DISTRICT AND SCHOOL LEADERSHIP Le ading with Confidence, Convic tion & Coll abor ation
2014 Programs
“ critical changes
We live in a dynamic world where leaders are called on to make
in a short turn. Change is an easy
thing to talk about and a hard thing to do. Our programs will help you bridge the gap
to make to
from the changes you want
actually making
them. ”
Robert Kegan
William and Miriam Meehan Professor in Adult Learning and Professional Development, HGSE
Join Our Community of Learners Successful Leadership in the World of School Reform Today more than ever, making a difference in education requires an unwavering commitment from you and your staff. Standards have risen, resources are constrained and you are expected to make key changes in a short turn. You have to challenge your gifted students while teaching increasing numbers of children with learning differences—without losing sight of those in between. And you must navigate multiple constituencies and a highly charged political landscape under heightened scrutiny. The Harvard Graduate School of Education offers leadership development programs specifically designed for senior leaders in education. Our programs are led by Harvard faculty who work on the front lines of education and understand your professional context. You will work closely with colleagues from across the country as you come together to tackle pressing issues. And you will return home inspired—with new leadership skills and a network of peers that will support you throughout your career.
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LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE FOR SUPERINTENDENTS: SYSTEMIC REFORM IN SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND SCHOOLS March 2 – 5, 2014 | $2,195 what you will learn
PROGR AM OBJECTIVES
Understand how to improve your district as a whole. Develop essential skills and strategies to implement standards-based, systemic reform where effective leadership and effective teaching in every classroom are the most critical variables.
• Develop and implement policies that drive and sustain reform
PROGR AM OVERVIEW
• Manage your human resources more strategically
Superintendents today are faced with the challenge of developing quality school systems that create opportunities for success for all of their students. In the complicated environment of standards-based reform, superintendents need to be able to improve their districts as a whole. To do this, they must understand how to work with leaders in their districts to improve entire systems—and refuse to settle for just a few good schools. The Institute focuses on the practice of leadership and the development and implementation of policies that drive and sustain reform at the school-system level. You will analyze topics from developing and leading high-performance learning organizations to implementing sustainable change. The Institute begins by outlining the standards-based framework: clear expectations for what students should know; curricula that align with learning standards and provide teachers and students with rigorous content to develop knowledge and skills; professional development for administrators and teachers that improves the quality of instruction and leadership; and assessment for use both in reflecting on practice and in systems of accountability. Throughout the Institute, the elements of the framework are aligned, making the whole greater than the sum of its parts and leading to systemic reform with a focus on improving the quality of instruction and leadership.
• Lead high-performance learning organizations • Acquire a more entrepreneurial approach in leading your district • Foster effective leadership teams • Develop the local capacity to sustain change • Create budgets and spending plans to maximize financial resources • Recruit, support and retain a strong teaching force through the next decade • Understand the characteristics of quality work and the elements of the future of learning • Learn strategies to support data-driven decision making • Lead effectively in an era of public accountability
WHO SHOULD ATTEND Superintendents, associate and assistant superintendents, chief academic officers and central office administrators responsible for developing quality school systems
FACULTY chairs Andrés Alonso, Professor of Practice, HGSE Thomas Payzant, Professor of Practice, Emeritus, HGSE See page 14 for detailed faculty chair biographies. To apply or for more information, visit www.gse.harvard.edu/ppe/lis
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WOMEN IN EDUCATION LEADERSHIP MARCH 6 – 8, 2014 | $1,995 what you will learn Learn how to drive organizational change, enhance your leadership skills and be better positioned for personal and organizational success.
PROGR AM OVERVIEW Established by former HGSE dean Kathleen McCartney, Women in Education Leadership convenes senior leaders interested in strengthening and leveraging their leadership skills to advance education initiatives. The program provides a unique opportunity for personal growth and renewal with like-minded women.
• Learn how successful women negotiate for what they need to be effective leaders • Gain new strategies for building and leading senior-leadership teams • Raise the visibility of women as senior leaders in education • Create a lasting network of women leaders across the sector who are effecting change in education
WHO SHOULD ATTEND • Superintendents, assistant superintendents, chief academic officers and principals • Chief state school officers and state-level leaders
The program focuses on how senior leaders must navigate the multiple responsibilities and constituencies of their roles. Through workshops, lectures and case discussions you will analyze and practice advanced leadership techniques, exploring topics such as negotiation and communication. You will learn to think more strategically and strengthen your leadership capacity. The interactive nature of the program is designed to facilitate continual assessment, rich reflection and peer-to-peer networking. You will create lasting connections with other women leaders who are as committed as you are to leading change in education.
