Laboratory for Student Success Supports
District of Columbia Public Schools Principals' Leadership Academy

The Mid-Atlantic Regional Educational Laboratory for Student Success (LSS) provided technical support to the Council for Basic Education (CBE), sponsor of the District of Columbia Public Schools Principals' Leadership Academy, for their most recent program in Washington, DC on July 30–August 2, 2001.

The Principals' Leadership Academy was designed by CBE, LSS, and the Assistant Superintendent for Professional Development in the District of Columbia, and is part of DCPS Superintendent Paul Vance's plan to overhaul the DCPS system. The focus of the Academy is primarily on the development of the principal's understanding of content standards and standards-based instruction in order to become the primary instructional leader of the school. At the completion of the two-year program, it is hoped that each principal will be provided with the ability to:

• identify the academic mission of the school where student achievement is primary;

• understand content standards and their central place in teaching, learning, and assessment;

• recognize standards-based instruction and a standards-based classroom;

• support teacher focus on student achievement;

• maintain a strong collegial network of fellow principals.

The most recent program, held at the Bolger Center in Potomac, MD on July 30–August 2, 2001, focused on providing an overview to standards-based curriculum, instruction, and assessment for newly assigned District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) principals, and principals (new and experienced) recruited to serve in the new transformation schools program entitled "Children First." Schools that have not achieved the desired academic results for the past three years were selected to be reconstituted, thus replacing former administrators and teachers. Nine schools have been identified for complete transformation under the Children First Initiative.

Monday, July 30, 2001

The July 30 opening session featured CBE President Christopher Cross; Beth Ann Bryan, Senior Advisor to the U.S. Secretary of Education; Paul Vance, Superintendent of the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS); Robert Rice, CBE Vice President and Chief Operating Officer; Mary Gill, DCPS Chief Academic Officer; and Lynne Long, DCPS Assistant Superintendent for Professional Development and Leadership.

The first workshop concerned "Testing Beliefs". With the understanding that principals often hold a set of unexamined beliefs, it is imperative that the principals articulate and reflect upon their assumptions about students and their ability to learn—confronting, analyzing, and resolving attitudes that may be a hindrance to student achievement. This is particularly important in urban schools where principals face a number of circumstances, including different levels of student readiness, safety, poverty, and parent expectations as they pertain to academic success. During this workshop—that provided a forum for discussion of issues concerning teaching and learning—Renee Rodriguez provided instructional leadership in the total operation of the school, including planning, managing, operating, and evaluation. Now a private consultant, Renee Rodriguez is former Assistant Superintendent of Norfolk Public Schools in Virginia and author of "What Is It About Me You Can't Teach?"

Tuesday, July 31, 2001

Tuesday's professional development module on "Introduction to Standards" addressed standards-based instruction and the value of standards. The presenters used specific academic content standards as examples of how instruction is related to standards, including the alignment among standards, instruction, and assessment. They demonstrated how standards are integrated into authentic lessons and assessments and how the principal can recognize an effective standards-based classroom and standards-based instruction.

The professional development module presenters were Linda Plattner and Cheryl Krehbiel. Linda Plattner is the Director of Policy, Standards, and Instruction at CBE; has a specialty in mathematics; and was a former teacher and curriculum specialist. Cheryl Krehbiel is a Standards and Instruction Specialist at CBE and a National Board Certified Teacher.

Wednesday, August 1, 2001

Although the standards-based classroom has no explicit instruction model, the workshop on the "Standards-based Classroom" demonstrated the discernible components, including work that is performance-based and feedback that describes students' standing relative to a standard. Materials demonstrating that the classroom is standards-based included the presentation of student work, scoring guides, student portfolios, textbooks that support curriculum and standards, and relevant resource material. This workshop was presented by Cheryl Krehbiel, Linda Plattner, and Carol Stoel. Carol Stoel is a director of Schools Around the World (SAW).

During the "Transformational School Presentation", the leadership needs of new and transformation school principals were addressed by JoAnn Manning, Executive Director of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Educational Laboratory for Student Success (LSS) and Senior Research Associate at Temple University Center for Research in Human Development and Education (TUCRHDE), and Addie M. Johnson, LSS Research Associate. JoAnn Manning also led a discussion of LSS's work with the DCPS's transformation schools.

Thursday, August 2, 2001

The session "Issues Surrounding Opening School" addressed the importance of leadership that focuses on teaching and learning, and ultimately on student achievement. The session emphasized organizing the school around certain essential concepts, i.e.:

• Creating a well-designed collective school vision and mission that makes teaching and learning the focus of the school

• Communicating the school's vision to the faculty, students, and the community

• Building a check list of preparation

• Developing a contingency plan

• Managing change

• Delegating

The session was presented by Kimberly Evans, who is a former principal, and is the Executive Assistant to the Area Executive Office (Area 4) for Reform Schools in the Baltimore City Public Schools.

Lynne Long, DCPS Assistant Superintendent for Professional Development and Leadership; Susannah G. Patton, Director of Academic Programs at the Council for Basic Education; and M. René Islas, a CBE Policy Analyst, coordinated the arrangements for the four-day academy. All agreed that the academy was quite successful and fostered new collegial relationships.