Aug.14, 2014 Special Topics Webinars: School Improvement

Margaret Buckton, PartnerSusie Olesen, School Improvement Enthusiast

Ann Mausbach, PhD, Creighton University

© Iowa School Finance Information Services, 2014 1

What’s Happening with School Leaders?

• Update us with your email address sean.gibson@isfis.net• PowerPoint on ISFIS web site at

http://sites.google.com/site/iowaschoolfinance/Home/webinar-recordings

• Power Point on Skills Iowa web site at http://www.skillsiowa.org/?q=PL

• Use question pane to pose questions • Ask questions. We will find the answer if we don’t know it today. If

we don’t answer during the Webinar, we’ll get back to you.• This series of 9 webinars pairs with ISFIS conference for one credit

hour (15 hours of content) for administrator license renewal• This series (starting today) of 8 webinars pairs with 1 day at the

ISFIS office on September 10 for one hour of admin. license renewal• Watch for invite or check ISFIS web site to register

Webinar Reminders

Dates, Topics and Links to Register

• Thursday, July 17, 2014, 9 AM – What’s happening in school with students?• Thursday July 31, 2014, 9 AM –What’s happening with teachers?• Thursday, August 14, 2014, 9AM – What’s happening with school leaders?• Thursday, August 28, 2014 9 AM – Professional Development• Thursday, September 4, 2014 9 AM – Collaboration• Thursday, September 18, 2014, 9 AM – Assessment and Data• Thursday, October 2, 2014, 9 AM – TLC Model• Thursday, October 16, 2014, 9 AM – TLC Model• Thursday, October 30, 2014, 9 AM – What’s next in my school?

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Using Webinar Information Later

• PPT, Recording and related tools posted on the Webinar Page and also the Skills Iowa professional leaning page: http://www.skillsiowa.org/?q=PL

• Itemized list of contents is searchable • Find what you need when you need it via Google

search box• Use PPT or information with leadership teams or with

PLCs or data teams to get the conversation going• Content for school year kick-off meetings• Or shoot us an email and we’ll send you what you

need.

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Agenda

• Demographic info about school leaders• Survey data about what school leaders think• Financial information about administration• Research on the importance of administrators• Interview with an expert: Dr. Ann Mausbach,

Role of administrators in improving teaching, teacher leadership, setting expectations, developing others

• Iowa Administrator Licensure Standards

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“The single biggest factor affecting academic growth of populations of kids is the effectiveness of the individual classroom teacher, period.”

- William Sanders

2014 Iowa Administrators of the Year

Gary Hatfield Kim Tierney Aiddey PhomvisayMiddle School Elementary High SchoolCedar Rapids, IA Denver, IA Marshalltown, IA

DEMOGRAPHIC INFO ABOUT USA AND IOWA ADMINISTRATORS

Source on USA demographics

Characteristics of Public and Private Elementary and Secondary School Principals in the United States: Results From the 2011–12 Schools and Staffing Surveyhttp://nces.ed.gov/pubs2013/2013313.pdf

USA Administrator Data: of 89,810 Public School Principals:

• Male – 43,109 – 48%• Female – 46,701 – 52%• Average age – 48• Average District Experience – 4.2 years• Average Total Experience – 7.2 years• White – 71,848 (80%)• Minority – 17,962 (20%)

Iowa Administrator Data• Male – 681 – 59%• Female – 475 – 41%• Average age – 46• Average District Experience – 9.4 years• Average Total Experience – 19.8 years• Total White – 1,128 (97.6%)• Total Minority – 28 (2.4%)

DE Annual Condition of Education Report 2013

Any insights related to this demographic data about administrators? Surprises? Confirmations of what you thought? Share in the chat pane.

Chat Pause

Survey data about what school leaders think

Met Life Survey, Feb. 2013

Three out of four K-12 public school principals, regardless of the types of schools they work in, believe the job has become “too complex,” and about a third say they are likely to go into a different occupation within next five years.

Principals and teachers have similar views on academic challenges, but diverge somewhat on their priorities for leadership

• A majority of educators say the following are challenging or very challenging: – implementing the Common Core State Standards (67% of

principals; 59% of teachers), – creating and maintaining an academically rigorous

environment (64% of principals; 62% of teachers), and – evaluating teacher effectiveness (53% of principals; 56% of

teachers)

• Principals are most likely to say it is very important for principals to be able to use data about student performance to improve instruction (85%) and to lead development of strong teaching capacity across the school (84%) to be an effective school leader.

