Darwin Prater Spiller
Executive Director of
Instruction and Operations
Richardson ISD, Richardson Texas
Authors:
Sonia Caus Gleason and Nancy Gerzon
Foreword by
Stephanie Hirsh and Joellen Killion
Stults Road Connecting Resources
to Foster Meaningful Relationships
Domain III
Professional
Learning for
Continuous
Improvement
Domain II
Accessing & Using
Research
Student
Inclusion Influence
Domain I
Collaborative
Culture
A Sense of
Belonging
Valuing
Differences
Community
Working Together
Creatively
Domain VII
Advocating for
Student Learning
& the Profession
Domain IV
Improvements
in Instruction
and Student
Learning
Domain V
Assessment
and Data
PDAS/Co-Co
Domain VI
Collaboration
with Families &
Communities
Model Standards
Motto: We know them by name; We know them by need; SO, bring it!
1. Focus on Mastery
2. Introducing Content Logically, Clearly, and Concisely
3. Acquiring and Responding to Evidence of
Understanding
4. Connecting with Student Interest, Backgrounds,
Cultures, and Prior Knowledge
5. Building Student Vocabulary
6. Promoting Successful Practice
7. Making Students Feel Valued and Capable
8. Leading Students to Love Learning
S.W.O.T Template
Strengths – Factors that are likely to have a positive effect on (or
be an enabler to) achieving the school’s objectives.
Weaknesses – Factors that are likely to have a negative effect on
(or be a barrier to) achieving the school’s objectives.
Opportunities – External Factors that are likely to have a
positive effect on achieving or exceeding the school’s objectives, or
goals not previously considered.
Threats – External Factors and conditions that are likely to have a
negative effect on achieving the school’s objectives, or making the
objective redundant or un-achievable.
S.W.O.T Analysis
S.W.O.T
Analysis______________
Strengths:
Opportunity:
Weakness:
Threats:
Root Cause…
What is Root Cause?
Root Cause is the fundamental breakdown or failure of a
process which, when resolved, prevents a recurrence of
the problem.
Or, in other words…
For a particular problem, Root Cause is the factor that,
when you fix it, the problem goes away and doesn’t come
back.
Root Cause Analysis is a systematic approach to get to
the true root causes of our process problems.
5 Why’s: Underlying Processes
Why? 1
Difficult to teach
Why? 2
Difficult to isolate the teaching strategy for each underlying process
Why? 3
Limited understanding from a professional development prospective
Why? 4
How to incorporate knowledge in plans and delivery?
Why? 5 (Root CAUSE)
Monitor and Follow-up
Math/Science/Technology Magnet
Identified Need #5:
STAAR Writing data indicate a need to increase average passing
performance for all students.
Identified Need #13:
STAAR Writing data indicate a
need to increase achievement at
Level II Final Standard for all
students.
Identified Need #15:
STAAR data indicate a need to increase
overall Level III student performance for
African American, Hispanic and
Economically Disadvantaged students.
Math/Science/Technology Magnet
Expected Change#5:
The average passing performance will increase from
81% to 91% on all state Writing assessments.
Expected Change #13:
The Level II Final standard
performance for all students will
increase from 61% to 71% on all state
Writing assessments.
Expected Change #15:
Level III Student performance will
increase for African American (39%),
Hispanic (19%), and Economically
Disadvantaged (25%) to 45%.
Math/Science/Technology Magnet
Calibration
Learning
Walks
Guided Planning: Activity
Identify Leadership Behaviors
that the leadership team will
demonstrate in order to show
evidence of the leadership
responsibility (Monitor and
Evaluate) at the school level.
MONITOR
AND
EVALUATE
1
______________
______________
School
Level
_____________
_____________
_____________
______________
15
Guided Planning: Activity
Identify Leadership Behaviors
that the leadership team will
demonstrate in order to show
evidence of the leadership
responsibility (Monitor and
Evaluate) at the school level.
MONITOR
AND
EVALUATE
2
_________________
_
_________________
_
Grade/Department
Level
________________
_
________________
______________
_______________
16
Guided Planning: Activity
Identify Leadership Behaviors
that the leadership team will
demonstrate in order to show
evidence of the leadership
responsibility (Monitor and
Evaluate) at the school level.
MONITOR
AND
EVALUATE
3
_________________
________________
Classroom/Student
Level
_______________
_______________
_______________
_______________
17
Monitor and
Evaluate
Irreplaceable
5 ways to keep
Irreplaceable staff members
1. Start the year with great Expectations
2. Recognize excellence publicly and frequently
3. Treat your irreplaceables like they are
irreplaceable.
4. Start having “Stay Conversations” by
thanksgiving.
5. Hold the line on good teaching.
Top teachers who experience multiple high impact
retention strategies plan to remain teaching at
their schools for nearly twice as long (2 to 6 more
Staff
Technology
Positive
Bus schedules
Gifted
&
Ability
grouping
Induction
development
Performance
Integration
Behavior
Talented
blocks
DualLiteracy
Immersion
reviews
Mentoring
Support
Lyme
disease
Bilingual
StateEdtests
Special Differentiated
prevention
All
education instructionSuccess forCoaching
District tests Curriculum
De-tracking Saxon Math
Open Court
School
mapping
IEPs Lunch programsEveryday Math
Improvement
Value added
P.T.A. meetings
Growth
models
RtI
Reading First
PlansParent
Culturally
Multicultural
Character
involvement
NCLB responsive
Phonics
Health education
Student education
learning
AP
Afterschool education
Whole
teaching
DDDM
Interactive
Courageous
FTEs
Language
Morning FormativeData
whiteboards
conversations
PLCs
committees
ESL
Block
announcements
Phonics
assessment
scheduling
Balanced
Walkthroughs
Abstinence
only
Direct
TGIF!
Halloween
FallLiteracy
Safe & drug-freePortfolioInstruction
Pep assembly Accountability
Assessment
Festival
Party
schools
Career prep
Constructivist
Math
Multi-age
committee
Spelling
Bee for all
New,
New Math
New
Math
Teaching
College
classrooms
Recently featured on the front cover of the Texas School Business magazine Darwin Prater Spiller is
now known as the “Power Principal.” Darwin was recently named a finalist by the Texas
Elementary Principals & Supervisors Association (TEPSA) along with 12 other principals in Texas as the
“Best of the Best” of Teas principals.
In addition, he serves as a standing committee member with the Marketing and Research Division of
TEPSA and National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) among numerous others.
As a result of Stults Road Elementary being recently named the 2010 National Title I Distinguished
School while he was principal; Darwin has been selected as a Texas state representative for a new
statewide parental involvement initiative in conjunction with the Texas Education Agency. Spiller
recently authored an article titled “Stults Road Elementary PLC’s Journey: An Overview,” which was
posted and published by Solution Tree.
His latest acknowledgement is that his school was featured in a book titled: Growing into Equity:
Professional Learning and Personalization in High-Achieving Schools.
Darwin earned his master’s degree in educational leadership and policy studies from the University of
Texas at Arlington and undergrad at Langston University. Currently, Mr. Spiller serves as Executive
Director of Elementary Instruction and Operations where he supervises 13 Richardson ISD elementary
schools.
Darwin.spiller@risd.org