The Virginia Model: Part I Mentor Coaching for School Improvement

1. The Virginia Model: Part IMentor CoachingforSchool Improvement

2. Definition of Mentor Coaching • See p. 1 • Discuss definition • Skills of Effective Coaches • Observe and accurately record behavior during a performance • Foster school leaders reflection and self-analysis • Plan and deliver behaviorally specific feedback • Elicit feedback • Ask questions that clarify, probe, analyze, and guide decision making in a non-threatening manner • Listen effectively for content and affect • Encourage and support action that initiates and sustains improved teaching and learning

3. Purpose/Value • See p. 2 - 4 • What’s missing?

4. Potential Problems • See p. 5 • Discuss perceptions and reflections

5. What event or person caused you to choose education? • Who is (are) or were your mentor(s) and why?

6. Mentor Functions • See p. 6 • Questions/Thoughts?

7. Mentor Qualifications • Traits and Dispositions • Knowledge and Understanding • Skills • See p. 7 – 9

8. Group Development Plan • School leaders will develop an GDP utilizing resources identified later • See p. 10 • Overview of 1st Meeting • Overview of 2nd Meeting

9. Getting Started • Activity – Think/Pair/Share • Think back to a time when you entered a situation in which you were uncomfortable. Write down the feelings you had at that time. • Share responses • Strange, isolated, scared, awkward, uncomfortable, inferior: Negative connotation • Could have been Exciting, opportunity, new friends, challenge, growth: Positive connotations

10. When others come into a new environment, they enter as “who they are.” • You are the mentor, it is critical that you respect them as individuals. • Help them see the positives.

11. Quotes of Wisdom (snuck in occasionally) • “We have taken off our blindfolds, but have we opened up our eyes.” E.C. Glass Acting Class, 1999 • “The greatest inequality is the equal treatment of unequals.” Thomas Jefferson

12. Three Phases of the Mentor Coaching Relationship • See p. 11 – 12 • Phase I: Establishing a Relationship • Phase II: Implementing the GDP in a School Reform Context • Phase III: Cultivating Collegial Relationships

13. Quotes of Wisdom • People don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care. Zig Ziglar • Lew Holtz’s Three Questions: • Can I trust you? • Do you care about me as a person? • Are you committed to excellence?

14. Step 1, Designing a Group Development Plan (GDP) • See page 13 • Step 1, Parts i, ii, and iii (used in the 1st meeting) • Discuss each part • Mentor—School Leader Biographical Exchange • Complete Practice Simulation 1, p.15

15. The Group Development Plan Guidebook, p. 16

16. Benchmark Process Data • p. 17 • Individually review • Discuss “what is”

17. Analysis of Developmental Assets and Needs • Easiest entry point • This instrument is included in the training materials. School leaders should complete and score. Mentors should also complete so they can discuss. • Review document, pp. 18 – 24.

18. Professional Knowledge • See p. 25 • Review Skills for Leaders, pp. 26 - 32 • Review ISLLC Standards, pp. 33 – 42 • Utilize Reflection Document, p. 43

19. Step 2, Designing A Group Development Plan (GDP) • p. 44 • Review • Discuss components of the GDP • Analysis of Developmental Assets and Needs already discussed

20. NASSP 360° • The NASSP 360° for the school leader is provided as part of this training document. School leaders should complete and score the instrument. Mentors should also complete the NASSP 360°. • Review documents, pp. 45 – 56

21. Reflection Activity • See p. 57 • Encourage reflection on Analysis of Developmental Assets and Needs and the NASSP 360° Self and Observer Assessments

22. Organizational Citizenship Behavior Survey • This instrument measures commitment of the faculty to the organization.

23. Organizational Citizenship Behavior Survey • Based on the work of Michael F. DiPaola (William and Mary) and Wayne K. Hoy (Ohio State University) • Survey taken from “Organizational Citizenship of Faculty and Achievement of High School Students,” The High School Journal, Feb/Mar 2005, p. 35 – 45 • Review instrument and discuss, p. 58

24. What DiPaola and Hoy Recommend to Principals • Work toward getting a critical mass of teachers engaged in organizational citizenship behavior. • Lead by example; be a good organizational citizen and reinforce those behaviors when you observe them in your school. • Be supportive and flexible in dealing with your teachers; • Have as few formal rules as possible; formality breeds rule-oriented behavior and rigidity.

