1100 East Washington Road Hinsdale, MA 01235
Jan 02, 2016
Networks: Cultivating Principal Instructional Leadership
Presenters:
Ana Acevedo and Dr. Cordell Jones
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AGENDAOctober 17, 2012
•Introduction and Overview
•Successful Network Environments
•Rich Content Exploration
•Network Learning as a Conduit to Changed Practice
LEARNING OBJECTIVESObjective:
•Audience will understand:
•Principals need specific conditions for effective network learning.
•Principal networks create system-wide change in schools.
•Networking benefits principal leadership and the schools they serve.
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GROUP NORMSBe here 100%
Observe confidentiality
Speak and Listen with Respect
Have fun
Believe all is possible
Speak and listen with respect
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THE FOUNDATION: PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPSIn the Circle please spend 5 minutes with member introductions:
•Your Name
•What brought you to this session (1 sentence)
•3 adjectives that others use to describe you
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LEARNING THROUGH TEXT STUDY•Network learning occurs through dialogue.
•We use texts, video clips, case studies, and modeled practice to provoke rich dialogue.
•After dialogue we help principals consider how they can translate the concepts, ideas, and processes back into the leadership of their schools.
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Why We Exist…
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To expand educational opportunity for all students by transforming school
leaders into empowered, highly effective change agents capable of
catalyzing change and driving increased student achievement at
their schools.
Why Leverage Principals?
Principals are second only to teachers in their impact on student achievement
“To date, we have not found a single case of a school improving its student achievement record in the absence
of talented leadership.”
Source: Louis, Leithwood, Wahlstrom & Anderson (2010). Learning from leadership: Investigating the links to improved student learning.
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Design For LeadingShaping a vision of
academic success
for all students, one based on high standards
Creating a climate
hospitable to educationin order that
safety, a cooperative
spirit, and other foundations of
fruitful interaction
prevail
Cultivating leadership in others
so that teachers and other adults
assume their part in realizing
the school vision
Improving instruction
to enable teachers to
teach at their best and
students to learn at their utmost; laser-like focus on the quality of
instruction
Managing people, data and
processes to foster school improvement
Design for Leading:Seeing it in Practice•Read Case Study: Jack Britt High School
•What examples do you see in this case study of effective school practices? For each example, how would you classify the practice using the Design for Leading Framework?
•Take notes on template.
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CONTENT DEBRIEFJournal:
What new insights and understandings emerged from the text and dialogue?
How might you translate what you discussed into your own leadership practice?
Again in small groups, discuss and prepare to share
LEARNING FROM SELF-EXPLORATIONNew learning also emerges from principal dialogue about the realities of their schools. They discuss:
• Their problems associated with leadership
• Their future actions leading
• The core barriers to student achievement and how to overcome them.
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THE SCHOOL LEADERS NETWORKTurning to One Another: Simple Conversations to Restore Hope to the Future
“Even among friends, starting a conversation can take courage. But conversation also gives us courage. Thinking together, deciding what actions to take, more of us become bold. And we become wiser about where to use our courage. As we learn from each other’s experiences and interpretations, we see the issue in richer detail. We understand more of the dynamics that have created it. With this clarity, we know what actions to take and where we might have the most influence.”
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Have you experienced this to be true in your own experience?
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3 A’S PROTOCOL: ASK, AFFIRM, ADDIn triads:
• Reflect in writing: What is an initiative/system at your campus/district that you are implementing that you think needs to be improved to make greater impact for students and why?
• Person A shares the initiative/system that needs to be improved and why.
• Person B and Person C Ask clarifying questions.
• Person B and Person C Affirm something about what Person A shared.
• Person B and Person C Add something/suggestion something that could be a possible solution or something to think about when thinking about a solution.
• Switch.
WHOLE GROUP DEBRIEFIn small groups reflect together and be ready to share
• What do you feel you gained in the dialogue?
• What conditions helped you to share?
• When would experiences like this be appropriate for you as a learner? As a leader?
• Spokesperson sharing
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SLN Principals Enact Change with Support
Principals Lead
Change
Focused on Student Outcome Strategy
Supported and
Encouraged by Peers
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Principals Learn Instructional Leadership Skills and Practices
Principals Voluntarily JoinEffective Networking Experience
Principals Experience
Safe Trustworthy Environment
Principals Experience Relevant Learning
Other Principals
are Learners
Ownership of focus
Principals Risk Sharing Leadership
Vulnerabilities
Principals Model Being
Vulnerable
Strong Norms
Principals Explore New Ideas in Collaborative
Dialogue
Principals Reflect
About How Learning Applies to Them and
their School
NETWORKS AS A CONDUIT FOR CHANGE
• How do principals describe their experiences in their network learning?
• How do principals describe the impact of their network learning?
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SLN Meeting Experience
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0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
85%
97%94%
97%
15%
3%6%
3%
Participating in SLN so far this year…I experienced
Every/ Most Meetings Some Meetings Not Yet
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10%
30%
50%
70%
90%97%
87% 85%
SLN DIRECT IMPACT
% o
f M
em
be
rsh
ip in
dic
atin
g d
ire
ct im
pac
t
Ana Ramos AcevedoRegional Director
Dr. Cordell JonesPrincipal, Alamo Heights Junior School