The primary aim of education is not to enable students to do well in school, but to help them do well in the lives they lead outside of school.

Learning-Centered Leadership for Learning Centered Schools WCPSS Principals Meeting March 25, 2009

Agenda What is learning-centered leadership? What is learning-centered leadership? What behaviors and actions can we take? What behaviors and actions can we take? Starting the process: The LEAD Action Planning Cycle Starting the process: The LEAD Action Planning Cycle

Fish is Fish

Fish is Fish Video Not Available

I am not an expert I am not an expert Im a learner and I change my opinion based on what I learn. Im a learner and I change my opinion based on what I learn. Messages we must send….

How do you spend your time? Political Leadership (community) Managerial Leadership (building, finances, paperwork) Instructional Leadership Planning/setting goals Own professional development Other Goldring and Murphy, 2008

How principals report spending their time: Spring Based on 5 log reports

Are you making the main thing, the main thing? or Are you caught up in the thin of very thick things?

It is not enough to be busy. The question is: What are we busy about? Henry David ThoreauIt is not enough to be busy. The question is: What are we busy about? Henry David Thoreau

How we spend our time defines what we value..

Leadership 1. Leadership matters. 2. In difficult times, leadership matters even more. 3. In periods of significant organizational transition, leadership is the major controllable factor in explaining organizational performance. Dr. Joseph Murphy

Leadership 4. Instructionally-focused and change- oriented leadership are especially oriented leadership are especially effective frames for education. effective frames for education. 5. Team leadership seems to offer promise for enhancing organizational performance. for enhancing organizational performance. 6. Assessment provides a strategic leverage point for strengthening leadership. point for strengthening leadership. Dr. Joseph Murphy

Learning Centered Leadership Vision for Learning Vision for Learning Instructional Program Instructional Program Curricular Program Curricular Program Assessment Program Assessment Program Communities of Learning Communities of Learning Resource Acquisition and Use Resource Acquisition and Use Organizational Culture Organizational Culture Social Advocacy Social Advocacy Dr. Joseph Murphy

Vision for Learning Developing vision Developing vision Articulating vision Articulating vision Implementing vision Implementing vision Stewarding vision Stewarding vision

President Obamas Inaugural Speech Obamas Inaugural Speech Part V

Leadership is about vision. But leadership is equally about creating a climate where the truth is heard and the brutal facts confronted. Jim Collins

Is your vision known and owned by all? Does it inspire and motivate? Is it propelling your school forward?

Student performance will not improve over time without a vision/mission that means something to the adults and students in that setting!

The secret of success is constancy of purpose.

If you dont know where you are going, any path will get you there.

II. Instructional Program A.Knowledge and involvement – Understand learning needs of individuals (teachers, students, parents) – Hiring and allocating staff B.Supporting staff – Arranging, providing professional development to support and develop expertise; provide resources; offer incentives C.Instructional time

How much time is spent on learning? Does your schedule drive instruction or does instruction drive your schedule?

21 st Century Skills ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Whats in your school house?

RIGORRIGOR RELEVANCE A B D C Rigor/Relevance Framework TeacherWork Teacher/Student Roles StudentThinkStudent Think & Work StudentWork High Low

III. Curricular Program Knowledge and involvement Knowledge and involvement Expectations, standards Expectations, standards Opportunity to learn Opportunity to learn Curriculum alignment Curriculum alignment

Cooperative, Collaborative, Competitive, Creative Youtube 21st century learning-3Steps Youtube 21st century learning-3Steps

At a time when Americans seek strength in their leaders, (we) should find the strength to speak hard truths about our schools and support essential changes. Robert Gordon

What got us to where we are today in education, will not get us to where we need to be!

In times of change, learners inherit the Earth while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists. Eric Hoffer American Social Writer

Weve created false proxies for learning… Finishing a course or textbook has come to mean achievement Finishing a course or textbook has come to mean achievement Listening to lecture has come to mean understanding Listening to lecture has come to mean understanding Getting a high score on a standardized test has come to mean proficiency Getting a high score on a standardized test has come to mean proficiency

When Leading Change, Consider the Environment What do we want students to learn? What do we want students to learn?Curriculum How will we know they have learned it? How will we know they have learned it?Assessment How will we respond when they dont? How will we respond when they dont?Remediation What will we do when they already know the material? What will we do when they already know the material?Enrichment Rick DuFour Rick DuFour

