Jocelyn Hively

Daniel Ledesma

Tirsa Tovar

California Linked Learning District

Initiative

Managed by ConnectEd

Reform high school systems

Linked Learning approach

- Nine California school districts

- Develop and implement multiple pathways

- Offers full range of career pathways in high school

Linked Learning Pathways Program

Integrates real-world professions

Four Elements of Linked Learning- Rigorous academics

- Real-world technical skills

- Work-based learning

- Personalized support

Linked Learning

Opens doors to all students

Increases opportunities

Feeling of belong: improves chances in

success

Career and college ready

Porterville Unified School District1 Academy of Engineering (Harmony Magnet Academy)

2 Academy of Performing Arts (Harmony Magnet Academy)

3 Digital Communication and Design (Granite Hills High School)

4 Multimedia and Technology Academy (Monache High School)

5 Partnership Academy of Business (Porterville High School)

6 Partnership Academy of Health Sciences (Porterville High School)

7 Alternative Energy Resource Occupations (AERO) Academy

(Porterville High School)

8th Grade Showcase

Prompt:

Reflect upon your experience as a Pathways leader. Use the

Likert scale below rate your level of difficulty with the

implementation of the following in your Linked Learning

program:

1 = None 2 = Slight 3 = Moderate 4 = Extreme

Survey Scale

Findings from Surveys

Standards Rated by Principals as Moderately or Extremely Difficult

to Implement in their Linked Learning Program

California Professional Standards for Educational Leaders

Standard

1

Standard

2

Standard

3

Standard

4

Standard

5

Standard

6

Strathmore HS X

Granite Hills X X X X X X

Harmony X

Porterville HS X X X

Monache - - - - - -

California Professional Standards for Educational Leaders

Standard 1: The school administrator is an educational leader who 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.

Standard 2: A school administrator is an educational leader who promotes the success of all

students by advocating, nurturing, and sustaining a school culture and instructional program

conducive to student learning and staff professional growth.

Standard 3: A school administrator is an educational leader who promotes the success of all

students by ensuring management of the organization, operations, and resources for a safe,

efficient, and effective learning environment.

Standard 4: A school administrator is an educational leader who promotes the success of all

students by collaborating with families and community members, responding to diverse

community interests and needs, and mobilizing community resources.

Standard 5: A school administrator is an educational leader who promotes the success of all

students by modeling a personal code of ethics and developing professional leadership

capacity.

Standard 6: A school administrator is an educational leader who promotes the success of all

students by understanding, responding to, and influencing the larger political, social,

economic, legal, and cultural context.

Findings from Focus Groups:

District Administrators

THEMES

Director Pathway

Coaches

Work-Based

Learning

Coordinator

Communication X X X

Collaboration X X X

Professional Development X X X

Vision X X X

Accountability X X

Findings from District Staff Focus Groups:

Communication/Collaboration

“Communication structure built around

common vision/common mission.”

Monthly meetings with every stakeholder group

Streamlined communication

Cross-sharing/cross-communication

Everyone has a voice

Collaborative effort, not silos

Findings from District Staff Focus Groups:

Vision/Leadership

● “Linked Learning or not, a good leader should

be visible, have an open door policy, be a part

of pathway team meetings, build mutual respect

with teacher teams, have trust between each

other, and keep students at the center.”

● “Building trust, working collaboratively vs.

dictatorial”

● “Be there and demonstrate that you are there to

support”

● “Know how it (LL) works, believe it works”

Findings from District Staff Focus Groups:

Professional Development

● Training

-ConnectEd / Conferences

● Summer Orientation

-Project-building and integration

-Pathway update

-Business leaders bringing relevance

● Externships

-Partner with local businesses

-Present their findings (accountability)

-Relevance in the classrooms

Findings from District Staff Focus Groups:

Accountability

“Having regular meetings is crucial..teams look forward to a place where

we can all get together and have opportunity to share out...we need their

suggestions so we know how we can be of service to them.”

“Accountability is key to ensure policy and procedures are living

documents, not collecting dust.”

Annual self-assessments are completed around criteria of LL

ConnectEd Principal Coach - walk-throughs, engagements, and

collaboration.

A lot of accountability checks along the way.

Working together with business partners to become familiar with each

other’s systems.

Findings from Principal Focus Groups:

Responsibilities of Principals

Leads or works with other principals

- Healthy relationship with cabinet

Increased professional development

- Conferences and Meetings:

Advisory Meetings, Pathway meetings

- ConnectEd once a year

- Commitment

Findings from Principal Focus Groups:

Principal’s relationship with Teachers

Challenge to get teachers to do extra work

and put in more effort

Active rather than passive role

- Developing relationships with teachers

- Provide support in training and resources

- More expectations, meetings, and lessons

Findings from Principal Focus Groups:

Principal’s relationship with Teachers

Instructional Capacity

- Walk-Throughs

- Integration: collaboration not only within

department

- Common Prep:

Needs for students in the department

Projects

Collaboration opportunities

Findings from Principal Focus Groups:

Principal’s relationship with Coaches

Pathway Leads

- Orchestrate meetings

- Advise and consult principals

Pathway leaders provide additional help so

there is less stress on the principals

Culture of Linked Learning

Commitment to vision of LL

- Prepare students to be college and career ready

Communication within and across groups of stakeholders

Commitment to professional development

Strive for equitable and inclusive practices

Partnering with community

Hopes and Fears

Hopes:

- Expanding and adding new certified Linked

Learning Pathways

- Opening 3 more Pathways within next 3 years

- Enrollment opportunity for everyone who has a

desire

● Fears:

- Limited space and availability

● Lottery

- Funding

Theory of Action

If Fresno State incorporates guided, hands-on

LL externships in their Ed. Admin. program,

pre-service administrators will have the

qualities and knowledge base needed to

effectively implement LL pathways program

and ultimately improve student successes.

Instructional Core

Current administrators’ (teachers) knowledge

and skill,

Pre-service-administrators’ (students)

engagement in their own learning, and

Hands-on, guided LL externships (content)

Strategy

By supplementing the seminar in instructional

supervision with field-based externships in LL-

certified schools, Fresno State can strengthen the

instructional core with the objective of qualities and

knowledge base of future LL administrators, thereby

raising student performance.

Coherence among actions at the university and

districts with LL programs will make the

university's chosen strategy more scalable and

sustainable.

Shareholders

Fresno State University and certified LL

Pathway staff.

Governing bodies including Ed. Admin.

program administrators and district and site

administrators.

Structure

ConnectEd to arrange instructors for seminars and externship supervision.

University and site administrators has responsibility and accountability for results.

University and District collaborate on expectations and evaluations for interns.

Systems

Opportunities for early exposure to LL event.

– Courses that include embedded fieldwork.

– Interviews and participant observations of LL

administrator

– Research project related to LL

A blueprint of tasks and experiences that are essential

for LL fieldwork.

Assessment of student progress and LL fieldwork

outcomes.

Resources Current district and site administrators

James Irvine Foundation

ConnectEd

- Consultant

- Summer Institute

- Experiential site-visits

- Curriculum development and training

- Linked Learning Alliance

Professional Learning Community among university and district staff

SCOPE sessions available yearly

Environment

Student variables

- Schedule, availability, distance from LL school

Community variables

- Community leaders/local businesses’ lack of or

inability to support LL program

Mismatch between student and school assignment

Sustained funding for LL program

Politics