Three-Year Professional Development Plan - Year 3

Goal Gain the confidence to contact political representatives and learn the appropriate process for using those connections to improve the state of education.	TExES Competency 10:  Applying organizational, decision making, and problem solving skills to comply with federal and state requirements and facilitate positive change. Domain F:  Analyze and use political influences to benefit the educational organization.	Objective Improve my knowledge of current legislation and how the legislative process works.  To become more familiar with my representatives and senators and learn avenues for making a difference in this area.	Workshops TASB/TASA Legislative Conference	Mentor Rod Townsend	Date March 2018	Evaluations Contact a state representative regarding education legislation.  Provide input in a positive and knowledgeable manner.
Goal Earn a nomination to participate in the Lamar Superintendent Academy.	TExES Competency 2:  Shape district culture by facilitating the development, articulation, implementation and stewardship of a vision of learning that is shared and supported by the educational community. Domain A:  Establish and support a district culture that promotes learning, high expectations and academic rigor for self, students and staff.	Objective After two years as a superintendent, I believe the superintendent academy will give me an opportunity to reflect on my first two years of experience and lead me to do become even more effective as a leader.	Course Lamar Superintendent Academy 2015	Mentor Academy Leader, Jason Mixon	Date August 2015 – May 2016	Evaluations The academy will provide me with opportunities to document my experiences.  Feedback from mentors and board members will also help me evaluate the impact the program has had on me.

Three-Year Professional Development Plan - Year 2

Goal Develop and implement an effective Career and Technology education program.  Add programs that include trade certifications for students.	TExES Competency 6: advocate, promote and sustain an instructional program and a district culture that are conducive to student learning and staff professional growth. Domain D: facilitate the ongoing study of current best practice and relevant research and encourage the application of this knowledge to district/school improvement initiatives.	Objective Improve the effectiveness of our career and technology program and include courses that interest a wide variety of students and offer certifications that will help students gain employment immediately following graduation.	Workshops Career and Technology Association of Texas – Administration 201 and 202	Mentor ESC 12 CATE Director	Date July 2014	Evaluations Survey students, teachers and parents as to the effectiveness of the program at the end of the 2014-15 school year.  Analyze data to determine if enrollment in CTE courses has increased.
Goal Promote professional learning communities in the district by offering opportunities for collaboration and training.	TExES Competency 7: Knows how to implement a staff development system and select appropriate models for staff development to improve the performance of all staff members. Domain A: improve teaching and learning by participating in quality, relevant professional development activities and studying current professional literature and research.	Objective Created a schedule for inservice activities that are effective and collaborative.  Lead at least one of these activities on each campus once per six weeks.	Book The Ten-Minute Inservice: 40 Quick Training Sessions that Build Teacher Effectiveness Todd Whitaker, Annette Breaux	Mentor Campus Principals will hold me accountable to completing this task.	Date August 2014-May 2015	Evaluations Surveys and feedback from teachers and principals

Three Year Professional Development Plan - Year One

YEAR ONE

Goal Attend a training that will introduce me to the day-to-day operations of a school superintendent and provide an overview of federal and state requirements.	TExES Competency 2:  Facilitating the development, articulation, implementation and stewardship of a vision of learning. Domain A: Establish and support a district culture that promotes learning, high expectations and academic rigor for self, students, and staff.	Objective To gain firsthand knowledge necessary for a successful first year as superintendent.	Workshops TASA 1st-Time Superintendents academy	Mentor Jon Hartgraves	Date November 6-7, 2013	Evaluations Compile a notebook of important information regarding each topic discussed.  Reflect on the knowledge gained in each area.
Goal Increase confidence and knowledge in the area of budgeting and school finance.	TExES .Competency 8:  Apply principles of effective leadership and management in relation to district budgeting, personnel, resource utilization, financial management and technology applications, Domain A:  apply procedures for effective budget planning and management.	Objective Attend as many trainings as possible in regard to learning more about school finance and budgeting.	Workshops Omar Garcia Trainings through ESC 12 and other avenues Equity Center School Finance and Legislative Workshop	Mentor Jon Hartgraves Keith Elrod	Date January 2014	Evaluations Develop a streamlined and efficient budget that meets the approval of the school board.

Reflections on Reflection

     When we first consider the action of reflection, we rarely think of this as a systematic action.  Most of us consider reflection as sitting back and just thinking about things.  According to the text, School Leader Internship, reflection is a systematic action that serves four purposes:  a meaning maker, a rigorous way of thinking, a part of a community of learners, and a set of attitudes.  Throughout this internship, I have learned about not only the importance of reflection, but also the benefits of reflection.  I have learned to take a systematic approach to reflecting on each activity I accomplish and see it in a whole new light.  This has proven invaluable throughout this internship experience.  I have no doubt that the time spent reflecting and documenting those reflections has helped me retain information and learn in a way that I have never learned before.  As educators we believe in repetition, in evaluation, in assessment, etc.  However, we sometimes forget about the importance of taking time to sit down and think through our actions and evaluating their effectiveness.  The written reflections also provide a resource to which I can refer when dealing with similar situations.  Taking time to write down my thoughts about a situation or experience will provide important assistance as I deal with many situations.  Being able to look back at my reflections, reminds me of what is important and what I learned from previous experiences.

