EDLD 5333 Leadership for Accountability

This course provided me with a clearer understanding of how campus improvement works and does not work. I have to remember that the continuous campus improvement cycle is a series of “predictable periods of significant improvement, followed by periods of relevant stasis or decline, followed again by periods of improvement” (Elmore & City, 2007). There needs to be continuous professional development, clear two way communication, consensus among stakeholders, and a campus that functions as a structured professional learning community.

The principal has to ensure that there is time and money allotted for teachers to participate in adequate professional development that includes a follow-up component. The SBDT has to select professional development opportunities the same way a teacher has plan a lesson. Professional Development opportunities should be chosen with the desired result in mind. According to Joyce and Showers (2002), by providing teachers with the knowledge and theory, modeling, practice, and peer coaching teachers are more likely to utilize strategies presented in professional development (p.3). The SBDM team has to use the specified evaluation criteria to determine if current professional development opportunities are producing the desired results of improved student performance.

While state test are only once a year the SBDM team has to develop other indicators to determine if the school is on track at each milestone. A protocol must be "developed and implemented for examining and aligning current standards, creating common assessments, scoring student work by consensus, and planning changes based on information gathered in this process" (Fisher & Frey, 2007, p. 121). A pacing guide along with common assessments and structured analytical collaboration will allow schools to check student understanding on a continual basis before yearly high stakes testing.

All stakeholders should be informed about the improvement progress. I am astonished to find that there is a legal requirement for schools to reach out to parents and involve them in the school improvement process. The SBDM will reach out to the staff for assistance in formulating new ways to involve parents and the business community in school improvement. Little things such as offering GED, internet safety, or computer classes at the school at night for parents that lack the necessary education or skill to meet the demands of the 21st century job market would be a great way for the school to educate parents about what the school offers their child. If the parents see a value in the education provided at school they will encourage their children to do homework, attend school, and be an advocate for the school in the community.

At the school where I currently teach, parental involvement is very limited. After completing this course I began working with my colleagues to develop ways to get parents involved. We have reached out to the PTA to hold a workshop on online safety, that will take place April 2011. I recently completed a proposal to work with the campus librarian to create a library website, which has the potential to expand to a school website. Opening the lines of communication and reaching out to parents is an ongoing process that must be maintained to foster improvement.

The effectiveness of the campus improvement cycle has a lot to do with the culture of the school. Each meeting should have at least one item on the agenda focused on analyzing the effectiveness of the improvement strategies. The principal must continue to fund the collaborative time, the mentors, the peer coaching, and the ongoing professional development to ensure improvement.

Elmore, R. F., & City, E. A. (2007). The road to school improvement. Harvard Education Letter, 23(3), 1-3.

Fisher, D., & Frey, N. (2007). Using Common Assessments and Consensus Scoring to Check for Understanding. In Checking for understanding: formative assessment techniques for your classroom (pp. 120-124). Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Joyce, B., & Showers, B. (2003). Student achievement through staff development. National College for School Leadership, 1-5. Retrieved from http://forms.ncsl.org.uk/mediastore/image2/randd-engaged-joyce.pdf