Hillard (2011) asserts that with the passing of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) bill, educational leaders face more challenging leadership responsibilities than ever in the history of education. The Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium (ISLLC) has set stringent standards that school principals must meet before they are deemed qualified to lead instruction. This includes completing formal Educational leadership programs, the passage of an examination demonstrating their skills and knowledge, and a certification process. However, school administrators are still concerned with not having enough time to provide instructional supports to teacher. In addition, it is nearly impossible for principals to be content experts in every subject, especially in high school settings. …show more content…
Since then titles, such as instructional coach, academic coach. In some cases these titles have become interchangeable with department chair. However, little is known about the actual qualifications of the lead teachers and department chairs to provide other teachers with, what is deemed the weightiest of all leadership responsibilities, instructional leadership. DLT, Shared, and Collaborative leadership have become the current trend in leadership
The job of a school leader is not easy as many may think. School leaders are responsible for everything dealing with a school from the teaching staff to managing the school budget. I believe all the New Hampshire principal competencies are important and meaningful to every school leader. The New Hampshire competencies are important and meaningful to every school leader because they are designed to help guide principals in the right direction, and they should all be reviewed and followed. I believe effective school leaders should know the following; stage one: educational leadership, stage two: school culture and instructional programs, stage four: school and community, and stage five: integrity and ethics.
I believe being a principal is a difficult job and can be challenging to some for the most part. It takes a special type of person to be a school leader. While I believe it is difficult for a school leader to satisfy all of the ISLLC standard effectively within one year, according to Module two (2015), it is suggested by the Principal Evaluation Task Force that school leaders are given three years to master theses standards. I believe all of the standards can be
Successful administrators possess the necessary attributes that help them make decisions and solve various problems. All school leaders, regardless of their title or role in a building or district, will face obstacles involving individuals, community members, staff, and students. In order to address these challenges, leaders must understand the issue, formulate and apply a solution, and then reflect on their implementation of the solution to decide whether or not it is improving the situation. By no means is this an easy task, but effective leaders must strive to make sure their students, personnel, and constituents are being led down a path that will lead to overall academic and personal success. According to Young (2008), “as such,
The “Open Door Policy” is a case study to assist those interested in growing as educational leaders. Consistency in leadership is critical to the progress and growth of schools and educational institutions. Creek Middle School had six principals in seven years and each leader possessed a different leadership style. Some involved all stakeholders in making decisions and others worked in isolation. Consistency, collaboration, and communication are key components that drive the culture and climate of successful schools.
20). Without a clear understanding of expectations, followers will have a difficult time making sense of goals, anticipated outcomes, and success criteria. As evidenced in observation data, Mr. Smith, Director of Elementary Education, provided direction for school administration, teachers, and instructional leaders at central office. He outlined professional development plans for elementary leadership for the 2016-2017 school year, developed a roll-out plan for standards-based reporting K-5, coordinated next steps for observation data related to school improvement planning, and established expectations for reporting student growth in literacy on a quarterly basis. Evident in his dialogue with teachers, administrators, and central office staff was his ability to listen to those in the trenches at the school level. While outlining expectations, goals, and success criteria, Mr. Smith understood that building a sense of community was critical; this leads to the next task of leadership – creating
There is a great volume of literature on the need for effective leadership skills among tutors in order to promote student learning through quality instruction. As mentioned in the previous chapter, this realization is significant for many reasons. As such, this chapter reinforces the research question through a critical analysis of the existing literature with the aim of coming up with a different line of thought. As such, the study could offer a new dimension of leadership perception that is appropriate in fostering student learning in the modern and changing school setting. Although such characteristics are common across various sectors, the findings of this research put focus specifically on educators with the purpose of improving the quality of education and improved curriculum outcomes. The study could also employ various leadership theories to ensure the achievement of reliable findings.