     The most difficult and time consuming reflections I wrote this year were the individual activity logs.  It took much self-discipline to sit down and reflect on each activity as it was completed.  However, these reflections have also proven to be valuable resources.  As I complete this internship and look back over my logs, I am amazed at what our district has accomplished over the past year.   I have been fortunate to be a part of numerous changes under our new superintendent and he has blessed me with much responsibility in making those changes.  Even those activities that seemed insignificant at the time have contributed greatly to our success this year. The reflection logs gave meaning to each activity and provided opportunities to bridge my experiences, which has led me to accomplish more than I ever expected throughout this program.  For example, Activity #5 of my internship plan was assessing the leadership culture of our district and comparing the leadership styles of the past three superintendents.  I discovered some very important pros and cons to each leadership style and was able to compile a list of “do’s and don’ts” in relation to the superintendent position.  This also required me to take a good hard look at my own leadership style and make adjustments that will help me become a more effective leader.  In Activity #32 of my plan, I developed interpersonal goals for myself.  This required that I take a hard, serious look at myself and find areas for improvement.  As I evaluated my improvement in these areas, I discovered that it was helpful to reflect on my status at least once every two weeks.  Frequent reflection kept me on track and proved very effective in helping me develop those skills.  In a more procedural area, I found my reflections on Activity #6 of the internship plan to be very helpful.  This was the activity in which I developed a plan for our campus and district site-based committees and meetings. Reflecting on this activity was proof of what the text says about reflection being a “part of a community of learners.” (pg. 107)  This activity required me to involve others in the process and the reflection.  Their input was invaluable and fostered a collaborative culture among administrators.

     In regards to reflection activities through my course assignments, I believe it goes without saying that the most effective activity was writing the Internship Competency Reflections.  This activity was an example of what the text refers to as “reflection as a meaning maker” (pg. 107) Taking time to reflect on my internship activities by competency, reinforced the meaning and the concept of each of the superintendent competencies.  This application of real life activities to the competency allowed me to give more meaning to the competencies and therefore, remember them.  Another helpful course activity was the “analyzing two Texas school districts” activity in EDLD 5342.  This activity reinforced the concepts related to school finance.  Analyzing data from real school districts and answering questions about that data was a very effective learning activity.  In EDLD 5387, we completed a reflection activity related to cultural proficient leadership in our district.  This activity required me to analyze our achievement gaps and reflect on ways to close those gaps through the use of professional development, data disaggregation, and evaluation of current programs.  This was an eye-opening experience as it made me realize how little we are doing to help our teachers in the area of professional development. 

     As I look back through the reflections in my blog, one particular activity stands out above the rest.  Creating the job entry plan was a fantastic reflection experience.  This activity required me to reflect upon numerous areas of my internship and apply the knowledge about the superintendency that I have gained over the past year.  Taking time to sit down and plan out by goals and objectives for the first day, first week, first month and first year, made me reflect upon the entry plan I used when beginning my principalship.  I took time to reflect on the things I did when first becoming principal and separating the “good moves” from the “bad moves.”  This was invaluable as I began thinking about how I would begin as a superintendent.  Drawing on my past experiences, interviews with current superintendents and reading through course materials gave me the resources I needed to develop what I believe is an effective plan for entering the superintendent position of any district.

     The assessments throughout this program were helpful in making me realize carefully I need to look at each question and answer choice.  As I took the assessments, I was required to think back and reflect on every aspect of the question.  It wasn’t good enough to just be familiar with the concepts.  I had to be able to apply multiple concepts to a variety of situations.  Taking time to reflect over assessment results not only reinforced concepts, but also developed my test taking skills.

     I have no doubt that I will continue to use reflective practices to improve my leadership skills throughout the remainder of my career.  However, I am unsure as to the best avenue through which to practice reflection.  I believe I will continue to use my blog, but I’m not sure I want all of my reflections to be available on the world wide web.  Journals have proven to be very helpful to me during my principalship, and I am sure I will continue this practice.  Sometimes it helps to just sit down and write out a reflection in a private place where you can express exactly who you feel.  When in a calmer state, I can go back and read over that reflection and take out the helpful reflections and leave the emotions out.  In order for reflections to be effective, they must be backed up by data and facts.

    I also believe I will use reflection as I begin new initiatives and develop my plan of action.  In the same way we used reflection to develop our job entry plan, I can use the process to develop a plan for virtually any project.  There is no question that taking time to systematically plan, review and evaluate through reflection is the key to success for every leader.  Reflective practices have proven extremely beneficial throughout my career and I have no doubt they will continue to be an important part of my future as a superintendent.  

The District Improvement Plan - IMPROVED!

          The District and Campus Improvement Plans are critical to the success of a school district.  Without these plans, campus improvement efforts are like shooting at a moving target.  There is no continuity among the campuses and no common vision or goal.  This can result in many fragmented efforts to improve student performances, facilities, etc that will certainly be doomed to failure.  It is for this reason I chose to begin my District Improvement Plan by revising the actual school improvement process.  Once we have our district improvement procedures in place, we will be much more effective in improving student performance. 

            At HISD we have very thorough and detailed improvement plans.  The problem is that they are full of too much information and are not user friendly.  These plans are updated at the beginning of the year and put on a shelf until it is time to update for the next year.  In the same way, site-based meetings were irregular and there was no written documentation that a meeting ever occurred.  Needs assessments were completed through informal means and most meetings included very little supportive data. 

