Teacher Professional Development- The Principal s Critical Role

SPECIAL SECTION PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT II: FACULTY AND STAFF Teacher Professional Development- The Principal s Critical Role Diane Payne and Terry Wolfson Because of the teacher shortage in the United States today, recruiting and retaining highly qualified teachers is a challenging tasks for principals. This article discusses the principal s critical role in supporting teachers professional development and offers specific examples based on personal experience. With the anticipated need for 2.2 million new teachers during decade of the twenty-first century (U. S. Department of Education 1997), school districts must find ways to attract talented young men and women to choose teaching as their career. Once recruited, these talented this first individuals will need support and encouragement to ensure their success and increase the likelihood that they will remain in the profession. Fallon (1999) suggests, &dquo;teacher quality is the most important variable in producing student achievement.&dquo; Principals must work to ensure that all teachers are able to address the many challenges the contemporary classroom presents by helping to provide meaningful and effective professional development opportunities. Breaking Ranks: Changing an American Institution (1996) and Turning Points: Preparing American Youth for the 21st Century ( 1989) offer frameworks for middle and high school reform. Both documents include teacher professional development as one of the key elements to successful school reform efforts. Breaking Ranks: Changing an American Institution asserts that leaders who are genuinely interested in the reform of the high school must be willing to depart from the old and forge new ways of educating youth. Teacher support is essential for the success of any new endeavor in the school, and teachers often need additional knowledge and skills to implement the desired changes. The principal plays a critical role in ensuring that teachers are prepared through appropriate professional development to bring about school reform and improved learning for all students. Breaking Ranks offers five specific recommendations for professional development. These recommendations are designed to ensure that the Diane Payne is principal of Needham Broughton High School in Raleigh, N.C.Terry Wolfson is principal of Hopkins West Junior High School in Minnetonka, Minn. Both Diane andterry serve on the National Alliance of High Schools and Middle Schools. Correspondence concerning this article may be sent to dpayne@wcpss.net. 13

school is a learning community in which the faculty and the support staff are engaged in ongoing professional growth designed to meet both individual needs and the needs of the school community. The purpose of professional development is to provide teachers with the knowledge and skills to improve student achievement. Breaking Ranks also emphasizes the importance of collegiality in professional development. Collaborative approaches to school improvement and professional development further ensure learning benefits for students. Breaking Ranks specifies five recommendations for professional development: 1. Every high school will be a learning community for teachers and for the other professionals it employs. 2. Each educator will create a Personal Learning Plan that addresses his and skills related to or her need to grow, stressing knowledge improved student learning. 3. The high school-with the help of the school district-will provide adequate funding, time, and other resources to ensure that professional development is a continuous, ongoing process. 4. The principal of a high school, as a model for the staff, will pursue his or her own ongoing professional growth while helping to lead the professional development for the entire school. 5. The support staff of a high school-secretaries, custodians, cafeteria workers, and others-will also be encouraged and assisted in their own career growth and drawn into the larger school community as adults who can promote the well-being of students. Turning Points: Preparing American Youth for the 21st Century does not explicitly identify steps for teacher professional growth. However, implicit in the recommendations for middle level reform is a strong ongoing professional component that emphasizes the need for integrated collaborative planning, deepening knowledge of content areas and adolescent development, developing a wider repertoire of instructional and assessment strategies, and strengthening family and community partnerships. 1. Create small communities for learning. 2. Teach a core academic program. 3. Ensure success for all students. 4. Empower teachers and administrators to make decisions about the experience of middle grade students. 5. Staff middle grade schools with teachers who are expert at teaching young adolescents. 6. Improve academic performance through fostering the health and fitness of young adolescents. 7. Reengage families in the education of young adolescents. 8. Connect schools with communities. 14

