Reflection on District Improvement Plan

Throughout my internship I have been involved in many activities that not only gave me a variety of experience and insight, but also contributed to the development and progress of the school district. One of those activities was taking part in the district improvement plan this year.

It is imperative for districts to engage in a needs assessment activity or activities to review the data and ultimately the needs of the district/campus. As part of the improvement team, we actually started with the District's mission statement and vision for the district. Once we had the school board approval, we then began to align the district improvement plan with the mission statement and the vision of the district to formulate the plan.

Throughout the planning process I have found some elements that have been imperative to designing an improvement plan. One is leadership. Our superintendent kept us focused and really brought the leadership team and the school board together to begin the improvement process. Another essential element is having the goal in mind when you begin the process. By beginning with the mission statement and the vision, we were able to design the improvement plan with the target in mind or what we wanted to accomplish as a district. Essential to any good plan is follow-through and having great principals to communicate the plan to their campuses has been and is instrumental. Receiving input all along the way keeps the effort focused and brings unforeseen issues to the forefront.

The internship has been invaluable as far as the experience I have received, but also for the insight into the "inner workings" of a school district.

C.A.R.E Model

CARE Model Analysis of District/Campus Improvement Initiatives

Concerns – Review your participation in improvement initiatives or efforts to engage in action research, and list at least three concerns that you have identified from these experiences – a concern may be any matter that engages your attention or interest.

• ·      The district must find a method or methods to communicate the disctrict’s vision to the community and stakeholders.
• ·      The district must make improvements in the hispanic population’s scores on STAAR/TAKS testing.
• ·      The district must make improvements in all students’ performance on STAAR/TAKS testing.

Affirmations - Review your participation in improvement initiatives or efforts to engage in action research, and affirm or identify at least 3 actions that must be sustained and supported to achieve the District/Campus improvement initiatives.

• ·      Continue to investigate and use tools to communicate withing the community and school district.
• ·      A disctrict wide initiative to target areas of concern with hispanic students.
• ·      A district wide disaggregation of the data to target areas of concern within our students and investigate methods to address those areas of growth on the campus level.

Recommendations - Review your participation in improvement initiatives or efforts to engage in action research and describe at least 3 recommendations you would make regarding the District/Campus Improvement plans or action research plans.

• ·      Create a district communication plan that includes media outlets within the district, as well as current digital outlets used already in the district.
• ·      Expanding on the adult ESL classes that are offered in the district to create more parent involvement. Create a partnership with Hispanic parents and perhaps even employ a liasion person to involve more Hispanic families in the schools.
• ·      Create a data committee comprised of members from each campus to find the areas of growth and devise a plan to target these areas on the respective campuses.

Evaluate - Review your participation in improvement initiatives or efforts to engage in action research and identify at least 3 strategies for evaluating the improvement plans or recommendations.

• ·      Expand the current surveys to include members of the community to evaluate the effectiveness of our communication procedures.
• ·      Keep data on the increased involvement of Hispanic parents, as well as reviewing the data of Hispanic test scores to evaluate the effectiveness of the program.
• ·      Review bench mark data at regular intervals to ensure that the target areas are being addressed and that progress is being made. 

Superintendent Competency Review

Domain I—Leadership of the Educational Community – Competencies 1 - 4

Competency 1 Area:

The superintendent knows how to act with integrity, fairness, and in an ethical manner in order to promote the success of all students.

Acting with integrity, fairness and ethics is crucial for a superintendent because just one “unfair” decision or a lack of judgement that compromises integrity will prove to be detrimental as the community and school staff will lose confidence in the superintendent.  Activities 29, 30, 31, 32, and 33 all addressed Competency 1. I assisted the superintendent in redesigning our current evaluation tool for administrators. The evaluation instrument keeps the playing field level without any bias built in.  I interviewed a retired principal from our district that spoke of treating everyone fairly, which does not always mean treating everyone the same, but treating them according to their needs. It is important to never stray from policy as once you start making exceptions, you become “unfair”.

My staff recently completed a survey and the results demonstrate that I do what I tell them I am going to do. (#31)

Competency 2 Area:

The superintendent knows how to shape district culture by facilitating the development, articulation, implementation, and stewardship of a vision of learning that is shared and supported by the educational community.

My activity #1 specifically addressed this competency as I was part of the leadership team that analyzed the mission statement and vision statement and made alterations that fit our district better.  I attended the board meeting when the board members approved the new vision and mission statements, which was reflected in the community newspaper the next week.

Competency 3 Area:

The superintendent knows how to communicate and collaborate with families and community members, respond to diverse community interests and needs, and mobilize community resources to ensure educational success for all students.

Activity 25 was the interview with the Assistant Superintendent where we discussed the various means of communication to and from the public as as our public relations policy. The school district maintains a website that keeps the community informed of the various activites going on at the campuses and within the school district. The district also employs the use of a phone system that we use to inform parents of different events and/or emergencies within the district. All campuses instituted the use of Facebook and Twitter for to communicate with parents. The superintendent began writing a blog at the beginning of the school year and it has been very effective at answering many community members’ questions as the year has progressed. Our superintendent is very good about meeting the public, returning calls and answering email.