Challenges cited by educators are greater in high-needs schools.

• More principals find it challenging to maintain an adequate supply of effective teachers in urban schools (60% vs. 43% in suburban schools and 44% in rural schools) and in schools with two-thirds or more low-income students (58% vs. 37% in schools with one-third or fewer).

• Principals in schools with at least two-thirds low-income students are more likely than those with one-third or fewer to say that engaging parents and the community in improving the education of students (86% vs. 46%) is very challenging or challenging.

• Principals who feel great stress several days a week are more likely to work in schools where no more than some students are performing at or above grade level in English language arts or math (57% vs. 43% of those in schools where most students perform at or above grade level).– FYI - 19 Iowa districts > 60% FRL 54 Iowa districts > 50%– 130 Iowa districts < 33%

Challenges cited by educators are greater in high-needs schools. (Cont.)

• In schools with at least two-thirds low-income students, 37% of principals and 27% of teachers say that most of their students are performing at or above grade level. In contrast, in schools with one-third or fewer low-income students, 91% of principals and 83% of teachers say that most of their students are achieving at this level.

• Teachers and principals in schools with more than two-thirds low-income students are less likely than those in schools with one-third or fewer low-income students to give their teachers an excellent rating (48% vs. 73% for teachers; and 51% vs. 75% for principals).

Educators are confident about implementing the Common Core, less so about

its potential for increasing student success• Nine in 10 principals (93%) and teachers (92%) say they are

knowledgeable about the Common Core. • Nine in 10 principals (90%) and teachers (93%) believe that teachers in

their schools already have the academic skills and abilities to implement the Common Core in their classrooms.

• Teachers and principals are more likely to be very confident that teachers have the ability to implement the Common Core (53% of teachers; 38% of principals) than they are very confident that the Common Core will improve the achievement of students (17% of teachers; 22% of principals) or better prepare students for college and the workforce (20% of teachers; 24% of principals).

• A majority of teachers (62%) and a smaller proportion of principals (46%) say teachers in their schools are already using the Common Core a great deal in their teaching this year.

Any insights related to this survey data from administrators? Share in the chat pane.

Chat Pause

RESEARCH ON THE IMPORTANCE OF PRINCIPALS

Leadership is second only to classroom instruction among all school-related factors that contribute to what students learn at school.

Louis et al. (2010) offered a definition of “leadership” that is distilled from the essence of their findings: “Leadership is all about organizational improvement; more specifically, it is about establishing agreed-upon and worthwhile directions for the organization in question and doing whatever it takes to prod and support people to move in those directions.”

Note: Schools with low achievement are those in the bottom quartile of Texas schools in terms of the prior math test scores of their students; schools with high achievement are those in the top quartile.

Source: Author’s calculations based on Texas Education Agency data

Louis, Leithwood, Wahlstrom, and Anderson (2010)

In developing a starting point for this six-year study, we claimed, based on a preliminary review of research, that leadership is second only to classroom instruction as an influence on student learning. After six additional years of research, we are even more confident about this claim. To date we have not found a single case of a school improving its student achievement record in the absence of talented leadership.

5 Functions of Principal Leadership Wallace Foundation (2011)

• Shaping a vision of academic success for all students, one based on high standards.

• Creating a climate hospitable to education in order that safety, a cooperative spirit, and other foundations of fruitful interaction prevail.

• Cultivating leadership in others so that teachers and other adults assume their part in realizing the school vision.

• Improving instruction to enable teachers to teach at their best and students to learn at their utmost.

• Managing people, data and processes to foster school improvement.

Wallace Foundation Continued(Wallace Foundation, 2011, p. 5)

Each of these five tasks needs to interact with the other four for any part to succeed. It’s hard to carry out a vision of student success, for example, if the school climate is characterized by student disengagement, or teachers don’t know what instructional methods work best for their students, or test data are clumsily analyzed. When all five tasks are well carried out, however, leadership is at work.

Most Prominent Influence on Student Learning Is the Teacher, and Principal

Impacts Teacher Retention

Pick the right school leader and great teachers will come and stay. Pick the wrong one and, over time, good teachers leave, mediocre ones stay, and the school gradually (or not so gradually) declines. Reversing the impact of a poor principal can take years.

