May 2020 | VOL 22 | NO. 5
Indianagram A publication of the Indiana Association of School Principals
The Indiana Association of School Principals leads in the advocacy and support of all principals in their commitment to every child.
Finishing Strong by Lizz Walters, President of IASP
IASP, as we look to the end of the 2019-20 school year, we can all agree that this was not the end we expected or desired. Most of us are likely considering new, creative, digital ways to celebrate students and close the year. As I talk with my staff to reflect and plan, it is clear that we have much to celebrate. The Indiana Association of School Principals has much to celebrate as well! Our professional development opportunities this year continued to provide for meeting the ever-changing needs of membership through INALI, the Assistant Principal and Fall Conferences, the Aspiring Principals Conference, the social emotional learning roadshow, the introduction of a revamped website and the IASP App. Our student programs provided new ways for students to display hard work and talent through the Future Problem Solving International Competition, Math, Science, Spell and Quiz Bowls, Cheer Competitions and the Martin Luther King Jr. Essay Competition. In addition to recognizing students for their incredible talents in these areas, we also celebrated outstanding senior students through the Academic All-Star Program. Congratulations to our 50 Regional All-Stars and an extra round of applause for our 40 State Academic All-Stars! Our advocacy at the state and national level continue to strengthen relationships with the Indiana State Board of Education, the Governor’s Workforce Cabinet, the Department of Workforce Development, the Governor’s Office, and the Indiana Department of Education. Conversations around assessment, accountability, and the future of education in Indiana include the voices of IASP school leaders. Moving into the next school year, IASP will formally have our DOE Liaison position a part of our Executive Committee and this will enable us to continue and expand upon these relationships. IASP began and ended this year the strongest it has historically been in terms of membership and finances. There is no doubt that Indiana is going to see some economic hardships in the coming years. IASP has been preparing for any such rainy day, and as such, can weather any financial issues. This strength is enabling us to program into the next school year knowing that many of you are going to face tremendous challenges in your school operations. For both principal and student programs, you will see expansions of how we operate and serve you, even as resources might be shorter for many of you. I am confident that now is the time to lean even more on IASP. This IASP support was evident from mid-March through the end of our school year. During unprecedented times and in quick fashion, we made historical decisions as educators across the state continued to meet the needs of our students in previously unimaginable ways. Through a stay-at-home order, IASP introduced weekly Twitter Chats and the Shared Solutions Series to engage and inform our members when they needed information and connections for guidance. They also continued important student programs so that over 5,000 students could compete individually in M.A.T.H. Bowl and in Junior and Senior Academic Super Bowl. Without a pause, IASP met student and principal needs as they have done continually during my four years on the Executive Committee. Congratulations to everyone for the successes you can celebrate in your personal and professional arenas! I hope that the end to your school year is as smooth as it can be. As always, stay safe and healthy.
Inside this Edition
Finishing Strong...........................................................................................P1 Riley Hospital Kids Caring & Sharing Update.............................................P2 NASSP Update.............................................................................................P3 Department of Student Programs Spring Results........................................P3 Pulling Together to Strengthen Our Schools:.................................................. Developing Teacher Leadership................................................P5
The School Leader Paradigm: Becoming While Doing.......................P6 Bronze Corporate Sponsors................................................................P11 Spotlight on Service-Learning............................................................P12 IASP Conference Call for Proposals..................................................P14 Dave Emmert’s Situation Briefs..........................................................P15
Riley Hospital Kids Caring & Sharing Update Introducing the 2020 Next Generation Philanthropist Award Winners We are excited to announce our third class of Next Generation Philanthropists. This graduating class of high school seniors has displayed exceptional leadership and character and have each made a significant impact on their school’s Riley Dance Marathon or Kids Caring & Sharing™ program. Representing schools from across the state, and with generous support from school administrators, these young philanthropists have dedicated hundreds of hours to raise thousands of dollars – all for the kids at Riley Hospital. Alexis Calvert – Carmel High School Maggie Doyle – Bloomington High School South Rachel Fishbone – Bloomington High School North Madeline Hunter – Westfield High School Abby Jamison – Floyd Central High School Haley Miles – Castle High School Chloe Olejnik – Cardinal Ritter High School Alexis Paterson – Westfield High School Emma Records – White River Valley High School Lauryn Rhodes – Warsaw Community High School Bryn Roberts – Fishers High School Hannah Romero De Gante – Seymour High School Thank you for helping develop in your students an inspirational empathy and a true generosity of spirit. On behalf of all of us at Riley Children’s Foundation, congratulations! • • • • • • • • • • • •
KCS Gift Submission Deadline Extended Gifts for the 2019-2020 school year are due by September 30, 2020. Please note that this is a shift from our typical deadline of June 30. To help you in your fundraising efforts, the KCS Guidebook and other resources are online at RileyKids.org/KCS. Please reach out to Susan Miles, Kids Caring & Sharing™ Officer, with any questions. Susan will also be happy to discuss creative ways you can continue to empower your students through philanthropy. You can reach her at 317.759.6951 or SMiles@RileyKids.org. IASP Supports Riley Relief Fund Thank you to the Indiana Association of School Principals for your generous support of the Riley Relief Fund on Giving Tuesday Now, which took place on May 5. Dr. Todd Bess, Executive Director, shared this message: “The Indiana Association of School Principals is honored to be able to support the Riley Relief Fund on Giving Tuesday Now. Indiana is truly blessed to have a hospital ranked as one of the nation’s best serving our kids. Our gift today further strengthens our 35-year partnership with Riley Children’s Foundation, and highlights our appreciation for Riley Hospital for Children.” The Riley Relief Fund provides emergency assistance to Riley families during the coronavirus crisis. It also supports Riley program and team member needs, and gives doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals flexibility as they respond to the evolving healthcare crisis. Riley Children’s Health Social Work and other relevant programs will administer all emergency aid. Gifts will be matched, up to $100,000, thanks to generous Riley donors. If anyone from your school family is interested in supporting the Riley Relief Fund, visit http://donate.rileykids. org/goto/RRF-KCS. Your gift can be recognized as part of your school’s KCS fundraising efforts for the 20192020 school year! Simply enter the school’s name and city in the “Recognition for the Honor Roll” area of the donation form. Please contact Susan Miles if you have any questions.
