School Leadership Concentration

School Leadership Concentration The School Leadership Concentration (SLC) is designed for aspiring school leaders. Candidates will learn the necessary skills, ranging from financial management to instructional leadership, required to open and lead a successful innovative school. Students will be assigned a Mentor Leader, a current charter school director, with whom they will work closely and observe in meetings and through decisionmaking processes. They will also be assigned a GSE faculty advisor, with whom they will meet to develop their Personalized Learning Plan (PLP) and to chart their progress on the PLP and the four work products required for graduation from the program. The goals of the School Leadership concentration are to: 1. Prepare leaders for the complexity of leading urban schools with many stakeholders and limited resources in a climate of organizational and societal change. 2. Help leaders develop a personal philosophy and approach grounded in the HTH design principles. 3. Train leaders who will have the capacity to be school builders, mentors, and change agents. 4. Train leaders to create programs that help students develop academic competencies through project-based learning and internships in the adult world beyond school. 5. Train leaders to develop and implement structures and an environment for personalization. 6. Prepare leaders to address the challenges of unequal access to education for special or educationally disadvantaged populations of learners. There are two tracks within the School Leadership concentration. The program for external candidates, those not currently employed by a HTH school, is structured as a 10-month full-time residency within a HTH school. The program for internal candidates, those who are full-time employees of HTH, is a part-time program to be completed within two academic years. Both the internal and external programs begin with an intensive three-week session in August, followed by two semesters of courses and practicum experiences. Courses and practicum experiences are designed to prepare students to complete and present a school/program design plan, leadership philosophy statement, leadership project, and reflective journal. Internal candidates will complete and present their leadership project in the second year. Course Sequence Summer I School Openings and New Staff Development Mentoring and Coaching Teachers Fall Semester, Year One* Equity, Diversity, and Design Principles Principles of Project Based Learning: Fall Residency Internship and College Advising Institute Leadership Seminar I Design Practicum I Leadership Practicum I Culminating Fall Event: Presentation of Learning I - 7 -

HTH 230: Content Area Study 2 In this course, students will delve deeply into a content-specific issue of their choosing that they feel will enrich their teaching and professional development. Students may pursue this topic through independent study, group study, collaboration with an expert, or by taking an extension course outside the HTH village. Students will propose a plan for their content area study that includes a timeline, list of activities, and evidence of learning to their advisor in the spring of their first year. The content area study plan must be completed before the end of the student s second year. HTH 208: Teacher Leadership for Literacy 2 This course begins with a brief review of promising approaches to literacy development. Participants will be expected to apply and reflect on their day-to-day experience with one of these approaches. They will share this approach with colleagues via presentation or consultation, and reflect on the results of this collegial interaction. HTH 240: Implementing Inclusive Classrooms 2 High Tech High strives to embrace high standards for all students. Consistent with the design principle of common intellectual mission, HTH heterogeneously groups students in classes, including English learners and students with special needs. This course will address the wide range of modifications and accommodations teachers can make in their project-based classrooms to accommodate diverse student needs. Participants will apply these changes in their classrooms and reflect on the process and outcomes. HTH 250: Action Research Forum 2 Students will present their pilot action research study at the High Tech High Summer Institute. They will also facilitate, and participate in, discussions among attendants as to the role of action research and teacher leadership in K-12 schools. HTH 280: Master s Thesis Project I 6 In this course, students will work on their Action Research thesis project, with the support of their advisor and their teacher research group via a regularly scheduled seminar. HTH 262: Inquiry and Applied Research IA & IB 6 This year-long course is designed for students who are currently being mentored through HTH s structured mentoring program. Students will complete cycles of inquiry focusing on the following elements: Core Academic Content and Subject-Specific Pedagogy, Creating a Healthy Learning Environment, Using Technology in the Classroom, Supporting Equity and Diversity, Supporting English Learners, and Supporting Students with Special Needs. HTH 264: Mentoring Through Cycles of Inquiry IIA & IIB 6 One of the most important roles of a teacher leader is that of peer coach and mentor. This year-long course provides students with training and experience in mentoring colleagues through complete cycles of inquiry focusing on the following elements: Core Academic Content and Subject-Specific Pedagogy, Creating a Healthy Learning Environment, Using Technology in the Classroom, Supporting Equity and Diversity, Supporting English Learners, and Supporting Students with Special Needs. Students will explore the best practices in mentoring across content areas. In addition, students will become adept at conducting classroom observations and providing feedback to novice and experienced teachers with an emphasis on supporting teachers as reflective practitioners. HTH 282: Master s Thesis Project II 6 In this course, students will work on and complete their action research thesis project, with the support of their advisor and their teacher research group via a regularly scheduled seminar. - 12 -

