welcome to cass leadership learning new members academy september 22-23, 2014 del litke, ph.d....
TRANSCRIPT
Welcome to CASS Leadership Learning
New Members Academy
September 22-23, 2014
Del Litke, Ph.D.
Director of Leadership Learning: CASS
Purposes: New Member Academy
Participants will have a better understanding of CASS…it’s purpose and programing.
Participants will make connections (and build relationships) with other CASS members.
Participants will have a better understanding of CASS’s partner organizations.
Participants will understand CASS’s Practice Standards.
Participants will understand the purpose of CASS’s professional learning program and appreciate its uniqueness.
Participants will gain insight into the research on system improvement.
To cause participants to think deeply about their new role within the context of a greater system.
College of Alberta School Superintendents
Vision: Leadership Excellence for world-class public education
Mission: CASS – the professional voice of system leaders, provides leadership, expertise and advocacy to improve, promote and champion public education
Values: students are first, trustworthiness, learnedness, respect for research and best practices, respect for individual members, spirit of collaboration, integrity.
Why is this important work?
Imagine a school where you become a better educator just by being part of the staff. Imagine a school division where this exists everywhere… (Marzano, 2008)
Teacher School District Student
P50 P50 P50 P50
P84 P50 P50 P63
P98 P50 P50 P74
P50 P84 P84 P59
P50 P98 P98 P67
So What do Systems do to Make a Difference?
The Research is clear… If you want improved student learning for ALL (systemically),
“raising the bar and closing the gap” (Fullan)…
It’s about teachers and teaching practices, and
It’s about leadership.
And it takes change…
Because anything is possible, but everything is not…
John Hattie’s work (Marzano on steroids) analyzes 140 different factors that have various effects on students…all “potentially” positive…
All improvement is CHANGE, but not all CHANGE is improvement! Leadership’s job is to facilitate the former! That’s the work of systems…
Ultimately…
Learning is the work… (Fullan) CASS has three pillars to promote systemic learning
Leadership Learning program CASS Leadership Dimensions Alberta Framework for School Success
Leadership Learning… World-class education requires world class learning for
world-class leadership Last Year – too many initiatives…it undermined the
“collaborative” learning. Induction Program
New Members Academy - introduction Mentorship – training plus ongoing support, including 3
meetings throughout the year. Leadership Learning Networks
October 27 (Edmonton), October 28 (Calgary + VC) January 28 (Edmonton), January 30 (Calgary + VC)
CASS Leadership Learning Agenda: targeted and world class (hopefully/potentially)
Induction Program
New Members Academy - introduction
Mentorship – training plus ongoing support, including 3 meetings throughout the year.
Leadership Learning Networks (2)
Fall
October 27 (Edmonton), October 28 (Calgary + VC) with Simon Breakspeare
Australian – world class researcher and thinking in 21st Century Learning.
Don’t be fooled by the price - $30.00; a grant covers the presenter costs.
Winter – Viviane Robinson: University of Auckland
Wed. January 28 – Edmonton
Friday, January 30 – Calgary (VC)
In cooperation with CBE, Calgary Catholic and Foothills School Division
Another view on mentorship…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBbrpemT7k8
Other Events
CASS Fall Conference: Nov. 5 (eve), Nov. 6 and 7: Sheraton Cavalier, Calgary.
CASS/Alberta Education Learning Conference
Combined with Learning Symposium
March 11 (eve) - March 13: Edmonton
Team Leadership Academy – next one is 2016
Zone Meetings
Zone Summer Conferences
What makes CASS Learning different? Most PD focuses on improving the knowledge, skills and attitudes of
individuals to improve student learning and schools.
CASS learning is focused on systemic improvement to improve the learning in ALL schools and for ALL students.
Learning in CASS is aligned with the vision, mission and values of the organization around two important pieces:
The Alberta Framework for School System Success
CASS Leadership Dimensions
Think of it as an aligned program of professional learning not a series of events.
We want it to complement, not dominate your professional learning.
