read and comprehend what someone has written down. It has been proven time and time again that most students, who struggle with SOL testing, typically struggle with their reading skills.

In Henry County, we use Read 180 in our schools to help address these deficiencies. The big problem however is that it was designed for states that follow the common core standards; since Virginia does not, it causes the implementation of this program to be compromised. Recommendations I suggested, are mapping out common vocabulary that can be tied into all English classes (regardless of grade level) and PLC meetings.

Reading(s) Colbert, N. (2012). Phonics, Fluency, Focus: Tactics for Teaching Reading. Communicator, 36 (2).

This reading was very interesting that it talked about the fact that people who can read well often take for granted the processing skills that go into reading once we get older; in turn, we forget how difficult it can be to teach someone the proper ways on how to read. I reflected on my own teaching and how sometimes I have fell guilty to this and just expect students to be able to read something I give them. This book is “a tool that helps you elevate the teaching of reading in your school, not just a book about reading.”

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Objective 18

Review and evaluate the five-year technology plan for hardware, software, technical support, staff development, instructional and administrative uses of technology, and connectivity, including internal and external networking and filtering. Make recommendations for change.

STANDARDS: 3.3

Date Time started

Time ended

Number of hours


5/11/13 3:00 6:00 3 Reviewed the technology plan for Henry County and the Acceptable Use Policy.


All staff members are emailed a copy of the Acceptable Use Policy for Technology and are expected to follow it at all times. Not only are we given that, but there are different types of measures set up to ensure that it is followed by staff and students alike. Firewalls, computer monitoring, etc. insure that the technology is used strictly for instructional and work purposes only. Staff are given some flexibility however since are passwords can override some websites to get to if we need something; for example, you can bypass YouTube blocks to get a clip to show your class if it is related to the lesson you are teaching.

Reading(s) Hatzigeorgiou, C. (2011). Technology Training Tips. Curriculum Update.

This reading suggested different strategies on how to improve technology usage in your school building. It gave examples of increased technology usage in the school that followed some of these examples. Also, it provides innovative ways of using the technology that maybe already present in your schools.

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Objective 19

Analyze the communications system at the site, including how the school or district communicates with internal and external constituencies. Make recommendations for change as needed.

STANDARDS: 4.1

Date Time started

Time ended

Number of hours


5/12/13 2:00 4:00 2 Examined the ways staff/personal communicates internally and externally with each other.


In Henry County, we utilize a lot of different ways to communicate with each other during the school day. For example, we utilize email a lot to send and receive announcements throughout the day to limit the intrusion it can cause into instructional time. Mr. Dillard (the head administrator) sends out weekly newsletters via email as an attachment informing us of upcoming events for the week.

I could go on and on about other examples about how we utilize technology, but the key I have learned from all of this is the importance of using it in an acceptable manner, and making sure the staff understands how it works as well.

Reading(s) Gibbs, G. (1998, May). Building Support Through Communication. Classroom Leadership, 1.

This reading provided strategies on successful communication with people in and outside of your school. Also, it talks about the importance of building relationships in a positive manner that can be used to your advantage in the future. Schools are extensions of the community so administrators have to keep them in the loop when it comes to things to help their school grow and be successful.

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Objective 20

Review the ways in which the school or district involves constituents in managerial or instructional operations. Assess the effectiveness of this involvement. Create a plan to increase the involvement of these constituents and the effectiveness of this involvement. Implement one of your proposals.

STANDARDS: 4.3

Date Time started

Time ended

Number of hours


3/13/13 3:30 5:00 1 ½ Sat down with the lead teachers; discussed upcoming activities to get teachers and students involved in the school. Also discussed strategies to get more community involvement.

4/22/13 4:00 4:30 ½ Reviewed some of the constituents that we involve in operations in the school setting (Service Solutions).


It can be incredibly hard to get constituents involved in school operations in a rural setting. Not only do I work in a rural area, but I grew up in one as well and I know first-hand that schools have a tough time getting a lot of input from the community/parents. Many times, this is due to the fact that historically education is not reinforced here like it would in a more urban setting. Administrators have to be very creative in how they reach out to these constituents to gain feedback and generate a “buzz” for the school.

Our school does a good job by working with some of the many organizations that we have at our disposal: MHC after 3, Patrick Henry Community College, etc. There is no definite plan setup in our county for how to actually do this which I feel is a positive because then administrators can tailor their responses eventually for each constituent that they reach out too.

Reading(s) Rasmussen, K. (January 1998). Educational Update: Making Parent Involvement Meaningful. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, Volume 40, (1).

The reading talks about innovative ways to involve parents/constituents in the school setting. “In the past, schools relied on parents primarily to raise money for the school and to bake cookies and cupcakes for school parties,” according to one administrator, parents need to feel their “their input is a valuable resource.” Many times however, schools go to constituents with demands instead of incorporating feedback from them causing a wedge to form between the two. Both sides should be able to provide input in ways to improve the school and help it become more successful.

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Objective 21

Work with the news media to have a school activity or program featured in some way. Develop a set of principles for assessing your effectiveness with working with the media and apply those principles to your experience in this case.

STANDARDS: 4.1

Date Time started

Time ended

Number of hours


5/12/11 3:30 4:30 1 Helped Mrs. Jarrett (National Honor Society Chairman at Bassett High School) put together a “write-up” to forward to Melanie Stowe at Central Office to be reviewed and then hopefully shown in the Martinsville Bulletin.

2/28/13 6:00 7:00 1 Sent Melanie Stowe (at Central Office) a write-up and pictures from the Black History Program the M.S.A. had afterschool at Bassett.


Last night, I got to attend the National Honor Societies Induction Ceremony for our students at Bassett High School and it was truly a treat. Parents, friends, and other people in the community came out to support the students. Not only did I meet a lot of people who have connections to the school that I was unaware of, I learned the valuable importance of establishing a positive impression with the local media outlets.

In Henry County, they already have established a set of principles to follow when interacting with the media. In my case, I wanted to have pictures and a write-up included in the local paper (Martinsville Bulletin). Unfortunately, the local photographer was not able to be there that night but a teacher who was present took make pictures. Working with Mrs. Jarrett (National Honor Society Chairman at Bassett High School), we wrote up a nice summary of what happened last night and proceeded to send it to Melanie Stowe at Central Office to be review it. Before anything can be sent into the media outlets by any school in Henry County, Mrs. Stowe must look over it to make sure everything is “aligned with Henry County’s standards.”

When working with the media, the only major principles I would also apply to what Henry County does is just create a positive working environment with the community and its constituents. Making these connections can help other things get done within the school because you have made these prior connections already.

Reading(s) Ferriter, W., Ramsden, J. and Sheninger, E. (February 2012). Building Social Media Connections: By following these five steps, you can transform communication practices and reach out to the community. National Association of Elementary School Principals., 18-19.The article stated five reasons that the authors fill are important to gain positive interactions with the community. All of them were very insightful, but the one that stood at to me the most was the very first one: building your own network. Utilize the resources that you have at your disposal and make changes that way by reaching out to local media outlets and using the talents of your individuals in your building. For example, have your art teacher display some of the students work at the local YMCA showcasing what students are learning. This can bring awareness to activities you are conducting in your school with your students. Something as simple as this can spark peoples interest into “lending a helping hand” in future events at the school.

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Objective 22

Work with the principal and faculty with a new or existing community partnership that is designed to enhance student achievement. Assess the effectiveness of this partnership, and write a reflective statement on how you would work with this partnership to enhance student achievement.

STANDARDS: 4.3

Date Time Time Number Description of activities

started ended of hours4/27/13 9:00 5:00 8 Worked with the administrator and the

pastor (of a local church) to allow the students to use gym equipment for P.E. class at the Alternative school.


Collaborating with stakeholders in the community can be a key investment for administrators. As I have stated in previous reflections, outside constituents play a vital role in what happens inside the school setting. Many times, they want to help the school succeed but do not know how too. This is where the administrator needs to step up and have some type of plan in place to forge a partnership with an outside source which can help the school.

