Leadership in america’sbest urban schools

2014 National Title I Conference 2014

Joseph F. Johnson, Jr., Ph.D.Interim Dean, College of Education, SDSU

Executive Director, NCUST

Cynthia L. Uline, Ph.D.Director, Doctoral Program in Ed. Leadership,

SDSUSenior Fellow, NCUST

Lynne G. Perez, Ph.D.Associate Director, NCUST

http://www.ncust.org

The National Center for Urban School Transformation sponsors the National Excellence in Urban Education Award Program, annually identifying some of the nation’s highest performing urban elementary, middle, and high schools, and alternative schools.

Since 2006, we have awarded 76 schools from 20 states.

NCUST awardS and studIES:

• Elementary, middle schools, high schools, and alternative schools that serve urban, low-income communities

• Schools that maintain high attendance rates and high graduation rates

• Schools with low suspension rates for each racial/ethnic group of students

• Schools that do not employ selective admissions criteria

• Schools that sustain high achievement levels (higher than overall state averages) for every racial/ethnic group of students

• Schools that demonstrate substantial evidence of academic progress for English learners and students with disabilities

• Schools with many other evidences of student success/achievement

Go to www.ncust.org to see 2014 application & criteria

We will be seeking applicants for our 2015 National Excellence in

Urban Education Award Program

Deadline to apply: November 14, 2014

http://www.ncust.org

What have we learned about these high-

performing schools?

TEACHING MATTERS

Across the various high-performing elementary, middle, and high schools, we find eight common teaching practices that

influence student learning results.

TEACHING MATTERS

Learn more about the teaching practices that we found across high-performing schools.

At this conference, see Lynne Perez’s presentation on Teaching Practices from America’s Best Urban Schools

And/or

Read the book

Teaching Practices from America’s Best Urban Schools

J. Johnson, L. Perez, & C. Uline

LEADERSHIP MATTERS

Before there were changes in teaching, there were changes in leadership.

LEADERSHIP MATTERS

“There are virtually no documented instances of troubled schools being turned around in the absence of intervention by talented leaders. While other factors within the school also

contribute to such turnarounds, leadership is the catalyst.”

Anderson, Leithwood, Louis, and Wahlstrom, 2004

First, leaders believe

Leaders in America’s highest performing urban schools acted as if they believed (often in the face of contrary evidence) that:

• All their students could be taught to interact with dignity and decorum, achieve high academic standards, and excel in a wide array of intellectual and creative endeavors

• All that was needed to begin making progress toward ensuring student success was readily available

• They had a responsibility to help all faculty and staff succeed at creating environments in which all students would be successful

LEADERS SET EXPECTATIONS

Expectations Were:

Relatively few,

Consistently discussed and clarified,

Justified based upon moral commitments,

Grounded in research and best practice,

Persistently maintained, AND

Always High

CURRICULUM

INSTRUCTION

R E L A T I O N S H I P S

LEADERS SET EXPECTATIONS

EXPECTATIONS ALIGNED TO A VISION

of a school where:

Students felt valued and respected

Teachers felt like they were part of a team that was accomplishing great things for students

Parents felt like appreciated partners and

Everyone knew that students would excel as they moved to higher levels of education

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INSTRUCTION

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LEADERS SET EXPECTATIONS

SMART GOALS LED TO

SMART EXPECTATIONS

Leaders defined:

What would be acceptable/unacceptable

What would be tolerated/intolerable

Related to

Curriculum, Instruction, Relationships

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LEADERS monitor progress toward expectations

Leaders found ways to measure and report progress toward various expectations.

MONITORING MADE EXPECTATIONS REAL

Leaders engaged others in monitoring progress

Reports of progress were shared regularly

(not to embarrass, but to acknowledge and promote progress and growth)

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INSTRUCTION

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LEADERS IDENTIFY AND MINIMIZE BARRIERS

When students, teachers, staff, or parents did not meet expectations,

LEADERS IDENTIFIED THE BARRIERS THAT IMPEDED PROGRESS

(e.g., lack of knowledge, skill, time, confidence, support, direction, hope, or resources…

or too much bureaucracy, or fear of failure)

AND REDUCED BARRIERS WHEN POSSIBLE

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LEADERS BUILD THE CAPACITY OF EVERYONE TO SUCCEED

LEADERS EXUDED CONFIDENCE IN THEIR

ABILITY TO HELP OTHERS SUCCEED

AT MEETING HIGH EXPECTATIONS

LEADERS DEVELOPED LEADERS

Professional development was

focused, continuous, job-embedded, relevant,

and regularly reinforced

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LEADERS ACKNOWLEDGED, REINFORCED, & REWARDED

PROGRESS

PROGRESS TOWARD EXCELLENCEWAS VIGOROUSLY CELEBRATED

Leaders were skillful at finding evidence of growth and acknowledging it!

Leaders GAVE credit and TOOK blame

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LEADERS PERSISTED OVER TIME

LEADERS BUILT SYSTEMS & ROUTINES THAT MADE PERSISTENCE EASIER

Leaders helped everyone endure setbacks

Leaders constantly refined ideas, based on data,

WITHOUT CHANGING FOCUS

Cycles of Support, Practice, Feedback, Reflection

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Equity and Excellence Are Attainable!

•You can help make any school a high-performing school for all students.

• It is not easy! Often, changes take two to four years before they bear substantial results. Nonetheless, mortals prove that it can be done.

•The well being of our society depends upon our ability to create many more high-performing schools. Our students deserve nothing less.

Learn more at our annual symposium on high-performing schools

May 21, 22, 23San Diego’s Mission Valley Doubletree Hotel

Register teams now at:http://www.ncust.org