SISE Reflection

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The SISE Conference with Dr. Bowman was held on Wednesday May 2, 2012.  Dr. Bowman did not discuss any concerns. She felt that all of the activities were appropriately accomplished. We discussed some upcoming projects and the timelines for implementation. She then completed the SISE form and marked exceeds on each competency with comments listed to support her evaluation. The conference went well.  I look forward to my future in the district ,as I continue to gain a deeper perspective of public education.  The conference reinforced the importance of keeping your supervisor informed. Throughout this journey, Dr. Bowman and I have worked closely to ensure that activities were being completed according to the timelines we developed earlier in the year. Many of the projects were closely related to my current position which assisted me in developing a stronger understanding for the position.

Week Five Assignment, Part 1 and Part E of the Three Year Professional Development Plan

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Year One

Goal	TExES Competency and Domain	Objective (What do you want to improve?)	Course Work/Book/ Workshops (How do you want to improve?)	Mentor Professional Support (Who will help you improve?)	Date of Completion	Evaluations (How will you know you have improved?)
Observe the implementation of the district’s strategic planning	Domain 1 Competency 5	Facilitating the implementation of the strategic plan.	Attend workshops and webinars offered by Cambridge strategic Services	Dr. Lindsey Gunn Dr. Vickey Giles	5-1-13	By monitoring and evaluating the level of implementation of the strategic plan.
Implement TASA’s Transforming Schools Model	Domain 1 Competencies 2 and 6	Learn strategies to improve the quality of education delivered.	Attend the TASA Mission: School Transformation workshop	Dr. Vickey Giles Dr. Joan Bowman	4-1-13	Hold administrative workshops to begin the transformation process.

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Year Two

Goal	TExES Competency and Domain	Objective (What do you want to improve?)	Course Work/Book/ Workshops (How do you want to improve?)	Mentor Professional Support (Who will help you improve?)	Date of Completion	Evaluations (How will you know you have improved?)
Facilitate the ongoing study and best practice related to district wide RTI implementation	Domain II Competency 6	Improve knowledge of RTI process to develop leadership skills that ensure district wide consistency	(How do you want to improve?) Participate in the District Student Assistance Review Team	(Who will help you improve?) Kelly Sebastian	May 2014	Analysis of RTI referral data
Improve the evaluation tool for counselors or select a new one.	Domain 2 Competency 7	Provide consistency across campuses for the evaluation of school counselors.	Review evaluation tools from a variety of districts and from TEA.	Cindy Campbell	May 2014	A district adopted tool will be selected.

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Year Three

Goal	TExES Competency and Domain	Objective (What do you want to improve?)	Course Work/Book/ Workshops (How do you want to improve?)	Mentor Professional Support (Who will help you improve?)	Date of Completion	Evaluations (How will you know you have improved?)
Gain knowledge about the procedure for school facilities planning and construction	Domain  3 Competencies 8 and 9	Make renovations to the King High School auditorium.	TASBO workshops	SHW and RWS architects Larry Pfeifer	7-15-2015	Plans for the renovation will be developed.
Become proficient in developing staffing patterns for campuses and Central Office.	Domain 3 Competency 8	Ensure that campuses are properly staffed.	Mid- Winter TASA conference Personnel Meetings	Marna Harper	4-1-2015	A staffing model for campuses will be developed.

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In developing this 3 year plan, I am again reminded of the importance of having a roadmap to assist you in  getting to your destination. By reflecting on the activities throughout the courses I was able to identify areas for further growth. As the years pass, I am sure that the plan will morph to reflect the changing skill levels I have in each competency. As long as I can identify positive mentors in the field of education, I will have strong individuals to turn to and ask for guidance. Even for a superintendent it is important to identify these key people. Everyone needs a strong network to guide and assist them.

EDLD 5399 Week Four Assignment, Part 1

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Reflection is a type of learning that develops out of experience. It gives one an opportunity to evaluate their experiences and make judgments regarding their success and shortcomings. Many times we become bogged down in the actual experience not pausing to reflect on the actions that were taken. Reflection is a powerful learning tool. During the Lamar Principal’s Academy, Dr. Bob Thompson stressed the importance of reflection. This is a lesson I have not taken lightly.  I appreciate it when a leader takes the time to reflect on thier decsions and improve their leadership style as time passes.  This is the kind of leader I strive to be.  Although reflection is often personal, that does not mean it should always be private. Much is to be said for the individual who is willing to openly discuss their experiences and heed the advice of those around him. As I finish this course, I am reminided of the importance of reflection for the students who walk the halls of our school each day. Are we asking them to reflect? Are we giving them time?

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During the superintendent’s certification course, I have taken time to reflect on many assignments. The first that comes to mind is the comparison of the financial status of two school districts. This was an interesting assignment that reinforced the need for substantive change within the school finance system of Texas. The gap between the school district in regards to their target revenue was substantial.  Over the next few years, we will witness litigation over the way schools are currently funded. For the kids’ sake I hope we get it right.