Reading(s) (2009). Building and Sustaining Partnerships. National Association of Elementary School Principals (1), Retrieved May. 2, 2013, from http://www.naesp.org/building-and-sustaining-partnerships-0.

Provides ways to enhance partnerships between outside constituents and school leaders. The examples provided are very generic so they can be used in a lot of different school systems regardless of demographics, school setting, etc.

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Objective 23

Assist your mentor with opening and closing the school year. (This activity may include summer school provided the program is a comprehensive one.)

STANDARDS: None

Date Time started

Time ended

Number of hours


6/4/12-8/1/12

Helped w/ procedures opening school.

4/27/13-5/13/13 (and into the end of May)

Helped w/ procedures closing the school down.

http://www.naesp.org/building-and-sustaining-partnerships-0


Opening and closing a school are two of the most important functions of a school administrator. Some of the tasks with opening a school include: setting up the new schedule, passing out the new schedules, make sure all vacancies, check emergency procedures, have the correct number of books/supplies, etc.

For closing a school, these tasks include things such as: make sure teachers have completed non-contract days, graduation prep., hold a scholarship assembly, collect teacher’s keys, have copies of teachers exams, confirm grades have been finalized, etc. All of these things together can be very overwhelming, so it is best if an administrator can divvy these out to their assistants to help them complete these tasks.

Reading(s) Skeeters, B, & S. Lumley. (2011). The ELEMENTARY SCHOOL Principal's Guide to a Successful Opening and Closing of the School Year. Minneapolis, MN: Two Harbors Press.

Opening and closing a school is one of the most important functions of an administrator. They are responsible for making sure everything is in order; this guide provides a checklist for new administrators to go by to make sure they are successful. Even though it is tailored specifically for elementary schools, it can be modified to meet secondary schools as well.

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Objective 24

Work with the principal to develop a school budget. Complete this at one level (school or district) and review the budgets for the other levels and types of schooling (elementary, middle, high, vocational, district, special education).

STANDARDS: 3.3

Date Time started

Time ended

Number of hours


3/12/13 12:45 1:15 ½ Went over the processes of setting up the budget and how money is allocated to Bassett High School.

3/12/13 3:30 4:30 1 Reviewed the ways other schools receive money and develop their budget.


In Henry County, schools are allocated their money from central office. The money is assigned to different line items that principals may move around if they get permission from central office. At the high school level, the only control administrators really have over the budget is the athletic fund which they may deviate and use in any matter they see fit (for example, what type of jerseys and equipment to purchase).

Reading(s) Lilley, E. (2010, 08 12). Principals share how financial constraints are affecting schools [Web log comment]. Retrieved from http://www.naesp.org/blog/principals-share-how-financial-constraints-are-affecting-schools

Ernest Lilley submitted this response to a forum question presented in the Principal about the effects cutting the budget can have on a school/school system. The response was very heart-felt and talked about some of the possible programs that would be cut in the school where she was at. The author lets it be known that all of these cuts will have deep ramifications on how well the school can perform since it will be missing “key ingredients” it needs to be successful: such as staff personal, programs, school supplies, etc.

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Objective 25

Review a school’s or district’s accounting procedures, the monthly (or other interval) financial statements, and the annual financial audit. Note any concerns raised by the auditors, discuss the remedies implemented, and record your learning from these experiences.

STANDARDS: None

Date Time started

Time ended

Number of hours


7/11/12 7:30 5:00 9.5 Worked with Mrs. Wendy Durham and her secretary, Trish Spaugh, on reviewing their school’s (Drewry Mason Elementary) financial reports in preparation of the annual financial audit. All of the financial records for her school must be turned in by July 16th.

http://www.naesp.org/blog/principals-share-how-financial-constraints-are-affecting-schools

http://www.naesp.org/blog/principals-share-how-financial-constraints-are-affecting-schools


Sitting down with Mrs. Durham and Mrs. Spaugh, we went through Drewry Mason’s financial reports for the entire school year. Mrs. Spaugh brought binders and manila folders which contained monthly financial reports and check statements for Mrs. Durham to review. As they reviewed each month, Mrs. Durham made sure she had signed all of the bank statements, monthly financial reports, purchase orders, and reimbursement papers. They let me look over the reports myself to make sure the expenditures and remaining balance matched up with the total balance.

Mrs. Spaugh let explained to me how anything that costs 5,000 or more, needs to have three written statements of the amount. If anything costs 10,000 or more, it has to be sent out for bids from the different companies. Mrs. Durham and her secretary both expressed the importance of maintaining financial records accurately and to ensure your bookkeeper and administrator work together. The best tip they advised me on is to make sure you have multiple signatures on reports and checks; this ensures that you have someone double checking behind you to make sure everything is in order correctly.

Reading(s) Affiliate Board Leadership Handbook (February 2012). ASCD, Constituent Services. pg 30-31, Retrieved July 30th, 2012, fromhttp://www.ascd.org/ASCD/pdf/siteASCD/affiliates/Affiliate-Board-Leadership-Handbook-Apr12.pdfThe leadership handbook gives a basic definition of what a financial audit should look like and how it should take place. As stated in the handbook, “The committee (or agency being audited) should guarantee that an adequate internal control mechanism is in place to ensure that the organization is:

Using generally accepted accounting methods; Complying with applicable laws and regulations; Providing reliable financial information; and Operating effectively and efficiently.”

Historically, people have mixed emotions about public agencies because of different scams they have read about in the news. The handbook points out that the more willing you are to show your finances to the public the less watchful the community is in your financial practices because they know you are handling things properly. I will keep this in the back of my mind when I have to get things in order for my own financial audit; viewing it more as a positive than a negative.

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Objective 26

Using knowledge of law and school board policies, handle one serious disciplinary problem. The problem resolution should include the initial investigation, student conference(s), parent conference(s), as well as any appeal procedures. Write a brief reflective piece analyzing the social, psychological, economic, health, or other conditions involved in this situation.

STANDARDS: 3.2

Date Time Time Number Description of activities

http://www.ascd.org/ASCD/pdf/siteASCD/affiliates/Affiliate-Board-Leadership-Handbook-Apr12.pdf

http://www.ascd.org/ASCD/pdf/siteASCD/affiliates/Affiliate-Board-Leadership-Handbook-Apr12.pdf

started ended of hours5/3/12 2:45 3:15 1/2 Called in a high-school student to discuss

reports two other students made pertaining to her “bullying” a middle-school student on the bus. After reading through some statements, Mrs. Scott called the young lady down and we spoke, then the girl’s mother showed up and I sat in as Mrs. Scott talked to her mother and her daughter.

6/21/12 8:00 3:00 7 Went to a DRC (Discipline Review Committee) meeting with Mrs. Scott where she presented the case involving two students having sex in one of the bathrooms to Mrs. Amy Scott (Director of Student Services).

8/18/12 2:00 3:30 1.5 Called down a student to the office and suspended him for sticking his arm out of the bus window; also sat in a conference Mr. Dillard and Mrs. Scott had with a student for cursing at a teacher.

9/25/12 3:30 4:30 1 Watched a bus recording involving a situation with a bus driver and a student.

10/26/12 2:30 3:30 1 Watched a bus recording of a student “mooning” a civilian on the bus; also sat in the interrogation process of one of the students who was involved in the incident.

11/20/12 2:00 2:30 ½ Assisted Mrs. Martin with a search of a student.

11/20/12 2:30 3:30 1 Sat in on questioning of a student who was involved in making threats to another student.

12/4/12 2:00 3:30 1 ½ Questioned students about the vandalizing of the bathrooms; watched the video cameras to find out who did it.

2/19/13 8:30 10:00 1 ½ Suspended students for excessive tardies; logged offenses into the computer and contacted guardians

4/15/13 8:30 9:30 1 Processed some referrals; tardies, talking back to teachers in class, walked out of class, and students using vulgar language.