            My goal this year was to streamline the site-based meeting process and our District/Campus Improvement plans. I began this process by developing a calendar for campus and district site based meetings.  The meetings would rotate from campus meetings to district meetings each month.  Next, I reviewed the NCLB rules and developed an agenda for each month that included the topics necessary to meet the NCLB standards.  I also included common items such as school calendar, curriculum and staffing adjustments on agendas for the appropriate time of year.  I also provided a template for each committee to use to keep minutes.  Each committee keeps a binder with minutes, agendas and sign in sheets from the meetings.  A summary of the meeting will be provided to the faculty to keep them up to date on the progress of the committee.

            Finally, I attended training about how to complete a formal comprehensive needs assessment.  I developed surveys to be used formal data collection and worked closely with principals and other stakeholders to administer these surveys.

            This project has been very well received across the district.  Principals found it much easier to plan their meetings and follow through with the campus improvement process.  The superintendent appreciated the fact that he received a report of minutes and was up to speed on the improvements at every campus.

            Part of the project that we are still working on and plan to have completed by the beginning of next school year is the actual format of the Improvement Plans.  We are meeting regularly to discuss ways to simplify the plan and make it more user friendly.  I have researched the improvement plans of other districts and campuses and am in the process of creating a proposed template.  Our goal is to have an Improvement Plan that is a true working document - one that is discussed at every site-based meeting and addressed with the faculty on a regular basis.

          Overall, I believe this was a project that will be invaluable to our district.  Now that we have formal schedules, agendas and meeting procedures our site based committees will be able to focus on the true areas of improvement on our campus.  Namely the STAAR/EOC results and requirements that come with the new assessment system. 

Job Entry Plan

First Day

Goal:     The goal of the first day as a superintendent is to set the foundation for an atmosphere of high expectations, open communication, encouragement and support. 

Objectives:

·         Take time during the initial district meeting to communicate my expectations and core values.  This will be done through some type of interactive activity to help staff members get to know me.

·         Celebrate the strengths of the district – be specific and show my appreciation for what they have already accomplished.

·         Present goals for the next year.  Let staff members know what I expect and where I want us to be by the end of the year.  These goals should include specific, measurable outcomes that can be reviewed at the end of the year.

First Week 

Goal:     Prove my dedication to the district and my commitment to excellence through positive interactions with staff, students, parents and community members.

Objectives:

·         Make an effort throughout the week to have a personal conversation with every staff member in the district.  Begin developing relationships with the staff and provide them opportunities to learn who I am.

·         Attend each campus’ Meet the Teacher night to interact with parents and students and demonstrate my interest in every campus.

·         Conduct district walkthroughs and write positive notes to staff about what I am seeing.  Make a silent note of any issues that might need to be addressed so that you can address them when the time is right.

·         Greet students and parents on every campus at least once in the morning before school. 

·         Meet with principals to review the first week of school and address any concerns they might have.

First Month

Goal:     Create a firm foundation of trust, loyalty and commitment to the school district in which staff, students and parents believe I am committed to the best interests of their school.

Objectives:                                                                                                                              

·         Continue to visit campuses and communicate with staff, students and parents.

·         Begin to compile a list of concerns in each area.

·         Address any pressing issues in a timely manner.  This will demonstrate the fact that I mean business and will do whatever it takes to insure the success of my students.

One Year

Goal:      Develop a foundation of trust and support that will allow for smooth transition into the changes I wish to make.  If all stakeholders are convinced that I am committed to the greater good of our district, they will be more open to these changes.

Objectives:

·         Prioritize my list of concerns.

·         Determine the appropriate timeline for beginning to address these areas of concern.

·         Spend much time with principals and other staff members to gauge their support of my proposed changes.

·         Be alert and aware of the expectations of the school board and be certain they are supportive of the changes I wish to make. 

·         Celebrate the successes of the past year and recognize the contribution of each staff member.

Internship Reflections (by Competency)

Competency 1 Area:

The superintendent knows how to act with integrity, fairness, and in an ethical manner in order to promote the success of all students.

            I am a firm believer that this is the most critical area of leadership for any administrative or managerial position.  Perhaps that is why acting with integrity, fairness, and in an ethical manner is listed as the first of a long list of superintendent competencies.  Without a true commitment to this competency, every action of a leader will be in vain.  It is for this reason that I dedicate myself to meet this standard in every area of my life, not just leadership.  Integrity, fairness and ethics must be evident in your lifestyle. 

            Using the educational code of ethics and a book entitled The Ultimate Leader by Ken Johnson, I compiled a long list of guiding principles for ethical behavior.  This list included everything from modeling ethical behavior to conflict resolution.  I took this list and interviewed both our superintendent and a local business leader.  It did not take long to discover that the list I had compiled was very similar in both the educational and business world.  There is no doubt that ethical behavior has an impact on school improvement.   When asked about ethical behavior, it is common for most people to immediately give examples involving money.  There are many examples of unethical behavior that relate to the misappropriation, misuse, or stealing of funds.  Many leaders have found themselves in precarious situations because they thought no one would find out.  Although this is an important area of concern, I believe ethics involves much more that just monitoring finances.  Setting an example of ethics for your staff and your students involves acting with integrity and fairness through your every day actions.  Whether resolving conflict, developing relationships or addressing student/staff concerns, an administrator should make every effort to do so with fairness and consistency.  This includes being courageous enough to address situations in which you believe your staff members are failing to do so.  The superintendent must take any allegation seriously that involves inappropriate or unethical behavior and complete a thorough investigation.  In the same way, business leaders must keep their eyes open and be willing to address unethical behavior.  Modeling integrity, fairness and ethics is a must for any leader.  Setting this example will inspire staff and students to follow suit and go far in insure the success of your school district or business.

