WILKES UNIVERSITY

1. WILKES UNIVERSITY

2. Guide for the Mentoring Administrator • School of Education • Wilkes University • 84 W. South Street • Wilkes-Barre, PA 18766

3. Point of Contact • Kurt W. Eisele, PhD • kurt.eisele@wilkes.edu • 1-800-WILKESU ext. 4058

4. TABLE OF CONTENTS • Mentoring the Aspiring Administrator 3 • Effective Instructional Leadership Characteristics 4 • Characteristics of Effective Internships 5 • Responsibilities of Mentoring Administrators 6 • Field-Based Project Requirements 9 • Field-based Project Rubric 11 • Field Experience Log 12 • Memorandum of Understanding 13 • References 17

5. Senge, 1996, ¶ 8 “We are coming to believe that leaders are those people who ‘walk ahead,’ people who are genuinely committed to deep change in themselves and in their organizations. They lead through developing new skills, capabilities, and understandings.”

6. Mentoring the Aspiring Administrator – Wilkes University • Purpose--The purpose of this document is twofold: to ensure that cooperating mentors are properly certified and to train those certified, cooperating mentors to assist, guide, and evaluate principal or superintendent candidates. • Goals--To ensure cooperating mentors (principals) have at least three years of satisfactory experience. • To provide training for cooperating mentors related to candidate support. Training will be offered in January and August of each year for mentors. Training will be conducted by Kurt W. Eisele, PhD who is the point-of-contact at kurt.eisele@wilkes.edu and 1-800-WILKESU ext. 4058. • Methods--Cooperating mentors will be certified by their district superintendent or designee as having at least three years of satisfactory experience (Appendix A). • Rationale--The purpose of a mentorship program is to provide the candidate a practical experience of the real-world requirements of a school principal or a district superintendent.

7. Definition of Terms • Daresh (2004) explained how mentoring relationships used to help protégés were developed long ago in history with the following description: • The concept of the mentor serving as a wise guide to a younger or less experienced protégé dates back to Homer’s Odyssey. Mentor was the teacher entrusted by Odysseus to tutor his son, Telemachus. On the basis of this literary description, we have been provided with a lasting image of the wise and patient counselor serving to guide and shape the lives of colleagues (p. 498). • Mentor – one who is able to demonstrate craft knowledge to a beginner. • Mentoring – an ongoing process through which individuals in an organization provide support and guidance to others who can become effective contributors to the goals of the organization. • Effective mentor – one who is experienced, possesses accepted positive leadership qualities, asks the right questions, accepts alternate ways of doing things, takes people beyond their present level of performance, models the principles of continuous learning and reflection, exhibits the awareness of the political and social realities. • Effective administrator – one who relates to peers, provides career guidance, sponsors all those involved in education, and is a patron of student success.

8. Effective Instructional Leadership Characteristics • One who has the abilities to conceive and communicate personal philosophies of how to engender student success • One who has human relations skills • A mentor who possesses problem-solving, listening, and observation skills. • One who has developed essential skill areas: • Framing issues • Identifying goals • Promoting self-directed learning • Establishing limits • Empowering for action • Summarizing.

9. Continued • One who has consultation skills as follows: • Listening • Sharing • Respecting • Facilitation • Situational leadership • Informal relationships • Feedback • Giving credit • Willingness to learn • Responding to individual differences.

10. Characteristics of Effective Internships for Principal CandidatesAdapted from Daresh & Playko, 1995; Mullen, 2005; Portner, 2002; Searby & Tripses, 2006; Zachary, 2000.

11. Characteristics of Effective Internships for Superintendent CandidatesAdapted from Daresh & Playko, 1995; Harvard Graduate School of Education, 2010; Mullen, 2005; Portner, 2002; Searby & Tripses, 2006; Zachary, 2000.

