Individual Reflection Log #3: Culture and Change

The benefit of starting a new program is that the long-standing belief systems, traditions, norms and expectations are not in place. We each come into the program bringing in fresh ideas, excited at the possibility of being a part of something new, something grounded in research, something that will have a direct impact on instruction and ultimately improved student achievement. Now the tricky part is how do we ensure that the program stays on that path and not end up like so many other innovative ideas brought into the county, discarded promises that lost their moral purpose leading teachers backwards into outdated mental models of teaching and learning and students down the road of low academic achievement and unfulfilled expectations. 

I reviewed Deal and Peterson’s (1999) “Elements of a Positive School Culture” and identified three characteristics that I feel the school leaders and teachers have been developing since the inception of the program. The first element is “a positive belief and assumption about the potential of students and staff to learn and grow.” Our program, ACCESS Online, is geared towards at-risk 11^th and 12^th graders who are in need of credit recovery. These were students that were not successful in their traditional school setting and needed a different learning model to be successful. Our program leaders turned away very few applicants. They felt strongly that these students were more than capable of learning the material, and, if given the opportunity, each would succeed. Staff was also encouraged to improve their learning. Since recent budget cuts precluded the program coordinator from paying for outside professional development (PD) opportunities, she actively encouraged staff to pursue additional graduate studies agreeing to provide coverage for teachers needing to take off a day or two to complete necessary course work. Additionally, online PD opportunities were regularly shared with staff. 

The second element is “a strong professional community that uses knowledge, experience, and research to improve practice.” My school leaders and colleagues were highly receptive to the idea of aligning ACCESS Online with the ideals of a Professional Learning Community (PLC). Many already had experiences with a PLC and agreed that we should move in that direction. We have started the process of critically reviewing the end-of-year data and have also drafted a shared vision statement. It was indeed a collaborative process using feedback from school staff and parents. Over the next two weeks the school team will continue to explore Dufour and Eaker’s (2008) first characteristic of a PLC, “Shared Mission, Vision, Values, and Goals All Focused on Student Learning.” With a more clearly defined purpose and mission, we will target our focus on increasing the pass rate in algebra and geometry courses, increasing the course completion rate, and finally increasing the number of students eligible for graduation.

The third element is “a shared leadership that balances continuity and improvement.” This element relates to Dufour and Eaker’s (2008) fifth characteristic of a PLC, “A Commitment to Continuous Improvement.” As the school team collaboratively drafts the mission and goals, we will work with our online curriculum partner to ensure we are implementing diagnostic evaluations and developing a personalized learning plan for each student. Additionally, we will provide small group instruction through our online partner’s synchronous web conferencing tool. As we did last year, face-to-face teachers will hold weekly telephone conferences with online teachers to analyze the current strategies and determine what modifications, if any, need to be made. Our online partner will provide biweekly data to help up analyze the impact of the changes to determine their effectiveness on student achievement.

Marzano’s research on first order changes is reflective of the characteristics identified in the PLC and like the PLC, can be used to positively improve the school culture. Identifying “Monitoring/Evaluating” as the number one responsibility of an effective leader relates to Dufour and Eaker’s (2008) “A Commitment to Continuous Improvement.” As Marzano (2005) notes, “Managing a school involves establishing an effective monitoring system to provide feedback on the effectiveness of the school’s curriculum, instruction, and assessment practices and their effect on student achievement” (p.71). Additionally, Marzano identifies “Culture” as the second most important responsibility of an effective leader. Culture relates to the collaborative teaming that needs to occur to improve student achievement. It relates to Dufour and Eaker’s (2008) “A Collaborative Culture with a Focus on Learning.” As a collaborative team we each will be held accountable and responsible for achieving the shared goals that will be developed from the mission statement. Working as a team will help to ensure that each of us remains focused on our purpose and moving towards improving student achievement.

