Principal leadership is essential to the success of high schools. By working with teachers, students, and parents, principals can create a positive learning environment that is conducive to academic success. In addition, principals can play a pivotal role in developing and implementing schoolwide policies and initiatives that support student achievement. By collaborating with all members of the school community, principals can ensure that high schools are safe, supportive, and effective places of learning. This essay discusses the case of Robertson High School.
As the principal, I can support the high school faculty’s use of data to improve practice by providing resources and training on collecting and using data. Also, creating a culture of data-driven decision-making by modeling the use of data in their decision-making process. According to Schildkamp (2019), some specific ways to support the faculty in using data are: First, ensure faculty members have access to the data they need. This might involve providing software or hardware resources or simply ensuring that data is collected and organized in a way that makes it easy for faculty to use. Second, train faculty members on how to use data effectively. Third, encourage faculty to use data in their decision-making. One way to do this is to make data an integral part of faculty meetings, and another is to create opportunities. Finally, reward and recognize faculty who use data effectively (Miranda & Jaffe-Walter, 2018). This conveys that using data to improve practice is valued at the school.
Some questions I would need to be answered before starting the project would include: 1. How often do faculty members use data to inform their teaching practice? 2. What data sources do faculty members use to inform their teaching practice? 3. How do faculty members use data to inform their teaching practice? 4. What are the benefits and challenges of using data to improve teaching practice? Establishing a data-based decision-making process improves teacher morale and student engagement. This process should involve all stakeholders in the data collection, analysis, and decision-making. Also, training and supporting faculty members who want to use data to improve their practice. These processes should be ongoing and revisited regularly to ensure that it is responsive to the needs of the faculty and students.
The principal influences how teachers talk about students by setting the tone for the school. If the principal is upbeat, the teachers are more likely to be upbeat when they talk about students (Conner, 2022). If the principal is negative and critical, the teachers are likelier to be negative and critical when talking about students. The principal also sets the expectations for how teachers should talk about students. If the principal expects teachers to talk about students in a more realistic and balanced way, then the teachers will likely talk about students in a more realistic and balanced way.
Consequently, accountability pressures influence how teachers talk about students in many ways. According to Conner (2022), one way is that teachers may be more likely to talk about students regarding their academic achievement. This can be seen in how teachers discuss student progress regarding grades and test scores. Another way that accountability pressures influence how teachers talk about students is that teachers may be more likely to talk about students in terms of their behavior. This can be seen in how teachers discuss student conduct regarding disciplinary infractions. Ultimately, accountability pressures can influence how teachers talk about students in many ways. These pressures can cause teachers to focus on specific aspects of their students, such as academic achievement or behavior, while ignoring other aspects, such as demographics.
There is a clear connection between leaders’ positioning of teachers and teachers’ positioning of students. If leaders position teachers in a way that is not conducive to student learning, then they will likely position students in a way that is not conducive to their learning. In the case of Robertson High, this can create a vicious cycle in which students are not learning effectively, and teachers cannot properly position them for success (Miranda & Jaffe-Walter, 2018). One way to break this cycle is for leaders to create an environment where teachers feel supported and empowered to position students for success. When teachers feel they have the autonomy to position students in a way that is best for their learning, they are likelier to do so. This, in turn, will lead to students who are better positioned to learn and ultimately achieve success.
The best way to confirm that the feedback one is getting from teachers is accurate is to ask follow-up questions and probe for more detail. Also, comparing the feedback from different teachers to see if there are any patterns or common themes (Conner, 2022). Finally, ask the teachers for specific examples to illustrate their points. There are a few ways to solicit feedback from teachers. One way is to send out a survey to all the teachers in the school and ask them to rate their satisfaction with the current curriculum and the teaching practice employed. Another way is to hold focus groups with teachers and ask them to discuss what they like and do not like about the current curriculum. Finally, teachers can be asked to submit feedback on the curriculum through an online portal.
There are a few actions a leader can do to ensure they remain open to feedback. They can first create an environment where employees feel comfortable giving feedback without any fear of discrimination or other related factors like getting fired. They can also solicit feedback regularly and make it clear that they are open to hearing both positive and negative feedback. Finally, they should take all feedback seriously and take action when appropriate.
References
Conner, A. M. (2022). Actions of the principal: Influences on teacher self-efficacy and motivation [Doctoral dissertation]. Web.
Miranda, C. P., & Jaffe-Walter, R. (2018). When data use devolves into deficit talk: Creating the conditions for productive teacher collaboration using data. Journal of Cases in Educational Leadership, 21(4), 3-11. Web.
Schildkamp, K. (2019). Data-based decision-making for school improvement: Research insights and gaps. Educational research, 61(3), 257-273. Web.