Leader of Learning

The Principals Role as a Leader of Learning -Critical Element Paper #4 Presented to the Department of Educational Leadership And Postsecondary Education University of Northern Iowa -In Partial Fulfillment Of the requirements for the Master of Arts in Education -By Melody Oswald Davenport Central High Davenport, IA February 15, 2014 -Dr. DeWitt Jones

Leader of Learning

According to Leithwood, Louis, Anderson, and Wahlstrom, leadership is described as providing direction and exercising influence. (p. 20). Leaders of learning need to be resultsorientated and intensely focused on nondiscretionary goals. Dufour and Marzano (2011) also suggest that the principal should be held accountable, but appeal directly to the emotions of others such as the students, parents, and the community. Paying attention to the human heart is the principals first and foremost important act of leadership. The best educational leaders love the work they do, the purpose they serve, and the people they lead and serve. It is almost as if the leader has a calling or a cause, rather than a job. (p. 193). Robert Greenleaf (2003) differentiated between what he called leader-first leaders and servant-first leaders. The servant-first leader begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve and to make sure that others highest priorities are met. (p. 33). Charlie Driscoll is a servant-first leader. Charlie was the principal of Jefferson Elementary school in Davenport. Jefferson Elementary is an inner city school that had 90% of students using free and reduced lunches. He rejected the idea that demographics would deny his students the same opportunities that others had in the school district. Charlie was dedicated to the students academic achievements, as well as their futures. He organized local events to bring families and the community to engage with people such as Shaquille ONeils mom, Lucille. She spoke to the community about how she raised her children alone in poverty. Another event Charlie organized was bringing Judge Judy to talk to the families about being the Tough Love parent. Other activities included monthly family events that focused on learning opportunities for the families. When leaders become involved with their students and families, great things can happen.

Leader of Learning

In the past, researchers and theorists believed that principal leadership had little to do with student achievement. Dufour et.al. shows that the average correlation in sixty-nine studies conducted from 1978 to 2001 in the United States indicated that principal leadership has a significant and positive relationship with student achievement. (p. 48) Marzano and other researchers argued that improving teaching is the prime factor that produces student achievement gains. (p.55) The Wallace Foundation (2013) suggests that in a 2010 survey, school and district administrators, policymakers, and others declared principal leadership among the most pressing matters on a list of issues in public education. (p. 5). Douglas Reeves (2006) stated that being the leader of learning is about changes in teaching, leadership, and learning. Reeves research shows that it is possible to improve learning anywhere with remarkable leadership at all levels. Schools in Norfolk, Virginia and Wayne Township, Indiana had 90% free and reduced meals and 90% minority. But, 90% met or exceeded the state academic standards. The demographics stayed the same, but the student achievement improved. (p. 80) According to Reeves (2006), leadership needs to be distributed. The trends in schools with the greatest gains in achievement embrace holistic accountability, use common assessments, include consistent non-fiction writing assessments in every subject and immediate and decisive intervention. Successful schools do not give second thoughts to any of these attributes, but to enforce them, they needed to change schedules, require homework supervision, and double classes for literacy and mathall of which are supported by the leader of learning. (p. 83) Principal leaders must create the conditions for effective schooling. The more skilled the principal, the more learning can be expected among the students. Research now supports what practitioners have known for decades: powerful school leadership on the part of the principal has a positive effect on student achievement. The Wallace Foundation (2013) stated that leadership

Leader of Learning

is second only to classroom instruction among school-related factors that influences student learning in school. (p. 6). Principals affect teacher actions in the classroom, which affects student achievement. There are 21 actions or responsibilities as stated by Marzano, Water, and McNulty (2005) that will have a positive influence on what teachers do. Some of the twenty-one responsibilities of being a leader are identified by Dufour et.al. as: demonstrating flexibility, providing affirmation and celebration of staff effort and achievement, challenging the status quo as a change agent, having effective communication, and focusing on clear goals while pursuing the schools purpose and priorities. (p. 53) Leithwood et al. states that most of the 21 specific leadership practices are linked to student learning within these categories. (p. 23) As a principal, it is difficult to be in the classroom daily, but the influence the principal can have on teachers and students can be very positive where achievement is concerned. Research from Dufour et.al. shows that teachers are in isolation and insulation too often. It does not foster individual teacher growth and school improvement. The Professional Learning Communities (PLC) process is specifically designed to alter this dynamic by changing the traditional practices of schooling. Principals can visit teams instead of individuals for focused interactions between principals and teachers. The leader of learning must create and support a culture of strong professional learning communities. (p. 51) Some leaders of learning may offer incentives for individual teachers to enhance their skills by offering the teachers workshops or graduate courses. (p. 66) School-level factors other than leadership that explain variation in student achievement include school mission and goals, culture, participation in decision making, and relationships with parents and the wider community. (p.23)

