8 Roles of School Leaders - BROWSE INDEX MODE

Operations Leader Modules

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PBM TitleDescription
Balanced Performance Improvement Series - Developing a Performance Leadership HandbookThe purpose of a Performance Leadership Handbook (PLH) is to articulate clearly what school and district leaders should do to improve performance. Oftentimes, such expectations are communicated during group meetings and one-on-one conversations with individuals. However, a PLH codifies the expectations and provides a single document to refer to when addressing underperformance.

Topics:
• Preparing for Performance Leadership Handbook Development
• Creating the Performance Leadership Handbook

 

Balanced Performance Improvement Series - Developing Increased Parent Engagement in Districts Using the Balanced ScorecardCollaboratively develop Balanced Scorecard performance objectives that promote meaningful parent involvement in the school district.

Topics:
• Refining Objectives
• Updating the Balanced Scorecard

 

Balanced Performance Improvement Series - Developing Increased Parent Engagement in Schools Using the Balanced ScorecardCollaboratively develop Balanced Scorecard performance objectives that promote meaningful parent involvement in the school.

Topics:
• Refining Objectives
• Updating the Balanced Scorecard

 

Balanced Performance Improvement Series - Leading a School through SACS Accreditation Using the Balance ScorecardWhen preparing for SACS review, you can save a great deal of time and effort by leveraging your school’s current Balanced Scorecard. With a few modifications, your Scorecard can serve as evidence for meeting the SACS standards. This module will show you how to link your school’s strategic objectives, as documented in your Balanced Scorecard, to the seven SACS standards.

Topics:
• Reviewing SACS Standards
• Linking SACS Standards to the Balanced Scorecard

 

Balanced Performance Improvement Series - Leading a Team to Develop Performance FoundationsAs the leader, you set the direction, cast the vision and work to embed a set of core values in the culture of the organization to guide actions and decisions. This module examines what mission, values, and vision statements are, how to lead a team to create them, and how to determine their effectiveness.

Topics:
• Leading a team to develop a mission statement
• Leading a team to develop organizational values
• Leading a team to develop a vision

 

Balanced Performance Improvement Series - Leading a Team to Implement Visual ReportingThis module describes how to implement visual reporting by establishing a data room — a frequently used room adorned with charts that show data related to student learning, school processes, and stakeholder perceptions.

Topics:
• Establishing a Data Room
• Leading a Data Walk
• Leveraging the Data Room

 

Balanced Performance Improvement Series - Leading a Team to Select Performance MeasuresShare with the organization and its stakeholders the results that drive the mission of the organization – and create an environment where you can begin tracking results to ensure that the organization meets its goals.

Topics:
• Generating a List of Potential Performance Measures
• Selecting a Final List of Performance Measures

 

Communications Series, 3 of 4-Leading a Team to Promote Positive Community RelationsPromote positive community relations between your school and the community by providing staff support structures, establishing positive contact with the community, and improving the school's appearance.

Topics
•  Improving staff support structures
•  Establishing community contact standards
•  Improving the school’s appearance

 

Communications Series, 4 of 4-Teaming With Your CommunityThis module will help school teams plan and implement activities that engender trust and positive school improvement.

•  Understanding your community
•  Teaming for better communications
•  Teaming to provide greater student learning
•  Teaming to serve your community

 

Conducting Effective Meetings to Improve Student Achievement and Organizational EffectivenessIn this module you will learn to conduct effective meetings that will save time and resources by establishing team guidelines and meeting procedures, and conducting a meeting audit to ensure expectations were met and the purpose accomplished. This module represents a value-added leadership skill, which is important to your development as a leader across all roles.

Topics
•  Establishing effective meeting procedures
•  Documenting effective meeting notes
•  Conducting an effective meeting audit

 

Developing a Performer Path Plan-Mapping Exemplary PerformancesMapping the performance skills of an aspiring or developing leader in your school as supported by data using the 8 Roles of School Leaders™ Mastery Maps provides the documentation needed to build a Performer Path Plan that will result in meeting or exceeding performance criteria.

