Standard 3: Cultural Leadership
Principals set high standards for the professional practice of 21st century instruction and assessment that result in a no-nonsense accountable environment. The school executive must be knowledgeable of best instructional and school practices and must use this knowledge to cause the creation of collaborative structures within the school for the design of highly engaging schoolwork for students, the on-going peer review of this work, and the sharing of this work throughout the professional community.
Element 3a. Focus on Collaborative Work Environment
The principal understands and acts on the understanding of the positive role that a collaborative work environment can play in the school's culture.
Collaboration is vital to a positive school culture. Each high school in Lenoir County participated in the Fine Tuning Protocol professional developement work session. How it worked, teachers examined one another's lesson plan by sharing its strengths and weaknesses. Next, members of the group collaborated on how each lesson plan could be fine tuned to incorporated a balanced literacy lesson plan. As facilitator, I was responsible for stating the purpose of our time together, opening / wrapping up group discussions, asking clarifying questions, and encouraging and supporting teachers to be active participants in the work session. |
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Element 3b. School Culture and Identity
The principal develops and uses shared vision, values and goals to define the identity and culture of the school.
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At Staff Opening Day, the entire staff participated in "A typical student at KHS" activity. I lead the activity as a facilitator by encouraging all group members to participate and give feedback in the group discussions. As a team, administration and staff agreed to uphold Kinston High School's beliefs: 1. Every student has value and can learn, 2. Education is the collective responsibility of all stakeholders including parents, students, staff members, and community members, 3. School attendance, participation and involvement in extracurricular activities promote student achievement, 4. An effective school provides rigor and challenges to all students, 5. Professional growth of school personnel contributes to effective learning, diversity promotes and broadens understanding, and 6. A safe school is essential to learning. |
Element 3c. Acknowledges Failures; Celebrates Accomplishments and Rewards
The princial acknowledges failures and celebrates accomplishments of the school in order to define the identity, culture and performance of the school.
Senior Signing Day is a big celebratory event at Kinston High School and is attended by staff, students, coaches, family members, and news reporters. Everyone in attendance get to witness my senior athletes declare their intended college. I was a visible presence by greeting those in attendance and reaffirming positive relationships with Kinston High School.
Kinston High School did not meet academic growth for the 2016-2017 school year. This year, we began after school tutoring in the subjects of Math I, Biology, Work Keys, and ACT. I created a tutorial schedule for students, staff and parents to stay abreast of when tutorial would be offered. Because we started late with after school tutoring, we were only able to provide are three rounds of tutoring (one round every nine weeks) instead of four. Classes change every round due to new data teachers get from Common Formative and Benchmark assessments. After school tutoring will continue through May 24, 2018.
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Element 3d. Efficacy and Empowerment
The principal develops a sense of efficacy and empowerment among staff which influences the school's identity, culture and performance.
Clinical Teacher Training is offered to exemplary teachers who wish to become Clinical Teachers. I met with a veteran teacher at my school who had questions as to whether or not she should pursue this training. During our meeting, I was able to help her realize her strengths, digging depper as to why she would be a qualified applicant. At the end of our meeting, she decided to register for training. The artifact below is the flyer that was attached in an email sent to administration and selected teachers.
I have over 12 beginning teachers at KHS. I communicate with my BTs on a regular basis in the form of emails, phone calls and face to face meetings. We discuss topics such as classroom management, curriculum, attendance, teacher and student expectations, and other general questions. To the left is a letter I recieved from one of my beginning teachers. |
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Allowing teachers to participate in mock evaluations is one way I support them in curriculum and instruction. Many do not know what an administrator is looking for when I come in to do an observation. I provide teachers a copy of the NECEES Teacher Evaluation Rubric which shows them what is considered developing, proficient, accomplished and distinguished. Feedback is provided after the evaluation either face to face, email, on a sticky note, or over the phone. The email to the left is what I sent to teachers inviting them to do a mock evaluation. Below is a response from of my teachers.
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