Achievement Centered Leadership

Crystal Mountain ResortThompsonville, MI

29 July 2014

Lead the Continuous School Renewal

by:

Walter L. Burt, Ph.D.Facilitator

ACL TRAINING SCHEDULE

• Time Schedule•  • Session 1: 8:15 – 10:05 Open Discussion (110 Minutes or 1.83 hrs.)•  • 10:05 - 10:30 Activity #1: Moral Purpose (25 Minutes)•  •   10:30 - 10:45 BREAK (15 Minutes)•  • Session 2: 10:45 – 11:05 Open Discussion (20 Minutes)•  • 11:05 - 11:30 Activity #2: To Lead one Must First Lead

(25 • Minutes)•  • Session 3: 11:30 – 11:55 School Renewal Activity (25 Minutes)•  •  • TOTAL MINUTES: 220 MINUTES (3.78 Hours)•  

A SALUTE TO PRINCIPALS AND TEACHER LEADERS

• Educators, and particularly school principals have one of the most challenging and beneficial role in education today (Hallinger & Heck, 1996; Leithwood, 2003).

• A key for student success is a great school, and the key to a great school is a great principal (Hallinger & Leithwood, 1996; Leithwood, 2003).

Learning Objectives• Highlight the relevant

research associated with selected leadership dispositions and their indirect effect upon student achievement.

• Conduct an assessment of participants’ leadership attributes and reflect upon their motivation, dedication and commitment to doing this important work.

• Brainstorm “best practices” for infusing continuous school renewal activities in the building’s school improvement plan for the 2014-15 School Year.

4

INTRODUCTION

• So far, you have received training on five of the six dimensions associated with ACL.

6

Manage Safe and Orderly School Operations

Establish a Coherent and Rigorous Instructional Program

Develop Teacher Leaders

Lead the Continuous School Renewal

Engage in Data-Informed Decision-Making

Achievement Centered Leadership

THE ACL LEADERSHIP MODEL

7

Manage Safe and Orderly School Operation

Engage in Data-informed Decision-Making

Develop Teacher Leaders

Establish a Coherent and Rigorous Instructional Program

Redesign the Organization

Lead the Continuous School Renewal

THE ACL LEADERSHIP MODEL - PROPOSED REVISION

INTRODUCTION

• Humans are intensely spiritual creatures and requires a sense of belonging, development and maintenance of a sense of purpose and calling (Graseck, 2005).

INTRODUCTION

• “AD - • MINISTRATOR”

INTRODUCTION

• People that have a sense of passion about their work and the workplace encourage creativity and risk-taking by having supportive programs to foster outside commitment (Groen, 2001).

INTRODUCTION

• This final training session on leading the continuous school renewal process, in my opinion, tends to bind the other dimensions into one encompassing model that enables one to do this important work.

INTRODUCTION

• The research reports of the failure of the publics schools in the 1980s served as the served as the harbinger for policymakers to institute change in public schools (Hallinger & Heck, 1996).

INTRODUCTION

• The decline in state and national economies during the 1980s brought a wave of reform in educational policy, structure, and training (Hallinger & Heck, 1996, Marks & Printy, 2003; Leithwood & Jantzi, 1999).

INTRODUCTION

• The research community provided policymakers with the venue to view principals. We have seen evidence of this in recent policy decisions pertaining to principal evaluation, principal preparation programs, and principal professional training (Hallinger & Heck, 1996;Leithwood & Jantzi, 1999).

THE CHALLENGES OF PRINCIPAL LEADERSHIP

• NCLB and RTTT legislative fiats have placed tremendous pressure on school staff to improved student achievement (Hallinger & Heck, 1996; Leithwood & Seashore-Louis, 2012; Shen, Cooley, Mia, Reeves, Burt, Rainey, Yuan, 2012).

THE CHALLENGES OF PRINCIPAL LEADERSHIP

• The goal of becoming a teacher or principal does not have the allure it once had. Consequently, fewer candidates are moving into teaching and school administrative positions (Burt & McCrumb, 2011; Heitin, 2013; Tillman, 2009).