Leader of Learning

The Iowa Standards for School Leaders (ISSL) requires principals to be leaders of learning. ISSL One states that the leader promotes the success of all students by implementing a vision of learning. Reeves states that effective leadership requires a continuous engagement in moving individuals and organizations from their present state to the leaders vision of an ideal state, and the movement requires change. I am participating in the IS3 committee with parents, administrators, student leaders, and other teachers. Presented by the Department of Education, I attended a two day conference which included having a safe environment for the students to be in daily when they come to school for learning or extracurricular activities. The standard of educational leadership through advocating, nurturing, and sustaining a school culture for student learning and staff professional development is linked to ISSL Two. Research from the Wallace foundation suggests that effective leadership has a profound and direct impact on student achievement through Professional Learning Communities. (p. 11) I have been involved with the PLC process in my district. I have taken additional training regarding data teams and the effect they have on student achievement. The training has included writing effective goals and evaluating pre and post assessments for clarity of achievement. Being the leader of my data team has been instrumental in demonstrating my strengths as a leader. Requiring the leader to ensure management of the school operations for a safe, efficient, and effective learning environment is under ISSL Three. The leader is also to have the responsibility to recruit, select, and retain staff to support quality education. Dufour et.al, states that the best way to improve student achievement is to focus on developing the knowledge and skills of individual teachers. The leader needs to supervise and evaluate teachers into better performers, dedicating more time through classroom observations. (p. 66) I have received

Leader of Learning

training to be a district mentor through Iowas Journey to Excellence program. I believe that if the new teachers are comfortable and can receive proper feedback and support, they will be able to implement the learning of their students more effectively. Being on the interview team for hiring potential teachers has been invaluable to me. I observed the potential teachers and got a feel for what type of teacher they would be from their experience and personal interests. One of the most fulfilling projects I have done is to be on a district-wide committee to discuss the bell schedule mandated by the state. The superintendent invited me to sit on the committee with the associate superintendents, building administrators, and the human resource director. We discussed whether we were going to go to the 180 day reporting or the 1080 hours of reporting for the State of Iowa. I volunteered to do some research to learn what the other UEN schools were doing regarding bell schedules. I really enjoyed being part of a district project. The Associate Superintendent, human resource director, and I presented the findings and our recommendations to our school board for approval. The ISSL standards Four, Five and Six include families and the community in the education of our children. The leader must also have ethical behavior. Reeves states that leaders can make changes invigorating, exciting, and motivating, while providing a continuous stream of feedback that will help communicate the benefits of change. Change never gets easier, but sometimes it needs to happen. Working in the administrators offices has been another area to increase my skills as a leader. Since completing my internship hours, I have continued to spend an hour and a half daily assisting the administrators with issues regarding students, teachers, staff, and parents. This has helped to expand my knowledge of the leadership roles in which I take steps independently to seek out projects that will impact student learning. My mentors Cathy and Charliehave provided a continuous support system to help shape me in becoming a

Leader of Learning

leader of learning. I have observed, listened, assisted, and followed them wherever they go to learn everything and to gain the experience in becoming the best leader possible.

Leader of Learning

References DeFour, R., Marzano, R. J. (2011). Leaders of Learning: How District, School, and classroom Leaders Improve Student Achievement. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press. Greenleaf, R. K., (2003) The Servant-Leader Within. Paulist Press. Leithwood, K., Seashore L.K., Anderson, S., & Wahlstrom, K. (2004). How Leadership Influences Student Learning. The Wallace Foundation, 1-68. Reeves, D. B. (2006). The Learning Leader: How to focus School Improvement for Better Results. Alexandria, VA: ASCD Publications. The School Principal As Leader: Guiding Schools to better teaching and learning. (2013). The Wallace Foundation, 1-25.