Individual Reflection Log #2: Balanced Leadership Profile

Overall, my results of the balanced leadership profile inventory were pretty consistent with my self-assessment. The results of the balanced leadership profile inventory showed that as the building principal, I viewed my improvement initiative, increasing the number of students who successfully complete an online course by 10%, as a first-order change.  The inventory went on to list the three responsibilities that would “prove vital” to the success of my initiative: monitor and evaluate, ideals and beliefs, and knowledge of curriculum, instruction, and assessment (CIA). The balanced leadership profile showed that of the three responsibilities, I scored highest on ideals and beliefs, 4.25, but needed to attend in the areas of monitor and evaluate, 3, and CIA, 3.33.

Interestingly enough, while reviewing the self-assessment, my ratings were pretty similar. I rated myself as a 3 in responsibilities of monitor and evaluate and CIA.  I rated myself slightly higher in the area of ideals and beliefs with a score of 5. Based on these three responsibilities, the balanced leadership profile suggested a series of actions that I should undertake to help move towards achieving my initiative. A list of some of the action items is as follows: 1. assess the impact of the initiative on student achievement, 2. collect data to evaluate effectiveness of the initiative, 3. investigate and share effective instructional and assessment practices, 4. regularly lead conversations about best practices with teachers on an individual basis and collectively, and 5. regularly engage the staff in discussions about the most current theories and practices.

As I rank my top 7 strengths from my self-assessment and compare them to the top 7 responsibilities needed for student achievement I am made painfully aware that I need to focus and improve in the areas of knowledge of CIA, monitor and evaluation, order and outreach. I believe my lack of experience in leadership positions is most telling in these areas. As a technology coordinator for many years I had been out of the loop when it came to focusing on curriculum and instruction and monitoring and evaluating. I had been tasked with providing the tools to allow teachers to focus on these responsibilities, but I have yet to develop a sound background knowledge in these areas. I believe I was at an advantage in establishing rules and procedures in a technology lab versus a normal classroom setting. Students desperately want to use technology. It is not difficult to get them to follow your rules because computer time is something that they desperately want. Instilling a sense of order outside of the lab is indeed challenging to teachers and puts me at a severe disadvantage because I haven’t had to deal with this issue. Outreach is an area that I am currently focusing on improving. Establishing a new online, hybrid program is one thing. However, ensuring that the surrounding community along with members within the school community not only know about the program, but also actively supports it is another issue entirely. Without the support of key stakeholders, this program, like so many others, will be eliminated. I am learning how to better market our program and place myself in positions where I must confidently speak about the work I do and why I feel that it’s beneficial to the students of Prince George’s County. It is clear that if I desire to be an effective school leader I must ensure that I not only increase my knowledge of what is being taught and how it’s being assessed, but also be able to quickly tell if the material is effective in meeting the goals of the school. I must articulate and put action behind my policies and procedures and be a willing champion for my school and its community.

Individual Reflection Log #1: Transformational Leadership

I believe transformational leadership is about the mutual exchange of ideas, opinions, and beliefs amongst school leaders, teachers, and parents in an intellectually stimulating environment. It is about increasing teachers’ and parents’ participation in the decision-making process. It is about the willingness of school administrators to share the role of leadership with their teachers. It is about the nurturing of future leaders within the school community. The administrator behaves more like a facilitator leading by using “power to” and not “power over” her school community. Transformational leadership is about confident school leaders actively pursuing a shared vision that promotes values and beliefs that are morally grounded. I experienced this style of leadership during my first few years as a middle school teacher at "DFMS". It was exciting and energizing to be in a place where everyone was focused on a single mission. As teachers, we truly believed that under this leader we could truly make a positive impact in our students' lives.

