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SCHOOL LEADER TASK FORCE October 31, 2007 Chair: Steve Tozer University of Illinois-Chicago. LEADERSHIP Rock Solid Leadership , Simple Truths, 2006. L ong Term Vision E xcellence A dvance Planning D iscipline, Drive & Determination E nthusiasm R esponsibility S acrifice
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SCHOOL LEADER TASK FORCE October 31, 2007 Chair: Steve Tozer University of Illinois-Chicago
LEADERSHIPRock Solid Leadership, Simple Truths, 2006 • Long Term Vision • Excellence • Advance Planning • Discipline, Drive & Determination • Enthusiasm • Responsibility • Sacrifice • Humor & Humility • Influence • Perseverance
Research Documents the Importance of School Leadership • Balanced Leadership: What 30 Years of research tells us about the effect of leadership on student achievement (McRel, 2003) • Performed a meta-analysis of 70 research studies to examine the effects of leadership practices on student academic achievement • Found twenty one specific leadership responsibilities which statistically correlated with student academic achievement • Demonstrated a significant relationship between leadership and student academic achievement • Increase in leadership competencies resulted in an average increase of 10 percentile points in academic achievement • Decrease in leadership competencies resulted in a negative impact of 1 percentile point in student academic achievement • Developed an initial balanced leadership framework based on 21 leadership responsibilities with practices appropriate for the change process
Research Documents the Importance of School Leadership • How Leadership Influences Student Learning (Leithwood, et. al, 2004) • Conducted extensive research on empirical studies as well as related literature to better understand the links between leadership and student learning • Found evidence to: • suggest that leadership plays a significant role in improving student learning • conclude that leadership is second in strength only to classroom instruction • conclude that leadership accounts for about a quarter of the total direct and indirect school effects on student learning • demonstrate that successful leadership is the catalyst for change especially in high need schools • support the wide spread interest in improving leadership as the key to the successful implementation of large scale educational reforms • Efforts to improve recruitment, training, evaluation and ongoing development of educational leaders should be considered highly cost effective approaches to successful school improvement.
Publications Document the Importance of School Leadership • Leading for Transformation in Teaching, Learning & Relationships (Sparks, D., 2005) • Leaders matter in the creation and long term maintenance of professional learning communities because they: • shape a school or school system’s structure and culture to promote learning, collaboration, and environments in which all members of the community feel cared for and respected • believe in quality teaching and high levels of learning for all students • have the authority to shape conversations by offering their values, intentions, and beliefs • move learning into action and sustain the momentum of change over time
Publications Document the Importance of School Leadership • Best Leadership Practices for High Poverty Schools (Lyman, L, & Villani, C., 2004) • Leaders grounded in a moral commitment to equity have the power to: • educate every student at a high level • change the beliefs and attitudes about poverty, including belief in the inevitability of low student achievement in high poverty schools • Authentic leaders are consistent in words and actions, committed to a moral cause and willing to take a stand (Shields, 2003) • Transformative leaders work for change wherever they find inequity (Shields, 2003) • Cross-cultural leaders work with people from many different cultural groups in order to enhance equity (Shields, 2003)
Think of the Possibilities • Over the course of the next few months, we are given the opportunity to make a difference in the: • quality of preparation programs for our school leaders in Illinois • direction of our school improvement efforts in Illinois • advancement of academic achievement for all of our students in Illinois • promotion of initiatives that are in the best interest of our students, their families, their schools, their teachers and their communities in Illinois
Commission Background • Established by IBHE in August 2005 • Comprised of leaders from K-12 schools, colleges & universities, business & professional education organizations, ISBE, IBHE • Charge • Review Educating School Leaders (Levine, 2006) • Examine school leader preparation in IL • Propose strategies for improving preparation
Challenges Facing Illinois • Recruiting & admitting the best potential leaders • Focusing preparation programs on improving & sustaining P-12 student achievement • Ensuring quality programs
Goals • Recruit Strategically • Focus Preparation Programs • Improve Statewide Assessment & Coordination
Goal One:Recruit Strategically Recommendation 1: Restructure admission criteria & recruit high quality principals • Holistic evaluation of applicants based on attributes known to improve student learning • Targeted recruitment • Grow-your-own programs • Work with teacher education faculty
Goal Two:Focus Preparation Programs Recommendation 2: Improve programs using rigorous assessment data • Assess candidates’ capacity to be effective school leaders; counsel candidates & adjust programs as needed • Participate in Education Administration Graduate Assessment project • Provide data to the state & public • Utilize advisory groups • Establish guidelines that distinguish Ph.D. from Ed.D.
Goal Two:Focus Preparation Programs Recommendation 3: Create meaningful clinical & internship experiences • Require meaningful experiences that connect coursework to the workplace • Strengthen & utilize university-school partnerships • Train mentors • Secure funds for internships from a variety of sources • Assess internship experiences • Revise Illinois standards to align with ELCC standards • Utilize clinical faculty
Goal Three: Improve StatewideAssessment & Coordination Recommendation 4: Establish a rigorous certificate exam • Utilize School Leaders Licensure Assessment & School Superintendent Assessment (ETS)
Goal Three: Improve StatewideAssessment & Coordination Recommendation 5: Revise the certification & endorsement structure • Reserve Type 75 for principals only • Review other positions requiring Type 75 & revise requirements • Develop programs to prepare individuals for non-principal leadership positions
Goal Three: Improve StatewideAssessment & Coordination Recommendation 6: Coordinate rigorous program approval & review processes • Conduct third party review of all current programs • Develop joint approval & review processes between ISBE & IBHE • Provide IBHE with authority to recommend probation or closure of programs • Participate in national review of ELCC standards
Dissemination of Report • Report was presented to the IBHE Board members in August, 2006 • Disseminated to: • Commission members • Legislators and their staff • Illinois higher education deans and presidents • Researchers and professional organizations in educational leadership
Discussion • In our view, the MOST promising suggestions made by the Blueprint for Change Commission in the two areas assigned to us are these: 1)_______; 2)_______. • The recommendations that we think offer the LEAST opportunity for significant change are these: 1)______; 2)_______. • Finally: if we could supplement the recommendations in these two areas, we would suggest the following:____________________________. • Our reasons for these three positions are: a)____; b____; c_____