Fall Semester, Year 2 Master s Thesis Project I Inquiry and Applied Research IA* or Mentoring Through Cycles of Inquiry IIA* Spring Semester, Year 2 Master s Thesis Project II Inquiry and Applied Research IB* or Mentoring Through Cycles of Inquiry IIB* * Students take either the Inquiry and Applied Research I or Mentoring Through Cycles of Inquiry II series depending on their current participation in HTH s teacher mentoring program. Teacher Leadership Concentration: Courses HTH 200: Equity, Diversity, and Design Principles 2 This course explores the implications of culture particularly the relation between home culture and school culture for teaching and learning. Participants consider the background experiences, skills, languages and abilities of diverse student groups, and discuss pedagogical approaches that provide both access and challenge for diverse learners. They examine the High Tech High design principles against the backdrop of inequitable academic outcomes in American schools. In particular, the course will focus on how teacher and student expectations affect student achievement, for better or worse. HTH 202: Links Between Research and Practice 1 Students will become skilled consumers of educational research by exploring the many types of educational research and resources available to them. Students will also reflect on the role of the research literature and other resources in their own research process. HTH 210: Action Research I: Design and Methods 3 Participants learn about research methodology and design an action research project. In the process, they learn to value their own voices and the questions they generate about their professional practice. Learning about the action research process lays the foundation for using structured inquiry as a strategy for enhancing learning environments. HTH 212: Teacher Leadership I: School Reform from the Classroom 1 Who says you can t be a leader from the classroom? This course examines the many forms of formal and informal teacher leadership and explores the role that teachers must play in the reform of our nation's schools. It analyzes the barriers to teacher leadership created by the structure of schools and the culture of teaching and assesses teacher leadership in relation to the developmental needs of a rapidly changing workforce. HTH 216: Advanced Project Based Learning 2 Led by nationally-recognized expert on project-based learning Robert C. Riordan, teachers will learn to deepen their project-based work by exploring issues of content, rigor, design, and student ownership. Using a consultancy model, teachers will have the opportunity to reflect upon past projects and plan and improve upon future ones. HTH 220: Action Research II: Application 3 Using what they learned in Action Research I, students will conduct a pilot action research project based on a topic of their choosing relevant to their classroom or their school. They will also learn about various data analysis techniques and begin to link their findings to their essential questions and the relevant research literature. This pilot project will set the stage for the Master s thesis project students will undertake in their second year of the program. - 11 -

- 10 - Teacher Leadership Concentration The Teacher Leadership Concentration (TLC) is a two-year part-time program designed for experienced teachers who wish to continue to build their teaching, inquiry, and leadership skills. These Master s candidates continue to work full- or part-time at either a school in the High Tech High network or outside of the network. Each student will be assigned a GSE faculty advisor, with whom they will meet regularly to discuss their progress on their action research project and their digital portfolio. The goals of the Teacher Leadership concentration are to: 1. Develop reflective practitioners who take action and reflect on that action to improve teaching and learning. 2. Help teachers develop a personal philosophy and approach grounded in the HTH design principles. 3. Train teachers to design project-based approaches to learning that connect students to the world beyond school and that offer access and challenge to all learners. 4. Prepare teachers to address the challenges of unequal access to education for special or educationally disadvantaged populations of learners. 5. Develop teachers capacities to critically examine educational theory/research and to design and conduct their own scholarly inquiries. 6. Prepare teachers to be effective teacher leaders and program builders. Course Sequence Students attend classes once a week over the course of one academic school year. During this year, they design and pilot an action research project focused on an issue relevant to their classroom and/or school. This pilot project will set the stage for the Master s thesis project students will undertake at their school of employment in their second year, with the support of their advisor and their colleagues in the Master s project seminar. During the second year, students also engage in mentoring and coaching activities at their home school and present their Master s project alongside their colleagues at the HTH Summer Institute. Educators beyond the San Diego area are welcome and encouraged to apply to our programs. After completing their coursework the first year in San Diego, these students return to their schools of employment to conduct their Master s thesis projects with the support of their GSE advisor and colleagues. They then return to the HTH village to present their Master s project alongside their colleagues at the HTH Summer Institute. Fall Semester, Year 1 Equity, Diversity, and Design Principles Links Between Research and Practice Action Research I: Design and Methods Teacher Leadership I: School Reform from the Classroom Advanced Project Based Learning Spring Semester, Year 1 Action Research II: Application Content Area Study Teacher Leadership for Literacy Implementing Inclusive Classrooms Action Research Forum at the HTH Summer Institute