Teacher Retention and the Principal Continued

• Supportive leadership first in a survey of of 40,000 teachers by Gates Foundation (2010) on what affects teacher retention

• Ladd (2009) found that “school leadership emerges as the most consistently relevant measure of working conditions” (p. 29)

• Hirsch, Frietas, Church, and Villar (2008) found that “two to three times as many teachers who say they want to remain in their current schools agreed with positive statements about school leadership... than did teachers who want to remain in the profession but move to a different school”

How do you identify principal effectiveness? Share in the chat pane.

Chat Pause

Interview with an Expert

• Ann Mausbach -- Associate Professor for Educational Leadership, Creighton University, Omaha, NE

• Former Associate Superintendent, Council Bluffs, IA

• BA, MA, MA and PhD from 3 different stateshttp://annmausbach.com/

(402) 350-4783 contact@annmausbach.com

Q1: What is the most important thing Principals do in schools?

LEAD TEACHING AND LEARING

Important vs. UrgentPrioritize & Schedule

Don’t Let Compliance be your Driver

Have a Clear Plan

Q2: What’s the role of Principals in developing teacher leaders?

Supervise Teaching and Learning for ALL Staff FEEDBACK

Practice what you PreachProvide Opportunities

Q3: Can you talk about the superintendent/principal relationship?

• High expectations/ High Support• Invest in development

– Coaching– On-going learning (process & content)

• Provide structures for accountability and feedback

• Where are you headed

• What do you believe

Mission Vision

•What does the data tell you• TOOL: Data

Consult

Data•What will you do to address needs• TOOL: SIP

The Plan

•What training is needed to get everyone on board?• TOOL: PD PLAN

Development•How will you supervise to make sure the work gets done?

• TOOL: Walkthroughs with feedback, look fors

The Work

Q4: Do school leaders have all the skills they need to do this leadership work?

Monitoring

walkthroughs PLC’s Post-

Observation Conference

Supervision

ANY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS FOR ANN?

Chat or Question Pane

Financial Info about Administrators

http://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator_cmb.aspThe Condition of EducationPublic School Finance April 2014

BLS Occupational Handbook Jan. 2014 http://www.bls.gov/ooh/management/elementary-middle-and-high-school-principals.htm

"Salaries and Wages Paid Professional and Support Personnel in Public Schools, 2005-06," an annual study conducted by Educational Research Service, an Alexandria, Va.-based nonprofit organization that conducts research on K-12 education. This is the third year that Education Week and ERS have worked as partners to publish findings from the annual salary report. http://www.edweek.org/media/43ers-data.pdf Superintendent Salaries by Region

IOWA PRINCIPAL COMPENSATION

Drivers of Principal Salary

• Experience• District Size• Building Size• Cost of Benefits• Community Average Income• Distance from Teacher Salary• Did we say experience?

http://www.factmaps.net/Advanced_Mapping_Tool

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01-13 teacher salary % change

50.3%

47.5%

45.9%

45.2%

45.7%

37.9%

62.4%

44.3%

IOWA CONDITION OF EDUCATION REPORT 2013COMPENSATION

<300 300-599 600-999 1,000-2,499 2,500-7,499 7,500+ AEA State $-

$20,000

$40,000

$60,000

$80,000

$100,000

$120,000

Iowa Teacher and Principal Salary Change200-01 to 2010-11 by Distict Size

2000-01 Teacher 2010-11 Teacher 2000-01 Principal 2010-11 Principal

<300 300-599 600-999 1,000-2,499 2,500-7,499 7,500+ AEA State0.0%

20.0%

40.0%

60.0%

80.0%

100.0%

120.0%

55.6%58.1% 57.8%

55.8% 55.3% 56.2%51.9%

57.5%54.5%56.3% 58.4% 57.2% 55.9% 54.4%

107.5%

57.5%

Iowa Teacher Salaries as a Percent of Iowa Principal Salaries by District Size 2000-12 and 2010-11

2000-012010-11

REFLECTIONS ON PRINCIPAL COMPENSATION?

Chat or Question Pane

IOWA PRINCIPAL LEADERSHIP STANDARDS

http://www.sai-iowa.org/leadership-standards-and-evaluation.cfm

Standard #1 Shared VisionAn educational leader promotes the success of all students by facilitating the development, articulation, implementation, and stewardship of a vision of learning that is shared and supported by the school community. (Shared Vision)The administrator:

a. In collaboration with others, uses appropriate data to establish rigorous, concrete goals in the context of studentachievement and instructional programs.b. Uses research and/or best practices in improving the educational program.c. Articulates and promotes high expectations for teaching and learning.d. Aligns and implements the educational programs, plans, actions, and resources with the district’s vision and goals.e. Provides leadership for major initiatives and change efforts.f. Communicates effectively to various stakeholders regarding progress with school improvement plan goals.

