Crowley ISD Blueprint For Excellence

COVER

CROWLEY ISD

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SUPERINTENDENT’S MESSAGE One of the most persistent leadership challenges of the 21st century is the improvement of educational outcomes for all students. The stability of democracy and our country’s position among world leading countries is predicated in part on our ability to ensure that the current students in our system experience excellence and receive a high-quality education.

What makes the challenge of educating all students well even more daunting than it ever has been is the reality that our schools today are more diverse and more complex than ever before and the future that we are preparing them for is dynamic. In order to meet the educational challenge of today, we must engage in design thinking and focus on building a new model of education focused on providing excellence for all.

Many people today view diversity, ethnicity and economics as limiting factors to improving student achievement. Historical data can be found to support this position. However, over the last 20 years, my experiences and research provides me with credible evidence that demographics do not equal destiny.

I have had the awesome privilege to be a part of a team of passionate educators that rejects the notion that students from diverse backgrounds cannot perform at high levels. We have been explicit in our expectations and goals. When adults engage in design thinking and ensure that systems, programs and people are aligned and committed, then all students will experience higher levels of learning.

I have witnessed these results firsthand in a diverse school district. With a population of nearly 90 percent African American and Hispanic and almost 90 percent economically disadvantaged, we were able to graduate 94 percent of our students and 100 percent of our school campuses met or exceeded state standards and achieved more than 37 performance distinctions.

With this experience, I know excellence can be obtained for all students in Crowley ISD. It is possible. This document is an attempt to capture the Theories of Action that guide our approach to improving outcomes and providing an excellent educational experience for all students.

Dr. Michael D. McFarland Superintendent, Crowley ISD

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THEORIES OF ACTION Leadership Development............................................................................4 The Big Six of Organizational Improvement................................................6 Performance Management..........................................................................8 Data Usage..................................................................................................9 Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment..................................................10 Human Capital/Talent Management..........................................................13 Innovation and Future-Ready....................................................................14 Financial Management..............................................................................15 Student Engagement.................................................................................17 Parental Involvement, Engagement and Empowerment...........................18 Transforming High-Poverty Schools into High-Performing Schools..........................................................................20 Long Range Planning................................................................................21 Public and Private Partnerships................................................................22 Social and Emotional Learning..................................................................23 College and Career Readiness..................................................................25 Strategic Communications........................................................................26 School Board Relations.............................................................................28 Literacy Development...............................................................................30 Advanced Academics...............................................................................32 Managing Growth......................................................................................33 Central Office Leadership..........................................................................34 Principal Leadership..................................................................................35 Teacher Leadership...................................................................................35 Courtesy, Dignity, Respect and Professionalism.......................................36 Price of Admission to the Team.................................................................38

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LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT Leadership is the key lever for creating an excellent system, organization, school and department.

In essence, leadership is the difference maker in sustainable long-term success in most any pursuit.

The research is clear and the facts are undisputable that leadership matters and leadership makes the difference in organizational performance.

However, an often overlooked fact is that leadership potential is found at all levels of the organization.

In highly effective organizations, intentional efforts are made to identify, cultivate, support and develop positional leaders as well as those who may not be in traditionally identified leadership roles but possess leadership potential.

Sustainable transformation is an inside proposition, and developing leaders from within the organization should be considered a strategic and necessary investment to ensure long-term sustainable excellence throughout the system.

“The growth and development of people is the highest calling of leadership.�

- Henry Firestone The Why

Leadership matters, and, in most cases, it makes the difference in how effective, efficient and productive school systems are at educating all students.

Excellent systems are deliberate and intentional about developing leaders because it is recognized that by doing so, the capacity of the organization to produce the desired results is increased.

As leadership capacity in an organization is enhanced, the ability to address challenges, capitalize on opportunities, create conditions and design solutions is increased.

In addition, it is imperative that leaders be talent scouts and be intentional about identifying leadership potential at all levels of the organization.

An organization that prioritizes the investment in leadership development also will attract other high quality leaders and increase the sustainability of its efforts.

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The What

The likelihood that organizational success is sustained over time is predicated on the leadership capacity that has been developed within all levels of the organization.

Leadership development programs in excellent systems are robust as they take into consideration the research on adult learning and leadership for high performance as well as focus on identifying and attracting leaders, developing general and technical skill sets, leading oneself, leading others and managing change in a dynamic environment.

These areas and others are vitally important to ensuring long-term sustainability of success.

The How

In designing leadership development programs, it is imperative that the adult learner and the learning pyramid be used as a tool for effectiveness.

Engaging leaders in multiple learning opportunities using strategies that go beyond traditional book studies is important for retention and application of concepts.

Leaders throughout the organization are expected to be models and, in essence, lead learners with their respective colleagues.

A robust leadership development system should be ongoing, embedded within the normal expectations and provide an opportunity for real-time experiential learning and reflection.

In addition, the program must be inclusive of both current and aspiring leaders and must be designed to be inclusive and take into consideration the multiple learning styles of the leaders and potential leaders.

The Outcome

As leaders are developed with intention throughout the organization, the capacity for success and sustainable excellence increases.