Learning should be deeply rooted in.. Meaning, not just memory Meaning, not just memory Engagement, not simply transmission Engagement, not simply transmission Inquiry, not only compliance Inquiry, not only compliance Exploration, not just acquisition Exploration, not just acquisition Personalization, not simply uniformity Personalization, not simply uniformity Collaboration, not only competition Collaboration, not only competition Trust, not fear Trust, not fear

Communicate daily expectations Operational definitions of expectations Accountability Consistency Focus on strengths not weaknesses

Alignment Disconnected Improvements Vision: Every Student Achieving No Excuses GOALS Process =

Alignment Connected Improvements Vision: Every Student Achieving No Excuses GOALS Process =

If we want to change what teachers do in the classrooms, then we need to focus on those actions directly. Dylan William

IV. Assessment Program Knowledge and involvement Knowledge and involvement Assessment procedures Assessment procedures Monitoring instruction and curriculum Monitoring instruction and curriculum Communication and use of data Communication and use of data

What do you see, feel, hear and get excited about when you are in a classroom?

How do we know our students know?

V. Communities of Learning Professional development Professional development Communities of professional Communities of professional practice practice Community-anchored schools Community-anchored schools

VI. Resource Acquisition and Use Acquiring resources Acquiring resources Allocating resources Allocating resources Using resources Using resources

VIII. Social Advocacy Stakeholder engagement Stakeholder engagement Diversity Diversity Environmental context Environmental context Ethics Ethics

Leadership Behavior Framework Core Components Key Processes PlanningImplementingSupportingAdvocatingCommunicatingMonitoring High Standards for Student Performance RigorousCurriculum(content) QualityInstruction(pedagogy) Culture of Learning & ProfessionalBehavior Connections to External Communities PerformanceAccountability

Definitions of Core Components High Standards for Student Learning There are individual, team, High Standards for Student Learning There are individual, team, and school goals for rigorous student academic and social learning. Rigorous Curriculum (content) There is ambitious academic content provided to all students in core academic subjects. Rigorous Curriculum (content) There is ambitious academic content provided to all students in core academic subjects. Quality Instruction (pedagogy) There are effective instructional practices that maximize student academic and social learning. Quality Instruction (pedagogy) There are effective instructional practices that maximize student academic and social learning. Culture of Learning & Professional Behavior There are integrated communities of professional practice in the service of student academic and social learning. There is a healthy school environment in which student learning is the central focus. Culture of Learning & Professional Behavior There are integrated communities of professional practice in the service of student academic and social learning. There is a healthy school environment in which student learning is the central focus. Connections to External Communities There are linkages to family and/or other people and institutions in the community that advance academic and social learning. Connections to External Communities There are linkages to family and/or other people and institutions in the community that advance academic and social learning. Performance Accountability Leadership holds itself and others responsible for realizing high standards of performance for student academic and social learning. There is individual and collective responsibility among the professional staff and students. Performance Accountability Leadership holds itself and others responsible for realizing high standards of performance for student academic and social learning. There is individual and collective responsibility among the professional staff and students.

Definitions of Key Processes Definitions of Key Processes PlanningArticulate shared direction and coherent policies, practices, and procedures for realizing high standards of student performance. PlanningArticulate shared direction and coherent policies, practices, and procedures for realizing high standards of student performance. ImplementingEngage people, ideas, and resources to put into practice the activities necessary to realize high standards for student performance. ImplementingEngage people, ideas, and resources to put into practice the activities necessary to realize high standards for student performance. SupportingCreate enabling conditions; secure and use the financial, political, technological, and human resources necessary to promote academic and social learning. SupportingCreate enabling conditions; secure and use the financial, political, technological, and human resources necessary to promote academic and social learning. AdvocatingPromotes the diverse needs of students within and beyond the school. AdvocatingPromotes the diverse needs of students within and beyond the school. CommunicatingDevelop, utilize, and maintain systems of exchange among members of the school and with its external communities. CommunicatingDevelop, utilize, and maintain systems of exchange among members of the school and with its external communities. MonitoringSystematically collect and analyze data to make judgments that guide decisions and actions for continuous improvement. MonitoringSystematically collect and analyze data to make judgments that guide decisions and actions for continuous improvement.

Building Community Taking collaborative action as a school and community Taking collaborative action as a school and community Need to discuss shared values and aspirations Need to discuss shared values and aspirations Choosing where to begin is important Choosing where to begin is important Establish priority and focus direction Establish priority and focus direction Ask questionsinquiry minded Ask questionsinquiry minded Recognize important data Recognize important data Which data are relevant Which data are relevant How can we use it to keep focused and learn How can we use it to keep focused and learn

Next Steps….. Mind set… Skill set.. Tool set…