            In the area of interpersonal relationships, I identified five interpersonal skills to develop throughout the year.  Although I am far from perfect, I do believe I have improved in each of these areas.  My type A personality tends to cause me to interrupt others and take over a conversation.  This is something I have become more and more aware of throughout this year and made a conscious effort to correct.  I have also tried to be more conscientious about recognizing and celebrating the accomplishments of my students and staff.  Including blurbs in my newsletter about great lessons I have seen, or awards our teachers have earned has been well-received and seems to be appreciated by all.  The hardest thing for me to do is accept criticism.  This is not because I believe I am perfect and do no wrong, but largely due to the fact that I have high expectations for myself.  I do not like to let others down.  It has taken great effort for me to accept any criticism without getting defensive or down on myself.  I have learned to take the criticism, immediately journal my initial thoughts and “defenses”, then wait until I am less emotional to address the criticism.  More often than not, I find that the criticism is valid and I am able to find a way to improve in that area.  Resolving conflicts among staff members has been a challenge for me.  Trying to find that fine line between helping with the resolution and letting the adults work it out on their own, is extremely difficult.  Throughout this year I have learned that it is best if I do not step until I see the conflict is affecting the culture of the campus.  Most of the time, the conflict is worked out in a timely manner.  In the few situations where it has escalated, I was able to step in and mediate in a fair and consistent manner.  Although it caused a short time of tension between the staff members and me, it nipped the conflict in the bud and was appreciated by other members of the staff who were being drawn in to the conflict.  This is an example of making a decision based on what is best for the campus, not what is the easiest for me.

Competency 2 Area:

The superintendent knows how to shape district culture by facilitating the development, articulation, implementation, and stewardship of a vision of learning that is shared and supported by the educational community.

My internship plan included 5 activities related to shaping district culture.   One thing I discovered through this internship process is that an effective superintendent addresses this competency every single day in one way or another.  Shaping district culture is an everyday process and must be given priority in order to insure the success of a district. It is a natural part of the superintendent position to focus time everyday insure that your entire district is taking steps toward a common goal.

In my analysis of the HISD mission statement as it relates to the master schedule, I discovered that the vision of HISD is most definitely reflected in the master schedule of each campus.  Each campus schedule is designed to make the most effective use of instructional time.  As much as possible, core classes are offered in the morning and electives are in the afternoon.  This minimizes the amount of instructional time that is lost due to students leaving school early for extra-curricular activities, doctor appointments, etc.  The junior high and high school campuses also have special schedules to use for pep rallies, assemblies and other activities that reduce the amount of class time missed.  RTI courses and tutorial times are built into each schedule to provide ample opportunity to work with struggling students and insure their success.  CTE courses and other electives provide an avenue to promote life-long learning and critical thinking.

This year has provided an excellent learning experience in the area of District Improvement.  I have learned the value of completing a Comprehensive Needs Assessment and using that data to create campus and district improvement plans.  Working with Mr. Hartgraves, I developed a district improvement calendar that included the NCLB requirements and other important agenda items.  This calendar served as a guideline for both principals and the superintendent as we developed our agendas for our site-based meetings.  This year-long planning and data analysis made the revision of our district improvement plan much easier and our plan was better aligned with our mission statement.

Updating the District Improvement process included analyzing our AEIS data and incorporating strategies for improvement into the district improvement plan.  The implementation of the STAAR/EOC assessment system has thrown many districts for a loop.  It is difficult to analyze data and set goals in the first stages of a new and more rigorous test.  There is no previous year’s data with which to compare.  Therefore, I used the state averages as my gauge to see where our district stands in this area.  I created a document which compared the results of each STAAR and EOC assessment to the state averages. This comparison revealed the areas in which we were strong and those in which we need improvement.  One of the greatest areas of concern is in the area of advanced performance.  Our percentages in this area were low across the board.  This tells me that we are not spending enough time challenging our top students.  Our instruction is focused on getting every student in the district “up to par” and we are failing to meet the needs of the student who already excel in academics.  This prompted me to incorporate more critical thinking and problem solving activities into our district plan.  We will also provide professional development activities that will foster differentiated instruction.

One of the most beneficial activities in this competency was analyzing the leadership styles of the past three superintendents of HISD.  I discovered some very important pros and cons to each leadership style and was able to compile a list of “do’s and don’ts” in relation to the superintendent position.  This also required me to take a good hard look at my own leadership style and make adjustments that will help me become a more effective leader.

               

Competency 3 Area:

The superintendent knows how to communicate and collaborate with families and community members, respond to diverse community interests and needs, and mobilize community resources to ensure educational success for all students.

            Whether he/she realizes it or not, the superintendent is addressing the goals in competency 3 every single day.  Whether it is in a meeting with a parent, making a stop at the convenience store for a drink, or attending a local civic meeting, the superintendent is having an impact on the communication and collaboration with families and community members.  I discovered through my internship that being a superintendent is not a 7:30-5:00 job, it is a life style.  You are on the clock 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and every action can and will impact your relationship with your community.  Superintendents must recognize this fact if they want to make a real difference in their school district and community.  Successful school districts and communities go hand in hand. You cannot have one without the other and the superintendent is a key player in each.