12. Responsibilities of Mentoring Administrators • Welcome interns to the district and the role of an administrator. • Orient the intern to the community and school culture. • Help the intern decide on the sequence of developmental activities most appropriate for the internship (creating a learning plan), given the needs of the intern, the course requirements, the district, and the state. • Provide coaching for skills development. • Facilitate/design opportunities for completion of internship and course-related activities. • Allocate time for frequent, regular contacts with the intern. • Model leadership competencies and make one’s leadership choices explicit to the intern. • Encourage the intern in identifying and solving problems. • Track the intern’s progress against standards. • Encourage reflection and self-assessment; provide feedback on the intern’s performance in the experience. • Assess progress on the mastery of specific competencies; suggest additional opportunities to experience each competency during the internship. • Consult with the intern’s university instructor or supervisor. • Assist the intern in developing his or her project or portfolio. • Make sure the intern gets a thorough picture of the duties of the principal or superintendent, as appropriate. • Evaluate interns’ performance on standards given by the university or state using valid measurement procedures (Southern Regional Education Board, 2007).

13. Recommended Activities • Organizational leadership (planning, structure, etc.) • Planning for the school year • Planning and organizing special events • Strategic planning • Committee work • Staff meeting • Department meetings • District meetings • Summer school • Instructional program/curriculum (including scheduling) • Scheduling • Curriculum work • Introducing new programs/materials • PSSA preparation • Analysis of student data • Instructional groupings • Program assessment • District initiatives

14. Recommended Activities • Financial management • Budgeting process • Resource allocation • Student clubs and organizations • Fundraisers • Parent associations • Human resource management (including the hiring, developing, and evaluation of personnel- a supervision cycle is required) • Interviewing professional and support staff • Minimum of 3 classroom observations and reports • Minimum of 1 teacher conference as part of the observation-feedback process • Walk through observations

15. Recommended Activities • Student personnel (including student discipline) • Discipline • Field trips • Special activities • Sports • Assembles • Clubs and organizations • Special awards • Graduation activities • Student newspaper • Special services (special education, etc.) • Student Resource Team or Instructional Support Team • SAP • IEP meetings • Crisis intervention • Special education hearings • Guidance services

16. Recommended Activities • Facilities management and auxiliary services (transportation and food service) • Custodial staff • Cafeteria and food services • Bus services and scheduling • Analysis of building/facility needs • School-community relations • Press releases and interviews with the press • School newsletter • Student activities that support character education • Parent conferences • Parent communications • Partnership with community groups

17. Recommended Activities • Technology • Communication with tech department • Hardware and software purchasing • Teacher training • Administrative training • Special programs and initiatives • Acceptable use issues • Staff development • Conduct a professional development session • Participate in needs assessment • Participate in special professional development • Conduct departmental or grade level professional development session • Other (assigned by mentor) Adapted from Gwynned-Mercy (2010).

18. Wilkes University Field-Based Project Requirements & Rubricfor Principal and Superintendent Certification Courses with Field Hours • Students will complete 360 hours of field work by completing 180 hours in coursework and 180 hours in an internship over the 12 month life cycle of the school year. The mentoring administrator is required to be with an experienced practicing administrator with a minimum of three years satisfactory experience at the certification level sought.

19. Field Work • The designated field experience hours for this course are to be addressed in a field-based project specific to the school or district at which the field experience is taking place and specific to the key PDE core and corollary standards addressed in this course. • A field experience log, which follows, is to be maintained and completed by the student to document the required field hours related to activities conducted at the school or district site. The majority of these hours must directly relate to the field-based project.  • The field-based project must be developed in conjunction with the course instructor and an identified site-based administrator (mentor) holding a K-12 leadership position equivalent to that of the student’s intended certification (i.e. assistant principal/principal for principal certification or assistant superintendent/superintendent for superintendent certification). • The identified mentor does not have to be the same individual for every field experience but does have to be at the appropriate certification level. The mentor should have expertise in and oversight of the area related to the field-based project. • The field-based project must relate to the course objectives and the corresponding PDE standards.

20. Field Work • The project’s design must directly or indirectly strive to improve student achievement based on the needs of the school or district. For superintendent candidates, the project must be at the district level in its scope and reflective of the roles and responsibilities of central office administrators. For principal candidates, the project must be school-based and reflective of the role and responsibilities of the building administrator.

