ELCC Standards 3
ELCC Standard 3.0: A building-level education leader applies knowledge that promotes
the success of every student by ensuring the management of the school organization,
operation, and resources through monitoring and evaluating the school management and
operational systems; efficiently using human, fiscal, and technological resources in a school
environment; promoting and protecting the welfare and safety of school students and staff;
developing school capacity for distributed leadership; and ensuring that teacher and
organizational time is focused to support high-quality instruction and student learning.
ELCC STANDARD ELEMENTS:
ELCC 3.1: Candidates understand and can monitor and evaluate school management and
operational systems.
ELCC 3.2: Candidates understand and can efficiently use human, fiscal, and technological
resources to manage school operations.
ELCC 3.3: Candidates understand and can promote school-based policies and procedures
that protect the welfare and safety of students and staff within the school.
ELCC 3.4: Candidates understand and can develop school capacity for distributed
leadership.
ELCC 3.5: Candidates understand and can ensure teacher and organizational time focuses
on supporting high-quality school instruction and student learning.
RESEARCH SUPPORT FOR ELCC STANDARD 3.0:
Evidence presented in Appendix 2 support of Standard 3 confirms that a building-level education
leader must have knowledge of best practices regarding management of a school organization,
operations, and resources for a safe, efficient, and effective learning environment. This includes
knowledge of effective management and effective leadership that are associated with improved
school conditions and subsequent school outcomes. It also includes knowledge of human
resource issues such as educator work redesign; educator recruitment and selection; educator
induction, mentoring, and professional development; educator appraisal, supervision, and
evaluation; and educator compensation. The importance of the knowledge presented in evidence
supporting Standard 3 was recognized in research informing the formation of the ISLLC 2008
Standards which also found an understanding distributed leadership to be essential. More
recently, researchers have found in their investigation of links to student achievement that
distribution of leadership to include teachers, parents, and district staff is needed in order to
improve student achievement.
EAD 529 Case Study ELCC Standards 3.1-3.5
Case Study: Shaping School Culture
Shauna Catalano
Grand Canyon University: EAD 529
Dr. Washington
November 1, 2023
Summary of the Case
In this Case Study I am the new vice principal of a middle school and will be the new principal for the next school year. It is considered a “D” school on the accountability label and is considered a tough school. Most of the population and demographics are lower-income families and culturally diverse, with a large Hispanic population and one of the highest African American populations in the district. The school has 700 students with over 33 teachers, with 7 new teaching positions to be filled. The information is overwhelming with discipline problems and student achievement being large issues that need to be addressed. The stakeholders are the administration team, the district, the teachers, students, and parents/community. It is vital for the district and administration to come up with a plan for the teachers to get support and by in from the community to change the status of the school to having better behavior and higher student academic success. Each stakeholder will play a vital role in raising the school to a higher performing school.
Case Analysis 4-5: Laws and Policies
This school will need a new school improvement plan to raise student achievement. A team may be needed to review the SIP and goals to support the Common Core standards at the school. “Educational support teams can interpret the data and then select from a variety of exemplary research-based integrated instructional approaches to assist students in attaining expected levels of academic achievement” (Pupil Promotion & Retention – Laws & Regulations (ca Dept of Education), n.d.).
Federal education policies state, “Federal law requires that California distribute $130 million – 7 percent of its Title I funding for low-income schools- to fix the lowest-performing schools. A big list could reduce each school’s allocation, which could end up being anywhere between $200,000 and close to $400,000 per school” (Fensterwald, n.d.). With money allocations for low performing schools, the new administration needs to use the money in the budget for student achievement goals at the school.
Every Student Succeeds Act gave schools more flexibility in that they go about improving schools how they see fit. This is important in the SIP plan, and how the principal and committee will disperse funds for the school being a “D” (U.S. Department of Education, n.d.).
“Effective leadership for school turnaround has emerged as a critical area for the school support and improvement alliance. Research consistently shows that principals play a significant role in school improvement, and one summary of existing turnaround research notes that researchers had not yet found a single case of a school improving its students achievement record in the absence of talented leadership” (Regional Educational Laboratory Program (REL): Ask a REL, n.d.). As the new principal, there will need to be strong leadership and a team to support it such as an ILT, for this school to have a positive turn around with behavior and academics.