Become a Kids Caring and Sharing school Visit www.KidsCaringAndSharing.org
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NASSP Update
by Steve Baker, Principal at Bluffton High School
Under normal circumstances (understatement of the year) I would inform everyone about our recent advocacy trip to Washington DC and how we visited Capitol Hill to engage with Legislators regarding educational issues. That trip was canceled due to the COVID-19 crisis and we are in the process of learning new strategies to contact our legislators and to provide essential advocacy training to our members. In the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak, many states closed schools for a number of weeks. NASSP has worked with Federal Legislators to provide relief to students, schools, and staff in the following ways: NASSP highlighted the need for K-12 education funding through supplemental packages that will help states solidify their financial commitment to local school districts. • As districts work to provide online learning opportunities for their students, many students face challenges completing this new course work because of inadequate home internet access. The Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC’s) E-rate program helps offset the cost of internet access in schools and libraries. 7,650 signatures were collected to encourage legislators to provide this essential access for all students. • NASSP worked with the USDOE and others regarding the federal testing requirements under ESSA for states. Those efforts produced federal waivers for testing and accountability. •
This will be my last article for the IASP Indianagram. My good friend, Dave Strouse will begin his tenure as your new NASSP State Coordinator. I have known Dave for many years and he will do any outstanding job in this role representing Indiana at the national level. It has truly been an honor for me to serve the members of IASP as the NASSP State Coordinator for the past six years. I have enjoyed representing Indiana at the federal level and advocating on behalf of the students across Indiana. I will continue to serve the IASP executive board in the role of IASP Liaison to the IDOE as I have done for the past eight years. That role has provided opportunities for me be a voice for all principals with the State Board of Education, the Indiana Department of Education, the State Legislature, and the Governor’s Workforce Cabinet, among others. Working with the members of IASP has been and will continue to be a privilege that I will forever be grateful.
The IASP Department of Student Programs recently shifted the format of its M.A.T.H. Bowl and Academic Super Bowl competitions to an individual format, contested online, due to the ongoing pandemic. The goal was to be able to still provide students the opportunity to display the hard work that they had put in to prepare for what we had all hoped was a traditional contest. Since the online format was contested individually, there were no team champions named for these 2 contests. However, we have compiled the results and posted them to our website. To see these results, please click on the links below! Congratulations to all of the students who participated! Elementary M.A.T.H. Bowl Individual Results Junior Academic Super Bowl Individual Results Senior Academic Super Bowl Individual Results
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Pulling Together to Strengthen Our Schools: Developing Teacher Leadership by Annette Marie Jones (2020 EdD BSU) and Marilynn Quick, Ball State University
A common message being heard from building and central office school leaders across the state indicates many parents have gained a new appreciation for teachers. As parents have been called upon even more to support their children’s learning from home, they have a better understanding of the extraordinary service our teachers provide to their students. When students return to Indiana classrooms, educators will face new challenges in assessing achievement progress from e-learning environments and ensuring that any gaps are quickly remedied. Eleanor Roosevelt reminds us that “with the new day comes new strength and new thoughts.” A research study recently conducted by Annette Marie Jones also reminds us of the strength and wisdom of teachers and the collective wisdom they bring to school improvement challenges. Dr. Jones, a former school principal and Assistant Director of School Leadership for the National Catholic Educational Association, surveyed nearly 200 Catholic school principals and teachers who represented winners of the USDOE National Blue Ribbon awards from 2015 to 2018. Her study sought to better understand what both groups valued about teacher leadership qualities and how teacher leadership was best fostered in these award-winning schools. Her study resulted in 43 significant findings. However, we would like to focus on the most encouraging findings, because we believe these can guide all schools in improving and most effectively supporting and tapping into the expertise of teacher leaders. Both administrators and teachers expressed that they thought teacher leadership capacity was most effectively developed through simply identifying teacher leaders, providing them with informal leadership roles (such as coaching and assisting new teachers), and promoting an atmosphere of openness and trust among the faculty. Although there are many more expensive and time-consuming strategies that can be used to develop teacher leadership, both administrators and teachers valued most the transparency of a principal identifying or affirming a teachers’ leadership skills and offering some valued informal roles, such as mentoring new teachers. Dr. Jones learned that a wide range of professional development activities had been provided to teachers in these schools to foster their leadership capacity. Unfortunately, many of these activities, such as traditional workshops, district training sessions, conferences, and online training or modules, were not perceived as very effective by many of the teachers or principals. The professional development activities that were most valued by teachers included mentoring, teacher groups, and teacher committees. Note that such activities often build collaborative relationships among the teachers and place teachers in informal leadership roles. Principals who empower their teachers contribute to the development of teacher leadership in their schools. Teacher leaders can support the school’s risk-taking, provide important input for their principals, and contribute to the school’s partnership with the community (Augustine-Shaw, 2015; Rogers, 2005). When encouraged to add their voices to the decision-making in the school, teacher leaders can influence their colleagues, offer constructive criticism, and assist the principal in managing conflict (McKenzie & Locke, 2014; Singh, 2012; Warren, 2013). One surprise with the research results involved instructional coaching. Instructional coaching appeared to be viewed as a very effective professional development strategy; however, teachers indicated that