The likelihood of organization success is greater because leaders become equipped to design agile systems that are able to innovate for success, capitalize on opportunities, address challenges and develop solutions.

The aspiration to prove that all students, regardless of their demographic profile, can perform at high levels is considered a “moonshot� to many because it has not been done in a systemic way.

It is our overriding theory that leadership development will be the key lever and the driving action to ensure that our aspirations are realized.

Excellence can be available to all if leadership is cultivated and the adults within our system create the right conditions for success.

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THE BIG SIX OF ORGANIZATIONAL IMPROVEMENT In order to improve a school organization, there are six areas of focus that are critical to success:

1. Collaboration

The first order of business for improving a school, a district, or any facet of an organization is to address the organizational culture.

“Culture eats strategy for breakfast.”

An organizational culture is defined by how the people within operate, interact and carry out the responsibilities.

Collaboration is critical throughout the district and in every department.

Organizational capacity is increased, and better solutions are discovered, when collaboration occurs.

2. Guaranteed, Viable Curriculum

The core focus of the department or organization must have been clearly identified and must be viable and guaranteed.

In essence, the “why we exist” question must be addressed and made explicit to all in the organization, school or department.

For example, in school improvement we must clearly commit to ensuring that a guaranteed viable curriculum is delivered to all students in an equitable way.

3. Comprehensive Assessment System

It is imperative that a comprehensive assessment system is established that includes clear metrics that can be used to identify areas of need and monitor progress.

The assessment system must include universal screeners designed to identify beginning of the year, middle-of-year and end-of-year performance of students based on fundamental skills and formative and summative common assessments to measure student learning in relation to the aligned and taught curriculum.

Lastly, the assessment system must include benchmark assessments that measure student progress in relation to the state assessment.

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4. Rapid and Responsive Intervention System

Progress monitoring is essential to school improvement, and rapid and responsive interventions and accelerations must occur in order to accelerate our efforts.

Once assessment results are analyzed, the intervention designed must be as close to the instruction as possible and be targeted and responsive to individual student needs.

In addition, an acceleration system must be designed to ensure that those students who already have mastered concepts have the opportunity to accelerate their learning by engaging in more rigorous learning activities.

5. Talent Development System

The single most important factor in improving student learning is the classroom teacher.

The most important factor in improving school performance is the principal. In order to improve schools, we must explicitly commit to improving the skill set of teachers and the leaders.

Embedded professional development creates the space during the day for teachers to learn from each other, collaborate on instruction issues and engage in professional development activities.

Teacher learning clusters and principal learning clusters are critical to the development of the instructional capacity, which will have a direct impact on student success.

6. Future Focused: College and Career Readiness

In order to move a school, department or organization from the current reality to the desired state, it is imperative that a clear focus is established on the desired future for the entity.

For students and school improvement purposes it is imperative that there is a clear focus on building students’ awareness and exposure to college and career opportunities, intentionally engaging students in future-focused activities and creatively designing experiences that will lead to the students’ ability to connect the things they are learning to future college and career success.

It is critical that systems, programs and practices be implemented to ensure that students are prepared for success in college and careers in the future.

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PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT Performance management is the process by which decisions are made to assign resources, support and intervention to different facets of the organization.

In a performance management driven system, metrics are identified and monitored to ensure that progress is being realized.

The performance in relation to the goal is measured, and decisions concerning allocation of time, energy, resources and personnel are informed by the performance of the entity.

In a performance management system, schools are tiered based on their performance, and levels of support, flexibility and autonomy are granted based on performance in relation to the goals.

As performance improves, the level of support is modified, and more local autonomy is earned.

As performance issues emerge, more intervention and support is received from central office personnel and more management of the core occurs.

Campuses are classified and placed on a Pyramid of Intervention based on their performance:

• Tier 1 - in need of limited to no additional support/management

• Tier 2 - in need of regular ongoing support

• Tier 3 - in need of intense daily to weekly support; management is highly engaged in what is happening on these campuses to ensure The Big Six are being implemented with fidelity

Schools will be categorized based on defined metrics and key progress indicators, and their placement will indicate the level of service and support they receive from the central office team.

A campus’ placement will be reviewed on a regular basis and will be adjusted based on quantitative and qualitative data received during the campus performance reviews and throughout the school year.

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DATA USAGE In our pursuit to create an excellent school system, it is imperative that data is collected and evaluations are conducted to determine the effectiveness of a particular action or initiative.

The data management system must be in alignment with the assessment system and must employ multiple methods of data collection that allow for the efficient analyzation of both quantitative and qualitative data.

Once the data has been collected and analyzed, then responsive action planning must occur.

Responsible parties are expected to analyze the data, identify strengths, determine areas of opportunities and specify the system modifications needed in order to ensure progress toward the end goal.

An effective plan is responsive to the identified quantitative and qualitative needs and indicates the action steps, expected outcomes, monitoring schedule, resources allocated and person to be held responsible and accountable for results.

It is critical for the goals identified in the action plan to be SMART (specific, measurable, actionable, realistic and time-bound) and to be developed collaboratively with those who will be impacted by the decisions.

Data should be used to inform decision makers and minimize the reliance on opinions, intentions or instincts.