Case Analysis 6-8: Solutions and Action Steps
The principal needs to strategically hire new teachers and should use a hiring committee. The school needs to have a new behavior policy and may need to work with the district to research, then implement one. The school should also revisit their SIP plan and see what adjustments need to be made for higher student achievement. The actions should include a hiring committee to higher highly qualified teachers. The administration should work with the district and look at various discipline programs like CHAMPS, Peace Builders, Leader in Me, etc. to find a discipline program that can change the behavior issues on campus. The administration should work with the school site council on looking at new goals for the SIP. Anything that is created or changed should follow the schools’ vision and mission plan, which may include creating new ones to promote the positive changes. Intervention programs should be looked at as well to help fill in the gaps of students learning. Low test scores and low academic achievement can be supported with intervention or tutoring at lunch, after school or in small groups in class. Most of these issues could take a few months of meetings then maybe some professional development might be included. I can see it taking 6-12 months to implement and see full changes in this school.
Case Analysis 9: Consequences
Push back from the parents and community could have potential legal issues, and not getting the students and teachers on board with the new changes. If the teachers have had so much turn over in the past by administration, then what is the buy in for them to want to back up new programs? Teachers may have to be trained and go to professional developments, they may view this as more demanding expectations on them. The principal will need stakeholders like the DO and the board to back up the new changes and support in implementing the new program.
Part 2 Rationale:
The first steps I would take would be to change the school as a whole, it needs a radical new focus with a positive climate change in behavior and academics. Hiring 7 new highly qualified teachers will be one way to select a team that will support the diverse population. Getting committees together with various stakeholders is a start in trying to see what programs are out there that we can be adopted. For correcting behavior issues we may need staff, teachers, admin, and maybe a parent and district representative to look at how we can correct behavior for our demographics and what programs are out there that can be used for this change. I would start a school site council for the budget, and SIP to be reviewed and revised at least quarterly. The council would have a staff member, a teacher, an administrator, a district rep, a student, and a parent that will look at the SIP and budget to see what needs to change to meet our new goals. Money might need to be allocated for trainings and PD’s for behavior, and what goals will be chosen to raise student achievement.
The first year would be a focus year on piloting behavior programs to see what would be the strongest for the dynamics at this school. Behavior would be the first focus since it seems to be a direct correlation between behavior and low performance at this school. I would hope training the new teachers to your vision and goals would allow for a good beginning for collaboration and support to occur. I would delegate the various committees and get each program out one by one to see what is working and what is not. Then with the first year underway the school could then transition into a school that can receive a grade much higher than a D.
References
Pipil Promotion & Retention – Laws & Regulations (CA Dept of Education). (n.d.). www.ca.gov.https://www.cde.ca.gov/re/Ir/pr/
Fensterwald, J. (n.d.). School districts will be required to verify they’re
Fixing California’s lowest-performing schools. Edsource. Retrieved
November 1, 2023, from https://edsource.org/2019/school-districts-will-be-required-to-verify-thyre-fixing-california-lowest-performing-schools/
U.S. Department of Education, (n.d.). Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).
U.S. Department of Education. https://www.ed.gov/essa?scr=rn
Regional Educational Laboratory Program (REL): Ask A REL. (n.d.).
Les.ed.gov.
https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs/regions/midatlantic/app/Blog/Post/18
Rationale EAD 529 Artifact
I chose the first case study as an artifact as it covers most of ELCC standards 3.1-3.5 with all the factors of that case. The case requires the new principal to change a school that has a "D" rating, discipline issues, and lack of teacher support. As an administrator I would have to have the knowledge on how to update the SIP and budget to put into play programs that assist with discipline to solve the behavior problems first. I would also set money aside in the budget for PD's for the teachers to receive support and to get behind a new discipline program. Effective leadership would be required to turn a school around with numerous problems, and I believe this case study went over the ways in which an administrator would effectively and successfully promote the success of every student, teacher, and staff.