PROGR AM OBJECTIVES • Identify the unique leadership challenges and opportunities facing women in education today • Understand when and how gender plays a role in both organizational and personal advancement 4
• CEOs of nonprofit organizations and foundations • Faculty members from schools of education • Past participants are encouraged to attend as the program includes substantially new material
FACULTY chair Deborah Jewell-Sherman, Professor of Practice, HGSE See page 14 for detailed faculty chair biographies. To apply or for more information, visit www.gse.harvard.edu/ppe/wil
“ leadership pie.
Women in Education Leadership was like tasting
different slices of
The quality of the faculty was unquestionable — we heard
from a variety of women leaders who shared their work, their knowledge and their experiences. I was thrilled to get back to my job and apply what I had learned.
I would definitely recommend it. ”
Principal, Dixie Heights High School, Fort Mitchell, KY
It was a powerful week and KIMBERLY BANTA
5
“
Challenging, inspiring, thought provoking. The entire program — content, materials, presenters,
everything worked together
colleagues —
to impact my practice in returning to my school.
K ATHRYN DAWE
Principal, Triton Regional High School, Byfield, MA
”
leading change for SCHOOL improvement May 7–9, 2014 | $1,570 WHAT YOU WILL LEARN
PROGR AM OBJECTIVES
Learn the elements of the Ecology of Change framework—an integrated approach to systemic change, school improvement and professional development—and apply it directly to specific change projects in your school or district.
• Build a shared picture and understanding of quality instruction
PROGR AM OVERVIEW
• Make more effective use of data in your improvement work
Prepare to enter the “school-improvement fitness center,” designed to produce tangible results and sustainable change. During your time on campus, you will be introduced to new “exercise machines” that comprise a concrete framework to lead change and transformation in your school, district or organization. The key to this framework is the creation of genuinely collaborative teams supporting a single schoolwide or systemwide instructional improvement process. Creating schools and districts that strive to change long-standing practices also means developing educational leaders who understand and engage a new kind of “outer” and “inner” work.
• Better understand—and overcome—blind spots as a change leader
Leading Change for School Improvement is designed and conducted by the Harvard faculty who wrote Change Leadership, Immunity to Change and Data-Wise, three complementary books that have been influencing school-improvement processes throughout the United States and the world. You will learn new tools and strategies, derived directly from their research, that will help you to engage school change processes thoughtfully, comprehensively and systematically.
• Think more systemically about school culture, professional competencies and structural arrangements—the ecology of change—as they relate to key school or system improvement goals
• Understand how various teams and units within an organization can better collaborate and support each other in their improvement work
WHO SHOULD ATTEND • Participants are strongly encouraged to attend in teams of two or more, including superintendents, CEOs, senior administrators with primary responsibility for change leadership, principals, teacher leaders, leaders of nonprofit organizations and foundation or state-level staff who work with or sponsor networks of schools • Change leaders in schools, districts, networks and organizations supporting school improvement efforts • Higher education faculty who work with K–12 educators
FACULTY CHAIR Robert Kegan, William and Miriam Meehan Professor in Adult Learning and Professional Development, HGSE See page 14 for detailed faculty chair biographies. To register or for more information, visit www.gse.harvard.edu/ppe/ll
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SCHOOL TURNAROUND LEADERS June 2 – 6, 2014 | $2,295 WHAT YOU WILL LEARN
By the end of the program you will understand how to:
Develop a theory of action for successfully turning around underperforming schools. Understand how to use an accelerated timeline to create learning environments that support high levels of achievement for all students and full engagement of all stakeholders.
• Transform school culture
PROGR AM OVERVIEW Together with Harvard faculty, expert practitioners and a cohort of fellow turnaround leaders, you will analyze elements critical to your school’s turnaround plan. You will gain key leadership skills and learn strategies for successful implementation. Specific topics include understanding the importance of high instructional quality and expectations, translating data into action, developing effective teams, leading a change effort, and creating meaningful engagement with community and external partners. School turnaround efforts require highly effective leaders able to create the conditions for rapid and sustained change. To successfully impact student outcomes, leaders in turnaround contexts must drive a fundamental shift in school culture and instructional practice that results in early gains and ongoing high performance. The demands are great, but the need to improve the opportunities for our children in failing schools is even greater.
