EDLD 5345 Human Resource Management
Week 3 Assignment
Overview
Your Week 3 assignment gives you the opportunity to interview leaders on your campus
regarding technology integration and instructional leadership. It also gives you the opportunity to
assess both yourself and your campus in terms of cultural proficiency.
Rubric
Use this rubric to guide your work on the Week 3 Assignment.
Accomplished
Tasks
Proficient
Part 2
Part 3
2010 Lamar University
Responses lack clarity and
depth and/or multiple errors
in grammar, spelling or
punctuation.
No errors in grammar, spelling
or punctuation.
Few errors in grammar,
spelling or punctuation.
The student completed all
aspects of the assignment and
demonstrated knowledge and
skills as indicated in the
performance outcomes.
The student completed the
assignment, but did not
demonstrate complete
responses to each aspect of
the assignment.
The student attempted to
complete the assignment,
but failed to meet minimum
requirements in all aspects of
the assignment.
(3 points)
(2 points)
(1 point)
The student completed all
aspects of the assignment and
demonstrated knowledge and
skills as indicated in the
performance outcomes.
The student completed the
assignment, but did not
demonstrate complete
responses to each aspect of
the assignment.
The student attempted to
complete the assignment,
but failed to meet minimum
requirements in all aspects of
the assignment.
(3 points)
(2 points)
(1 point)
The student completed all
aspects of the assignment and
demonstrated knowledge and
skills as indicated in the
performance outcomes.
The student completed the
assignment, but did not
demonstrate complete
responses to each aspect of
the assignment.
The student attempted to
complete the assignment,
but failed to meet minimum
requirements in all aspects of
the assignment.
(3 points)
(2 points)
(1 point)
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Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7
Part 8
2010 Lamar University
The student completed all
aspects of the assignment and
demonstrated knowledge and
skills as indicated in the
performance outcomes.
The student completed the
assignment, but did not
demonstrate complete
responses to each aspect of
the assignment.
The student attempted to
complete the assignment,
but failed to meet minimum
requirements in all aspects of
the assignment.
(3 points)
(2 points)
(1 point)
The student completed all
aspects of the assignment and
demonstrated knowledge and
skills as indicated in the
performance outcomes.
The student completed the
assignment, but did not
demonstrate complete
responses to each aspect of
the assignment.
The student attempted to
complete the assignment,
but failed to meet minimum
requirements in all aspects of
the assignment.
(3 points)
(2 points)
(1 point)
The student completed all
aspects of the assignment and
demonstrated knowledge and
skills as indicated in the
performance outcomes.
The student completed the
assignment, but did not
demonstrate complete
responses to each aspect of
the assignment.
The student attempted to
complete the assignment,
but failed to meet minimum
requirements in all aspects of
the assignment.
(3 points)
(2 points)
(1 point)
The student completed all
aspects of the assignment and
demonstrated knowledge and
skills as indicated in the
performance outcomes.
The student completed the
assignment, but did not
demonstrate complete
responses to each aspect of
the assignment.
The student attempted to
complete the assignment,
but failed to meet minimum
requirements in all aspects of
the assignment.
(3 points)
(2 points)
(1 point)
The student completed all
aspects of the assignment and
demonstrated knowledge and
skills as indicated in the
performance outcomes.
The student completed the
assignment, but did not
demonstrate complete
responses to each aspect of
the assignment.
The student attempted to
complete the assignment,
but failed to meet minimum
requirements in all aspects of
the assignment.
(3 points)
(2 points)
(1 point)
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Week 3 Assignment, Part 1: Technology Integration
Use your observations, as well as interviews with school specialists (e.g., Human Resource or
Personnel Department stakeholders), to answer the questions provided.
How is technology used in human resources and personnel? For example, are personnel
postings online? Are applications online? Can principals or other appropriate personnel access
applications and resumes of prospective candidates online?
Our district is pushing ahead in the use of technology in all aspects:
The following are on-line: job postings, job descriptions, applications, benefits, and employee
handbook. Once the personnel department has vetted the applicants, Electronic copies of the
applications and resumes are sent to the principals.
Access to personnel does not end with employment. The principal can also add to the personnel
file for an employee electronically. Examples of what may be added include, but not limited to,
appraisals, letters of recommendation, training records, etc.
