Confront the Brutal Facts Yet Never Lose Faith

1. Confront the Brutal FactsYet Never Lose Faith • When…you start with an honest and diligent effort to determine the truth: • the right decisions often become self-evident. • You absolutely cannot make a series of good decisions without first “confronting the brutal facts.”

2. Brutal Facts • School districts are struggling to attract and retain qualified candidates for leadership roles. • There is a lack of qualified candidates coming from outside Frederick County. • Employees in some classifications have been placed in leadership positions without adequate training. • FCPS employee satisfaction survey indicated “opportunities for advancement” and “promotion for field-based and support staff” needed improvement. • Professional development evaluations indicate the need for more leadership training.

3. Leadership Development Taking off to new heights

4. Superintendents Charge • In light of these points, the Superintendent assigned the Deputy Superintendent to: • research internal and external practices in leadership development. • make recommendations regarding leadership development for the Frederick County Public Schools.

5. Investigation of Current Practices • What is in place within and outside of FCPS. Sources included: • Literature and research • Each cabinet member • Principals and teachers at each instructional level • Leadership from each bargaining unit • Maryland State Department of Education • Eight outside school systems from three states

6. What is Leadership • Mobilizing others to get extraordinary things done in organizations. • “It’s about the practices leaders use to: • transform values into actions, • visions into realities, • obstacles into innovations, • separateness into solidarity, • and risks into rewards.”Kouzes and Posner “Leadership is a choice not a position”Covey

7. Review of Literature and Research • Leadership is: • considered the single most important aspect of effective school reform. • important in setting the tone in a school. Climate is the best predictor if a school will have high achievement. • positively and significantly correlated to positive working conditions. • cause for employees to have an overall increase in satisfaction.   • a predictor of adequate yearly progress (AYP) status. • a powerful predictor of whether a school was included in top school designation categories.

8. Evaluation ofLiterature and Research • These points demonstrate that: • each FCPS employee needs to recognize him or herself as a leader. • Each employee needs to understand their importance as a valuable contributor in the education and achievement of our students.

9. Findings • Differed by employee group. • The findings are organized into three categories: • Administrative Leadership • School-based Leadership • Support Staff Leadership • Under each category, information details: • FCPS Current Practices • Findings

10. FindingsAdministrative Leadership • FCPS Current Practices • No formal plan for developing the pool for administrative applicants. • CASI offices provide induction opportunities for school-based administrators. • Formal induction plans are not evident in other types of positions. • Opportunities for leadership development are provided for CASI personnel, but there is little for others. • Evaluations from book studies and leadership program last summer were very positive with request for more.

11. FindingsAdministrative Leadership • External Findings • Many school systems: • have preparatory courses before entering the applicant pool. • utilize both principal and assistant principal internships. • employ retired principals to mentor new principals and assistant principals. • have formal induction programs for new administrators, with specific curricula. • hold annual leadership seminars.

12. FindingsSchool-based Leadership • FCPS Current Practices • No systemic plan for leadership development or ongoing training for team leaders, SIT members, department chairs, etc. • There is not widespread clarity or understanding of responsibilities, job descriptions, etc. • External Findings • There was not a great deal of consideration given to preparation for school-based leadership positions. • Many did hold annual trainings for the people serving in these positions.

13. FindingsSupport Staff Leadership • FCPS Current Practices • This area was found to be the weakest. • Due to multiple shifts and varied schedules, it is difficult to schedule trainings for support staff. • Getting communications to support staff announcing training opportunities is difficult. • Extensive technical training is provided. • Many individuals are placed in leadership positions with no training in human relation skills, evaluation, etc. • There is no systemic orientation before a person reports to work.

14. FindingsSupport Staff Leadership • External Findings • Other school systems provide leadership development for support staff in leadership roles. • Orientation combined with leadership development was a common feature of systems. • Support employees are provided training opportunities in such areas as system policies, organization, customer service, embracing diversity, and workplace confidentiality.

15. Action Plan OverviewA first class blueprint • Objectives • Leadership Development • Strategies • Unintended Findings • Systemic Leadership • Administrative Leadership • School-based Leadership • Support Staff Leadership

16. Action PlanLeadership Development Objectives • Provide programs for all employees that result in higher student achievement (Goal 1 Master Plan) • Increase the number of employees who are aware of the expectation in specific leadership positions • Increase the number of qualified internal applicants for leadership positions • Increase and develop the leadership competencies of employees in leadership positions • Increase the leadership capacity that is evident in performance evaluations • Improve the results of employee satisfaction survey • Increase opportunities of leadership training

17. Action PlanUnintended Findings: Strategies • Develop: • the leadership competencies for classroom teacher leaders through training opportunities. • a required orientation program for all new FCPS employees that communicates: • overall mission of the school system. • the individual’s role within the mission. • organizational structure.

18. Action Plan Systemic Strategies • Create an advisory committee for each of the following three categories: • School–based Leadership • Administrative Leadership • Support Staff Leadership • The advisory committees will investigate a return on investment model and provide input and feedback.

19. Action Plan Systemic Strategies • Develop: • partnerships with local higher education institutions to collaborate on leadership development programs. • an MSDE course that provides leadership training for teachers who want to be better leaders in the classroom. • a position to organize and coordinate the development and the delivery of leadership development programs.

20. Action Plan Administrative Strategies • Develop: • and offer preparatory workshops for internal administrative applicant pool. • an internship program for teachers preparing to be assistant principals and for assistant principals preparing to be principals. • Continue study groups that analyze leadership theory and its impact student achievement. • Hire retired former principals to mentor new principals and assistant principals.

21. Action Plan Administrative Strategies • Combine the CASI induction programs for new assistant principals and principals. • develop a formal induction curriculum • Provide annual leadership training for all administrative personnel. • Align the leadership development program with a new administrative evaluation instrument. • Use the Maryland Standards for Instructional Leadership as a basis.

22. Action Plan School-Based Leadership Strategies • For SIT members, team leaders, department chairs etc., develop: • and/or update job descriptions. • job performance checklists. • an MSDE workshop course on effective school-based leadership techniques. • induction leadership training. • and provide annual training on performance expectations. • and provide annual leadership training.

23. Action Plan Support Staff Strategies • Provide: • leadership training during work hours or consider a means of compensation. • regular study opportunities that analyze leadership theory and its impact on student achievement. • Develop: • means of communicating training opportunities to notify all support staff. • an optional “future manager” workshops. • a formal induction program for support staff placed in positions of leadership.

24. Budget • Fully implemented: • Approximately $357,000.00 over four years • Everything but internships: • $97,000 FY07 • $20,000 FY08

25. Leaders are not born, they are made! Lombardi An opportunity to soar…… Leadership Development