Danforth Educational Leadership Program
Mentor’s Guide
2014/15
Danforth Educational Leadership Program
Mentor’s Guide
Table of Contents
Welcome
2
Program Highlights
3
Danforth Working Assumptions
3
Internship Overview
4
Roles and Expectations
Intern Role & Responsibilities
UW Advocate Role & Responsibilities
Mentor Responsibilities
Washington Standards for Internship and Certification
5
6
7
8
ISLLC Standards (2008)
Washington State Evaluation Criteria
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Internship Documentation Materials
10
Accessing & Contact Information
11
Welcome and Thank You!
Thank you for agreeing to serve as a mentor to a Danforth Educational Leadership Program
intern. Your commitment to developing the leadership knowledge and skills of one or more
interns is most appreciated. We recognize that you may support interns in more than one
preparation program and we have developed this guide to assist you in navigating this role as a
mentor with the University of Washington, Danforth Educational Leadership Program.
While serving as a mentor has many rewards, it is also a complex role. Please do not hesitate to
contact us if you have questions, or require additional information or support. Once again,
thank you for your support and development of educational leaders.
Ann O’Doherty, Ed.D., Director
Email: annodoh@uw.edu
Office Phone: 206-221-3452
Mobile Phone: 512.773.4994
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Nicole Barone, Program Coordinator
Email: nbarone@uw.edu
Office Phone: 206-543-1891
Danforth Program Highlights
The Danforth Educational Leadership Program is an intensive, one-year program for educators who are pursuing
principal certification, program administrator certification or both. There is also an option to earn a master's
degree in education from the University of Washington while completing the Danforth program.
Distinctive features of the Danforth program include the following:
• Engaging Cohort Model
Exploration of key coursework while learning alongside a group of dedicated
educators, a format that forges tight bonds and enables learning from your fellow cohort members as
well
• Immersive Internship
Rigorous on-site experience (minimum of 1,000 hours) with a veteran mentor principal
and/or program administrator
• Aligned Curriculum
Module-based instruction – aligned to national and state standards and supported by a
performance guarantee – on topics essential for the preparation of educational leaders,
co-taught by
program faculty and practitioners
• Reflective Seminars
Practice laboratory and forum to discuss critical issues of leadership and connect the
internship experience to the classroom
• Powerful Cohort Retreat
Intensive, multiday residential experience that focuses on making the transition from
your current educational role to school- and district-level leadership
• UW Campus Week
Cohort members spend an additional week during the first summer on the UW campus
exploring school- and district-level organizational culture, data analysis and other key learnings.
Danforth Working Assumptions
The following set of working assumptions, which were developed by the UW faculty and field-based education
leaders, guide the Danforth Program's curriculum:
Equity and Excellence - Public schooling in a pluralistic, democratic society demands that a quality education be
received by every student under the care of educators in schools. Educational leaders are morally obligated to
ensure that the twin goals of equity and excellence are the number-one priority of educators in their schools.
Leadership - Educational leadership is the exercise of significant and responsible influence. This includes, but is not
limited to, the skills of management. Significant leadership requires the articulation, justification, and protection of
the core set of educational values that underlie the purposes and functions of schools.
Inquiry and Reflective Practice - Educational Leaders must be committed to the importance and use of knowledge.
They must have the skills to gather and analyze data to inform decisions. Effective leaders must have the ability to
reflect critically on practices in their schools and promote the importance of inquiry as a professional responsibility
of all educators.
Organizational Change - Schools must be dynamic and renewing educational organizations. Educational leaders
must nurture and sustain the process of dialogue, decision-making, action, and evaluation that lead to the
improvement of schools as places for teaching and learning.
Collaboration - Educational Leadership is crucial at all levels of schooling. Administrators must create and support
opportunities for the authentic involvement of all educators in organizational change and school improvement.
They must have skills to clearly communicate with the staff, students, and community.
Teaching and Learning - Educational leaders must understand the link between teaching and student learning. As
internship advocates, they must have the skills to work effectively with adults to analyze instruction and facilitate
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quality lesson planning. They must guide the professional development of staff toward improved instruction that
leads to improved student achievement.
Internship Overview
A significant feature of the Danforth Educational Leadership Program is an intensive, year-long
internship supervised by an experienced mentor principal and/or program administrator. All Danforth
students serve as an intern at at least one internship site during their time in the program; if possible,
students are encouraged to serve as an intern in two different districts, community settings or school
levels. A student may have more than one mentor, depending on the structure of their internship.
The internship is the applied knowledge aspect of the Danforth program and is closely integrated with
content knowledge and skills developed through the learning strand modules and reflective seminars.
Students prepare a detailed internship plan and document their hours and experiences in an internship
log kept throughout the year. Many class assignments incorporate the authentic work performed at the
internship site. Through their internships, students engage in the practical application of theory and
learn about the problems, opportunities and dilemmas of educational leadership.
