Partnership for Improvement in Rural Leadership and Learning

(PIRLL)

PIRLL Project Directors: Jeanne Cowan: jcowan@tie.net and Janet Hensley: jhensley@tie.net

Visit PIRLL at: pirll.tie2.wikispaces.net/

Partnership for improvement in rural leadership and learning (PIRLL)

Partnership for improvement in rural leadership and learning (PIRLL)

GOAL:

To build the capacity and availability of educational leaders who will serve in high-need schools and inspire

improvements in educational outcomes for students in rural South Dakota.

Objective 1: To recruit, instruct and support 50

aspiring school leaders who will become

prepared and credentialed to serve high-need

schools.

Objective 2: To build the capacity of 60

practicing principals and assistant principals

through professional development that is

embedded in their local practice and responsive

to the needs of students served and the culture

of their local community.

Technology and Innovations in Education (TIE) working in partnership with South Dakota Incentives Plus

(SDI+), the South Dakota Department of Education, the University of South Dakota, Oglala Lakota College

and Sinte Gleska University.

To build

capacity in

educational

leaders in

high-need

schools

Aspiring Leaders

Retreat

Master’s degree Program

Leadership Academy

Mentoring

program

Balanced Leadership

Program

Focusing on

The Eight Leadership

Responsibilities

Associated with

Purposeful Community (Balanced Leadership

model)

Affirmation

Communication

Visibility

Situational

Awareness

Culture

Ideals/Beliefs

Relationships

Input

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PROJECT AT A GLANCE

Partnership for Improvement in Rural Leadership and Learning (PIRLL) Sponsoring Organization For SLP Grant and Implementation Year

Black Hills Special Services Cooperative (BHSSC)/ Technology and Innovation in Education (TIE) 2008

Districts Served by SLP Grant

Nine South Dakota School Districts: Bennett County, Todd County, Shannon County, White River, Andes Central (Lake Andes), Smee (Wakpala), Oelrichs, Belle Fourche and McLaughlin

Affiliations/Partnerships for SLP Grant Activities

University of South Dakota Sinte Gleska University South Dakota Department of Education South Dakota Board of Regents South Dakota Incentives Plus (TIF Grant)

Project Summary

Nine high need LEAs were the focus of efforts to build the capacity of practicing principals and assistant principals. The project also focused on the recruitment and retention of aspiring leaders who received training and support toward full credentialing as building administrators. The partner schools were identified as in need of improvement with the majority of those at Level 3 or above. Each of these schools/districts is located on or near one of the state's nine Native American reservations and in the most rural areas of South Dakota.

The Partnership for Improvement in Rural Leadership and Learning (PIRLL) designed a program and interventions to build the capacity and availability of principals who would be well-prepared to effectively lead these high needs schools toward improved educational outcomes for their students. The design of PIRLL was responsive to the overwhelming challenges of leadership and school improvement in these very rural schools.

Project Goals and Desired Impact

Project Goal: To build the capacity and availability of educational leaders who will serve in high need schools and inspire improvements in educational outcomes for students in rural South Dakota.

Objective 1: To recruit, instruct and support 50 aspiring school leaders who will become prepared and credentialed to serve high need schools. Objective 2: To build the capacity of 60 practicing principals and assistant principals through professional development that is embedded in their local practice and responsive to the needs of students served and the culture of their local community.

Number of People and Roles Being Impacted by SLP Grant Programs

2008-2014: 141 people impacted

68 aspiring principals completed the principal preparation program, earned their master’s degree in educational administration and received their administrative certification.

73 principals and assistant principals participated in the Leadership Academy and its associated activities, including site-based mentoring, professional development and two whole-group face-to-face events each year.

12 recently retired principals and administrators served as mentors for practicing principals.

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Implementation Data

Objective 1: The project goal was to recruit, instruct and support 50 aspiring school leaders and the actual number was 68, or 136 % of the goal. 100% of the first cohort of aspiring leaders completed their master’s degree and are now certified to serve as school PK-12 school principals. 25% have already attained administrative positions. Objective 2:The project goal was to build the capacity of 60 practicing principals and assistant principals and the actual number was 73, or 122% of the goal. 100% of eligible principals and assistant principals participated in the activities and events of the Leadership Academy. The use of the NASSP 360 was added to the McREL profile for the assessment of principal effectiveness. Principal retention improved significantly. In 2009-10, there was a turnover of 14 principals (35%); in 2010-11, 9 principals left their positions (21%); 2011-12, only 4 principals left (10%).

