School Leadership

CLLC provides technical support to the Wallace Foundation’s Education Leadership initiative focusing primarily in four areas: 1) Quality Measures tool and evidence review protocol development for use in assessing the quality of leader training programs; 2) targeted technical assistance to selected Wallace-funded sites (district and state level) for the purpose of identifying gaps and developing strategies for moving the work forward; 3) ELAN Web site management and user technical support; and providing content expertise and facilitation support to Wallace-funded Leadership Issue Groups work on

In its second round of funding from The Wallace Foundation, a major priority for this new project is to expand the technical assistance it provides to The Wallace Foundation and its funded network of states and districts as part of its national initiative to transform education leadership in urban school districts.

AIM works with schools across the country to become academically excellent, responsive to the developmental needs of young adolescents, and socially equitable. Every school is different, given its particular student population, faculty, local community, and organizational history. Each school faces a different set of challenges, based on its state and local standards, past performance, and resources. AIM staff help schools analyze their strengths and needs, determine priorities, and develop solutions that fit their situations.

Working with the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE), EDC supports middle and high schools identified as “in need of corrective action” (i.e., they have not met Adequate Yearly Progress standards for three years). EDC Turnaround Facilitators work on-site in assigned schools two days a week, providing leadership and teacher development aimed at instructional improvement and student achievement. Project staff also give RIDE staff feedback and recommendations to improve services to districts and schools.

Sponsored by the Council of Chief State School officials (CCSSO), the moderated online discussion (MOD) project is a year long initiative designed to support the work of Leadership Issue Groups (LIG) by stimulating conversation on education leadership imitatives. Six issues serve as the primary focus for discussions: (1) data-driven decision-making; (2) role, responsibilities, and authority; (3) assessing leader behavior; (4) resource allocation and incentives; (5) governance; and (6) high school leadership.

This 18 month project is funded to conduct a national evaluation study of university- school district relationships in providing high quality preparation programs for urban school principals. The research aims to determine the range and quality of relationships that exist between districts and universities and the degree to which these relationships contribute to quality principal preparation. The study draws on theory and research on high quality leadership preparation programs, inter-organizational collaboration, district-university partnerships and coupling theory as guiding frameworks.

This project is creating two professional development courses, with both on-site and online versions to build the capacity of middle school teachers of mathematics and special educators and their administrators to enable students with disabilities to be successful mathematics learners. During the project, one eight-session course for classroom teachers and their special education colleagues and a six-session course for school administrators will be developed, tested, and disseminated.

In this project, CSE draws on its own and other resources at EDC to provide technical assistance to the management of the Presidential Award program. Every year, that program honors exceptional science and mathematics teachers from every state. CSE facilitates the program’s work in several ways. Staff connects the project with national science and mathematics leaders who take a role in the awards process.

ATLAS Communities is now an independent organization based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Visit the ATLAS Communities Web site for current contact information.

This project designs, produces, and tests two professional development modules on early algebra: one on generalization and one on functions. The modules are part of Developing Mathematical Ideas (DMI), a series designed for elementary and middle-grades teachers. DMI seminars support teachers’ learning about mathematics and about children’s mathematical thinking. Five modules have already been produced, on themes of arithmetic, geometry, and data. The modules on early algebra complete this program, providing teachers with the background they need to prepare students for later study.