Experienced Curriculum Leaders Series

The Michigan ASCD Seasoned Curriculum Leaders Series is a quarterly professional development series for seasoned curriculum leaders. The series will provide a forum for curriculum leaders to gather together and dialogue about current issues in the curriculum field, as well as provide each participant with the most current and relevant practices and tools available.

Location: MELG Building, Lansing

Time: All sessions will run from 8:30am until 3:45pm, lunch included.

Registration Form Online Registration

Purpose

The overall purpose of this year-long seminar for experienced central office instructional leaders is to strengthen their confidence, efficacy and competence for the important work they do in their districts.

Description

Informed by the standards provided by the National Staff Development Council for quality professional development, this seminar focuses on the implementation of knowledge and strategies. Seminar participants will form a cohort to participate in this highly interactive, year-long learning experience. The learning activities are based on theory and research translated into practice and will include ongoing assignments and goal setting.

Specific Outcomes

The planning for the four sessions will be shaped by the following big ideas, ways of working at the central office level, and protocols for the daily work with stakeholders.

There are several big ideas that will shape this learning experience:

To understand Elmore’s concept of “reciprocal accountability” which balances accountability with support across a system.
To understand the impact of generational diversity on the work in schools now and in the near future as our demographics change and impact the way we work.
To understand the ability of central office leaders to manage the “tension of leadership” in the change process: enabling and encouraging faculty members for their positive efforts while simultaneously recognizing the urgency and need for change.

There are specific ways of doing this work from the level of central office:

To design and pose intentional questions which hold others accountable, uncover actual progress toward goals, and promote focused reflection and action.
To use specific strategies for planning and facilitating productive meetings, work sessions and professional development.
To provide and seek feedback in 1-1 and group settings which continuously improves performance, our own and others’.
To understand how decisions are made and ways to maximize participation and ownership in collaborative planning and decision-making processes.

Protocols will be continuously modeled during the seminar which can be used throughout the system:

To gather a variety of protocols which stimulate healthy group development.
To use protocols for promoting the continuous improvement of instruction.
To consider protocols for discussion around professional reading.
To use protocols for collaborative problem solving and data collection.

Shared Beliefs & Values

The following beliefs and values are shared by the learning facilitators and inform their planning and teaching of adult learners:

As central office instructional leaders, we can only nurture others from a position of strength.
When we model strategies in a transparent manner, there is a higher level of implementation by the participants when they return to their districts.
Getting all voices heard in the room increases ownership and accountability, ensures a sense of fairness and equity, and informs leadership practice.
Central office leaders must be purposeful about building the capacity of leaders within their school districts, modeling collaboration and shared leadership in their work so that it may be sustained over time.

Sept 10, 2008 – Session 1, Communication and Relationships

This session will focus on strengthening skills in communicating with others, seeking and using feedback, and cultivating collaborative relationships. Recent research has shown that relational trust in schools is imperative for meaningful change to take place.

Participants will:

· Understand the impact of generational diversity on the work in schools as our demographics change and influence the way we collaborate with each other.

· Learn to provide and seek feedback in 1-1 and group settings to continuously improve performance, their own and others’.

· Experience and gather a variety of protocols that stimulate healthy and productive group development.

· Leave equipped with protocols for collaborative problem-solving and data collection for use in their districts.

Nov 5, 2008 – Session 2, Maximizing Effectiveness

One of the major responsibilities for central office instructional leaders is to ensure effectiveness and productivity across systems and schools. This session will focus on ways leaders can encourage, support, and hold accountable members of the organization as they learn and implement promising practices in their classrooms and schools.

Participants will:

· Design and pose intentional questions which hold others accountable, uncover actual progress toward goals, and promote focused reflection and action.

· Use specific strategies for planning and facilitating productive meetings, work sessions, and professional development.

· Choose appropriate protocols for promoting the continuous improvement of instruction.

Feb 4, 2009 – Session 3, First- and Second-Order Change

Keeping a global overview of their district and its priorities in mind, central office instructional leaders must understand how to move people through the process of change, balancing urgency with support for administrators, faculty and staff.

Participants will:

· Understand Elmore’s concept of “reciprocal accountability” which balances accountability with support across a system.

· Understand the ability of central office leaders to manage the “tension of leadership” in the change process: enabling and encouraging faculty members for their positive efforts while simultaneously recognizing the urgency and need for change.

· Understand and use Rogers’ Diffusion of Innovation model to shape their intentional use of research to make purposeful decisions throughout the change process.

April 1, 2009 – Session 4, Time and Resource Management

Time is a finite resource that must be managed well by central office instructional leaders. This session, the final learning experience in the seminar, will focus on planning and decision-making processes which will maximize the time and resources available to continuously improve learning for all in a district.

Participants will:

· Understand how decisions are made and use strategies to maximize participation and ownership in collaborative planning and decision-making processes.

· Use protocols for leading others in deep discussion using professional literature.

· Share craft knowledge relating to successful practices in their districts around maximizing their resources.