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CURRICULUM, INSTRUCTION AND ASSESSMENT The most important action central administration service and support staff can take is to engage in a process to ensure that there is guaranteed viable curriculum available for all students that is aligned with the assessment and is implemented using a variety of instructional strategies.

Professional development must be focused on increasing teacher capacity to implement curriculum, deliver lessons using multiple strategies and understand the relationship between curriculum instruction and assessment.

One key strategy for closing the achievement gap is to ensure that all students have access to an aligned curriculum that is delivered using high-yield instructional strategies and assessments that are sensitive to each student’s learning style.

The above graphic provides a visual representation of what the alignment relationship between the curriculum, instruction and assessment looks like.

In this situation, students who are receiving instruction that is not aligned to curriculum or the assessment are placed at a significant disadvantage.

This disadvantage is exacerbated for students who are not normally engaged in educationally focused experiences outside of school.

These students often have less cultural capital to pull from when they are faced with having to exhibit mastery on content that has not been thoroughly taught during the school time.

Students from more economically advantaged environments often have educational-focused experiences to draw on outside of the school that mitigates the gap created by instruction that is not aligned.

Students of advantage often have additional background experiences from which to draw.

This is one of the key reasons why it is imperative that the curriculum that is written, taught and tested be aligned to ensure, at a minimum, that all students have equal and equitable access to a curriculum that is guaranteed and viable.

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Student photo -- studying, learning, writing

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staff with kids

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HUMAN CAPITAL/TALENT MANAGEMENT Developing the capacity of the organization is critical to sustainability of success.

As the capacity of the personnel in the organization increases, the likelihood for sustainable success is enhanced.

Efforts to develop staff must be done in a meaningful and effective way and be in alignment with the research on adult learning.

Specifically, efforts to increase capacity of the adults within the system must be embedded in the day-to-day requirements as much as possible, be relevant to the individual and be in alignment with the needs of the organization.

In addition, a process and expectation must be in place for current leaders to identify and cultivate talent within the current staff.

Intentional efforts must be made to ensure that high performers are provided an opportunity to develop and grow by being exposed to different tasks that will prepare them for the next level of leadership.

Leaders with potential must be placed in situations where their strengths can be leveraged as an asset to the organization.

When talented team members feel that they are making a significant contribution to the organization and operating in the area of passion and giftedness, then it is unlikely that they will leave your organization.

As it relates to managing talent, it is imperative that organizational leaders allocate time to meet with potential leaders and identify their individual professional goals and aspirations.

This investment in development will reveal critical information that can be used to inform individual growth plans and future project assignments.

When the employee realizes the connection between the current responsibility and their future aspiration, then motivation will be removed as a potential issue.

In essence, true talent development and human capital management must be made a priority by the leader. It must be ongoing and must be seen as mutually beneficial by all parties.

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INNOVATION AND FUTURE-READY In an excellent school system, a culture of innovation and creativity is established and is supported with explicit expectations for leaders to operate from a futurefocused frame.

When leaders challenge the members within the organization to focus on preparing students for their future, creativity is more likely to be unleashed. The reality of today is that the future is unknown.

Educators who are serious about preparing students for their future most come to grips with the fact that we must prepare students for a tomorrow that is uncertain and challenges that are unknown.

In order to achieve the mission of innovation and future-ready, new ideas must be welcomed and encouraged. Failure must be celebrated and reframed into a learning opportunity, while critical thinking and problem solving must be a central requirement in the learning experiences we design.

Developing the future-focused mentality, in essence, increases the relevancy of the curriculum for the students we serve and increases the likelihood for sustainable success.

We know we will have to build on the fact that students will have to be able to:

• solve complex problems

• work collaboratively with a diverse group of team members

• communicate effectively and articulate their perspective

• think critically and reason algebraically

• use their creativity and engage in design thinking

• identify opportunities and learn from their own experiences and those of others The challenges we are preparing students for today are much different than the ones our current system was designed to prepare students.

Innovation and being future-ready is really about remaining agile and ensuring that the system is prepared to pivot and respond to outcomes and changes in the environment. The caveat is that innovation must be driven by a true need and desire to capitalize on a particular reality.

Innovation with no clear goal, objective or metric can be counterproductive to progress.

In addition, it is important that innovative efforts are pursued with a clear focus on building an understanding of the why before the focus is placed on the what and how.

The context for successful innovation must be created by the leader to ensure no unnecessary barriers emerge.

If a student is able to access the choices and opportunities available to them to become productive citizens then they are considered future-ready. The challenge that we all face is the unknown, and, in that case, the concept of future ready has emerged as the desirable end goal.

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Long hallway, mac lab photo

FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT In education, we are responsible for two of the most valuable assets in a person’s life - their children and their money.

It is imperative that public school leaders realize that we are public stewards and must carry out our fiduciary responsibility in a transparent manner.

When leaders are seen as good stewards of taxpayers’ investment, credibility is established, and the likelihood of receiving ongoing funding to meet emerging needs is enhanced.

The following six tenets are critical to ensuring financial success and maintaining an appropriate level of financial health. It is imperative when budgeting for expected revenue that a conservative approach to projections is pursued.