Once hired, district personnel are issued an ID number and user account. This is used for
access to district job-related information. This includes but is not limited to: training, payroll,
email, teacher websites, assigned student information, gradebook, etc. On-line registration for
district and ESC offered classes can be completed along with access to their professional
development transcripts for the classes they have attended.
In assisting teachers and administrators, how has technology been used in the following areas:

Improving teacher and administrator planning and accountability;

Accessing student records when legally appropriate;

Reviewing campus accountability indicators, such as individual student academic
performance on state tests and benchmarks;

Planning and implementing individualized graduation plans for students;

Communicating with staff, students and parents.
Eduphoria is used by administrators to enter and complete PDAS evaluations of faculty and
staff. It is also used by teachers to access local testing data (benchmark and shared subject
assessments) and TAKS results on individual students.
Implementation of a new data management system, eSchoolPlus, this year give teachers
access to student information (demographics, test scores, special programs, etc.) for the
students they have in class. Teachers maintain their gradebook (Teacher Access Center)
information for each student online. Parents also have online access to their child’s academic
information through “Home Access Center.” Both of these are incorporated as part of
eSchoolPlus. eSchoolPlus is also where all the scheduling and transcripts are maintained. Data
on special programs and graduation plans are also included.
Each teacher has access to create their own website which is linked to the school and district
website. The site can be designed to include assignments and any paperwork students may
need to access. All high school students have district provided email access to email teachers,
colleges and scholarship information.
What professional or staff development has been provided for professional staff (e.g., teachers
and administrators) in the area of using and implementing technology?
District provides professional development opportunities for the faculty and staff during the
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school year and summer on new technologies being implemented district wide. Campus
Instructional Technologists (CIT) and Campus Instructinal Specialists (CIS) provide campus
level technology training for both campus technology initiatives and as support for the district
wide initiatives. This training is on-going throughout the school year and is offered during PLC,
in-service and before/after school.
What technology improvements are still needed to improve human resource development?
Since the district is in the process of over-hauling their entire infrastructure and information
management system, there are many areas that need improvement. The first piece to be
implemented has dealt with student records, schedules, and grading. We have passed the initial
phase of learning the software itself. Now, faculty and staff are working on a list of
improvements and enhancements to the software program that would make the work flow
easier. It is expected that it will be at least another year and a half before all systems are
integrated and working well.
At our recent CIT meeting, we learned that the business part of the system will be migrated over
the next few months, with the hope to be fully operational by July 1, 2011. This includes payroll,
personnel records, purchasing, and inventory. Many growning pains are still a head.
Week 3 Assignment, Part 2: Six Points of the Cultural Proficiency Continuum
Review the six stages of cultural proficiency listed below. Using interviews or observations from
your workplace field experiences, give at least one example of actions that might fit into each of
the stages of the continuum. Some examples are given, and you may build on those
experiences or indicate if interviews confirmed the given examples.
Cultural
Cultural
Destructiveness
Blindness
Cultural
Incapacity
Cultural
Competence
Cultural
Precompetence
Cultural
Proficiency
The stages of the continuum are described as follow:
Cultural destructiveness: sees the difference, attempt to destroy it; (example might be
genocide against specific groups).
Cultural incapacity: sees the difference, make it wrong; (example might be labeling certain
groups as evil).
Cultural blindness: sees the difference, act like you don’t; (example might be “I don’t see any
differences in my students, and therefore I am treating all of those special education kids just
like everyone else”).
Cultural precompetence: see the difference, respond inappropriately; (example might be “Oh I
have some of those students with special needs, they all need to be exempt from TAKS”).
Cultural competence: sees the difference, understand the importance of difference; (example:
we have so many students from such diverse backgrounds, we need to have more professional
development to better understand the differences).
Cultural proficiency: sees the difference, respond effectively by promoting cultural
competence. (example: we have really improved our campus improvement plan by including
programs to promote cultural proficiency).
Describe an action that represents the cultural destructiveness stage of the continuum.
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Wanting to remove less desirable students from mainstream education. When looking at the
students in the “FASP” classes, with the students with severe handicaps and/or learning
disabilities, some teachers make comments to the effect that those students need to be off of
our campus and put into a facility. Implying that these students are inferior and do not need the
benefit of an education.
Describe an action that represents the cultural incapacity stage of the continuum.
