Instructional Leadership in Low-Performing Schools

1. Instructional Leadershipin Low-Performing Schools Nikolai Vitti September 21, 2009 Florida Association of Staff Developers Tampa, FL

2. Instructional Leadership

7. Selection of Principals • Record of achievement as teacher, teacher leader, and/or administrator in a similar learning environment • Must have ability to talk through: curriculum, instruction, data, use of coaches, use of common planning time, monitoring systems, using funds to drive instructional reform, and challenges/realities of students and families who are being served.

8. What do “turnaround principals” do? • Create a culture with children at the core, not adults. • Develop a vision AND plan to achieve it. • Clear with expectations and plan of action. • Work harder than anyone else. • Empower the best teachers; provides assistance to the worst and then documents if improvement is not demonstrated. • Devote the majority of their time to instruction. -Assist in development of SIP and master schedule. -Know Instructional Focus. -Visit classrooms AND provide feedback to teachers. -Actively communicates and supports coaches. -Analyzes data and conducts data chats. -Protects instructional time. -Advocate for literacy.

9. What do “turnaround principals” do (continued)? • Create a culture of solutions and not excuses. • Creates a synergy between new and veteran teachers. • Responsive to teacher requests. • Visible. • Deep belief in children and parents. • Creates alternatives to suspensions. • Holds everyone accountable to their jobs and then some. • Inspire some to do more. • Understand how to use meeting time for teachers and students. • Listen and know how to ask the “right” questions.

10. What training is required of low-performing principals? • Qualities and characteristics of good teaching and learning BEYOND a checklist • Use of coaches • Debriefing with teachers after walkthroughs • Project management • Actively supporting coaches • Benchmarks for the three major subject areas • Florida’s Continuous Model (Data chats, lesson study, and creation of Instructional Focus Calendars) • Creation of SIP • Vision Development

11. How Districts Can Help (long term)? • Use data to place and replace principals • Reduce red tape and paperwork • Allow principals to remove and recruit teachers • Provide incentives for recruitment and performance pay when successful • Create time in the master schedule or after school for planning • Revamp principal and teacher evaluation tools • Ensure IPDPs are created, implemented, and monitored

12. How Districts Can Help (long term)? • Establish a monitoring process for schools at the district level • Link PD initiatives to the school site...follow up with evaluation, and results through student achievement • Create quality control process and training for coaches • Establish a curriculum cycle that includes FCIM (benchmark focus, lesson plan, assessment, coaching) • Develop a succession management process for urban schools that includes principal, assistant principals, and coaches

13. Race to the Top Application for Struggling School

14. Questions/Comments