For introductions – be prepared to share the following... Tell one new learning that occurred this summer that inspired you to make a change (or consider making a change) in some practice or aspect of your work for this school year.

Leadership Odyssey South Lane School District Ad Council

Schools of the Future If you were king/queen for a day what would you change in our school system? Looking ahead five years... Ten Trends Juggling

Budget Cuts $$$$$$$

First draft of Shared Beliefs and Vision Children Come First Decision Making Is Student Centered Children Learn Best When They Want to Be at School

Shared Beliefs and Vision What We Are About in South Lane School District Academic Excellence There is urgency about the push for academic excellence and there is value added for each year of instruction. Students are encouraged to dream and excel and are held responsible for doing their best. All students learn to read fluently and become mathematically literate. Reading and mathematical competence open doors to productive futures. Students are exposed to a broad and varied curriculum in addition to instruction in core content areas. Learning Environment Schools and classrooms provide caring and respectful learning environments An emphasis is placed on connectedness; students need relationships with trusted adults. School is enjoyable. Students have their basic needs met and feel safe and secure in order to learn best. Students are provided with the necessary resources to be successful learners. Quality Instruction Outstanding and well-trained teachers are at the core of providing quality instruction. All staff are a positive influence for students. Quality teachers are dedicated, motivated, creative, knowledgeable, flexible and empathetic. Formative and summative assessments are used to monitor and adjust curriculum for each student. Citizenship Imbedded in instruction is a focus on developing the character of each student. Learning activities provide opportunities for students to build positive citizenship traits including, but not limited to: Personal responsibility Building self-esteem Instilling integrity Interacting cooperatively Learning how to get along

Transforming Schools focused on how schools become a place where all members of the staff are learning, growing, and working to increase student achievement. The book uses a fictional school to take readers through a six step process of continuous improvement. 1.Identify core beliefs 2.Create a shared vision 3.Use data to determine gaps 4.Identify innovation to close the gaps 5.Develop and implement an action plan 6.Endorse collective accountability Whatever It Takes taught us how to develop systems of interventions when despite our best efforts kids aren’t learning. Pyramids of Interventions were described from an elementary, middle and high school

Geocache Refined Shared Beliefs and Vision Introduced Instructional Strategies Reading Next, Reading First Literacy Leadership Self Evaluation – CLI 21 Areas of Leadership Responsibility

Administrator Self Assessment Tools ** Spent several sessions together studying both of these models and then used the tools to assess our strengths and weaknesses as individual administrators and as a team Input Affirmation Relationship Change agent Optimizer Ideals/beliefs Monitors/evaluates Flexibility Situational Awareness Intellectual Stimulation Knowledge of C, I & A Culture Order Focus Communication Outreach Contingent Rewards (21 Areas of Leadership Responsibility – Waters, 2003) School Culture Craft Leaders – Thinkers and Practitioners Children’s Literature Instructional Models Curricula Options for Organizing Time & Space Assessment/Content Standards Special Interventions Knowledge and Research (Children’s Literacy Initiative Blueprint for Leadership)

Literacy Leadership Plans District Literacy Plan 20+ Books on Literacy Buehl, Billmeyer, Wilhelm Alternated Literacy focus with Mathematics Summer ’06 – all staff chose one of 20 books on literacy

Leadership Literacy Plans 1. My personal philosophy about literacy is 2. Two self-reflection analyses 3. Ways I am currently supporting literacy 4. 5 year review of assessment data 5. Identify the instructional needs for staff members 6. My personal goals for supporting literacy 7. Specific action steps needed to attain goals 8. Support I need from district administration 9. Staff development and training opportunities 10. Ways I plan to monitor my progress on my plan

Ad Council Book List

Change Leadership, by Tony Wagner Provides a framework full of pointed questions educators should ask themselves when working on system improvements. System Improvement requires: 1.Answering the “why change” questions first. 2.Building the systems capacity for improvement. 3.Improving instruction. 7 Disciplines for Strengthening Instruction 1.Urgency for instructional improvement using real data 2.Shared vision of good teaching 3.Meetings about the work 4.A shared vision of student results 5.Effective supervision 6.Professional development 7.Diagnostic data with accountable collaboration

Coaching Commitment Teams Goal: To support and coach colleagues to implement practices that focus on instructional leadership and less on managerial tasks. Teams: At least one each - district administrator, elementary principal, secondary principal, and administrative intern (teacher leader). Each team identified their focus for the year and the teams regularly report their status in whole group ad council meetings.

Classroom Learning Walk Tool Developed from the work of a Coaching Commitment Team Various versions have developed District and School-wide focus for Learning Walks Power is in the discussions post- learning walk

Summer 2007

, continued... A Mission of the Heart Leadership for Learning Snapshots of Learning Generational Poverty Homework Forming a College Going Community Three Signs of a Miserable Job

Summer 2007

“What’s Worth Fighting For?”