RTI Leadership Teams

1DRAFTDRAFT

Leadership Teams(That’s You)

What does the RTI Project …

Expect of you?

Expect of your team?

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Leadership

& Building Capacity

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Just as RTI is an equal parts of assessment, well planned interventions and data driven decisions…

Implementing RTI in requires equal parts of strong team leadership, collaborative decision making

and an ever evolving plan for improvement

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Strong Leadership

The job of principals has become far more

complex than at any time in our history.

Team (also known as distributive)

leadership and decision sharing enables the

school to increase its leadership capacity in

order to manage change.

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What is a Team?The word 'team' derives from the use of oxen or bullocks shackled together to create a focused, shared force for transporting heavy materials.

You are here as part of a team…

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Why Leadership Teams?

Over 70% of teachers and principals report that they are interested in using Teams to transform their

schools into learning organizations.

The rest of the world is already doing it!

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From Dr. Kildare to Medical Teams

Good Great

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From Perry Mason to Legal Teams

Good Great9

From the Stand Alone Teacher of the 1950s…

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To the Stand Alone Teacher of the 21st Century

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Leadership Teams Support Change

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The Building Leadership Team (BLT)

A Leadership Team is a group of people, representing the larger school community, who collaborate through a structure of shared leadership in order to increase student learning and achievement.

National Institute for Urban School Improvement www.urbanschools.org

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Basic Assumptions that Link Leadership and Learning

• The opportunity to lead is inherently self-motivating.

• Everyone is capable of developing and exercising leadership.

• Leadership is expressed in a variety of ways. • There are many domains within leadership that

can be exercised.• A school’s culture either supports or diminishes

the ability to develop shared leadership.

National Institute for Urban School Improvement www.urbanschools.org

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Why Leadership Teams?

1. Research shows that schools with strong collaborative leadership are the most successful in supporting student achievement.

2. Experience tells us that those closest to the students are most capable of making the best, most meaningful educational decisions.

National Institute for Urban School Improvement www.urbanschools.org

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3. Shared leadership and decision making enables the school to increase its leadership capacity in order to manage change.

4. Broad involvement helps foster ownership; a commitment to the systems change on the part of the entire school community.

National Institute for Urban School Improvement www.urbanschools.org

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Why Building Leadership Teams?

5. Organizing a small group makes it easier to move the process forward in

an efficient fashion.

6. Team structures ensure effective communication in planning for improvement of school programs.

7. Team leadership helps to facilitate rapid and sustained change.

National Institute for Urban School Improvement www.urbanschools.org

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Effective Leadership Teams make commitments to change & to each other…

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Leadership Teams have…

• In-depth knowledge of the content area to be addressed (reading, math, behavior)

• An understanding of best practice research

• Good curriculum knowledge

• Background in effective instructional practices.

What they don’t have they are willing to learn!

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Leadership Teams will…

• Identify what your team will provide at your school.

• Facilitate communication with all staff regarding RTI implementation

• Attend all RTI training sessions • Coordinate data management • Work with RTI Consultants & Facilitators to

determine site needs for implementation• Attend PD relevant to the implementation

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Add your expertise to the discussion…each individual pick 2 questions from

this list-take turns stating your question &

providing an answer.

• Why are you participating in this leadership team?

• What expertise do you bring to this team?

• Do you care about this project, either positively or negatively?

• What are your causes for concern with RTI (barriers to implementation) ?

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Conditions that Inhibit Team Leadership

• A history of distrust and hostility in the school

• Past negative experiences with sharing leadership

• Lack of leadership credibility and consistency

• A toxic or dysfunctional culture

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Conditions that Facilitate Team Leadership

• Clear and shared mission/vision

• Structures to facilitate planning and discussion (Professional Learning Communities, etc.)

• Relational trust

• A culture that supports collaboration

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Conditions that increase effectiveness for a leadership

team• A real team, not a team in name only• A compelling reason for the work• A structure that enables rather than

impedes teamwork• Operating within a supportive

organizational context• Assistance available to “coach” when

needed.

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Leadership Team Exercise Build your team’s “norms” list

• Build trust• Know yourself• Share power • Listen Attentively to all perspectives and opinions• Contribute• Communicate clearly• Suspicion and rumors can lead to reality• Motivate others through shared beliefs and values• Actively manage conflict• Take responsibility• Follow through• Give helpful and positive feedback• Accept and use feedback

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Leadership Team Build Your Norms List

1. Using the previous list and fist of 5 voting prioritize the skills from most to least important for your team.

2. Write them on one handout you keep (white), and one you turn in (blue).

3.If there is something not on the list, that the team believes should be on the list, write it in. If there are skills on the list that the team feels are unimportant, leave them out.

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Leadership TeamsYour

Responsibility

Build Capacity

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What is… “ Building Capacity ”

A approach to change and growth that focuses on gaining an understanding of what stands in the way of change and then developing the ability to address those obstacles from within.

This allows for the achievement of measurable

and sustainable improvement.

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The process of change that is required to move to the next levels of educational reform is incredibly demanding.

What is needed is not a few good leaders, but large numbers to make the extraordinary efforts that are required

Michael Fullan 2003

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They are committed to School Improvement

RTI Leadership Teams build the capacity to change from within…

Your School Today

Identify

What do we need to move forward and change the status quo

Your School Tomorrow

Engage and instruct all staff;

begin to make the changes

that build the capacity within the school for improvement

The Challenge for Your School’s

Future

Sustain a Culture

of

On going School Improvement

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The Question… How does your LEADERSHIP TEAM BUILD CAPACITY to start or improve RTI implementation ?

encourage staff participation in RTI Implementation. collect and using assessment information at all tiers. improving curriculum and/or instructional practices. implement fidelity practices at all levels. utilize data collection for student and system change. build the culture of commitment to ongoing school improvement.

THESE ACTIVITIES WILL BE THE TYPE OF “HOMEWORK” YOUR LEADERSHIP TEAM CAN EXPECT FROM OPI RTI TRAININGS

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Other Ideas for RTILeadership Team Capacity Building

Responsibilities

• Organize, summarize and display data• Review master schedules• Monitor student learning• Review the alignment of curriculum, instruction and assessment• Assess allocation of resources, staff, materials, and time • Plan for evaluation of effort and outcomes- What is success? • Determine goals/achievement targets• Technology needs• Plan for monitoring fidelity of instructional delivery • Organize progress monitoring meetings• Organize data collection process/who/how often• Plan for instructional, flexible groupings

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For schools to succeed, we must have the vision and leadership that will take us to new

heights.

Your job will not be an easy one.

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