EDL 560 Leadership Disposition Reflection
EDL 560 Leadership Disposition:
Leadership Disposition
engage families and communities in mutually beneficial ways.
Strike et. al. (2019) identify the following leadership competencies that align with the these
Professional Standards for Educational Leadership (PSEL):
Domain 1: Leadership Competencies
Component 1a: Establishes a Solid FoundationElement 5: Builds caring and effective relationships with stakeholdersElement 6: Practices accessible, approachable, and engaged role in school
Domain 4: Management Competencies Component 4d: Practices and refines resourcefulness Element 1: Establishes partnerships
According to Strike et. al. (2019) effective school leaders ensure that the mission, vision and values of the school are not only communicated effectively but upheld by everyone. An important component of this is the leaders' ability to exemplify these values through being visible and engaged with students, staff, families and external partners. Effective school leaders balance the role of being the recognized and known face of the school with managing essential relationships with community stakeholders to support the learning environment. Strong leaders understand how to leverage key partnerships to increase opportunities for students and involve stakeholders through open, effective communication (Strike et. al., 2019).
Background
Northridge Elementary is a vibrant, growing school community. Each year we welcome 80-90 new
kindergarteners into our school community. Many of these are siblings of older students but the majority of
our new students are new to our community and/or have chosen to open enroll to take advantage of our
outstanding school community and programming. An essential element of this programming is our balanced
beginnings kindergarten program in the fall and our new family orientation in the spring. During my leadership
internship, I had the opportunity to lead the planning of the spring family orientation event in collaboration with
our kindergarten teachers.
Leadership Goal
By March 2025, I will lead the planning and delivery of a family informational session for incoming kindergarteners
including school vision, expectations and systems of support for families and students.
Competencies Addressed in Leadership Goal
Component 1a: Establishes a Solid FoundationElement 5: Builds caring and effective relationships with stakeholdersElement 6: Practices accessible, approachable, and engaged role in school
Action Plan
The following steps were used over the course of six weeks:
1. Create a timeline and schedule with kindergarten teachers and administrative team2. Collaborate with team to determine how to ensure all families are aware of the event andhave access to the material (consider language and cultural needs).3. Survey kindergarten families about information they found most helpful at the beginning of the year anddetermine what they would have liked to know that wasn't communicated.3. Create a slideshow with essential information
4. Invite families
5. Deliver presentation and conduct tours during evening event.
Successes and Next Steps
This event will be scheduled in mid to late April to better accommodate families who are using the open
enrollment option and to align with DCSD's announcements of school closures for the 26-27 school year following the completion of the growth and decline initiative and public announcements.
Completed:
1. Create a timeline and schedule with kindergarten teachers and administrative team
2. Collaborate with team to determine how to ensure all families are aware of the event and have access to the material (consider language and cultural needs).
3. Survey kindergarten families about information they found most helpful at the beginning of the year and determine what they would have liked to know that wasn't communicated.
4. Create a slideshow with essential information.
To Do:
1. Invite families
2. Deliver presentation and conduct tours during evening event.
Goal In Progress: I successfully completed the initial planning phase of this project and look forward to completing the final steps as the event date approaches.
Reflection
Welcoming our new families, especially kindergarteners who have not had prior formal schooling experiences is
essential for the continuation of a strong climate and culture. Many of these families have students with disabilities,
speak multiple languages and all have diverse experiences with public education. This project underscored the importance
of researching and knowing your intended audience. Through this process, I identified prospective families that will
benefit from establishing relationships with our SSN teacher, our ELD teacher and our GT facilitator. I also determined
that I will need to leverage district resources such as information about options for families enrolling due to growth
and decline decisions and families who are new to the US. Together with the kindergarten team, I reviewed the prior
year presentation and solicited feedback from existing kindergarten families about what they would have liked to know
more about before beginning kindergarten. We found that several families wanted to get involved with the PTO but
weren't quite sure how and other families wanted more information about academic expectations and access to readiness
resources. The team and I included those elements in the revised presentation and plan to invite our PTO President
to speak at the event. This experience supported my leadership development in building essential relationships through
seeking stakeholder input and understanding the community I serve.
References:
Strike, K. T., Sims, P. A., Mann, S. L., & Wilhite, R. K. (2019). Transforming professional practice: A framework for effective leadership. Rowman & Littlefield.
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