Forward Moving Forward Moving DistrictsDistricts

Information Summarized by Iowa Information Summarized by Iowa Support Team as they Study Identified Support Team as they Study Identified Buildings and DistrictsBuildings and Districts

Actions in those Buildings and Districts Actions in those Buildings and Districts that Created Comprehensive Systemic that Created Comprehensive Systemic Change to Increase Student Change to Increase Student AchievementAchievement

Role of the Principal in that ProcessRole of the Principal in that Process

Key Actions of Principals Key Actions of Principals in “Forward-Moving” in “Forward-Moving”

DistrictsDistricts

Articulate a clear visionArticulate a clear vision

Communicate high expectations for student learningCommunicate high expectations for student learning

Promote a positive learning environmentPromote a positive learning environment

Deal with changeDeal with change

Share leadershipShare leadership

Use data to drive decisions, set direction, and Use data to drive decisions, set direction, and determine actionsdetermine actions

Live the planLive the plan

Promote collaborationPromote collaboration

Use data to monitor, adjust, and evaluate Use data to monitor, adjust, and evaluate implementation of professional development and implementation of professional development and learning of studentslearning of students

Celebrate learningCelebrate learning

Clear VisionClear Vision

Consciously challenge the status quoConsciously challenge the status quo

Develop and share vision of learning with Develop and share vision of learning with students, staff, families, and the students, staff, families, and the communitycommunity

Evaluate all proposals for change and Evaluate all proposals for change and requests for resources based on their requests for resources based on their impact of achieving the vision of learningimpact of achieving the vision of learning

Be willing to lead the change the Be willing to lead the change the initiatives that will achieve the vision.initiatives that will achieve the vision.

Allocate resources, time, people, $, based Allocate resources, time, people, $, based on achievement of the visionon achievement of the vision

Communicate High Communicate High Expectations for Student Expectations for Student

LearningLearning

Develop and advocate a sense of purpose Develop and advocate a sense of purpose focused on learning among students, staff, focused on learning among students, staff, parents/families, and communityparents/families, and community

Possess knowledge about effective CIAPossess knowledge about effective CIA

Inspire teachers and students to accomplish Inspire teachers and students to accomplish things that might be beyond their grasp.things that might be beyond their grasp.

Portray positive attitude about the ability of Portray positive attitude about the ability of staff and students to accomplish high staff and students to accomplish high expectations.expectations.

Frequent visitor to classrooms, constantly Frequent visitor to classrooms, constantly gathering evidence of achievement of the gathering evidence of achievement of the expectations.expectations.

Positive Learning Positive Learning EnvironmentEnvironment

Share a purpose of school with staff and Share a purpose of school with staff and studentsstudents

Share the vision of the school should look likeShare the vision of the school should look like

Protect instructional timeProtect instructional time

Establish goals for learningEstablish goals for learning

Know and expect quality in CIAKnow and expect quality in CIA

Be continually aware of the impact of the Be continually aware of the impact of the practices and procedures on student practices and procedures on student achievement.achievement.

Provide routines and structures that promote Provide routines and structures that promote learning and teachinglearning and teaching

Dealing With Dealing With ChangeChange

Challenge the status quo, always considering Challenge the status quo, always considering new and better ways of doing things.new and better ways of doing things.

Prepare yourselves for understanding and Prepare yourselves for understanding and dealing with the change process (both 1dealing with the change process (both 1stst and 2 and 2ndnd order change)order change)

Be willing to operate at the edge versus the Be willing to operate at the edge versus the center of competencecenter of competence

Stay focused on the vision and the high Stay focused on the vision and the high expectations for learningexpectations for learning

Recognize that buy-in will come when teachers Recognize that buy-in will come when teachers see that their actions are impacting student see that their actions are impacting student achievement.achievement.

Shared Shared LeadershipLeadership

Learn how to collect, analyze, and Learn how to collect, analyze, and report datareport data

Provide professional development in the Provide professional development in the areas that staff is expected to work areas that staff is expected to work (data analysis, professional (data analysis, professional development, school improvement, development, school improvement, systems thinking)systems thinking)

Be an active participant of the teamBe an active participant of the team

Know and be able to recognize quality Know and be able to recognize quality instruction and learninginstruction and learning

Use of Data to Drive Use of Data to Drive Decisions, Set Direction, Decisions, Set Direction, and Determine Actionsand Determine Actions

Become skilled at using data to make Become skilled at using data to make decisionsdecisions

Develop the skills of the leadership Develop the skills of the leadership team and the entire staff in data team and the entire staff in data analysisanalysis

Allocate resources- time, people, and Allocate resources- time, people, and money- based on datamoney- based on data

Align curriculum, instruction, and Align curriculum, instruction, and assessment with the standards of the assessment with the standards of the learning.learning.

Do the PlanDo the PlanKnow quality curriculum, instruction, Know quality curriculum, instruction, and assessmentand assessment

Allocate resources to assure the Allocate resources to assure the implementation of the plan.implementation of the plan.

Systematic and frequent visits to the Systematic and frequent visits to the classroom.classroom.

Be visible during the implementation Be visible during the implementation of professional development.of professional development.

Monitor the implementation and Monitor the implementation and adjust plans based on the needs of adjust plans based on the needs of students.students.

CollaborationCollaborationLearn and teach collaboration skillsLearn and teach collaboration skills

Become aware of personal aspects of Become aware of personal aspects of teachers and staff, focusing on the teachers and staff, focusing on the development of relationships.development of relationships.

Allocate time for collaboration; it assures Allocate time for collaboration; it assures communication and cohesion among staff communication and cohesion among staff about teaching and learningabout teaching and learning

Be present and a part of collaboration Be present and a part of collaboration times of teachers in order to monitor and times of teachers in order to monitor and adjust the focus, to provide needed adjust the focus, to provide needed support to teachers, and to celebrate support to teachers, and to celebrate accomplishments.accomplishments.

Use of Data to Use of Data to Monitor, Adjust, and Monitor, Adjust, and

EvaluateEvaluateBecome proficient in using both formative and Become proficient in using both formative and summative assessments to determine next steps in summative assessments to determine next steps in increasing student achievement.increasing student achievement.

Provide PD for the leadership team and the teachers Provide PD for the leadership team and the teachers in using data to make decisionsin using data to make decisions

Take part in PD that develops skills in structured Take part in PD that develops skills in structured walk-throughs and inventories of instructional walk-throughs and inventories of instructional practicespractices

Continually monitor the effectiveness of the school’s Continually monitor the effectiveness of the school’s curricular, instructional, and assessment practices.curricular, instructional, and assessment practices.

Examine student work; question students about their Examine student work; question students about their learninglearning

Make frequent and systematic visits to classrooms.Make frequent and systematic visits to classrooms.

Be continually aware of the impact of the school’s Be continually aware of the impact of the school’s practices on student achievement.practices on student achievement.

CelebrationCelebrationSystematically and fairly recognize and Systematically and fairly recognize and celebrate the accomplishments of students.celebrate the accomplishments of students.

Systematically and fairly recognize and Systematically and fairly recognize and celebrate the accomplishments of teacherscelebrate the accomplishments of teachers

Be highly visible to staff, students, and Be highly visible to staff, students, and parentsparents

Inspire teachers and students to accomplish Inspire teachers and students to accomplish things that might be beyond their grasp.things that might be beyond their grasp.

Portray a positive attitude about the ability Portray a positive attitude about the ability of staff and students to accomplish of staff and students to accomplish substantial thingssubstantial things..