            In order to foster communication with staff members, I write a newsletter for my staff and have it ready each Monday morning.  This newsletter includes important information about the week’s activities and also provides a calendar of events for the next three weeks.  In high school, especially during the spring, the vast number of extra-curricular and other activities is overwhelming.  I have found that communicating with staff and letting them plan ahead minimizes the stress they feel due to student absences.  This weekly newsletter also provides an opportunity for me to share quotes, inspirational thoughts and sometimes concerns with my staff.  The feedback from my staff members has been very positive when it comes to the newsletter.  They have given me suggestions and recommendations as to what to include and how to increase the clarity of the information.  One of the greatest advantages to using this method is that it has reduced the amount of time we spend in faculty meetings.  I certainly believe this mode of communication would be of great benefit as a superintendent.  The superintendent should send a monthly newsletter to staff and community members which includes celebrations throughout the district, highlights of important events and updates from the latest school board meeting.  A personal communication from the superintendent will not only create an atmosphere of open communication, but also inspire everyone involved to work toward a common goal.

            The area of community relations has been a sore spot over the past three years.  Unfortunately, we had a break down in trust between our city officials and our school district leaders and board members.  I have watched Mr. Hartgraves make every effort to mend this relationship over the past year, and he has done so successfully.  In my interviewing of city officials about this matter, I quickly discovered that most of the problem was due to a breakdown in communication.  Having a superintendent who had a difficult time taking a stand on specific issues was another contributing factor.  In contrast, Mr. Hartgraves has been an excellent example of how a superintendent must work to improve community relations.  He has done so by scheduling monthly breakfast meetings with city officials to discuss any concerns or issues.  This has opened the lines of communication and broken the barrier between city and school.   City officials state that these meetings have been a key factor in creating a positive working relationship with the school.

            Through surveys and informal conversations with parents and students, I have been able to determine the parent and student attitudes towards school.   A majority of our parents and students have a positive attitude and a great appreciate for our school district.  The concerns that surfaced mostly revolved around the parent portal in which parents can use an online system to monitor student grades.  They ask that teachers update their grades in a timely manner.  This is a legitimate concern and something that can certainly cause a breakdown in the communication between school and parents.

Competency 4 Area:

The superintendent knows how to respond to and influence the larger political, social, economic, legal, and cultural context, including working with the board of trustees, to achieve the district's educational vision.

            Jon Hartgraves has provided me with an excellent example of how to meet the requirements of competency 4.  He has involved me in many activities related to this area and has trained me in how work with the political, social, economic, legal and cultural factors affecting the school district.  \

            In my analysis of the job description of the campus principal and evaluation instrument, I discovered a direct correlation.  The evaluation instrument used by Mr. Hargraves is much different than those used by my previous superintendents and I believe it is much more helpful and effective.  Prior to this year, my evaluation included a list of all of the principal competencies and specific areas related to my job description.  I was rated in each of the areas as “exceeds”, “proficient”, or “unsatisfactory.”  There was room for comment after each domain and at the end of the evaluation instrument.  While this is a commonly used practice, the rating scale method does not always provide specific information that allows you to address specific concerns.  On the other hand, Mr. Hartgraves uses a “feedback” method of evaluation.  Again, there is a list of the specific domains and specific areas related to the job description.  However, the difference is that the feedback does not include a rating scale.  Instead, Mr. Hargraves provided a specific comment about each area that addressed strengths and weaknesses. Suggestions for improvement were included where necessary and provided information to help me grow in my profession.  This is the first evaluation I have had as an educator that I felt was a true reflection of my performance.  I will certainly be using this same type of evaluation instrument with my principals when I become superintendent.

            I was fortunate to be involved in the updating of the board policy manual this year.  I worked with Mr. Hartgraves and the other campus principals to do a complete review of our current policy and compare with current practices.  There were several areas in which our handbooks and current practices did not match the school board policy.  I was in charge of making the necessary updates to board policy, which was a great learning experience.  I contacted our TASB representative and consulted with her throughout the process.  She sent me examples of policies and in some cases provided me with the Starting Points documents to create the policy from scratch.  I developed the policy for EOC and drug testing through this process.  This made me realize the importance of making sure that our policy matches common practices and procedures as well as the importance of communicating these policies to our teachers. 

            Reviewing board agendas, reports and minutes provided me with helpful information about the procedures involved in working with the school board.  Helping put together board packets for monthly meetings revealed the importance of detailed communication with the school board.  Mr. Hartgrave provides packets to the school board the week before meetings. These packets provided board members the opportunity to look over reports and other information that will be presented or discussed.  This allows them to list questions and concerns prior to the meeting which maximizes time on task at meetings and minimizes confusion.  When the board has previously reviewed materials, they can go straight to discussion of the item and no time is wasted. 

            Perhaps the greatest learning experience related to this competency was through assisting Mr. Hartgraves with the development of a power point presentation for the school board and community about the proposed consolidation of campuses.  Our district is closing the old elementary campus, moving 7^th and 8^th grade in with the high school campus, and moving PK-6^th to the junior high campus.  The elementary is the original HISD campus and has a lot of historical value.  We knew that it would be critical to present this proposal in just the right way to insure the support of the community.  Unfortunately, word leaked out before the meeting and there was a small uprising among the senior citizens of the community.  This led to parent concerns about how it would affect their students and was on the verge of snowballing into a public relations nightmare.  However, Mr. Hartgraves immediately called a special board meeting and publicized it well.  At the meeting he presented the powerpoint we had developed and provided every detail as to why this consolidation was being proposed.  By the end of his presentation, every person at the meeting (including those who had adamantly opposed the proposal) understood the reasoning behind the decision.  The fact that he took the time to inform them and used as much data as possible to validate his concerns was a key factor in fostering their support.  That night the school board voted 7-0 to accept the proposal.  Since that time there has been nothing but positive support for the project.  Being part of this major change has been an invaluable learning experience for me.  Perhaps the greatest learning experience of my educational career.

