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| EDUL 6018 Ethics for School Administrators Sample response to a discussion topic for course EDUL 6018: I believe group three’s response to this case is on target. The Code of Ethics for
Educators does allow for the administrator to report the teacher for abandonment of
contract. However, the teacher is affected by circumstances that are out of her control
(the transfer of her husband’s job) and the Georgia Professional Standards Commission
(GPSC) provides special consideration for individuals who find themselves in this
situation. The teacher was up front with the administrator by informing him/her of the
situation before actually abandoning the contract. In this case, I agree that the system
should let the teacher out of her contract. As suggested by group three, reporting the
teacher for abandonment would be a waste of everyone’s time because the GPSC would
not take action due to the special circumstances. The administrator and the system’s
time would be better spent trying to find a suitable replacement for the teacher. Refusing
to release the teacher from her contract would be an inconsiderate, controversial move
that would be bad for overall employee morale once others who work in the system hear
how this teacher was treated.
This case makes me consider other situations where a teacher might request a contract
release and the situation is not given special consideration by the GSPC. For example,
how would you handle a situation where a married teacher who commutes from a
distance of over 40 miles one way to work each day is offered a job in his/her hometown
(where he resides) over the summer after already signing their contract for the
upcoming year. This teacher is married with a third child on the way and such a move
would save the teacher and his family over $500 a month in gas expenses not to mention
additional time spent on the road. How would an administrator/school system in this
situation react? With gas prices on the rise, should the administrator consider that 40
miles may no longer be considered a “reasonable commuting distance” even though the
teacher has not relocated? Allowing the teacher out of their contract in this situation
might set a bad precedent for similar situations which are likely to occur in the future. In
a situation such as this, the administrator/system may be forced to take a hard stance
with the teacher by refusing to release the teacher from their contract and threatening to
report the teacher to the GPSC for abandonment.
To finalize my thoughts, I believe administrators will encounter a variety of different
contract situations where careful consideration on how to best act must be considered.
The Code of Ethics for Educators does grant the school system the ability to release a
teacher from their contract. So what is ethical? Should we release everyone from their
contract to pursue greener pastures? Should we release employees from their contract
only when it serves the school system’s best interest? Should we release employees only
when they can be easily replaced? In my opinion, administrators must always put the
best interests of the school and students first when making such decisions.
Administrators must also consider the teacher’s situation on a case-by-case basis when
making such decisions as granting a teacher release from their contract. Administrators
should also seek advice from system administration. School administrators should make
sure the decisions they make regarding contract abandonment are consistent with
system policy. EDUL6020 Principles of Curriculum Design and Instruction Sample work from my capstone assignment from course EDUL 6020: Directions: For this assignment, you will analyze your own and one other teacher’s classroom instruction with respect to the above lessons. The purpose is less about the process of observing and conferring (which you learned in EDUL 6019) than it is about reflecting on each classroom lesson in terms of (1) unit design, (2) the 9 instructional strategies related to student achievement, and (3) the needs of diverse students (per your chosen group for study—culturally, linguistically, at-risk, rural, Native American, and/or low-performing students). Unit Design As defined by Glickman, Gordon, and Ross-Gordon, curriculum “is the what of instruction” (2007, p. 381). As a marketing education teacher with 10 years of experience, I base my curriculum and instructional units on the Georgia Performance Standards (GPSs) for the marketing courses I teach. When designing my units, I work alone because I am the only marketing teacher in my school. The purpose of my curriculum is to transmit the information identified in the marketing GPSs to my students. I also incorporate a transactional curriculum approach by encouraging students to problem solve and apply knowledge learned in my courses to their daily lives and other classes. While my curriculum content does focus on memory and translation, it also incorporates intermediate levels of learning according to Bloom’s Taxonomy such as interpretation, application, and evaluation. My curriculum is primarily discipline-based but also interdisciplinary as marketing course content ties into other academic areas such as language arts, math, art, and social studies. GPSs are written in a results-only format that specifies general learning goals related to each course (Ex. Identify customer service techniques). This results-only format allows me to use a variety of instructional strategies to teach the learning goals outlined in my standards. In the early stages of my