THE DEVELOPMENT OF COLLABORATIVE DISTRICT THE DEVELOPMENT OF COLLABORATIVE DISTRICT LEADERS:LEADERS:

PERFORMANCE ON PA AND NATIONAL LEADERSHIP STANDARDSPERFORMANCE ON PA AND NATIONAL LEADERSHIP STANDARDS

Superintendent Certification, Ed.D. Program ConcentrationSuperintendent Certification, Ed.D. Program Concentration

School of Education, Goodwin CollegeSchool of Education, Goodwin College

Drexel UniversityDrexel University

What kind of leader is needed in today’s school districts?

Leaders who can Leaders who can transformtransform schools:schools:

around a around a consensus visionconsensus vision for students’ 21st century for students’ 21st century learning learning

and can establish a learning/collaborative and can establish a learning/collaborative cultureculture throughout the school and community.throughout the school and community.

Drexel’s Educational Leadership Program

How does Drexel’s How does Drexel’s School of Education School of Education develop develop

transformational transformational leaders?leaders?

With a Leadership Standards Framework

National Leadership National Leadership StandardsStandards

VisionVision School CultureSchool Culture ManagementManagement School/CommunitySchool/Community Ethics, IntegrityEthics, Integrity Wider ContextsWider Contexts InternshipInternship

National and State Standards Framework

In the Drexel Program, students must perform on In the Drexel Program, students must perform on the the nationalnational leadership standards (ISLLC, ELCC). leadership standards (ISLLC, ELCC).

Aspiring leaders in PA must perform on the PA Aspiring leaders in PA must perform on the PA Leadership Standards (PIL)Leadership Standards (PIL)

What is the What is the alignmentalignment of the PA Leadership of the PA Leadership Standards to the National Leadership Standards?Standards to the National Leadership Standards?

The alignment of PA Leadership Standards to theNational Standards

VisionVision• The leader ..creates an The leader ..creates an organizational visionorganizational vision around around

personalized student success.personalized student success.• The leader is the architect of The leader is the architect of standards-based reformstandards-based reform in the in the

school.school.• The leader uses appropriate The leader uses appropriate data to inform decision-makingdata to inform decision-making

at all levels of the system.at all levels of the system.

School CultureSchool Culture• The leader creates a The leader creates a culture of teaching and learningculture of teaching and learning

with an emphasis on learning.with an emphasis on learning.

ManagementManagement• The leader The leader manage resourcesmanage resources for effective results. for effective results.

The alignment of PA Leadership Standards to the National Standards

School/Community/ParentsSchool/Community/Parents• The leader The leader collaborates, communicates, engages and empowers otherscollaborates, communicates, engages and empowers others

inside and outside of the organization - to pursue excellence in learning.inside and outside of the organization - to pursue excellence in learning.

Ethics, IntegrityEthics, Integrity• The leader operates in a The leader operates in a fair and equitable mannerfair and equitable manner with personal and with personal and

professional dignity.professional dignity.

Wider ContextsWider Contexts• The leader The leader advocates for studentsadvocates for students in the larger political, social, economic, in the larger political, social, economic,

legal and cultural contexts.legal and cultural contexts.

InternshipInternship• The leader supports The leader supports professional growth of self and othersprofessional growth of self and others through practice through practice

and inquiry.and inquiry.

Leadership Standards Framework

How does using a Leadership Standards Framework create

a transformational school district leader?

A Comparison

The answer to this question can be seen in aThe answer to this question can be seen in a

comparison between a leader who does comparison between a leader who does notnot use ause a

standards framework (traditional) and one standards framework (traditional) and one who does (transformative).who does (transformative).

Traditional Educator Leadership Model

A more traditional model that A more traditional model that does not usedoes not use a a

standards’ framework for leadershipstandards’ framework for leadership

often uses “management” as its core often uses “management” as its core organizing organizing

principle.principle.

Results of using a traditional model

Though it is necessary to manage an Though it is necessary to manage an organization well, organization well,

constant rapid change and external constant rapid change and external accountability requirements (such as NCLB), accountability requirements (such as NCLB), can result in a feeling of being over-whelmed can result in a feeling of being over-whelmed

by events outside of one’s control.by events outside of one’s control.

Results of using a traditional leadership model

If one places this If one places this traditional leadership modeltraditional leadership model within the standards framework, one sees the use within the standards framework, one sees the use of the of the Management StandardManagement Standard as the basis for as the basis for organization and control.organization and control.

The other standards of: school district culture, The other standards of: school district culture,

vision, ethics, parents/community, wider networks vision, ethics, parents/community, wider networks and lifelong professional growth, are addressed and lifelong professional growth, are addressed

throughthrough thethe Management StandardManagement Standard..

Traditional Leadership viewed within a Standards Framework

Vision School Parents/ Ethics Wider Internship Culture Community Contexts

Management

What happens when the standards framework is used?

Two things happen.Two things happen.

First, the Vision Standard First, the Vision Standard (which (which describes a district and community’s plan for describes a district and community’s plan for students’ 21st Century learning/performance)students’ 21st Century learning/performance)

becomes the organizing and sustaining becomes the organizing and sustaining principle through which the school’s mission principle through which the school’s mission gets accomplished and evaluated.gets accomplished and evaluated.

What happens when the standards framework is used?

SecondlySecondly,, a district culture of learning, is a district culture of learning, is established to support the work. established to support the work.

Standards Framework

The school district becomes alearning

organization.