instructional coaching was not often provided as often as they would have liked. Even veteran teachers can be stretched by working with an instructional coach or being trained to coach others. Given the school’s climate and the quality of internal relationships in a school, the professional development activities that are viewed as most effective could be cost-effective and accessible for all teacher leaders, regardless of their suburban, urban, or rural settings. Mentoring, forming teacher groups, creating teacher committees, and engaging in instructional coaching typically involve minimal, if any, costs and rely on the expertise within the school. Another benefit of developing teacher leadership can be to encourage leadership succession. As talented teachers with an interest in leadership gain positive informal experiences, it becomes more likely they will pursue licensure and someday step into formal leadership positions. The challenges facing our schools can certainly be better addressed as all of us pull together. Principals may well want to consider how best to identify, support, and collaborate with teacher leaders in their schools to effectively tackle these challenges with a united front. References Augustine-Shaw, D. (2015). Leadership and learning: Identifying and effective design for mentoring new building leaders. Teacher Leadership in Nonsupervisory Roles, Winter 2015, 21-29. McKenzie, K. & Locke, L. (2014). Distributed leadership: A good theory but what if leaders won’t, don’t know how, or can’t lead. Journal of School Leadership, 24, 164-188. Rogers, J. (2005). Aspiring to leadership – identifying teacher leaders. Medical Teacher 27(7), 629-633. Singh, K. (2012). Teacher leadership: Making your voice count. Education Digest 77(7), 15-20. Warren, L. (2013). Viewing teachers as leaders without being administrators. Education, 136(4), 508-514.
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The School Leader Paradigm:
BECOMING WHILE DOING by Dr. Todd Bess, Executive Director for the Indiana Association of School Principals
S
chool leadership matters. Principals matter. As was recognized by the U.S. Senate Education Committee almost fifty years ago, school leadership, specifically principal leadership, is critical to the success of our nation’s schools, teachers, and students. Very few professions offer the vast opportunities to influence the lives of so many and forever leave an impact on those they serve. However, school leadership is complex. School leadership is messy. School leadership is hard. In our opinion, the principalship is arguably the most challenging position in education. But even with its complexity and messiness, it is the “hard” about school leadership that makes it so important. It is the “hard” about school leadership that makes the profession so great. This is why the Indiana Association of School Principals, along with multiple other states, has formed the School Leader Collaborative and have engaged with each other to develop the School Leader Paradigm. We have re-conceptualized principal leadership into how a Learning Leader must develop their own competencies, and also the work that a principal must do while Leading their Learning Organization. In short, we want our Principals to be a Learning Leader Leading their Learning Organization. Or, even shorter, Becoming While Doing.
BECOMING WHILE DOING From our experience and expertise, becoming while doing represents the art of school leadership. Specifically, we argue that principals, or learning leaders, should always be simultaneously improving their own leadership competencies, or becoming, while
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doing the work of moving their learning organizations forward. Being totally self-aware and constantly reflective of the leadership intelligences (becoming) increases principals’ effectiveness to lead culture, systems, and learning (doing). We believe our Paradigm provides the critical elements principals must account for in order to be becoming while doing, which results in positive outcomes for them, their organizations, their teachers, and ultimately their students. Like great companies that need high-quality executive leaders, great schools need high-quality principal leaders. According to the Wallace Foundation in their 2009 report, Assessing the Effectiveness of School Leaders: New Directions and New Processes, Wallace recognized: Effective leadership is vital to the success of a school. Research and practice confirm that there is a slim chance of creating and sustaining high-quality learning environments without a skilled and committed leader to help shape teaching and learning.1 Several studies backup Wallace’s claim, noting school leadership as sitting second to classroom instruction as a primary driver for student performance, both positive and negative.2 In particular, the body of research indicates principals have the greatest impact on student achievement in schools with the greatest needs (i.e., high poverty rates, low student attendance, low graduation rates, and high teacher turnover).3 Furthermore, principal leadership is the most important factor for attracting and retaining quality teachers.4 Research indicates that the main reason
SUMME R 2 019
Figure 1
teachers choose whether or not to stay in a particular school is the quality of support they receive from their principal.5 Essentially, effective principals lead effective schools.6
OUR THEORY OF ACTION In order to battle teacher cynicism, keep student performance on a positive trajectory, and save school districts’ needed resources, a two-prong approach of supporting principals must be taken: 1) increase their longevity in the schools they have been hired to lead; and 2) accelerate their effectiveness as school leaders. As outlined previously, the reason for this two-prong approach is fairly clear. Principals must have time to create positive, lasting change in their schools. However, since most principals do not benefit from the typical 5 to 7 years needed to transform their buildings, they must be provided support to get better faster. Much of what is currently written or discussed about expectations for principals is a desire for them to be instructional leaders. This is a logical thought, but the term instructional leader is usually ill-defined or misunderstood. Too often, when people think instructional leader, a narrow vision of a principal sitting in a classroom observing teachers comes to mind. No doubt, principals need to spend time with teachers and students in classrooms, but
Indiana School Boards Association
capitalizing on opportunities to positively impact adult and student performance in schools demands much more. Instead of thinking of principals as just instructional leaders, we regard principals as learning leaders leading learning organizations.7 In order to provide a complete picture of principals as learning leaders leading learning organizations, we developed the School Leader Paradigm (the Paradigm) (Figure 1). The sections that follow break down the parts of the Paradigm and provide an explanation of each.