Handling disciplinary offenses is one of the most important functions a school administrator has (besides financial responsibilities). The first incident above involved a girl bullying another student on her bus. Mrs. Scott got reports from two other students who were on the bus and called the young lady in to talk too about these accusations in her office. Mrs. Scott let me do all the talking at first and walked me through a brief scenario before the girl showed up. The best advice she gave me was to make sure I took notes from whatever the girl said, and to start the

conversation off on a positive note. For example, I pulled up her grades and asked her how the school year was going so far and proceeded to ask her how everything else was going.

From there I transitioned into asking her about the offense at hand and asked her for her side of the story. Due to her mother coming in the middle of me questioning her, I let Mrs. Scott take back over but observed the rest. Mrs. Scott explained to her mother what happened and finished questioning her. Mrs. Scott got her to write her version of the story down on paper, date it and sign it. She instructed the student to stay away from the other girls in question and that anything else that happens will result in disciplinary action.

The second offense involved two students having sex in one of the bathrooms. A DRC (Discipline Review Committee) meeting was held with Mrs. Scott presenting the case to Mrs. Amy Scott (Director of Student Services) and two other administrators; from there, the three of them determine the punishment for the students. Whenever a student commits a serious violation, this is the step they face if it is a maximum of ten days suspension or possible expulsion.

The social, psychological, economic, health, and other similar conditions were raised during the second incident since it involved possibly expelling the students. Their Behavior manifestation plans were brought into account and viewed to see if there was a possible relation which is what not. From there, the rest of the disciplinary action took place.

Reading(s) Ridnouer, K. (2006). Managing Your Classroom with Heart: Chapter 3. Balancing Care and Discipline. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, (3).Although this book is mostly intended for a classroom teacher, there were aspects that can apply to someone becoming an administrator. The two biggest parts were “Helping a Student Change His or Her Behavior and Choosing Your Battles.” Helping a student change their behavior should always be a main function, because punishing someone for an action without explain to them will only result in the same infraction happening again. Understanding why the offence is taking place can help to change the child’s behavior.

Choosing your battles should make sense to everyone. As an administrator, you will have to know how to budget your time and be flexible about issues. The reading said it is smart to set a precedent for as many offences as you can so your entire school will know how you like to handle certain problems and lets everyone know you are treating them equally.

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Objective 27

Evaluate the custodial operations and maintenance procedures for a school. Make recommendations for improving the procedures for getting work done.

STANDARDS: 3.1

Date Time started

Time ended

Number of hours


12/6/12 4:00 5:30 1 ½ Interviewed two of the custodial staff (“Honest Bill” & John) about their daily duties.

5/1/13 3:30 5:00 1 ½ Talked to custodial staff about Service Solutions (the company they work for); also talked to maintenance staff about their duties.


Service Solutions is the name of the company that cleans the school buildings for Henry County. They are an outside agency that the school system employs to handle the cleaning duties. Since they are technically contracted by an outside agency, if there ever is a problem that arises with them, the agency must be contacted to handle it.

Maintenance employees work for the school system, so they are treated like other staff members that work for the school system. When they go to a school to fix/repair something, they must have a work order in place to do so before they can proceed.

Reading(s) Daresh , J. & Lynch, J. (2011, 02). Pulling together. Principal, Retrieved from http://www.naesp.org/prinicpal-janfeb-2011-forging-relationships/pulling-together

Administrators can maximize their school's learning environment by valuing each staff member's contributions, and custodial/maintenance staff are no exceptions. These people are valuable members of the team and help keep the school functioning just like the teachers in your building. It can be easy to overlook them sometime, but this article talks about ways to not let you unmistakably do that. Not only does it refer to tips about acknowledging the work custodians/maintenance staffs do, but also includes a section about office workers and food service workers.

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Objective 28

Conduct a complete safety audit, including a fire inspection. Make recommendations to remedy any deficiencies.

STANDARDS: 3.1

Date Time started

Time ended

Number of hours


5/13/13 7:00 9:00 2 Talked with Mr. Dillard about the safety audit that he has to fill out in reviewed it.

http://www.naesp.org/prinicpal-janfeb-2011-forging-relationships/pulling-together

http://www.naesp.org/prinicpal-janfeb-2011-forging-relationships/pulling-together


The Energy Education Specialist, Ken Adkins, sends out an email attachment for administrators to fill out at the different schools. The questions range around things such as: are the doors secured, are certain areas designated by proper signs, is the school debris free, etc. The one thing I wish the audit had was a place where administrators could voice concerns about specific things they have at their school they want to address.

Reading(s) (1997). Resources on school safety. Classroom Leadership, 1(2), Retrieved from http://www.ascd.org/publications/classroom-leadership/oct1997/Resources-on-School-Safety.aspx

Before you can expect students to learn in your school building, you must first provide a safe haven for them. This article talks about the steps you can do to provide a safe facility so students can strive to reach their full potential. Not only does it provide you with a step-by-step guide, it comes with a questionnaire and multiple examples for you to test your knowledge to see if you would make the right decision if that event happened at your school building.

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Objective 29

Review and recommend improvements in the crisis plan for the school.

STANDARDS: 3.1

Date Time started

Time ended

Number of hours


7/16/12 9:00 1:00 4 Reviewed Bassett High School’s Crisis Plan.

7/17/12 9:00 11:00 2 Reviewed Drewry Mason Elementary School’s Crisis Plan.

9/6/12 2:30 3:00 ½ Talk with Mrs. Martin about my duty as being part of the Bassett High School Crisis Plan Team.

4/13/13 9:00 5:00 8 Reviewed the crisis plan for the Alternative school.


I got the opportunity to review two crisis plans (one at Drewry Mason Elementary School and Bassett High School). They were extremely similar do to both schools being in the same school district. The only difference I found in them was the areas where teachers take students and things such as that since they were outlined for the layout of the specific school. After going over both of them, I would recommend a section about technology (such as a computer virus or something pertaining to that). I say this because more things in schools are becoming reliant on computers; it is only a matter of time before a student/s figure out a way to mess up PowerSchool (the program we use to enter all of our grades and attendance).

http://www.ascd.org/publications/classroom-leadership/oct1997/Resources-on-School-Safety.aspx

http://www.ascd.org/publications/classroom-leadership/oct1997/Resources-on-School-Safety.aspx

Reading(s) Schonfeld, D., Lichtenstein, R., Pruett, M. and Speese-Linehan, D. (2002). How to Prepare for and Respond to a Crisis, 2nd Edition: Chapter 1. Preparing for a Crisis. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, (1).Chapter one of this book talks extensively about preparation. The better prepared you are for a situation, the greater chance the outcome will turn out in your favor. Of course it is impossible to prepare for everything that could possibly happen (when dealing with people), so the chapter talks about finding “nuggets” from other situations to help you with the possible predicament you could find yourself in.

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Objective 30

Conduct and evaluate a school emergency drill; i.e., fire drill, tornado drill, lockdown. Make recommendations for improvements.

STANDARDS: 3.1

Date Time started

Time ended

Number of hours


8/15/12 2:00 2:30 ½ Got to observe the procedures we use at Bassett High School for performing a fire drill.

1/23/13 8:45 9:15 ½ Helped perform a fire drill w/ the administrators at BHS; all students/staff were out of the building in roughly 1 minute and 45 seconds.


After reviewing the procedures for conducting a tornado and fire drill, I was able to help assist one at Bassett High School. I called security central and let them know we were going to have a practice fire drill. This would insure that no firefighters and emergency personal would come to our school by mistake. When I went upfront, Mrs. Martin (assistant administrator) showed me where to activate the test-mode for the fire drill. I walked around with Mr. Dillard and filled out a check list form making sure everything was in order after completing the fire drill.

Reading(s) Schonfeld, D. & Quackenbush, M. (2012, 12). Coping with loss. Principal, 42-45. Retrieved from https://www.naesp.org/sites/default/files/Schonfeld_Quakenbush_ND12.pdf

After any type of tragedy, a school must prepare for the coping process that comes after such an event. Although we practice many types of drill in schools (fire, tornado, lockdowns, etc.), someone can still very much get hurt during one of these events if it was real and not a simple drill. Not only does this article talk about these events, but it also make references to parents dying and the deaths of individuals due to drugs and the mental impact that can have on students in your school building.