DOMAIN II—INSTRUCTIONAL LEADERSHIP – COMPETENCIES 5 - 7

Competency 5 Area:

The superintendent knows how to facilitate the planning and implementation of strategic plans that enhance teaching and learning; ensure alignment among curriculum, curriculum resources, and assessment; use the current accountability system; and promote the use of varied assessments to measure student performance.

            In the current state of education in Texas, competency 5 seems to have the most potential for conflict, stress and concern.  From the concerns and opposition to the CSCOPE curriculum, to the new STAAR and EOC assessment program, educators across the state are fighting numerous battles against politics, pressure and opposition.  It is imperative that a superintendent stay up to date on all of the latest legislation as it affects the area of instructional leadership.

            HISD has used the CSCOPE curriculum for the past 6 years and with great success.  As administrators, we have made it clear that this curriculum serves as the foundation scope and sequence for our district.  We have also made it clear to teachers that although they must follow the scope and sequence to the letter, they do have some flexibility in determining how they develop lessons to teach the concepts.  Teachers also have flexibility in how they use the CSCOPE assessments.  This curriculum is viewed as an important resource for our teachers, not as the end all be all for education.  Fortunately, this has resulted in a positive attitude toward CSCOPE.  After surveying teachers about the effective used, I determined that the elementary and junior high teachers are fully committed to its use.  High school teachers are a bit less committed, but only because the curriculum lacks in the advanced subjects such as calculus.  Teachers believe they receive support from the administration in this area and appreciate the flexibility we allow.  Any concerns we have heard have come from a small number of parents or grandparents who have been misinformed about how we use the curriculum.  Many political groups are going to great lengths to oppose the curriculum and say that it is anti-American and pro-Islam.  Mr. Hartgraves has helped us address these concerns through meetings with these parents and explanations of how our district uses the curriculum.  These meetings have resulted in positive support for our efforts and an appreciation of our open communication.

            In the area of school/program scheduling, I worked throughout this internship to develop ways to remediate students who are not passing EOC/TAKS.  We have incorporated tutorials during activity period and also provided intervention classes.  One thing I have discovered through this process is that teachers are still very unclear as to the expectations of STAAR and do not yet have a handle on how to prepare students for this rigorous exam. This is not due to the fact that my teachers are inadequate or inexperienced, but rather that they are unsure of how concepts will be assessed.  My role is to provide as much support and training as possible to help the teachers gain confidence in their instructional strategies.   I have done this through encouraging words, professional development and other activities.  Using the ICLE website and its rigor/relevance framework, along with the book The Fundamental Five, I have spent much time with my faculty discussing this information.  This has been a key element in helping build confidence and insuring their success.

            I have also worked with the Gifted and Talented teacher to improve the HHS program.  We scheduled a special planning period for Mrs. Post to provide time to develop a manual with forms and procedures for this program.  We also provided a GT project day each six weeks in which Mrs. Post met with GT students and assisted them in completing their portfolio.  The program includes specific tasks for each grade level and culminates with a project based portfolio for each student.  I have also assisted her with parent meetings and scheduling tours of colleges and career prep programs.

Competency 6 Area:

The superintendent knows how to advocate, promote, and sustain an instructional program and a district culture that are conducive to student learning and staff professional growth.

            As principal of HHS, I believe that one of my most important tasks is to find a place for each student in my school to contribute to campus success.  Whether it is through participation in extra-curricular activities or helping stack chairs after lunch, it is imperative that each student believe that they are a significant part of Hico High School.

            One of my activities in this area was to calculate the percentage of students who belong to one or more student groups.  I was pleased to find that 73% of our students are involved in at least one or more student group:  85% of 9^th grade, 71% of 10^th grade, 83% of 11^th grade and 55% of seniors.  Of those students who are not involved, a large majority have after school jobs.  There is a very small percentage of our student population who “does nothing” other than attend school.  I go to great lengths to find ways for the students who are not involved in activities to contribute to the success of our campus.  Many of them volunteer for community service events such as helping deliver canned goods at the senior center or decorating doors at the nursing home. I also have numerous conversations encouraging students to participate in some type of extracurricular activity.

            Our district is fortunate to have an excellent technology staff.  I work closely with the technology director each year to update the district technology plan.  This year I paid very close attention to the degree of compliance between district policy and the technology plan.  Not surprisingly, I discovered that our plan and policy are directly aligned.  We also do an effective job of communicating our policy and plan to faculty and students.  Through faculty meetings, professional development and faculty handbooks, we have addressed the legal aspects such as social networking and appropriate use of school technology. 

            HISD has used Eduphoria to disaggregate data for the past two years.  I have been the lead administrator in training and teaching our students how to effectively use the data with which they are provided.  This year we took the efforts one step further by requiring our teachers to administer an online benchmark through the Aware program.  I scheduled training for teachers on both the junior high and high school campuses.  I also met with each department and had frequent discussions about the current strengths and weaknesses and how to improve student achievement.  Each department set goals for this year’s performance in both the passing percentage as well as advanced performance percentage.  This activity provided a valuable learning experience as it made me aware of the tremendous pressure and concern my teachers are feeling due to the new assessment system.  It allowed me to find ways to address their concerns and offer support and encouragement as often as possible.

