STANDARD ONE: Strategic Leadership
Principals will create conditions that result in strategically re-imaging the school's vision, mission, and goals in the 21st century. Understanding that schools ideally prepare students for an unseen but not altogether unpredictable future, the leader creates a climate of inquiry that challenges the school community to continually re-purpose itself by building on its core values and beliefs about its preferred future and then developing a pathway to reach it.
1A: SCHOOL VISION, MISSON, AND STRATEGIC GOALS
The school’s identity, in part, is derived from the vision, mission, values, belief and goals of the school, the processes used to establish these attributes, and the ways they are embodied in the life of the school community.
Our county is working towards a strategic plan. This year, the focus is on the bridge to the strategic plan. To be successful with the bridge, county leaders asked for input from each school. They created a number of questions and a platform for staff members to provide feedback. I was in charge of leading this endeavor. I met with the staff, with a follow up for staff members who were absent that day, and facilitated the feedback session. The meeting was a success. Staff members were not at a loss for answers to their questions. The technology worked out well - before the meeting I was sure to go on the website and try it myself to work out any kinks or issues that might arise. Overall, staff members were very responsive and I am hopeful that our county leaders will take their feedback into consideration.
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1B: LEADING CHANGE
The school executive articulates a vision, and implementation strategies, for improvements and changes which result in improved achievement for all students.
As part of the School Improvement Plan, there is a committee of teachers who conduct walkthroughs throughout the year. The walkthroughs provide instructional data in regards to reading. Ultimately, these guide the team to make decisions about action steps and the overall SIP goal. I joined the committee in completing walkthroughs throughout the year. It allowed me the opportunity to see elementary reading instruction in action and I participated in conversations with teachers on how to employ new reading strategies.
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The culminating project is our Problem of Practice. It allows us to identify an issue within our school and work to create solutions and measure the outcomes. I chose interventions in fifth grade. Interventions in this grade level are not easy to come by and usually require trial and error. Participating in conversations with the team and learning their insight challenged me to think of how I could support them from the leader lens.
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1C: SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT PLAN
The school improvement plan provides the structure for the vision, values, goals and changes necessary for improved achievement for all students.
Schools are continuously working to improve. This is the foundation of the School Improvement Plan. This assignment challenged me to take an in depth look at the needs of a current school, create actions to address those needs, and provide a rationale showing that I can connect the processes with the needs. In reflecting, addressing the needs of a school is not difficult until you realize there are parameters within which you have to work.
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1D: DISTRIBUTIVE LEADERSHIP
The school executive creates and utilizes processes to distribute leadership and decision-making throughout the school.
A student at our school was struggling with behavior. He had been referred to the office numerous times. In an attempt to decrease his referrals, teach correct behaviors, and ensure his success in school, I facilitated a check-in schedule for him. Through conversations with his teacher, the school counselor, and a teacher assigned to be his "buddy", the schedule was created at critical times for him. This email is the beginning of that conversation. The check-ins have been successful. He enjoys the positive attention and receives reinforcement of correct behaviors. Giving voice to the teachers and counselor in the development of this approach empowered them to change the trajectory for this student.
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