To successfully implement the recommendations from Breaking Ranks and Turning Points, principals must foster the professional growth of the teachers in the school. By building positive relationships with teachers and supporting their ongoing professional development, the principal increases the chances for ensuring teachers satisfaction with their choice of teaching as a career and for developing teachers with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes essential to school reform and improved student achievement. The Principal s Role: A Personal Experience Because teacher professional development is critical for the success of school improvement initiatives and student achievement, the principal must place a high priority on the continual professional development of the adults in the school. Based on our experience as principals, we provide our view of the principal s role in teacher professional development and offer specific examples to illustrate strategies we have found effective in encouraging and supporting the continual professional development of our teacher colleagues. We have identified five components of the principal s role in teacher professional development. The principal serves as a role model for continual learning and motivates and inspires others to pursue learning opportunities and further their own knowledge. The principal is the leader of a learning organization setting high expectations including the expectation of lifelong learning for everyone in the building. The principal motivates and supports development by assisting teachers and removing the barriers and obstacles that frequently inhibit professional growth and prevent positive change. The principal also provides resources essential to teachers growth. Finally, the principal facilitates teachers professional development activities. Principal as Role Model for Continual Learning The principal who wants to &dquo;break ranks&dquo; stays abreast of current thinking about schools and student learning by reading books and professional journals, attending conferences and professional meetings, and diligently pursuing his or her own professional growth. By participating in professional growth activities and sharing learning and skill development with others, the principal demonstrates a commitment to continual learning and serves as a role model for the faculty. By setting an example as a lifelong learner, the principal helps to establish the culture of the school as a learning organization where ongoing professional development is the norm. When the principal models continual learning, the support staff is more likely to focus on their own professional development. The principal shares with teachers the joys and frustrations of learning new skills and discusses new ideas and possible ways to improve the 15

school and increase student achievement through the growth of the knowledge and skills of the entire staff. One strategy to encourage ongoing learning is for the principal and teachers to participate in professional development activities together. Both the principal and the teachers benefit from learning together. Specific examples of this type of collaboration follow. 9 The principal disseminates and discusses current research and literature with the faculty. For example, the National Association of Secondary School Principals Middle and High School Alliances promote professional growth for principals and teachers and provide multiple copies of Principal Leadership and a series of monographs on relevant educational topics. At Broughton High School and Hopkins West Junior High School, principals have found the materials to be an effective way to keep teachers informed about recent trends in high school and middle level education. Principals use these resources to provide a common base of knowledge for discussion and problem solving. 0 The principal attends at least one conference every two years with a team of teachers. Benefits include keeping abreast of trends and opportunities for team building. Last year, the principal and six teachers from Broughton High School attended the NASSP National Convention as a school team. This experience enabled the principal and teachers to learn about new programs together and to strengthen their collegial relationships. o When the school district decided Broughton High School would offer the International Baccalaureate (LB.) program, the principal and five teachers attended an introductory conference to learn more about the I.B. program. Between sessions as well as during informal gatherings, they discussed the ideas presented and the implementation of the I.B. program at their school. 9 The principal from Broughton High School recently completed &dquo;principals as Technology Leaders,&dquo; a challenging program sponsored by the Principals Executive Program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill designed to help principals improve their technology skills and increase their knowledge about technology resources. At faculty meetings and in informal discussions with teachers, the principal discussed the program content, described the excitement of learning more about technology, and shared resources that teachers could use to integrate technology in their lessons. The principal modeled the use of new technology while conducting staff meetings and helped teachers learn to use technology. The principal also described some of the frustrations she experienced with new learning. Principal as Leader of a Learning Organization If the school is indeed a learning organization, the principal the expectation that all members should focus on their own professional must establish 16