HTH 350: Leadership Seminar I 3 In this course, students will participate in lectures and conversations with GSE faculty, visiting experts, and colleagues on essential aspects of leadership. Potential topics include understanding group dynamics, leadership styles, and organizational culture; approaches to instructional leadership; developing and managing a school budget; working with a board of directors; approaches to technology; educational law; facilities; fundraising; public relations; and hiring and human resources. Students also actively participate in HTH school director operations meetings and professional development meetings. HTH 360: Design Practicum I 2 This course will take students through the process of developing and opening a school, or initiating a new program within an existing school. Students will sharpen their school/program vision and mission. They will also develop strategies and implementation plans for their school/program opening, focusing on objectives such as student and faculty recruitment, community relationship building, and budgeting. At the end of this course, students will have produced a preliminary school or program design plan. HTH 370: Leadership Practicum I 2 During Leadership Practicum I, students will gain experience serving as a coach and instructional leader to a faculty member. Through participant observation and by conducting a review of relevant research, students will also explore strategies for building an inquiry-based and reflective school culture, and the many ways in which school leaders can model strong instructional practices in their work with teachers. At the end of the course, students will have produced their leadership philosophy statement. HTH 320: Using Student Assessment Data to Improve Instruction 2 This course will focus on the power that effective data collection and analysis should have on a School Leader s decision-making process. Students will examine multiple kinds of teacher-collected data as well as methods and purposes for school-wide data collection. Students will collect and analyze data from their schools and provide curriculum and program recommendations based on their analysis. HTH 325: Assessing and Evaluating Student Work: Spring Residency 2 This course will focus on how assessment is used at HTH, across content areas and within projects, to assess group work and to support our design principle of Common Intellectual Mission. Students will look at and evaluate rubrics that have been used in the recent past and explore how assessments can provide a framework for project development. Students will compare assessments that are philosophically different (formative versus summative, descriptive rubrics versus point-based rubrics) and reflect on ways to improve assessment overall in their schools. HTH 355: Leadership Seminar II 3 In this course, students will continue to participate in lectures and conversations with GSE faculty, visiting experts, and colleagues on essential aspects of leadership. Potential topics include understanding group dynamics, leadership styles, and organizational culture; approaches to instructional leadership; developing and managing a school budget; working with a board of directors; approaches to technology; educational law; facilities; fundraising; public relations; and hiring and human resources. Students also actively participate in HTH school director operations meetings and professional development meetings. HTH 365: Design Practicum II 2 During Design Practicum II, students will work closely with their Mentor Leader to complete the school or program design plan begun during Design Practicum I. Students will present their complete design plan as part of their digital portfolio at the HTH Summer Institute. HTH 375: Leadership Practicum II 2 In this course, students will design, implement, and reflect on a leadership project that addresses a need at their host school. Students will present this project as part of their digital portfolio at the HTH Summer Institute. - 9 -

Spring Semester, Year One* Using Student Data to Improve Instruction Assessing and Evaluating Student Work: Spring Residency Leadership Seminar II Design Practicum II Leadership Practicum II** Culminating Spring Semester Event: Presentation of Learning II at HTH Summer Institute * Internal candidates may take the Action Research courses offered in the Teacher Leadership Program in lieu of the Fall Residency, Internship and College Advising Institute, and Spring Residency. ** Internal candidates will complete the Leadership Practicum II and present their leadership project in their second year. - 8 - School Leadership Concentration: Courses HTH 300: School Openings and New Staff Development 4 During these intensive three weeks, students will work alongside their Mentor Leaders carrying out all the responsibilities associated with launching a school year. Students will experience first-hand the leadership and organization required at a school s new teacher trainings and opening faculty meetings, the importance of tone on the first day of school, and the level of detail that is required for a successful school opening. Students will learn to create a digital portfolio, which will house the student's work over the course of the program. Students will also develop their Personalized Learning Plan with the assistance of their advisor and mentor. HTH 310: Mentoring and Coaching Teachers 3 One of the most important roles of a school leader is that of instructional coach and mentor. In this course, students will explore the best practices in mentoring across content areas. In addition, students will become adept at conducting classroom observations and providing feedback to novice and experienced teachers with an emphasis on supporting teachers as reflective practitioners. HTH 200: Equity, Diversity, and Design Principles 2 This course explores the implications of culture particularly the relation between home culture and school culture for teaching and learning. Participants consider the background experiences, skills, languages and abilities of diverse student groups, and discuss pedagogical approaches that provide both access and challenge for diverse learners. They examine the High Tech High design principles against the backdrop of inequitable academic outcomes in American schools. In particular, the course will focus on how teacher and student expectations affect student achievement, for better or worse. HTH 205: Principles of Project Based Learning: Fall Residency 2 Led by Rob Riordan, a nationally-recognized expert on Project Based Learning, this course will focus on project design: brainstorming ideas for projects, mapping content to standards, strategies for grouping students, integrating content, developing timelines and due dates, incorporating rubrics and other assessment tools into project work. Session leaders will also discuss how project time is used to differentiate instruction for individual students based on their needs. HTH 211: Internship and College Advising Institute 1 Two core functions of High Tech High schools are college advising and the provision of academic internships for all students. During this institute, students will learn: principles of college advising at High Tech High, how technology is used in college advising, timelines for college advising across the high school career, and how to build a college-going culture at your school. Students will also learn how to design and implement a robust academic internship program.