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Resources:
Resources:
November 19, 2025:
November 19, 2025:
James Whitcomb Riley School 43 - Ms. Crishell Sam
James Whitcomb Riley School 43 - Ms. Crishell Sam
Leading for High Quality Instruction
Leading for High Quality Instruction
The November session focused on the critical relationship between instructional leadership and student achievement. The core goal was to ensure all leaders could identify, plan for, and build High Quality Instruction (HQI) in every classroom.
The session covered three main areas:
Defining the Bar for HQI (Calibration): Leaders participated in calibration activities to develop a shared, common understanding of what high-quality instruction looks and sounds like according to the IPS instructional indicators. In addition to visiting classrooms at James Whitcomb Riley School 43, they used video observations of actual teaching (focused on Indicators 3a, 3b, and 3c) to discuss whether the educator established high expectations in the classroom. Ms. Crishell Sam also shared more about her leadership journey and the journey JWR 43 undertook as they became a Visual and Performing Arts School.
Leading Effective Planning Meetings: The session provided practical strategies, adapted from Paul Bambrick-Santoyo's Leverage Leadership, for running productive planning meetings. The focus was on instructional leaders acting as the "zoom button" for teachers—providing both the big-picture curriculum view and the 200% up-close lesson detail—to ensure the "what" you teach is as intentional as the "how" you teach.
Self-Management for Leaders (EQ 2.0): Leaders dove into the Self-Management domain of Emotional Intelligence. They explored strategies like Taking Control of Your Self-Talk and Visualizing Yourself Succeeding to maintain calm and make intentional choices, recognizing that a leader's emotional consistency directly influences school culture.
November Deliverables:
November Deliverables:
Aspiring Leaders were tasked with immediately applying their learning by:
Developing a plan to calibrate with key team members around effective instruction.
Creating a walkthrough tool based on the criteria for high-quality instruction to provide targeted feedback.
Reflecting on the Essential Question: "What does a classroom with high expectations look like?"
October 29th, 2025
October 29th, 2025
John Morton Finney with Sean Henseleit
"Leading with Data"
Key Takeaways and Overview:
Key Takeaways and Overview:
Our leaders completed a high-impact session on data-driven instruction, successfully shifting their focus to building a genuine Culture of Data Inquiry. They mastered the Four Key Principles of effective data use: creating rigorous Assessment, performing critical Analysis, ensuring targeted Action through re-teaching, and establishing a thriving data Culture. This work, informed by a district data review, ensures every leader can leverage data to drive equitable outcomes for all students.
The session also reinforced the importance of the leader's foundation by focusing on Emotional Intelligence (EQ) Self-Awareness. Leaders explored practical strategies to recognize emotional patterns, identify stress triggers, and ultimately, see their emotions as valuable information. The day concluded with the 3 Cs Action Plan (Commit, Connect, Conduct), turning new self-awareness into concrete, measurable steps for continuous professional growth.
Next Steps & Deliverables (Due Prior to the November Session):
Next Steps & Deliverables (Due Prior to the November Session):
Develop a plan to analyze school level data to ensure all subgroups have access to high quality instruction.
Gather evidence of implementation of data analysis plan (first step)
Reflect on the essential questions posed during this session and post to your Google site.
How have you used data to create urgency around student needs and to support problem solving to develop strategies for addressing deficits in outcomes?
How have teachers been encouraged/trained to leverage data to inform instruction?
Complete unfinished past work
Ongoing Deliverables:
Refine personal leadership philosophy and upload to your personal Google site.
Refine and upload the Word version of your leadership story to your Google site.
Connect with the Coach Racquel
Connect with your EQ accountability partner
September 24, 2025
September 24, 2025
Butler Lab at William Bell #60 with Heidi Wilson
"Leading with Vision," was a full-day experience designed to build a critical foundation for effective leadership. Participants explored three core areas—Vision, Communication, and Emotional Intelligence—to prepare them to lead with clarity and confidence.
Key Takeaways and Focus Areas:
Key Takeaways and Focus Areas:
Establishing Foundational Vision (The Why & The What):
Personal Philosophy: Participants worked to articulate their core values and beliefs, translating them into a clear Leadership Philosophy.
Leadership Story: Leaders began drafting their authentic Leadership Story, connecting personal experience to their professional purpose.
Instructional Vision: The session culminated in developing a draft Instructional Vision—a concrete, standards-based statement outlining what high-quality teaching and learning looks like on their campus.
Mastering Crucial Conversations:
Dialogue Tools: Leaders were equipped with the Crucial Conversations Model to handle high-stakes, emotional, and opposing-opinion scenarios.
Safety First: The importance of establishing Mutual Purpose and Mutual Respect to maintain safety and keep people in dialogue was emphasized.
STATE Your Path: Participants learned the STATE framework (Share facts, Tell story, Ask, Talk tentatively, Encourage testing) for clearly and tentatively communicating their views.
Building Emotional Intelligence (EQ):
Neuroplasticity of Change: The science behind emotional change was reviewed, focusing on how repetition strengthens new pathways to replace old reactions.
EQ Action Plan: Participants received a 6-step framework to transition EQ insights into daily habits, including selecting strategies and identifying an EQ Mentor for accountability.
Next Steps & Deliverables (Due Prior to the October Session):
Next Steps & Deliverables (Due Prior to the October Session):
All participants should focus on refining and finalizing these deliverables:
Record and Upload your Leadership Story
Complete any previous uncompleted tasks
September Success Measure Reflection question on your google site
Draft your Instructional Vision.
Complete your Crucial Conversations template and have the conversation.
Develop your EQ Action Plan.
Schedule your first Accountability Partner Meeting.
Sept 24 - Leading with Vision.pdfAugust 27, 2025
August 27, 2025
Broad Ripple Middle School with Jeremy Baugh
We kicked off the first session of the IPS Aspiring Leadership Academy, a program designed to empower educators to take the next step in their leadership journey. Our session focused on, "Learning to Lead" where we dove deep into the importance of a personal leadership philosophy.
Participants explored their "why," drafted a personal leadership philosophy, and reflected on the experiences and values that have shaped them as leaders. We discussed how a personal philosophy can enhance collaboration, reinforce core values, and provide a clearer pathway to leadership.
Jeremy Baugh and his team at Broad Ripple Middle School hosted our Aspiring Leaders. Mr. Baugh shared his leadership story and how experiences, mentors, transparency, and systems have supported his leadership.
Research shows that school principals are second only to teachers as the most influential school-level factor in student achievement. This program aims to build a bench of qualified and prepared leaders with the competencies necessary to empower and prepare them for their next career steps. We are excited to see the impact these aspiring leaders will make in our schools!
Next Steps:
Next Steps:
Please take the Emotional Intelligence 2.0 Assessment; Once completed, please upload your EQ report to the following google folder with your name on the folder.
Make sure you have scheduled your coaching session with Raquel Harris for September. During this session Raquel will review and provide feedback around your leadership story. It would be helpful to have your EQ assessment uploaded to the folder prior to your coaching session.
Leadership philosophy
Leadership story
Your August Success Measure Reflection question on your google site:
How does your leadership story influence and impact your leadership?
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