leadership in america’s best urban schools
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Leadership in america’s best urban schools. Joseph F. Johnson, Jr., Ph.D. Interim Dean, College of Education, SDSU Executive Director, NCUST Cynthia L. Uline , Ph.D. Director, Doctoral Program in Ed. Leadership, SDSU Senior Fellow, NCUST Lynne G. Perez, Ph.D. Associate Director, NCUST. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Leadership in america’sbest urban schools
2014 National Title I Conference 2014
Joseph F. Johnson, Jr., Ph.D.Interim Dean, College of Education, SDSU
Executive Director, NCUST
Cynthia L. Uline, Ph.D.Director, Doctoral Program in Ed. Leadership,
SDSUSenior Fellow, NCUST
Lynne G. Perez, Ph.D.Associate Director, NCUST
http://www.ncust.org
The National Center for Urban School Transformation sponsors the National Excellence in Urban Education Award Program, annually identifying some of the nation’s highest performing urban elementary, middle, and high schools, and alternative schools.
Since 2006, we have awarded 76 schools from 20 states.
NCUST awardS and studIES:• Elementary, middle schools, high schools, and alternative schools
that serve urban, low-income communities
• Schools that maintain high attendance rates and high graduation rates
• Schools with low suspension rates for each racial/ethnic group of students
• Schools that do not employ selective admissions criteria
• Schools that sustain high achievement levels (higher than overall state averages) for every racial/ethnic group of students
• Schools that demonstrate substantial evidence of academic progress for English learners and students with disabilities
• Schools with many other evidences of student success/achievement
Go to www.ncust.org to see 2014 application & criteria
We will be seeking applicants for our 2015 National Excellence in
Urban Education Award Program
Deadline to apply: November 14, 2014
http://www.ncust.org
What have we learned about these high-
performing schools?
TEACHING MATTERSAcross the various high-
performing elementary, middle, and high schools, we find eight common teaching practices that
influence student learning results.
TEACHING MATTERSLearn more about the teaching practices that we found
across high-performing schools.
At this conference, see Lynne Perez’s presentation on Teaching Practices from America’s Best Urban Schools
And/or
Read the book
Teaching Practices from America’s Best Urban Schools
J. Johnson, L. Perez, & C. Uline
LEADERSHIP MATTERS
Before there were changes in teaching, there were changes in leadership.
LEADERSHIP MATTERS
“There are virtually no documented instances of troubled schools being turned around in the absence of intervention by talented leaders. While other factors within the school also
contribute to such turnarounds, leadership is the catalyst.”
Anderson, Leithwood, Louis, and Wahlstrom, 2004
First, leaders believeLeaders in America’s highest performing urban schools acted as if they believed (often in the face of contrary evidence) that:
• All their students could be taught to interact with dignity and decorum, achieve high academic standards, and excel in a wide array of intellectual and creative endeavors
• All that was needed to begin making progress toward ensuring student success was readily available
• They had a responsibility to help all faculty and staff succeed at creating environments in which all students would be successful
LEADERS SET EXPECTATIONSExpectations Were:
Relatively few,Consistently discussed and clarified,
Justified based upon moral commitments,Grounded in research and best practice,
Persistently maintained, ANDAlways High
CURRICULUM
INSTRUCTION
R E L A T I O N S H I P S
LEADERS SET EXPECTATIONSEXPECTATIONS ALIGNED TO A VISION
of a school where:Students felt valued and respected
Teachers felt like they were part of a team that was accomplishing great things for students
Parents felt like appreciated partners andEveryone knew that students would excel as they
moved to higher levels of education
CURRICULUM
INSTRUCTION
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LEADERS SET EXPECTATIONSSMART GOALS LED TO SMART EXPECTATIONS
Leaders defined: What would be acceptable/unacceptable
What would be tolerated/intolerable Related to
Curriculum, Instruction, Relationships
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LEADERS monitor progress toward expectations
Leaders found ways to measure and report progress toward various expectations.
MONITORING MADE EXPECTATIONS REAL
Leaders engaged others in monitoring progress
Reports of progress were shared regularly(not to embarrass, but to acknowledge and promote progress and
growth)
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INSTRUCTION
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LEADERS IDENTIFY AND MINIMIZE BARRIERS
When students, teachers, staff, or parents did not meet expectations,
LEADERS IDENTIFIED THE BARRIERS THAT IMPEDED PROGRESS
(e.g., lack of knowledge, skill, time, confidence, support, direction, hope, or resources…
or too much bureaucracy, or fear of failure)
AND REDUCED BARRIERS WHEN POSSIBLE
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LEADERS BUILD THE CAPACITY OF EVERYONE TO SUCCEED
LEADERS EXUDED CONFIDENCE IN THEIR ABILITY TO HELP OTHERS SUCCEED AT MEETING HIGH EXPECTATIONS
LEADERS DEVELOPED LEADERS
Professional development wasfocused, continuous, job-embedded, relevant,
and regularly reinforced
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LEADERS ACKNOWLEDGED, REINFORCED, & REWARDED
PROGRESS
PROGRESS TOWARD EXCELLENCEWAS VIGOROUSLY CELEBRATED
Leaders were skillful at finding evidence of growth and acknowledging it!
Leaders GAVE credit and TOOK blame
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LEADERS PERSISTED OVER TIME
LEADERS BUILT SYSTEMS & ROUTINES THAT MADE PERSISTENCE EASIER
Leaders helped everyone endure setbacks
Leaders constantly refined ideas, based on data,
WITHOUT CHANGING FOCUSCycles of Support, Practice, Feedback, Reflection
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Equity and Excellence Are Attainable!
•You can help make any school a high-performing school for all students.
•It is not easy! Often, changes take two to four years before they bear substantial results. Nonetheless, mortals prove that it can be done.
•The well being of our society depends upon our ability to create many more high-performing schools. Our students deserve nothing less.
Learn more at our annual symposium on high-performing schools
May 21, 22, 23San Diego’s Mission Valley Doubletree Hotel
Register teams now at:http://www.ncust.org