Fiscal Responsibility Framework

1. Conservative approach to revenue generators 2. Aggressive approach to expense drivers 3. Student/classroom-centric budget management model 4. Connect expense drivers to revenue generators 5. Protect fund balance for rainy days 6. Current students/taxpayers should receive current benefits and investments As a matter of practice, the total amount of revenue expected should never be fully assigned.

The conservative approach allows for built-in protections against unknown occurrences that are a normal part of school district operations.

When budgeting for expenses, it is prudent to take an aggressive approach to expense drivers to ensure that all possible costs are included in financial models.

It is imperative to ensure that the leaders in the budget process adopt a studentcentric budget model that prioritizes student and teacher classroom needs in all considerations, but especially during times of funding deficits or funding surplus.

During deficits, reductions must occur as far away from the classroom as possible, and when leaders find themselves with budget surpluses, additions must be made in alignment with student and teacher classroom needs first.

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theater, clubs, groups

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STUDENT ENGAGEMENT In our effort to improve student outcomes, significant focus must be placed on student engagement.

Educators who design rigorous lessons that are relevant to the interest, experiences and/or aspirations of the students increase the likelihood that students will be motivated to learn.

We all learn more and are more engaged when we feel connected, significant and a part of something.

It is important that students are not only connected with the content they are learning, they must be connected with each other, the school and the community.

When students feel a part of something bigger than themselves, they have additional motivation to do their best.

All students should be encouraged to be a part of clubs, organizations or projects where they are in communion with others.

Being a part of a team ignites a sense of responsibility that often lies dormant inside many students.

Relationships matter and are necessary for many students who have been marginalized.

It is imperative that the expectations of the student are high, and the adults who lead make standards explicit for students.

The stronger the student’s relationship is with the learning material, adults and school, the more motivated and engaged they become and higher levels of learning occur.

Significance, relationships, connections and relevancy all lead to higher levels of engagement and higher levels of student learning.

Student engagement must be elevated by the leader as mission critical and monitored to ensure it is occurring on a daily basis.

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PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT, ENGAGEMENT AND EMPOWERMENT The research is clear as it relates to parental impact on student achievement.

Parental expectations matter and, in most cases, make the difference in how students view education.

The question that remains is how do parents communicate the expectations to their children.

The roles parents play range from involvement to engagement and finally to empowerment.

Involvement

Parental involvement occurs when parents are active participants and supporters of their children’s events, their children’s school and/or their school district.

Involvement oftentimes is exhibited through passive support where attendance and participation are key indicators of involvement.

In situations with high parental involvement, parents are present and the adults within the building and outside the building know that education is important because the adults have prioritized it through their attendance and support.

Engagement

When parents move from just being present and supportive to actually being engaged, they have made an active choice to become a part of the learning process for their children or others they are supporting.

An engaged parent is one who supports the student with learning at home and actually has become a partner with the classroom teacher.

An engaged parent is intentional about creating learning opportunities outside the school to reinforce concepts taught and/or accelerate learning of new concepts through additional extension activities related to new material.

Empowerment

The highest level of parental influence is exhibited through parental empowerment.

An empowered parent is one who has the knowledge, skills and ability to work the system to ensure that their students and others they serve are receiving the best service available.

An empowered parent is also informed and aware of how to leverage the rules of the system to ensure that it is responsive to the needs of their student.

In order to have parental influence be a positive factor on student achievement, it is imperative that intentional systems, programs and practices are designed to improve involvement, engagement and empowerment.

The time, energy and attention invested in developing a comprehensive approach to strengthen the relationship and influence of parents on their students’ learning will reap great dividends as it relates to student outcomes.

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An engaged parent in an excellent system is active in student learning and enhances MFM photo and extends the educational experience for students beyond the classroom.

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TRANSFORMING HIGH-POVERTY SCHOOLS INTO HIGH-PERFORMING SCHOOLS One of the most persistent challenges faced by urban school educators is transforming schools with high populations of students from high-poverty backgrounds into high-performing institutions.

In many cases, the economic disadvantage level of students within a school is often a proxy for low performance. This represents the leadership challenge of our profession.

Demographics are not destiny.

When adults are courageous enough to take intentional actions, high-poverty schools can become high performing.

It is no easy feat to transform schools, but it is necessary. In our efforts to transform an underperforming school, you must start with leadership.

Leaders control the conditions for success, and the key condition for high performance to occur is to create a culture of high expectations regardless of demographic factors.

Effective leaders in a high-performing system are clear about their purpose and insist that The Big Six (see page 6) are in place.

In addition, a sense of team unity must persist throughout the school. Staff and students must own their achievement and feel a sense of connectivity and responsibility to each other.

Students must be engaged in positive peer groups through clubs, organizations and special interest activities that allow them to develop strong self-concepts.

Relationships are key. Relevancy is critical. It is the leader who can create systems of support to develop both.

Students and their culture must be viewed as valuable, and they must see themselves as a part of the curriculum and develop their intellectual identity by understanding the significance of their heritage. They must be connected to the school and adults there in every way.

A leader who is able to rally the troops, implement an action plan and follow through is a necessity in these environments.

Students from poverty environments will rise to the level of expectation when leaders act courageously to establish systems, programs and practices that create conditions for them to experience success.

