EDLD+5333+Activity+Reflection

**Course Embedded Assignments**


 * 1) //Create an action plan for the campus. Develop an agenda for a professional development day that addresses the targeted campus needs and include a timeline for follow-up professional development. 10 hours.//

**Reflection**

**Self –Assessment**

Creating an action plan for the campus challenged me to understand the importance of a personal leadership vision and shared vision for the campus. These become the guiding lights for decisions made regarding programs, curricula and other decisions that will affect the campus’ ability to reaching this vision (Peterson, 1995). I was aware that the shared campus vision was something we had to have for the campus; however, the assignment helped me understand the importance of having one and how it can have an impact on the success of the students.

The other piece of new knowledge was the process required to create the Campus Improvement Plan (CIP). The CIP process begins with needs assessment. AEIS and PIEMS reports, along with other data gathered by the campus, are used to determine what areas require attention in order for the students to be successful. I knew that data was available through the AEIS reports, but was impressed the depth of the data. Spending the time to review the data available, it was amazing what I learned about our campus. From the needs assessment, you can begin to develop S. M. A. R. T. (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timely/Trackable) goals and objectives for the CIP. The requirement of including research-based strategies and professional development to address the target areas of the CIP, helped me understand the reason why our Curriculum Coordinator demands that all requests for programs/professional development to improve student success be research based. If there is no data to support the success of a program/professional development, we may be investing in something that will not produce the success being touted.

The Site-Based Decision-Making group is responsible for making decisions that affect professional development and instructional needs for the students. Though I have had training about SBDM, having the chance to review the purpose and responsibilities on the school campus reminded me how a well run SBDM can have a very positive affect on the campus and achieving the campus vision. I hope, as a member of the SBDM, that I may be able to help change our campus’ SBDM into a group that truly does impact the success of students rather than being a group that meets to review decisions that have already been made.

**Learn as a Learner**

The first challenge was to develop a personal vision of leadership. This required me to look deep within myself for the beliefs and values I held regarding to teaching, education and our campus. There were times when I found that I had conflicting beliefs, one belief from my position as a teacher and another if I was a principal. These conflicts had to be addressed before I could create my final personal vision. In the end I believe my personal vision of leadership is one that I can work towards whether I am a teacher or principal.

The second challenge was creating a CIP based on the data for my campus. While doing the needs assessment for the Campus Improvement Plan, I found the “Team Dialog Guide” (Thomas, 2006) made it much easier to focus the data and analyze it (p. 39). Once the guide was completed, it was obvious what areas needed to be addressed in the CIP. Using the parameters of S. M. A. R. T. I was able to create the goals and objectives for the CIP. This was a challenge itself. While writing the goals and objectives, I had to stop and review them to ensure the statements met all of the parameters.

The final challenge was to choose the appropriate research-based strategy to address the objectives of the CIP and the professional development for the faculty and staff. The provided websites were good resource for this challenge; however, I also searched out other strategies and read the research to support the ones I chose.

The collaboration with several other teachers on my campus who are also in the class allowed me to use them as a sounding board for the Campus Improvement Plan process. Many times we each had a different perspective of the campus depending on our roles and interactions with the staff members. From these discussions and the online discussions, I was able to look at the assignment from a variety of views and incorporate the different views in to my assignments.

**Lifelong Learning Skills**

The one quote from the reading that really stuck in my mind is “Success never relies on one person” (Richardson, 2005, p. 35). By using the combined knowledge and expertise of the faculty, staff, parents and community members (SBDM), we can create a campus environment and plan that addresses our students’ needs and promote their success. As a principal, I will need to remember that input from all areas of the campus to ensure decisions are being made that will reflect and benefit the campus as a whole and not the view of one person.

As a principal who supports her teachers, I would strongly encourage the teachers to use the "Team Dialogue Guide: Moving from Data to Classroom Instructional Improvement" (Thomas, 2006, p. 39). This gives the teachers the ability to focus on what the various data is illustrating whether it is from the TAKS test, benchmarks or other formative assessments. “Unless the team emerges from the data analysis process with a clear plan of action for identified students and for classroom instruction, it has wasted its time” (Thomas, 2006, p. 40). Throughout the year as they implement their plan of action from the data assessment, the teachers can use Thomas' team dialogue guide to track the students' progress, adjusting the plan as needed (Thomas, 2006 , p. 41). With all teachers participating in this process, students’ success in the classroom should improve as their needs are being met.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Successful communication and collaboration with colleagues through the campus improvement process is critical. Their input would help me consider different points of view or even a outside-the-box strategy to help our students be successful. One challenge that is facing the campus is the new STAAR test or end-of-course exams for the high school core subjects. I wonder what changes in instructional strategies will be required to meet the needs of our students so they are successful?

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Peterson, K. (1995). Critical issue: Building a collective vision. //North Central Regional Educational Laboratory.// Learning Point Associates. Retrieved on May 27, 2011 from []

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Richardson, M. (2005). Consensus leadership. //Principal Leadership//, 6(4), 32-35.

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Thomas, R. S. (2006). How to survive data overload. Principal Leadership, 7(2), 37-42.