Internship Structure
The internship consists of a minimum of a cumulative 1,000 hours of tasks and responsibilities. Students
seeking any of the following certificate options may elect to complete the internship at multiple sites.
• Principal Certification Only: Minimum 1,000 school-based hours, supervised by school-level mentors
• Program Administrator Certification Only: Minimum 1,000 district-based hours, supervised by districtlevel mentors
• Principal and Program Administrator Certification: Minimum 1,360 hours (1,000 school-based hours
and 360 district-based hours)
For any certificate, a minimum of 400 hours must be documented in instructional leadership areas (ISLLC
Standard 2).
Time Commitment
Successful completion of the Danforth internship requires an ongoing commitment equal to about 40
percent of the workweek, which must be spent in authentic, instructionally based leadership work.
Many participants accomplish this by serving full-time in a non-classroom role, such as dean of students,
instructional coach, academic dean or – in the case of program administrator candidates – in a districtlevel position. It is not possible to complete the internship while working as a full-time classroom
teacher; participants who are teaching must reduce their teaching load to no more than 60 percent. This
flexibility is necessary for the intern to collaborate in meaningful ways with colleagues, teachers,
students, families and district leaders to impact practice and improve student learning outcomes.
Mentors and Advocates
Danforth interns and their on-site mentors receive guidance on internship practices and requirements
from a UW advocate, an individual who helps craft a rigorous, relevant internship aligned to the
demands of the student's desired role or roles. Frequent discussion and interaction between the interns,
mentors, UW advocates and Danforth program faculty provide opportunities for professional growth
and renewal for all participants.
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Roles and Expectations
Intern Roles & Responsibilities: The internship is the course that each student designs to meet
individual learning and leadership development needs. Interns complete a self-assessment using the
ISLLC Standards to determine arenas of strength and those that need to be further developed. Working
in consort with the mentor and UW assigned advocate, each intern develops an individual internship
plan that is monitored and adjusted throughout the year.
 Select mentor principal. The selection of internship sites is among the most important decisions
a student will make in the program. This choice is vital to a student's personal success and
satisfaction in the program.
 Craft broad internship experiences. We encourage each student to expand their experience
base as much as possible. This may include working at more than one school, at more than one
level, and/or in more than one district. In addition, we urge students to experience a school in
an urban setting or a school facing the challenge of changing demographics.
 Develop internship plan. Each internship is designed as an individualized program. To guide the
experience, each student develops an internship plan that specifies work and activities to meet
the requirements of the Interstate Leaders Licensure Consortium Standards (ISLLC); a copy of
these standards is included in your orientation packet. Be sure to plan extensive experiences
defined by ISLLC Standard 2. Students will be expected to log at least 400 hours for this
standard. The plan is jointly negotiated with the mentor, the UW internship advocate, and the
intern.
 Maintain internship log and write summary. Interns maintain an Internship Log during the
internship. This log is a record of time and tasks during the internship. The log assists the intern
in writing the Internship Summary that is presented to the mentor toward the end of the
internship.
 Evaluate internship experience. The intern completes an evaluation of each internship
experience. These evaluations are used to help select quality mentors and school sites for
future interns.
Guiding Questions for Interns:
 Have you and your mentor scheduled your meetings for this first quarter?
 Have you scheduled the next few meetings with your UW Advocate?
 As you review your internship plan, what other areas of growth might you wish to
address?
 How else might you contribute to the school and your own learning needs?
 Who else does your mentor suggest that you shadow?
 What meetings might you gain permission to engage in at the district level?
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UW Assigned Advocate Role and Responsibilities: The advocate serves as a conduit between the
university, the intern and the on-site mentor. The primary goal of the advocate is to help each assigned
intern craft and execute an individualized Internship Plan that furthers the leadership development of
the intern and delivers value to the school/internship site(s). The advocate further serves as a sounding
board for the intern to reflect upon and learn from the internship experience. The advocate will engage
the on-site mentor as a partner in the interns' development and may be called upon to advocate on
behalf of the intern to strengthen the internship experience.
 August, meet with assigned intern(s) to begin developing internship plan
 August or early September, participate in one or more Mentor/Intern Orientations
 Meet at least monthly and/or observe the assigned intern at her/his internship site to deepen
self-reflection and provide data & feedback
 Meet at least 3 times a year with the on-site mentor and intern to discuss intern plan, progress
and refine internship (these can serve as a monthly meeting visit)
- September/August: Communicate and clarify the roles of advocate, mentor and intern as a
support triad. Review and discuss the Internship Plan and make suggestions to deepen
leadership experiences – especially in the area of instructional leadership.
- December/January: The intern and mentor complete an electronic mid-year formative
assessment with support from the Advocate. Scheduling this meeting early is the best way
to assure that it will be completed on time. Formative Assessments are due January 31st.