career, I closely followed the standards and the textbook activities provided with my teaching materials (imitative maintenance level of curriculum development). With experience, I have learned to use a variety of instructional strategies and pursue emergent learning opportunities as they present themselves in the context of the classes I teach (meditative level of curriculum development). For example, many events in my local community and in the greater marketplace can easily be tied into teaching my students about marketing. Nine Instructional Strategies Related to Student Achievement Reflecting on my own teaching, I commonly use many of the effective strategies identified by Marzano, Gaddy, and Dean (2000). For example, when introducing a new topic such as pricing to students, I help students retrieve what they already know (activate prior knowledge) by asking them questions such as “Do you purchase Fruit Loops or Fruity Rings cereal when you shop?”. Students in my marketing class work in cooperative learning groups to create advertising campaigns for a product of their choice. When teaching students feature-benefit selling, students practice overcoming objections in the sales process with their peers and with me. When teaching students new vocabulary, marketing students are required to draw a picture that represents the vocabulary term (nonlinguistic representations) in their notebook. To further improve student achievement, I plan to incorporate the use of all of the nine instructional strategies into every unit I teach. Needs of Diverse Students Gay (1999) suggested four primary areas of focus for teachers who want to design a better atmosphere for at-risk students of color: “1) managing classroom discourse, 2) providing students with conceptual examples, 3) delivering curricula, and 4) creating classroom climate” (p. 8). In my marketing classes, I encourage African-American students to participate in classroom discourse by encouraging them to express their ideas and providing examples of marketing that are culturally relevant in daily life. I differentiate instruction by encouraging students to apply their marketing knowledge to projects and tasks in ways that are compatible with their personal learning styles and preferences. I also create a classroom environment that uses a variety of cooperative learning approaches and I maintain positive relationships with all of my students. References Gay, G. (1999, November). Improving the achievement of marginalized students of color. Paper presented at the second meeting of the Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL) diversity roundtable, Aurora: CO. In McREL’s (Eds.), Including at-risk students in standards-based reform: A report on McREL’s diversity roundtable two. Retrieved on October 24, 2008, from the Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning website: http://www.mcrel.org/PDF/Diversity/5007IR_DiversityRT2.pdf Glickman, C. D., Gordon, S. P., & Ross-Gordon, J. M. (2007). Supervision and instructional leadership: A developmental approach (7th ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon. Marzano, R. J., Gaddy, B. B., & Dean, C. (2000). What works in classroom instruction. Aurora, CO: Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning.
EDUL 6021 Leadership for Standards-Based Education Sample work from course EDUL 6021: Directions: Brief #2: Critique the school improvement process and content in your school. I will critique my school’s improvement process from my perspective as a Career and Technical Education (CTE) teacher and the newly appointed CTE design team representative. First of all, our school principal is actively involved in school improvement efforts. Our school employs an instructional facilitator who organizes and leads the school improvement process at my high school. We have a school leadership team and a school design team. The leadership team meets once a month to discuss issues relevant to important policies and procedures at our school. The design team meets at least once a month (sometimes more) to plan and organize school improvement efforts. Design team representatives are appointed as leaders of their department (like a lead teacher) and they disseminate information and collect information from department members. The design team members, the principal, and the instructional facilitator work together to collect and analyze data in our school. The data collected is used to clarify school strengths and weaknesses, determine school needs, set goals for improvement, and identify research-based strategies to help us achieve our school goals. Rather than using a specific school improvement model as suggested by Hale (2000), our school improvement efforts are influenced by our school system goals, the School Keys, No Child Left Behind (NCLB) goals, needs assessment data, and input from stakeholders through the design team process. Our school improvement plan outlines the goals of our school improvement efforts which are to: 1) improve student achievement, 2) help limited English proficient students in English and other academic areas, 3) have highly qualified teachers, 4) have safe learning environments, 5) improve graduation rates, 6) increase parent involvement, and 7) expand use of technology in instruction. Professional development is ongoing at our school as academic departments collaborate to plan instructional strategies and participate in focused staff development activities. To evaluate our progress towards school goals, data collection is ongoing and amendments to the school improvement plan are made on a yearly