DELTA SCHOOL LEADERSHIP PIPELINE

Presenters

Dr. Jill Cabrera Dr. Michael Putnam

Associate Professor Director

Teacher Education, Leadership, and Research Delta School Leadership Pipeline

Delta State University Delta State University

Cleveland, MS Cleveland, MS

November 9, 2016

The Delta School Leadership Pipeline (DSLP): A Fulltime Sabbatical Cohort

Components of DSLP program1. Program of study

2. Financial provisions of the cohort program

3. Sabbatical

4. Three 12 week, fulltime, administrative internships

5. On campus courses

6. Leadership Coach

Program of Study

The Delta School Leadership Pipeline is a thirteen month fulltime graduate program.

1. Each cohort is comprised of five members which may include MEd as well as EdS candidates.

2. Course of study is cohort in nature, and course selections per semester are prescribed .

3. The given target area is the Mississippi Delta region.

Components of Program

The Delta School Leadership Pipeline is financially supported by three governmental agencies:

1. SLP grant: funds five individual candidate scholarships, district professional development stipends, supervisory travel to candidate internship sites, stipends for two Leadership Coaches, program recruitment, textbooks, and salary and fringe for the DSLP director

2. Mississippi Department of Education: provides the five DSLP candidate’s teacher sabbatical salary and state mandated fringe benefits for one fiscal year, requires the candidate’s home district to continue to pay the candidate any local supplement or fringe the individual would have received the upcoming school year

3. Delta State University: waives the cost of tuition, provides instructors for all courses not taught by the DSLP director, provides dedicated classroom space, provides office space and office resources for the director, and provides other resources not mentioned above as the need arises

Components of Program

Sabbatical1. State funded fulltime sabbatical allows candidates to focus completely on the DSLP

program of study.

2. Candidate’s home district is protected by state statute which requires the candidate to return and work in their home district for five years after program completion in whatever capacity the home district wishes as long as the candidate has certification in that area.

3. Sabbatical program is for the entire 13 month program of study.

4. The sabbatical program allows the university instructors the flexibility to require the DSLP candidates to participate in activities and workshops during the work week that may be planned or may present themselves unexpectedly which would not be possible if this were a part-time program.

Components of Program Internships

1. Three full-time 12 week internships (elementary school, middle school, and high school) provide rigorous, fully hands-on experiences at each level for a complete K-12 school year.

2. Candidate internships will be held at schools functioning at state recognized high levels of academic achievement – funding for candidate travel to these sites provided through SLP scholarships.

3. Candidates are at their internship sites four days each week from the last week in July to the last week the following May.

4. Elementary internships begin in July of each year which allows the candidates the opportunity to be involved in the planning of the upcoming school year.

5. Candidates will be provided a mentor at each internship site.

6. Site mentors will give mid and final evaluations of each candidate. This translates into six evaluations per year by site evaluators in addition to the evaluations provided by university site supervisors.

On-Campus Classes

Face to face classes1. During internships, classes are held face to face on campus each Wednesday.

2. Face to face classes have the capability to be more rich in dialogue and gives instructors greater opportunities to bring in experts from many fields to engage the candidates in deep and meaningful discussions.

3. Classes are rigorous and contain intensive lessons coupled with written Clinical Correlations based from internship experiences.

4. Projects are centered around internships and presented in Wednesday classes highlighting real world experiences and theoretical best practices.

5. Summer classes are also held face to face on campus.

Leadership Coach

Leadership Coaches are provided to ensure candidates have a successful first year in an administrative capacity.

1. One role of the Leadership Coach is to lessen the mortality rate of new administrators. The Mississippi Delta has a high rate of loss of new administrators as well as teachers.

2. Leadership Coaches are supplied for the new administrator at no cost to their home district – the Leadership Coach stipend is paid through SLP funding.

3. Leadership Coaches are retired administrators who have a proven record of academic success.

4. The Leadership Coach shadows and mentors the new administrators at their school site a minimum of twice each month.

5. The Leadership Coach provides the new administrator and his/her supervisor with suggestions, advice, and evaluations of the new administrator after each visit.

Full-Time Educational Leadership Sabbatical Program: A Brief History

• Mississippi State Sabbatical Program was implemented in 1999.

• The first cohort began DSU’s program in Summer 1999 and completed in Summer 2000.

• DSU has prepared 6-15 candidates per year.

