Can They Row Alone?

Practices that Grow and Support Beginning Principals

John Bryant, Jan King, and Brett Wilson

Disquisition ProposalFebruary 5, 2015

Problem of Practice• Beginning principals struggle with the

complexity of the job, the limits of their instructional impact, the loneliness of leadership, and the existing culture’s resistance to change.

• This is a problem in Henderson County Public Schools and in school systems across the state of North Carolina.

Why This Matters?• Building

leadership capacity

• Accelerating competency

• Increasing efficacy

Lab of Practice• Henderson County Public

Schools• Approximately 13,700 students• 23 schools

– 13 elementary schools– 4 middle schools– 4 traditional high schools– 1 Early College High School– 1 Alternative Setting High School

• 6 first-year principals• 1 HS, 3 MS & 2 ES• 4 male, 2 female

Our Frame

Ultimately, “progressive

organizations give power to employees as well as invest in their development”

(Bolman & Deal, 2008).

Systems

Theory

Jan King

Focus Area:

State Statute, Funding and State Board of Education

Policy Implications

Brett Wilson

Focus Area:

Collegial Support in Identifying Perceived Needs

of Beginning Principals

John Bryant

Focus Area:

Human Resource Leadership at the

District Level for the Beginning Principal

What are we proposing?The Intervention

The Methodology IRB approved Pre- and Post-

Self Assessments

Recorded Reflections

Mentor Post-Assessment

Rationale

Improvement Science

“Improvement science

deploys rapid tests of

change to guide the

development, revision

and continued fine-

tuning of new tools,

processes, work roles

and relationships.”

“Improvement science is explicitly designed to

accelerate learning-by-doing.

It's a more user-centered and problem-centered

approached to improving teaching and learning.”

From the Carnegie Foundation:

90 Day Improvement Cycle

February 2015 – May 2015Pre/Re-assessment

Mentor-Mentee Retreat

Intentional Mentor Support

Reflective Video Journals

Self-Directed Learning with

Mentor Support

Train mentors

Mentor actions

• Listen• Be present• Encourage• Ask

reflective questions

• Be available

Is this working?

“What I need now…”

Beginning

PrincipalSupport

Proactive effort to match experience with novice

Intended Outcomes of the Study• Enhance leadership potential of

HCPS principals• Create a replicable model of

support for other districts• Construct a webpage with

relevant resources

Questions?

ReferencesBolman, L. G., & Deal, T. E. (2008). Reframing organizations: Artistry, choice, and

leadership. (4th ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass Inc Pub.

Our ideas – Carnegie foundation for the advancement of teaching. (2015, January 1). Retrieved February 3, 2015, from http

://www.carnegiefoundation.org/our-ideas/

Images from:http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/leader/mentoring.htmlhttp://www.margotlester.com/2015/01/28/a-mentor-for-you-your-business/http://ventureatlanta.org/2012/08/mentors-and-startup-success/www.shyrandcompany.com/photos/1311.jpghttp://www.theionclub.com/poolpolicy522/http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/ncgainfo/educational/StateSeal.htmlhttp://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:3D_Judges_Gavel.jpghttp://www.bsgroup.com.au/images/ImagesNov09/Neis_mentoring.pnghttp://www.burke.k12.nc.ushttp://www.henderson.k12.nc.us