Artifact EAD 529 ELCC Standards 3.1, 3.2
Curriculum and Professional Development
Shauna Catalano
Grand Canyon University: EAD 529
Dr. Washington
November 7, 2023
Analysis of School Needs Assessment and CIP:
Isbell middle school completed a comprehensive needs assessment survey of all students enrolled which included our migrant students, and an analysis of student performance in relation to the California state academic standards. Staff development, professional development, staff meetings, administration team, and Instructional leadership team reviewed results from our data to identify our areas and strengths and weaknesses. What was looked at was teacher surveys with feedback, ELPAC results, Benchmark and Formative assessments, Accelerated Math and Reading assessments, STAR reading results, and CAASPP state testing results. The conclusions from the data were used to create our SIP and identify our SPSA, program support goals for the fiscal year. Four goals have been identified under our LCAP summary and created on the data collected. Goal 1: Increase academic achievement in ELA and Math, Goal 2: Increase student engagement with a variety of enrichment opportunities, Goal 3: Increase graduation rates and reduce suspension/expulsion, and Goal 4: to have a welcoming and efficient school climate.
CIP/SIP Addresses Identified Needs
In the SIP, after the goals are listed and detailed into categories and subcategories they are broken down into a detailed plan to attain set goals. We have the goal listed at the top of the page, then the identified need where the goal is aligned with a plan. For example, goal one of increasing academic achievement in Math and ELA, then states the need is for intervention programs to address the gaps in these subjects. After the needs section there is a place for annual measurable outcomes to measure the data and look for increases if the goal is getting met. In column one it is the metric indicator, column 2 the baseline/actual outcome and last column the expected outcome. We then identify strategies to support this goal, under goal one we have three strategies of intervention, professional developments and ILT that is dedicated to reviewing assessment data and planning intervention strategies. Under each plan, goal, and strategy, will have the proposed expenditures for the activity listed.
The school site council is the one who works on the review of our school budget and SIP. It consists of administration, two teachers, one student, a staff member, a parent and one representative from the district office. They meet quarterly to respond to the prompts relative to each goal and give it an analysis. If the school is in the first year of implementing the goal, an analysis is not required. Having this committee and our SIP document makes a huge impact on our school to see where the funds need to be allocated in order for us to meet our goals. Often in PD’s and staff meetings we will review the data and set our own goals in departments on what needs to be done to achieve the articulated goals.
Rationale EAD 529 Artifact 2
The SIP or CIP at a school is a top priority for an administrator. It is a living document that lays out the plans and goals for the school year. ELCC 3.1 is to analyze and develop long range plans for the school which the SIP provides. ELCC 3.2 is to implement and analyze the school budget that aligns to the schools goals, and resources needed to reach the schools goals. The artifact above covers the importance of the school plan and how important it is for a school to plan and implement goals for student success. The budget is a main focus as the money needs to be allocated to the correct programs that will increase academic student achievement. In this piece it also shows the importance of doing this with a team. The CIP and budget is one that should be open to anyone to review and a team to develop this detailed document that will impact the year.
Artifact EAD 533 ELCC 3.2 & 3.4
Artifact EAD 533 The Shared Leadership Initiative
Rationale EAD 533
This slide presentation was picked since I felt that it really did encompass a snapshot of what leadership roles are. It informed on how the coaching cycle is an effective tool to support professional development and growth for teachers and support staff. It reviewed the schools values which should be the core of all the actions performed by teachers and staff. The section on how feedback works was important in that it showed how to do it in a positive yet constructive manner. Lastly, it went over the importance of an ILT team, or leadership team. When implementing teachers and support staff on the leadership team, it describes how the teachers should be chosen and what the roles and responsibilities are of being on a leadership team. ELCC 3.4 standard is covered in that this slideshow has helped me to understand and develop leadership roles and responsibilities once an administrator. ELCC 3.2 covers the use of technology to manage school operations, which this artifact demonstrates.