basis. Overall, I would rate our school improvement process as successful. Currently, we are achieving our NCLB goals and strides are being made towards the accomplishment of all school goals. Collaboration in our school has significantly increased in the past few years. Professional development at our school has become more focused on school improvement. Teachers at our school are becoming more comfortable with collaboration and work together to achieve school improvement goals. School leadership supports school improvement efforts by providing adequate resources, participating in departmental meetings, and communicating school improvement goals to the staff and the community. To address the content in our school, all applicable courses in our school (including CTE courses) are taught based on the Georgia Performance Standards (GPS). Our school improvement strategies are research-based and we are working together to reach our school improvement goals. To speak of standards, school improvement efforts are definitely “driven” by the need to make our NCLB goals. In the coming years, it will become more difficult to achieve these goals as the NCLB mandates 100% passing rates in all areas by the year 2014. While all schools around the nation will strive to do their best as the “heat is turned up”, educators know that 100% pass rates are an unachievable goal. It is obvious that by the year 2014, many schools will be on the needs improvement list. Perhaps the goal of NCLB legislation is to make all schools strive to be the best they can be. When it comes to our school, I believe that the teachers and administrators I work with are doing the best job they can to make our school the best it can be for our students and our community. References Hale, S. vH. (2000). Comprehensive school reform: Research-based strategies to achieve high standards. San Francisco, CA: Comprehensive Assistance Center, Region XI WestEd. EDUL 6023 Action Research for School Change Sample work from my capstone project for course EDUL 6023: Directions: Interview a faculty member of a clearly successful school to determine how data are used and whether action research is carried out in that school. Prepare a report (2-3 pages; outline format is acceptable) about your interview. How are data used in this school? The majority of data are collected by the instructional facilitator. She collects different types of data related to the following major areas: demographics, discipline, achievement, AYP, graduation tests, and end-of-course tests (EOCT). Data are collected each year and then analyzed through the school leadership team and school design team (school improvement team). Next, the design team uses the data to create strategies and goals for our school improvement plan and system improvement plan. Goals are set based on how students are performing in these areas. Other data are also collected. For example, surveys are given to parents to collect feedback on what workshops to offer during our parent academy to help their students do better in school. Discipline reports are created to record the types and frequencies of discipline incidents that occur. Other data such as classroom grades, writing tests, and Iowa Test of Educational Development scores are used to determine interventions for math, writing, reading and remedial programs. Progress monitoring is also provided to give teachers feedback on how students are progressing towards achievement goals. Practice writing assessments are given to 10th graders to identify students who may benefit from reading interventions. Dropout data is also collected to determine why students drop out of school so interventions can be made when possible. Is action research carried out in this school? After my interview with the instructional facilitator, I determined that action research is carried out to an extent in my school. As defined by Glickman, Gordon, and Ross-Gordon (2007), action research is “study conducted by colleagues in a school setting of the results of their activities to improve instruction” (p. 406). Our school collects data and analyzes data to determine focus areas for school improvement. Based on the data collected, our school has developed various action plans to address our school improvement goals such as improving vocabulary instruction and improving student writing. Interventions are made to address school improvement goals and student outcomes are measured on a regular and ongoing basis. For example, various interventions have been implemented in academic areas in the past few years. Through the TestGate program, pretests and posttests are given to monitor the progression of students three times per year. In our school, TestGate measures student knowledge of the Georgia Performance Standards (GPSs) in the EOCT areas of math, biology, physical science, and English language arts. TestGate allows teachers to analyze the performance of individual students and subgroups of students. TestGate results are analyzed by academic teachers and the instructional facilitator to evaluate the effectiveness of instruction and identify areas of weakness for the purpose of future school improvement. Do faculty members participate collectively in planning for data use or action research? What is the mechanism for such participation? Through professional learning communities (PLC) at our school, all academic teachers participate in group planning through their common planning times by content area. PLC members collaborate to look at their data, talk about TestGate results, and share best practices related to various interventions that have