- May: The intern, mentor & advocate meet to draft a final evaluation. The intern brings
his/her completed internship summary, draft professional growth plan, and log to meeting
and provides a blank evaluation form for the mentor from website. Advocate facilitates the
mentor’s and intern’s reflection on contributions as related to each of six ISLLC standards.
Set agreement on the date mentor will complete evaluation (due by May 31).
Guiding Questions for Advocates:
 Have you scheduled the initial meeting with the mentor and intern?
 To help build a strong support team, what else do you need to know about the
mentor and intern’s prior leadership experiences?
 What areas might the intern need more focused development and what are
some additional internship experiences that will support this growth?
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Mentor Role and Responsibilities: Successful internships hinge on the expertise and development skills
of the on-site mentor. The most effective on-site mentors possess the ability to provide opportunities
to learn from shadowing, enacting a variety of targeted leadership experiences and ongoing personal
interactions. This requires at least weekly access with the mentor so that the mentor and intern can
communicate about upcoming leadership opportunities, delegate responsibilities, plan and reflect on
both outcomes and personal leadership development progress.
 Provide professional opportunities to the intern to observe and participate in activities that
typify the program administrator's or principal's responsibilities.
 Calendar regular (weekly) mentor/intern meetings. Mentors are expected to actively facilitate
the intern’s learning and growth during the Danforth program. It is critically important for the
mentor to schedule regular meetings with the intern to shape the intern’s plan, share
perceptions, answer questions, and provide feedback.
 Be transparent in your own leadership. When possible, discuss possible courses of action and
include your rationale for selecting a particular strategy or decision. Opening up your own
practice offers additional opportunities to reflect.
 Meet with UW internship advocate and intern at least 3 times a year. The UW internship
advocate will work with each intern throughout the year. The advocate meets with the mentor
principal and intern, maintains regular contact with the intern, assists with challenges along the
way, observes the intern and gives guidance and feedback.
 Attend Mentor Development Meetings. The first meeting is scheduled during
August/September to establish expectations and to link principals and program administrators
with the Danforth curriculum. In addition, the meeting is a forum to discuss the mentor's role in
the internship experience, reflect upon the qualities of a good mentor, and to raise concerns,
issues and program suggestions. Webinars will be offered at additional times during the year to
provide network opportunities for mentors to share information about the internship
experience, exchange ideas and get support from other mentors.
 Fulfill agreements and complete a mid-year and end-of-year evaluations. The mentor
completes and signs a contract of agreement, or forwards to the district designee, evaluates the
intern’s work and demonstrated competence on the ISLLC standards. The evaluation report is
shared with the intern and both documents are submitted to the University of Washington as
part of the official certification record.
Guiding Questions for Mentors:
 Have you and your intern scheduled your meetings for this first quarter?
 What portion of your meetings will be spent on discussing leadership and what portion
might focus on tasks or upcoming assignment?
 What steps might you take to make your decision-making more transparent?
 As you review the internship plan, what other areas of growth might be included?
 How might you include the intern throughout decision-making processes such as budget
development, recruitment and selection of staff members, learning observations,
professional development decisions and other critical leadership experiences?
 How might you assist in brokering relationships with the intern and members of district
staff?
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Washington State Standards for Internship and Certification
Washington State adopted the Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium Standards (ISLLC) as
guidelines for all interns (WAC 180-79A-270(2)(b)).
Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium Standards (ISLLC) 2008
Standard 1
An education leader promotes the success of every student by
facilitating the development, articulation, implementation, and
stewardship of a vision of learning that is shared and supported by all
stakeholders.
Standard 2
An education leader promotes the success of every student by
advocating, nurturing, and sustaining a school culture and instructional
program conducive to student learning and staff professional growth.
Standard 3
An education leader promotes the success of every student by ensuring
management of the organization, operation, and resources for a safe,
efficient, and effective learning environment.
Standard 4
An education leader promotes the success of every student by
collaborating with faculty and community members, responding to
diverse community interests and needs, and mobilizing community
resources.
Standard 5
An education leader promotes the success of every student by acting
with integrity, fairness, and in an ethical manner.
Standard 6
An education leader promotes the success of every student by
understanding, responding to, and influencing the political, social,
economic, legal, and cultural context.
Interns are also exposed to the Washington Principal Evaluation Standards and use the AWSP Leadership
Framework as a reference during internship development, exploration and self-evaluation.
http://tpep-wa.org/resources/leadership-frameworks/awsp-leadership-framework/
Washington State Principal Evaluation Criteria
1.
Creating a school culture that promotes the ongoing improvement of learning and teaching for students
and staff.
2.
Demonstrating commitment to closing the achievement gap.
3.
Providing for school safety.
4.
Leading the development, implementation and evaluation of a data-driven plan for increasing student
achievement, including the use of multiple student data elements.