EAD 536 Artifact Benchmark-Adverse Situations
Management and Operational Systems
The administration is the main decision maker and is tasked with dozens of decisions to make daily. In a situation where a school is having a huge heat wave with no air condition, they could be out of compliance with Ed. Code. In some states, if a class does not have windows with cross breeze, then they must have an air conditioner. Some schools even put heat days into their bargaining agreement since “researchers found that cumulative heat exposure decreases the productivity of instructional time-without school air conditioning” (will, 2020). If these are not available in Sunset Hill school in Phoenix, then the principal needs to talk to the superintendent immediately to address the issue. The student’s safety is a priority and they can not learn in that heat, and can have health issues related to staying in classes that hot. I would talk to the Superintendent and ask if there is another location to move them to, if not then they should be let home early. If students have to wait for parents to get off work, then they can stay in another building with air until they are picked up. The air condition unit should be worked on immediately.
Human, Fiscal, and Technological Resources
If possible the coolest areas in the school is where the staff and students should be relocated there as soon as possible. If not plausible to teach there, they will need to call a heat day. While in the cooler areas’ students should be given water and see if any of them have ill side effects from the heat. Parent Square would go out to parents including phone calls home that school will be out due to a heat day and lack of proper air conditioning.
Safety and Welfare of Students and Staff
In Arizona, the “Arizona Department of Public Health says any time there is an excessive heat warning, they send out reconditions to districts who subscribe to their alter system”. (Schools Keep Kids inside for Recess, PE during Heat Warming, 2019). Instruction can only occur in environments that are conducive to learning. The students can not learn in that kind of heat. Teachers and students could also be suffering physical effects from the heat. As a principal it is a priority to put our student’s safety first. As leaders it would be my responsibility as a principal to address this immediately with the custodians to get fans and have office staff get water. To ensure the safety the superintendent or district office should also be lending support and aid in communicating with families of the situation. If the office nurse is overwhelmed then the district should also send in other health professionals to assess the students.
Collaboration with Faculty and Community
Faculty would get an email of the procedures that were decided by administration and the district office. When the students move to the second location the administration should be on the microphone letting the students know that the day has been declared a heat day and they would be going home. Collaboration would occur with the faculty coming together to help the kids get water, people checking if the kids are sick, and community support would be the parents being notified. If students can not be picked up right away the school staff would come together till every student was safe.
Solution and Rationale
Sine Phoenix, Arizona is a hot state in various months of the year, I would already have a heat day protocol in place for this occurrence. Usually the union will negotiate with the district to have it in a MOU that if the temperature gets over a certain degree, and the classroom has no air condition or cross breeze, then a heat day will be declared. Some of our students and staff may also have certain conditions where they are heat-sensitive and could not be in this high of heat. Students can not learn with that heat, “Cognitive function decreases during excessive heat, leading to slower reaction times on assessments. Students learn less and perform worse on tests in hot classrooms. It can also make them irritable, edgy and unable to control emotions” (Hot Classrooms affect Learning). As a principal there is a moral and legal obligation to follow safety in our vision and mission as the highest priority for our students. Once the school is closed in the afternoon the administration should make sure that for the remainder of the day is to communicate with maintenance and the superintendent to discuss the repair. If the repair is not fixed by the following day and the temperatures are going to be the same, then a plan should be made. Should there be no school using another heat day, or should it be made a half day so when the sun is at its peak hours the students will have left school. The decision would have to come based on the time to install new air conditioning units. Over summer I would have all of them checked and updated to avoid this in the future. Any decisions for the remainder of the day or the next day would include parents notified through Parent Connect what is going on.
References
Hot Classrooms Affect Learning. (2024, February 13). Oro Sports USA.
https://www.orosportsusa.com/blogs/news/hot-classrooms-detrimental-to-leaarning
Schools keep kids for recess, PE during heat warning. (2019, August 13).
ABC15 Arizona in Phoenix (KNXV).
Will, M. (2022, September 26). The School Year Is Getting Hotter. How
Does Heat Affect Student Learning and Well-Being? Education
Rationale ELCC 3.1 & 3.3
This paper outlines how to monitor and evaluate a schools management and operational systems and the day to day issues that can arise. I teach in a school district that had fought for years for to get heat days. The town often will hit high temperatures over summer as well in August and September with then students are in class. It is only this year that all classes have been required to have an air condition unit. This scenario was perfect for me to learn that there are times quick decisions need to be made and support is required to make sure the safety of our students is a priority. If other emergencies occur during the year, it is my responsibility to protect the welfare and safety of the whole school community.