Casey Haggerty 1 May 2016

EDU 360

Leadership Project

Strategy 2: Improving School Climate, Faculty Cohesiveness and

Student Management
Goal(s)
In order to improve school climate, faculty cohesiveness and school
management, the school must first focus on cultivating cohesiveness among
faculty members. This can be achieved by fostering an atmosphere of
collaboration and trust. There must exist a common understanding of among
the faculty and general public on reforms taking place at the school. Any
misconceptions must be dispelled. To truly develop this sense of
cohesiveness among faculty members, they must have a respect and loyalty to
leaders of the school. This can be fostered through shared experiences such
as team meals, and professional development such as conferences and retreat
weekends. This sense of strong team unity among the faculty is essential.
Next, a team spirit must be fostered through retreats, parties, and other
community building experiences on a smaller scale for teams, grade levels,
and departments. Committees should be formed to deal with problem
situations. These committees will play their parts in implementing the annual
School Improvement Plan. It is important that each member of the faculty is
committed to the revitalized of the school’s raison d’etre. It is when the needs
of these two areas are met that standard-based reforms can begin. Therefore
the goals of this strategy are to build a strong sense of team unity and team
spirit among the faculty of the school.

Participants
The participants of this strategy are the principal, school leaders, and
faculty.

Level 5 Application from Collins

 Collins states that “level 5 leaders want to see the company even more
successful in the next generation” (p.26). This directly relates back to this
strategy. The level 5 leader recognizes the way in which the company, or
school can grow and improve. It must make these changes for the good of the
next generation, in this case, the students. As seen in this strategy, these
changes would include cohesiveness among staff, school climate and student
managements in order to make standard-based reforms for the good of the
students.

21 Leadership Responsibilities
Two leadership responsibilities that correspond with this strategy are
culture and relationships.

A healthy school culture requires cohesiveness among the faculty, an

understanding and shared purpose, and a shared outlook of the school’s
mission.

It is encouraged that strong relationships be fostered between the

school leaders and teachers. It is important that the school leaders be aware
of teachers’ needs and issues in order to be aware of significant events in their
lives and maintain personal relationships.

Strategy 5: Curriculum alignment

Goal(s)
The goal for curriculum alignment is, traditionally, “that the curriculum
is planned, taught, and tested in the school fits carefully into the goals and
priorities of educators, parents, and community members” (George &
Alexander, 2003, p. 566). George and Alexander (2003), go on to recognize
that curriculum alignment has now “come to mean a high degree of
congruence between state standards, state and national assessments, and
what is taught in the classroom” (p. 566-567). This should be monitored by
school leaders. Either by the review of lesson plans and observation of
classes. This helps to guide teachers to remain on the path of curriculum
alignment. The goal of the school leader should be to encourage, critique, and
advise the teachers to help them remain in alignment with the goals and
standards.

Participants
The participants of this strategy are school leaders and teachers.

Level 5 Application from Collins

Collins states that level 5 leaders are “infected with an incurable need to
produce results” (p.30). Results and reforms can be made through the
observation and evaluation of curriculum in alignment with the standards.
Level 5 leaders that are determined to provide the best product, in this case,
the quality of education being taught.

21 Leadership Responsibilities
The leadership responsibilities needed for this strategy are knowledge
of curriculum, instruction, and assessment and monitoring/evaluating.

It is important for the leader to be knowledgeable about the curriculum,

instruction, and assessment. This will help to promote curriculum alignment.
When the administration is involved with this area, it provides an outlet for
teacher to seek and receive guidance.

Monitoring and evaluating goes hand in hand with supporting

curriculum, instruction, and assessment. It can help modify the curriculum,
instruction, and assessment. The administration should take the leadership in
this monitoring and evaluating.

Strategy 10: Changing School Leadership Style

Goal(s)
The goal of the middle school principals is to extend vision of being
instructional leaders to being “all-consuming preoccupation with academic
achievement” (George & Alexander, 2003, p. 571). The school leader should be
involved in many “aspects of curriculum and instruction” (George &
Alexander, 2003, p. 571).

Participants
The participants of this strategy are the principal, school administrators,
and faculty. All these people should be involved to making this leadership
style successful.

Level 5 Application from Collins

The two sides of a Level 5 Leader are professional will and personal
humility. The leader should know when to be self-reflective (look in the
mirror) to find flaws that can be fixed internally, and when to look outwardly
for issues to be solved (look out the window). A person taking on this “all-
consuming preoccupation with academic achievement” should exhibit this
mixture of professional will and personal humility (George & Alexander, 2003,
p. 571).

21 Leadership Responsibilities
A leader in implementing this strategy has the responsibility of being a
change agent and having situational awareness.

Being a change agent means that the leader is willing to make the hard
necessary changes. This is important because taking on this new leadership
role is a change and may not be welcomed by all.

Having situational awareness means that the leader understands the

day to day happening of the school and understands how it functions. It is
important for this leader to have this awareness because it means that the
leader is aware of the issues and problems that need to be addressed.