1. Virginia Foundation for Educational Leadership Virginia Department of Education Webinar Series 2012 Welcome to Webinar 8

2. Virginia Foundation of Educational Leadership (VFEL) Webinar Faculty: Dr. Roger E. Jones Dr. Carol C. Robinson 2

3. An Opportunity to explore Eight Elements of Successful High Schools  (http://www.centerii.org/handbook/Resources/Appendix_High_school_improvement.pdf)http://www.centerii.org/handbook/Resources/Appendix_High_school_improvement.pdf Rigorous Curriculum and Instruction Assessment and Accountability Teacher Effectiveness and Professional Growth Student and Family Supports Stakeholder Engagement Leadership Development Organization and Structure Sustainability 3

4. Do Not Overwhelm Your Staff  Help them see the “big picture” and interrelations of the elements  Every school has its own DNA  Assess the elements in your school as foundation for developing a plan 4

5. Today’s Agenda 1.Welcome 2.Research regarding Element 8: Sustainability 3.Reflections/Next Steps 5

6. Objectives  Participants will be able to identify the defined practices in their school relative to sustainability. 6

7. Sustainability (Element 8)  Appropriate time and necessary fiscal support are provided so that high school improvement strategies and initiatives can be implemented and sustained.  Facilities and materials are continually assessed and upgraded to keep pace with evolving standards and technology.  Teachers and principals continuously develop their knowledge and skills to incorporate high school improvement strategies and initiatives within their instructional leadership practices. 7

8. Sustainability  You can only create and sustain what you value!  Implementing is easier than sustaining.  Sustain only those programs/ initiatives/strategies that work.  Match intent with practice. 8

9. SOL Changes  Social Studies—standards changed in 2008 and assessments changed in 2010-2011  Math—standards changed in 2009 and assessments changed in 2011- 2012  English and Science—standards changed in 2010 and assessments changed in 2012-2013 9

10. Additional Areas of Focus  College and Career Readiness Advanced Proficient on EOC Assessments Industry Certification  Academic Rigor Governor’s Challenge to State Board USED Waivers to NCLB  Evaluations Linked to Student Achievement  Student Assistance Programming  Graduation and Completion Index 10

11. Critical Points for Sustainability To sustain change, schools must focus energies beyond short-term effectiveness and toward a greater vision Hargreaves & Fink (2006), Reeves & Allison (2009), Wheatley & Frieze (2007) 11

12. Critical Points for Sustainability The greatest obstacle to school reform (and sustainability) is the lack of a compelling vision. (NASSP, 2004) 12

13. Sustainability is Connected to School Culture (Kurt Lewin)  Culture (defined practice) is the institutionalized way you do things in your school (it is what you espouse and what you accept)  School Culture is frozen – it will not change without a reason  Unfreeze the culture, then implement the change  Refreeze the culture so the change becomes part of “who you are” 13

14. Critical Points for Sustainability The most important outcome of any fundamental change process must be a change in the stakeholders’ mindsets and beliefs about education. Without changes in the users’ mindsets, no fundamental change is likely to succeed or be sustained. (Squire & Reigeluth, 2000) 14

15. Structural Change ≠ Cultural Change  Structural Change Examples Small Learning Communities Ninth Grade Academies Block Schedule Career Academies Professional Learning Communities 15

16. Structural Change ≠ Cultural Change  Cultural Changes Vision that Drives Decisions Common Set of Guiding Principles Heightened Expectations Belief Structure of Teachers/Staff Language of the Responsible v. Language of the Victim 16

17. Sustain Change that: Prepares students for their future, not our pasts; Prepares students for jobs that may not yet exist; and Prepares students to solve unknown problems. 17

18. Leading for Sustainability Vision and Guiding Principles Standards and Assessments Academic Rigor Culture Change 18

19. Sustainability Process Incentive VisionSkillsResources Action Plan 19

20. Sustainability PlanningInitiationImplementation Institution- alization 20

21. Two Critical Elements of Sustainability Non-negotiables – Those things you will lock horns over. Intentionality – Those things you agree to focus on every day. 21

22. Efforts in sustainability that are NOT based on student needs will NOT raise your graduation rate. School Administration Efforts School Department Efforts Feeder School Efforts Central Office Efforts Sustainability 22

23. Resources for Element 8 Hargreaves, A. & Fink, D. (2006). Sustainable leadership. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. National Association of Secondary Principals. (2004). Breaking ranks II: Strategies for leading high school reform. Reston, VA: Author. Noguera, P. Presentation made at the Virginia Middle and High School Principals Conference and Exposition, June 27-29, 2011 Reeves. D. B. & Allison, E. (2009). Renewal coaching: Sustainable change for individuals and organizations. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Squire, K. D. & Reigeluth, C. M. (2000). The many faces of systemic change. Educational Horizons, 78(3), 145-154. Wheatley, M. & Frieze, D. (2007). Beyond networking: How large- scale change really happens. School Administrator, 64(4), 35- 38. 23

24. Next Steps  How is sustainability addressed and evidenced in our school and division? What are our non-negotiables?  What is the compelling vision that guides our school and division reform efforts?  What structural changes have we made or are we preparing to make? Are we changing the culture? 24

25. The ultimate goal in school improvement is for the people attached to the school to drive its continuous improvement for the sake of their own children and students. Dr. Sam Redding 25