Brighid McDonnell

Lehigh University
Reflection 11
4/15/18
Supervision of Certification and Instruction
Internship Reflection Log

About three years ago, I came across a job posting for a Supervisor of Curriculum and

Instruction (C & I) for a School District in the Lehigh Valley. At the time, I wondered, “What

exactly does a Supervisor of C & I do?” I figured it had something to do with selecting

curriculums, providing professional development on the implementation of curriculums, and

evaluating instruction with data. Flash forward to the spring of 2018, and I am about to finish

my final semester for the certification program in Supervision of C & I at Lehigh University.

During the past two semesters, my understanding of the role of a C & I Supervisor has

grown, as has my skill set as an educational leader in regards to C & I. This growth has occurred

because of my participation in C & I related events at Parkland School District (PSD),

Bethlehem Area School District (BASD), and at my own school, Roberto Clemente Elementary

Charter School (RCECS). These events helped shape and develop my Individualized Leadership

Plan (ILP), and my future career goals.

Throughout my internship, I have learned that the role of a C & I Supervisor is dynamic

and unique to each school district. Through my participation at events at PSD, BASD, and

through my courses for the National Institute for School Leadership (NISL), it became apparent

that the role of a C & I Supervisor varies based on the size, budget, and needs of a district.
 At PSD, the department of Curriculum and Instruction/Assessment and Data Analysis,

consists of a director, three supervisors, a coordinator of data, assessment, and federal programs,

and two administrative assistants. For the 2017-2018 school year, the enrollment at PSD is 9,387

students. BASD has approximately 14,000 students for the 2017-2018 school year. Their C & I

Department consists of the assistant superintendent, two supervisors and an administrative

assistant. In contrast, Brandywine Heights School District has a student population of 1,450 and

their C & I Department employees are the assistant to the superintendent, one

curriculum/technology specialist, and an administrative assistant. One commonality between all

three of these districts is that there are separate supervisors for special education and English as a

Second language. Prior to my internship, I assumed that supervisors for both areas would have

been included in the C & I department.

Roberto Clemente Charter School (RCCS) differs from the aforementioned districts.

There are approximately 600 students in K-12 enrolled at RCCS. At RCECS, there are 300

students in grades K-5. The principal, Ms. Alyssa Newman, Mr. Cory Snyder, the math and

literacy coach, and myself, are responsible for tasks associated with a Supervisor of C & I. Ms.

Newman and I are also responsible for duties associated with special education and ESL

services.

My unique position as assistant principal at RCECS extends beyond the traditional role of

an assistant principal in a public school. Since I am already tasked with a plethora of

responsibilities related to C & I, I saw the certification program at Lehigh University, as a way to

grow and develop my skill set and to provide me with another lens to view my school. The

experiences I have had in my internship greatly exceeded my expectations.

 At the start of the program, I did not understand why I needed a mentor from a large

public school district. Immediately interacting with Kelly Rosario, my mentor at PSD, and

attending events at PSD, I realized the immense value in having a mentor from a large district.

My participation in events at PSD allowed me to discover the communication and collaboration

that occurs in a large district. I also learned about the processes and procedures for the

selection, evaluation, and implementation of curriculums. Learning the roles of a C& I

Supervisor in a large district was my primary ILP goal.

I can say with confidence that I achieved my primary ILP goal. I spent 39 physical hours

at PSD and 9.5 hours at BASD. I also participated in 28 hours of NISL coursework, which

focused on best practices in instruction, and on supervision of employees. My attendance at

NISL allowed for numerous discussions about C & I with administrators from a variety of school

districts in PA. I spent 18 hours at the PDE annual Special Education conference, which

provided information on best practices in instruction, current trends in education, and on

budgeting. In addition to these hours, I spent 29.5 hours participating in professional

development sessions at RCECS related to C & I that is applicable to a large school district.

The two other components of my ILP were to create and implement a teacher mentor

program at RCECS and to develop the Spanish program at RCECS. I feel that I successfully

achieved both of these goals.

First, I believe I obtained my goal of creating and implemented an effective teacher

mentor program at RCECS. I modeled the teacher mentor program at RCECS after the program

at PSD. This allowed me to take the components of an established and successful program and

tailor it to my school. The verbal feedback from all participants in the program has been

positive, and the mentee’s bi-monthly logs have been substantial and reflective. In addition, the
rating scales on mentees’ formal observations have increased throughout the school year. I

attribute this, in part, to their participation in the mentor program. I will have more concrete

feedback on this program, when all participants complete an online survey of the program

through the site, Survey Monkey, in early May. I will be including the results of these surveys

in my online portfolio.

The third goal of my ILP was to develop the Spanish language program at RCECS. I feel

that I also successfully reached this goal. This year, our two Spanish teachers were required to

participate in bi-weekly Spanish department meetings, focusing on goal setting utilizing data.

They also participated in bi-weekly literacy data meetings, as a means to increase the utilization

of common language, instructional strategies, and instructional goals amongst all content area

teachers. In addition, the participation of the Spanish teachers in the literacy data meetings

allowed them to view data on their students’ skills and progress in English, which in turn

developed their understanding of students’ skills in Spanish. Our Spanish department

successfully hosted a Spanish cultures family event and created numerous cross-curricular and

cross-grade level assignments. This had never been done before. Videos of cross-curricular and

cross-grade level student work will be included in my digital portfolio.

Not only did my C & I internship help develop my understanding of the role of a C & I

Supervisor and allow me to develop programs at RCECS through my ILP, but it has also

influenced my career goals. I enjoy challenging myself and experiencing change. The

underlying theme of my career goals is to continually increase my knowledge and to grow my

skill set, as a means to increase my effectiveness in whatever role I serve, and to increase the

employment opportunities I have in the field of education.

 I plan to remain as assistant principal at RCECS for the 2018-2019 school year.

However, during this time I will be actively searching for principal openings in public school

districts. I would like to become a building principal in the next two to three years. In addition

to attaining a position as a building principal, within the next one to two years, I plan to apply for

the doctoral program in educational leadership at The University of Pennsylvania and at Lehigh

University. Of course, this may change based on my employment and workload within the next

one to three years. After serving as a building principal, when I am ready for a change, I would

like to become a Supervisor of C & I. When I feel that I am prepared, I would like to become an

assistant superintendent and then superintendent. This will require that I obtain my letter of

eligibility, which may or may not be a part of my doctoral program. My final career goal is to

continue to teach college courses. I have taught two college courses and thoroughly enjoyed that

experience. I want to prepare future educators to be successful. Obtaining my doctoral degree

will increase my eligibility for this.

Working towards gaining my certification as a Supervisor of C & I has been an integral

step in achieving my career goals. I have gone from wondering what the role of a C & I

Supervisor is, to knowing what the complex role of a C & I Supervisor is. The opportunities my

internship afforded me at outside districts and at my own school were invaluable. Although my

internship will be officially over at the end of the semester, I plan to seek out learning

experiences related to C & I as often as possible.