THE SCHOOL LEADER PARADIGM The Infinity Loop
By shaping the Paradigm with an infinity loop, we suggest that the influence and impact of a school leader is eternal. Principals may come and go, but the influence they have on others while leading their schools reverberates always. Additionally, the infinity loop accounts for the two sides of leadership: 1) the leader; and 2) the organization the leader leads. While the leader and the organization can be described separately, the two are always connected. Lastly, the infinity loop signifies the state of continuous improvement both the learning leader and the learning organization must be engaged in to do what is best for their students.
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| G U E S T F E AT U R E | Learning Leader (Becoming)
Learning Organization (Doing)
In order for a principal to become a learning leader, it requires the principal to possess a convergence of personal, social, and systems intelligences, as shown on the left side of the Paradigm. The intelligences are interconnected, do not act in isolation, and take into account the personal, social, and systems aspects of school leadership. Furthermore, intelligence implies how learning and growth, or becoming, need to take place for principals to become better leaders. The concept of “either you have it or you don’t” does not apply here. Improvement is possible even if it requires intentional, incremental growth, as is often the case when creating new habits and skills.8
A massive paradigm shift as the No Child Left Behind Act was ushered in, and as ESSA was promulgated required that principals move from being managers of schools to leaders of systems required to ensure the success of all students.9 What was generally acceptable in terms of school culture, systems, and learning outcomes was no longer permissible. Historically inequitable systems that perpetuated access and opportunity gaps for underserved and underrepresented students required immediate dismantling. Adult-centered systems that contributed to ongoing student failure, chronic absenteeism, high suspension rates, consistently low graduation rates, and institutional racism needed to be addressed in order to meet the requirements of NCLB.10 Figure 2
To flesh out the intelligences on the becoming side of the Paradigm, we identified critical competencies and attributes principals must account for when working to grow, or become, as school leaders. The definitions of the intelligences and their corresponding competencies are provided in table 1.
This mandated accountability system required new and unprecedented leadership from building principals. They (principals) could no longer just manage, but rather were forced to lead the organization. Principals were charged with eliminating
PERSONAL INTELLIGENCE
SOCIAL INTELLIGENCE
SYSTEMS INTELLIGENCE
The capacity of the principal to reason about personality and to use personality and personal information to enhance one’s thoughts, plans, and life experiences.
A principal’s set of interpersonal competencies that inspire others to be effective.
A principal’s understanding of the inner-workings and leadership of complex systems within their learning organization.
Wellness – Balances quality or state of being healthy in body and mind as a result of deliberate effort;
Community Building – Instills a sense of belonging, a feeling that members matter to one another and to the group, and a shared faith that members’ needs will be met through their commitment to be together;
Growth Mindset – Embraces challenges; persists despite obstacles; sees effort as a path to mastery; learns from criticism; is inspired by others’ success; Self-Management – Monitors and takes responsibility for one’s own behavior and well-being, personally and professionally; and Innovation – Introduces new methods, novel ideas, processes or products that are put into operation.
Service – Assures that other people’s highest priority needs are being served;
Capacity Building – Employs leadership knowledge and skills necessary to enable the school to make better use of its intellectual and social capital, in order to adopt highleverage strategies of teaching and learning; and Influence – Can cause changes without directly forcing them to happen; practices skills of networking, constructive persuasion and negotiation, consultation, and coalitionbuilding.
Mission, Vision, and Strategic Planning – Defines the mission as the intent of the school; fosters a vision of what the school will look like at its peak performance; strategically determines the procedural path to intentionally achieve the vision; Operations and Management – Utilizes a variety of methods, tools, and principles oriented toward enabling efficient and effective operation and management; Teaching and Learning – Develops and supports intellectually rigorous and coherent systems of curriculum, instruction, and assessment to promote each students’ academic success and well-being; and Cultural Responsiveness – Promotes cooperation, collaboration, and connectedness among a community of learners while responding to diversity, need, and capacity.
Table 1
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CULTURE DOMAIN
LEARNING DOMAIN
SYSTEMS DOMAIN
The principal’s efforts to create, foster, and sustain a student-centered climate and culture where all adults strive to build positive and unconditional relationships with all students, while ensuring equitable access and opportunities to high-quality programs.
