Houston Independent School District Leadership Development Department

Dave Wheat, Assistant Superintendent of Leadership Development

Mission

The HISD Leadership Development

Department focuses on developing

highly effective leaders who increase

student achievement for every student in

the Houston Independent School

District.

Core Initiative 2: Effective Principal in Every School

KEY STRATEGIES

2.1 Establish a rigorous and fair principal appraisal.

2.2 Develop clear standards and recommended practices to guide decision making.

2.3 Strengthen principal recruiting practices.

2.4 Establish an instructional leadership program.

2.5 Ensure safe, secure, and healthy schools.

Key Strategy 2.4: Establish an Instructional Leadership Program

“There is only one way to select really good leaders in a highly-predictable manner, you home-grow them…”

Kirk Richardson Harvard Business Review,

2009

Major Functions of the Leadership Development Department

To ensure an effective principal in every school by providing development and support to school-based and central-office staff in the following areas:

Pathways Offered for Teachers and Central Office

Teachers and central office staff can access several pathways to become assistant principals or deans.

TEACHERS

CENTRAL

OFFICE STAFF

ASSISTA

NT PRINCIPA

LS, DEANS

Leadership Development for Assistant Principals

New assistant principals will complete a two-year development program (AP1 and AP2).

ASSISTANT

PRINCIPAL POOL

ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS, ASPIRING PRINCIPALS

OR PRINCIPALS

Leadership Development for New Principals

New principals will complete a two-year development program.

NEW PRINCIP

AL

EXPERIENCED

PRINCIPAL

Leadership Development

TEACHERS AND

CENTRAL OFFICE STAFF

PRINCIPA

LS

ASSISTA

NT PRINCIPA

LS, DEANS

Cultivating leadership provides opportunities for candidates to advance into campus leadership positions.

School Leadership Academy

Core Development Components

• Aligned with principal development model• Cohort learning/• Socratic Seminars• Three-week supervised summer residency

Leadership Development

TEACHERS AND

CENTRAL OFFICE STAFF

PRINCIPA

LS

ASSISTA

NT PRINCIPA

LS, DEANS

Cultivating leadership provides opportunities for candidates to advance into campus leadership positions.

Assistant Principals

Designed and launched phase one of a two-year assistant principal induction model in fall 2010.

Leadership Development

TEACHERS AND

CENTRAL OFFICE STAFF

PRINCIPA

LS

ASSISTA

NT PRINCIPA

LS, DEANS

Cultivating leadership provides opportunities for candidates to advance into campus leadership positions.

Readiness Candidates

• Designed and launched readiness seminars in spring 2011

• Formed an elite corps of 52 candidates from which 16 were chosen as new principals

Readiness Seminar

Leadership Development

TEACHERS AND

CENTRAL OFFICE STAFF

PRINCIPA

LS

ASSISTA

NT PRINCIPA

LS, DEANS

Cultivating leadership provides opportunities for candidates to advance into campus leadership positions.

Intensive Year-Long Readiness Experience

• Designed the Intensive Year-Long Readiness Experience in Spring 2011.

• Launch is scheduled for fall 2011.

Leadership Development

TEACHERS AND

CENTRAL OFFICE STAFF

PRINCIPA

LS

ASSISTA

NT PRINCIPA

LS, DEANS

Cultivating leadership provides opportunities for candidates to advance into campus leadership positions.

First-Year Principals

• Aligned with McREL’s 21 Leadership Responsibilities.

• Focus on managerial topics and developing instructional leadership.

• Socratic Seminars• Cohort Model• Mentoring

Leadership Development

TEACHERS AND

CENTRAL OFFICE STAFF

PRINCIPA

LS

ASSISTA

NT PRINCIPA

LS, DEANS

Cultivating leadership provides opportunities for candidates to advance into campus leadership positions.

Leadership Development

TEACHERS AND

CENTRAL OFFICE STAFF

PRINCIPA

LS

ASSISTA

NT PRINCIPA

LS, DEANS

Cultivating leadership provides opportunities for candidates to advance into campus leadership positions.

Central Office Leadership

Program: Offers tools and support that will directly improve the districts hiring

processes and selection of the best talent pool while mentoring, supporting, and retaining high quality employees in the district

Target Audience: Mangers Senior Managers Directors General Managers Aspiring Central Office Managers

Benchmark: Conducted eight sessions designed to strengthen Central Office

leadership skills for over 200 employees.

Key Performance Indicators

• 94% of first year principals participated in two or more of 4 cohort seminars

• 52 campus and district-wide leaders participated in highly intensive leadership development Readiness sessions

• Provided 32 hours of leadership development training over the course of 8 Readiness seminars

•97% of Readiness candidates participated in six or more of 8 cohort seminars

Key Performance Indicators

•15 of 52 Readiness candidates named principal in 2010-2011 or 2011-2012.

•Oversaw Staff Documentation and Investigations Training for approximately 771 school-based staff members.

•Recruited over 60 potential interns for ACP principal preparation program.

Key Performance Indicators

•Recruited over 15 experienced principals who will apply to participate in National Board Certification for Principals pilot program.

Accomplishments

• Launched “Grow-Your-Own self- sustaining leadership model” and supported over 800 school- based & central office leaders.

• Trained 117 Central Office staff, principals, and School Improvement Officers to participate on Leadership Development Teams.

• Oversaw Staff Documentation and Investigations training for approximately 771 school-based staff

•Designed and launched readiness seminars in Spring 2011 for 52 campus and district-wide leaders.

Accomplishments

• Designed and launched phase one of three-year principal induction model for first-year principals in Fall 2011.

• Designed and launched phase one of a two-year assistant principal induction model for AP’s in Fall 2011.

• Screened over 133 nominations for UTCULP. 20 employees accepted into the program.

•Provided induction support for first-time campus administrators.

Accomplishments

• Designed and launched phase one of a three-year principal induction model for 47 first-year principals in Fall 2010.

• Designed and launched phase one of two-year assistant principal induction model for 50 APs in Fall 2010.

• Screened over 133 nominations for UTCULP. 20 employees accepted to the program.

• Provided induction support for 97 first time campus administrators.

Accomplishments

•Commissioned comprehensive audit of current mentor program.

•Introduced Leadership Development Team system to HISD leadership and professional development culture

Challenges for the Leadership Development Department

Providing individualized support for struggling principals.

Providing differentiated support based on school context.

Identifying meaningful leadership development opportunities that will not take experienced principals out of their buildings for extended periods of time.

On the Horizon

Campus Leaders Summer Leadership Institute

New and Emerging Leaders’ Institute

McREL School Leaders’ Evaluation System• McREL Administrator Appraisal Training: April 3 – 5.• McREL Administrator Appraisal Training: April 30th.

New Teacher Appraisal and Development System

• HISD and Rice University Strategic Marketing Collaborative

Career Pathways Planning for Principals

Online Courses for Principals through Desire 2 Learn.

Supervision and Evaluation Data Collection Training

On the Horizon

• Coaches/Mentors• Cognitive Coach training

• Aspiring Leaders• Instructional Support Cohort

• Teacher Academy

• UTCULP Principal Program

• Central Office Leaders• Expanded training opportunities

• Succession planning

• Implementation of e-Performance

March 2012 Newsletter

Leadership Development Contact

Ryan Professional Development Center4001 Hardy StreetHouston, TX 77009Phone: (713) 696-0600Fax: (713) 696-7650