been implemented in our school. PLCs meet at least twice per month to collaborate for the purpose of school improvement. Teachers bring in such items as tests, samples of students work, and best practices such as co-teaching strategies for inclusion classes. What are some examples of data use or action research that have been carried out? An example of action research would be our school system’s focus on improving vocabulary instruction. In our system, data analysis indicated that students were not doing well in the vocabulary section of the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (3rd, 5th, and 8th grade). Based on this data, a committee of teachers and administrators worked together to develop an action plan to improve vocabulary instruction (our focus area) in our school system. After identifying the focus area (vocabulary), the committee examined different research-based vocabulary programs and decided to incorporate the teaching of Marzano’s vocabulary strategies into our curriculum system wide. Next, an action plan was developed to implement professional development and monitor the use of Marzano’s strategies using walk-thrus. Data collected during walk-thrus and in PLC meetings are analyzed to determine if the program is being implemented and working correctly. Our system is currently in the early stages of implementing a plan to improve writing in our system. Are teachers allowed opportunities for professional interaction, discussion of ideas for instructional improvement, and reflective and collective thinking? How are such opportunities provided? Professional interactions occur through our PLCs, leadership team, design team, and system wide collaborations (such as the vocabulary committee) to reflect and make decisions about instructional improvement opportunities. School improvement efforts in our system are data-driven. My evaluation of the effectiveness of data use in this school. In today’s environment of educational accountability, AYP is the ultimate standard upon which all schools are evaluated. Data collection at our school has focused on identifying subgroups of students who were struggling to meet minimum proficiency levels and developing action plans to do targeted interventions to help these students succeed. By looking at the data closely, our school has managed to remain off the needs improvement list for four years in a row. I believe we are using data effectively in our school to drive our school improvement efforts. As a career and technical education teacher, my suggestion would be for more collaboration and communication between different departments in our school regarding the use of interventions for school improvement. Teachers in all areas should be more familiar with the school improvement strategies and interventions that are occurring in all departments. Rather than working in isolation by departments, we should be working more as a team focused on the overall goals of improving the performance of our students in all areas. References Glickman, C. D., Gordon, S. P., & Ross-Gordon, J. M. (2007). Supervision and instructional leadership: A developmental approach (7th ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon. EDUL 6024 Student Discipline in Schools Sample work from my capstone project for course EDUL 6024: Features of my classroom’s student management system | Changes that would improve student management in my classroom. | Effective Feature: I identify and discuss specific rules and procedures for my classroom at the beginning of the year. I give examples of behavioral expectations and hold students accountable for following rules and procedures throughout the school year. | During group work, I could do a better job of reviewing group behavioral performance at the end of a cooperative group work session. This feedback would encourage students to evaluate if their group’s performance met my behavioral expectations for cooperative group work. | Ineffective Feature: I do not involve students in the design of rules and procedures.
| I could present my rules and procedures to my students and then elicit student suggestions regarding improvements or modifications to class rules and procedures. After discussing rules and procedures with students, I will make the final decision regarding any modifications to class rules and procedures. | Effective Feature: I manage student behavior by using teacher reactions such as eye contact, physical signals, verbal reminders, and direct interventions. I also use direct-cost techniques such as isolation and overcorrection to manage student behavior. | Most of the time, my verbal and physical presence is adequate to maintain student behavior in my classroom. When that doesn’t work, I could try other strategies. For example, I have never really considered using home contingency as a disciplinary intervention. In the future, I will consider home contingency measures when appropriate to inform parents of both positive and negative behaviors. | Ineffective Feature: I am more likely to use negative consequences to manage inappropriate behavior than I am to use positive consequences when a student displays appropriate behavior. | I should be more proactive in my use of positive consequences to reward students for appropriate behavior. For example, I could provide tangible recognition to students by giving special privileges to those who exhibit appropriate behaviors in the classroom. | Ineffective Feature: I need to do a better job responding to students’ incorrect responses. When a student responds incorrectly, I often move on quickly to another student.