21. Field Work • The field-based project is to include a proposal with components of one or more of the following types of assessment evidence (E) designated by the PDE:

22. Project Proposal Requirements • The student must have the proposal completed and evaluated by deadline set by the instructor, typically before the mid-point of the semester. The student cannot begin the project’s activities until the proposal is approved. • The student and mentor will review the project proposal and the mentor will evaluate the proposal using the field-based project proposal rubric. The student is responsible for submitting the proposal and assuring that the mentoring administrator’s completed rubric is received by the course instructor by the set deadline. The course instructor will then evaluate the proposal. • The proposal should include the following:

23. Final Project Requirements • The final project--evidence and log--will be submitted electronically in the designated area in the course management system. • The student and mentor will review the final project and the mentor will evaluate the project and the log using the project rubric. • The fulfillment of the designated field experience hours must be documented, verified by the mentor, and submitted to the instructor or an incomplete will be issued. • The student will submit the final project, the signed log, and the mentor’s rubric to the course instructor. The course instructor will then evaluate the final project and log using the project rubric. • The course instructor will issue the grades for the proposal and the final project and determine the grade for the course.

24. Wilkes UniversityField-based Project Rubric • Student Name:­­___________________________ • Mentoring Administrator Name & Title: ________________________________________ • Signature of Mentoring Administrator: ____________________________________ • Date:_________ • Note: Signature Designates Acceptance of Field Placement Student

25. Part 1

26. Part 2

27. Point Total.

28. Wilkes UniversityField Experience Log • Name: ____________________________________ • Semester/Year: ______________ Page:_______ • Course: ED _____ • Instructor Signature: _______________________________ • Date: _________________ • Total Hours: ____ • Administrator Signature: ____________________________ • Date: _________________

30. University-District Certification PreparationMemorandum of Understanding • Wilkes University • School of Education • Certification Programs • in partnership with • ____________________ School District

31. Purpose • The purpose of the partnership between Wilkes University (“University”) and ___________ School District (“District”) is to jointly prepare and support new school leaders or instructors to improve curriculum, instruction and student achievement in our region’s schools. We agree to work together to improve the selection of candidates, curriculum and instruction of the preparation programs, learning opportunities in field-based experiences, evaluation processes, and the ongoing support of participants. • We agree that: • we want the best educated and motivated leaders and instructors possible; • we want the best prepared and committed new leaders and instructors – those who can ensure the academic success of all students.

32. Responsibilities of University and District Partners • The University agrees to: • collaborate in the admissions process from the pool of aspiring school and district personnel; • provide training for mentoring participants from the school district to assist with the delivery of the field-based experiences; • support and educate candidates and assess performance of graduates in their new roles; • provide university instructors to guide each candidate’s field-based experiences; • ensure that the intern’s learning plan addresses district strategic goals; • assist the intern in developing a portfolio demonstrating mastery of performance tasks; • evaluate interns and assign grades with input from their mentoring participants; • provide seminars for interns to share what they are learning, critique each others’ observations and activities, discuss alternative courses of action, and obtain feedback from university faculty; • allocate time for frequent, regular contacts with the intern; • provide feedback and support to the intern; • maintain records and understand all university, district and state requirements for interns

33. The Partner School District agrees to: • collaborate in the admissions process from the pool of aspiring school and district personnel; • provide mentoring for each candidate’s field-based experiences at the appropriate certification level; • facilitate and designate opportunities for completion of internship activities; • allocate mentor time for frequent, regular contacts with the intern; • encourage reflection and self-assessment while providing feedback on the intern’s performance in the experience; • consult with the intern’s university instructor; • ensure that the intern gets a thorough picture of the duties of the school or district; • evaluate the intern’s performance (i.e. Pennsylvania’s Core and Corollary Standards for Leaders) • encourage participation of district personnel in professional development activities designed to prepare them to mentor participants; • Allow the candidate to participate in intern activities held during normal school hours and to release the candidate from the duties regularly assigned as much as is feasible given work responsibilities and contractual restrictions.