growth and work cooperatively with others to increase student learning. Through individual and group assessment and discussions of needed improvement, the principal and faculty determine ways professional development can help them achieve the mission, goals, and objectives of the school. By careful planning and by linking professional development to school improvement, the principal and teachers ensure student learning is the central focus for professional development. Together they also ensure that professional development is ongoing, not a &dquo;one shot&dquo; deal. o The principal ensures that new teachers are initiated into the culture of the school. Through teacher mentoring programs, new teachers formally and informally learn that the school is an organization that emphasizes professional growth. The Hopkins School District is committed to the development of new teachers through its strong mentoring program. Before the school year begins, each new teacher participates in a five-day workshop based on Danielson s (1996) Enhancing Professional Practice: A Framework for Teaching. A mentor teacher at each level (elementary, middle, and high school) supports each new teacher in his or her classroom. Master teachers facilitate monthly seminars, lead discussions, and model best practices on topics such as differentiated instruction, cooperative learning strategies, and adolescent development. In addition, each new teacher is assigned a mentor teacher who provides assistance in the day-to-day functions of the school. In a formal evaluation of the mentoring program, new teachers reported a high degree of satisfaction and a strong sense of support during the critical beginning stages of their teaching career. o At a school improvement team meeting, the Broughton High School group discussed the need to help teachers integrate technology in the instructional program. The technology committee developed a technology plan, which included teacher professional development. Programs and policies were implemented to help teachers further their knowledge and increase their skills in using technology. Each teacher was required to increase his or her technology skills as part of teachers annual professional growth plan and to use technology in at least two lessons that were observed by a colleague or an administrator. 9 The principal holds the faculty accountable for setting personal learner goals that are aligned with the school and district strategic plans. As part of the Hopkins School District s Staff Personal Learner Goals plan, each staff member sets annual goals. By participating on a self-selected team, teachers are able to receive feedback and support from colleagues. This system reinforces the belief that self-reflection, dialogue, and collegial support are important to a teacher s professional development. o The principal uses data to set professional growth priorities. After reviewing the results of a school climate survey, the leadership team at 17

Hopkins West Junior High School designed professional growth opportunities to address the increasing economic diversity of the school and to better meet the needs of students from families living in poverty. In another case, the principal and four teachers attended the NASSP/Scholastic Middle Level Literacy Conference where team members used school assessment data to develop a plan to better meet the needs of learners who are likely to score poorly on required state reading exams. The use of data to determine priorities provides a direct link between teacher professional growth activities and student achievement. communicates enthusiasm and a sincere interest in teach- Principal as Motivator and Supporter Teachers view the principal as a helper, supporter, and source of information and resources for professional development. The principal shares articles, websites, tapes, books, and information about topics, conferences, and workshops of interest to teachers. Teachers are comfortable sharing their professional goals and asking the principal for assistance in pursuing professional growth opportunities. They feel confident the principal wants them to further their knowledge and increase their skills. They are also willing to ask for help. The principal ers learning and often makes it possible for teachers to participate in professional development opportunities, frequently without being asked. The principal also encourages teachers to share what they professional growth experiences. o The principal encourages teachers to make presentations at conferences and conventions to share best practices with colleagues and other professionals. Broughton High School teachers and Hopkins West Junior High teachers have presented a variety of curricular topics national conferences. have learned from their at a number of state and o The principal promotes risk taking and supports teachers as they attempt new initiatives. When the Broughton High School principal observed that several teachers did not respond to a schoolwide e-mail to all faculty, the principal discovered these teachers were struggling with using the unfamiliar technology. The principal spent time with them and coached them on using the e-mail system. As a follow-up activity, the principal sent daily e-mails encouraging and supporting the teachers. The teachers, in turn, responded to the principal s messages and soon became regular e-mail users. 0 Two of the initially reluctant users of technology approached the principal for information about summer programs on technology. The principal expressed excitement about the teachers desire to increase their technology skills and located several training opportunities. When one of these teachers needed to use a computer at the school to complete the course assignments, the principal was able to assist him and give positive reinforcement as he progressed through the course. 18