Competency 4 Area:

The superintendent knows how to respond to and influence the larger political, social, economic, legal, and cultural context, including working with the board of trustees, to achieve the district's educational vision.

As part of Activity 33, I have attended every board meeting this year and have learned a great deal from our superintendent. The superintendent always provides more than adequate information related to items that are on the agenda and maintains “transparency” with the school board and the community.  He is very cordial to the local media that are always present which has benefited the district with the positive coverage we get.

DOMAIN II—INSTRUCTIONAL LEADERSHIP – COMPETENCIES 5 - 7

Competency 5 Area:

The superintendent knows how to facilitate the planning and implementation of strategic plans that enhance teaching and learning; ensure alignment among curriculum, curriculum resources, and assessment; use the current accountability system; and promote the use of varied assessments to measure student performance.

As part of Activity #34, I met the Special Education Director to discuss IDEA requirements and responsibilites that I have as a principal. As a former special education teacher, I for the most part, knew the requirements associated with IDEA and strive to ensure that we are always in compliance on my campus. The difficulty is that the requirements and terminology change enough that we are not always notified or aware of those changes.

Competency 6 Area:

The superintendent knows how to advocate, promote, and sustain an instructional program and a district culture that are conducive to student learning and staff professional growth.

Activity #11 was the process of observing the use of technology in the lab within the district. The impact of the technology greatly depended on the teacher and their comfort level and understanding of the technology and the applications to the classroom. Some teacher simply used the technology as a means to transmit knowledge which those teachers that were more adept actually integrated the technology into the lesson where it was more than just a delivery device.

Competency 7 Area:

The superintendent knows how to implement a staff evaluation and development system and select appropriate models for supervision and staff development to improve the performance of all staff members.

I surveyed a broad spectrum of teachers to elicit recommendations for more effective and relevant professional development as part of activity #14. Most teachers asked for more training in the areas of technology and diverse learning communities. As our campus increases the use of technology as well as the number of devices on our campus, teachers are seeing the need and asking for more training to be more effective with their students. As a superintendent it is important to realize the needs of the staff as related to student performance.

DOMAIN III—ADMINISTRATIVE LEADERSHIP – COMPETENCIES 8 – 10

Competency 8 Area:

The superintendent knows how to apply principles of effective leadership and management in relation to district budgeting, personnel, resource utilization, financial management, and technology application.

Activity #24 was the interview of the district financial officer to get a better understanding of the budgeting process and this area is not only complex, but very vast. Upon further interview with the superintendent, he broke it down by saying “one had better overestimate projected expenditures and underestimate projected revenues. If you do this you should keep the district out of trouble”. This was a very elementary way to explain it, but the principle is sound.

Competency 9 Area:

The superintendent knows how to apply principles of leadership and management to the district's physical plant and support systems to ensure a safe and effective learning environment.

Activity # 20 had me to meet with the Director of Maintenance for the school district. He explained the basic roles and responsibilities in his position. His responsibilities are also vast and every aspect of the physical plant falls under his job description. It is important as a Superintendent to understand the role of the Maintenance Director as the operation of the physical plant and support systems are crucial to school operations.

Competency 10 Area:

The superintendent knows how to apply organizational, decision-making, and problem-solving skills to comply with federal and state requirements and facilitate positive change in varied contexts.

Activity #35 was dealing with issue and conflict resolution. I met with two parties ( a teacher and a parent) over an issue to attempt to resolve the problem. Both parties stated their view of the issue and the associated problems and we worked over several meetings to establish an acceptable resolution. Conflict resolution skills are vital when assuming the role of a superintendent as conflicts do and will occur. 

JOB ENTRY PLAN

JOB ENTRY PLAN

First Day Plan

Goal: To meet central office personnel and to understand everyone’s job function.

Objective: To get an understanding and feel of the district level leadership and support.

My first day as a central office administrator would entail introducing myself with all employees in central office and spedning a few minutes getting to know them and to understand in general, the job duties and functions of everyone.  I would also spend the day getting my office and desk organized, as well as collecting the data I will need to administer my duties.

First Week Plan

Goal: To meet all campus level administrators.

Objective: To discuss the needs and goals of campus level administrators.

My first week in my new position would be spent with campus principals, assistant principals and other campus leadership personnel, discussing the needs of each campus, the challenges each campus faces and the overall goals and objectives.

First Month Plan

Goal: To review all district data to determine the present levels of student performance. Review all campus plans to determine the objectives and goals of each campus and the degree of community and parent involvment.

Objective: To determine where each campus is currently performing, what progress is expected for the next year and determine what areas may or may not be a challenge.

Reviewing district data with principals and other district level administrators during the first month in a new position would give me a good idea where the district stands and where the district is headed. Determining the degree of parent and community involvement is important to see if that is an area of growth.

First Year Plan

Goal: To review all district data for the year to determine if progress has been made, and to what degree.