Implementation Challenges

Isolation and remoteness of schools in project required extensive travel

Identification of instrument for measuring/evaluation of principal effectiveness

Economy at state and federal levels

Limited positions available in high-needs districts for aspiring principals

Team Members Jeanne Cowan jcowan@tie.net

Dr. Joe Hauge jhauge@tie.net

Janet Hensley jhensley@tie.net

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Preparing and Supporting Principals in Rural South Dakota Schools

Jeanne Cowan and Janet Hensley

Partnership for Improvement in Rural Leadership and Learning (PIRLL)

Abstract

The Partnership for Improvement in Rural Leadership and Learning (PIRLL) grant had a goal of

improving school leadership in rural and remote locations across South Dakota. The work included

recruitment and training of aspiring principals as well as capacity-building for practicing principals.

Two key elements used to meet this goal were development of a customized principal preparation

program and providing on-site mentoring and professional development for practicing principals. A

desired outcome was to increase the capacity and availability of school leaders who would be culturally

responsive to the needs of students and remain in high-needs schools in South Dakota. In addition,

several components of the grant have been scaled up with implications at the state level.

Project Summary

The goal of the Partnership for Improvement in Rural Leadership and Learning (PIRLL) grant

was to inspire improvements in educational outcomes for students in rural South Dakota by building the

capacity and availability of educational leaders who would serve in high-needs schools. The project had

two objectives: to recruit, instruct and support fifty aspiring school leaders to become prepared and

credentialed to serve high-needs schools; and to build the capacity of sixty practicing principals and

assistant principals through professional development that was embedded in their local practice and was

responsive to the needs of students served, as well as to the culture of their local communities. This

project summary describes how the project implemented two key elements.

Participants in this project were from schools and districts located on or near one of the state’s

nine Native American reservations and in the most rural areas of South Dakota. These schools were

identified for improvement or were on alert for improvement in reading, math or both. The majority of

the schools served are in the three poorest counties in the United States with an annual income of about

$2600. In addition, the infant mortality rate is roughly three times the US average; 70% of the children are

poor; some 40% of the population is diabetic; the suicide rate is more than 72% higher than the US

average; and the life expectancy is 55 years for male and 60 years for females.

Two key elements of the Partnership for Improvement in Rural Leadership and Learning (PIRLL)

program were designed and implemented in response to the rural setting and the context described above:

(1) a customized program for principal preparation and (2) an on-site mentoring and professional

development program for practicing principals.

To summarize the first key element, it was important to have a memorandum of understanding

(MOU) from all state and university partners indicating their support for a hybrid program and directed at

the project’s goals. It was critical to have instructors who were embedded in the project goals and able to

work collaboratively with other instructors to create a continuum of educational content that was relevant

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to rural high-needs districts with an emphasis on leadership skills which ultimately improve student

achievement. It was imperative that both instructors and project leaders had frequent contact with

students to ensure their success. Teachers in the graduate program were selected from high-needs rural

schools to ensure their understanding and continued commitment to serving as school leaders in those

settings. A contract with each student to ensure their continued work in high-needs schools and a desire

to serve as principals in those schools was essential.

By the end of the five-year grant, sixty-eight students completed their PK-12 Educational

Administration degree and became credentialed to serve as PK-12 administrators. The PK-12

certification was a benefit to the many small districts that have combined principal duties to cover both

elementary and secondary assignments. The need for principals to wear many hats and address many

roles was noted by Darling-Hammond et al. (2007) who stated, “Contemporary school administrators play

a daunting array of curriculum and assessment experts, budget analysis, facility managers, special

program administrators, and community builders”. This was even more relevant in small rural districts

since there was frequently only one principal in the school and sometimes for the entire district.

To summarize the second key element, the support provided by on-site mentors was practical and

focused, specific to each administrator’s unique contexts and responsive to his or her needs. It enhanced

school leadership skills and effective leadership of professional learning communities which emphasized

increased student success. In addition, the retention rate for principals and assistant principals has

increased.