Another assignment that was interesting, dealt with termination and non-renewals. This assignment provided the learner with an opportunity to familiarize themselves with the requirements and steps required to dismiss someone from the district who may be under contract.  This information has been invaluable. In my current position, having knowledge of DFBB is not enough. One must follow the policy precisely to ensure that each step is carried out in an appropriate order and within the timelines that are dictated.  From experience, I can state that the timelines are short and leave little time for preparation for a non-renewal hearing.

The development of a blog was one of the assignments that I was apprehensive about at first. However, as time progressed I came to enjoy posting information and pictures to my blog. I enjoyed reviewing the posts of other classmates and really looked forward to their comments. A blog is an easy way for a superintendent to brag about activities across a school district. It is easily accessible to most parents and can provide community members an avenue to see what is going on in a district in which they may not have children attending. What a great way to keep taxpayers informed.  

Sheldon I.S.D. Board of Trustees

Throughout the year, I have attended all of the board meeting and a couple of the board workshops as part of my campus supervised logs. Sheldon I.S.D. is fortunate to have a board that works together for the betterment of our schools. Although they do not agree at all times, they present a united front in public.  One of the biggest discussion points this past year has been the letter of support for the establishment of a foreign trade zone for 300 acres on a 3000 acre site. This discussion was mulled over for eight months with some deep discussions taking place. However, in the end the board worked together and made the decision that they felt was in the best interest of the students within the district. Watching the board approve and reject action items is interesting. Rarely is an item placed on the board agenda if it is not going to pass unanimously. The superintendent works very diligently to inform and determine the level of board support for an item before it is placed on the agenda.  This is a good routine for a superintendent to follow when developing board agendas.

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Another internship activity for my supervised logs was the development of a district strategic plan. During the strategic planning sessions, we used many discussions and small group activities to develop consensus. The important thing was not to rush to consensus. It must be built from the ground up. Often one group would feel strongly for the inclusion of an item while another group would want it omitted. Those items were tabled, while membership of the small groups was rearranged, then the item was brought out again for discussion. In reflection the steps were relatively simple. First, we posed a problem or an issue. Then we brainstormed in groups or individually to develop solutions. After solutions were posted on chart paper, we ranked the possible solutions and looked for areas that could be combined or eliminated. Then when we had a manageable list the items were ranked. We did not focus on money or time. We were simply looking at a plan to take us further than where we are now.  Once we had set the priorities, we took the goals to outside committees that developed action steps that would be approved by the original group.  Once all of this was completed, the plan was presented to the Board of Trustees by members of the community, parents, business partners and students to garner support while showing the comprehensive collaboration of the plan. I enjoyed this experience and will use many of the strategies in the future.
 

Reflecting on the assessments throughout the course has also been a valuable experience. I have been able to look closely to see how many of the questions are formatted to reflect the state competency test.  The tests often solidified my knowledge of a particular subject and forced me to reassess my strengths and weaknesses.

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In the future, I plan to continue to incorporate reflection as a learning tool. By identifying the need for reflection to be a purposeful activity that occurs regularly both privately and publicly one can ensure that reflection is useful.  During my internship, my attention was drawn to the ORID model of strategic thinking. This model can be effectively used for reflection.  It incorporates the following steps: Objective, Reflective positive, Reflective negative, Interpretive and Decisional.  This process gives one a place to start and a process to work through to strategically reflect on experiences. The same process can be utilized as a facilitation strategy during group projects.  One of the ways I plan to utilize reflection is to incorporate time into my calendar to go back into outlook and document the positives, negatives and items that are in need of change. This will assist to improve the planning of those items that reoccur as well as give information to build on for future projects.

For those reading this blog, I challenge you to watch the attached video. Perhaps it is time we actually reflect on how we provide public education. Is it time for a change?

RSA Animate - Changing Education Paradigms- Youtube

EDLD 5399 Week Three Assignment, Part 2

Describing Recommendations and District/Campus Improvement Initiative/Action Research Lessons Learned

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During this year’s internship activities, I had the opportunity to review campus and district improvement plans as well as attend a site based meeting on one of the campuses. These experiences coupled with serving as the internal coordinator for strategic planning provided me with valuable experiences and lessons on the development, implementation and monitoring that takes place throughout the planning process. These experiences have led me to make some recommendations for improving our current system of developing improvement plans within the school district.

The change process in the district needs to be one that is cohesive and reflects the overall mission and needs for the school district. Currently, the district improvement plan and the campus improvement plans are developed concurrently. This results in documents that at times are not aligned. Campuses often do not see the district improvement plan until after their campus plan is developed and approved by the school board.  The district should first work to develop a district improvement plan that is aligned to the strategic plan. After this is complete, the district improvement plan should be reviewed with campus principals and shared with campus staff. This process will allow the campus to align their campus plan to the district plan ensuring that all school are working on the district mission while still being reflective of individual campus goals.  Campuses could then develop departmental goals based on the campus plan.

