Learning Forward
Equity and excellence in teaching and learning.
Professional learning for principals
April 2008
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In This Issue
ARTICLES
NSDC's standards provide building blocks to support principals throughout the year
As a new principal, Ann is overwhelmed with her responsibilities. Before accepting the appointment to become the principal of a large, urban elemen- tary school, Ann had served as an […]
4-stage process changes individuals and entire schools
In this time of changing school demographics and widening achievement gaps, developing cultural proficiency is an essential step for teachers. But what is the process for leading teachers through this transformative journey?
Raise the level of conversation by using paraphrasing as a listening skill
I’ve just left Rome, and though I spoke through a translator, I am very clear that emotion was being expressed in the room. Just as E.E. Cummings knew that feeling is integral to relationships, we know that the expression and recognition of feelings is a major factor in conversational competence. This column explores the importance of expressing feeling and thinking.
Examine your practice
Principals are required to lead in a variety of domains. Fortunately, several tools are available to use as self-assessments or in group learning situations. Innovation configuration maps (ICs) are tools […]
The learning school: A clear vision leads to results
Ensuring high-quality learning results for students begins with providing high-quality learning for the adults who work with those students. This has been NSDC’s message for many years. The NSDC Board of Trustees put an exclamation point on that message when it endorsed a new purpose last summer.
System change can take education goals from fantasy to reality
As Congress considers reauthorization of No Child Left Behind (NCLB), schools again stand at the center of the accountability movement. Most states have spent significant time, energy, and resources to develop accountability systems that explicitly define what students are expected to learn at each grade level and how this learning will be measured. Educators are working hard on the challenge of helping all kids learn, but a recent study comparing test results from 12 states with National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) results calls into question not only the rate of progress in closing the achievement gap, but whether states are lowering the bar for passing state tests. In some states, the disparity between state and NAEP results actually widened from 2002 to 2006 (Olson, 2007).
A personal moment leads to professional awakening
This morning, Harry wept as I dropped him off at kindergarten. These were not just garden variety, “Mommy, I want to stay with you, but I’ll try to be brave” […]
Practicing professionals
Richard F. Elmore: “We’ve paid a fairly high price for being casual about how to organize for high-quality instruction.”
10 rungs to proficiency
In the Washoe County School District (WCSD), in Reno, Nev., school leaders climb a steep ladder from the moment they contemplate a career in administration. Fortunately, they are supported at […]
Side-by-side
Two key insights guide Rhode Island’s work to support principals. First, leaders at all experience levels need support from a network of colleagues. Second, leaders grow when they work with colleagues of diverse experience levels. That led Rhode Island to create a continuum of support that enables principals to address their learning needs through networks that are immersed in authentic experiences and framed by standards, protocols, and structures that allow leaders to learn from each other’s expertise. education advocacy organization, created the Principal Residency Network (PRN), an alternative preparation program in Rhode Island to respond to the need for a new breed of school leaders. PRN’s mission is to develop a cadre of principals who champion educational reform through leadership of innovative schools focused on student achievement and personal growth. Aspiring principals, selected
Guiding hand
Whether by design or by chance, superintendents communicate their beliefs about what is important educationally and the roles they expect their principals to fulfill. Superintendents who champion the development of their principals as instructional leaders begin by establishing common understandings with them about why principals’ instructional leadership is necessary for school success. They reinforce this by actively providing support for their principals to develop and refine their effectiveness as instructional leaders.
Boston structures supports school leaders
Bettie Nolan began her career in public health administration as a high school nurse in Boston Public Schools. After witnessing the challenging experiences of many adolescents, particularly pregnant teens, she […]
A winding path
Is this a familiar image from not so long ago? Principals manage schools, ensuring that nothing interrupts business as usual. They spend little time on instruction. A good principal is the one who works in a high-achieving school that has no significant management problems. Districts celebrate improved student results by recognizing an outstanding crop of students, rarely pointing to the quality of teaching in a school. Before accountability reached Tucson (Ariz.) Unified School District in 2003, we embodied this image.
When hearts meet minds
Ask almost any principal why he or she feels called to this vocation. Why select a leadership role with endless demands and a relentless pace? The principal will tell you that he or she took on this daunting task to make a positive impact on the lives and education of children, to be an instructional leader. This is a noble goal that is all too soon mired in the realities of school management. The job becomes one that may only be focused erratically on leading instruction.
On the edge
Here is my challenge to school leaders, staff developers, and all who care about public education and the students it is meant to serve: We must go beyond helping educators become better at doing their jobs — as important as that is — and support them in becoming agents of institutional change. It is no longer enough for professionals to do their work well.
Leading with passion and principles
Stephanie Hirsh and Joellen Killion open their book The Learning Educator: A New Era For Professional Learning (NSDC, 2007, p.11) with these words as they outline a set of eight […]
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