THE CHALLENGES OF PRINCIPAL LEADERSHIP

• People with a high level of personal mastery have a special sense of vision and goals for their organization. It becomes a calling, rather than simply a good idea (Allison, 2012; Bolman & Deal, 2001; Senge, 1999, 2000).

• The extant research show principals have an indirect influence on improving student achievement (Hallinger & Leithwood, 1996; Leithwood, Seashore-Louis, Anderson, & Wahlstrom, 2010 ; The Wallace Foundation, 2013).

• Developing leadership capacity to improve school conditions is difficult work – few people have the background and experience to do this important work

(Fullan, 2001, 2005; Wayman, Midgley & Stringfield, 2006).

• Principals must not only focus on student performance, they must also support the intellectual and emotional work of teachers

(Hargraves, Moore, & Manning, 2001).

Activity #1: WHY I CHOSE TO DO THIS IMPORTANT WORK? MY STORY

• Identify a person that you do not know and/or have had little to no prior conversation.

• Find a convenient place to talk.

• Share your experience about what compelled you to do and sustain your desire to lead in this area.

• Take 25 minutes to share your story.

THE VISION

• “We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal and that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” (The United States Declaration of Independence, 1776).

22

STRUCTURAL TENSION

Goal

Reality

Discrepancy

Tension

Resolution

Fritz, R. (1999). The path of least resistance for managers. San Francisco, CA: Berrett-Koehler Publishers.

PURPOSE, VISION, AND GOALS

• Purpose, vision, and goals helps to bring focus to the individual and collective work of staff members. They articulate a compelling and challenging target for one’s personal practices (Cotton, 2003; Fritz, 1999; Fullan, 2001, Kouzes & Posner, 2002; Leithwood & Jantzi, 1999).

LEADERSHIP ATTRIBUTES THAT HAVE AN INDIRECT INFLUENCE ON STUDENT

ACHIEVEMENT• Passion• Commitment• Motivation• Rituals, Ceremonies, and

other Symbolic Actions• Encouraging Risk-Taking• Self Confidence,

Responsibility, and Perservance

• High Expectations• Charismatic Leadership• Transformational

Leadership

PASSION

• Passion is a compelling emotion. It conveys a sense of conviction of responsibility to others (Kouzes & Posner, 2002).

• Exemplary leaders model the expectations they have for others and are willing to make personal sacrifices to demonstrate their willingness and conviction to make improvements (Burns, 1978; Marion, 2002; Northouse, 2010).

• Youtube.com – Remember the Titans – Coach Boone Speech.

26

PASSION

• In high achieving schools, principals hold themselves accountable for student achievement (Cotton, 2003).

• Principals’ strong focus on academics is essential to improving student achievement (Leithwood & Jantzi, 1999; Cotton, 2003).

PASSION

• In high achieving schools, principals spend their time in classrooms, hallways, lunchroom, and meeting with instructional leadership teams, rather than being cloistered in their offices (Cotton, 2003; Witziers, et al., 2003).

COMMITMENT• Making an effort to

embrace the organization’s aim and values as a member of the organization. Committed employees feel the need to go beyond normal job expectations (Cerit, 2010).

29

COMMITMENT

• Principals’ strong focus on academics is essential to improving student achievement (Cotton, 2003; Edmonds, 1979; Leithwood & Jantzi, 1999).

COMMITMENT

• We can improve our leadership by focusing on a small number of key dimensions – core aspects of leadership. It creates a new mind-set about the leader’s responsibility to him or herself and to those with whom s/he works (Fullan, 2001).

COMMITMENT

• School and district effectiveness studies show that high levels of student achievement are possible when schools and the district act as coordinated units of change (Chrispeels, Burke, Johnson, & Daly (2008).

COMMITMENT

• When implementing school initiatives, school leaders should recognize that change is slow (Ma, Shen, Kavanaugh, Lu, Brandi, Goodman, Till, & Watson (in press) and that the commitment of the principal and a core group is critical to change (Lee, Levin, & Soler, 2005; Rogers, 1995).

COMMITMENT

• New school initiatives are often seen to be distractions. These measures may distance staff from the “real” work and distance teachers and principals’ emotions to do well. In this sense, commitment often produced counterintuitive impulses (Blackmore, 2004)

MOTIVATION

• School reform initiatives depend on the motivations and capacities of local leadership, including teachers and administrators, (Leithwood, Seashore-Louis, Anderson, & Wahlstrom, 2010).