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LONG-RANGE PLANNING Long-range planning is critical to designing systems to ensure sustainable success for students and is the process by which a future objective is identified, normally in a span ranging from 10 to 15 years.

Through the process of identifying threats and opportunities, action steps are developed and metrics are created to ensure that the organization is moving toward the desired end goal.

A crucial component of long-term planning is ensuring that appropriate metrics are identified, responsibility for actions are clear and an intensive monitoring system is created to ensure accountability and implementation with fidelity.

Long-range plans must be informed by past trends, current reality and future aspirations.

When effective planning occurs, the organization becomes more efficient and nimble in a dynamic environment.

The system is built on responsiveness and proactiveness and leads to more opportunities for sustainable success.

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PUBLIC AND PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS In order for a school system to truly provide an exceptional experience for students, it is imperative that public and private partnerships be cultivated.

Leaders within the system must be intentional about seeking out external partners who have parallel missions with the school system.

Partnerships must be established based on a common interest and a clear purpose.

Partnerships established based on a parallel purpose and mission have a greater likelihood of sustainability.

The public/private partnership must be mutually beneficial and must further promote the agenda of the school district and of the partnership.

Vibrant partnerships are those were there is always an open line of communication.

The metrics and monitoring system are made explicit upfront, and there is a respect for, and appreciation of, the clearly delineated roles that each partner will play.

Establishing clear boundaries and lines of responsibility, authority and accountability are critical to maintaining partnerships.

In addition, quantitative feedback must be made available to partners and a willingness to make mid-course corrections must be present in both partners.

Finally, it is important to manage the expectations of the partnership early.

Engaging in the aforementioned activities will lead to outstanding partnerships that are mutually beneficial and assist in moving student achievement forward.

mock trial group with partner

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SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL LEARNING In an excellent school system, students feel both socially and emotionally secure and free from distractions to learning.

In order for this type of environment to persist in a school system, intentional efforts must be made to ensure that positive social interactions become the norm.

Students must feel socially connected to their peers and respected by the adults in order for learning and creativity to flourish.

It is imperative that positive peer groups are established, and every student is encouraged to be a part of a team, club, organization or some other high interest group.

It is through these experiences that students learn the appropriate way to interact with others and they become socially aware of the standards of conduct.

In addition, it is critical that the school environment is safe and secure as it relates to emotional threats.

Growing up is hard, but when the school environment is not sensitive to the emotional need for safety of students, it is even more challenging for students.

In order for students to flourish academically, there must be social norms that have been clearly communicated, taught and reinforced.

The learning environment must be free from bullying and other emotional situations which threaten students’ safety.

By being intentional in creating and making explicit the social norms, teaching appropriate social interactions, rewarding and recognizing appropriate behavior and providing ongoing positive behavior supports, the likelihood that student learning will occur in a safe and secure environment is enhanced.

A consistent positive behavior intervention system should be implemented to ensure structure and consistent application of social and behavioral expectations.

The rules and norms must be taught, and positive behavior must be recognized, rewarded and incentivized. On the other hand, a consistent approach to dealing with misbehavior must be taken, and consequences must be clear and consistently applied.

The adults responsible for ensuring social and emotional learning must be trained on effective and efficient classroom management practices and the specific actions they can take to minimize threats and deviations from the norms.

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signing night

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COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS An excellent school system focuses on preparing students in a way that ensures they will have choices and opportunities when they leave our school system and more than a high school diploma.

It is imperative students are made aware of the multitude of options they will have for the future.

All students should be prepared to either pursue a post-secondary education, a career in the military, an occupation in the workforce with the possibility of it leading to a career and/or become an entrepreneur in the 21st century marketplace.

The reality is that not everyone will enroll in post-secondary education immediately following high school graduation in pursuit of a college diploma, and it is imperative that students are prepared with certifications to enter the workforce if they choose.

It is crucial that educational leaders have creatively and systematically removed barriers to the choices and opportunities for students.

When students are equipped and ensured that they are college and career ready, it allows them to take advantage of all of the options that are available and make a decision that is most in alignment with their current and future plans.

It is important that we not only focus on the academic background that must be present for college and career readiness, we must also ensure that students are aware of the opportunities, exposed to the available choices and opportunities and educated on the process necessary to truly experience and take advantage of the opportunities.

College visits, internships, CTE certification programs, industry visits, military information sessions and college and career advising must be an integral part of a comprehensive approach to address college and career readiness.

The consistent message communicates to students the need to begin thinking early about their future and the relationship between what they are doing today and where they want to be in the future.

From an academic perspective, college and career readiness must be a central focus from a student’s elementary through high school experience.

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STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS The environment in which we are currently operating has shifted. No longer are traditional public schools the only option for parents. Competition and choice has brought with it external pressure to ensure that we are meeting the needs of the students and families we serve.

Not only are we focused on ensuring that our current students are getting their needs met, we must also be intentional about marketing our brand to future potential customers.

In this competitive environment, it is imperative that we not only recruit and communicate with our potential customers, it is also vitally important that we ensure that our current customers are getting their needs met.