**I used the same reading for #31 because they both talk about responses and measures to different tragedies/accidents that can happen at school.**

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Objective 31

Conduct and evaluate a bus evacuation. Make recommendations for improvements.

STANDARDS: 3.1

Date Time started

Time ended

Number of hours


9/10/12 7:30 8:30 1 Helped Mrs. Scott conduct bus evacuation drills for 1/5th of the school buses at Bassett High School.




4/18/13 7:30 8:30 1 Helped Mrs. Martin conduct bus evacuation drills for 1/5th of the school buses at Bassett High School.


Performing bus evacuation drills takes a lot of planning and resources. You must have an area that is secure enough to perform this drill, and also have a schedule for when each bus will perform it. The final obstacle is getting the students to perform it correctly because it could possibly be a drill they will have to perform if there was an accident.

https://www.naesp.org/sites/default/files/Schonfeld_Quakenbush_ND12.pdf

Reading(s) Schonfeld, D. & Quackenbush, M. (2012, 12). Coping with loss. Principal, 42-45. Retrieved from https://www.naesp.org/sites/default/files/Schonfeld_Quakenbush_ND12.pdf

After any type of tragedy, a school must prepare for the coping process that comes after such an event. Although we practice many types of drill in schools (fire, tornado, lockdowns, bus, etc.), someone can still very much get hurt during one of these events if it was real and not a simple drill. Not only does this article talk about these events, but it also make references to parents dying and the deaths of individuals due to drugs and the mental impact that can have on students in your school building.

**I used the same reading for #30 because they both talk about responses and measures to different tragedies/accidents that can happen at school.**

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Objective 32

Complete an audit of how teachers at your mentor’s school incorporate differentiated and effective instruction to respond to the individual needs of learners from diverse cultural, economic, ethnic, and linguistic heritages. Develop plans for communicating your findings to the appropriate community groups.

STANDARDS: 6.2

Date Time started

Time ended

Number of hours


12/13/12 2:00 3:00 1 Completed a walk-through of some classes with Mrs. Scott; looking at different strategies that were (and were not) effective. Helped guide feedback to the teachers.

2/26/13 4:00 4:30 ½ Had a pre-conference with Mr. Eanes today about the upcoming formal observation.

3/7/13 2:30 3:30 1 Conducted a formal evaluation for Mr. Eanes; followed up with Mrs. Scott.

3/9/13 9:00 9:30 1/2 Held Mr. Eanes’ post-conference (w/ Mrs. Scott being present); followed up with her afterwards for suggestions.

3/22/13 4:00 4:30 ½ Had a pre-conference with Mrs. Morris today about the upcoming formal observation.

3/27/13 9:15 9:45 ½ Conducted a formal evaluation for Mrs. Morris; followed up with Mrs. Scott.

4/9/13 8:00 8:30 ½ Held Mrs. Morris’ post-conference (w/ Mrs. Scott being present); followed up with her afterwards for suggestions.




As we move further and further away from the industrialized style of teaching and more into the technology age, our teachers must keep up with the changing times. It can be hard for teachers to start teaching in a style that they themselves were not taught in since that is taking them out of their comfort zone. Administrators have to do everything they can to encourage professional development in these areas so teachers can be accustomed to recognizing different learning styles and being able to address those students’ needs in their classrooms.

Reading(s) Davis, J. and Smith, R. (April 2013). Communicator: Seven Timely Tactics for School Turnaround. National Association of Elementary School Principals. Volume 36 (8)

This reading talks about the seven strategies for turning around a school. It includes ways to promote differentiation in teacher’s classrooms within your school. Some of the ways it talks about doing this is by having professional development that talks about cultural responsive teaching and new formative/summative assessments to track students growth.

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Objective 33

Find a situation in which you will feel entirely out of place, but not unsafe. The situation should be one you have not experienced before and that places you in conditions that cause you to feel like a minority and to think about how others who may be very different from those in the majority feel in comparable situations. Write about your feelings and thoughts related to your experience. Reflect on what you learned about yourself, what it means to live in a diverse social order, and how diversity affects public schooling.

STANDARDS: DISPOSITION

Date Time started

Time ended

Number of hours


7/11/12 7:30 5:00 9.5 Got to walkthrough a 1st/2nd grade and 4th/5th grade classrooms during summer school. Helped a little bit with instruction in the classes after I got more comfortable.

5/4/13 9:00 5:00 8 Observed the operational set-up of the Alternative school; talked about the differences between “regular” schools and alternative schools.


Today was a very interesting day, due to the fact this was my first time being at my elementary school placement with the students being present. I was initially excited at the fact students were going to be present and I can get to have contact with them, but then soon realized I was totally out of my comfort zone. While I was working on my Bachelor’s degree, I never did any type of internship placements at an elementary school. All of my placements were either at a middle school or high school. The more I started to think about it, the more nervous I got as Mrs. Durham gave me a list of classrooms she wanted me to visit today and sit in for a while.

The first class I walked into was a 1st/2nd grade class (the classes were combined due to the low enrollment of students for summer school). I felt like the big green giant in the refrigerator isle when I walked in the classroom at first because all the children were so tiny. After a few minutes however, I fell in love with all of them because they were so sweet. I am far from being the cheesy emotional type, but the kids were just so wonderful. As I walked around, I would ask the students what they were working on and if I could help. Before I knew it, I had a student teaching me things on an I-pad that I did not even realize. The class were making pictographs; first using skittles and paper. Next, the students uploaded their totals into a bar graph program on the I-pads.

After being in the 1st/2nd grade classroom for roughly thirty minutes, I went upstairs to the 4th/5th grade classroom and observed a lesson on Dr. Seuss’ Butter book and watched the students make butter using whipping cream. The students were engaged tremendously by the lesson because of the hands-on approach the lesson entailed.

Today was a real eye opener for me because this experience will definitely help me become a better administrator and educator. Although I was initially nervous at the fact that I have never had experience around children at this age, I realized that they are not different from middle/high schoolers. I have always believed that all children just want to know you care about them, and today really strengthen this belief for me. It was interesting to feel as if I was the minority in the class, even though the students probably viewed me as one of the “teachers.”

Reading(s) Frank, L. (April 1944). Reorganizing Our Prejudices. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 389-392.Mr. Frank’s book talks about prejudices in our society and how we use them to perceive things we are not certain about. I related to this notion in regards to the elementary students before I even did my walk-through, because I was going by things I had heard about them; short, immature, impatient, etc. Although some of those things were true, the children that age reminded me a lot of the high schoolers I work with on a daily basis. In line with the points the book was making, the more we try to learn about whatever it is we are prejudging the more we will better understand it and tear down false pretenses.

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Objective 34

Identify three leadership objectives related to the operation of the school or setting. These objectives must be approved by your mentor, and you must do the planning and necessary implementation to achieve them. You must involve constituents in planning and implementing changes in current programs or procedures or in planning and implementing new programs or procedures.

STANDARDS: None

Date Time started

Time ended

Number of hours


8/2/12 7:00 8:00 1 Created a list of tips to go over with new teachers in preparation for the upcoming school year.

8/3/12 8:30 10:00 1 ½ Made a list of locker combinations for teachers to give out the first day of school.

8/15/12 2:30 3:30 1 Looked through free/reduced lunch forms and wrote in student’s id numbers.

9/14/12 2:00 3:30 1 ½ Called students to the guidance office and handed out free/reduced lunch forms to the children who qualified for it from last year.


These objectives were some my mentor issued out to me because she felt these were some duties I needed to know how to perform even though they were not a part of the objective list. It was a nice mixture of things that were far opposites of each other. Each one served a vital purpose in helping the school function properly.

Reading(s) Mosher, E. (November 1980). Politics and Pedagogy: A New Mix. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 110-111.

It is important to know the “political” guidelines one must follow to get certain things done within their school. The author talks about how many times educators in all positions get frustrated when they do not fully understand the guidelines in getting policies and rules established; in turn, hindering them from things they want to get accomplished.