Lowering ones expectations for a student to succeed. “He can barely speak his own language,
how do we expect him to learn English.” My husband shared a story with me about an AfricanAmerican student he had in a school with a high minority and low social economic population.
The student, in all seriousness, explained to my husband that he could not learn because his
hair was so tightly curled that it did not allow his brain to function. This was something he had
been taught in elementary school, where teachers had determined that he was not capable of
learning.
Describe an action that represents the cultural blindness stage of the continuum.
Being unwilling to understand the culture does make a difference in student success; ignoring
the differences and expecting all students to adjust and follow your culture. “Why should we
teach about the different cultures the school? When they are on campus, it is the campus
culture they need to follow.” “
Describe an action that represents the cultural precompetence stage of the continuum.
Knowing that there are diverse cultures on the campus but unsure how to address it, or address
it in the wrong way. “The teachers of that culture should be responsible for putting together the
lessons/presentation about the culture.” “Everyone will use this content/ information to teach
Black History.”
Describe an action that represents the cultural competence stage of the continuum.
Being able to acknowledge the difference cultures and understanding that with the inclusion of
the cultures in our lives, everyone benefits. “It was great to have the exchange student in our
class. We were able learn how their culture and ours were the same and how they are different.
It help us understand and appreciate the differences.”
Describe an action that represents the cultural proficiency stage of the continuum.
Understanding and appreciating the diverse cultures of the campus and interact effectively with
them. Being able to differentiate the lesson so all students needs for learning are met. Being
sensitive to students whose parents do not speak English well and having someone available to
speak in there native language in a parent conference so all parties may communicate
effectively.
Alert: Please look in the Resource Section and locate the Mediation Report Form. In Week 5,
you will be asked to report on a mediation based on some type of conflict you may have
identified in this activity.
Week 3 Assignment, Part 3: Cultural Proficiency Receptivity Scale
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For the next portion of this week’s assignment, complete the Cultural Proficiency Receptivity
Scale presented below. For each item, bold the number to which your feelings on the issue
correspond using the scale.
1. I believe that all children and youth learn successfully when informed and caring teachers
assist them and make sufficient resources available to them.
Strongly Disagree
1
2
Agree
3
4
Strongly Agree
5
6
7
2. I want to do whatever is necessary to ensure that the students for whom I am responsible are
well-educated and successful learners.
Strongly Disagree
1
2
Agree
3
4
Strongly Agree
5
6
7
3. I am committed to creating both an educational environment and learning experiences for our
students that honor and respect who they are.
Strongly Disagree
1
2
Agree
3
4
Strongly Agree
5
6
7
4. I am willing to ask myself uncomfortable questions about racism, cultural preferences, and
insufficient learning conditions and resources that are obstacles to learning for many students.
Strongly Disagree
1
2
Agree
3
4
Strongly Agree
5
6
7
5. I am willing to ask questions about racism, cultural preferences, and insufficient learning
conditions and resources that may be uncomfortable for others in my school or district.
Strongly Disagree
1
2
Agree
3
4
Strongly Agree
5
6
7
6. I believe that all students benefit from educational practices that engage them in learning
about their cultural heritage and understanding their cultural background.
Strongly Disagree
1
2
Agree
3
4
Strongly Agree
5
6
7
7. I believe that all students benefit from educational practices that provide them with hope,
direction, and preparation for their future lives.
Strongly Disagree
1
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2
Agree
3
4
Strongly Agree
5
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7
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8. It is important to know how well our district serves the various cultural and ethnic communities
represented in our schools, and it is also important to understand how well served they feel by
the educational practices in our schools.
Strongly Disagree
1
2
Agree
3
4
Strongly Agree
5
6
7
9. It is important to know how the various cultural and ethnic communities represented in our
schools view me as an educational leader and to understand how well my leadership serves
their expectations.
Strongly Disagree
1
2
Agree
3
4
Strongly Agree
5
6
7
10. Our district and schools are successful only when all subgroups are improving academically
and socially.
Strongly Disagree
1
2
Agree
3
4
Strongly Agree
5
6
7
11. Cultural discomfort and disagreements are normal occurrences in a diverse society such as
ours and are parts of everyday interactions.
Strongly Disagree
1
2
Agree
3
4
Strongly Agree
5
6
7
12. I believe that lack of cultural understanding and historic distrust can result in cultural
discomfort and disagreements.
