Culture and CCSS WEB FINAL

• The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) requires a shift in
focus from high school completion to college and career
readiness for all students
• The CCSS will radically change curricula, state assessments,
school culture and professional development
• Principals and school leaders must play a key role for effective
implementation
• This six part webinar series will give principals and school
leaders the knowledge to be proactive and prepared

Richard Flanary
Senior Director, Leadership Programs and Services
NASSP

Mel Riddile
Associate Director for High School Services
NASSP

Natasha Vasavada
Executive Director, Standards and Curriculum Alignment Services,
Research and Development

College Board






Helped develop standards
Served on advisory committee guiding the initiative
Provided research on college readiness skills
Continues involvement to assist states and districts in
implementation

• Participated in review and vetting of ELA and math
standards
• Is helping school leaders understand the magnitude
of change the Common Core will introduce
• Has a successful track record in Breaking Ranks
school improvement
• Holds an extensive history in principal skills

assessment and development

• Review key elements of CCSS from webinars 15
• Define Culture

• Dis uss the s hool leade ’s ole as
eato

ultu e

• Overview of College Board/NASSP webinar
series and supporting tools
• Q&A

“Limitations in math and
literacy skills are a major
source of course failure,
high school dropout, and
poor performance in postsecondary education.”
Research Brief, Council of Great City Schools, Spring 2008


7

Al ost everyone wants schools to be
better, but fewer want schools to be
different.
- Ray McNulty, President, ICLE

1.

Vision

2.

Focus

3.

Easy


4.

Mindsets

5.

Implementation

6.

Collaboration

7.

Shared

8.

Time


9.

Inclusive

10. Collective




- Peter Drucker

Changing culture is the only road to
significant and lasting school
improvement.

The way we do things around here.
- Jennifer James. International Confederation of
Principals World Conference Address. August 16,
2011.


People drive culture!

Culture drives everything!

“If you attempt to implement reforms but
fail to engage the culture of a school,
nothing will change.
— Seymour Sarason

Quick Fixes
or
Responsible Change

Every school has a culture!

Are you driving your school’s culture, or is
your culture driving you?

School culture is not an event or a
strategy!

Culture is the result…

Dead space
Real test of a teacher!
Real test of school culture

Even best strategies fail.

Even so-so strategies work.



Raises Student Achievement



Improves Teacher Satisfaction

http://www.cehd.umn.edu/carei/Leadership/Learning-from-Leadership_Final-Research-Report_July-2010.pdf


 Adaptable

 Higher motivation

 More commitment

 More cooperative

 Better able to resolve conflicts

 Greater capacity for innovation

 Effective in achieving their goals
http://www.cehd.umn.edu/carei/Leadership/Learning-from-Leadership_Final-Research-Report_July-2010.pdf

 Changes the ways adults work

 Enhances instruction

 Alters student experience


 Adults behave in the hallways
 Monitoring the lunch rooms

 Greeting students

http://www.cehd.umn.edu/carei/Leadership/Learning-from-Leadership_Final-Research-Report_July-2010.pdf




Mindsets



Beliefs



Attitudes




Expectations



Collective assumptions



Conflict



Dissent






The collective mindset of the staff
is central to the ability
to get things done.

http://leadchangegroup.com/transparency-and-leadership/

I hire attitude over experience.
—Tom Vander Ark

http://gettingsmart.com/blog/2012/03/good-work-attitude-is-everything/

Fixed – performance is due to ability, which is
innate
Growth – performance is the result of work,
effort, and deliberate practice

1.

Talent is a myth!—Malcolm Gladwell

2.

Work and effort create ability.—Lauren Resnick

3.

Given time and effort, all students can learn.

4.

The only limits are our beliefs and will.

Mindset is a choice!

1. Collaboration

8.

Master Schedule

2. Decision-Making

9.

Daily Schedule

3. Teamwork

10. Grading Practices

4. Attendance

11. Grouping Students

5. Behavior

12. Handbooks

6. Engagement

13. Celebrations

7. Physical Conditions

14. Signage

The principal is the
cork in the bottle!

School leaders impact student gains!
• Teachers > 33%
• School Leaders > 25%

http://www.indystar.com/article/20120318/LOCAL/203180344

Trust is the lubricant that enables
organizations to function, grow and prosper.
Trust enables success.
—John M. Bernard

http://leadchangegroup.com/transparency-and-leadership/

1. Shared Leadership

2. Instructional Leadership

 Focus on Self
 C a Bu ket

 Short-term thinking
 Isolation

 Single Leader
 Top-Down
 Silos

 Group Efforts

 Emerging Leaders

 Joint Problem-Solving

 Focus

 Shared Leadership

 Setting Instructional Direction

http://www.cehd.umn.edu/carei/Leadership/Learning-from-Leadership_Final-Research-Report_July-2010.pdf

1. Learning
2. Collaborating
3. Trust

4. Many Leaders
http://www.cehd.umn.edu/carei/Leadership/Learning-from-Leadership_Final-Research-Report_July-2010.pdf

 Learning not knowing
 Partners

 Conversations

 Catalyst

http://www.cehd.umn.edu/carei/Leadership/Learning-from-Leadership_Final-Research-Report_July-2010.pdf

 Collective Work

 Reflective Inquiry

 Short and Long-term Thinking
 Shared Ownership

http://www.cehd.umn.edu/carei/Leadership/Learning-from-Leadership_Final-Research-Report_July-2010.pdf

 Distributed Leadership

 Shared Decision-Making
 Talk About Instruction

 Visit Classrooms

 Instruction is a visible priority
 Consistent Over Time
http://www.kappanmagazine.org/content/92/5/52.full



Ma y tasks e ui e



Leade s G o Leade s

http://www.kappanmagazine.org/content/92/5/52.full

a y leade s.

Principal



Hierarchical



Rigid



Rule-Oriented



Procedure Dominated



Regulated



Top Down



Control-Focused

ESL

Math

Literacy

Special
Education

Technology
Science

Principal
Counseling

Advanced
Placement

High School Grad.

CCR

Teaching

Learning

ABC’s

Student-Focused

Putting in time

Accountability

Bell Curve - Some

J Curve - All

Material Covered

Mastery

Time is constant

Time is variable

K-3

K-12

Customization demands collaboration


Less hierarchical



Less bureaucratic



Less resistant



Flatter



More innovative



More open to innovation



Successful leaders do what unsuccessful
leaders do not



Control or cooperation



Time

“If you attempt to implement reforms but
fail to engage the culture of a school,

nothing will change.”
- Seymour Sarason

Assu e that changing the culture of
institutions is the real agenda, not
implementing single i o atio s.
—Michael Fullan, Six Secrets of Change

• NASSP Common Core:
www.nassp.org/commoncore
• NASSP and College Board Online Community and Resources:
www.edweb.net/ccss4leaders
• The Common Core State Standards Initiative:
www.corestandards.org
• PARCC: http://www.parcconline.org/parcc-contentframeworks
• SMARTER Balanced:
http://www.k12.wa.us/SMARTER/Resources.aspx

Visit Events at http://advocacy.collegeboard.org or the NASSP
and College Board online community at
www.edweb.net/ccss4leaders to download this and previous
webinars in the series.
• An Overview, Jan. 18
• English Language Arts Standards, Feb. 1
• Mathematics Standards, Feb. 15

• School Wide Instructional Practices, Feb. 29
• School Leadership Role, Mar. 14
• Changing School Culture and Climate, Mar. 28