SPECIALIST COHORT FEEDBACK

When I reflect on the Drake Specialist Program overall the last two years, I think about... Text Response It was a valuable experience. I am sure I am much better prepared for the job of superintendent than before I took the program. I am ready for the challenge but I am also sure that I still have much to learn. I think about how fast the time has gone and all that I have learned. I feel that the FBLAs were all very relevant to admin position so I could use it right away. The learning made me a better educator, even if I were to never use it to become a supt, or work in central office. The workload was reasonable for cohort members as they all worked very full time jobs. The value of practical, real world application as opposed to theoretic study. What attracted me to Drake and the graduate programing was the focus on application of theory in practice. I know that there are other options and some of them were closer to home for me, but I want to engage in dialog with practicing administrators and connect theory to practice rather than dialog with others in a cohort about theory. How much I appreciate the cohort model. The relationships and connections I've formed with the members of our cohort will reach far beyond these two years of coursework together....how quickly the time has passed. how I am very glad we are coming to a close. It was a great experience, but a long journey. I would and have recommended that others pursue this path, not so much for each class in itself, but the experience as a whole.

the individuals I have learned from as instructors and colleagues throughout the program courses. I am impressed by the wisdom and skillset of the individuals within the cohort. (Role plays and Jetho's) The great connections that were made with my cohort members. These relationships proved to be very valuable and I am sure they will continue in the future. Loved our cohort. Lots of networking and great conversations for learning. The quality relationships that I have established with other administrators from around the state. The variety of classes and topics that were covered. I really enjoyed building relationships with my cohort members and hope to stay in touch from time to time. Overall it was a positive experience and glad I took the opportunity to make FBLA assignments relevant to my own learning. The perspective I've gained through learning about district-level content. The relationships I have made with both my colleagues and the professors. I also reflect on the quality of instruction I have received with particular attention given to the practical final assignments - the FBLE's. The relationships I've built with so many members of my cohort and with some of the professors/guest speakers in the program. Who much I looked forward to having professional conversations.

What did you like best about the program? Text Response I like the cohort format. It is an excellent opportunity to get to know people who have the same career goals and work in the same or similar capacities currently. This format lends itself to excellent conversation and learning from each other. I could not imagine going through the program without getting to know the people. The focus on the importance of relationships. I like both the emphasis on application and the adaptability of scheduling to fit those of us who are already in administrative roles. To be able to pursue advanced degree work in a time frame that doesn't take me away from my desk and work during the week is a tremendous asset. Each of the cohorts that I have participated in have been professional and focused and I have made life-long friends outside of my job. I also like the fact that the persons teaching have had or are currently administrators and can speak to the realities of the job. The cohort model. Opportunities to speak with practicing or previous superintendents. Courses with a focus on relevant and recent education topics. Hands down the best thing about this program is the cohort. The people I was able to meet and interact with absolutely kept me going in this program. I really liked the cohort experience. This particular group of leaders allowed me to gain many different perspectives on education both large and small as well as urban and rural. Each person came willing to share their ideas and past practices. It was refreshing to hear from other the struggles and successes that are happening across the state of Iowa. I feel like now I have a wider group of people that I can call friends and call upon when needed.

Brian- Mike- I enjoyed opportunities to learn from my colleagues and discuss how the learning applies into our varied roles within educational systems. The cohort format. The FBLE projects were worthwhile, for the most part, as they were practical and job-embedded. Cohort learning. Weekend format. Friday/Saturday format. Guest speakers. Being part of a cohort was the best part of the program. I also enjoyed acting superintendents perspectives over a variety of topics as they were invited to be guest speakers. Other guest speakers did a good job depending upon the topic. Going through the program with a fun, diverse cohort. The instructors were top notch. It is due to the instructors I had all the other experiences which were very positive stemmed from these critical people. The cohort model and how willing the professors worked with us on our schedule. The conversations we all had in class.

What courses were the most challenging for you? Why? Text Response None stand out as more challenging... Advanced Research, Dr. Cooper did a great job, but some of the math was difficult. Dr. Cooper was great help and provided excellent examples of what she wanted. The most challenging for me was quantitative research. I am not a strong math person and went into the experience with a great deal of apprehension. It is the one course that I found myself working well into the night, often 6 to 8 hours at a stretch to accomplish my personal goal. But - it was well worth the effort. Statistics - the content was all very new and not like my current work as a principal Research was challenging simply because I did not have a previous course in research statistics. It was a great class though. Ethics and Social Justice was very intellectually challenging. It really challenged my thinking. Finance was a challenge for several reasons, first it is just a complicated process and second the way the class was taught was a bit to random for me. I could use a more sequential way of learning about this topic. However, I have found myself feeling a bit more confident when this conversation comes up at school. I think this is something that the more times you can work with the budget the better you understand it. School Finance and Research/Stats--they were intermingled during the summer. The timing and the cognitive demand of each course made it challenging for me. I had also just taken on a new position and so my learning curve was already quite steep there. It was stressful.

Leading Complex Organizations - The course was not challenging, but the structure was frustrating. This course seemed more about "doing the work" and compliance more than about the learning. Having papers due before any instruction even began, among other things, goes against best practices we expect in our schools today. School finance- Professor seemed to know his content, but not a great instructor. Research- Spent time learning IBM SPSS program instead of focusing on research related to education. Advanced research was the most challenging because it pushed my thinking and ability to analyze data. I felt like Robyn did a great job of teaching the skills of SPSS and relating those skills to the FBLA. It was great to sit down and learn how to break down data in different ways. School Resource Management - the instructor didn't do a very good job "instructing" Human Resource Management - some of the course content didn't pertain to HR Policy, Influence, and Legal Issues - to similar to master's degree law class The Stats class and finance class were the most challenging. Stats was tough due to the formulas to remember and the program for entry. If there was one portion of a formula not remembered it affected the whole outcome of the final product. The finance class was tough due to the unfamiliarity of the material. Statistics. The pace was a little fast for the amount of information that was needed to be covered. Advanced Research, it was a lot of information and it was intermixed with finance.

What advice do you have for future students in the Drake SpecialistProgram? Brian- Jamie- Laura- Nicole- Terry-

Jeff- PJ- Carol-

Please rate your level of satisfaction (0-no satisfaction,100-highest satisfaction) on the follow aspects of the DrakeSpecialist Program?