• Identify and achieve early success • Measure your results • Understand how to best align school-level efforts with district and state goals • Implement your new theory of action
CAPSTONE PROJECT: THEORY OF ACTION The program’s capstone project is where you will develop a theory of action, specific to your school or district turnaround efforts. The plan will focus on establishing priorities to achieve rapid and meaningful improvement. Once drafted, you will present your plan and receive direct feedback from peers and faculty through a facilitated consultancy exercise. By the end of the program you will have a defined plan that you can put into action right away.
ATTENDING AS A TEAM Educators who attend as part of a team are able to increase the impact of their learning both while on campus and once they have returned home. Free from the usual distractions of the work setting, your team will benefit from additional opportunities to focus on your specific turnaround plan. Teams are able to collectively work on their theory of action, build a shared vision for moving forward, and be better prepared to implement the plan as soon as they return home.
PROGR AM OBJECTIVES • Develop a theory of action—wherever you may be in the turnaround effort—focusing on establishing priorities to achieve rapid and meaningful improvement • Lead effective transformation of school culture • Understand how to use data effectively to set strategy and drive integrated decision-making at the classroom and school levels • Drive high-quality instruction and instructional leadership • Determine how best to track and assess progress and success • Learn strategies for communicating your vision to the press and stakeholders in the school and community
WHO SHOULD ATTEND • K-12 educators and change agents directly responsible for leading or overseeing school turnaround efforts • School-level teams composed of principals, assistant principals, educators in leadership roles, school administrators, instructional leaders, teacher leaders • Teams composed of school- and district-level leaders are also encouraged • Administrators at the state level and individual educators are also welcome to apply
FACULTY CHAIR Katherine Merseth, Senior Lecturer on Education; Director, Teacher Education Program, HGSE See page 14 for detailed faculty chair biographies. To apply or for more information, visit www.gse.harvard.edu/ppe/stl
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DATA WISE:
USING ASSESSMENT RESULTS TO IMPROVE TEACHING AND LEARNING JUNE 16 –20, 2014 | $3,050
what you will learn Become skilled in a step-by-step process for using research-based protocols and a wide range of data sources—from daily class work to annual standardized tests to observation of teaching practice— to improve instruction and student outcomes.
PROGR AM OVERVIEW The parallel efforts of implementing high standards for students and establishing evaluation systems for monitoring teacher effectiveness are putting great pressure on teachers to improve their practice. However, while new standards can articulate a vision of what students should know and be able to do, they do little to suggest how teachers can improve their instruction. The Data Wise Improvement Process offers teachers an eight-step process to analyze data collaboratively and then create, enact and evaluate a focused action plan. This framework allows and enables teachers to take ownership of the work of improvement. Data Wise is designed to support educators in both learning and applying the skills for using data to improve teaching and learning. You will engage with multimedia case studies that provide you with hands-on experience analyzing student data and classroom practice. You will identify a learner-centered problem, define the problems of practice behind it and consider instructional strategies for addressing those problems.
Through large group presentations and small group discussions with colleagues from around the world, you will explore the leadership challenges of bringing best practices to life. You will also have dedicated time to work with your colleagues and your Data Wise coach to plan how you will use the Data Wise Improvement Process to organize and bring coherence to the core work of teaching and learning in your setting.
PROGR AM OBJECTIVES • Understand the Data Wise Improvement Process as a way of organizing and bringing coherence to the core work of schools • Cultivate the habits of mind that can improve the effectiveness of teams and help foster a supportive culture of continuous improvement • Experience more than 10 protocols that you can bring home to engage your faculty in the collaborative use of data • Learn the five key elements of observing practice and appreciate the importance of examining instruction to improve it • Create a plan for integrating the improvement process into your daily work
WHO SHOULD ATTEND • School-based teams comprised of a principal and one or several educators in leadership roles • Central-office teams comprised of administrators responsible for supporting schools in using data to improve teaching and learning • The ideal team composition is for a central-office team to attend with multiple school-based teams. The intent of this structure is to have attending teams serve as example sites that other schools in the district can model and learn from once they return home
FACULTY CHAIRS Candice Bocala, Senior Researcher and Teacher, Data Wise Project, HGSE Kathryn Parker Boudett, Lecturer on Education; Director, Data Wise Project, HGSE See page 14 for detailed faculty chair biographies. To apply or for more information, visit www.gse.harvard.edu/ppe/dw
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CLOSING THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP:
STRATEGIES FOR EXCELLENCE WITH EQUITY June 29 – July 3, 2014 | $2,075 What You will learn Learn how to raise achievement levels for all students—while narrowing the gaps between groups—by increasing teacher, student and family engagement. Return to your school or district with a concrete strategy to engage key stakeholders in striving for excellence with equity.