| Instead of moving on quickly when a student does not answer correctly, I should restate the question and give the student more time to think. I can also give the student hints to the correct answer or provide the proper answer and ask for elaboration.
| Effective Feature: Through experience, I have learned to work with high need students who exhibit aggressive behavior and have attention problems. | I will do more to help other high need students, particularly passive students. For example, I will talk more with passive students, encourage them, and recognize their contributions. | Effective Feature: Over the years, I have developed a sense of “withitness” in the classroom. Through experience, I have learned to monitor students closely through proximity, eye contact, gestures, and scanning.
| In the future, I will forecast which students may misbehave in particular situations. Next, I will plan my class activities, instructional methods, and class layout to better monitor those students who may misbehave in particular situations. During my leadership practicum, I also plan to observe and interview some master teachers to observe characteristics that contribute to their “withitness”. | Ineffective Feature: I do get frustrated with some students from time to time. Although I typically remain calm and handle the situation well, I could use more of the specific techniques listed in the text to remain objective internally (control my thoughts) as I portray objectivity externally (control my behavior) to the student.
| I will use reframing as a technique to depersonalize student misbehavior by considering other factors that may have contributed to the student’s actions. I will also monitor my own attitudes and thoughts towards particular students. I will envision my problem students succeeding in the classroom and expect good things from them rather than dwelling on past student misbehavior. I must learn not to be frustrated by the actions of students who misbehave. | Effective Feature: I believe I do a good job holding students accountable for their misbehaviors by following school discipline policies. | I could use self-monitoring and control strategies with students who do not respond to normal classroom management procedures. Rather than simply punishing a problematic student for their repeated rule violations, I could meet with the student and parents to develop strategies to help the student monitor and control their behavior through record keeping, rewards, and feedback from me. | Effective Feature: Through experience, I have learned to manage the first days of school effectively by emphasizing classroom management and routines at the beginning of the school year.
| I could spend more time discussing the classroom rules and the consequences for noncompliance with students. I could engage in discussions and solicit input from students regarding the rules and make changes to accommodate relevant student sentiments. | Effective Feature: As a teacher, I follow all school rules and procedures and hold student’s accountable for compliance to these rules.
| As a teacher who monitors a duty station before school starts and during class changes, I have often observed deficiencies in regards to the physical environment and routines of our school that contribute to student misbehavior. In the future, I will be more proactive in sharing my observations with administration and make suggestions to change environmental factors that may contribute to student misbehaviors. |
EDUL 6026 Planning for School Improvement Sample work from my assignment for course EDUL 6026: Action Plan # 1 Increase Academic Performance | Goal - Create teacher collaboration groups by subject area to plan and implement effective instructional practices aimed at improving performance on GHSGT. Present level of performance- - Limited evidence of teacher collaboration.
- Overall, students are performing above the state averages on the Georgia High School Graduation Tests (GHSGT). There have been steady increases in math and impressive increases in social studies and science. Social studies pass rates increased from 80% in 1998 to 90% in 2001. Science pass rates increased from 74% in 1998 to 84% in 2001. English pass rates remained stable and writing pass rates declined to 89% in 2001 from 91% in 1998.
Desired level of performance- - Teachers collaborate in professional learning communities by department on a consistent basis.
- Students pass rates on all GHSGT should improve each year as teacher collaborations and new strategies are implemented.