• Commissioned by the Wallace Foundation, the Stanford Educational Leadership Institute featured DSU’s principal preparation program as one of eight highly developed pre- and inservice models in its 2008 report, “School Leadership Study: Developing Successful Principals.” Distinguishing features noted:

• Rigorous and highly selective admissions process• Core values and skills framed around leadership for teaching and learning• Cultivation of self-reflection and ethical behaviors• Application of problem-based and authentic learning experiences with theoretical foundations• Development of leaders for school change and renewal• Cultivation of strong partnerships with LEAs

• Strong mentoring and internships: Successful cohort graduates often become the mentors for new interns.

Delta State Cohort Program1999-2016

Cohort Graduates Current Positions Number of Graduates per Position

Superintendents 3

Assistant Superintendents 5

District Leadership Positions 25

Principals 46

Assistant Principals 23

Teachers 7

Retired 6

Non-education related jobs 3

Deceased 4

Total = 122

2015 School GradeCurrent Principals (N=46)—DSU Cohort Graduates

Public School Grade Number Earning Grade School Level(s)

A 11 Elementary = 5Middle = 4

High = 2

B 11 Elementary = 5Middle = 1

High = 5

C 10 Elementary = 4Middle = 4

High = 2

D 6 Elementary = 4Middle = 1

High = 1

F 0 N/A

Private Non-Graded Schools = 6Scores unavailable = 2

National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)Summary for Mississippi & National Comparisons

Subject Grade Year State Average NationalAverage

% at or above Basic

% at or above Proficient

% at or above Advanced

Mathematics 4 2015 234 (+23) 240 (+16) 78 30 3

4 2000 211 224 45 9 --

Mathematics 8 2015 271 (+17) 281 (+9) 60 22 3

8 2000 254 272 42 9 1

Reading 4 2015 214 (+11) 221 (+4) 60 26 5

4 2002 203 217 45 16 2

Reading 8 2015 252 (-3) 264 (+1) 63 20 1

8 2002 255 263 67 20 1

ResultsSchool Leadership Licensure Assessment

SLP Candidate Cohort Score

A 2014-2015 179

B 2014-2015 171

C 2014-2015 165

D 2014-2015 160

E 2015-2016 190

F 2015-2016 >175

G 2015-2016 174

H 2015-2016 >170

I 2015-2016 <160

Internship Sample Ratings: ISLLC Concepts (2016)

Above Expectations

Meets Expectations

Below Expectations

Needs Extreme Improvement

Motivate staff, students and families to implement the school’s vision

33.33% (5) 66.67% (10) ---- ----

Promote a positive school culture

60% (9) 40% (6) ---- ----

Apply best practice to student learning

46.67% (7) 53.33% (8) ---- ----

Manage operations 50% (7) 50% (7) ---- ----

Collaborate with families & community members

42.9% (6) 57.1% (8) ---- ----

Act with integrity 87.5% (14) 12.5% (2) ---- ----

Communicate and respond to the larger school context

37.5% (6) 62.5% (10) ---- ----

Internship Sample Ratings: Dispositions and Characteristics (2016)

Superior Above Average Average Below Average Unsatisfactory

Punctuality 50% (8) 37.5% (6) 12.5% (2) ---- ----

Judgment 50% (8) 37.5% (6) 12.5% (2) ---- ----

Problem Analysis 37.5% (6) 43.75% (7) 18.75% (3) ---- ----

Teamwork 68.75% (11) 18.75% (3) 12.5% (2) ---- ----

Ability to Workwith Professional Staff

56.25% (9) 43.75% (7) ---- ---- ----

Ability to Relate to Students

56.25% (9) 37.5% (6) 6.25% (1) ---- ----

Sensitivity to Diversity Issues

60% (9) 26.67% (4) 13.33% (2) ---- ----

Mentor Comments

• “[She] assisted me with disaggregating student data and teacher data along with a number of other duties…demonstrates the ability to understand problems and approach them in a focused manner.”

• “[He] was able to establish relationships with the students and community to positively affect change in our school. He will be dearly missed.”

• “The fifth-grade teachers are especially fond of ____ for her contribution to their understanding of the standards and the assessment. She has done a great job in building their confidence as teachers of science.”

VisionLooking Ahead to Twenty-Twenty (2020)

• Develop a sustainable model for funding the full-time educational leadership program in which DSU would not rely on state appropriations for sabbatical pay.

• Prepare principals who will lead schools to “A” and “B” ratings within the state accountability system.

Delta State UniversityCollege of Education and Human Sciences