Conclusions and Implications

The two project objectives supported by this grant have had a significant leadership impact on the

participants, their schools and districts, and across South Dakota. The first key element provided the

opportunity for sixty-eight aspiring school leaders to earn degrees and become certified to lead high-needs

rural South Dakota schools. Some newly credentialed participants were hired immediately upon

receiving their degrees and began serving as principals, superintendents, and special-area directors.

Others have utilized their skills, strategies, and knowledge to address current educational trends as

teacher-leaders and members of their building leadership team.

The second key element addressed capacity-building for over seventy current principals

practicing in rural and remote sites across the state. It included a Leadership Academy and an on-site

mentoring program which provided solid, consistent support from experienced mentors. Principals and

assistant principals set specific goals and made plans to achieve them. They also increased their

knowledge and skills with regard to leadership in their school contexts. Due to the PIRLL grant’s

training, support, and emphasis on building relationships, participants were better prepared to influence

and effectively guide their schools, districts and learning communities. This was illustrated by principals

and their mentors in year-end reflections. In one survey, 80% of the principals responded Very True or

Mostly True, “Student learning has been impacted by my participation in the Leadership Academy,

Summer Institute and working with my mentor.” In their year-end reflections, principals identified several

recurring themes:

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Use of new leadership strategies, such as World Café to develop vision and mission statements

Improved culture, communication and staff-student relationships

Use of data to narrow instructional focus and improve student learning

Effective leadership of a Professional Learning Community.

Implications for preparing aspiring principals to serve in rural high-needs schools include the

necessity of designing of a customized graduate program. Such a program needs to include a close

working relationship with institutions of higher education and their governing board; an emphasis on

relevant course design and content taught by instructors who are current in their fields and knowledgeable

about rural and cultural issues; a year-long internship; and extensive and regular use of formative

assessments to provide responsiveness to program and student needs. Before enrolling in the program,

students must commit to working three years in a high-needs school after they receive their degrees.

Implications for the support of principals in rural high-needs schools include the necessity for

job-embedded on-site professional development and mentoring, based on the needs of each principal.

Development and implementation of a personalized Leadership Action Plan can provide evidence of goal

completion if it is regularly monitored by experienced mentors. An on-site program has financial

implications in rural areas due to the distance between sites; however, the benefits of having the principal

remain at his or her school for professional development and mentoring outweigh the expenses incurred

by mentor travel.

Due to the PIRLL grant, over 140 aspiring and practicing principals have built their leadership

capacity, and also formed a cohort with whom to network, as they tackle the challenges of serving as

school leaders in rural high-needs schools.

Scalability and Sustainability

Learnings from the PIRLL work are already being valued and applied to other principal

preparation, support and evaluation efforts in the state. As a result, practices and learnings from PIRLL

will be sustained in a systemic manner with positive implications for many more schools and thousands

of learners.

During the grant implementation period, the South Dakota Board of Regents engaged a

“workgroup” of representatives from the South Dakota Department of Education, universities, K-12

schools, and professional organizations to review the effectiveness of the current public universities’

principal preparation programs and to develop recommendations for strengthening those programs. As a

result of the review and subsequent discussions, the workgroup shifted from a focus on “strengthening

current programs” to collaboratively developing and implementing a “new program.” The new program

will scale several aspects of the PIRLL model including:

Collaborative program design and implementation which values and maximizes the capabilities

of multiple universities;

A cohort model whereby 15-25 principal candidates are engaged in a collegial network and

shared preparation experience;

Current, relevant coursework that is integrated into the field experience of the principal

candidates;

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University faculty and K-12 practitioners as collaborators and co-teachers of coursework;

A “blended” delivery system with both online and face-to-face components; and

An internship that is at least one year in length with a formal formative assessment component

facilitated by a qualified mentor.

Like the PIRLL grant, the new principal preparation program will focus on the realities of

principals serving in the rural demographics of South Dakota. Thus, learnings about the role of principals

in small rural settings will be valued as specific coursework is designed for the new program. In

particular, developers of the new program will target knowledge and skills which are essential for success

in the context of small rural schools.

In addition, the importance of sustainability for personal and professional support of school

principals and assistant principals has been identified. The South Dakota Department of Education and

the Title 1 Program are now using School Support Team (SST) members in an effort to provide increased

coaching and mentoring to principals of Priority and Focus Schools. This includes monthly on-site visits

and logs, replicating the work of the PIRLL grant and scaling that up to the state level.