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One of the greatest lessons learned came as a result of serving as the district’s internal coordinator for strategic planning. Through this process, led by Cambridge Strategic Planning, I was able to see firsthand how a district can develop a common vision with goals and objectives that are aligned to an agreed upon vision. Once the mission and goals were developed we created five distinct goals for the district. After this, we recruited action team leaders and formed committees with membership from across the district to develop action steps that could be implemented over the next five years. Seeing this process come to fruition when the final plan was presented to the school board was a rewarding experience. The presentation was done by a cross section of the community, business partners, students and staff that had been involved in the entire process. Witnessing a parent stand side by side with staff, in front of the school board, to express what they expected for their child with a plan that delineates the steps to achievement is what public education should be about.

The opportunities I have been given during my internship have developed my professional skills and an awareness of the functioning of the district as a whole. I am pleased to have completed these activities. As I look forward, it will be with a better understanding of school administration and an appreciation of where we can go.

EDLD 5399 Week Three Assignment, Part 1

CARE Model Analysis of District/Campus Improvement Initiatives or Action Research Plans

Please review your intern plan. In the first course, students were encouraged to engage in some action research, or participate in district or campus improvement initiatives. Each of you has had some experiences with such initiatives or action plans. Please review those experiences and complete the following analysis:

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.

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1. Lack of alignment between the district improvement plan and the campus improvement plans.
2. Lack of active parental participation on the site based teams.
3. Not enough emphasis and planning for improvement in Math.

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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.

1. Continue to monitor and share campus and district data.
2. Continue to staff campuses with instructional coaches.
3. Continue to support campuses with appropriate technology.

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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.

1. Spend more time on the development of the district Improvement plan and disseminate the final product to the campuses in a timely manner.
2. Align the district improvement plan to the district’s strategic plan when possible.
3. Provide training for all members of the site based decision making teams on roles and responsibilities, including:

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.

1. Review Campus plans to ensure that they properly address the ten components of Title 1 school-wide programs, which include

Comprehensive needs assessment	Instruction by highly qualified staff	Parental involvement	Effective, timely additional assistance	Attracting highly qualified staff
School wide reform strategies	Professional development	Transition from early childhood programs	Inclusion of teachers in the use of assessments	Coordination between programs

2. Develop a system to actively monitor the implementation of campus and district improvement plans that includes timelines and expected progress goals.
3. Compare the strategic plan, district improvement plan and campus plans to ensure alignment prior to Board approval.

EDLD 5399 – Job Entry Plan

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Goal(s)- We will provide engaging personalized learning experiences, including enrichment opportunities, that address the diverse needs of students.

 Objective(s)-

1.    We will develop a systematic plan to review and audit all district programs and initiatives every three to five years, based on their alignment to the Profiles of the Graduate and Employee.

2.    Provide professional development specifically designed to produce teacher leaders.

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3.    Create a classroom environment where technology is an accessible and natural part of the learning process.

4.    Develop Professional Learning Communities through a beginning of the year program that fosters best practice, classroom management, student-teacher relationships and the collection of data to drive year-long instruction.

Activities addressing goals and objectives-

First Day-

1.    Meet with the secretary.This is always a good place to start.

2.    Meet with Cabinet to investigate areas of strength and areas that need improvement.

3.    Discuss current professional development practices within the district.

4.    Investigate technology accessibility within the district.

5.    Meet with Central Office staff and survey them on things we do right and areas that need improvement.

First Week-

1.    Meet with Central Office Administrators to review current goals and objectives.

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2.    Review the district organizational chart.

3.    Meet with the High School Principal.

4.    Develop timelines for goal implementation.

5.    Investigate how programs are audited.

6.    Meet with the Director of Special Education and the Director of Bilingual Education to review current data.

7.    Meet with business partners from the community.

8.    Join the local Chamber of Commerce.

First month –

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1.    Meet with Cabinet to discuss current procedures for program review.

2.    Review current District Improvement Plan to ensure alignment to district goals.

3.    Meet with the curriculum department to discuss the current level of implementation of Professional Learning Communities.

4.    Review the district technology plan.

5.    Meet with campus principals.

6.    Visit all campuses within the district.

7.    Meet with the school board to review district goals.

First Year

1.    Develop a district strategic plan.

2.    Develop budget projections for the implementation of the strategic plan.

3.    Begin discussing School Transformation and survey staff using the resources from www.tasanet.org

4.    Ensure alignment between the Strategic Plan, District Improvement Plan, and Campus Improvement Plans.

5.    Develop a comprehensive staff development plan that addresses technology, RTI, and PLCs.

6.    Ensure the technology plan includes proper accessibility for students.

7.    Begin discussion with the school board on a Bring Your Own Device initiative.

8.    Develop parent and community focus groups to investigate needs and wants.

9.    Recruit key stakeholders to serve on a Superintendent’s Advisory Council.

10.  Inform the school board of progress and challenges.

Resources needed to achieve goals and objectives



District Improvement Plan

AEIS report

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PBMAS report

AMAO data

Personnel

TELPAS data

RTI procedures

Technology Plan

Funding

DATA

Tasanet.org