Prior to the program, you will have access to a Harvard-designed online research tool you can use to collect perspectives from local stakeholders on key issues in your school or district. Using ideas from the program and the survey data, you will outline an action plan to engage others toward accomplishing your goals when you return home.
PROGR AM OVERVIEW
PROGR AM OBJECTIVES
Closing the Achievement Gap focuses on contemporary frameworks used to understand instructional quality, student engagement, youth development, parenting and leadership in racially diverse communities. Challenges of responding effectively to racial, ethnic and socio-economic differences within school communities will receive special attention. Using a socio-ecological approach, you will consider the interdependence of each stakeholder’s role in raising student achievement and closing gaps. You will gain a firm understanding of how your school community can strategically and effectively work together with shared goals for improved student outcomes.
• Understand theoretical and practical frameworks for approaching the challenge of closing racial, ethnic and socio-economic achievement gaps
The program features research findings from the Tripod Project for school improvement, which surveys students and teachers around the nation in an effort to understand how they experience teaching and learning. Findings are often surprising and have important implications for our schools. For example, many students pretend they are not trying and do not care, when neither is actually the case. Findings such as these are featured in the program and have important implications for leadership in diverse schools and classrooms.
• Examine instructional leadership techniques to improve teacher engagement with students who do not perform to their potential • Explore how to mobilize students to effectively improve levels of peer support for achievement among all learners • Learn how to effectively involve parents and families in raising student achievement • Consider how to engage your community in public discourse about achievement gaps, mapping against an external standard to help push all student groups ahead
Who should attend • U.S. school leaders and other educators including superintendents, assistant superintendents, directors of curriculum and instruction, principals, assistant principals, teachers and teacher leaders • Teams composed of a school leader—principal or assistant principal—and one or several educators in leadership roles. Teams could also include school administrators; individuals responsible for instructional leadership, supervising student organizations and out-of-school programming; and parent and community leaders • Individual educators are also welcome to apply
faculty chair Ronald Ferguson, Senior Lecturer in Education and Public Policy, HGSE and HKS See page 14 for detailed faculty chair biographies. To apply or for more information, visit www.gse.harvard.edu/ppe/cag
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ANDRÉS ALONSO is Professor of Practice at HGSE. A graduate of the School’s Urban Superintendents Program, Alonso served as CEO of Baltimore City Public Schools for six years. While in Baltimore, he led a reform effort that yielded marked improvement in achievement and climate data across all levels, and the first increases in enrollment in 40 years. Previously, he was chief of staff and deputy chancellor for teaching and learning during the first phase of New York’s Children First reforms. He spent 12 years as a teacher of English Language Learners and students with disabilities in Newark, N.J. CANDICE BOCAL A is Senior Researcher and Teacher at the Data Wise Project at HGSE. Her research focuses on teacher and leader learning, collaboration and teamwork, and school improvement. She also conducts program evaluation and policy research and provides professional development for schools and districts. Previously, Bocala taught elementary school in Washington, D.C. K ATHRYN PARKER BOUDETT is Lecturer on Education and the Director of the Data Wise Project at HGSE. Her research and teaching focus on helping educators make effective use of a wide range of data sources to improve instruction and student achievement. She is co-editor of Data Wise: A Step-by-Step Guide to Using Assessment Results to Improve Teaching and Learning with Richard Murnane and Elizabeth City; Data Wise in Action: Stories of Schools Using Data to Improve Teaching and Learning with Jennifer Steele; and Key Elements of Observing Practice: A Data Wise DVD and Facilitator’s Guide with Elizabeth City and Marcia Russell.
