Courageous, CollaborativeLeadership

Patti KinneyNational Center for Middle Level Leadership

National Association of Secondary School Principalskinneyp@principals.org

703-860-7256

This presentation will…

provide you with quotes, stories, resources, and tools to provoke your thinking and to use with your staff.

challenge and inspire you to think of leadership through different frameworks and perspectives.

give you time to reflect, respond, and set goals for how to move yourself, your school, and your staff forward in your school improvement efforts.

Courage derived from the French word coeur meaning heart

The ability to face danger, difficulty, uncertainty, or pain

without being overcome by fear or being deflected from a chosen

course of action

Seeing the obvious course of action

Stuck!

Coming along side and giving support

The National Anthem

Doing what’s right in spite of opposition

RADIO

Standing up for what you believe in

B I L L Y E L L I O T T

Group Task …

As a group discuss …

What is your definition of courage? How does your definition of courage apply to your

position as a leader? What are some personal examples of courageous

leadership?

Collaboration

“The prescriptions for improving schools must not come primarily from outside of schools. The most lasting and important changes will come from within and will draw on the great resources within schools.”

Roland Barth

Collaboration

“Improving schools requires the creation of collaborative cultures. Without the collaborative skills and relationships, it is not possible to learn and continue to learn as much as you need to know to improve.”

Michael Fullan

Collaboration

“Indeed, virtually every other profession in modern life has transitioned to various forms of teamwork, yet most educators still work alone.”

Change Leadership: A Practical Guide

to Transforming our Schools

Collaboration

“Schools with strong professional learning communities were four times more likely to be improving academically than schools with weaker professional communities. We can no longer afford to be innocent of the fact that collaboration improves performance.”

Anne C. Lewis

Collaborate!

Choose one of the preceding quotes

Share with a colleague what you do as a leader to:• raise the awareness of the issue embedded in

the quote and• encourage those in your school to take action to

address the issue in their day to day work.

“The prescriptions for improving schools must not come primarily from outside of schools. The most lasting and important changes will come from within and will draw on the great resources within schools.”

“Improving schools requires the creation of collaborative cultures. Without the collaborative skills and relationships, it is not possible to learn and continue to learn as much as you need to know to improve.”

“Indeed, virtually every other profession in modern life has transitioned to various forms of teamwork, yet most educators still work alone.”

“Schools with strong professional learning communities were four times more likely to be improving academically than schools with weaker professional communities. We can no longer afford to be innocent of the fact that collaboration improves performance.”

A Framework for Leadership

Structuralrules policies and processesroles technologygoals environment

“Division of Labor”

Human Resourcesneedsskillsrelationships

“Meeting Individual Needs”

Politicalpower scarce resourcesconflict competition“Bargaining, Negotiating, Coalition-

Building”

Symboliccultural symbolsritual metaphorsheroes/villians ceremoniesmyths“Attaching and Creating Meaning”

The Recipe for Change

“A vision of what might be plus a dissatisfaction with what is must

be greater than the cost of change.”

Garmston and Costa

It begins with a vision

“Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality.”

Warren G. Bennis

The pig who knew what he

wanted to do!

Vision begins in the mind and heart of the school leader

be developed, nurtured, and shared with others before it can become a full-fledged reality

be based on a set of sound educational beliefs that speak to the dignity, equality, and uniqueness of the students served by the school.

be able to clearly articulate these beliefs and demonstrate by both actions and words that he or she holds firm to them.

requires courage to challenge practices that are detrimental to students or to deal with issues or situations that are out of alignment with the school’s vision.

“If you don’t know where you are going, you will end up somewhere

else.”

Yogi Berra

Group Task: Vision

What are three words that capture the essence of your vision for your school?

What evidence of your vision would a visitor see at your school?

What area of your vision needs to be given additional attention?