34. General Terms & Conditions • Term and Termination • This Agreement shall be effective as of __________________, for a term of ___ years ending ___________ and shall automatically renew itself for like periods; provided, however, that this Agreement may be terminated by either party at any time, for any reason, upon sixty (60) days' prior written notice to the other party. • In the event that the University or the District exercise their option to terminate this Agreement without cause, the District shall use reasonable best efforts to permit an Intern to complete his/her internship hereunder, even when the effective date of the termination of this Agreement occurs prior to the completion date of the applicable internship. In such event, all applicable provisions of this Agreement will continue until the end of the academic term in which the Intern is enrolled. • Indemnification • The University shall indemnify and hold harmless the District and each of their trustees, officers, employees, agents and invitees (the “District Indemnified Parties”) from and against any liability, damages, claims, costs, charges or expenses (including attorneys’ fees) (collectively, “Liability”) to the extent arising from the negligence, gross negligence, or willful misconduct of the University, and/or its employees and/or agents, including without limitation, interns and Faculty. • The District shall indemnify and hold harmless the University, its trustees, officers, employees, interns and agents (the “University Indemnified Parties”) from and against any Liability to the extent arising from the negligence, gross negligence, or willful misconduct of the District and/or its employees and/or agents.

35. General Terms & Conditions • Independent Parties • The District and University shall be considered “independent entities” with respect to each other. None of the provisions of this Agreement are intended to create nor shall be deemed or construed to create any relationship between the District and the University, other than that of independent entities contracting with each other solely for the purpose of effecting the provisions of this Agreement. • Insurance • The University carries general liability and educator’s legal liability (professional liability) protection for the University, its employees, intern’s, officers, trusties and faculty only. • Assignment • Neither party may assign its rights or obligations hereunder without the prior written approval of the other. • Nondiscrimination • Pennsylvania law, in general, prohibits discrimination based on race, color, age (40 and over), sex, ancestry, national origin, religion, familial status (only in housing), disability and the use, handling or training of guide or support animals for disability. The parties agree not discriminate on these, or any other grounds, in performance of this Agreement. • Non-Exclusivity • Each party hereto shall be free to enter into other agreements, such as this Agreement, with other parties, as each deems appropriate for its respective manner of business. • Governing Law • This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. • Notices • All notices and communications hereunder shall be in writing and deemed given when personally delivered to or upon receipt when deposited with the United States Postal Service, certified or registered mail, return receipt requested, postage prepaid, addressed as follows or to such other person and/or address as the party to receive may designate by notice to the other.

36. General Terms & Conditions • If to the University: Wilkes University • Attention: Dean, Graduate Studies • 84 West South Street • Wilkes-Barre, PA 18766 • AND • Wilkes University • Attention: Vice-President, Finance and Support Operations • 84 West South Street • Wilkes-Barre, PA 18766 • If to the District: • AND • Headings • The headings of this Agreement are inserted for convenience only and are not to be considered in the interpretation of this Agreement. • Entire Agreement/Amendments • This Agreement contains the entire agreement between the University and the Consultant and supersedes all prior existing agreements, either oral or in writing. No terms may be modified or waived except by the mutual written consent of both parties hereto. • IN WITNESS THEREOF and intending to be legally bound hereby, the parties have hereunto caused their properly authorized representative to sign this AGREEMENT on the day and year first above written. • WILKES UNIVERSITY DISTRICT • Signed: _______________________ Signed: _______________________ • Title: _________________________ Title: _________________________ • Date: ________________________ Date: ________________________

37. References • Daresh, J. (2004). Leaders helping leaders (2nd ed.).: Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin. • Daresh, J., &, Playko M. (1995). Supervision as a proactive process: Concepts and cases (2nd ed.). Prospect Heights, IL: Waveland. • Gwynedd-Mercy College. (2010). The educational administrative practicum handbook. • Unpublished manuscript, School of Education, Gwynedd-Mercy College, Gwynedd Valley, PA • Harvard Graduate School of Education. (2010). Doctor of education leadership. Cambridge MA. Retrieved from http://gseweb.harvard.edu/academics/doctorate/edld/index.html • Mullen, C. A. (2005). The mentorship primer. New York: Peter Lang. • Portner, H. (2002). Being mentored: A guide for protégés. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin. • Searby, L., & Tripses J. (2006). Breaking perception of “old boys’ networks:” Women leaders learning to make the most of mentoring relationships. Journal of Women in Educational Leadership, 4(3), 179-195. • Senge, P. (1996, December). Leading learning organizations.Training & Development, 50(12), 36-40. • Zachary, L. (2000). The mentor's guide: Facilitating effective learning relationships. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.