Topics:
• Mapping exemplary performance
• Building a Performer Path Plan

 

Distributed Leadership Series, 1 of 4-Leading a Team to Prepare for Distributed LeadershipThis module will guide you through the process of examining your beliefs and leadership style as they relate to implementation of Distributed Leadership. After selecting a Design Team to lead this analysis, you will develop a charge (vision) for Distributed Leadership for your school or district. (Revised 5/2008)

Topics:
•  Exploring Your Role Beliefs
•  Maximizing Your Leadership Style
•  Defining the Charge
•  Leading a Team to Prepare for Distributed Leadership

 

Distributed Leadership Series, 2 of 4-Leading a Team to Develop Strategies to Implement DLUsing the vision for Distributed Leadership outlined in Module 1 as a starting point, this module describes the work of the Design Team as they lay the groundwork for Design Sub-teams to implement Distributed Leadership.  

Topics:
•  Analyzing the Data for Distributed Leadership
•  Developing the Goals for Distributed Leadership
•  Analyzing Causes
•  Creating Design Sub-Teams
•  Leading a Team to Develop Strategies to Implement Distributed Leadership

 

Distributed Leadership Series, 3 of 4-Leading a Team to Design and Develop DLThe Distributed Leadership Design Team provides each Design Sub-team with a Charter describing their role in implementing Distributed Leadership. This module defines the work of the Design Sub-team.

Topics:
• Validating the Cause
• Identifying the Solution
• Developing the Action Plan
• Leading a Team to Design and Develop Distributed Leadership

 

Distributed Leadership Series, 4 of 4-Leading a Team to Sustain DLThe final module in the Distributed Leadership Series guides the Design Team to oversee the progress of implementing Distributed Leadership and maintaining the continued involvement of stakeholders.

Topics:
• Defining Ongoing Oversight of Distributed Leadership
• Maintaining Stakeholder Involvement
• Leading a Team to Sustain Distributed Leadership

 

Leading a Team to Analyze and Display Data Using Quality ToolsMake complex issues simple and easy to understand for stakeholders by using quality tools to analyze and display information. School leaders and their teams can use these three quality tools to inform team decision-making for school improvement.

Topics:
• The Process Flow Chart
• The Check Sheet
• The Pareto Chart

 

Leading a Team to Analyze Root Causes Using Quality ToolsAvoid the trap of jumping to solutions before identifying the root cause. This module helps leaders dig deep beneath the symptoms of problems to expose the root causes so that the right solutions can be applied. Find the true causes of the problem using these three quality tools.

Topics:
•  The Five Whys
•  The Fishbone (Cause and Effect) Diagram
•  The Affinity (Relationship) Diagram

 

Leading a Team to Conduct Action ResearchDescription:
Action research is a type of formalized problem solving in which practitioners collect and use data to assess student performance and investigate potential solutions to problems. Schools that regularly conduct effective action research demonstrate improved achievement over time.

Topics:
• Selecting an Action Research Topic
• Reviewing Related Literature
• Applying Action Research Methodology
• Analyzing the Research Results Data

 

Leading a Team to Design a School BudgetEffective budget planning ensures funds support student achievement and the School Improvement Plan (SIP). Topics include:

•   Analyzing the School Budget
•   Aligning the Budget to the SIP
•   Revisiting the SIP

 

Leading a Team to Develop Project Management ToolsUsing project management tools ensures that roles and responsibilities are clear and facilitates the completion of assigned tasks on schedule. Knowing how to efficiently and effectively create project plans that maximize school operations can help you and your team effectively analyze and implement projects.   

TOPICS
•  Using the Work Breakdown Structure
•  Using the Critical Path Method
•  Creating a Gantt Chart

 

Leading a Team to Implement Visual ReportingThis module describes how to implement visual reporting by establishing a data room — a frequently used room adorned with charts that show data related to student learning, school processes, and stakeholder perceptions.