The strategy for marketing in this competitive environment must be dually focused on informing and reminding the current customer of the value we are bringing to their self-interest and informing the future customer of the anticipated value.

The strategy or method of marketing is important, but what is more critical is understanding that the message must be intentionally addressed to the needs of the diverse audience. Strategic marketing based on predetermined needs of the audience enhances the effectiveness and efficiency of our efforts.

It is expected to result in increases in new student population and maintenance of the currently enrolled number of students.

The framework for strategic communication always begins with listening.

It is imperative that the organization engage in active listening to ascertain the perspective of the intended audience. This information is critical in crafting a message that meets the perceived needs.

The listening stage also should be integrated with the learning stage. As information is collected, it should be analyzed and synthesized to determine meaning.

Once meaning is extracted from the listening and learning stage, the next phase involves leveraging the knowledge gained to facilitate the development and delivery of the message. It is during this stage that leading through communicating occurs.

The message is shared, ideas are promoted, intended outcomes are revealed and value propositions are offered. This is an ongoing process, and the next stage of evaluating the communication efforts or looking occurs to see if the intended outcomes are being realized.

Once qualitative and quantitative data is received, feedback is collected and looping occurs where adjustments are made and the process continues.

Strategic communication is intentional and starts with a clear end in mind, and the efforts are designed to strategically overcome any known and unknown barriers that may emerge.

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The major challenge with communication is the assumption that it is already done.

Communication breakdowns are at the center of many of the problems that occur in a school system.

Communication must be defined as more than the sharing of information. Listening and having systems in place to gather information quickly is just as important in the realm of communication as sharing your perspective in writing or through other modes.

Systems must be implemented that create a standard for communication to occur internally within the organization and externally with parents, community members and business owners.

The internal consumers of communication are critical to carrying out the message because the external consumers give those internal stakeholders additional credibility due to their position within the organization.

It is critical that when there is information to be shared, it is shared with internal stakeholders first because they will be able to assist in sharing the message while also leveraging their credibility.

Multiple tools and strategies must be used to communicate internally and externally based on the need and preference of the audience.

Superintendent Internal and External Communications Plan Listening and learning should always precede leading

Internal Communications All Staff • Weekly Monday Message • Site visits • Surveys • Superintendent Advisory Committee Central Administrators and Principals • Weekly Lead Team update • Weekly Cabinet meeting • Meet individually with department leaders • Weekly Academic Service meeting • Monthly Lead Team meeting • Monthly Instructional Lead Team meeting

External Communications Parents and Guardians • Quarterly site visits • Regular campus communication • Surveys • Updates on district website and social media Elected officials and city leaders • Monthly meeting with City Manager • Quarterly meeting with the Mayor • Quarterly meeting with faith-based partners • Monthly attendance at Chamber • Weekly attendance at Rotary • Quarterly meeting with Senator and/or Representative • Semiannual meeting with realtors and builders

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SCHOOL BOARD RELATIONS The relationship between the board and superintendent is critical to the success of the school district.

Communication Framework

It is important that the board and superintendent maintain a strong working relationship because the entire system takes it cues from these interactions.

Be intentional about telling the truth and always sharing the facts.

Relationships between school boards and superintendents are very similar to other relationships that are built by spending time with each other, maintaining open lines of communication and establishing common grounds.

It is important that protocols are established to maintain open lines of communication and ensure that information flows freely.

The graphic below depicts the communication methods and tools used to keep the board informed of happenings of the district.

Trust

Transparency

Always share the decision and the background, logic, rationale, alternatives and the motivation behind the decision.

Timeliness

Information should be shared with the board at the earliest possible time to ensure that the board is not blindsided. No surprises.

Superintendent and School Board Communications Plan

Email Weekly Communication

The nature of the message determines the method of the communication.

• District and department updates • Routine information • Calendar information

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• District information and notices with background information on occurences • Student danger or district liability information that may be picked up by media • Notifications to prevent any surprises

Face to Face Phone Call Text Message • Information that needs to be shared quickly • Immediate threat to safety • Immediate timely notification needed not detailed

• Sensitive information where background information may be necessary • Information concerning individual perspective, position or information needs

CROWLEY ISD

• Discuss perspective, background, agenda, priorities, concerns and/or district initiatives • Identify common ground interest and motivations • Discover areas of interest

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LITERACY DEVELOPMENT Literacy is the foundational skill that all other academic skills are built upon.

A laser-like focus on literacy is needed because once the fundamental reading and writing skills are developed, the other academic skills are more easily developed.

The literacy gap is the genesis of all other educational gaps, and once it is eliminated, then other learning deficits can be addressed.

The challenge is that all teachers must have a strong background in the teaching of reading and the development of literacy.

In addition, writing should be an academic skill that is taught and reinforced through a child’s educational experience in English classes and reinforced in all other courses.

District-wide and campus-wide literacy initiatives are critical to elevating the importance of literacy and effectively closing the literacy gaps.

The gaps start as a result of limited exposure to quality literacy activities during the key development stages of a child’s educational experience.

The gap expands as students move through a system and are not provided an opportunity to receive high-quality literacy instruction from highly skilled, literacyfocused teachers.

