Job-Embedded Principal Preparation

Project Goals  January June 2014  Collaboration between USF and 4 partner districts Manatee Pasco Pinellas Polk  Creating a seamless principal preparation program  Combining level I and level II programs  Creating a sustainable collaborative program

Intern Overview Internship year Front loaded academic course work Year long job- embedded internship with integrated coursework during Fall, Spring II, and Summer semesters Guidance from school based mentor and USF faculty Courses Sequence Spring I Educational Leadership Summer I Foundations of Curriculum & Instruction Principles of Administration Culturally Relevant Leadership Principalship Fall Administrative Analysis & Change Data-Based Decision-Making Building Capacity for Continuous Improvement Spring II School Law Curriculum Improvement School Finance Summer II Practicum

Resident Overview Resident year Individualized development through the focus on site-based improvement Collaborative growth using Appreciative Inquiry in Communities of Practice Broad based development activities for all aspiring leaders Resident Project Topics MTSS Math PLC’s Student Engagement Post Secondary Readiness Literacy

Intern Accomplishments Timely completion of partnership logistics Completed entire program in 15 months including FELE pass rates of 100% AP Placements for 9 of 15 in first cohort

Intern Challenges Maximizing support for student tuition and fees Balancing course with school based work Ensuring adequate time for supervising mentor with intern Changes in mentors and/or intern sites

Intern Challenges Collecting data from mentors Competing responsibilities of faculty Conflicting perceptions of principal preparedness

Resident Accomplishments Exposure to best practices through shadowing and round tables with exemplary principals Pilot-tested a hybrid model of modules within a targeted school improvement process known as Appreciative Inquiry Extending resident training by district partners

Resident Challenges Resident support of differentiated targeted school improvement projects Making school improvement implementation more research based

Florida Principal Leadership Standards Analysis  Issues: Standards are not structured to identify singular concepts 10 Standards are 208 indicators, not 45.  Example: Standard 1A as currently written: ○ The school’s learning goals are based on the state’s adopted student academic standards and the district’s adopted curricula; and, Standard 1A divided into its individual components: ○ 1.A.1 - The school’s learning goals are based on the state’s adopted student academic standards. ○ 1.A.2 - The school’s learning goals are based on the district’s adopted curricula.

Florida Principal Leadership Standards Analysis  Hypothesis 208 indicators of leadership success is unmanageable  Data Sets Intern self analysis- N =15 - Pre-Mid-Post Resident self analysis- N= 39 - Pre- Post Mentor analysis-N=15 - Post  Analysis Confirmatory factor analysis to identify specific indicators that can be the focus for various groups

Standard Indicator Reduction

How can we use this information  Comparing growth among a cohort  Comparing people in various places in their careers  Reducing the number of indicators we focus on in Ed Leadership training  District leadership development programs can better target specific indicators for evaluation of beginning AP’s, experienced AP’s, beginning Principals, etc.

Mid Point Reflections  Value of inter-district collaboration  Reduced risk taking at the school level  Questions as whether or not the scope of the FPLS is too broad  Development of competencies in working with diverse student populations

Looking Forward  Expanding work of district partners  Sustainability and expansion of resident program  Modification of internship requirements to support a sustainable model 90 day internship (use of Title II funds?) Student pay tuition, Saturday courses  Contact: or