Center for Education in Small Urban Communities
UNIT 4 BOOK STUDY
School Board Presentation
September 24, 2012
Drs. Lisa Monda-Amaya & AJ Welton
Center for Education in Small Urban Communities
Marzano, R.J. & Waters, T. (2009). District
leadership that works: Striking the right
balance.
Center for Education in Small Urban Communities
Purpose of book study
Premise of book & discussions
• Discuss how district leadership drives student achievement
• Emphasis on strong communication- especially with the
school board
• Determine principles for effective instruction & assessment
• Establish “non-negotiables” for instruction and achievement
• Identify instructional and assessment frameworks
• Define what social justice leadership means in Unit 4
• Develop action plans & top priorities for Unit 4
Session 1: District Leadership
Matters
• Discussion questions
– How do we define leadership in Unit 4?
– How should Unit 4 define leadership with a social
justice lens
Center for Education in Small Urban Communities
Session 1: District Leadership Matters
Summary of Priorities
• Build consensus on district
goals
• Clearly communicate district
goals
• Shared accountability
• Monitor effective instruction
• Professional development
and support for teachers
“Student achievement and social justice are non-negotiable.”
Session 1: Defining Leadership in
Unit 4
FINDINGS
• Transitional time from a more top-down
approach (“chain of command” to “open
flow”)
• District leadership more transparent now
• Still uncertainty in who would be considered
leaders in district
“The leader is a good listener, leads by example, a strong communicator,
proactive, a collaborator, and reflective.”
Session 2: Setting non-negotiables
for achievement & instruction
Dr. Wiegand defined the district “non-negotiables” for
achievement & assessment
Discussion Questions
• Based on Dr. Weigand’s non-negotiables for
achievement and assessment, what non-negotiables
should be added? At least one recommendation should
discuss equity
• What are the holes or areas of improvement for
achievement and how should they be addressed?
Session 2: Setting non-negotiables
for achievement & instruction
Sample FINDINGS & SUMMARY OF PRIORITIES
• District must clearly define non-negotiables
• Professional development and support for
teachers (workshops, discuss equity,
knowledge of work of master teachers)
• Knowledge of the standards (Common Core)
Session 2: Setting non-negotiables
for achievement & instruction
Sample FINDINGS & SUMMARY OF PRIORITIES
• Student needs (meeting basic needs, responsive to students,
based on individual achievement)
• Define acceptable student growth
• Equity in assessment (“all means all”, “equal not always the
same-same not always equal”)
• Bringing people together (discuss report cards, progress
toward standards, everyone on the same page)
Session 3: Collaborative goal setting, board
alignment, & allocation of resources
Discussion questions
What should the board do to help us move forward
in establishing our nonnegotiable goals for
achievement and instruction?
1. What is it the Board needs to understand about
equity and the allocation of resources in the School
District?
Action Item: How do we make the Board a more integral
part of our work?
Session 3: Collaborative goal setting, board
alignment, & allocation of resources
Sample Findings: Suggestions for Board moving
forward
• Serve as advocates for schools, teachers and students in the
district
• Building bridges between the schools and the community
• Clear communication and transparency
• Greater presence in buildings (spend “real time” with students
and teachers; walkthroughs; conversations with teachers and
principals)
• Greater awareness
Session 4: Discussion Questions
• What should the teacher’s union (CFT) do to help us
move forward in establishing our nonnegotiable
goals for achievement and instruction?
• Define social justice and challenging the status quo
• Create district-wide action steps for summer, fall, and
spring
What should Union Do?
• Be proactive in supporting collaboration with
administration
• Help establish and educate membership on
“nonnegotiables”
• Help define tools for moving forward
• Unifying – open communication and dialogue
Action Steps for Unit 4
2012-13
SUMMER
• Common core
– Plan of action for establishing goals, monitoring, implementation
– Plan for collaboration regarding action steps and non-negotiables as
well as common core standards
• Social Justice & equity
– Common understanding/definition
– Funding allocations (equitable formula) with a social justice
perspective
– Safe places for discussion
• Improve collaboration and sharing of information
• Select model for the instructional framework
• Administrators define central office goals
Action Steps for Unit 4
2012-13
FALL
• Develop growth measures and monitoring system for
assessment (formative and summative)
• Anchor standards for common core (assessment)
• Follow up on social justice discussions and
definitions
• Open dialogues and collaborations
• Plan professional development around assessment
and common core
Action Steps for Unit 4
2012-13
SPRING
• Redesign report cards (Marzano/ common core)
• Reevaluate and reflect on growth plan
• Revisit goals and non-negotiables
• Review accomplished action steps
• Reevaluate implementation plan for common core
standards
• Facilitate student self-evaluation of growth
Center for Education in Small Urban Communities
Please ask questions & share your thoughts…
CONTACT INFORMATION
Dr. Lisa Monda-Amaya
lmonda@illinois.edu
Dr. AJ Welton
ajwelton@illinois.edu