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In this edition of Eye on the Prize: The Road to Broad, brought to you by The Broad Foundation and the National Center for Educational Accountability (NCEA):Developing Leaders, Ensuring Their Success
There's no doubt about it. Quality leaders are crucial to any strong school system. Add to that the fact that personnel comprise at least 60 percent of any district budget, and it becomes clear that school systems must be savvy in attracting, selecting and retaining the right people — teachers and principals alike — to serve their students. In this edition of Eye on the Prize, we'll visit four Broad Prize districts that are not only cultivating strong educators and leaders from within their systems, but also building effective support systems to retain those high-quality employees and improve instruction. "Growing" the Right PeopleThe recruitment playing field in education is anything but level. Some districts can easily attract leaders and teachers simply by their desirable location. Others are rich with nearby colleges and universities graduating fresh crops of candidates each year. Still others use successful achievement records to lure top-notch recruits. But with a slew of retiring principals and perpetual teacher shortages — particularly in the areas of special and bilingual education, math and science — some districts are becoming more creative in building human capital within their systems. A budding practice in the drive to obtain the right personnel is the creation of "grow-your-own" programs to develop internal talent, establish a strong district culture and build uniform skills and knowledge.
|  Spotlight on a Broad ScholarThis fall, 120 students from the 2005 Broad Prize school districts will start their first year of college, thanks to Broad Prize scholarships. Ranging from $2,500 for two-year institutions to $10,000 for four-year universities, these scholarships are awarded to high school seniors who have improved their academic performance and have a financial need. The San Francisco Unified School District was one of the 2005 Broad Prize finalists, and Xian Ming Li is one of the students who received a scholarship. Dear Broad Foundation Members: Hello, my name is Xian Ming Li and I just received your t-shirt in the mail, I'll wear it with pride around the UC Berkeley campus. When I was first looking into colleges, I was absolutely flabbergasted by the expense of classes, dorm fees, food and even books. I had attended public schools where there were no fees for basic necessities like books so naturally, I panicked. I started signing up for as many scholarships as I could in the hopes that I could actually afford to go to college once I got in so I greatly appreciate your help in reaching towards that goal. I just returned from my UC Berkeley orientation this weekend where I had the opportunity to hear from the financial aid department so I recognize even more how much this scholarship will help me. I look forward to renewing this scholarship for next year, thank you for your time and support. Sincerely, Xian Ming Li |
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Though the training can be hard work, new principals leave the programs well-prepared to lead their schools. "Every day we were handed a 500-page binder, and it was kind of overwhelming but helpful," says one Boston principal. "You go back and say, oh, that's in that binder, and you dig it out and there it is, and it was quite comprehensive and useful." Boston has created a similar 12-month field-based residency program for teachers. Modeled after the medical residency, this program pairs future teachers ("residents") with master teachers to co-teach four days per week while completing coursework towards a master's degree in education from the University of Massachusetts. Residents also earn a Massachusetts Initial Teacher License in their core teaching area and continue work towards a dual-licensure in Special Education. "The residency has really opened the doors for us in terms of getting in good teachers who are well-versed in our teaching model," says one Boston teacher. "I should know. I was one of them." Similar to Boston's teacher residency program, the New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE) in 2000 instituted a teacher fellows program that accelerates the process of becoming a certified teacher. Participants attend a six-week intensive pre-service training program and then complete a subsidized Master's degree program while they teach. The subsidy provided by the NYCDOE covers most of the cost of tuition and certification services at a participating local university or college. The program has been particularly helpful in recruiting teachers in high-need areas like math, science, special and bilingual education. Once placed in a position, teaching fellows are then supported by a school-based mentor, local and regional instructional specialists, and their university field advisor during their first year. This ongoing support, according to a former fellow, "really makes a difference because having come from a computer consulting background I didn't have a lot of teaching experience, but when I came into the school I had great mentors and coaches who were instrumental in getting me up to speed and transforming my teaching practice." In addition to the fellows program, New York City has also created a leadership development program that is the centerpiece of the department's Children First reform efforts. Modeled after successful leadership institutes, the Leadership Academy provides aspiring principals the opportunity to hone their instructional leadership skills to raise students to higher levels of achievement. The program accepts teachers and administrators from New York and throughout the country to attend the 14-month training program, which includes a summer intensive course, a residency in a school under the guidance of an experienced principal, and a summer planning session to prepare participants for the opening of their school. "The Leadership Academy model is fabulous because you get this incredibly rich training where you are presented with all these fictitious schools and statistics that you have to come up with solutions for," says one elementary principal. "The other great thing is that once you are in your school you spend your entire first year working with a mentor principal for intense targeted training." Classroom-Based Support
It's all in the support. Teachers and administrators in Broad Prize finalist districts report that classroom-based supports are easily accessible and extremely helpful for new teachers who are learning to organize their classrooms and develop instruction, as well as for veteran teachers eager to learn new skills. Principals With a growing focus on instruction, principals have become a prime source of support for teachers, as facilitators and as direct resources. As facilitators, principals may ensure common planning time for teachers, organize and fund meaningful professional development, provide useful tools like student performance data and training on how to use data and instructional materials, and provide substitute teachers so staff can observe other teachers at their own and other schools. In addition to playing the role of facilitator, principals also provide direct support to teachers. It is common for principals in Broad Prize finalist districts to have an open door policy for their teachers. As one Aldine Independent School District teacher says, "My principal is a resource for me. Her door stays open, and if you ever have a problem she will back you." One principal in Aldine describes his role as "being a protector of the instructional environment for teachers." Another Aldine principal describes his role as "being a listener and not forgetting what it's like to be in the classroom." Specialists and Coaches Beyond the principal, successful systems make strategic use of specialists or coaches to improve the classroom experience. To give teachers the opportunity to study, share expertise, and practice together, Boston implemented the Collaborative Coaching and Learning (CCL) model, in which teachers attend workshops where they view and demonstrate teaching techniques. To personalize the training, teachers review their student data and identify areas for improvement. Over the course of eight weeks, the CCL program covers four areas:
Taking a similar focus on classroom-based support, New York City recently consolidated of school-based supports for teachers. The result: the majority of elementary schools in New York City have a full-time literacy and math coach, an intervention specialist and a parent coordinator. The coaches work closely with teachers and observe, model lessons and provide useful feedback and ideas to incorporate into classroom instruction. NYCDOE further builds talent within the system by giving teachers the opportunity to share and observe best practices at model schools that have been identified for their high performance and high-quality instruction. Teachers from throughout the system who want to learn more about specific teaching practices can visit these model schools to observe great instruction in action. Making school and classroom support and instructional alignment a priority, Norfolk Public Schools decided to merge the curriculum and instruction and professional development departments into one: the Leadership and Capacity Development (LCD) department. LCD instructional specialists are required to spend 70 percent of their time working in classrooms with teachers and are expected to "roll up their sleeves and work arm-in-arm with teachers," says one administrator. In addition to frequent classroom visits, instructional specialists also work with teachers during grade-level planning, help principals analyze school data and identify areas of focus, and assist with developing goals for the year. One school department chair says of her LCD specialist, "I can talk to her about things that are bothering me, and we observe teachers together to determine what my department should be focusing on." Cathy Lassiter, director of Norfolk's LCD department, feels strongly about the importance of "empowering people who are the closest to the work." An important element of building that empowerment is allowing the work to "flow both ways" by creating an environment where there is no fear in calling for help. Teachers in the district agree that support from LCD is useful. As one Norfolk teacher says, "It's nice knowing we have someone to call for help." Support Through CollaborationPrincipal-to-Principal Support
Several districts, like Boston, have encouraged new principals to form cohorts to encourage frequent informal sharing of ideas and concerns. Mentors are also a valuable resource to new principals. This idea of principal collaboration has created a new era of schools that work together — rather than compete — for the betterment of students and overall system alignment. "We're on the same page," says one principal in Aldine. "One school had problems with bilingual students on the first administration of the reading test, so I sent a teacher over to assist those students. We provide support to each other. It's all very non-threatening — we're very open and willing to share from within." A new principal in Norfolk has a similar experience. "Sometimes we experience the same thing at the same time. When you go through certain things, you have to see them through the eyes of a seasoned veteran. You can lean on experienced principals and executive directors, so there are many places to seek out help, even just to vent." Teacher-to-Teacher Support Just as principals lean on one another, teacher collaboration is an incredibly prevalent and important practice in Broad Prize finalist districts. In addition to support from coaches and instructional specialists, teachers often rely on their peers as powerful and effective sources for support. This teacher-to-teacher collaboration facilitates alignment and improvement because it provides opportunities for teachers to learn both content and pedagogical knowledge from one another, encourages them to take risks in implementing new ideas, and supports and sustains individual growth in teaching. Leveraging one of the district's most valuable resources, Aldine has created a system that capitalizes on the collaborative talents of its staff to move the district forward. Individual schools hold cross-grade-level meetings where curriculum alignment and instructional practices are discussed along with root cause analyses. Additionally, through district-mandated common planning time, same-grade teachers are encouraged to meet at least weekly to discuss instruction and share best practices. Bringing in more opportunities for teacher collaboration, according to one Aldine school administrator, has been one of the best reform efforts undertaken by the district because it promotes the idea of teachers working in unison towards the common goal of improving student performance as well as their own. Collaboration among teachers is also universal in Norfolk Public Schools. Facilitated by a common planning time on every grade level, teachers meet in teams at least twice a week to plan instruction and review student performance data. In a typical team meeting, you will see teachers sitting in a circle, reviewing a pacing guide and looking at classroom-level data to determine which units of instruction were successful and which were not. "Collaboration is like another tool in our tool belt," says an Aldine teacher. "If you use that tool correctly you can take on any challenge that comes your way." * * * For more information about the best practices of the districts highlighted in this edition of Eye on the Prize, please contact: Aldine Independent School District Boston Public Schools New York City Department of Education Norfolk Public Schools | ||
Ask any parent and most will tell you that a good teacher is critical to the quality of his or her child's education. And while a strong classroom leader is important to a parent, a strong school leader is essential for a teacher. The right principal can ensure teachers have common planning time, the right resources and support for every child.
Driven by the belief that effective leadership is the single most important factor in school success, 
How do school systems keep strong teachers once they've finally found them?
District leaders say that the CCL model has made a measurable impact since requiring each school to participate in at least one CCL cycle per year focusing strictly on achievement gaps. Preliminary data on the first CCL cycles showed that 90 percent of schools were already demonstrating performance improvements.
Principals are not only an excellent support to teachers, but also an invaluable resource for one another, according to school leaders in Broad Prize finalist districts. Facilitated by monthly district meetings, new and experienced principals at all Broad Prize finalist districts have the opportunity to meet and discuss issues together on a frequent basis.