Just another day at division office…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTgOLLmTQI0
CASS Leadership Dimensions
CASS Practice Standard Statement: A CASS member is an accomplished leader and teacher who ensures that each student is provided the opportunity to achieve optimum learning. (p.11)
Leadership Dimensions (8)
Function like the Principal Quality Standard or the Teacher Quality Standard.
Answers the question, What am I expected to do? Can be used as a guide for IPGP’s, Evaluation, Formative Assessment, Reflection, etc.
Working with an “elbow partner”…
LD #1: Visionary Leadership (p.18)
The CASS member provides exemplary leadership by ensuring the school system’s culture is characterized by shared values and beliefs and a collective vision that focuses on students learning.
Significant changes from the old style Superintendency of the 3 B’s
Busses
Building
Boards
Looking at each indicator, analyze the following:
Is this a strength in your system? Justify…
What is your role in ensuring success?
Some thoughts about improving the indicators.
Sharing – take one indicator and share your analysis with your elbow partner.
LD #2: Instructional Leadership (p. 19-20)
The CASS member provides exemplary leadership by ensuring each student has access to programs to meet provincial and school system goals.
Looking at each indicator, analyze the following:
How do you gather evidence for ENSURING that each indicator is a reality?
What is your role in ensuring success?
Some thoughts about improving the indicators.
Sharing – take one indicator and share your biggest challenge. Stand up and take your show on the road.
LD #3: Human Resources Leadership
The CASS member provides exemplary leadership by ensuring the sustained implementation of effective staff recruitment, selection, development, supervision and evaluation processes.
Looking at each indicator, analyze the following:
Are there any indicators where you feel you have exemplary practice in your division? Choose the indicator where your division is strongest
Sharing – take one indicator and share your story of success…with someone you have not worked with…
LD#4 Ethical Leadership and LD#5 Effective Relationships
If you were being evaluated in these areas, what evidence would you provide to indicate exemplary practice?
Sharing with elbow partner…what is your best strategy for building trust and effective relationships?
LD#6: Organizational Leadership and Management
The CASS member provides exemplary leadership by managing the operations and resources of the organization that creates a responsible and responsive environment.
Leadership vs. management. You don’t want a leader who can’t manage; you
don’t want a manager who can’t lead. The reality, your role is both leadership AND
management.
LD#7: External Influences on Education
The CASS member provides exemplary leadership by understanding and responding strategically to external influences in education.
Think about the following:
Inspiring Education
Curriculum Redesign
Task Force on Teacher Excellence
High School Redesign
Action on Inclusion
The new Education Act
Premier Prentice’s mandate letter to the Minister of Education
Which one gives you the most hope? The most concern? Justify…
LD#8: Chief Executive and Chief Education Officer Leadership
Stuff I learned too late: The Board has one employee – the Superintendent.
The Board only has decision-making power as a corporate board.
An individual board member in the public has no authority unless it is granted to him/her through a resolution of the Board.
Board members cannot direct the work of any employee other than the Superintendent…and the Sup’t only through resolution and policy.
…but #3 “The Superintendent’s work with the Board is respectful, collegial and cooperative.”
There’s a difference between “I need you to resolve this” and “I want it done this way.”
Common Issue – neither division personnel nor the Board have clarity of the role of the Board and Board members. Personnel think the Board is one of their bosses and Board members think they are “mini-MLA’s”. Both are false…
Look at the rubric on page 35. Working with your elbow partner, note areas where governance and administrative roles are clearly delineated.
Alberta Framework for School System Success
Framework developed as a guide to improve student learning through actions at the divisional level.
Remember this?
What makes a P98 system?
Leithwood had 12 tenets from his research (meta-analysis of 31 studies)
Working with a group of 4, list your 12.
Leithwood (2008) District-wide sense of efficacy.
District-wide focus on student achievement and quality of instruction.
Adoption and commitment to district-wide performance standards
Development/adoption of district-wide curricula and approaches to instruction.
