School Support Systems
Diana Stein
ADMIN/510
June 27, 2016
Russ Cornell
CAPE #2: Developing a Shared Commitment to the Vision Among All
Members of the School Community
Introduction
The school principal plays a leadership role in the systematic planning
process for student learning and meeting the needs of all children, as well as
the entire staff across many levels. This includes every detail of the
organization from the top-down built around:
• a sound technology plan including communication,
managing information, enhancing collaboration, and effective management of the
organization;
• a wellness plan including student health,
safety, and well-being for all; and
• extended support for students (including
intervention programs, before/after-school programs, summer school, and
volunteer programs).
Additionally, the principal’s role in
leading a school staff through an action planning process is paramount to the implementation
and management of comprehensive systemic improvement. Increasing school-wide
learning results for all learners to become thinkers, communicators, and
achievers requires knowledge of and foundations of various curriculum orientations, among the other
organizational aspects listed above. The purpose of this blog post is to address these core components that the successful principal is responsible for developing, implementing, and growing.
Technology
The principal’s role in
leading a school staff through an action implementation process for student
learning and remediation utilizes site-level technology through:
- Web-based tutorials (Asynchronous learning)
- On-site technology trainings with specialists (Synchronous learning, live and virtually)
- Off site trainings, professional development, and conventions (e.g., National technology Conference (iNACOL), CA Charter School Association Conference (CCSA)
Our organization plans
to develop parent-partner trainings for ease of navigation of Schoology, our
Learning Management System (LMS) as well as our school wide vision and culture.
“School administrators can use technology to develop a culture of
transparency that will help build trust and ensure success in their programs
Online and digital resources can open a window into many school realities”
(Johnson, 2014). Transparency through the use of technology is found in communication
of budgets, calendars, goals, and initiatives. However, privacy of sensitive
data must remain private.
Collected data related to test scores, retention rates,
advanced placement participation, and other progress needs to be kept current
and visible for all stakeholders. Although some might argue that this content
should remain private, implementing online conversations about such data
through the use of commenting tools is beneficial for progress. Sometimes
feedback is difficult to process, but important to know.
Online curriculum including
standards, curricular objectives, and major unit assessments allows a visible
structure to be utilized as a roadmap for everyone. It’s hard to know where we’re
headed if we don’t know where we’re going. Time sensitive information, matters
of opinion, and virtual inclusion of daily events at school not only help to
communicate transparently, but digital tools (including social networking) also
help to create a sense of community. According to Johnson (2014) the school
administrator can:
·
understand the concepts of transparency and its benefits
to schools and individuals.
·
master the use of online tools that will increase our
school’s transparency.
·
develop commonsense guidelines about which
information related to students and staff is public—and which is private.
·
commit to regular maintenance and updating of
information placed online.
·
actively solicit online feedback from parents and the
community related to school goals and practices.
Technology may also be embedded
in evaluation and staff development. According to Educational Impact (2016),
these methods include:
- Modeling effective use of technology
- Enhancing learning
- Distance learning; graphics; multi-media
- Coaching (e.g., supporting teachers/administrators in their learning, “trickle down” effect)
- Modeling positive behaviors and change implementation (e.g., talk about the changes, ask clarifying questions to increase quality of discussions and build positive momentum)
- Evaluate the effectiveness of staff development (e.g., qualitative and quantitative measures, student and staff benefits observed, teaching feedback, variety of feedback loops)
- Long-distance evaluation of student learning and engagement of reluctant learners
- Promote continuous learning and true professional learning communities
- Use of personal technological devices for ease and transportability (a.k.a., Bring Your Own Device (BYOD))
- School Information Systems (SIS) include use of Pathways and Schoology as bridged content for registration and reporting information as well as LMS for learning, support, grade books, and communication
Wellness:
Student Health, Safety, and Well-Being
“Everything that goes on in and
around the school is the responsibility of the principal and that includes
proper delivery of support services” ((Ubben et al., 2016).
The principal must be included within the loop of
information and development of the relationships with the students and
counselors, including guidance, special education, and attendance; school
psychologists; special education resource teachers; pathologists; teachers for
the homebound; reading specialists; diagnosticians; and other special personnel
provided by the district. Considering all of the daily responsibilities of the
principal it seem s like a very tall order for him or her to be included in all
of the goings on. In larger schools the Assistant Principal is responsible for
most of the disciplinary actions, and the Principal is only included when the
situation(s) rise to a more serious level, which may lead to a “good cop, bad
cop” scenario.