Strongly Disagree
1
2
Agree
3
4
Strongly Agree
5
6
7
13. I believe we can learn about and implement diverse and improved instructional practices
that will effectively serve all our students.
Strongly Disagree
1
2
Agree
3
4
Strongly Agree
5
6
7
14. I believe we can use disaggregated data to understand more precisely the achievement
status of all students in our schools, and that we can use that information to identify and
implement effective instructional practices for each of them.
Strongly Disagree
1
2
Agree
3
4
Strongly Agree
5
6
7
15. As a leader, it is important for me to be able to communicate across cultures and to facilitate
communication among diverse cultural groups.
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Strongly Disagree
1
2
Agree
3
4
Strongly Agree
5
6
7
Total Points - 95
In the space below, write a brief reflection on your responses to the survey. What do you feel
your responses tell you about yourself and your preparedness as an aspiring administrator?
The one I rated as a 5 was that “all students benefit from educational practices that engage
them in learning about their cultural heritage and understanding their cultural background.” For
myself, I have a hard time seeing how knowing and understanding ones cultural background
helps students learn better. This was my first thought and interpretation of the statement. If I
knew their culture and understood it, then making sure the instruction was differentiated to
accommodate the cultural difference would help the student be successful. When I read it to my
husband, he interpreted it as saying that only a teacher of that same culture could help the
student be successful. On further thought and analysis, I believe the statement is really saying
something to the effect that incorporating other cultures into the lessons to illustrate how they
influenced events helps students (all students) understand it is the diversity of these cultures
that we should embrace as they all have had an impact on the event. This impact may have
influenced the event to happen or the outcome of the event itself.
As someone aspiring to be a leader, I believe my responses show that I am not 100% culturally
proficient; however I am very close to being there. As a leader, not only will I need to be
culturally proficient with regards to the students, but the teachers, staff and even the parents’
cultural diversity will be impacted by my proficiency. Continuing to work towards that goal will
help prepare for that leadership role.
Week 3 Assignment, Part 4: Professional Development Rubric
Review your responses to the Cultural Proficiency Receptivity Scale survey. Then, examine the
comprehensive matrix, Cultural Proficiency Professional Development Rubric, located in your
Resources section. Use the rubric to assess the level of professional development on your
campus or workplace. From the Professional Development Rubric, identify and describe where
and how your campus has responded to each of the elements of Cultural Proficiency.
Assessing cultural knowledge – Where on the CP Continuum does your campus or workplace
fall? Give example(s) to support this identification.
Cultural Competance -- Professional learning informs participants about their culture, the culture
of others, and the school’s culture. Professional development helps close gaps in achievement
and bridge gaps in cultural, linguistic, learning, and communication styles.
We have had several trainings on the cultural differences of our campus. The most recent was
Ruby Payne’s “Research-Based Strategies for Students in Poverty and Low-Performing
Schools.” After doing a book study on “A Framework for Understanding Poverty,” the campus
had a one day workshop regarding intervention strategies that the teachers could use to help
our diverse population be successful.
Valuing diversity – Where on the CP Continuum does your campus or workplace professional
development fall? Give example(s) to support your answer.
Cultural Competance -- Professional learning helps staff develop approaches that meet the
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needs of multiple cultural, linguistic, and learning styles.
Over the past several year, our campus has focused professional development on looking at our
diverse population and how we can reach our students. We have analyzed our demographic
data and discussed the differences in the cultures of our students. Along with this information,
our teachers have worked on developing skills on how to differentiate their instruction to meet
the various needs of our students.
Managing the dynamics of difference? – Where on the CP Continuum does your campus or
workplace professional development fall? Give example(s) to support your answer.
Cultural Competance -- Professional learning opportunities incorporate multiple perspectives on
relevant topics and build capacity for dialogue about conflict from issues that may arise from
issues related to diversity.
One of our greatest issues that causes conflict on the campus is our gang problem. Many
teachers were unaware the the 12 different gangs that were part of our student population, how
to identify them and what the conflicts were between them. Over the last couple of years we
have had the local campus and city police gang officers come in and give seminars about our
gangs and how they affect the culture of the campus. This year we have been assigned a
campus officer who is the top gang officer in the area. He has been a great source of
information and training for our staff. Understanding the conflicts that gang members may
cause on our campus and how to defuse them has helped our staff handle many of the conflicts
that could have created major disruptions on our campus.