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Objective 35

Attend at least one grade-level or departmental planning session at each level (elementary, middle, high school) and write a brief reflective statement on teacher leadership in these sessions, including how you would work with these leaders to facilitate student learning.

STANDARDS: None

Date Time started

Time ended

Number of hours


6/5/12 2:00 2:30 ½ Attended a high school Social Studies department meeting to discuss the success’ of this school year and things that can be addressed for the following year.

7/19/12 12:00 5:00 5 Observed Mr. Gravely meet with

department heads of his respective departments in his school to go over procedures for the upcoming school year.

1/22/13 12:45 1:15 ½ PLC meeting w/ the Social Studies department to discuss the following: upcoming schedule for other PLC’s, SOL data, and SMARTGoals.

2/7/13 8:00 10:00 2 Attended a department meeting for an elementary school.


The department meetings I have observed all took place with the lead teacher and administrative staff out in front and center. Both meetings focused on student learning development and what could be done to improve the instructional process. With the administrative staff facilitating the meetings (and documenting events), lead teachers would share information they got from teacher development meetings and other strategies they have found.

I would do the same thing our administrative staff does, and that is facilitate these meetings. Fortunately we have never had an argument in one of these, but you never know what can happen. Tempers could possibly flare over someone’s suggestion and it would be the administrator’s job to step in to relieve the tension.

Reading(s) Dods, S. (May 1999). Classroom Leadership: New Teachers: The Department Chair's Role. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, volume 2, (8).The reading talked about the significance an effective lead teacher and administrative staff on department meetings. Since they are viewed by the rest of the faculty as leaders, they must make sure the meetings run according to plan. The same way teachers make detailed lessons knowing what they are going to cover in class, lead teachers should apply that same concept to department meetings. I took away the importance of being well-prepared when addressing the rest of the staff about something.

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Objective 36

Observe and describe the leadership of the primary administrators of the community agency selected for the outside experience. Compare and contrast it to the leaders you have observed in school settings.

STANDARDS: 6.1

Date Time started

Time ended

Number of hours


4/19/13 4:00 8:00 4 Shadowed the assistant supervisor at the Franklin County YMCA; reflected on the similarities and differences between my mentor and him.

5/11/13 6:30 8:30 2 Shadowed the assistant supervisor at the Franklin County YMCA; reflected on the similarities and differences between my

mentor and him.


There are more similarities between administrators in schools and other agencies than I ever realized. Not only do they seek to promote the success of their agencies just like a principal does in their school, but these administrators seek out collaboration between other businesses so they can grow. This reminded me of the isllc standard that refers to “community” since they are trying to extend their reach into other avenues within thee community they are present in.

Reading(s) Abt-Perkins, D., Hauschildt , P., & Dale, H. (2000). Becoming multicultural supervisors: Lessons from a collaborative field study. Journal of Curriculum and Supervision, 16(1), Retrieved from http://www.ascd.org/publications/jcs/fall2000/Becoming-Multicultural-Supervisors@-Lessons-from-a-Collaborative-Field-Study.aspx

This article ties directly into the conclusions I spoke about in my reflection above; in reference to the similarities between administrators in a school setting and administrators of an outside community agency. Both utilize similar techniques to help promote the success of their respective buildings/agencies.

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Objective 37

Observe and describe any collaborative relationships in which the community agency is engaged, especially those with public or private schools. Assess the effectiveness of these collaborations in supporting student achievement, solving school problems, or achieving school goals.

STANDARDS: 6.2

Date Time started

Time ended

Number of hours


4/20/13 10:00 6:00 8 Observed Piedmont Community Center officials working with constituents in Franklin County Public Schools.

4/28/13 9:00 5:00 8 Observed Piedmont Community Center officials working with constituents in Franklin County Public Schools.

http://www.ascd.org/publications/jcs/fall2000/Becoming-Multicultural-Supervisors@-Lessons-from-a-Collaborative-Field-Study.aspx



Depending on the school systems guidelines for working with outside agencies, the way places such as PCC operate can differ. In Franklin County, the school system has a contract with the PCC to come into the school and work with students when they feel there is a concern. For this same agency to operate in Henry County schools, students are only referred to PCC. These officials work with students outside the school setting, unless requested to come to the school to work with a student.

Reading(s) Gibbs, G. (1998, May). Building Support Through Communication. Classroom Leadership, 1.

Communication for these functions and guidelines to be upheld properly is extremely important. An administrator needs to be well aware of the protocol for such things. If they do not know, they need to know who they need to contact to remain in compliance.

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Objective 38

Observe and describe the work of the community agency with children and families. Describe how your school could work with this agency to encourage the development of community collaborative efforts to provide resources to address family and student problems.

STANDARDS: 6.3

Date Time started

Time ended

Number of hours


4/20/13 10:00 6:00 8 Observed PCC and the YMCA work with families and children within Franklin County.

4/21/13 1:00 9:00 8 Observed PCC and the YMCA work with families and children within Franklin County.


Collaborating with stakeholders in the community can be a key investment for agencies such as these since they need them to help them flourish. These agencies are measured by the success of how well the community does, so there is a direct correlation in this goal for them and schools alike.

In Henry County, we could promote more afterschool programs at the YMCA to keep students out of trouble. Possibly provide a “YMCA bus” over to the YMCA every afternoon to keep students out of trouble and have them in a safe environment instead of being at home by themselves if their parents are working.


When working with different children and families, people need to understand that everyone views things differently. That does not make one way better than the other, but people need to see things through other people’s eyes so they can make a rational and fair decision when creating or changing something.

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Objective 39

Describe how you or the schools can work with the agency. Identify barriers that may have to be overcome.

STANDARDS: 4.1

Date Time started

Time ended

Number of hours


4/27/13 10:00 8:00 10 Asked opinions from PCC and YMCA officials.

4/28/13 1:00 6:00 5 Asked opinions from school officials.


Collaboration, Collaboration, and Collaboration!!!! That is the big key for agencies to work with one another to prosper and grow. Also, you must be open to others opinions and input. The more flexible you can be the more agencies will be willing to add their fair share in the success of their local schools within the community. Some of the obstacles to this include: cultural differences, price cost (of different things), time restraints, etc. As stated before, if these issues come up be flexible and weigh your options.


When working with different children and families, people need to understand that everyone views things differently. That does not make one way better than the other, but people need to see things through other people’s eyes so they can make a rational and fair decision when creating or changing something.

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Objective 40





Attend at least one school board meeting and record actions taken and reasons for the actions. Describe the roles of the school administrators at the meeting.

STANDARDS: None

Date Time started

Time ended

Number of hours


7/12/12 8:00 12:00 4 Attended the School Board meeting at central office. Took notes of everything that took place for future reference.


Attending the school board meeting was truly a learning experience. When I walked in I was given an agenda which outlined the procedures of the meeting and the subjects the school board was going to address today. Since this meeting was held in the summer, there were not any school administrators present, only senior personal. Mr. House (Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction), Sandy Strayer (Curriculum specialist), Dr. Cotton (Superintendent), and others with similar positions were present, along with a few students and other community members.

After the opening ceremony (call to order, roll call, pledge of allegiance, etc.), the school board recognized the students who were present for winning the HCPS First Generation College Scholarship. Once that was over, then the school board started to address the agenda (mostly approving spending on certain items, and awarding bids to different agencies). The senior members mostly observed at the meeting I was at with the exception of Mr. House and Dr. Cotton who both addressed the board. Mr. House was asking for money to pay for courses he wanted all teachers in the county to take for renewal purposes (for their teaching licenses), and Dr. Cotton addressed the school board with his on section (Superintendent’s reports). After the meeting, Mrs. Strayer made sure to point out that this meeting went by a whole lot quicker compared to most since it was during the summer and not much activity was taking place at the schools.