Focusing leadership on…

Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment

Developing School Culture

Developing and Nurturing Leaders

Leadership for Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment

An acceptance of responsibility for student achievement

Leadership MapLucky

High Results, Low Understanding of Antecedents

Replication of Success Unlikely

LeadingHigh Results, High Understanding

of AntecedentsReplication of Success Likely

LosingLow Results, Low Understanding of

AntecedentsDo the same thing over and over

and expecting different results

LearningLow Results, High Understanding of

AntecedentsReplication of Mistakes Unlikely

Causes: The Antecedents of Excellence

Ach

ieve

men

t of R

esul

ts

Doug Reeves, www.leadandlearn.com

Most Effective Strategies

Alignment of standards, curriculum, instruction AND assessment

Assignment of teachers based on student need

Modeling and Mentoring of instructional strategies

Engaging classroom environments

Most Effective Strategies

Deep content analysis, including big ideas and essential questions

Monitoring that is frequent and visibleInterdisciplinary assessmentTeaching strategies that focus on

differentiated instruction and student engagement

Pause to reflect and share

In the area of curriculum, instruction, and assessment, what do you most want to accomplish at your school that will take courage and/or collaborative leadership?

What "frame" do you need to move into to accomplish this?

Leadership for Developing School Culture

A culture of collaboration and shared decision-making

“If you want to change and improve the climate and outcomes of schooling -- both for students and teachers, there are features of the school culture that have to be changed and if they are not changed, your well-intended efforts will be defeated.”

“If you attempt to implement reforms but fail to engage the culture of a school, nothing will change.” Seymore Sarason

Healthy School Climates

Honest, open communicationHigh expectationsTrust and confidenceRecognition and appreciationTeacher involvement in decision makingCollegialityCaring and humorTraditions that strengthen school culture

To sustain change, the principal must nurture a culture that …

Promotes teamworkEncourages debate on effective practicesValues input from all members of the

school communityCultivates leadership skills in othersEmpowers others to make decisions and

enact changes

Today’s principal must…

Ask questions rather than provide all answers

Facilitate the process of school improvement rather than prescribe how it should be done

Suggest alternatives to former policies and practices rather than mandate the ones that will be used

Today’s teacher must …

Participate in discussions regarding their professional practices

Be involved members of the school, seeking ways to make curriculum integrative, relevant, and challenging for ALL students

Collectively share expertise to help the school solve problems, make decisions, and set policy

Pause to reflect and share

To improve your school culture, what do you most need to focus on that will take courage and/or collaborative leadership?

What "frame" do you need to move into to accomplish this?

Leadership in Developing and Nurturing Leaders

Mr. Peabody’s Apples

by Madonna

Creating Great Schools

Every Teacher a LeaderEvery Leader a TeacherEvery Child a Success

by Phil Schlechty

A passion for young adolescentsIs it best for the students?

8th Grade

Montpelier, Vermont

1946

8th Grade

Essex, Vermont

2007

Advocacy is no longer an option

advocacy - local level Superintendent, board members, key

community members, parentsAdvocacy - state level

Policy makers, state legislators, Department of Education

ADVOCACY - national level Federal officials, congressmen, senators

A role model for risk-taking and reflective learning

Example is not the main thing in influencing others. It is the only thing.

Albert Schweitzer

Do our students and staff see us …

trying new things?admitting we don’t have the solution for

every problem?making mistakes and learning from them?sending the message it’s okay not to know

something, but it’s NOT okay to refuse to seek out the answer?

Risk Taking …

It’s the very action of taking a risk, rather than the result, that creates the opportunity for personal growth.

The very definition of taking a risk implies a chance of loss or harm, be prepared to model how best to handle the consequences of an unsuccessful endeavor.

Reflective learners are risk takers who…

try new things to learn new thingsre-examine and challenge their

professional practicestake charge of their own learningbuild a culture of learning - for both

students and staff

Risk Taking and Reflection: Key Elements in School Improvement

School improvement is about people improvement Challenging, changing, refining, strengthening the

pedagogy, beliefs, and values of those who work together in the school.

Professional development is infused into the school routine Sharing/discussion of professional articles, existence of study

groups, exchange of new ideas, action research, formal/informal discussions regarding best practices, commitment to student success.