Principal as Resource Provider The principal provides resources and finds creative ways to give time, money, and support they need for professional development. Many teachers are very willing to learn new strategies and techniques but are frequently prevented from doing so because of time constraints, lack of funds, teachers the or the absence of administrative support. The principal actively seeks ways to help teachers find the time to learn and provides them the available resources and the encouragement they need. 9 With other central office administrators, the principal advocates for time during the school day for professional development activities. The Hopkins School District s school board approved six days on which students come to school two hours later than usual. This time is used for ongoing learning activities as identified by staff in areas such as graduation standards implementation and teaching strategies for an alternating day schedule. At Hopkins West Junior High School, team planning time is built into the schedule. o To provide time for teacher professional development during the on inte- school day, the Broughton High School principal arranged for teachers on the same team or in the same department to share a substitute so that each teacher can have a half day available for professional development. This strategy enables teachers to have some time during the school day to work with colleagues without necessitating an entire day away from the students and the school building. For example, teachers on the same team received a half day of training on designing WebQuests. Teachers received the basic information and got started on their projects. They returned for additional training several weeks later after they had the opportunity to do independent work on their projects. o When the art teacher, drama teacher, and science department chairperson approached the principal about participating in a workshop grating the arts in the science curriculum, the principal asked the PTA about allocating the funds for the teachers to take advantage of the professional development opportunity. Principal as Facilitator The principal serves as the facilitator for professional development activities, arranges for outside consultants, and coordinates the logistics for schoolwide professional development. The principal also recruits teachers from within the school to conduct professional development activities. By providing time, resources, and support for teachers to plan and prepare for the training, the principal affirms their expertise and acknowledges their of their valuable role as contributors to the continual professional growth colleagues. Depending on an individual principal s knowledge, skill, and 19

interest, the principal also occasionally conducts professional development activities for teachers. Teacher professional development also occurs through alternative activities such as conversations among teachers about common concerns, ideas for classroom lessons, and effective teaching strategies; and formal and informal observations of teachers in their interactions with students. The principal helps orchestrate some of the teacher informal learning through strategic assignment of classrooms and lunch periods, through conversations with teachers about what other teachers are doing in their classrooms, and through modeling or describing (from classroom observations) effective teaching at faculty gatherings and meetings. o The Hopkins West Junior High School principal and the staff development committee collaborated to design professional development to help teachers implement an alternating day schedule, a schoolwide initiative. The plan included site visits, presentations by national speakers on teaching in the block, and consultation from subject area experts currently teaching in the alternating day block schedule. 0 After teachers requested help with classroom discipline and strategies for managing student behavior, the principal contacted Alan Mendler, the author of several books on the topic, and made arrangements for him to conduct a two-day workshop at the school. The principal handled the logistics for the workshop including preparing the agenda and arranged for teachers to receive copies of the handouts Mendler brought as well as lunch and refreshments for both days. o Members of the business department offered to teach colleagues the basics of several software packages. The business teachers planned a schedule for the sessions. The principal arranged for participants to receive teacher renewal credit and sent a letter to the business teachers thanking them for sharing their expertise so that other teachers in the school could in each benefit from their knowledge. A copy of the letter was placed teacher s personnel file. o Teachers requested assistance with creating WebQuests and two teachers volunteered to conduct the training. The principal provided substitutes for the teachers so they could plan the session for their colleagues. Why Is the Principal s Role Critical? Teacher professional development is critical to school improvement and increased student learning. As the leader of a learning organization, the principal must motivate teachers to continue to grow professionally throughout their careers. By setting the expectation for ongoing learning, modeling continual learning, supporting teachers as they learn new skills and increase their knowledge, and facilitating teacher professional growth 20

activities, the principal encourages teachers to work collaboratively to achieve the mission of the school and improve student achievement. rationale for effective Improved student achievement is an important professional development; however, there is another compelling reason to focus on teacher development. teacher shortage, the retention of quality teachers in the profession recruitment of talented new professionals demands the attention of school leaders. An environment that supports teachers professional growth from induction to retirement meets the public s demands to place a highly qualified teacher in every classroom and to continually improve student achievement. k References Because the United States faces a critical and the Carnegie Council on Adolescent Development. 1989. Turning points: Preparing American youth for the 21st century. New York: Carnegie Corp. Danielson, C. 1996. Enhancing professional practice: A framework for teaching. Alexandria, Va.: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Fallon, D. 1999. Our grand opportunity: college and university chief executives. Paper presented Conference on Teacher Equality, September, Washington, D.C. Remarks on teacher education for at the Presidents National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP). 1996. Breaking ranks: Changing an American institution. Reston, Va.: NASSP. U. S. Department of Education (USDOE). July 1997. The Seven Priorities of the U.S. Department of Education, Working Document. Washington, D.C.: USDOE. 21