Reflection Piece:  Standard 3.0: Organizational Leadership

Describe

To demonstrate competency for Standard 3.0: Organizational Leadership, I used two projects—the Technology Plan and the Inquiry Team Plan.  For the Technology Plan assignment, I developed a four-year plan to install SMART Boards in every classroom of my school (Bronx Lab School) and to train 100% of the teaching staff in their effective use.  I created this plan on my own, independent of my EDL 705 classmates, but I did consult with my colleagues at Bronx Lab School, which I found helpful in forcing me to think about the actual concerns I will face as a school leader.  My principal and I indentified and discussed three challenges with any technology initiative in a public school: the allocation of limited financial resources; the training of (sometimes resistant) staff in the use of the new technology; and the use of technology to impact student achievement. 

The Inquiry Team Plan was a group project in which we developed a program to address the needs of a target population.  The group collected and analyzed student achievement data, and then used a decision-making model to decide upon an intervention plan.  The Plan consisted of a 13-page paper and PowerPoint Presentation; we presented this Plan and our decision-making process to the class.  The group dynamics were tense because two members of the team, myself included, did not produce parts of the paper and presentation by the dates we, as a team, had agreed to.  Even though we produced the final product with over a day to spare, my delays in writing my sections caused others to question my work ethic.

Analyze

These projects address Standard 3.0: Organizational Leadership, which states that school leaders have “the knowledge and ability to promote the success of all students by managing the organization, operations, and resources in a way that promotes a safe, efficient, and effective learning environment.”  ELCC Standards 3.1., 3.2, and 3.3—Manage the Organization, Manage Operations, Manage Resources—are at the heart of the Technology Plan I developed.  I had to consider how to incorporate the budget needs, time demands for training staff, and communication strategies for this SMART Board initiative into existing school operations in order for it to be realistically feasible.  The Technology Plan is a comprehensive, multi-year initiative that calls for long-term organizational planning.  The Inquiry Team Plan demonstrates the coordination of school and partner personnel (ELCC 3.1: Manage the Organization): The intervention the group proposed in the Inquiry Team Plan optimized the learning environment for the targeted students by providing academic, organizational, and socio-emotional supports to the students both in and out of class.  The Plan brought together subject-area teachers, the school counselor, teacher-advisors, and the parent coordinator in an integrated support system that addressed student weaknesses.  The Plan calls for a Saturday program, so coordination with School Safety and community organizations that use the building on weekends were integrated (ELCC: Manage Operations).  Finally, the Inquiry Team Plan utilizes school and community human resources already employed, thus effectively managing resources (ELCC 3.3)

Appraise

Having to grapple with a school’s competing demands for resources—both human and budgetary—allowed me to grow as an aspiring school leader.   Working in the NYC DOE, I will always be faced with needs that are greater than the allocated resources.  These two plans, I believe, demonstrates a wise and efficient use of resources; developing these plans taught me how collaborating with others at my school and with other aspiring leaders can produce a better initiative than one I could have developed solely on my own.

Transform

In moving forward, I see that as a future school leader I need to continually collaborate with a wide range of colleagues to create programs that will impact student achievement--from a school business manager, to other school leaders, to key teachers, to instructional support staff.  Collaborating with a range of school stakeholders and working towards consensus in making important decisions, school leaders can have the greatest chance for achieving transformative change.

I will use the experience working on the Inquiry Team Plan to refine how I use student data to determine resource allocation that with enhance student achievement.  In my work at my school, I would often use achievement data—test results, credit accumulation data—without looking at other relevant data, such as attendance or suspension data.  By looking at the factors behind the achievement data, I can better think about and design intervention strategies and leverage resources that will help students overcome obstacles that have hindered them in the past.

This project also reminded me that I need to work on my communication with team members.  Even though I completed the assigned parts on this paper and presentation, and edited the draft of the assembled paper, I did not communicate with the other team members that I would need additional time to complete my work.  As the deadline neared to within two days, my teammates questioned whether I would in fact complete my part of the project, and wondered if they needed to finish the project without me.  I know that, as a future leader, I need to be in better contact with the other staff members I am working with on various projects.