Adapting to diversity – Where on the CP Continuum does your campus or workplace
professional development fall? Give example(s) to support your answer.
Cultural Competance -- Professional learning opportunities use data to drive change to better
meet the needs of a diverse community.
Our professional development in the PLC’s looks at all the data from state mandated tests,
district benchmarks and shared assessments in the core areas to help determine in what ways
we can help the students be successful in their learning. Teachers are trained and encouraged
to use many different teaching techniques in order to engage, encourage and help each student
succeed.
Institutionalizing cultural knowledge – Where on the CP Continuum does your campus or
workplace professional development fall? Give example(s) to support your answer.
Cultural Competance – Professional learning opportunities are encouraged, shared, and applied
in classrooms, the school, and community for the purpose of improving student learning and
achievement.
We are constantly working towards improving student learning and achievement. The district
encourages teachers to attend district and ESC sponsored training to understand how students
learn and how to differentiate the lessons to help them succeed. We are also have teachers
trained in several different programs focusing on content and lesson delivery to help the
students themselves to improve their success. One program offered is our STEM Academy on
our campus which promotes higher levels of “thinking” through the various progam course
offerings. We started out with only 80 students in the program and it has grown to over 400
without drawing from other campuses in the district.
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Review your score on the Cultural Proficiency Receptivity Scale and describe what areas, if any,
you need to address in order to be a more culturally proficient leader.
My overall score on the Cultural Proficiency Receptivity Scale of 95 put me right on the edge of
Cultural Proficiency. I need to work on several areas to move me towards a more solid ground
of Cultural Proficiency. Since this is the first tie I am hearing this concept, I have been
wondering about, how much of Cultural Proficiency looks at learning style, racial background,
multiple intelligences, actual culture of the campus, or other factors?
Over the past 19 years I have worked for a district whose major population is drawn from the
military post, Fort Hood. It has over 50, 000 troops from all area and walks of life. Due to the
different postings troops have ben given, many times we have students that come from different
cultures oustside of the United States. There are over 35 different languages spoken by
students in our ELL program, which results a large variety of cultural differences that are added
to the cultural differences found in the United States. As a teacher in this environment, I have
had to learn about these cultures and how to engage the students so they could be successful
in the classroom. This experience is what I credit for my level of Cultural Competance/
Proficiency. As a leader, I need to continue to strengthen my proficiency through helping
teachers understand and, through professional development, grow in their own Cultural
Proficiency.
Week 3 Assignment, Part 5: Article Critique No. 1
Your assigned readings for this week included the following article:
Nuri-Robins, K., Lindsey, D., Terrell, R., & Lindsey, R. (2007). Cultural proficiency: Tools for
secondary school administrators. National Association of Secondary School Principals: NASSP
Principal Leadership, 8(1), 16-22.
Critique the article using the questions below.
Briefly summarize key points from the reading.
The article focuses on the concept that schools, no matter how successful they are, need to be
aware of and address the problems of gaps that are appearing between diverse cultural groups
of students and staff. Due to the emphasis being placed on improving education for all
students, we need to look at the different cultures that our students are coming from and
determine what would help them be more successful in school. Schools can no longer teach in
a “one size fits all” mode, as the students of today are no longer from one main culture. The
cultural diversity of our students, whether it is ethnic, racial, sexual or social economic, is
different than it was 50 years ago. Because of this, students are engaged and motivated in
many different ways. School leaders need to ensure their teacher have the knowledge and
skills needed to help the students be successful. Terry Cross has developed four tools that are
based on the Cultural Proficiency Continuum, and help develop cultural proficiency (NuriRobins, K., Lindsey, D., Terrell R., and Lindsey, R., 2007).
The basis for an organization (campus) is its Guiding Principles, which reflect the values of the
school. These values include the needs of all subcultures in the population. The second tool is
the structure used to determine where an organization is and where it needs to go. This
structure is the Cultural Proficiency Continuum. It has five degrees of proficiency beginning with
Cultural Destructiveness (eradication of a specific culture) and ends with Cultural Proficiency
(being able to interact with diverse cultures). Essential Elements is the third tool. This tool is
used by organizations to help plan for improvement and to assess individuals’ progress in
Cultural Proficiency. The final tool is Barriers, what is preventing an organization from achieving
Cultural Proficiency and how to overcome them. By using these tools, organizations can begin
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their journey towards Cultural Proficiency.