Transformational leadership can flourish in a learning environment through the use of a facilitative approach by its leadership team. Teachers are encouraged to find greater meaning in their work, to look for better ways to meet the needs of their students, to not be afraid to question existing models, and be willing to make improvements when necessary. This process makes teachers feel as if they have a voice in how the school should move towards school improvement. This also allows them to have a greater commitment and take responsibility for what occurs with the students, parents, and the community-at-large. I had the opportunity at "DFMS" to participate in leadership building workshops and school improvement teams. I was encouraged to share my ideas and felt that what I had to say mattered to the team. I felt invested in the school program and willingly spent extra hours after school to ensure that my lessons were organized and well thought out. The work was hard, but I felt proud of the small accomplishments I was able to make.

Transformational leadership influences administrators to work in partnership with teachers and parents in developing a shared vision for their building. By actively pursuing this vision or mission, school leaders help to re-energize the staff and bring about a renewed sense of urgency in meeting the diverse needs of the students. In addition, administrators must actively work towards nurturing a collaborative decision making climate by demonstrating for teachers how to resolve problems and come up with solutions. School leaders also help to ensure teachers are exposed to high-quality professional development. By modeling a strong moral belief system, administrators influence teachers to look inward for motivation and drive. Transformational leadership demands that a leader move with a confidence and presence that brings about a sense of trust amongst teachers, parents, and students. Finally, transformational leadership forces administrators to improve communication with all stakeholders with the understanding that all voices are vital to the achievement of its student body. Our administrator, Mrs. "K"  led with honesty and integrity. She truly embodied the concept of “power to” by empowering staff to take on leadership roles, supplying staff with necessary resources, and keeping an open door policy to allow us to not only vent frustrations, but also come up with solutions to correct problems.

The transformational leader will help to integrate technology with instruction by providing teachers with the necessary coaching, mentoring, and appropriate, high-quality, professional development opportunities needed for success. The leader will encourage teachers to look inward for motivation, rewards, and satisfaction for a job well done in learning new technologies. The leader will remember to treat each teacher as an individual with unique needs and be willing to put into place the necessary resources to ensure success. Finally, the school leader will remember to promote a sense of unity by relating all professional development to the achievement of the school vision or mission. Integration of technology was done thoughtfully and carefully within my building through the use of teaming. Teachers felt supported during the learning process knowing that a colleague was nearby if help was needed. As a result, more were willing to infuse their existing lessons with technology.

Experiences During the Online Learning Orientation

    •    What are your expectations for this program? What do you hope to accomplish?

I hope to come away from this program with a better understanding of the decision making process from an administrator’s point of view. Leaders cannot afford to take a myopic view. They are not only responsible for their building and all the occupants inside, but also must answer to their supervisors and the community at large. I want to better understand how to establish a vision and get others to not only buy into the vision, but also pick up the reigns and see it through. I want to be able to establish policies and master the task of delegating responsibilities. I also expect to continue to improve my writing skills because I do not believe you can be an effective administrator/supervisor without strong writing skills.

    •    Now that you have a good sense of the types of online activities and the rhythms of an active participant, what steps will you take to be successful in this program?

Some great advice was given during the synchronous chat session regarding ideas for being successful in this program. I will definitely take Ryan’s suggestion of logging in once a day, even if it is just for 10 minutes to review comments made in the discussion area or to see if the instructor uploaded any new postings. Additionally I will set aside 2 to 3 days out of the week to devote to the completion of readings and activities.

I will also use Evernote to help me remain organized using tools like the self-created checklists. This program is synced with my iPhone, which allows me to have my information handy at all times.

Using the RSS feeds is another great tool that I am utilizing to stay on top of newly added material from the ELC. I have the feeds going into my iGoogle Homepage so now I have up to the minute information from classmates/teammates and instructor.

Lastly, I will use Delicious. I used this tool extensively throughout my master's program and definitely plan on using it for this  program as well. I will tag recommended links to resources suggested by my instructor and classmates.


    •    Where do you still need additional support to be successful?

Using APA format has always been a challenge for me. I plan on reviewing the Purdue Owl website and participating in some of the APA workshops listed on the site. I am also interested in some of the writing resources available on the Owl website and would like to spend some time on these sites as well.