            Another area of concern under this competency was the consistency of discipline strategies across the district, including our current bullying policy.  Working with Mr. Hartgraves and the campus principals we developed an effective bullying policy and procedures that will be consistent across all three campuses.  We developed bullying report forms that are specific to each campus and received specific guidelines from Mr. Hartgraves as to how he would like us to report our investigations and findings to him.  This streamlined our reporting process and made things much easier for him.  I realized through this activity how important it is that the superintendent require all campuses to be consistent in their policies and procedures.

Competency 7 Area:

The superintendent knows how to implement a staff evaluation and development system and select appropriate models for supervision and staff development to improve the performance of all staff members.

                Effective staff development is crucial to the success of a school district and campus.  It has been my pet peeve as an educator that often districts do not take time to provide quality staff development.  Many times they throw all levels and subjects into a room and hit them with a lot of boring information that does not impact student achievement or enhance instruction.  I have made it a priority through my internship to provide teachers with effective staff development that they can immediately apply in their classrooms to improve student engagement and performance.

One of the most extensive projects during my internship was providing my staff with a one day training on The Fundamental Five, a book by Sean Cain and Mike Laird. First, I read the book and highlighted the most important concepts and those I believed would be most beneficial when implemented by our teachers.  I then developed a detailed power point presentation and workbook to use with the staff.  The training I designed was a one day training that included information about the fundamental five as well as specific case studies and activities designed to help teachers implement these concepts in their classrooms.  I presented this training to the entire district, with the help of the two other campus principals.  Upon completion of the training, I challenged each teacher to pick at least two of the fundamental five to immediately incorporate into their classroom.  All high school teacher were directed to use the lesson framework as one of those concepts, they could choose the rest from the remaining four.  The surveys from this presentation resulted in much positive feedback. Teacher stated how much they appreciated professional development that could be applied to their students’ specific instructional needs.  As I have completed walkthroughs on every campus it has been exciting to see evidence of the fundamental five in nearly every classroom.  This is the confirmation I needed that a little effort in providing quality staff development will certainly have a positive impact on students and the entire district.

Recruiting and retaining quality staff is a must in every school district.  Hiring the right people and placing them in the right seats on the bus, so to speak, is a necessity.  Through my participation in the interview process with Mr. Hartgraves, I have learned a great deal about this process.  Before the interview, Mr. Hartgraves asked me to develop a list of questions for the interview.  We then met and discussed appropriate questions and topics to avoid.  I learned a great deal from the way Mr. Hartgraves conducted the interview.  He demonstrated just the right balance of being personal while remaining professional.  Mr. Hartgraves also was not afraid to ask difficult questions that required the candidate to put think through the answers.  Using case studies and situational questions, we were able get a true picture of the applicant’s abilities and philosophy of education.
DOMAIN III—ADMINISTRATIVE LEADERSHIP – COMPETENCIES 8 – 10

Competency 8 Area:

The superintendent knows how to apply principles of effective leadership and management in relation to district budgeting, personnel, resource utilization, financial management, and technology application.

            The activities involving administrative leadership, specifically in the area of budgeting, were all valuable learning experiences.  This is the domain in which I have the least experience and the least amount of confidence.  I am fortunate to have a superintendent who has involved me in numerous activities throughout my internship, many of them being spontaneous “teaching moments.” 

            One of the most helpful activities I participated in was a Finance 101 class taught by Mr. Hartgraves.  He has developed a powerpoint lesson that teaches the ins and outs of the school finance template.  Mr. Hartgraves believe that it is important that a superintendent understand exactly how the template works – that it is not good enough to just plug numbers in and see what happens.  He broke down each of the areas and taught us how to calculate the expected financial contribution from the state, based on the adjustments made to the basic allotment for each category.  This activity gave me a much clearer understanding of the school finance process.  As new information becomes available in school finance, such as the proposed increase in the basic allotment, Mr. Hartgraves has given me specific assignments to calculate the effect those changes will have on our district.  The more time I spend making these calculations, the better understanding I have as to how the school finance system works.

            In order to continue my education in the area of school finance, I have attended a variety of staff development activities at ESC 12.  Mr. Hartgraves has allowed me to join him in superintendent round table discussions and other meeting in which school finance was the topic.  The most effective learning experiences have been through his willingness to involve me in every conversation between him and our business manager about budgeting, resources, etc.  I have learned a great deal from both of these men and consider them to be my most valuable resources in this area.

            Another activity in this competency was in the area of personnel.  Before we ever decided to consolidate campuses next year, I had to develop a plan that included the minimum number of staff and classrooms necessary in our school district.  Using current enrollment, staffing and course schedules, I developed a plan that show exactly how many teachers we will need next year.  I also created a map of the campuses that showed where each teacher would be located after the consolidation and how many portable buildings we would need to add at each campus.  This activity required me to look at teacher certifications, classroom assignments, and salaries to determine the most cost effective way to make the transition.  Much of the information I presented was used by Mr. Hartgraves in the school board presentation to propose the consolidation of campuses.

            Compiling a list of books, publications, training manuals, etc to recommend for the principal has provided me the opportunity to reflect on the numerous resources I have used to grow in my principalship.  Books such as The Ultimate Leader, The Fundamental Five and The Energy Bus have been excellent resources throughout my career.  Classroom Habitudes is the most current book I have been reading.  It is important that principals read books and publications that cover all areas of the school, from culture to instructional strategies.  Reading publications such as “Texas ISD” and “The District Administrator” will keep principals current on the latest trends and legislation.  It is imperative that educators take time to read professional journals that will enhance the culture, climate and student performance of your school district.