Nuri-Robins, K., Lindsey, D., Terrell, R., & Lindsey, R. (2007). Cultural proficiency: Tools for
secondary school administrators. National Association of Secondary School Principals: NASSP
Principal Leadership, 8(1), 16-22.
Identify the principal competencies and supporting standards involved or implicated in the
reading, (e.g., Competency 5 and Competency 6, , including the following standard: Analyze the
implications of various factors (e.g., staffing patterns, class scheduling formats, school
organizational structures, student discipline practices) for teaching and learning, (Competency
5); Implement effective, appropriate, and legal strategies for the recruitment, screening,
selection, assignment, induction, development, evaluation, promotion, discipline and dismissal
of campus staff, (Competency 6).
Competency 001 – The Vision of Learner-Centered Leadership and Campus Culture
The principal knows how to shape campus culture by facilitating the development, articulation, implementation, and
stewardship of a vision of learning that is shared and supported by the school community.
2. respond appropriately to diverse needs in shaping campus culture
3. use various types of information (e.g., demographic data, campus climate inventory results, student
achievement data, emerging issues affecting education) to develop a campus vision and create a plan for
implementing the vision
6. acknowledge and celebrate the contributions of students, staff, parents, and community members toward
realization of the campus vision.
Competency 002 – Learner-Centered Communication and Collaboration Supporting
Campus Culture
The principal knows how to communicate and collaborate with all members of the school community, respond to
diverse interests and needs and mobilize resources to promote success.
4. communicate and work effectively with diverse groups in the school community to ensure that all students
have an equal opportunity for educational success.
5. respond to pertinent political, social, and economic issues in the internal and external environment.
Competency 003 – Learner-Centered Integrity and Ethics of Leadership
The principal knows how to act with integrity and fairness and in an ethical and legal manner.
3. apply legal guidelines (e.g., in relation to students with disabilities, bilingual education, confidentiality,
discrimination) to protect the rights of students and staff.
5. promote awareness of learning differences, multicultural awareness, gender sensitivity, and ethnic
appreciation.
Competency 005 - Learner-Centered Instructional Leadership and Management
The principal knows how to advocate, nurture, and sustain an instructional program and a campus culture that are
conducive to student learning and staff professional growth.
1. ensure that all students are provided high-quality, flexible instructional programs with appropriate
resources and services to meet individual student needs.
3. facilitate the development, implementation, evaluation, and refinement of student services and activity
programs to fulfill academic, developmental, social and cultural needs.
6. ensure responsiveness to diverse sociological, linguistic, cultural, and other factors that may affect
students’ development and learning.
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How might you apply what you learned from this reading in your role as an administrator or
educational leader?
When looking at the campus improvement plan (CIP) including professional development that
addresses the creation of a campus cuture that is sensitive to the needs to the diverse
population is important. I woud even say that the campus needs to assess the make up of their
population, determine the values of the culture we want to present, reflect on where we currently
are and wehere we want to be, then put in place a plan tha will bring us to our goal. In this way,
the information in the article would be a great place for everyone to start on the same page.
Additional comments/recommendations.
Week 3 Assignment, Part 6: HR Interview Preparation for Professional
Development and Appraisal
For this portion of your assignment, you will interview campus administrators regarding
professional development and appraisal. Your Week 3 lecture emphasized how 21st century
leadership is moving from traditional “boss” roles to that of “instructional leaders,” who engage
in effective conversations about improving learner-centered classrooms and create campuses
that are focused on high expectations and success for all.
In preparing to interview campus administrators, review the recommended trends described in
Part 4 of your Week 3 lecture. When you interview the administrator(s) try to determine if they
are implementing the “increase” areas and the “moving to” areas described in the lecture.
Identify the person(s) you chose to interview for this assignment by providing information such
as their titles, number of years at your school, and years of experience as a school
administrator.
Assistant Principal, 5 years on our campus with 8 years experience as a school administrator.
In the space below, post reflections from your interviews. What did the individuals you
interviewed tell you about their roles as instructional leaders? Do their views reflect the trends
recommended in your lecture?