To combat this reality, we must first ensure the following:

Pre-Kindergarten-Grade 2: High-quality Tier 1 instruction with an emphasis on targeted instruction. Teachers must focus on teaching students how to read by mastering the basic literacy skills like decoding and knowledge of high frequency words that underlie all reading tasks.

This can be accomplished through focused and intense literacy-focused professional development.

Grades 3-5: Students should have a clear focus on reading to learn through an emphasis on comprehension, fluency and development of intermediate literacy skills.

Grades 6-12: Students should have a mastery of basic and intermediate literacy skills, and the focus should then move to disciplinary literacy with an emphasis on development of literacy skills necessary to comprehend specific material.

Kindergarten-Grade 9: It is necessary to ensure universal literacy screeners

are in place and are administered at the beginning of the year, middle of the

year and end of the year. The results are used to identify specific levels of interventions.

All students should be placed on one of three tiers, and their tier placement should determine the appropriate level of intervention received. The early investment in literacy instruction, literacy development and literacy resources reaps great dividends in the way of improved reading ability of students.

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READING PHOTO - elementary

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ADVANCED ACADEMICS An excellent system is a system where all students are challenged with an educational experience that meets their needs.

Recognizing that many students are gifted learners and the giftedness is not always easily identified using the traditional methods, multiple ways to identify giftedness is necessary in order to ensure equity.

In addition, educators in high-performing systems work to remove entrance barriers to advance academic curriculum.

When students who have not traditionally been a part of the advanced academic curriculum are exposed, it is imperative that a system of support is created for those students so they can be set up for success.

The fallacy that the student is an advanced student and therefore should not receive the needed support is one founded in the belief that intelligence is a fixed commodity. In excellent advanced academic programs, this philosophy is rejected and the curriculum is delivered from a growth mindset perspective.

The experience is designed so that regardless of prior exposure, a student who is motivated and receives the appropriate level of support can experience success.

It is also important to ensure that the professional development required for advanced academic teachers is a standard requirement for all teachers regardless of the level of class.

The strategies that are effective for students in advanced academics are also effective for all students.

In the advanced academic program, students must be given a level of autonomy to create, design and develop artifacts and other types of evidence that exhibit a clear mastery of content.

Students who are advanced naturally see connections and think in relational terms so it is important that collaboration, creation, critical thinking and communication are embedded components of their advanced academic experience.

high schooler -- learning, paying attention, working hard

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framed house, construction, chisholm trail

MANAGING GROWTH It is important that growth is managed in an appropriate manner so that the excellence of the school system is protected as the demands on the system increase.

Growth is impacted by multiple variables and it is important that decision makers are aware of current conditions, past trends and future development.

Strategic actions and proactive steps are necessary to stay ahead of growth so that future problems with capacity and quality can be avoided.

1. Review current demographic study

2. Review facilities condition study

3. Review Service Center projections

4. Review previously submitted TEA PEIMS numbers and payments

5. Attend economic development board and planning and zoning committee

6. Prioritize facility needs

7. Review long-range facilities plan

8. Review staffing guidelines and attendance zones

9. Streamline the registration process

10. Evaluate real estate holdings by the district and city

11. Develop five-year financial plan

CROWLEY ISD

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retreat photo, brainstorming, collaboration

CENTRAL OFFICE LEADERSHIP In an excellent system, the Central Office has the role of providing service, support and, when warranted, direction.

The challenge is that, in most cases, the Central Office is viewed as a policing agent whose main purpose is to issue directives about what should or should not be happening with little guidance or assistance in implementation.

Central Office functions are often viewed as disjointed with little to no coordination between departments.

This lack of alignment and misplaced priorities often lead to a credibility disconnect between central office staff and campus personnel.

The most promising way to bridge the natural gap between central staff and campus personnel is to adopt a service and support mentality and ensure that central office personnel are a part of campus planning as it relates to goal setting, and campus brainstorming sessions around new initiatives.

When central office staff members are present and involved in the creation of plans and new initiatives, it is more likely barriers will be broken down. In this type of environment, staff members are now privy to the goals, making it easier to support campus needs.

When central office personnel provide excellent service and support, the staff on the front lines become more effective and efficient, enhancing student opportunities to learn and grow.

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PRINCIPAL LEADERSHIP In an excellent school system, leadership matters and principal leadership is the key lever to systemic improvement.

An excellent leader must be able to: • Identify and develop other leaders • Set direction, establish high expectations and clarify the agenda through words and actions • Be proactive, prevent and solve problems • Motivate the people, rally the troops and connect with students and families • Organize people and allocate resources for effectiveness and efficiency • Develop, implement, monitor and adjust action plans • Exhibit instructional leadership and knowledge concerning the teaching and learning process

An excellent school cannot exist over the long term without an excellent principal.

Principal leadership must encompass the things listed above and add value to the people on the team.

Principal leadership is key to campus performance. Students should experience consistent growth in learning when the principal exhibits excellent leadership.

Excellent principals have the ability to identify and attract exceptional teachers who are willing to go above and beyond for student learning.

In addition, principal leadership is necessary to ensure that a positive school climate is maintained and students are able to thrive in a safe environment.

TEACHER LEADERSHIP Teacher leadership is important to the overall success of a school. It is important that leadership evolves not just from the principal’s office.

