Leadership in america’s best urban schools

1. Leadership in america’sbest 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 2014 National Title I Conference 2014 http://www.ncust.org

2. 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.

3. 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

4. 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

5. What have we learned about these high-performing schools?

6. TEACHING MATTERS Across the various high-performing elementary, middle, and high schools, we find eight common teaching practices that influence student learning results.

7. TEACHING MATTERS Learn 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

8. LEADERSHIP MATTERS Before there were changes in teaching, there were changes in leadership.

9. 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

10. First, leaders believe Leaders in America’s highest performing urban schools acted as if they believed (often in the face of contrary evidence) that: • Alltheir 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

11. LEADERS SET EXPECTATIONS CURRICULUM INSTRUCTION Expectations Were: Relatively few, Consistently discussed and clarified, Justified based upon moral commitments, Grounded in research and best practice, Persistently maintained, AND Always High R E L A T I O N S H I P S

12. LEADERS SET EXPECTATIONS CURRICULUM INSTRUCTION EXPECTATIONS 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 and Everyone knew that students would excel as they moved to higher levels of education R E L A T I O N S H I P S

13. LEADERS SET EXPECTATIONS CURRICULUM INSTRUCTION SMART GOALS LED TO SMART EXPECTATIONS Leaders defined: What would be acceptable/unacceptable What would be tolerated/intolerable Related to Curriculum, Instruction, Relationships R E L A T I O N S H I P S

14. LEADERS monitor progress toward expectations CURRICULUM INSTRUCTION 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) R E L A T I O N S H I P S

15. LEADERS IDENTIFY AND MINIMIZE BARRIERS CURRICULUM INSTRUCTION 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 R E L A T I O N S H I P S

16. LEADERS BUILD THE CAPACITY OF EVERYONE TO SUCCEED CURRICULUM INSTRUCTION LEADERS EXUDED CONFIDENCE IN THEIR ABILITY TO HELP OTHERS SUCCEED AT MEETING HIGH EXPECTATIONS LEADERS DEVELOPED LEADERS Professional development was focused, continuous, job-embedded, relevant, and regularly reinforced R E L A T I O N S H I P S

17. LEADERS ACKNOWLEDGED, REINFORCED, & REWARDED PROGRESS CURRICULUM INSTRUCTION PROGRESS TOWARD EXCELLENCE WAS VIGOROUSLY CELEBRATED Leaders were skillful at finding evidence of growth and acknowledging it! Leaders GAVE credit and TOOK blame R E L A T I O N S H I P S

18. LEADERS PERSISTED OVER TIME CURRICULUM INSTRUCTION LEADERS BUILT SYSTEMS & ROUTINES THAT MADE PERSISTENCE EASIER Leaders helped everyone endure setbacks Leaders constantly refined ideas, based on data, WITHOUT CHANGING FOCUS Cycles of Support, Practice, Feedback, Reflection R E L A T I O N S H I P S

19. 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.

20. Learn more at our annual symposium on high-performing schools May 21, 22, 23 San Diego’s Mission Valley Doubletree Hotel Register teams now at: http://www.ncust.org