The principal’s efforts to assess a school’s current systems, initiate a cycle of inquiry focused on dismantling historically inequitable systems, and engage stakeholders in a collective effort to establish sustainable studentcentered systems.
The principal’s efforts to support the development and use of innovative practices that encourage adult and student life-long learning.
Relationships – A focus on learners where relationships elevate experiences and outcomes that ensure optimal learning is achieved by all.
Vision/Mission – A focus on learners where the vision inspires and sets the direction for the future and drives the mission where actions lead to outcomes.
Student Centeredness – An environment where students’ needs drive the strategic alignment of organizational decisions and resources. Wellness – An environment in which the well-being (physical, mental, and socialemotional) of everyone in the learning organization is intentionally fostered and nurtured. Equity – The behaviors, systems, processes, resources, and environments that ensure each member of the learning organization is provided fair, just, and individualized learning and growth opportunities. Traditions/Celebrations – The routines and procedures that elevate organizational culture as well as recognize, celebrate and honor all students, staff, and community for their achievements and service to others. Ethics – An environment in which each person exhibits the beliefs and behaviors that uphold the universal core values that promote the learning organization’s success. Global Mindedness – An environment that is a microcosm of the world that navigates, engages, and reflects the richness and complexity of the global society.
Communication – The process used to foster collective understanding and engagement that creates and sustains a positive learning environment. Collaborative Leadership – An environment where all members of the learning organization actively assume and support leadership for themselves and others to enhance engagement and performance. Data Literacy – A focus on learners where all members of the learning organization understand and actively use various forms of formal and informal data to improve the learning organization. Strategic Management – A focus on learners where school leaders align and leverage a holistic system and its processes which drive organizational performance. Safety – An environment where the learning organization’s physical space and safety procedures are regularly monitored and maintained.
Reflection/Growth – A focus on learning where introspection yields actionable feedback and strengthens the growth and productivity of the learning organization. Result-Orientation – An environment in which everyone is accountable for the personal and collective growth of all members of the learning organization. Curriculum – A focus on learners where content produces a high level of personal and academic achievement. Instruction – A focus on learners where teaching methods produce a high level of personal and academic achievement. Assessment – A focus on learners where measures produce a high level of personal and academic achievement. Innovation – A focus on learning where creativity and risk-taking ignite a passion for learning and challenge the status quo. Human Capital Management – A focus on learners where the growth and development of each individual are essential to support learning and the school community.
Operations – A focus on the school operations which utilize and deploy systems that effectively balance operational efficiencies and student needs. Table 2
achievement gaps which required redefining a school’s culture, the systems that supported that culture, and how learning was defined for all stakeholders. By setting culture, developing systems, and fostering the learning of all those they serve, principals create, nurture, and sustain learning organizations.11 But, what specifically is necessary for principals to do this work? In order to fully capture what principals must do to lead learning organizations, we turned to the National Association of Secondary School Principals’ (NASSP)
Indiana School Boards Association
new publication, Building Ranks: A Comprehensive Framework for Effective School Leaders, for guidance.12 In Building Ranks, NASSP identified two critical leadership domains: culture and learning. Going further, NASSP broke each leadership domain into different dimensions, then further dissected the dimensions into concrete strategies and action steps for school leaders to consider incorporating into their own leadership. The Collaborative then added the third leadership domain of systems to our Paradigm knowing that a specific attention to the day-to-
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| G U E S T F E AT U R E | day challenges was essential for a principal to effectively lead the organization.
LOOKING AHEAD In order for our nation’s schools to meet the needs of all kids, we as the School Leader Collaborative believe every child in every school deserves a high-quality principal. Every child. Right now. To this end, the School Leader Collaborative is committed to using our collective capacity to develop and support all school leaders to help them get better faster and stay in positions longer. We will use the School Leader Paradigm to focus LIKE GREAT COMPANIES and guide our efforts to create the THAT NEED resources and professional learning HIGH-QUALITY supports for individuals whether they EXECUTIVE be aspiring leaders, first-year launching LEADERS, GREAT leaders, growing as building leaders, or SCHOOLS NEED reaching the pinnacle of the profession HIGH-QUALITY PRINCIPAL as mastering leaders. Further, we will LEADERS. use the Paradigm to engage school district leaders, preparation programs, policymakers, and the public with a common vision and language about what makes a principal effective and what is necessary to support and sustain our nation’s principals. Overall, we will use the Paradigm as a source of hope-filled conviction needed to ensure all of our schools’ leaders are learning leaders leading learning organizations. In order to maximize the use of the Paradigm, recognizing and understanding the interplay between becoming and doing is critical. For principals to be most effective, we believe it is important for them to know which leadership attributes they should consider leveraging to conduct the concrete work their jobs require as described by the dimensions above. Of note, our efforts to align the two sides of the Paradigm brought to light that certain leadership attributes under the Becoming side are necessary to conduct the work of all dimensions. Principals that give attention to Relationships (Culture Domain), Vision-Mission (Systems Domain), and Growth Mindset (Learning Domain) provide themselves a strong opportunity for success as a Learning Leader, and for success as a Learning Organization. Dr. Todd Bess is the Executive Director for the Indiana Association of School Principals. IASP provides advocacy, leadership development, and support to 3000 members who serve K-12 students.