Topics:
• Establishing a Data Room
• Leading a Data Walk
• Leveraging the Data Room

 

Leading a Team to Select Performance InterventionsIdentify the gap(s) between desired performance and actual performance by analyzing the causes. Target possible solutions and generate performance interventions to solve the problem, selecting those that have the highest probability of successful implementation, considering cost, time, culture, risks, and benefits.

Topics:
• Identify causes of inadequate performance
• Generate a list of potential performance intervention(s)
• Select the best performance intervention(s)

 

Leading Better-seeking Teams - Orienting and FocusingAfter recruiting and selecting team members to be part of the Better Seeking Team (BST), the next critical step is to get the team oriented and focused on the task at hand. This module shows you how to empower your BST to achieve higher levels of performance on improvement initiatives. (Revised 05/10)

Topics:
•  Orienting the BST
•  Focusing the BST on Team Roles
•  Focusing the BST on Professional Learning
•  Focusing the BST on Team Assignments

 

Leading Better-seeking Teams - Recruiting and SelectingDescription:
Select and recruit individuals who collaborate successfully as a Better-seeking Team on improvement initiatives to help the school and students achieve their goals.  (Revised 05/10)


Topics:
• Defining personal characteristics of the BST
• Identifying team roles and responsibilities of the BST
• Recruiting and selecting a BST

 

Leading Tactical MeetingsMaster the three critical elements of a Weekly Tactical Meeting: Lightning Round - team members summarize primary weekly activities and provide others opportunity for clarification questions; Progress Review -  reporting  key metrics toward the organizational goals; Real-Time Agenda -  based on how the school/system is performing against its goal.

Topics:
• Getting Started with Tactical Meetings
• Leading a Tactical Meeting


 

Leading Team DiscussionsInvolve all team participants in a natural flow of conversation that leads to a common understanding of the issues for effective discussions.  The discussion process includes effective questioning and active listening skills.

Topics:
• Asking Questions
• Active Listening
• Dealing With Counter-productive Behavior
• Leading a Discussion

 

Negotiating for Improved School EffectivenessWhen parties can't agree on a solution to a problem or conflict, effective communication becomes critical in order to reach an acceptable agreement. This module presents a negotiation process that you can use to identify strategies that will result in successful interventions.

Topics:
●  Know Yourself and Your Opposition (Analyze)
●  Prepare to Negotiate (Design)
●  Work Toward a Solution (Develop)
●  Close the Negotiation (Implement)

 

Planning for Difficult SituationsAs a result of many kinds of unexpected and difficult situations, students and/or staff can experience physical problems or threats at school. When these situations occur, the leader must be able to respond quickly in a manner that provides the safest environment possible to all individuals.

Topics:
•  Updating your school safety plan
•  Preparing school staff and community for emergencies
•  Conducting a simulated drill

 

Scheduling Basics for Elementary SchoolsThis module defines the data required to undertake the school scheduling process. Participants learn who to involve, when and how to solicit input and support, and how to use scheduling tools. This module has been written so each part can be done manually. This is a Zip folder containing 5 files which must be extracted prior to use.

Topics:
•  Projecting resource requirements
•  Defining the model
•  Creating the master schedule
•  Completing the school schedule

 

Scheduling Basics for Middle SchoolsThis module takes some of the guesswork out of scheduling by presenting the basic concepts of middle school scheduling. You will learn about the planning and logistics required to develop a master schedule and how to using your school's automated scheduling system to complete the scheduling process.

Topics:
•  Gathering Scheduling Data and Input
•  Defining Your Scheduling Model
•  Creating Your Master Schedule
•  Creating Teaching Teams
•  Completing Your School Schedule

 

Writing With Impact for Effective CommunicationEffective communication skills form the foundation for successful school management. These skills are so basic that often we overlook their significance. This module focuses on ways to help you fine-tune and master this essential craft. You will learn how to analyze, draft, and finalize effective memos and business letters used for school communications.

Topics:
•  Writing Memos that Matter
•  Writing Letters that Mean Business