Update

June 2002 Newsletter
Volume 15, Number 2
Instructional Leadership Academy

      Most educators would agree that the most important job of school leader is providing instructional leadership that results in improved student learning.  Effective instructional leaders possess knowledge and skills in three major areas: 1) curriculum - articulation of what students are expected to know and be able to do, 2) instruction - a variety of age-appropriate input experiences that teachers orchestrate in order for students to learn the curriculum to meet a desired standard, and 3) assessments - a variety of measures to determine the degree to which students learned what they were taught. 
       The Instructional Leadership Academy focuses primarily on the “instruction” side of the triangle and includes three segments: 1) learning to identify, label, and explain the major elements of effective instruction based on brain research and learning theory, 2) learning to analyze classroom instruction and conduct developmentally appropriate instructional conference for the purpose of increasing teacher effectiveness, and 3) learning a variety of performance evaluation strategies.
SCHEDULE: REGISTER
Session 1 Oct 3-5, 2002 Bismarck, Doublewood Inn
Session 2 Dec 5-7, 2002 Bismarck, Doublewood Inn
Session 3 Apr 11-12, 2003 Bismarck, Doublewood Inn
TIME SCHEDULE:
Sessions 1 & 2 Session 3
Day 1 3 pm to 8 pm Day 1 8 am to 5 pm
Day 2 8 am to 5 pm Day 2 8 am to noon
Day 3 8 am to 1 pm

Instructional Leadership for Data-Driven School Improvement
     This fall the LEAD Center will unveil a new program designed to help school leaders to better understand and use data for school improvement. “Actually, data-wise decision-making might be an alternative title,” said Dr. Marv Erhardt, LEAD Center Director.  “Schools already have lots of data.  The challenge is to make sense out of it and to make wise decisions about targets for school improvement.”  The program will help school leaders expand their existing knowledge and skills about assessing student achievement and include elements such as: 1) using existing data more effectively, 2) discovering new data needed and how to get it, 3) analyzing data and making sense out of it, 4) aligning instruction and teacher evaluation with school improvement efforts, 5) aligning staff development with school improvement goals, and 6) coaching teachers to use data more effectively to make wise decisions about instruction. 
     The program is built on the premise that instructional leadership is critical to align curriculum standards, instructional practices, and assessment processes.  Further, data alone have little or no value unless it is used in some way to increase student learning by influencing what happens between teachers and students in classrooms.  After a pilot training session in the fall, the program will be available to educational leaders across the state beginning in January 2003.  Look for a progress update in the next newsletter.
North Dakota Technology Academy Selected for Site Visit
      The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation selected the North Dakota Technology Academy for School Leaders (TASL) project as one of five exemplary state projects to be included in state site visits.  North Dakota was selected because of its approach to delivering technology leadership development services to educational leaders, the state’s infrastructure to support the project, and its focus on the goals established by the Gates Foundation State Challenge Grants for Leadership Development program.
     The purpose of the site visit was to study first hand the approaches used in providing technology leadership development services and to report the findings in a comprehensive case study report that will include models and best practices other states might adopt.
     Conducting the site visit was Tom Swenson representing the National Staff Development Council and Gates Foundation.  During the visit Dr. Swenson conducted interviews with key project personnel and representative groups of principals and superintendents who participated in TASL.  The event also included visits to schools to see examples of technology leadership in action, how technology is being integrated into the classroom, and how technology is being used for system improvement.
     The North Dakota TASL project is part of the State Challenge Grants for Leadership Development program funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.  The project aims to help kids learn more through quality technology leadership training, technology integration, and system improvement.