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REFERENCES 1. Wallace Foundation. (2009). Assessing the effectiveness of school leaders: New directions and new processes. Retrieved from http://wallacefoundation.org/knowledge-center/Documents/ Assessing-the-Effectiveness-of-School-Leaders.pdf 2. Branch, G., Hanushek, E. & Rivkin, S. (2013). School leaders matter: Measuring the impact of effective principals. Education Next, 13(1), 62-69.; Coelli, M., & Green, D. A. (2012). Leadership effects: School principals and student outcomes. Economics of Education Review, 31(1), 92-109.; Leithwood, K., Seashore Louis, K., Anderson, S., & Wahlstrom, K. (2004). Review of research: How leadership influences student learning. Center for Applied Research and Education, University of Minnesota. Retrieved from http://conservancy.umn.edu/handle/11299/2035; Waters, T., Marzano, R., & McNulty, B. (2003). Balanced leadership: What 30 years of research tells us about the effect of leadership on student achievement. A working paper. Aurora, CO: Mid-Continent Research for Education and Learning. 3. Branch, G., Hanushek, E. & Rivkin, S. (2013) 4. Branch, G., Hanushek, E. & Rivkin, S. (2013); Burkhauser, S. (2016). How much do principals matter when it comes to teacher working conditions? Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis. Retrieved from http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/teacherbeat/Study.pdf; Clotfelter, C., Ladd, H., Vigdor, J., & Wheeler, J. (2007). High poverty schools and the distribution of teachers and principals. Washington, D.C.: National Center for Analysis of Longitudinal Data in Education Research (CALDER). Retrieved from http://www.caldercenter.org/sites/default/files/1001057_ High_Poverty.pdf; TNTP. (2012). The irreplaceables: Understanding the real retention crisis in American’s urban schools. Retrieved from http://tntp.org/publications/view/retention-and-schoolculture/the-irreplaceables-understanding-the-real-retention-crisis 5. Boyd, D., Grossman, P., Ing, M., Lankford, H., Loeb, S., & Wyckoff, J. (2009). The influence of school administrators on teacher retention decisions (CALDER Working Paper No. 25). Retrieved from http://www.urban.org/sites/default/files/alfresco/publications-pdfs/1001287-The-Influenceof-School-Administrators-on-Teacher-Retention-Decisions.pdf; Darling-Hammond, L., LaPointe, M., Meyerson, D., Orr, M., & Cohen, C. (2007). Preparing school leaders for a changing world: Lessons from exemplary leadership development programs. Stanford, CA: Stanford University, Stanford Educational Leadership Institute. Retrieved from http://www.wallacefoundation.org/ knowledge-center/school-leadership/key-research/Documents/Preparing-School-Leaders.pdf; Marinell, W., & Coca, V. (2013). Who stays and who leaves: Findings from a three-part study of teacher turnover in NYC middle schools. New York, NY: New York University, Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development, Research Alliance for New York City Schools. Retrieved from https:///steinhardt.nyu.edu/scmsAdmin/media/users/sg158/PDFs/ttp_synthesis/ TTPSynthesis_ExecutiveSummary_March2013.pdf; Scholastic. (2010). Primary sources: America’s teachers on America’s schools. A project of Scholastic and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Retrieved from http://www.scholastic.com/primarysources/pdfs/Scholastic_Gates_0310.pdf 6. Goldring, E., Porter, A., Murphy, J., Stephen, N. E., & Cravens, X. (2009). Assessing learningcentered leadership: Connections to research, professional standards, and current practices. Leadership and Policy in Schools, 8(1), 1-36. doi:10.1080/15700760802014951; Thompson, T. G., & Barnes, R. E. (2007). Beyond NCLB: Fulfilling the promise to our nation’s children. Washington, D.C.: Aspen Institute. 7. Fullan, M. (2014) The principal: Three keys to maximizing impact. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.; Northouse, P. G. (2010). Leadership: Theory and practice, 5th Edition. Los Angeles, CA: Sage. 8. Goleman, D., Boyatzis, R., & McKee, A. (2001, December). Primal Leadership: The Hidden Driver of Great Performance. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press. 9. National Policy Board for Educational Administration. (2015). Professional Standards for Educational Leaders 2015. Reston, VA: Author. 10. Wallace Foundation. (2018). Federal funding and the four turnaround models – The school turnaround field guide. Retrieved from http://www.wallacefoundation.org/knowledge-center/ pages/federal-funding-school turnaround-field-guide.aspx 11. Council of Chief State School Officers. (2008). Educational leadership policy standards: 2008 ISLLC. Washington, DC: CCSSO; Dean, C., Hubbell, E., Pitler, H., & Stone, B. (2012). Classroom instruction that works: Research-based strategies for increasing student achievement (2nd edition). Alexandria, VA: ASCD; Fullan, M. (2014) The principal: Three keys to maximizing impact. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass; Grissom, J. A., Kalogrides, D., & Loeb, S. (2014). Using Student Test Scores to Measure Principal Performance. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, 37(1), 3–28; National Policy Board for Educational Administration. (2015) 12. National Association of Secondary School Principals. (2018). Building ranks: A comprehensive framework for effective school leaders. Reston, VA: NASSP.