Objective: To determine what programs are being effective and what programs need to be altered or eliminated.

Reviewing the data for the year will provide an indicator as to what degree of success the district has made and what changes, additions or removals of programs need to be implemented. 

Career and Leadership Goals

CAREER GOALS

            As of this writing, I am not certain of my ultimate career goal, other than to say that I want to be in a leadership role within the school system. I am currently a principal and desire to move into a position that can influence the entire district. I enjoy the human resources department as I feel it is a strength for me and I feel that it is very important to find the right fit in a school system to ensure that our students get the very best educators available to them.

            I am also considering the position of an assistant superintendent to assist in running the school district before taking on the role of superintendent, if that opportunity became available to me.  I believe it is necessary to become at the very least exposed to various positions in central leadership to truly understand the dynamics of leading a school district.

LEADERSHIP GOALS

I originally became a school administrator because I believed I could make a difference in the school settings and at least in part assist in developing teachers to become better which would ultimately lead to student success. I still feel that way today and is the reason I continue to pursue higher leadership roles and education.

I hope to eventually achieve a district leadership role that will enable me to truly influence a district and perhaps a community as this is a very exciting time in Texas public education. Changes must occur in our school districts to truly engage our students and I hope I can influence that change.

The education needs related to the superintendency is vast and I know I cannot learn and achieve all the skills and knowledge from this class to prepare me for every situation that may arise, but from the internship, I feel that I have a good foundation for the position. The personal needs that underlie my motivation is the desire to do something with my life that truly matters and hopefully leaving a legacy that my children can be proud of. 

Superintendent Assessment

Superintendent Assessment

The self assessment of the Superintendent competencies was a vital exercise to determine the areas of strengths and areas of growth as I enter the final phase of the course. As I revisit this assessment, it reinforces the areas that I need to spend more time on.

Competency 1 Area:

The superintendent knows how to act with integrity, fairness, and in an ethical manner in order to promote the success of all students.

Competency 1 is an area of strength as I strive to maintain integrity and fairness in all that I do for the students. I have led in-service sessions on the code of ethics for educators within the district.

Competency 2 Area:

The superintendent knows how to shape district culture by facilitating the development, articulation, implementation, and stewardship of a vision of learning that is shared and supported by the educational community.

Competency 2 is also a strength and competency area for me as I have been involved with the district leaderership team and the school board to develop a new vision and mission statement for the district and to communicate that vision into the community.

Competency 3 Area:

The superintendent knows how to communicate and collaborate with families and community members, respond to diverse community interests and needs, and mobilize community resources to ensure educational success for all students.

This competency is one that I feel confident in as part of my present positon I spend a large amount of time communicating with families and community members in a very diverse community.

Competency 4 Area:

The superintendent knows how to respond to and influence the larger political, social, economic, legal, and cultural context, including working with the board of trustees, to achieve the district's educational vision.

            Competency 4 is one that I feel confident in, but will need more experience actually working with school board members before this competency becomes a strength for me.

Competency 5 Area:

The superintendent knows how to facilitate the planning and implementation of strategic plans that enhance teaching and learning; ensure alignment among curriculum, curriculum resources, and assessment; use the current accountability system; and promote the use of varied assessments to measure student performance.

            Competency 5 is an area that I feel confident in, but do not have the experience or exposure across all grade levels to consider this competency a strength for me.

Competency 6 Area:

The superintendent knows how to advocate, promote, and sustain an instructional program and a district culture that are conducive to student learning and staff professional growth.

            While I feel that areas of this competency are strengths for me, I mostly feel confident with this competency as I have not had the experience of advocating and promoting across the entire district.

Competency 7 Area:

The superintendent knows how to implement a staff evaluation and development system and select appropriate models for supervision and staff development to improve the performance of all staff members.

            The competency of a staff evaluation and development system is a strength area for me all that are areas that I certainly need more experience. I have been evaluating and developing personnel for the past seven years and believe I can transition to the district level easily.

Competency 8 Area:

The superintendent knows how to apply principles of effective leadership and management in relation to district budgeting, personnel, resource utilization, financial management, and technology application.

            Before beginning the superintendent program, I realized that the area of finance and budget was an area of growth for me and this is still the case. I will have to gain actual experience in this area at the superintendent level before I will feel comfortable enough to say that I truly understand it all and can call it a strength for me.

Competency 9 Area:

The superintendent knows how to apply principles of leadership and management to the district's physical plant and support systems to ensure a safe and effective learning environment.

            The competency involving the district’s physical plant is one that I feel competent in, but certainly do not feel that is a strength for me, as I haven’t had actual experience with district structures and support systems.

Competency 10 Area:

The superintendent knows how to apply organizational, decision-making, and problem-solving skills to comply with federal and state requirements and facilitate positive change in varied contexts.

            This competency is a strength area for me as it is applying instructional leadership to the district level which is just an extension to what I am currently doing on the campus level. I realize the magnitude but feel confident of the transfer of learing/experience.