Chapter 2: Creating a Vision for Learning
Dr. Rob AndersonSpring 2011
Agenda• Tallahassee update• Chapter Two: Creating a Vision for Learning• Developing a Vision: Lake Nona High School• Case Study
Major Themes• The importance of a vision and it’s
relationship with success• Developing a systemic vision• Mission and goal statements• Strategic plans and school improvement
Florida Principal Leadership Standards
• Standard 9: Communication. Effective school leaders practice two-way communications and use appropriate oral, written, and electronic communication and collaboration skills to accomplish school and system goals by building and maintaining relationships with students, faculty, parents, and community. The leader:
• Actively listens to and learns from students, staff, parents, and community stakeholders; • Recognizes individuals for effective performance; • Communicates student expectations and performance information to students, parents, and
community; • Maintains high visibility at school and in the community and regularly engages stakeholders
in the work of the school; • Creates opportunities within the school to engage students, faculty, parents, and community
stakeholders in constructive conversations about important school issues. • Utilizes appropriate technologies for communication and collaboration; and • Ensures faculty receives timely information about student learning requirements, academic
standards, and all other local state and federal administrative requirements and decisions.
The Systemic Vision• Dependent upon the
relationships between– District vision, mission and
goals– School vision, mission and
goals– School strategic action plan
(School Improvement Plan)– Considered values of the
principal, teachers, staff and community
District
SchoolCommunity
Creating a Vision• Connecting where the
school has been, where it currently is and what the school desires to become
• Dependent on reflection and commitment
Conditions to Grow a Vision1. What does the principal believe and value?2. Students’ diverse backgrounds must be valued.3. Principal must be student centered4. Genuine commitment from the principal5. The principal must be able to clearly articulate the
vision.6. Continuous and repetitive dialogue – everything
must be centered around the vision
Shepherding the Vision
Vision Detractors Vision Maintainers
Tradition Ownership of the vision
Scorn Focus on long term benefits
Naysayers Seek Input from Stakeholders
Complacency Build Confidence that the vision is attainable
Weariness Stay with the vision - consistency
Short-Range thinking Stay focused – communication
Connect successes to the vision
Connection – Vision to Reality
Mission StatementProfessional
Development
CurriculumStudent Data/School Improvement Plan
School Vision
Vision/Mission Statements• When is it appropriate to revisit a vision and
mission statement?• What processes should be followed?• Who should be included?• What should the outcome look like?
Studying Mission Statements – Fortune 500
• Which mission statements resonate with you? Why?
• Does your schools mission statement evoke the same reaction from you? Why or why not?
Steps to developing a Mission Statement
Evaluate the current state of the organization – where it has been and what it has been through
Solicit input from stakeholders on group values and goals – what is the vision?
Develop a mission statement that includes values and goals and inspires the organization.
Mission Statement• Mission or Purpose is a precise description of
what an organization does. It should describe the business the organization is in. It is a definition of “why” the organization exists currently. Each member of an organization should be able to verbally express this mission.
Example: Lake Nona High School• Opened in 2009• New community – not many established
traditions and values from previous schools• Changing landscape throughout the area– Medical City
Step One: Evaluate• Seeking input– What was the district’s vision for
the school– Survey the community – what was
their vision– The vision of Tavistock and the
Medical City community
ChallengesOrange County Public Schools
Fall into a system of schools – “One Vision, One Voice”Implement district initiatives with fidelity
Existing Community
Want a community schoolMany opted for private schools/magnet schools because former zoned school did not meet expectations
Medical City Community
Want a world class school that will help them attract top talentFocus on Innovation and partnershipsWant to have a level of control
Aligning the Community• Everyone wanted a
successful school with– Strong Academic Programs– Innovative classrooms– Latest in technology– A “Winning Team” for their
community
Starting with Core Values• Established Collaboration,
Innovation and Leadership as the core values of Lake Nona High School which would lead/guide the development of the school
A Clear Vision• Key to developing a clear vision is keeping it in
the forefront• Established a communication plan to share the
school vision and develop a commitment from all stakeholders– Cottage Meetings– Engaging the feeder pattern– Staff meetings
Developing the Mission Statement• Involved key stakeholders– PTSA/SAC– Teacher leaders– Community leaders and partners
• Facilitated a process that developed draft versions with revisions until a mission statement was developed
The Result• A community
committed to fulfilling the mission of the school
• A clear statement of what we are all about
Vision/Mission – Lake Nona High School
• Vision– Our vision is to be the top producer of college ready graduates in
Central Florida• Mission
– Our mission is to provide all students with a world class education.• Values
– We believe through the power of collaboration, innovation and leadership we can work together with our community to provide rigorous and relevant educational opportunities for all students.
– We believe that through the diverse backgrounds of our students and community we can provide a wealth of perspectives and opinions that will promote and hone students’ critical thinking and problem solving abilities.
Next Question: Are you fulfilling your mission?
• Define the quantitative and qualitative measures that answer this question
• Develop strategic plans to stay the course
Connection – Vision to Reality
Mission StatementProfessional
Development
CurriculumStudent Data/School Improvement Plan
School Vision
Setting Quantitative Indicators• Once a mission statement is
established, how do you connect where you want to go to your results?– What data can you collect?– How do you manage it?– How does it all tie together?
Lake Nona High School - WSR• Weekly Service Review– Identify weekly indicators measured
towards a goal– A sense of where we are each and
every week.
Balanced Scorecard: A real life Case Study
• Atlanta Public Schools– Beverly Hall– 2009 National
Superintendent of the Year
Questions to Ponder• What happens when your school’s mission is to raise
your FCAT reading scores?• With such a focus on test results will schools stay
true to the vision and mission or compromise this in desperate efforts to increase test scores “at all costs”
• How are these behaviors encouraged by the DOE– District Rankings– School Rankings
Review• Developing a school vision and mission needs
to be a collaborative process that involves and respects all stakeholders
• The vision and mission should drive a school’s strategic plan – not test scores
For Next Week• Read Chapter Three• Presentations– Michelle – Ahead of the Curve by Doug Reeves– Gwen – If you Don’t Feed the Teachers They Eat
the Students: A Guide to Success for Administrators and Teachers by Neila Connors
– Sabrina – Motion Leadership – The Skinny on Becoming Change Savvy by Michael Fullan