BUCKHORN HIGH SCHOOL

U.S. Department of

Education

Blue Ribbon School

Blue Ribbons

Schools of

Excellence, Inc.

Lighthouse

2011

The Assistant Principal

as Instructional Leader

CLAS Conference

for Assistant Principals

January 26, 2012

Sarah Fanning

Instructional Assistant Principal

Buckhorn High School

Madison County School System

Presented by :

Historical background of the Instructional

Assistant at Buckhorn

-- 1995 First elected Superintendent

-- 1996 Instructional Assistant position added

-- 2007 New Madison County Superintendent

Hired IAPs for all Madison County high schools

-- 2007 Jefferson County added 13 Assistant Principals based on the

model

-- 2008 Begin working with CLAS to prepare Instructional Assistants

statewide

What is the most important responsibility we have

as leaders?

Instruction

Student learning

Student achievement

Student success

College and career readiness

Roles and responsibilities of an Instructional Assistant

Liaison

1. Resource to teachers

2. Advocate for teachers and students

3. Motivator -- celebrates success

3. Member of all professional learning communities

4. Information conduit

Roles and responsibilities of an Instructional Assistant

Curriculum oversight

1. Course alignment

2. Monitors delivery of the instructional program

3. Guides curricular decision-making

4. Building enculturation

5. Short-term and long-term planning and reporting

6. Collaborative planning with feeder schools

Roles and responsibilities of an Instructional Assistant

Instructional oversight

1. Reads all teachers’ weekly lesson plans

and provides feedback

2. Classroom observations

- Formal (Educate Alabama)

- Informal (pop-ins)

- Instructional rounds

3. Coordinates job-embedded data-driven

professional development and new

teacher orientation and mentoring

4. Administers needs assessments

5. Tracking data

Roles and responsibilities of an Instructional Assistant

Planning

1. Prepares teacher packets for

instructional planning for the year

2. Plans remediation for AHSGE

3. Coordinates High Hopes

4. Coordinates Grade Recovery

5. Plans enrichment

6. Coordinates site visits

7. Planning and implementation of

student-centered school

reorganization

Roles and responsibilities of an Instructional Assistant

Strengthening faculty

1. Interviews for teacher employment

2. Disseminates information to ensure current

awareness of professional trends

3. Data analysis

4. Plans action research

5. Secures temporary content area replacements

6. Coordinates with universities for student teacher

observation and field experience

7. Facilitates book studies for professional

development

Roles and responsibilities of an Instructional Assistant

Family, community, and business relationships

1. Mediates parent-teacher concerns

2. Develops relationships with local business

partners

3. Works with local church and civic organizations

4. Fundraising

How I perceive my role as an Instructional Assistant

Principal

“A voice for teachers”

Listen

Observe

Encourage

Sympathize

Empathize

“One of them,” not a threat

“Takes the pulse” of faculty

“Drop-in” rather than “open-door” policy

Reports to the principal daily

Faculty and staff cheerleader

Provide current research on curriculum and instruction

“A teacher of teachers”

How I perceive my role and responsibilities in the

community

Find resources & money

Network with university officials

Conduit for inquiries from other schools

Hospitality and building beautification

Questions?

Sarah Fanning

sfanning@madison.k12.al.us

(256) 379-2123

All slides online at http://tinyurl.com/CLASIAP