Lastly, the PIRLL grant has influenced the development of the South Dakota Principal Standards

and a statewide model for principal evaluation. The South Dakota Principal Standards and Evaluation

Work Group began in 2012 and developed standards for South Dakota principals and an evaluation

instrument based on those standards. Building on the learnings and resources of previous grants,

including the Teacher Incentive Fund (TIF) grant called South Dakota Incentives Plus (SDI+) and the

PIRLL grant, South Dakota’s Commission on Teaching and Learning developed principal standards and a

model system for evaluating principals that include a focus on both professional practices and student

growth. All South Dakota school districts must use multiple measures to evaluate principal effectiveness

and the process must rely on both qualitative and quantitative measures. Using the recommended

method, districts will separately determine a professional practice rating and a student growth rating. The

two separate ratings are combined by using a summative rating matrix. This Principal Effectiveness

Model is based on the student growth (quantitative) component of the TIF (SDI+) grant as well as the 360

Survey and mentoring (qualitative) components required by the PIRLL grant.

While the impact of the PIRLL work is apparent in terms of meeting, and even exceeding, grant

goals, the impact has long term implications which is already evidenced by the evolution of the new

principal preparation and evaluation programs in South Dakota as well as the importance of providing

personal and professional support to principals in Priority and Focus Schools.

Contains excerpts from Successful School Leadership Preparation and Development, Chapter 7.

Visit PIRLL at: pirll.tie2.wikispaces.net/ 7

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Quotes from Aspiring Leaders Objective 1: To recruit, instruct and support 50 aspiring school leaders who will become prepared and credentialed to serve high-need schools.

“I believe the internship was a great experience and allowed me to see what responsibilities the

principals have during a complete year. Secondly I thought the focus on being an instructional leader as

an administrator was very important. This was a focus in many of the classes within the program.”

“I gained valuable knowledge and perspective about several aspects of administration and schools in

general. These aspects include special education law, counseling, school funding, the leadership and

managerial roles of the administrators, and curriculum design and implementation. Taking these

classes made me realize the complexity of the administration position and the roles of individuals

within the school.”

“Leadership: I have learned the importance of leadership through this program. I now understand the

importance of being a leader and what a positive, effective leader can do for a school district. Vision:

After my classes and my experiences, I value one having a strong vision. Whether you are a teacher or

a principal, it is important to have a clear and concise vision that is shared by others.

Diverse Experience- Shadowing a principal out of our district was very informative for me and I loved seeing

the way their school functioned and the advice I received. Being a member of the BLT-Building Leadership

Team- This experience gave me many personal experiences that will benefit my career as I pursue it. I learned

many aspects of being a leader during this and it gave me many hands on experiences that applied to what we

were learning in the cohort.

I thought your facilitators went above and beyond to make this a highly valuable experience. Janet and

Jeanne both were extremely helpful to me throughout the process and answered all of my questions.

The diversity experience allowed me to see a principal situation very different from my own limited

experiences, and it gave me the confidence in the applicability of the material I have been learning in my

coursework. Attending administrative meetings helped me to see the ‘big picture’ of the school’s system and

to consider how teams at all levels affect the school as a whole.

Quotes from Principals of High Need Rural Schools Objective 2: To build the capacity of 60 practicing principals and assistant principals.

The action plan has made me stop and think about areas I REALLY need to focus on and improve skills. The

conferences/workshops have provided materials and presentations that have enhanced not only my action

plan but opened my mind to other thoughts and processes for leadership and professional development for

myself and staff.

The feedback I have received from the 360 survey and my mentor helped guide me in my own professional

growth.

My mentor functioning as a sounding board has been very beneficial for me. He offers an experienced

background with other points of view that make me thing differently about ideas and planning.

My experience with PIRLL has helped me become more focused on students, rather than the political parts of

the position.

The quality of my leadership skills has grown professionally and personally.

It provided me with expert advice as well as support when I had to make difficult decisions and handle

awkward situations. My mentor always provided me with insight and input regarding how he may handle

certain things and then he would always follow up with to see how things unfolded and how I ultimately

addressed them.

I did not only take the suggestions which my mentor provided, but put them into play. This experience was an

eye opener.

It gave me someone with a lot of experience in education to discuss issues and help me as a first year

principal. I have been able to ask and receive valuable leadership information on the basics of running a

school.

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