Reading(s) Meier, D. (June 2001). Education Update: A School Board for Each School. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Mrs. Meier’s article talks about the functions an effective school board plays in the community. Unfortunately due to budget cuts, school districts are being combined making school boards responsible for larger numbers of people than what they were originally meant to do. As Mrs. Meir points out, “Not only do we need more school boards, but those that exist need more—not less—power to say things that count about curriculum, scheduling, pedagogy, assessment, hiring, etc. Schools with lively public involvement are good not only for democracy but also for serious intellectual work.” The responsibilities that school boards handle should not be taken for granted.

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Objective 41

Attend at least one administrative staff meeting at which the superintendent (or a designee) presides. Briefly describe the vision that the administrative staff holds for the school division. (This may have to be inferred from the discussion at the meeting.) Compare the district’s vision with that of your mentor’s school or department. Assess the compatibility of the two.

STANDARDS: None

Date Time started

Time ended

Number of hours


6/11/12 7:30 5:00 9.5 Mr. House (Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction) met with his staff (other curriculum personal) to discuss the weekly agenda.

6/13/12 7:30 5:00 9.5 Dr. Cotton (Superintendent of Henry County) met with both of his Assistant Superintendents to talk about the Administrative retreat and discuss the new Teacher Evaluation Process for next year.


Both meetings held huge repercussions for the county’s school system. The first one with Mr. House being the head went over the weekly agenda for the curriculum personal and he designated out duties to them (such as, who is in charge of the new reading program, Read 180, who has to go to the next curriculum conference coming up, etc.). The second meeting had Dr. Cotton reviewing the Teacher Evaluation Process presentation Mr. House and Mrs. Dorr were going to give to the administrators at their principal’s retreat. Dr. Cotton made sure to emphasize the importance of making sure the evaluation process was explained thoroughly to the administrators so that it can start off as smooth as possible.

I learned that the vision instituted by the top three personal (Dr. Cotton, Mrs. Dorr, and Mr. House) has a trickle down affect for every other staff member in the school system. It started to make sense why my principal (Mr. Dillard) would have so many meetings about the new evaluation process and upcoming SmartGoals because this is what his bosses want to institute. Today showed me that even though you have the title of administrator, there are still many levels ahead of you that make decisions that can affect your school.

Reading(s) Smith, F. (December 1962). A System Prepares Leaders. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 175-178.

The article spoke about preparing future leaders by including all personal in developing solutions to problems then having them repeat it back to the people under them. This can help distribute information more clearly to everyone. Also, it allows people to better take in the information when they hear it from “one of their own,” instead of a boss they rarely see. I liked how the article also talks about finding future leaders in the system you already work in; cultivating talent and molding it in the image the school system wants to portray.

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Objective 42

Observe and describe the roles and responsibilities of central office administrators and supervisors and their relationships with schools. Identify ways in which the central office staff uses fiscal, human, and material resources, including their own time, to support teaching and learning.

STANDARDS: 3.3

Date Time started

Time ended

Number of hours


6/26/12 7:30 5:00 9.5 Made sure I had met everyone at central office and talked to them about their daily duties.


The hierarchy of central office is divided up between two departments (curriculum and human resources) with Dr. Cotton, the Superintendent, being the head of all of them. In the respective departments you have Mr. House (Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum) and Mrs. Linda Dorr (Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources). Under Mr. House, he has three curriculum specialists, Mrs. Strayer, Mr. Bullins and Mrs. Carroll, with a multiple number of secretaries and assistants who help them carry out tasks. Mrs. Dorr has a handful of secretaries who help her complete her objectives. The other members, school nutritionist, technology aids, and psychologists all have shared duties between the two departments.

Central office is such a huge organization that it has to have multiple people to run it to efficiency. For example, under Dr. Cotton, he has two assistant superintendents (not counting his personal secretaries), then under them they have people who do things for them. The correct allocation of people and resources help the school system run smoothly like a well-oiled machine.

Reading(s) Grove, K. (May 2002). Educational Leadership: Beyond Instructional Leadership. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, The Invisible Role of the Central Office. Volume 59, (8), pg.45-47.

The five big things central office staff handles: Focusing on Priorities, Communicating the Message, Fostering leadership, Providing Service and Orientation for New Teachers. As the author alludes to, many times central office is labeled “invisible” because people do not see them in the schools all the time like they see administrators, teachers and other school personal. What people do not see however is the complicated issues central office staff handles on a daily basis to help the school system run smoothly. This reading taught me not to take the central office’s work lightly by any means.

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Objective 43

Describe the policy-making and implementation processes in the school system by following one policy from origination to implementation and evaluation. Select a policy that has is likely to have an effect on the educational, economic, or social opportunities of children or school employees. Write a description of the policy-making process in your school district.

STANDARDS: 6.1

Date Time started

Time ended

Number of hours


6/26/12 7:30 5:00 9.5 Examined and reflected on the new teacher evaluation system which Henry County is incorporating for the following 2012-2013 school year.


I had the opportunity to not only sit in meetings conducted by the Superintendent and his assistants about the new teacher evaluation process, but I also got to experience first-hand from a teachers standpoint and talking to administrators at different schools. This policy came about with the push (from the state) to adopt a new teacher evaluation process which is based off of a SMART goal that teachers come up with at the beginning of the year, incorporating a percentage of their evaluation.The way this policy was made (and the same for most I found out), was this idea was presented in front of the school board by Mr. House (Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum) as a draft. He proposed the idea of adopting the new teacher evaluation process before the state requires all school systems too (which most feel like the state will next year). The school board agreed with this notion, and Dr. Cotton met with the two Assistant Superintendents (Mr. House and Mrs. Dorr) to collect data and devise how they wanted to use it. After coming up with their draft, they showed teachers and administrators, took their ideas and edited the document. Dr. Cotton then presented the final draft to the school board for clarification; they agreed with it and now it will be implemented. Important note that I found out, is that roughly all policies are made in response to something that has happened.

Reading(s) Mosher, E. (November 1980). Politics and Pedagogy: A New Mix. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 110-111.

Mr. Mosher argues that school personal must realize that a school has “political” guidelines it must follow. He states in his book that many times educators in all positions get frustrated when they do not fully understand the guidelines in getting policies and rules established. When educators know how things are instituted, they can figure out more ways to fight for the policies they want to see adopted in their school systems.

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Objective 44

Describe the budgeting process at the central office level, including the process used to develop the budget and monitor its implementation. Assess how well the budget uses resources to support teaching and learning.

STANDARDS: 3.3

Date Time started

Time ended

Number of hours


7/12/12 8:00 12:00 4 Sat down with Mr. DeWitt House (Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction) to go over the ends and outs of the budgeting process at the central office level.


Henry County School System operates on a categorical line-item budget. It is broken up into seven categories such as Instruction and Transportation. Within those line items, the funds may be used to meet the needs of the given category. The only way money can be transferred from one category to another, is if the Superintendent gets permission from the School Board; if they deny him permission, then he cannot do it. Are budget is ran under a “zero carryover policy,” where each fiscal year is not based on last year’s projections. Even though this is the case, we do still use it as a template to gauge how we will possibly setup finances for the upcoming year. At every School Board meeting, the Superintendent reports the Receipts and Expenditures for the last month.

I think are county does a good job of allocating funds for instructional purposes. Not only does are central office staff use data collected from teachers and student testing, but they are proactive in seeking out “up to date” instructional materials and professional development courses to enhance student achievement. If there is any money at the end of the year that will be left over, generally they like to spend it all down because we are not allowed to retain funds after the school year is complete.