RONALD FERGUSON is Senior Lecturer in Education and Public Policy with a joint appointment between the Harvard Graduate School of Education and Harvard Kennedy School. He is also Senior Research Associate for the Malcolm Wiener Center for Social Policy at HKS. For much of the past decade, Ferguson’s research has focused on racial achievement gaps, appearing in publications by the National Research Council, the Brookings Institution, the U.S. Department of Education and the Educational Research Service. He is the creator and research director of the Tripod Project for School Improvement, the faculty co-chair and director of the Achievement Gap Initiative at Harvard and a faculty co-chair of the Pathways to Prosperity Initiative. DEBORAH JEWELL- SHERMAN is Professor of Practice at HGSE. Jewell-Sherman is a graduate of the School’s Urban Superintendents Program and has built a reputation over the past decade as one of the most successful urban district superintendents in the country. She served as superintendent of the Richmond schools from 2002 to 2008. During her tenure, 95 percent of Richmond’s lowest performing schools achieved full accreditation under Virginia’s Standards of Learning legislation, and the district as a whole improved from 18 to 91.7 percent. Jewell-Sherman was named Virginia Superintendent of the Year 2009 by the Virginia Association of School Superintendents.
ROBERT KEGAN is the William and Miriam Meehan Professor in Adult Learning and Professional Development at HGSE. Kegan is a licensed clinical psychologist who teaches, researches, writes and consults about adult development, adult learning and professional development. His work explores the possibility and necessity of ongoing psychological transformation in adulthood; the fit between adult capacities and the hidden demands of modern life; and the evolution of consciousness in adulthood and its implications for supporting adult learning, professional development and adult education. He has also served as Co-director of the Change Leadership Group at HGSE, a project designed to foster systemic change through the training of leadership coaches at the school and district levels. K ATHERINE MERSETH is Senior Lecturer on Education and Director of the Teacher Education Program at HGSE. Merseth has more than 40 years of experience in instruction, administration and research in public education in the United States and internationally. Her work concentrates on charter schools, teacher education, mathematics education and the case method of instruction. Most recently she was the principal investigator for a study researching high-performing charter schools, the results of which are presented in the award-winning book, Inside Urban Charter Schools: Promising Practices and Strategies in Five High-Performing Charter Schools. Merseth is also a recipient of the Morningstar Award, HGSE’s highest honor for teaching excellence.
THOMAS PAYZANT is Professor of Practice, Emeritus at HGSE. Previously Payzant was superintendent of the Boston Public Schools from 1995 until his retirement in 2006. During this time, he led significant systemic reform efforts that narrowed the achievement gap and increased student performance on both state and national assessment exams. Before coming to Boston, he was appointed by President Clinton to serve as assistant secretary for elementary and secondary education with the United States Department of Education. In addition to his tenure in Boston, Payzant has served as Superintendent of Schools in San Diego, CA; Oklahoma City, OK; Eugene, OR; and Springfield, PA.
For a complete list of program faculty, visit the program specific webpage.
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ADDITIONAL 2014 PROGRAMS Designed for public, charter and independent school leaders, our goal is to help you make the most of your role— whether it’s preparing you for a new challenge or providing fresh insight and strategies for successful leadership. Our professional development programs not only let you recharge and connect with like-minded individuals who face similar issues, but they also show you how to apply what you learn directly to your work for years to come.
New and Aspiring School Leaders March 23–26 or November 2–5 Instructional Rounds March 30–April 3 or Fall 2014 Learning Environments for Tomorrow: Next Practices for Educators and Architects April 8–10 Transformative Power of Teacher Teams May 4–6 Think Tank on Global Education May 14–16 Leading 21st Century High Schools June 23–27 Improving Schools: The Art of Leadership June 22–28 Leadership: An Evolving Vision June 6–12 Universal Design for Learning July 7–11 National Institute for Urban School Leaders July 14–19 Project Zero Classroom July 21–25
Future of Learning July 29–August 1 Family Engagement: Creating Effective Home and School Partnerships August 6–8
For a complete listing of 2014 programs, visit www.gse.havard.edu/ppe/k12 or www.gse.havard.edu/ppe/online to view our online offerings. 17
Programs in Professional Education, 44 Brattle Street, Fifth Floor, Cambridge, MA 02138 www.gse.harvard.edu/ppe | 800.545.1849