MOTIVATION

• People are motivated by goals which they find personally compelling, as well as challenging, but achievable (Leithwood & Seashore-Louis, 2011; Leithwood, Seashore-Louis, Anderson, & Wahlstrom, (2004).

COLLABORATION

• Schools are deprivatized and there is a norm where principals, teachers, and others are planning and working together to upgrade their skills and knowledge (Cotton, 2003).

MORAL PURPOSE

• Transformation of the individual to become committed to making a difference in the lives of children. It means,– Raising the bar for all

children– Treating people with

respect– Altering the social

environment for other schools and districts (Fullan, 2001, 2005; Goodlad, 1994).

RITUALS, CEREMONIES, AND OTHER SYMBOLIC ACTIONS

• Effective schools utilize ceremonies and rituals intended to honor tradition, instill pride, recognize excellence, and stimulate proprietary interest in the school than ineffective schools (Cotton, 2003).

ENCOURAGING RISK-TAKING

• Principals in productive elementary schools skillfully used a number of strategies to promote the efforts of both parents and teachers who work directly with children (Sebring & Bryk, 2000).

SELF-CONFIDENCE, RESPONSIBILITY, AND PERSERVANCE

• In high achieving schools, the administrator holds him/herself accountable for the success of the whole school. They have confidence in their ability to influence situations. They offer no excuses about student performance (Cotton, 2003; Smith, Guarino, Strom, & Adams, 2006).

HIGH EXPECTATIONS

• Researchers from Edmonds (1979) to the present have consistently found that high-achieving schools, including poor and minority schools, are successful in part because the principals communicate to everyone in the school their expectations of high performance (Cotton, 2003; Goodlad, 1994; Leithwood & Jantzi, 1999).

Activity #2 : AN ASSESSMENT OF MY LEADERSHIP QUALITIES:

• The purpose of this learning activity is designed to assess school leaders’ commitment and motivation for doing this work.

• Principals and aspiring principals will use Activity Sheet #2 to discuss their leadership qualities. Take 25 minutes for this activity

• Be prepared to discuss your “take-away” from this activity.

43

CHARISMATIC LEADERSHIP

• Theories of leadership almost always involve theories of change (Knight, 2001).

• Leaders with a great degree of passion are also individuals imbued with a high level of charisma (Crawford, 2002).

• Many people think charisma is vital to leadership (Burns, 1978; Marion, 2002; Northouse, 2010).

44

The Dilemma of the Charismatic Leader

• Charismatic leaders are often described in ways that make it similar to transformational leadership (Northouse, 2010).

• Charismatic leaders have exceptional powers of persuasion and are able to overcome resistance and opposition to the chosen course of action.

45

Personality Characteristics, Behaviors, and Effects on Followers of Charismatic Leadership

46

Personality Characteristics

Behaviors Effects on Followers

Dominant

Desire to influence

Self-confident

Strong moral values

Sets strong role model

Shows competence

Articulates goals

Communicates high expectations

Trust in leader’s ideology

Belief similarity between leader and follower

Unquestioning acceptance

Affection toward leader

Obedience

Identification with leader

Emotional involvement

Heightened goals

Increased confidence

Northouse, P. G. (2010). Leadership: Theory and practice (5th Edition). San Francisco:, CA: Sage

TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP

• Strong transformational leadership by the principal is essential in getting teachers involved in the implementation of various instructional and support initiatives (Marks & Printy, 2003). These principals create a sense of urgency for doing this work (Kotter, 1996).

CONCLUDING REMARKS

• People that have passion & commitment have discovered work that excites them.

• Passionate and committed people are willing to take risk.

• Passionate and committed people believe they have the ability to make a difference.

48

CHILDREN ARE OUR FUTURE

• Whitney Houston – Children are our Future

49

Activity #3: SCHOOL RENEWAL ACTIVITY

• Principal and Aspiring principals will take 25 minutes to begin the planning process for demonstrating their commitment and willingness to lead continuous school renewal activities for the 2014-15 School Year.

50