A new school year is here and we know we will once again be faced with the unique challenges and opportunities that come with the responsibilities of school leadership roles. We also know that leadership matters as documented in the work of Marzano, Waters, McNulty, Cameron and others too numerous to list. In fact, the meta-analysis conducted over a decade ago by McRel and the additional work in this decade continues to show the direct connection between high-quality leadership and student learning (second only to the effect of high-quality instruction-Goodwin, Cameron and Hein, 2015).
Three overarching responsibilities of effective school leaders that are tied to student learning as summarized in the McREL research are listed below along with some reflective questions for your consideration.
Establish a clear focus.
- Can you identify one or two areas of emphasis that will be your absolute focus this year?
- What communication strategies are you using with key stakeholders, board members, staff and students to support this focus in your school or district?
Manage changes (large and small) that come with making improvements.
- Do you have lead and lag measures identified?
- What formative assessment data is available for students, family members and school staff use to inform progress and make necessary adjustments over time?
- How are teacher leaders, learning community teams and advisory groups engaged to help guide change processes?
Create a purposeful community in your schools or district that contributes to all teachers and staff developing a belief that what they do does make a difference.
- Is a learning plan in place that will support staff capacity?
- How could you display/communicate learning results to help build staff efficacy?
- As you work to demonstrate the actions and behaviors that have a positive effect on student achievement in your schools, I hope you utilize the resources and supports that are available from Heartland AEA. We look forward to your requests for assistance, appreciate your suggestions for ways we can improve and look forward to partnering with you.
Best wishes for an outstanding school year,
Paula Vincent
It has been quite a week in the Iowa legislature, as AEAs lobbied against the proposed additional $5 million funding reduction that was introduced late last week. Thank you to all who contacted your legislators--the response across the state was heard and many partners joined us in telling the story of the true implications that will result from lost services.
The reality is that while the state general fund revenue has had steady growth over the past five years, funding for Iowa schools and AEAs has lagged behind. By prioritizing other funding ahead of education, the legislature found they had a shortfall in balancing their budgets, and AEAs became a target for closing part of the gap. (Just last year, state general fund revenue growth was in excess of 6%, but AEAs and schools were given a 1.25% increase. For next year, the state general fund is projected to grow at 4.1% while the legislature and Governor approved a 2.25% increase.)
At noon today, the Senate passed the standings bill to reduce the proposed AEA cut to $3.75 million instead of $5 million. The House will still have to act and these numbers certainly remain in flux as the session moves to adjournment.
Even with the proposed reduction in funding, AEAs are federally mandated to support students with special needs, and in the short-term, Heartland AEA does not plan to reduce staff serving our most vulnerable students. But our agency will also not be able to sustain reductions in funding over time without a negative impact on services we provide. The legislature’s on-going reduction already prevents us from hiring as many additional new staff members as needed to keep pace with the growing student population across our service area.
While there are many disappointments coming from this year’s legislative session, Iowa’s educational system remains strong. By focusing our work on improving the learning outcomes for students, we will continue to provide a valued service to students and their families. We look forward to opportunities to collaborate with our elected leaders to find ways to restore our state’s commitment to predictable and adequate funds necessary to assure all of Iowa’s children have the education necessary for a bright future.
Paula Vincent
Chief Administrator
Heartland AEA
