School Principal Development Program

Overview

<p>For this proposal, the model must utilize the North Carolina Standards for School Executives list of 21 competencies as the basis for its approach. Each of the competencies will be examined through an equity leadership lens, helping principals to develop equitable learning environments while also interrupting systemic barriers to student success. Participants will go through a learning progression that emphasizes experience, application, and reflection. Participants will work in a cohort approach that allows for robust peer support, while also having direct access to coaching support. Their application and reflection products will be collected and housed for use in higher education program evaluation as well as becoming resources for K12 school system hiring managers to inspect.</p> <p>This novel approach will require a robust development phase and an initial pilot learning cohort. With adequate resources, it could be utilized to support every principal fellow, aspiring leaders outside of the NCPFP/TP3, and even to engage current service principals who want to develop their equity leadership skills.</p> <p>The design of this work should be illustrated in three components: Program Design, Pilot Implementation and Adaptation, and Individualized Coaching Support.</p> <p><strong>PROGRAM DESIGN | Competency Based Education</strong></p> <p>Develop an approach for supporting aspiring leaders through a growth process to develop their professional practice around a set of research-based competencies embedded in the North Carolina Executive Leader Evaluation Instrument. All of the competencies will be explored through an equity framework, with an emphasis on educational leadership creating learning environments that eliminate opportunity gaps and address systemic inequities.</p> <p>The goal of this design work is to create a process for learning educational leadership competencies through professional development and coaching support focused on skills and practice.<br>Across the learning process, activities are intentionally designed for creating emotional connections, evolving mindsets, and developing skills. The learning activities combine group experiences with individualized exploration. Participants have choice in how they pursue elements, at what pace, and in what order.</p> <p>To develop this model, the proposal recipient will collaborate with the NC Principal Fellows Program/Transforming Principal Preparation Program to undertake the following set of tasks:</p> <div> <ul> <li>Identify a core set of competencies from research and practice models</li> <li>Draft initial equity-based framing for each competency</li> <li>Use NCPFP/TP3 meetings to dig into the competencies, help develop a common operational vision for the competencies shared by Principal Prep programs</li> <li>Survey previous Principal Fellows to inform program design</li> <li>Conduct interviews with leaders of principal education programs to inform program design</li> <li>Design a capstone seminar series for NCPFP/TP3 with the competencies explored across the capstones</li> <li>Apply an equity-based approach to all capstone modules</li> <li>Develop a coaching model to support individualized growth for the pilot cohort for NCPFP/TP3</li> </ul> <div>This work will be completed by the recipient during the period of September 2020 through November of 2020.</div> <div></div> <div><strong>PILOT IMPLEMENTATION AND ADAPTATION | Individualized Experiential Learning</strong></div> <div><strong></strong>Supporting equity leadership growth requires skillful coaching and facilitation that supports educators in changing their practice. Developing an equity lens to analyze inequities is only the first step of many to bring about change, and pointing out inequities without providing supported solutions is a sure way to build up resistance to change efforts. Every school can benefit from a skilled equity leader who has the competencies necessary to interrupt inequity and build more supportive learning environments. Aspiring leaders who develop these skills during their pre-service training will quickly become effective change makers across the state.</div> <div>The NCPFP/TP3 capstone seminars (4) will become the vehicle for cohort-based learning about equity leadership. Building on the successful seminar model from this school year, the proposal recipient will pilot this competency-based approach by acting as faculty for the NCPFP/TP3 capstone seminars.</div> <div>This cohort learning model will include four seminars, self-directed learning between seminars, and individualized coaching supports for all participants. During the seminars, PFs will participate in experiential learning that integrates three key domains of equity leadership into the competencies identified in the planning process. The equity leadership frame will emphasize:</div> <ul> <li>Equity and Oppression Awareness</li> <li>Culturally Responsive Learning Theory</li> <li>Coaching and Facilitation for Improved Practice</li> </ul> <div>The capstone seminar series will include the following elements, each designed to overlap principal competencies with an equity approach:</div> <ul> <li>Seminar 1: Digital Storytelling / Coaching and Facilitation</li> <li>Seminar 2: Instructional Leadership / Culturally Proficient Teaching</li> <li>Seminar 3: Decision-making / Creating Systemic Equity</li> <li>Seminar 4: Leadership Blueprint / Adaptive Leadership</li> </ul> <div>Between each seminar, Fellows will engage in self-directed experiential learning, action, and reflection. They will follow a guide for selecting readings, videos, or podcasts for enhanced learning, each of which will be complemented by competency-based activities they will complete during their internship. After completing each field experience, the Fellow will submit a reflection through an online portal. Over the course of the year, each Fellow will develop a portfolio of reflections that will demonstrate his or her learning trajectory.</div> <div><strong>INDIVIDUALIZED COACHING SUPPORT | From Learning to Practice</strong></div> <div><strong></strong>Cohort based learning, as described above, is greatly enhanced by individualized support through coaching. The Principal Fellows in the pilot cohort will have access to coaching from the proposal recipient staff. Each Principal Fellow will have a monthly scheduled coaching session, and s/he will also be able to access additional coaching support on demand.</div> <div>The content and structure of this Equity Coaching is designed to support North Carolina Fellows to:</div> <ul> <li>Operate effectively as equity-centered facilitative leaders;</li> <li>Take a “view from the balcony” of the system at large, identifying the multiple factors influencing instruction;</li> <li>Provide insights into biases in institutional policies and practices;</li> <li>Support district and school leaders to increase the cultural competence of teachers to foster a more inclusive community for all students and families;</li> <li>Develop, refine, and sustain structures, routines, and roles for adult learning. These structures will allow for deeper discussion of the ways implicit bias, race, class, and culture impact academic and educational outcomes throughout schools, districts, organizations and communities;</li> <li>Develop skills for leading and coaching change in challenging contexts, including social-emotional intelligence and building trust and relationships;</li> <li>Engage in rigorous self-assessment and learning to deepen the impact of leadership for equity as measured by a positive district and school climate, increased reflection from staff and improved instructional practice.</li> </ul> <p>This level of coaching support ensures that every Principal Fellow will have an independent, experienced guide through their initial internship experience. This should enhance the learning experience and help connect seminar-based cohort learning to the professional setting. This coaching support will also provide direct support for the experiential learning and reflection that Fellows undertake between seminars.</p></div>