Competency 9 Area:

The superintendent knows how to apply principles of leadership and management to the district's physical plant and support systems to ensure a safe and effective learning environment.

            My activities in this area involved analysis of the district’s custodial, transportation and food services.  I met with the directors of each of these areas and discussed the strengths and concerns of their department.

            Our custodial service is provided through a contract with Faulk Company.  Therefore, we do not have direct responsibility for the salaries, policies, etc of this department.  However, we have a strong working relationship with Faulk Company.  Any concerns we might have are taken to the supervisor and immediately corrected.  Although the custodians on our campuses are not directly our employees, we got to great lengths to assure them that they are part of our team.  They are included in all campus activities such as luncheons, etc and know that we consider them a valuable asset to our district.  In visiting with the head custodian, she commented on the fact that they greatly appreciate the fact that we treat them as one of us.  This makes them even more determined to meet our needs and provide us with the cleanest facilities possible.  Custodial schedules and responsibilities are determined based on the needs of the campus.  For example, the head custodian meets with the principals at the beginning of the year to see teacher schedules and develop a daily schedule for each custodian.  The custodians are provided with a calendar each week that includes upcoming events and helps them prepare for after hours use of our facilities.

            The transportation director’s greatest issue is in finding substitute bus drivers.  In a small town such as ours, there are not many people who are able to take on this responsibility.  Although we have plenty of full time bus drivers, we have very few backups.  This makes it difficult when one calls in sick at the last minute.  In order to alleviate this problem, our transportation director suggested that each of the maintenance staff obtain a bus driver’s license.  This has been extremely helpful.  It has also saved money due to the fact that they do not have to pay the maintenance person substitute pay because the route is during regular working hours.  The transportation director is responsible for keeping up with bus driver certifications and letting drivers know when it is time for their three year renewal.  David keeps a log of this and begins scheduling renewal training at the end of each school year.  David also does an excellent job of hiring bus drivers that are able to hand student behavior.  It is a rare occasion that a bus driver has trouble with students.  They go to great lengths to implement procedures to insure the safety and well being of our students.

            The food services director expressed many concerns about the current state of food service in schools.  In this time of financial strain, school cafeterias are facing more and more legislation that requires them to complete revamp their menu selection.  Although adding healthy choices is certainly what is best for students, this also puts an extra strain on the budget.  Healthy food is more expensive to serve.  They are also dealing with changing caloric allowances.  This has caused many complaints, especially from high school boys, about them not getting enough food for lunch. The restraints in this area require cafeteria managers to calculate the caloric intake of every item they serve.  They must pay close attention to portion sizes and serving options.  One action the cafeteria manager has taken to help this problem is to offer “food tasting” activities in which vendors bring in new and different foods, students taste the food and give them input as to what they like and don’t like.  This has allowed the cafeteria to serve some new items that provide variety to the menu.  This has been a very successful activity and she plans to continue this in the future.

Competency 10 Area:

The superintendent knows how to apply organizational, decision-making, and problem-solving skills to comply with federal and state requirements and facilitate positive change in varied contexts.

            Understanding how to resolve conflict is an extremely important part of being an effective leader.  Whether the conflict is student-student, student-teacher, teacher-teacher, or parent-teacher, every conflict has to potential to tear a campus and/or district apart.  Through my internship I have had numerous opportunities to learn from Mr. Hartgraves about resolving conflict.

            One specific area in which I was able to resolve a conflict was in regards to the use of our High School Ag Farm.  A parent approached our ag teacher asking permission to keep his child’s show pigs at the farm.  As the purpose of our ag farm is to provide a facility for students to house their show animals, Mr. Kale agreed.  When the parent brought the pig to the barn, we quickly discovered that he did not mean a single pig, but rather 20 pigs.  He filled up every pen in the ag barn leaving no room for any other student’s animals.  When asked to remove the majority of the pigs, the parent refused stating that there was no written policy limiting the number of pigs he could keep there.

            I began the process of resolving this issue by meeting with the ag teachers and learning the specifics about the logistics of the ag farm: how many pens, the size of the pens, how many other students needed pens, etc.  I then met with the parent to hear his side of the story.  I quickly learned that his parent would not take “no” for an answer and was not interested in the needs of other students.  Because we did not have a written policy in place, I was unsure as to how we would be able to require him to remove the pigs.

            With the help of our legal counsel, ag teachers, and the superintendent, I developed an ag farm policy that addressed each of our concerns.  I presented this policy to the school board for their review.  The board agreed to adopt the policy, which will go into effect next year. 

            I still needed to address the current situation that some of our students did not have a place to house their show animals.  Therefore, I called another meeting with the parent and presented both sides of the argument.  I informed him that we had a number of students who were unable to house their animals at home because they lived in town.  After much discussion, we came to the agreement that the parent would build extra pens in our ag farm to house his extra animals.  This would open up the current pens to be used by other students.  Although this wasn’t exactly the resolution I had hoped for, I realized that sometimes you have to compromise.  Especially when you do not have  a policy in place to back up your decisions. 

            Through this experience I learned a variety of lessons: 1) Never assume that a person will do what it best for the greater good.  Some people are only in it for themselves and you cannot change that. 2) Develop a simple policy for the use of every facility in your district.  This will minimize conflicts and allow for the most effective use of the facility. 3) Sometimes compromise is the best option.  It never hurts to show others that you are willing to bend when necessary…especially for the good of the entire district.