SUMME R 2 019
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Spotlight on Service-Learning Service-learning for One and All (Content Areas) by: Beth Smith, Consultant, INSPIRE3
Service-learning has multiple benefits for students, schools, and communities. Among those proven benefits are an improved school climate, improved student attendance, and improved community relations as members see young people as assets. Given that service-learning is so beneficial to all parties, it is great news that it can be incorporated into ALL areas of curriculum. In fact, it is the connection to content that makes a service project a Service-Learning project! Service-learning projects should complement the academic instruction and make lessons fun and accessible for even the most disengaged students. Successful service-learning process guides students in project ideation, implementation, reflection, and evaluation. To make service-learning even more meaningful, it should be connected to existing content. As a result, learning takes place in a “real-world” setting and is more likely to help students generalize the content and the skills that they develop for use in the long term. So, how can service-learning be linked to so many content areas? First, the Learning to Give website has over 1700 teacher-created K-12 lesson plans that connect to all content areas. Educators can search for lessons by a subject area, a content topic, a grade level, or an Indiana Academic Standard. Educators can also utilize the Issue Areas page on LTG to identify an issue area where service would connect with existing content. Each Issue Area also has a Toolkit that is like a “one stop shop” for content area lesson plans, project ideas, research sources for students, and even potential community partners for a service-learning project. One example of a service-learning project that covered multiple Indiana Academic Standards is from the students in Sarah Clary’s 3rd grade class at Pleasant Lake Elementary School. The students participated in the LTG lesson Blue Sky Envisioning Activity, and they followed the IPARDE service-learning framework to conduct their service-learning. The students created research projects about their community and shared them with their class. They compared their community today to their community in the past. Their Community Connections service-learning project covered Social Studies Standards focused on history and community, written expression standards, and oral language standards for 3rd grade in Indiana. Pleasant Lake is in the process of opening a town museum. The students brainstormed ways to contribute their time, talent, and treasure to the museum. They came up with the idea of filling and burying their own time capsule. Community members and the Lions Club purchased the time capsule and facilitated discussions on what to add to it. The students wrote letters to their future selves, created self-portraits, and wrote about life in the current year. The time capsule was buried and will be dug up when the students graduate high school. One student said, “We are leaving our mark on our community.” Secondly, much of what we teach is already primed for the implementation of service-learning. For example: • Themes in literature often are related to an issue in society that begs our attention. • Our science curriculum asks us how we can be good stewards of our amazing planet. • Students need assistance with financial literacy. • They should be taught the importance of the arts as a cultural necessity. • Civic engagement – EXACTLY what a service-learning project is- is inherent in the social studies curriculum. • World languages? Students can learn how to be a responsible global citizen and meet the needs of someone in a far-off community. • Physical Education and Health students can learn about the importance of a healthy lifestyle and promote personal health for themselves and their community members. And ALL of these connections are supported with meaningful K-12 content on the Learning to Give website!
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Spotlight on Service-Learning Service-learning for One and All (Content Areas) Did you know that Learning to Give has: • Literature Guides that have lesson plans that connect to literature you may already be studying in your classes (grades K-12)? • Briefing Papers on key individuals and key issues like justice and civil rights that can help educate students on important initiatives and philanthropy, emphasizing the importance of being an active participant in a civil society? • Current Events area with timely issues tied to content? • Introduction to Philanthropy Lessons K-12 to assist students with a keen understanding of philanthropy and that “it is MY job to make a difference”? • A great way to introduce philanthropy to students is also through the use of Whiteboard Videos created by LTG. These short and engaging videos prepare students for the service-learning process and help them understand the importance of giving time, talent, and treasure. Service-learning is often interdisciplinary as well. Batesville Intermediate School educators, Shannon McBeath, Sarah Stoneking, and Lauren Boesken, worked with their students in their Fostering Hope service-learning project to assist local children placed in foster care. Using Learning to Give lesson Is there a stone in my soup? from the unit Different! Diverse! Dynamic!, and lessons Tote Challenge! and Let’s Make a Plan as their foundation, they made and donated 162 reusable canvas bags to the So Loved Kids Clothing Closet which is located in their building. Batesville Intermediate School teachers have initiated the So Loved Kids Clothing Closet to provide clothing and hygiene items to children in foster care in Batesville and surrounding areas. The students learned about the clothing closet, visited it, and then used their artistic abilities to decorate the bags with thoughts of encouragement and empathy. The reusable bags were filled with needed hygiene products for the recipients. The mission of this project was not only a way for children to connect through a service-learning opportunity with others in the community, they also reduced waste and helped the environment as well. The project supported multiple content areas: Language Arts, Media/Technology, Philanthropy, Science, and Social Studies. Service-learning is for ALL content areas, ALL grade levels, and ALL students. Building skills and applying content knowledge to real-world service-learning projects creates leaders of tomorrow with a heart for others. They truly become “One for ALL, and ALL for One!” Connect with INSPIRE3 by filling out this short form HERE to be added to our INSPIRE3 database and this form can also be used to Request Updated Information that is listed on the form. Our INSPIRE3 program also provides Indiana educators with free professional development to introduce them to free resources, assist with project ideation, connections to existing curriculum, and supports their service-learning projects with our program’s mini-grants. For more information, contact Joan Belschwender, Director INSPIRE3 joan.inspire3@iasp. org. Contact Beth Smith, Educational Consultant INSPIRE3, for information about our program’s free professional development beth.inspire3@iasp.org. Explore the free resources on Learning to Give and generationOn to find meaningful ways to serve others and give meaning to content, help students discover their passions, and help them develop empathy through incorporation of service-learning into the existing content. Visit the INSPIRE3 page on the IASP website here and on the IMLEA website here for more resources.