Transformational District Leadership

Standards Framework

School Mgt Parents/ Ethics Wider Internship Culture Community Contexts

Vision

Vision/Mission

Constant Change is the Norm

How will district leaders respond to How will district leaders respond to change?change?

In the In the traditional modeltraditional model, change is incremental , change is incremental and often done in a crisis mode as a reaction and often done in a crisis mode as a reaction to an outside event.to an outside event.

In the In the transformational modeltransformational model, leaders , leaders facilitate and manage facilitate and manage change as they serve the change as they serve the district’s vision.district’s vision.

This is called, “2nd order change.” It This is called, “2nd order change.” It transformstransforms the entire organization. the entire organization.

PIL Standards

Standard 1 VISION

• The leader ..creates an The leader ..creates an organizational visionorganizational vision around personalized student success.around personalized student success.

• The leader is the architect of The leader is the architect of standards-based standards-based reformreform in the school. in the school.

• The leader focuses on The leader focuses on school improvementschool improvement and and acts as an agent of school reform.acts as an agent of school reform.

Example of a district leader facilitating a consensus vision/mission

Arne Duncan, former Superintendent of Chicago Public Schools, now Secretary of Education

Mr. Duncan testifies at an Education and Labor Committee hearing concerning mayor and superintendent partnerships in education on July 17, 2008 about his district’s vision for 21st Century learning

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Y1mlSGUaRE&NR=1

A vision of 21st Century Learninghttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_A-

ZVCjfWf8&feature=fvw

Standard 2: School Culture and Student Learning

The School Culture Standard has The School Culture Standard has two parts:two parts:

1.1. Establishing a learning culture to support the Establishing a learning culture to support the school’s vision of students’ 21st Century school’s vision of students’ 21st Century learning goals --learning goals --

Standard 2: School Culture and Student Learning

And secondly,And secondly,

Providing needed resources, commitment and time Providing needed resources, commitment and time for learning, collaborative work and building for learning, collaborative work and building leadership capacity throughout the system. leadership capacity throughout the system.

Standard 2: School Culture and Student Learning

New York Chancellor, Joel Klein, explains how New York Chancellor, Joel Klein, explains how important school cultures are in shaping high important school cultures are in shaping high expectationsexpectations for both staff and students. This happens for both staff and students. This happens through staff-wide instructional leadership.through staff-wide instructional leadership.

http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/leadership/instructional.html

Click on “A Culture of Success”

Additional views on building a culture of learning and support and the Instructional Core

Superintendent Sheldon Berman, leader of Jefferson County Public Schools talks about building a culture of caring communities

http://www.edutopia.org/louisville-sel-superintendent-berman-video

 Dr. Richard Elmore , School of Education,

Harvard University on the instructional Core and Usable Knowledge

http://www.uknow.gse.harvard.edu/leadership/leadership001a.html

Standard 3: Management of finances, facilities and resources to serve the district’s

vision

Management “to serve the district’s vision” is described by Katherine Merseth, Senior Lecturer, Harvard Graduate School of Education. These “lessons” from a recent study of high-achieving charter schools, found that a “clear sense of purpose” resulted in a coherence that made management of the school run as smoothly as the underlying gears of a watch.

Go to: http://www.uknow.gse.harvard.edu/leadership/LP333.html

Video clips 1 and 2 provide more in-depth information on the strong connection between a clear sense of purpose and effective management practices.

Standard 4: District Schools, Parents and Community

“The leader collaborates, communicates, engages and The leader collaborates, communicates, engages and empowers others inside and outside of the organization empowers others inside and outside of the organization to pursue excellence in learning.”to pursue excellence in learning.” (PIL Standard)

“Community-Built School: Working Together to Make a Change

At Capitol Elementary School, educators and community

members combine their efforts to build a new school and revitalize a community.” Edutopia

http://www.edutopia.org/capitol-elementary-school

Standard 5: Integrity, Fairness and Equitable Manner

“The leader operates in a fair and equitable manner with personal and professional dignity.” (PIL standard)

A school or district leader gains respect by acting with integrity and in a fair and equitable manner. This can often be observed within a context of collaboration and shared decision-making.

In this example, a teacher describes how the school leader’s democratic leadership style brings about the staff’s respect.

http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/leadership/gaining.html Click on “Democratic Leadership”

Standard 6: A leader is a student advocate within the larger contexts:

political, legal, social, economic and cultural

A district leader will need to continue A district leader will need to continue learning about, deal with and influence others learning about, deal with and influence others in all the wider contexts that affect schools. in all the wider contexts that affect schools.

Working across wider contexts can also be Working across wider contexts can also be applied to teacher and student learning.applied to teacher and student learning.

The following example from www.edutopia.org The following example from www.edutopia.org describes how students learn World Affairs describes how students learn World Affairs through Digital Media.through Digital Media.

http://www.edutopia.org/digital-generation-http://www.edutopia.org/digital-generation-global-kids-videoglobal-kids-video

Standard 7: Internship and Lifelong Learning

PIL standard:“The leader supports professional growth of The leader supports professional growth of

self and others through practice and self and others through practice and inquiry.”inquiry.”

A Mentoring Administrator is a role model for lifelong learning

A mentoring administrator A mentoring administrator provides an invaluable provides an invaluable learning experience for other aspiring leaders.learning experience for other aspiring leaders.

Alexandra talks about her enjoyment of lifelong learning Alexandra talks about her enjoyment of lifelong learning within a supportive culture, including mentors.within a supportive culture, including mentors.

http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/leadership/professional.htmlClick on “A Culture of learning”