We need leaders committed to…

hiring teachers that are highly qualified AND highly effective Those who understand developmental needs, competent in content,

skilled in delivering instruction, knowledgeable of appropriate assessment practices…

ensuring new teachers are effectively inducted into school culture through mentoring and professional development

helping teachers develop the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to make effective learning-based decisions

Encourage effective teaching by…

providing feedback that promotes effective instruction

analyzing and using data to drive school achievement

keeping the school focused on maintaining high expectations for every student

Pause to reflect and share

To develop the leadership skills of others in your school, what must you accomplish that will take courage and/or collaborative leadership?

What "frame" do you need to move into to accomplish this?

Putting it all together

School Leadership that WorksMarzano, Waters, McNulty (ASCD)

Research Project

21 Leadership responsibilities and their correlation to student achievement

Affirmation - recognize and celebrate school accomplishments

Change Agent - actively challenge the status quo

Contingent Rewards - recognize and reward individual accomplishments

Communication - establish strong lines with and between teachers and students

Culture - foster shared beliefs and a sense of community/cooperation

Discipline - protect teachers from issues and influences that detract from teaching time or focus

Flexibility - adapt behavior to the needs of the current situation, comfortable with dissent

Focus - establish clear goals and keeps them in the forefront of school’s attention

Ideals/Beliefs - well-articulated and shared Input - involve teachers in design and

implementation of decisions and policies Intellectual Stimulation - ensure staff is aware of

most current theories and practices, regularly discussed

Involvement in Curriculum Instruction, and Assessment - directly involved in design/implementation of curriculum, instruction, and assessment activities at the classroom level

Knowledge of C, I, and A - knowledgeable of current/best practices in these areas

Monitoring/Evaluating - monitor the effectiveness of school practices and their impact on student achievement

Optimizer - inspire and lead new and challenging innovations

Order - establish a set of standard operating principles and routines

Outreach - advocate for and speak about the school to all stakeholders

Relationships - demonstrate an awareness of the personal lives of teachers and staff

Resources - provide teachers with necessary materials and professional development

Situational Awareness - aware of the details and undercurrents in the school and use the information to address current and potential problems

Visibility - quality contact and interactions with teachers, students, parents

Group Task …

Read through the list of 21 leadership responsibilities and choose your top five in rank

order in terms of their impact on student achievement.

Leadership Responsibilities

Affirmation Change Agent Contingent Rewards Communication Culture Discipline Flexibility Focus Ideals/Beliefs Input

Intellectual StimulationInvolvement in C, I, AKnowledge of C, I, AMonitoring/EvaluationOptimizerOrderOutreachRelationshipsResourcesSituational AwarenessVisibility

Research Results…

1. Situational Awareness2. Flexibility3. Discipline4. Outreach5. Monitoring/Evaluating6. Culture7. Order8. Resources9. Knowledge of C, I, and A10. Input11. Change Agent

12. Focus13. Contingent Rewards14. Intellectual Stimulation15. Communication16. Ideals/Beliefs17. Involvement in C, I and A18. Visibility19. Optimizer20. Affirmation21. Relationships

Resources

This We Believe in Action, NMSA 2005Editor, Tom Erb

School Leadership that Works, ASCD 2005Robert Marzano, Timothy Waters, Brian McNulty

Change Leadership: A Practical Guide to Transforming our Schools, Jossey-Bass 2006Tony Wagner, et.al

Reframing Organizations: Artistry, Choice, and Leadership, Jossey-Bass 2003

Lee Bolman, Terrence Deal

Read Alouds with a Leadership Message!

Through the Cracks Carolyn Sollman, Barbara Emmons, Judith Paolini

Dumpy La Rue Elizabeth Winthrop Mr. Peabody’s Apples Madonna Hooray for Diffendoofer Day! Dr. Seuss I Hope You Dance

Tia Sillers, Mark Sanders I Can Make A Difference

Marian Wright Edelman