Mrs. Fuller, has been on our campus for 5 years in two different administrative roles. She has
two years being the Student Activities Coordinator on our campus and currently she is an
Assistant Principal working with student discipline. In both roles she has been responsible in
supervising teachers and evaluating their performance.
Her role as an instructional leader is usually working with the teachers in her PDAS group or
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thoses who interact with her group of students. In both cases she believes in working as a
mentor to the teachers rather than being a “boss.” In working with the PDAS teachers, she sits
down with them and has a conversation about the strengths and weaknesses of the teacher and
together they set goals for the year in the areas of professional growth. Throughout the year
she keeps in touch with them through walk throughs and scheduled meetings to check their
progress and supports their efforts for self-improvement. Working with the teachers of her
students, she has the same philosophy, she is a mentor and works with those teachers in the
same manner of her PDAS group, but on a smaller scale.
When looking at the campus and the group of instructional leaders as a whole, she believes that
there is a push towards learner-centered professional development, unfortunately, the message
is not getting across to the staff due to a variety of reasons. One reason is the Curriculum
Coordinator inpersonal style of communication. She has great ideas and is a wealth of
knowledge on current research-based instructionsl strategies, but because of ther deliver
method, the staff is not getting the information. Another reason for the stuggle to move towards
learner-centered instruction is the campus climate that exist amoung many of the veteran
teachers. What should be the basis and continuing support for a great campus culture has
turned out to be one of sabotage. Many veteran teachers of of the opinion that they do not need
to change their way of instruction. This leaves many students in classes where they are lecture
at rather than being engaged in their learning
I believe our administrative staff is working towards being 21st Century leaders; however, they
are doing it as individuals rather than as a group working together towards a common goal. Part
of the problem is that the school vision and CIP has been designed by one person with little or
no input from the SBDM or administrative staff. Since there is no input from the staff, there is no
buy-in towards the goal. This is one area I would like to see changed on our campus.
Week 3 Assignment, Part 7: Merit Pay Article Reflection
Your readings this week included the following articles:
American Association of School Administrators. Hot topic: Merit pay. Retrieved October 26,
2008 from http://www.aasa.org/content.cfm?ItemNumber=8207.
Ramirez, A. (2002). Why merit pay for teachers doesn’t work. National Association of
Elementary School Principals: NAESP Principal, 21(1), 5-6.
In the space below, write a reflection regarding how you might apply what you learned about
merit pay and other incentive proposals. Be sure to identify the pros and cons of merit pay and
then describe how you might apply what you learned.
The basic “definition” of merit pay is basing salaries on performance and success of the students in the classroom.
Pros:
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Rewards teachers who perform well and have consistant success with students.
Pay is determined by many factors that include but not limited to:
o students’ success on state achievements tests,
o evaluations by principals/supervisors,
o continuing professional development,
o taking on additional duties, etc.
Encourages teachers to strive for excellence in themselves by continuing to improve their teaching skills.
Encourages teachers to take on more responsibility.
Encourages highly qualified teachers to take positions in hard-to-staff schools.
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Cons:
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No satisfactory objective way to evaluate teachers.
Evaluation methods to date are very subjective (Whose definition is applied to determin whether
performance is poor or excellent?).
Teachers may be penalized for not being able to reach difficult students.
Creates competition amoung teachers which leads to less collaboration and sharing of ideas and lessons
learned.
Teachers are penalized if the are willing but unable to take on additional responsibilities and duties.
Adversely affects the ability for collective bargaining in districts/states that have Unions.
After reading about the pros and cons of merit pay and some of the successes and flops, I find that I fall in the
middle of the road. I believe that rewarding highly qualified and effective teachers for performance is a great idea;
however, who determines what it means to be highly qualified and effective? I like the idea of the Teacher
Advancement Program (TAP) that was introduced by the Milken Family Foundation in 1999 (Schiff, T. W., 2002).
This program offers a way to look at the structure of the school and change the way the teachers and principals
interact with each other and the students. TAP is based on five principles:
1. Multiple career paths – allowing teachers who have demonstrated excellence in their work and meet
certain qulaifications, to advance along a continuum to reach leadership roles. These roles end up where
they become master teachers and mentors to other teachers on their campus or district, ensuring all
teachers are striving towards excellence in the teaching.