25. DiPaola and Hoy Continued • Nurture the informal organization; work with the informal teacher leaders, and encourage novel solutions to problems. • Praise your teachers when they demonstrate good organizational behavior; informal praise may be the best. Simply let your teachers knows that you appreciate their extra efforts. • Treat teachers as professionals, that is, as individuals with expertise in teaching and commitment to their students. Give them autonomy to experiment and to make important decisions about teaching and learning.

26. DiPaola and Hoy Continued • Design a mentoring system in which experienced teachers, who routinely demonstrate organizational citizenship behaviors, socialize new teachers. • Protect your teachers from administrative trivia – unnecessary meetings, too much paperwork, silly rules, busy work, etc. • With your teachers, develop high levels of academic success, and then support and help teachers achieve those goals.

27. Breaking Ranks Resources • A variety of resources are provided in the Breaking Ranks training. Identify any which may be helpful. Mentors should review the resources so they can suggest those that may be helpful.

28. Breaking Ranks Resources • School Academic Rigor & Support Self-Assessment Tool, pp. 59-60 • Academic Rigor Planning Pyramid, p. 61 • Breaking Ranks: Strategies for Leading Reform, pp. 62-63

29. Middle and Elementary Schools • Schools to Watch • Middle Schools • Review pp. 64-68 • Elementary Schools • Review pp. 69-77

30. How Well Does Your School Serve Each Student? • p. 78-79

31. Teams • P. 80-83

32. Achievement Data Analysis • School leaders should complete a disaggregated analysis of their SOL and AYP data. They may provide the data using whatever disaggregator the division uses. They should encourage teachers to complete their analysis and to engage in reflective dialogue as a faculty on ways to improve. • A sample document for teachers (based on an analysis used in Virginia Beach), pp. 84-87

33. Center on Innovation and Improvement • http://www.centerii.org/ • Restructuring and Substantial School Improvement • Chapter 4: Restructuring Through Learning-Focused Leadership

34. Managing Complex Change from Breaking Ranks – Setting the Stage for Balanced Leadership

35. + + Skills Incentive + + Resources ActionPlan Managing Complex Change CHANGE Vision

36. McREL’s Balanced 360° • School leaders may go online to www.mcrel.org to get additional information.

37. McREL’s leadership question What must leaders know and be able to do to both improve current forms of schooling and to lead the transition from current forms to new and more productive forms of schooling?

38. Difference in mean student achievement

39. 21 leadership responsibilities School Leadership That Works pp.42-61

40. Power of perception Hill (1915)

41. Power of perception Botwinick (1961)

42. Power of perception Wittgenstein, 1953

43. First or second order? Do stakeholders perceive the change as… an extension of the past? a break with the past? consistent with prevailing organizational norms? inconsistent with prevailing organizational norms? congruent with personal values? incongruent with personal values? easily learned using existing knowledge & skills? requiring new knowledge & skills? First-order Implications Second-order Implications

44. 1. Monitor/evaluate 2. Culture 3. Ideals and beliefs 4. Knowledge of CIA 5. Involvement in CIA 6. Focus 7. Order 8. Affirmation 9. Intellectual stimulation 10. Communication 11. Input Relationships Optimize Flexibility Resources Contingent rewards Situational awareness Outreach Visibility Discipline Change agent First-order change (rank ordered) Marzano, Waters, & McNulty (2005)

45. Positively correlated responsibilities to Second Order Change • Knowledge of curriculum, instruction, & assessment • Optimize • Intellectual stimulation • Change agent • Monitor/evaluate • Flexibility • Ideals/beliefs (rank ordered) Marzano, Waters, & McNulty (2005)

46. Negatively correlated responsibilities in Second Order Change • Culture • Communication • Order • Input (rank ordered) Marzano, Waters, & McNulty (2005)

47. What do the 21 variables look like? • Helping Principals Lead: Applying the Research on Balanced Leadership, p. 88-96 • Review and Discuss

48. Change is like a car! • Do you want to drive it or be run over by it?

49. Professional Learning Communities¹ • Mission • Why do we exist? • What are we here to do together? • Is the mission embedded? • Can the faculty, staff, community articulate the vision? ¹Richard DuFour and Robert Eaker, Professional Learning Communities at Work, Solution Tree: Bloomington, Indiana, 1998.

50. Vision • What is our direction? • If we are true to our mission, what will we become? • The lack of a compelling vision is a major obstacle to school reform. • Vision has little impact unless shared, accepted, and connected to the personal vision of teachers.