Teacher leaders should be empowered to make decisions, provide input and develop programs to address the emerging needs on the campus.

When teachers are developed and encouraged to take on leadership roles on the campus, innovation occurs and an attitude of ownership emerges.

Teachers who are responsible for developing solutions become even more committed to ensuring the successful implementation of key initiatives.

As teacher leadership is developed, stronger relationships are formed and the entire capacity of the campus leader is enhanced.

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COURTESY, DIGNITY, RESPECT AND PROFESSIONALISM In an excellent school system, the leaders are intentional about ensuring that a culture exists whereby people are treated with courtesy, dignity, respect and professionalism at all times.

By authentically engaging in these behaviors, credibility is established, relationships are cultivated and the opportunity for team success is enhanced.

The standard code of conduct is such that people understand that basic common courtesy is expected to be modeled by the leader first and reinforced throughout the organization.

Courtesy is exhibited through basic common behaviors of acknowledging others and recognizing their presence and importance as a result of their humanness.

Courtesy is not predicated on perceived worth. In excellent systems, it is realized that everyone has value and is deserving of basic courtesy.

Along with being courteous, it is also important that the dignity of the individual be protected at all times.

It is important that leaders protect the dignity of their followers by addressing potentially sensitive issues in private, when possible, to allow the other person to preserve a level of dignity among their peers.

It is never okay as a leader to intentionally engage in behavior that publicly threatens the dignity of another human being.

If this happens, it is the leader’s responsibility to quickly restore the dignity of the individual while still dealing with the behavior that led to the issue.

The leaders always should be intentional about extending respect. Doing so exhibits a respect for oneself.

It is important to freely extend respect unconditionally. The key way to always extend respect is to commit to remaining professional at all times.

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PRICE OF ADMISSION TO THE TEAM An excellent school system is made of individual leaders who share a common bond and a common commitment to excellence for all students regardless of the demographic factors they possess.

In an aspirational sense, the leaders on the team must be committed to taking the necessary actions to ensure that systems, programs, practices and policies are in place so that all students experience high levels of learning.

When students leave our learning institutions, they must have more than a diploma. They should have choices, opportunities and the ability to think critically, reason algebraically and compete globally.

In order for this idea to become a reality, the right people with the right perspective must be in leadership positions and committed to the idea of equity and excellence for all.

The right leaders recognize that it is adult behaviors that make the difference in systemic student outcomes.

In order to be a part of an excellence team, leaders must be willing to pay a significant cost. The price of admission for membership on an excellence leadership team is:

Passion

Leaders who will be successful in an excellent system are leaders who are passionate about student learning and are committed to ensuring that all students learn at high levels.

They act with intention and respond with feedback and interventions designed to ensure that students continue to grow on their watch.

Leaders are inspiring by their words and their actions, and they are confident and committed to student learning, developing teachers and adding value to the organization.

Integrity

Leaders who are excellent understand the importance of integrity and authenticity and commit to walking the talk daily and being consistent in their interactions with others.

Leaders with integrity understand that their words are important but their actions speak loudest.

A leader’s credibility is directly connected to their integrity, and people will follow those who they trust.

Respect

Excellent leaders realize that it is always important to exhibit and extend respect and professional courtesy to others regardless of the situation.

Leaders who are successful have been able to adopt the philosophy that respect is extended to all because a person’s humanness already has earned them that.

Respect is given as an act of respecting oneself and the role of a leader. Disrespect is never an acceptable act of an excellent leader. The goal always should be to extend courtesy, dignity, respect and professionalism to all.

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Achievement-Focused

Leaders in systems designed for excellence understand the relationship between achievement and success.

These leaders identify SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, time-bound) goals that are used as progress monitors toward a desired reality.

Leaders become successful and are considered excellent leaders when the organizations, schools and departments they lead achieve their predetermined targets through intentional actions in a consistent way over a sustained period of time.

Teamwork

In order to achieve excellence, collaboration is critical. Leaders who are on the team must understand the concept of collaboration, working together and leveraging the knowledge skills and abilities of others to achieve a predetermined objective.

The concept of teamwork and team learning goes hand in hand.

An excellent leader realizes that iron sharpens iron, and, in order to lead effectively, leaders must be learners who can leverage their knowledge, experiences and expertise with that of other leaders on the team.

An excellent leader is a continuously committed learner who recognizes their responsibility to add to the knowledge base and expertise of the team.

Effort and Work Ethic

An excellent leader is clear about the importance of effort and work ethic. A leader’s effectiveness is directly connected to the effort and the work ethic that is possessed.

The work of leadership is challenging and often seems unbearable. It is in those difficult times that an excellent leader relies on work ethic to help them navigate through tasks that may be less desirable.

In most cases, work ethic and effort increases the likelihood for success for an organization, a department and a school.

Sustainability

A leader who is striving for excellence is not only concerned about achieving results in the short term, their primary focus is to ensure that systems, programs and practices are being implemented in a way that will reap long-term dividends for the students and the organization.

An excellent leader is focused on long-term impact and adding value to the lives of the people in the organization and is willing to endure short-term sacrifices in pursuit of long-term sustainable improvements.

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