Reading(s) ASCD Responds to President’s FY12 Budget Request: Competitive Funding is the Wrong Tactic. (2011). ASCD, Constituent Services. A statement from David Griffith, ASCD policy director. Retrieved July 14th, 2012, fromhttp://www.ascd.org/news-media/Press-Room/News-Releases/2012-Budget-Release-Statement.aspxand Budget Cuts May Be Even Deeper Than Projected, Submitted by [email protected] on Tue, 2012-05-22. Retrieved July 14th 2012, fromhttp://www.naesp.org/blog/budget-cuts-may-be-even-deeper-projected

Both emails talked about the drastic cut in school budgets for the upcoming year, and talks about some of the many programs that might have to be cut so that it can balance itself out (things such as music, art, sports, etc.). With the tough economic times we are facing, many schools are applying for different grants to fund existing programs that used to be covered by their fiscal budgets. Senator David Griffith fears this is sending a bad message to our schools and hates the fact that these limited grants do not afford all schools a chance at these different programs because of the small quantity that are awarded them.

http://www.naesp.org/blog/budget-cuts-may-be-even-deeper-projected

http://www.ascd.org/news-media/Press-Room/News-Releases/2012-Budget-Release-Statement.aspx

http://www.ascd.org/news-media/Press-Room/News-Releases/2012-Budget-Release-Statement.aspx

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Objective 45

Critique the local school board’s policies on ethics and diversity. If there are no policies or if you find the policies inadequate, draft a policy statement covering professional and classified personnel and share it with the superintendent. Include statements on integrity, fairness, and ethics.

STANDARDS: 5.1, 5.3

Date Time started

Time ended

Number of hours


7/12/12 8:00 4:00 8 Read over the Henry County policies on ethics and diversity posted online on the Henry County School System’s website.


The Henry County School Board has their own listing of policies pertaining to ethics and morals listed on the Henry County School system website. As I scrolled thru them and read them, I realized that they were a pretty generic list. Most of the dialogue said things such as “moral standing in good character,” and “maintain professionalism at all times.” If I were revising these policies, I would place more emphasis on altering the policies to sound more original and not generic. When I sat down to do this however, I found it pretty difficult to do such a thing because a good set of policies needs to be generic so that it can apply to all races, genders, and religions equally.

Reading(s) Zirkel, P. (October 2010). It's the Law: Sexual Harassment. National Association of Elementary School Principals, 62-63.

The reading talked about “Mrs. B” and her sexual harassment lawsuit she filed against the school system she was working for at the time. She argued that the school she was working for was unethical and allowed for this type of behavior to take place. The article reiterated the importance of having a firm set of policies for such things so people know proper procedure, and if some reason procedure is not followed; then guidelines are in place to take proper action against the perpetrators.

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OPTIONAL OBJECTIVES

Objective 46

Describe the operation of academic, social and service clubs in the school and supervise at least three extracurricular activities or special events (one at each level: elementary, middle and high). Write a brief reflective piece on how these clubs and activities accommodate the needs of a diverse student body.

STANDARDS: None

Date Time started

Time ended

Number of hours


5/9/12 6:45 7:30 1 hour & 15 mins

Helped my mentor supervise the National Honor Society Induction & Senior Recognition Ceremony.

4/18/13 5:00 9:00 4 Supervised the JV and Varsity Girls soccer games at the Sports complex.

4/26/13 4:00 9:00 5 Supervised soccer and baseball games.5/11/13 6:00 9:00 3 Supervised the Band concert at Bassett

High School.Reflections and learning

Many people in the education field are familiar with the National Honor Society. The National Honor Society inducts students in grades 10th thru 12th based on their academic achievements. This is a great organization for students to be a part of because it looks good on college transcripts. It is so competitive nowadays to get into colleges and universities that recognition by clubs such as this are welcomed by students and parents alike to give them a leg up on other students.

Reading(s) Nelson, J. and Dreyfuss, J. (2002). ACDS Express: Expecting and Recognizing Excellence in Minority Students. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.The reading talked about the importance of figuring out “how to deliberately pass on to African American youth the African American philosophy of schooling.” Although our country has made strides in opening education to everyone (regardless of race, religion, economic status, etc.) there still remains a huge discord between minorities and their Caucasian counterparts. The article highlighted many different organizations trying to change that discrepancy with one of them including the National Honor Society.

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Objective 47

Write or revise a plan for offering preparation for college entrance exams. The plan must include a review of English and mathematics principles and instruction on taking the test.

STANDARDS: None

Date Time started

Time ended

Number of hours



Reading(s)

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Objective 48

Write or revise a plan to offer an extended term based on identified deficiencies or the need for student enrichment.

STANDARDS: None

Date Time started

Time ended

Number of hours


7/2/12 9:30 5:00 7 ½ Put together a list of students that need to be called about AP Statistics and offering it year round instead of only a semester.

7/3/12 8:00 4:30 8 ½ Called students and asked about AP Statistics and found it if they still wanted to take it now that it is year-long, or wanted to adjust their schedule.


Although I did not actually revise the plan to extend the AP Statistics course, I helped make the calls to the students telling them the decision the administrative staff and Mr. House had made for the upcoming year. It was interesting talking to students and their parents about the change and how a few were vehemently against the whole idea. This objective showed me how people do not like to change the status quo even though it is a positive.

Reading(s) Giangreco, M. (2007). Educational Leadership: Extending Inclusive Opportunities. Improving Instruction for Students with Learning Needs. pg 34-37, volume 64 (5).The reading helped me learn more about the importance of “Multilevel Curriculum and Curriculum Overlapping.” These functions help explain complex standards by scaffolding on primary concepts that do not change. Teaching like this helps the information be retained by students longer according to the book.

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Objective 49

Work with administrators, teachers, or counselors to write a plan to educate students on opportunities to take college credits before graduation from high school (middle and high school).

STANDARDS: None

Date Time started

Time ended

Number of hours



Reading(s)

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Objective 50

Review and critique the procedures for hiring or training teachers for the program for gifted students. Make recommendations for change.

STANDARDS: None

Date Time started

Time ended

Number of hours



Reading(s)

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Objective 51

Review and critique the procedures for protecting instructional time from interruptions and intrusions. Make recommendations for change based on research.

STANDARDS: None

Date Time started

Time ended

Number of hours



Reading(s)

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Objective 52

Review and critique procedures for providing instructional and clerical assistance to teachers. Make recommendations for change. Include how teacher assistants, parent volunteers, and others in the school might assist.

STANDARDS: None

Date Time started

Time ended

Number of hours



Reading(s)

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Objective 53

Review and critique the plan for recognizing and rewarding the achievement of students. Make recommendations for change based on research.

STANDARDS: None

Date Time started

Time ended

Number of hours



Reading(s)

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Objective 54

Examine the data on drop-outs and review the division’s policies. Make recommendations for change based on research.

STANDARDS: None

Date Time started

Time ended

Number of hours



Reading(s)

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Objective 55

Work with the counseling department in writing (or revising) the job description for counselors.

STANDARDS: None

Date Time started

Time ended

Number of hours


6/6/12 8:00 4:30 8 ½ Administrators (& myself) and the guidance department set down to discuss revising guidance’s responsibilities. Mr. Dillard presented the possible idea of a “rotation system.”


Mr. Dillard (starting next school year, 2012-2013) wants the guidance department to adopt a “rotation system” where each guidance counselor sticks with a class all the way until they graduate. He wants to adopt this plan from his former school where he was an assistant principal. Mr. Dillard spoke about the positives he witnessed first-hand and wanted feedback from the guidance department to see if they have discussed and came up with any ideas so far. The idea seems like it would work well, but it is facing some opposition from one of the older guidance counselors who doesn’t want to compromise (at least that what it looks to me). Mr. Dillard did a good job of facilitating the discussion and letting everyone air out their concerns and suggestions.

Reading(s) Hull, B. Promising Practice: Academic Excellence, Submitted by a member of the 2009 class of National Distinguished Principals. National Association of Elementary School Principals. Retrieved June 8th 2012, from http://www.naesp.org/promising-practice-academic-excellence-44The small article talks about Colin L. Powell Elementary School and the built-in hour once a week where the counselor meets with the teachers. The teachers present one (or two) problems they are having with students and see if the counselor can help address them. The school has seen a significant drop in behavior issues and many in the school credit this new program. I hope to talk to Mr. Dillard about this program and see what he thinks about it.

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Objective 56

Review and critique the policies on adding courses to the existing curriculum. Make recommendations for change as needed.

