Standard 3: Cultural Leadership
School executives will understand and act on the understanding of the important role a school’s culture plays in contributing to the exemplary performance of the school. School executives must support and value the traditions, artifacts, symbols and positive values and norms of the school and community that result in a sense of identity and pride upon which to build a positive future. A school executive must be able to “re-culture” the school if needed to align with school’s goals of improving student and adult learning and to infuse the work of the adults and students with passion, meaning and purpose. Cultural leadership implies understanding the school and the people in it each day, how they came to their current state, and how to connect with their traditions in order to move them forward to support the school’s efforts to achieve individual and collective goals.
School executives will understand and act on the understanding of the important role a school’s culture plays in contributing to the exemplary performance of the school. School executives must support and value the traditions, artifacts, symbols and positive values and norms of the school and community that result in a sense of identity and pride upon which to build a positive future. A school executive must be able to “re-culture” the school if needed to align with school’s goals of improving student and adult learning and to infuse the work of the adults and students with passion, meaning and purpose. Cultural leadership implies understanding the school and the people in it each day, how they came to their current state, and how to connect with their traditions in order to move them forward to support the school’s efforts to achieve individual and collective goals.
3A: Focus on a Collaborative Work Environment
The school executive understands and acts on the understanding of the positive role that a collaborative environment can play in the school’s culture.
Minor Incident Reports
Collaboration is an intricate part in creating a collaborative school environment. After reviewing the first quarter office discipline referral report, the data showed an increasing amount of office referrals for minor incidents. I worked with the PBIS team to implement a system to report minor incidents. Martin Millennium began using Minor Incident Reports (MIR) to document student behaviors that were not considered major and dis not warrant an office referral. My role in implementation included creating and managing a data tracking system to monitor student incidents. In analyzing the data, I found that office discipline referrals decreased as a result of issuing MIR's. I have included a copy of the MIR and data tracking form for a 7th grade class.
3B: School Culture and Identity
The school executive develops and uses shared vision, values and goals to define the identity of culture of the school.
Global Panel Discussion
Martin Millennium is a global school that welcomes visitors interested in implementing Spanish Immersion and global education. As Principal Resident, I helped facilitate a panel discussion between our visitors and our traditional teachers, international teachers, and students. Below is an image taken during the panel discussion.
Staff Egg Hunt
Martin Millennium Academy is shaped by its rich traditions and culture. Each year to kickoff spring break, the school hosts a very competitive egg hunt for the staff. The students contribute by hiding the eggs the day before in the library. It is a time of fun, fellowship and celebration. As a leader at the school, I embraced the tradition of the school and made suggestions to have monthly activities to continue to build on the rich culture already established. Below you find a collection of pictures from the egg hunt.
Club Day
Clubs are a part of Martin Millennium Academy's rich traditions and culture. In order to preserve that culture, I interacted with scholars during club days. This allowed me to work with scholars on a different level and build positive relationships. Below is an image of a scholar and me playing checkers.
3C: Acknowledges Failures; Celebrates Accomplishments and Rewards
The school executive acknowledges failures and celebrates accomplishments of the school in order to identify, culture, and performance of the school.
Tight Transitions
Tight transitions are essential in preserving the learning environment. As Principal Resident at Martin Millennium Academy, I worked with the middle school team to create a sense of urgency among our scholars. As a result, students are now getting in and out of their lockers within 60 seconds. Students are also transitioning to their enhancements and core blocks quickly and efficiently. This has allowed for less off task behaviors in the hallways and students are learning to manage themselves during these transition. A copy of student reflections is attached below.
3D: Efficacy and Empowerment
The school executive develops a sense of efficacy and empowerment among staff which influences the school’s identity, culture and performance.
Safety Patrol
The halls of Martin Millennium Academy are very busy in the mornings. The school has recruited safety patrol leaders to help monitor the hallways. There were noticeable problems with the 7th grade male students during morning transitions. In order to address the issues, Our Safety Patrol leader requested to have a meeting with this group of students. I facilitated the student-led meeting. As a result, the transitions in the halls are smoother and students are more respectful to their peers and teachers. Below is a small clip from the meeting.
Flipped Classroom
Incorporating technology into classroom instruction has been a struggle for some teachers. Our 8th grade math teacher improved her instructional approach by substituting technology. During my residency, I had the opportunity to serve as her coach and provide feedback and suggestions to maximize this student-centered rationale. As a result of flipping her classroom, students are more engaged and she is able to meet the needs of individual students. I have included a video reflection from the teacher below.