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Standard #2 Culture of LearningAn educational leader promotes the success of all students by advocating, nurturing and sustaining a school culture and instructional program conducive to student learning and staff professional development. (Culture of Learning)The administrator:

a. Provides leadership for assessing, developing and improving climate and culture.b. Systematically and fairly recognizes and celebrates accomplishments of staff and students.c. Provides leadership, encouragement, opportunities and structure for staff to continually design more effective teaching and learning experiences for all students.d. Monitors and evaluates the effectiveness of curriculum, instruction and assessment.e. Evaluates staff and provides ongoing coaching for improvement.f. Ensures staff members have professional development that directly enhances their performance and improves student learning.g. Uses current research and theory about effective schools and leadership to develop and revise his/her professional growth plan.h. Promotes collaboration with all stakeholders.i. Is easily accessible and approachable to all stakeholders.j. Is highly visible and engaged in the school community.k. Articulates the desired school culture and shows evidence about how it is reinforced. 51

Standard #3 ManagementAn educational leader promotes the success of all students by ensuring management of the organization, operations and resources for a safe, efficient and effective learning environment. (Management)The administrator:

a. Complies with state and federal mandates and local board policies.b. Recruits, selects, inducts, and retains staff to support quality instruction.c. Addresses current and potential issues in a timely manner.d. Manages fiscal and physical resources responsibly, efficiently, and effectively.e. Protects instructional time by designing and managing operational procedures to maximize learning.f. Communicates effectively with both internal and external audiences about the operations of the school.

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Standard #4 Family and Community

An educational leader promotes the success of all students by collaborating with families and community members, responding to diverse community interests and needs and mobilizing community resources. (Family and Community)The administrator:

a. Engages family and community by promoting shared responsibility for student learning and support of the education system.b. Promotes and supports a structure for family and community involvement in the education system.c. Facilitates the connections of students and families to the health and social services that support a focus on learning.d. Collaboratively establishes a culture that welcomes and honors families and community and seeks ways to engage them in student learning.

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Standard #5 EthicsAn educational leader promotes the success of all students by acting with integrity, fairness and in an ethical manner. (Ethics)The administrator:

a. Demonstrates ethical and professional behavior.b. Demonstrates values, beliefs, and attitudes that inspire others to higher levels of performance.c. Fosters and maintains caring professional relationships with staff.d. Demonstrates appreciation for and sensitivity to diversity in the school community.e. Is respectful of divergent opinions.

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Standard #6 Social ContextAn educational leader promotes the success of all students by understanding the profile of the community and, responding to, and influencing the larger political, social, economic, legal and cultural context. (Societal Context)The administrator:

a. Collaborates with service providers and other decision-makers to improve teaching and learning.b. Advocates for the welfare of all members of the learning community.c. Designs and implements appropriate strategies to reach desired goals.

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Assignment Details for Recertification Credit

• All: Write a paragraph about something you learned about administrators that you feel is important to embed in your work.

• Pick one of the following: – Find an artifact in your school improvement process that

acknowledges/builds on the importance of administrators in developing teacher leaders and discuss if that echoes the research on school leadership or shows that improvement is needed, or. . ..

– Reflect on how to strengthen administrator skills in your district or building in one of the 5 areas of leadership that Wallace research identifies.

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Dates, Topics and Links to Register

• Thursday, July 17, 2014, 9 AM – What’s happening in school with students?• Thursday July 31, 2014, 9 AM –What’s happening with teachers?• Thursday, August 14, 2014, 9AM – What’s happening with school leaders?• Thursday, August 28, 2014 9 AM – Professional Development• Thursday, September 4, 2014 9 AM – Collaboration• Thursday, September 18, 2014, 9 AM – Assessment and Data• Thursday, October 2, 2014, 9 AM – TLC Model• Thursday, October 16, 2014, 9 AM – TLC Model• Thursday, October 30, 2014, 9 AM – What’s next in my school?

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Questions or Comments?

Margaret Buckton , ISFIS – PartnerCell: 515-201-3755

margaret.buckton@isfis.net

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Susie Olesen, ISFIS School Improvement EnthusiastCell: 641-745-5284susie.olesen@isfis.net

Iowa School Finance Information Services

1201 63rd StreetDes Moines, IA 50311Office: 515-251-5970

www.isfis.net

Thanks Ann! contact@annmausbach.com