5.
Assisting instructional staff with alignment of curriculum, instruction, and assessment with state and local
district learning goals.
6.
Monitoring, assisting, and evaluating effective instruction and assessment practices.
7.
Managing both staff and fiscal resources to support student achievement and legal responsibilities.
8.
Partnering with the school community to promote student learning.
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Career Paths of Danforth Graduates
By June 2015, over 630 students will have completed the Danforth program in 27 cohorts. We are
proud of the accomplishments of our graduates and we are committed to making the curriculum and
field experiences relevant and valuable to their success. Over time, more than 90% of these students
have served in leadership positions ranging from Head Teacher to Superintendent. The remaining 10%
of students have leveraged their new skills to continue their teaching careers as teacher leaders, joined
university faculty, or serve as educational consultants. Your success in the program will be based on the
amount of energy and commitment you put into all of your work. It will be a busy, intense and
rewarding year! Our job is to provide support and help you succeed.
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Internship Documentation Materials
(required for WA State certification)
Each intern in the Danforth program organizes an internship experience that meets their own particular
and unique needs. Whatever you plan to do for your internship experience, please keep thoughtful and
accurate records that include the following components. Your internship file will be an auditable
document which provides evidence that you have met the requirements of the Washington
Administrator Code (WAC) for certification. These materials should be kept up to date during the year
of your internship and you will submit them in June 2014 as a complete file when you apply for
certification. We will share samples of these documents with you in the summer session.
Internship Plan
Internship Learning Summary
Internship log based on the ISLLC standards (see template on the website)
Draft Professional Growth Plan Narrative (WAC 181-78A-270)
Evaluation by mentor (see template on the website)
Internship Plan: The mentor & intern, with help from the UW advocate, should jointly develop an
internship plan using the Six Standards of the Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium (ISLLC) as
organizers. This plan is a shared and dynamic document. Ask yourself, what specifically do I want to
learn during my internship? The plan can guide your learning throughout the year since you will review
and revise it during your joint meetings with your UW advocate and mentor. When drafting your plan,
remember that at least 400 hours must be devoted to ISLLC Standard 2 (Instructional Leadership)
components.
Internship Log and Journal: During the internship, please keep a daily log of significant internship
experiences categorized by the Six Standards. Write the log for your own records, and as part of an
auditable file. The primary function of the log, from an ‘auditable’ perspective, is to clearly document
the number of hours you spend in internship and to demonstrate that your internship experiences
sufficiently align with the ISLLC standards. However, it is a very useful document to review what you
have experienced and the issues you faced when you get ready to interview for positions. We also
suggest you keep a journal either as part of your log or separately to reflect on your experiences and
learning. This will assist you in writing your final reflection.
Student’s Reflection & Draft Professional Growth Plan: At the end of the internship you will write a
reflective summary of your learning during the internship. One effective way to do this is to use the
goals from your plan as the organizer. Your reflection must address these questions: What did I set out
to learn? What did I learn? How might I use what I learned? What more do I need to understand and
experience as part of my career growth plan? What actions will I take to address these areas of growth
and development?
Internship Evaluation by Mentor: Your mentor will be able to use your Internship Summary and
Internship Log to complete the evaluation that becomes part of your auditable file.
Correspondence between you, your mentor, and UW advocate: Please keep copies of notes and other
correspondence between you, your mentor and your UW advocate. These notes and letters will help
you to think about your group and improvement needs along the way.
Accessing Information
Additional resources are available on the Danforth website, via the “Mentor Access” link, or
http://www.danforth.uw.edu/mentors/
Through the Mentor Access site, you will find important materials and resources, including the mentor’s
evaluation form that must be completed at the conclusion of the internship. Additional resources
include mentor orientation materials, the Danforth academic year schedule, intern placement
information, information contained in this packet, and more. We will keep this site up to date with
useful and relevant information throughout the year
Contact Information
Danforth Office
Ann O’Doherty, Director
206-221-3452
Nicole Barone, Program Coordinator 206-543-1891
annodoh@uw.edu
nbarone@uw.edu
Mailing Address:
Danforth Program
University of Washington
313 Miller Hall, Box 353600
Seattle, WA 98195-3600
k12admin@uw.edu
Department Email:
Program Website: http://danforth.washington.edu
Internship Advocates and Contact Information
Tom Bailey
Tatiana Epanchin
Lynn Evans
James Everett
Betty Hannaford
Rob MacGregor
Jordanne Nevin
Shirley Roberts
Princess Shareef
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twomassm@comcast.net
tepanchin@gmail.com
levans27@frontier.com
everej2@uw.edu
bettyndavidh@q.com
rrmac8@uw.edu
Jordanne.Nevin@kent.k12.wa.us
shirley1340@comcast.net
princessshareefconsulting@gmail.com