2. Market-driven compensation – teachers are compensated by the principals based on their performance
and position. In some cases, this may be done for teachers who are in critical need areas (math and
science).
3. Performance-based accountability – the teachers are evaluated on standards that are explicit and are
rated according to a rubric. Because the standards and rubric are explained and are available, teachers
always know where they stand in their evaluation.
4. On-going and applied professional growth – Support for professional growth comes from master and
mentor teachers presenting lessons on new and emerging techniques as well as critiquing the teaching
style of teachers on the campus. This support is for both veteran teacher, who may not have time to
research and explore these techniques, and new teachers, who need the hand holding as they complete
their first years of teaching.
5. Expanding the supply of highly qualified teachers – looking outside the district or state for teachers and
promoting alternative certification programs so people can be certified within 4 years while teaching,
helps increase the pool of highly qualified teachers.
This type of supported systems with clearly defined ways of evaluating teachers and having options for them to be
“promoted” towards more leadership roles on campus. The principal and teachers “interact and participate in the
concept of distributed leadership, characterized by collective responsibility and shareing of knowledge and roles.”
(Schiff, T. W., 2007). I believe this is the plan I would look at implementing on my campus.
Schiff, T. W. (2007). Streamlined Seminar: The Teacher Advancement Program. National Association of Elementary
School Principals. 21(1). 1-2.
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Week 3 Assignment, Part 8: Leaders Wear Many Hats Activity
For the portion of this week’s assignment, complete the following “Leaders Wear Many Hats”
matching activity based on your observations of leaders.
___5____A. Counselor
1. Has authority to direct, control, evaluate
and judge performance of an individual.
___6____B. Facilitator
2. One who teaches. Goal to extend
knowledge and skills. Guides others to
instructional outcomes.
___8____C. Advisor
3. A trusted guide or tutor – transfers
knowledge of law and rules along with
procedures and philosophy.
___1____D. Supervisor
4. Information specialist – delivers technical
knowledge to others.
___7____E. Consultant
5. Supports another person without
judgment by asking open-ended questions
and verbal probing. The other party is the
primary focus.
___4____F. Presenter
6. One who makes the process easier –
guides the group through a process usually
for decision-making.
___3____G. Mentor
7. Looks for measurable aptitude and
interest. Focused on past problems that
need solutions – an expert who is called on
to fix the problem.
___2____H. Coach
8. An expert who provides the information to
get the job done and/or identify the pitfalls
and where they are.
Review your matches and describe when you have had an opportunity to wear some of these
hats or assume some of the roles. What have you learned from wearing multiple hats?
In my position of teacher and now as a Campus Instructional Technologist, I have had to wear
several hats. The main ones I have had are: Counselor, Facilitator, Presenter, Mentor, and
Consultant. Beside my responsibilities, the hats change depending on what is being asked.
I was a mentor for both new teachers and many students. This year, I have three students
which I am mentoring to help them be successful in their freshmen year on our campus. In the
past, I have mentored new teachers to the campus, when I was still in the classroom. In my
position, being a presenter, especially this year with the new technology, has become a large
hat to fill. Even after the presentations/trainings are completed, I am still sought after for
clarification questions or just reminders on how things work (more of a consultant role). In my
classroom, I moved towards a learner-centered style of teaching. In that setting, though I might
present a short overview about the learning, my role quickly moved to being the facilitator of the
learning. Finally, being a counselor to students in my classes. Many times they would be faced
with a problem but did not trust the campus “counselors.” When that happened, they would turn
to me for help. Most of the time they just needed to talk through the problem and figure out the
answer. Other cases, I would take them to one of the counselors for more specialized help;
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though this was done the student’s permission and I would be in attendance for the first
meeting.
I am sure I have worn the other hats at one time or another. What I found was, it is difficult to
wear many hats; however, being aware of what students, teachers and the campus needs
necessitates which hat I wear.
E-portfolio assignment:
Complete “Domain II, Competency 6” Course-Embedded Internship Activity Log 4.
Continue to complete and post your completed Cultural Proficiency Receptivity Scale, your
Cultural Proficiency Professional Development Rubric, and your campus’ response to the
elements of Cultural Proficiency, in the e-portfolio. All course-embedded and campussupervised logs must be completed by your 11th course in the program prior to the EDLD 5398
Internship course.
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