| Strategies/Changes | Timeline | Resources Needed | Responsibility for Implementation and Monitoring | Assessment Measures | Teachers will collaborate in professional learning communities by academic area to share teaching strategies, receive targeted staff development training, and plan. | January 2009 - Ongoing | -Common planning time -Access to research based strategies -Staff development training | -Teachers -Department Chairs -School Administrators -Instructional Facilitators | Observations/ notes from collaborative meetings -Analysis of student pass rates on GHSGT -Evidence of collaborative teaching strategies | Teachers will identify and implement research based interventions to improve student performance on GHSGT in all areas. | January 2009- Ongoing | -Access to research based strategies -Staff development training | -Teachers -Department Chairs -Instructional Facilitator | -Classroom walk-thrus -Samples of student work -Review of lesson plans for strategies | Teachers will use TestGate software to monitor student academic performance through pre-tests and post-tests and identify those students needing interventions. | January 2009- Ongoing | -TestGate software -TestGate training -Pre-test and post-test development | -Teachers -Department Chairs -Instructional Facilitator | -Pre-test results -Post-test results -List of students needing interventions |
Action Plan # 2 Increase the Graduation Rate | Goal- Provide interventions for students most at-risk for dropping out of high school. Present level of performance- Based on the data provided, the following groups of students are most likely to dropout: a) students who live in poverty, b) students who are English language deficient, c) students who could be classified as having learning problems but do not qualify for special education services, and d) students who have discipline problems at school. Desired level of performance- Gains in graduation rates should occur each year | Strategies/Changes | Timeline | Resources Needed | Responsibility for Implementation and Monitoring | Assessment Measures | The graduation counselor will conduct research to identify students who are at an increased risk for dropout which include the following: a) students who live in poverty, b) students who are English language deficient, c) students who could be classified as having learning problems but do not qualify for special education services, and d) students who have discipline problems at school. | January 2009- Ongoing | -Access to student records -Time to communicate with teachers, students, and parents | -Graduation Counselor | -List of at-risk students -Data on at-risk student risk factors | The graduation counselor will meet with at-risk students on a regular basis and help them develop an educational plan and a career plan. | January 2009- Ongoing | -Access to student records -Time to communicate with teachers, students, and parents -Access to career exploration resources such as the Georgia Careers Information Center -Information about academic courses and Career Pathways courses offered through CTAE programs | -Graduation Counselor | -Completed educational plan - Completed career plan -Documentation of monthly meeting times, dates, and notes | The graduation counselor will monitor student grades, attendance, discipline, and placement in appropriate courses that are relevant to their educational and career plan. | January 2009- Ongoing | -Access to student records -Time to communicate with teachers, students, and parents | -Graduation Counselor | -Documentation of monthly meeting times, dates, and notes -Student schedules -Monthly discipline, attendance, and grade reports -Updated career plan -Updated educational plan | The graduation counselor will work with teachers and other school personnel to make sure that students receive appropriate interventions and services based on their individual needs. | January 2009- Ongoing | -Access to student records -Time to communicate with teachers, students, and parents -A listing of in-school and out of school services that can be provided to at-risk students | -Graduation Counselor | - Student schedules -A listing of interventions and special services being provided |
Organizational Change and Development Based on my readings and personal experiences as an educator, I was most intrigued by the idea that the actions of school leaders can have a major impact on the culture of the school. As referenced in Yukl (2006), Schein identified five leadership actions that could significantly influence the culture of an organization: 1) attention, 2) crises reaction, 3) role modeling, 4) reward allocation, and 5) selection and dismissal criteria. As an aspiring school leader, I want to consider how I will apply these five leadership actions to encourage organizational change toward a positive culture of collaboration with a focus on student achievement in my school. I will reflect on how these actions will affect the way I want to spend my time as a school leader. Attention School leaders influence school culture by expressing their beliefs, priorities, and concerns through their actions (Yukl, 2006). As a leader, I will spend my time promoting a culture of collaboration with a distinct focus on school improvement. For example, I will encourage collaborative department meetings where teachers discuss instructional strategies and make decisions about instructional delivery. I will make a conscious effort to formally and informally praise teachers who embrace school improvement efforts and improve student achievement. My time will be spent planning and promoting collaborative efforts and being active in the management of school activities. On the other hand, I must be ready to express my opinion and provide constructive criticism when I observe actions that are not aligned with the developing school culture. I will challenge teachers to achieve new levels of student achievement