Alignment of curriculum, teaching and learning materials, and assessment to relevant standards.
Multi-measure accountability systems and system-wide use of data to inform practice, to hold school and district leaders accountable for results, and to monitor progress.
Targeted and phased focuses of improvement.
Investment in instructional leadership development and the school and district levels.
District-wide job-embedded PD focuses and supports for teachers.
District-wide and school-level emphasis on teamwork and professional community.
New approaches to board-district and in district-school relations.
Strategic engagement with government reform policies and resources.
Alberta Framework for School System Success… Added an evidence base to the research… Examining Alberta, “Who is doing well in one of the
top performing educational systems in the world?” and “Why?”
Combined with an Alberta context (think curricula from Leithwood)
Alberta Framework
12 research verified leadership dimensions organized within four areas of collective practice.
Join with another pair of elbow partners… Group of four – number 1 to 4. In each of the 4
areas… #1 – look at connections with the CASS Practice
Standard #2 – look for connections with Leithwood #3 – look for concepts unique to Alberta #4 – Recorder/reporter: A, B, C, D…
Alberta Framework of School System Success
Vision and Direction Setting
D1 – Focus on student learning
D2 - Curriculum and Instruction
D3 – Uses of Evidence
Capacity Building
D4 - System Efficacy
D5 – Leadership for Learning
D6 – Professional Learning
Relationships
D7 – School/system connections
D8 – Parent and community engagement
D9 – School board leadership
System Design
D10 - System Alignment
D11 – System Improvement
D12 – Leveraging Technology
Old Guy’s Top 10 for the newbie
10. Always message articulately: written, verbally and electronically. You are a role model for learning, leading and professionalism. P.S. Get off the inappropriate jokes list.
Number 9
You can’t be the ‘leader of the opposition’ and the leader. Be positive, be constructive and be solution focused.
Number 8
Lead with integrity. Tell the truth and be honest.
The great thing about telling the truth is you can’t change your story.
“If it turns out differently, it was because I was wrong, not because I lied.”
Number 7
Be visible. What’s the biggest complaint staff have about the “suits”?
They never see them. It means, “You don’t care.”
When you give up your most precious commodity – time – it’s huge…
Reflect: when are high visibility times? Before school…after school…big events…
Try to avoid “in and out of the principal’s office” Hamster droppings????
Number 6
Listen…
We are teachers; we like to talk and teach. Ask questions and seek clarity – it shows we are listening.
Be comfortable with silence.
Number 5
“Repeat to remember; remember to repeat.” (Silver)
“Communication during implementation is far more important than communication before implementation” – Fullan
Rule of 6…
Number 4
Be humble – avoid the royalty trap.
Allison Redford did not lose her job because she was not intelligent or capable.
People do not forgive the “culture of entitlement”.
Where do you park? What do you order? Where do you stay? How do you travel? The answer should be – just like the rest of the staff.
Number 3
“Learning is the work.” – Fullan Hello, we are in education!!! Schools that are hostile to adult learning will by
default be hostile to student learning. – Barth I think the same things apply at the division level.
You can’t be a great system without a collective commitment to learning.
Number 2
Purpose is everything. Why are you doing what you are doing?
Imagine a school…
Number 1
It’s about kids… all kids, raising the bar and closing the gap.
If you have to choose between “doing things right” and “doing the right thing”, choose “doing the right thing”.
You can always sleep at night when you do the right thing for a child.
All kids need hope… never crush a child’s hope.
Q and A…
Purposes: New Member Academy
Participants will have a better understanding of CASS…it’s purpose and programing.
Participants will make connections (and build relationships) with other CASS members.
Participants will have a better understanding of CASS’s partner organizations.
Participants will understand CASS’s Practice Standards.
Participants will understand the purpose of CASS’s professional learning program and appreciate its uniqueness.
Participants will gain insight into the research on system improvement.
To cause participants to think deeply about their new role within the context of a greater system.
Feedback
Continue (from the academy)
Consider (changes)
Take action (did not find particularly useful)