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Request for Proposals
Fall Principals Conference November 22-24, 2020 Fall Conference Topic Strands: (Please submit proposals that fit under one of these categories.) • Leadership (PLC’s, Practical Tips, Effective In-Service Models, etc...) • Culture (Teacher Morale, School Environment, Student Engagement etc...) • Technology (e-learning, Blended Learning, 1:1, etc...) • Academic Success (Curricular Programs, Instructional Strategies, Teaching & Learning etc..
Assistant Principals Conference November 20-22, 2020 Assistant Principals Topic Strands: (Please submit proposals that fit under one of these categories.) • Leadership (Discipline, New Administrators, Hiring New Teachers, Special Ed, etc...) • Climate/Culture (Teacher Morale, School Environment, Student Engagement etc...) • Social-Emotional Learning • Academic Success (Curricular Programs, Instructional Strategies, Teaching & Learning etc...) Proposals not falling under one of the above categories will be considered under the “General” category for inclusion. These might include hot topic issues and updates to recent education developments. IASP has also co-developed the School Leader Paradigm providing a model of how administrators should approach their roles in all areas. Individual Intelligence, Systems Intelligence, and Social Intelligence for the basis for the School Leader Paradigm and we will also map our concurrent sessions to these 3 intelligences. IASP invites you to submit a proposal for presentation at the Fall Principals’ Conference and/or the Assistant Principals Conference in Indianapolis Indiana. Take advantage of this opportunity to tell your colleagues what is working in your school and to share your expertise, network, and enhance your professional growth. By featuring you and your peers as presenters in small group presentations, IASP provides a forum for information exchange, grade-level programs, problem solving, and networking on a statewide level.
Visit iasp.org, hover over “Principal Programs” and click either conference to find the proposal form. Only electronic proposals will be accepted. Please contact Tiffany Barrett at tbarrett@iasp.org for concerns and/or questions. Proposals must be submitted by July 31st, 2019.
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Situation Briefs by Dave Emmert, Esq., Emmert School Consulting The following issues have been presented to this writer in the recent past by school administrators. The summary responses are shared to improve administrator recognition of problem areas and to give a brief legal background to assist in problem resolution. Consultation with the school attorney is very important because each situation is different and the law to be applied is more complex than what is revealed in these responses. This column is intended for informational purposes and should not be viewed as legal advice. Dave may be contacted on his cell at 317-432-4514 and on the web at davidjemmert@gmail.com.
[Writer’s note: Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, these were the only two issues that I received in April and early May of 2020.] Issue: The union president emailed the elementary principal claiming that she had committed an unfair practice by emailing all her teachers on various matters regarding their teaching responsibilities. The principal’s communication was reasonable and fair in tone without being demeaning, threatening, or mentioning any teacher individually. The union is claiming that the principal illegally bypassed it by going directly to the teachers rather than first communicating to the union. Response: In my opinion the principal may communicate individually with teachers, or with all of them as a group, such as this one email, as long as there is no intent to (1) bypass, or go around the union, (2) diminish, undermine, or belittle the union in the eyes of the teachers, or (3) threaten or pressure teachers for exercising their rights under the Bargaining Law. Since the subject of the email was about teachers’ responsibilities with respect to their basic role in educating students, and nothing could be interpreted to mean that the principal was circumventing her duties to the union (e.g., the duty to discuss), trying to demean the union, or threatening teachers to not exercise their rights under the Law, no claim of an unfair practice would be upheld in my view. It is also important that the principal’s communication was fair and balanced in tone, objective, reasonable, and directed related to her responsibility to oversee and encourage positive teacher achievement and success. Issue: The principal was confronted by an upset parent, who after a number of conferences involving the parent, principal, DCS, and faculty members where the school had made adjustments that resulted in the child making positive progress, believed that more was needed and threatened a lawsuit. Response: Since the principal professionally and in an even manner and tone had continued meeting with the parent where he explained the reasons why he believed the facts indicated that the school’s adjustments to the child’s education plan had and were producing positive educational benefits, my opinion is that the principal did not violate Section 504 by not making further adjustments demanded by the parent.
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Educators get an advantage with Horace Mann auto insurance! Horace Mann auto insurance offers preferred premiums and special features and benefits — just for educators and association members. With the Horace Mann Educators Advantage®, you’ll get: • No deductible for covered vandalism losses on or near school property or while at a school-sponsored event. • A replacement car if your new car is declared a “total loss.” • Up to $1,000 for veterinary bills or related expenses if your pet is injured or dies as a result of a covered accident. • Added road service coverage if you purchase Emergency Road Service coverage. • Liability coverage if you transport students in a vehicle we insure.
Also, IASP members may qualify for even better premiums. Contact your local Horace Mann representative to learn more or visit horacemann.com.
Horace Mann Insurance Company and its affiliates underwrite Horace Mann home insurance. The benefits and discounts listed: are only general descriptions of coverage; do not constitute a statement of contract; are subject to terms, limits and conditions of the policy contract; and may vary by state. CM-V41253 (419) (IASP)