and passionately defend the culture of the school whenever challenged. Crises Reaction As an experienced teacher, I know that a crisis of some sort occurs almost on a daily basis. It may be a small, isolated event related to one student or teacher or a large event involving many in the organization. In times of crises, I believe teachers (and students) are comforted by leaders who consistently make decisions based on their values and beliefs. As an administrator, I must be prepared to handle a variety of crises situations that will challenge my commitment to cultural change. While a crises situation can be a challenge for an administrator, it can also be an opportunity to show your teachers that you are deeply committed to your values and beliefs. In crises situations, I will focus my efforts on remaining calm and be careful to make decisions that encourage increased collaboration and student achievement. Role Modeling When it comes to school leadership, actions do speak louder than words. As a teacher, I have great respect for school leaders who lead by example. As a school leader, I will take great strides to make sure that my actions are consistent with the school culture I hope to build. I will model my values and beliefs by promoting school policies and procedures that build a positive school culture and take leadership actions that support these policies and procedures. For example, I will promote more collaboration by encouraging the development of a common school mission statement with input from all staff and faculty. I will also be personally involved in departmental collaborations and acknowledge the achievements of students and teachers regarding school improvement efforts. I will monitor my actions through personal reflection to make sure they are aligned with the school culture I will be working to create. Reward Allocation School leaders have the power to reward individuals in the organization. Rewards can be formal or informal. As a school leader, I will formally and informally praise teachers and staff members who accomplish achievements that are aligned with the new school culture. As a teacher, I know that the small accomplishments of many teachers are often overlooked. As an administrator, I will create a communication network for the purpose of recognizing outstanding achievement. For example, I could formally recognize significant accomplishments in monthly staff meeting or email updates that are sent to all staff members. Informally, I could just stop by a teacher’s room to express my congratulations for a job well done. The key to reward allocation is maintaining a constant dialogue with all faculty and staff. In addition to rewarding accomplishments that are aligned with the developing culture of our school, I must also make sure I am not rewarding teachers and staff who are involved in activities that have a detrimental effect on collaboration and our efforts to improve student achievement. Selection and Dismissal Criteria School leaders promote school culture with every decision they make. Hiring decisions can have a long-lasting effect on school culture. As a school leader, I will hire qualified candidates who embrace collaboration and school improvement efforts. In addition to hiring the right people, I must also make sure that I am willing to dismiss those who openly reject or have a negative impact on collaboration and student achievement efforts. As an administrator, I will always promote individuals who best represent the ideal culture of the school. Poor personnel decisions can have a long-term negative effect on organizational culture. Summary Organizational change and the development of a school culture is an ongoing process. As a new administrator, my challenge will be to develop a new school culture that embraces collaboration and puts the focus on school improvement and student achievement. As a school leader, I will use the five leadership actions described in this reflection to guide my actions and keep me focused on the development of a positive school culture. Using these leadership tools, I will take actions that promote more collaboration and increased student achievement.
References Yukl, G. (2006). Leadership in organizations (6th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson / Prentice Hall. EDUL 7450 Practicum in Educational Leadership This series of three, one-hour courses is designed to provide opportunities for students to apply concepts learned in leadership courses to the world of school and school district leadership responsibilities. One goal of this practicum is for participants to observe organizational, administrative, planning, and leadership phenomena (what goes on in schools), and systematically, study these observations. Another goal is to interpret observations and reflections for the purpose of developing a personal framework to guide actions as a leader. Other significant objectives of this course are to:
1. Provide students’ opportunities for actual “hands-on” assignments they have not previously assumed in their careers.
2. Begin the development of skills for successful practice of leadership.
3. Evaluate personal interest in leadership and determine your own suitability to continue pursuit of a career in this field, given all the joys and difficulties of leadership responsibilities.
4. Afford opportunities for students to participate in a variety of diverse activities traditionally associated with the world of educational leaders.
5. Encourage students to develop relationships with one or more mentors who can help assure success during the preparation program and beyond.
6. Ensure consistency of experiences for all students by requiring the development of systematic, reflective analysis of case studies regarding:
- Establishing Community Cooperation
- Defining the Role of the Assistant Principal
- Improving Student Participation
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