STANDARDS: None

Date Time started

Time ended

Number of hours



Reading(s)

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Objective 57

Evaluate the space allocated for administrative services, guidance services, secretarial services, and records storage. Make recommendations for change as needed.

STANDARDS: None

Date Time started

Time ended

Number of hours



Reading(s)

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Objective 58

Evaluate the space allocated to media services. Make recommendations for change as needed.

STANDARDS: None

Date Time started

Time ended

Number of hours



Reading(s)

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Objective 59

Evaluate science, fine arts, computer and vocational laboratories, and physical education facilities for--a. Adequacy of space b. Safety (e.g., ventilation, storage, cleanliness)c. Availability of equipment and supplies

Make recommendations for change as needed.

STANDARDS: None

Date Time started

Time ended

Number of hours



Reading(s)

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Objective 60

Survey the school and its site for use of hazardous chemicals. Determine whether Occupational Safety and Health Act regulations are being met for each chemical. Include storage, handling, disposal, and clean up. Make recommendations for change as needed.

STANDARDS: None

Date Time started

Time ended

Number of hours



Reading(s)

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Objective 61

Write or revise a plan for vehicular traffic control and parking on school property. The plan should emphasize safe and prompt movement of students, staff, and visitors. If such a plan exists, evaluate it and make recommendations for change, if needed.

STANDARDS: None

Date Time started

Time ended

Number of hours



Reading(s)

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Objective 62

Assist a curriculum specialist in the central office with analyzing SOL test results for the school division during the previous year(s) and work with that person to develop a plan for improving test results.

STANDARDS: None

Date Time started

Time ended

Number of hours



Reading(s)

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Objective 63

Describe and critique the policies and procedures for identifying gifted students and enrolling them in challenging programs. Make recommendations for change.

STANDARDS: None

Date Time started

Time ended

Number of hours



Reading(s)

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Objective 64

Supervise the cafeteria during lunch at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. Write a reflective statement on what you learned about cafeteria management, including any changes that you would make in the operations you observed.

STANDARDS: None

Date Time started

Time ended

Number of hours


4/11/13 8:00 8:30 ½ Had cafeteria duty in cafeteria #2 (also talked with cafeteria management and staff)

4/19/13 8:00 8:30 ½ Had cafeteria duty in cafeteria #2 (also talked with cafeteria management and staff)


A lot goes into the successful administering of food to students everyday within a school setting. Cafeteria management not only handles the preparation of the meals, but issuing these meals out, collecting the money from students, and lastly cleaning up the cafeteria when students head back to class (with the assistance of custodial staff). The way we have it structured at Bassett is a very smooth running assembly line that allows students to be fed in a safe, efficient fashion. If I had to make one suggestion, I would change the imputation of student numbers in the computer which can slow the line down and setup a card swipe machine which could help reduce the size of lines.

Reading(s) Cranor, S. (2003). Tools for transforming the cafeteria. Classroom Leadership, 7(1), Retrieved from http://www.ascd.org/publications/classroom-leadership/sept2003/Tools-for-Transforming-the-Cafeteria.aspx

Transforming a cafeteria can be difficult due to money restrictions and budgets. This journal article provides some practical ways to make the most out of space and things you might already have present within your cafeteria.

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Objective 65

Attend a regional Virginia High School League (VHSL) meeting. Review the league’s regulations and do an analysis of roles and responsibilities of school personnel in relation to those regulations.

STANDARDS: None

http://www.ascd.org/publications/classroom-leadership/sept2003/Tools-for-Transforming-the-Cafeteria.aspx

http://www.ascd.org/publications/classroom-leadership/sept2003/Tools-for-Transforming-the-Cafeteria.aspx

Date Time started

Time ended

Number of hours



Reading(s)

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Objective 66

Participate with (or observe) a principal mediating a staff-staff, staff-parent, or child-staff conflict. Write a reflective statement on what you learned about mediation and conflict resolution.

STANDARDS: None

Date Time started

Time ended

Number of hours



Reading(s)

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Objective 67

Interview a school secretary or other classified staff member about their roles and responsibilities. Write a reflective statement on how you would work with this person as principal or supervisor.

STANDARDS: None

Date Time started

Time ended

Number of hours



Reading(s)

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Objective 68

Attend a Virginia Board of Education meeting and record actions taken. Describe the roles of the Superintendent of Public Instruction and other department of education officials at the meeting. Write a reflective statement on how you can participate in and influence policy-making at this level of state government.

STANDARDS: None

Date Time started

Time ended

Number of hours



Reading(s)

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Objective 69

Attend an education committee meeting of the state delegate assembly (House or Senate) and record actions taken. Write a reflective statement on how you can participate in and influence policy-making at this level of state government.

STANDARDS: None

Date Time started

Time ended

Number of hours



Reading(s)

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Objective 70

Review with the principal or transportation supervisor the procedures for developing and verifying school bus routes.

STANDARDS: None

Date Time started

Time ended

Number of hours



Reading(s)

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Other Objectives

Please include additional objectives here.

STANDARDS:

Date Time started

Time ended

Number of hours


5/10/12 5:30 8:00 2 ½ Helped construct & organize prom equipment and personal in preparation for the Bassett High School prom Friday, May 11th, 2012.

6/20/12 8:00 5:00 9 Called parents/students about SOL remediation and retest in July (Biology, U.S. History, WHI & WHII).

7/9/12 8:00 5:00 9 Called parents/students about SOL remediation and retest in July for Geometry and Biology.

7/17/12 12:00 5:00 5 Talked to Mr. Gravely (Principal at Laurel Park Middle School) about the process of accepting and replacing one of his teachers who resigned.

1st: Replacement form was filled out and sent to Dr. Cotton (Superintendent) to sign off on.

2nd: Went online to “school recruiter” and filled out a requisition after Mrs. Dorr (Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources) received the teacher’s letter of

resignation.

3rd: All the steps for hiring a new teacher then take place immediately.

7/18/12 12:00 5:00 5 Created a PowerPoint presentation for Mr. Gravely summarizing the new teacher evaluation system that Henry County will be using for the upcoming school year.

10/13/12 7:30 5:00 9.5 Helping to supervise M.S.A. (Minority Student Alliance) on a college tour trip.

1/8/13 7:30 8:30 1 Helped pass out/supervise new schedules to students for the 2nd semester.

4/11/13 4:00 8:00 4 Supervised the construction of the prom equipment and setup.

4/12/13 9:30 11:30 2 Supervised Prom and the parking lot at Prom.

5/10/13 4:00 8:00 4 Supervised Varsity Baseball, softball and soccer matches at Bassett High School.


All of these other objectives I have done I feel have strengthened my knowledge base of what administrators go through on a daily basis.

Reading(s) Smith, F. (December 1962). A System Prepares Leaders. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 175-178.

The article spoke about preparing future leaders by exposing them to a wide array of events to better prepare them for the school setting in which they will be in charge.

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Interim Report Form for the Internship

Name: Matthew Curtis Woods Date: 4/16/12

Mentor(s): Renee Scott

Please copy and complete this form. Place it after the list of objectives in your log.

1. Record the number of clock hours spent on your internship up to the date this form was completed. Do not estimate. Take exact numbers from your log.

Site School name Cumulative clock hours

Primary internship site (120 hours) Bassett High School 124 hoursHome school Bassett High School 124 hoursOther school level 1 (40 hours) Drewry Mason Elementary School 40 hoursOther school level 2 (40 hours) Laurel Park Middle School 43 hoursCentral office (40 hours) Henry County Public Schools

(Central office)42 hours

Career and technical (vocational) (40 hours)

Bassett High School (Our career & technical classes are built into each school.)

49

Schools in diverse settings (40 hours)

Regional Alternative School (Pittsylvania County, VA)

40

Agency that works with children or families (30 hours)

Franklin County YMCA/Piedmont Community Services

30

Other site(s) (List each)Total clock hours (350 hours) 368 hours

2. List the numbers of the objectives you worked on up to the date you submitted the log.

LIST 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39

40 41 42 43 44 45 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70

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Documents

Woods_Internship+Log+2011-2013