One strategy to break this dynamic is
to assign small groups of students to individual mentors throughout the entire
organization for more positivity and balance system wide. This will promote
growth and harmony throughout the entire organization and build long lasting
bonds that make for purposeful satisfaction. Students will naturally choose
different people to look to for advice and comfort when they need it. A person
who is tuned into the particular student’s behaviors and may even be aware that
added support or direction is needed even before the student even realizes it.
The same may be said for the well-tuned principal and his or her staff. Intuition and wisdom is the most powerful
combination when it is met with solid timing.
Extended Support
This past school year was my first
assignment as a full-time High School Art Teacher. Our population is diverse,
but small. I teach at a charter school organization and this particular
location is unique (online, online blend for middle school and high school
only). Our very small population is unique in many ways, but the one thing that
they have in common is that they need something different than they were
getting where they were before. Sometimes it was an unbalanced/unpredictable
home life that led them to us, other times it was an undiagnosed/neglected learning
struggle, or just plain old growing pains. As proactive measures, supports
that were developed this school year include:
•
A full-time school psychologist
•
Special Education Instructional services on site (we share
the building with our own district Specialized Academic Instruction team)
•
20:1 student/teacher class ratios
•
Ongoing tutoring and subject area experts available in the
cyber café Tuesday-Friday
•
Clubs and supports for a variety of interests and needs
•
A full-time events organizer/leadership trainer (ASB)
•
Volunteer opportunities within the school, community, and
outreach (25 hrs. required)
•
Character development programming (QLN, 8 Keys of
Excellence, embedded)
•
High School Success and Leadership courses (mandatory)
•
Digital Literacy course (embedded)
For most, our student’s emotional and
academic growth this year was tremendous; but for some connections is not
strong enough, yet. Making connections with the families will help a lot, but
time after time our once-a-month cohort meetings get ignored. Sometimes the
only thing that feels like “home” is our little cyber café; when that’s not
enough I remind myself that every day s a new day.
Conclusion
It is critical that the educational
leadership within a local educational agency leading the design and adoption of
the curriculum have knowledge of the (mathematical and ELA) frameworks that
helped create the standards (Ubben et al., 2016). Assessment indicators from my
school site suggest that active and performance based learning, as aligned to
the common core standards for California, are positive for our student
population.
The shift toward a focus of increased
rigor, relevance, and coherence has allowed teachers and administrators much
added flexibility and program planning. As compared to California State Standards of years past, the
core of the content and facilitation is on critical thinking; compared to rote memorization
and documentation of facts by generations past.
The teacher’s new role as facilitator
is to maintain an atmosphere for learning that investigates student abilities
for undiscovered potential through risk taking, experimentations, and a growth
mindset (Rogers, 1988: Dweck, 2006).
The
philosophical framework for understanding McNeil’s four (4) basic threads of
curriculum theory: technological, academic, humanistic, and social
reconstructionist promote the following philosophies:
(1) To
educate the rational person; to cultivate the intellect
(2) To promote the intellectual growth of the individual;
to educate the competent person
(3) To
promote democratic social living
(4) To
improve and reconstruct society; education for change and social reform
(Ubben et
al., 2016).
References
Dweck, C. S.
(2006). Mindset: The new psychology of success. New York: Ballantine
Books.
Fullan,
M. (2008, June). The six secrets of change: Ideas from management expert
Michael Fullan. Scholastic Administrator.
Michael Fullan. Scholastic Administrator.
Johnson,
D. (2014, September). Power Up! / Using Technology for Transparency. Educational
Leadership, 72(1), 80-81. Retrieved from http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/sept14/vol72/num01/Using-Technology-for-Transparency.asp
Ng'ambi,
D., & Lombe, A. (2012). Using podcasting to facilitate student learning: A
constructivist perspective. Journal of Educational Technology
& Society, 15(4), 181.Rogers,
C. (1988). Freedom to learn for the 1980s (2nd ed.). Columbus, OH:
Merrill.
Ubben,
G. C., Hughes, L. W., & Norris, C. J. (2016). The Principal: Creative
Leadership for Excellence in Schools. Boston: Pearson.
(1999-2016).
Using Technology In Staff Development [Video file]. Retrieved from Educational
Impact website: https://www.educationalimpact.com/programs/programs/activity/SLToolbox_03b_11/
No comments:
Post a Comment