The purpose of this “Purpose, Reflective Practice, and Career Goals” paper is to reflect on how the Education Specialist program in Leadership in Educational Administration will help me to build upon my leadership skills and provide me with the knowledge and tools necessary to effectively lead a school district dedicated to improving student achievement. In this paper, I explain how the program aligns with my career goals of becoming a school district superintendent and the importance of lifelong learning for educators. According to Rüprich & Urhahne (2015), teachers should set goals. I consider myself a lifelong learner with the ability to build leadership capacity and support instruction. Additionally, the Paper highlights the benefits of the program at Capella University as well as the usefulness of the available resources and the impact they will have on my learning during this journey.
Achieving a school district’s mission and vision requires the commitment of its stakeholders. In order to involve them in the process, it is necessary for educational leaders to “motivate staff, parents, students, board and community members” (Educational Leadership Constituencies Council, 2002, p. 4). The transformational leadership theory emphasizes the importance of educational leaders acting as role-models in order to motivate and inspire the school community. This approach has the potential to involve all stakeholders, leading to increased student success (Bush, 2007). The Assistant Director of Special Education in Northwest ISD directly supervised the school district’s assessment staff. Her education, experience, and passion set an example for her subordinates, stimulating them to achieve more, leading to her promotion to Executive Director of Student Services.
During the first week of the course, my idea of leadership has changed. When I look back at the idea of teacher leadership I have always thought of “assigned, delegated, officially sanctioned leadership based on the authority of a formal position” (Dr.Ausburn, 2016a, lecture 2, slide 4). I did
Leithwood et. al., (2004), as a result of their review of the literature on school leadership, conclude that not only is leadership “second in strength only to classroom instruction” but also “effective leadership has the greatest impact in those circumstances (e.g., schools ‘in trouble’) in which it is most needed” (p. 70). A comprehensive longitudinal study of Chicago’s public school reform during the 1990’s revealed the importance of school leadership to student achievement. Overall, Bryk (2010) found that school leadership as having an influence on all organizational
In a traditional and stagnant educational environment leadership relies heavily on power and control. In this context a primary administrator has the power to assign tasks and monitor progress while also controlling the distribution of positive or negative performance based incentives. When leadership is merely a series of transactions the primary administrator is able to stake claim to independently creating a school mission and appropriate action steps. After conducting my interview it is evident that now, more than ever, educational leaders must avoid these tactics in order to appropriately address organizational challenges. The context and type of challenges within an organization will dictate what alternative strategies will be most
The concept and practice of teacher leadership have gained momentum in the past two decades. Teachers are assuming more leadership functions at both instructional and organizational levels of practice. Empirical literature reveals effects of teacher leadership practice, teacher leader characteristics, and conditions that promote and challenge teacher leadership.
One can then pose the question, how can the leadership skills demonstrated in co-curricular activities affect the classroom environment? In recent years, the interest in leadership development has surfaced as part of the curriculum. There has been an
Those who learn to be instructional leaders acquire many characteristics that are beneficial to their schools and communities. The writer concurs that Instructional leaders exhibit a clear sense of direction for their schools and prioritize and focus attention on the things that really
Researchers who have examined education leadership agree that effective principals are responsible for establishing a school-wide vision of commitment to high standards and the success of all students. As previously mentioned, principals, up until now, were seen as nothing more than building managers, but career success in a global economy depends on a strong education. In a school, that building towards career success starts with the principal spelling out “high standards and rigorous learning goals,” Vanderbilt University researchers asserted with underlined emphasis. Specifically, they say, “The research literature over the last quarter century has consistently supported the notion that having high expectations for all, including clear and public standards, is one key to closing the achievement gap between the advantaged and fewer advantaged students and for raising the overall achievement of all students.” During the development phase of CCSSI, this was the primary goal. Therefore, developing a shared vision around standards, and success for all students is an essential element of school leadership. In what way can this be done? Using Kotter’s 8-Step will demonstrate how to implement a shared vision: