Creating a School Vision
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week_2_instructor_guidance.docxWeek 2 Instructor Guidance
As we begin Week 2, you are encouraged you review the Week 4 Unit page to prepare for when you work in a mock PLC and complete a group assignment. Start thinking now about your role and responsibilities during Week 4. WEEKLY LEARNING OUTCOMES Before moving any further, please take a moment to review and reflect on our learning expectations for the week; these are also listed with their alignment to each assessment for the week on the Week 2 Unit page:
· Analyze different visions including theoretical models.
· Justify the need to create and monitor a school vision.
· Compare different visions to create one vision that fits the school culture.
WEEK 2 – OVERVIEW In Week One, we investigated leadership styles and discussed barriers that can exist in education from our style of leadership. During Week 2, we will have two discussions and an assignment. Review the detailed instructions on the Week 2 Unit page and consider the following for guidance in your performance this week. Discussion 1: In the Justification for a New Vision discussion, each of you will review a vision statement and analyze the need for change in that statement based on all you have learned about effective vision statements thus far and discuss this important aspect of school leadership together as a class. Discussion 2: The Comparing Vision Statements discussion provides you with an opportunity to compare and contrast two vision statements. We concentrate on identifying the key components of each vision and offering ideas on how these visions can be enhanced together as a class to reflect 21st Century Learning. Assignment: The assignment It’s all about Presentation is your opportunity to put your technology skills to use to show what you know about the factors influencing whether a vision needs to be changed and reflect on current day teaching and learning as well. INTELLECTUAL ELABORATION What do you mean it’s NOT working? A common thread you can hear grumbling in the hallways at the start of each year is, “Why did we have to change X when it was working so well last year?” Being a leader, it will be your responsibility to help educate colleagues about why there is a need for change and how change is not necessarily always negative in a school setting. Often change occurs because the current methods, while they appeared to be working, were not providing the gains expected toward the determined goals for the vision. Change is a catalyst leading to reflection about challenges and successes, allowing us an opportunity to modify existing structures to improve learning and teaching. Vision statements often get overlooked as something that needs to change frequently; often the changes each school year are focused around student achievement. However, the vision statement is the glue that binds all the change initiatives together. Without a current and achievable vision statement, schools tend to wander on a path with many side trails, distractions that do not affect the outcomes intended by the vision, which one could follow and get lost. In an issue about change written by Mendez-Morse (2012), she discusses the need for change and how it relates to a school vision. Vision is more than a direction for the future; it is a foundation of the school. Once we understand why there needs to be a vision, some of the ways to create a vision, and why visions need to change, we can begin to make recommendations on student learning and teaching related to the vision. Regarding creating a vision, Mendez-Morse (2013) stated there are four steps when creating a vision (pp. 47-49):
1. Know your organization “It is important that a school leader understand the important role of a school's ecology - the physical and material aspects such as school size - and a school's culture - the attitudes and beliefs, norms, and relationships” (Mendez-Morse, 2013, p. 47).
2. Involve critical individuals “The individuals or groups identified as constituencies include those that are the most critical, both inside and outside, to a school or district” (Mendez-Morse, 2013, p. 47).
3. Explore the possibilities “…consider future developments and trends that may influence a school or district. Possible major changes in the economic, social, political, and technological arenas that will impact a school or district should be explored” (Mendez-Morse, 2013, p. 48).
4. Put it in writing “This step uses all the information gathered and discussed, the descriptions of the school or district, as well as the predictions of future developments and trends that will impact a school or district” (Mendez-Morse, 2013, p. 49).
Visions that are created collaboratively resulting in a shared vision combined with a commitment to investing in change for improvement, most often provide an inspiring image and achievable direction for the future of the school. Informing Others of Your Vision As we have studied in this class so far, creating a vision is not an experience that benefits from individual effort. Creating a vision requires many stakeholders to ensure the vision is realistic and meets the current and projected needs of the school. However, the school is not necessarily the starting place for creating a school vision. Often, district approval is necessary before a school vision can be adjusted. As Bennis (2011) explained -- without district and/or superintendent approval, visions will often not be effectively carried out as intended. Additionally, the teaching staff and other stakeholders of the school may not agree there is a need to change the vision. As a school leader, it is your responsibility to ensure every member of your school staff and the district is on board with the need to change a school vision. Visions that are created collaboratively resulting in a shared vision combined with a commitment to investing in change for improvement, most often provide an inspiring image and achievable direction for the ever changing needs of the school. As for the rate of change of a vision statement, with the rapid growth of technology and various forms of access to formal learning, it is no longer possible to have a vision statement that can reflect a decade of student learning and teaching. Such decade long projections were appropriate for a time in the United States’ and world’s history, but not for the 21st Century norm where variables change quickly and schools need to be adaptive and be responsive, even proactive, in addressing the needs of its stakeholders. Stated another way, the vision statement must evolve with the times to represent the culture of the school and its community; even a global community! Your role as the leader is to ensure that the staff and school board understand this and, as Bennis (2011) noted, “buy into” the need for the change (p. 45). Reflect on this quote as you complete your learning week: “ If you don’t know where you are going, you might wind up someplace else” Yogi Berra References Bennis, W. (2011). Managing the dream: Leadership in the 21st century. Training: The Magazine of Human Resource Development, 27(5), 44-46. Mendez-Morse, S. (2013) Vision, leadership and change. Southwest Educational Development Laboratory, 2(3). 45-49. Additional References Nanus, B. (2009). Visionary leadership: Creating a compelling sense of direction for your organization. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Papalewis, R. (2011). A case study in organizational culture: Administrator's shared values, perceptions, and beliefs. Planning and Change, 32(3), 158-165. Sergiovanni, T.J. (2007). Adding value to leadership gets extraordinary results. Educational Leadership, 65(8), 23-27. Westley, F. & Mintzberg, H. (2010). Visionary leadership and strategic management. Strategic Management Journal, 26(4), 17-32.
Required Resource
1. Gabriel, J., & Farmer, P. (2009). How to help your school thrive without breaking the bank. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
a. Chapter 2, pp.44-66
Recommended Resources
1. Kose, B. W. (2011). Developing a transformative school vision: Lessons from peer nominated principals. Education & Urban Society, 43(2), 119-136. Retrieved from the ERIC database in the Ashford University Library.
2. Marzano, R., Waters, T., & McNulty, B. (2005). School leadership that works: From research to results. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
3. Meadan, H., Shelden, D. L., Appel, K., & DeCrazia, R. L. (2010). Developing a long-term vision: A road map for student's futures. Teaching Exceptional Children, 43(2), 8-14. Retrieved from the EBSCOhost database in the Ashford University Library.
4. Rozycki, E. G. (2004). Mission and vision in education. From the trenches. Educational Horizons, 82(2), 94-98. Retrieved from the ERIC database in the Ashford University Library.
Discussions To participate in the following discussions, go to this week's Discussion link in the left navigation.
1. Justification for a New Vision This discussion is your opportunity to meet the course objectives Analyze different visions including theoretical models and Justify the need to create and monitor a school vision. Additionally, this discussion is your opportunity to demonstrate mastery of the Course Learning Outcomes 1 and 3 and reinforces your competency with the MAED Program Learning Outcomes 2, 5, 6 and 7. “One of the most important responsibilities of any leader is establishing a vision and inviting others to share in its development” (Gabriel & Farmer, 2009, p.28). When we discuss creating a new or modifying an old vision the first question to ask is why? Why is there a need for change? Without a justification as to why the vision should be changed, stakeholders may be reluctant to participate in the process of changing a vision. Stakeholders may argue that the vision is working and the need for change would fill an already overburden work load. As a leader you need be prepared to justify why the vision should be changed in order to ensure stakeholders will share in the development of the new vision. Initial Post Select a context below for your response and address the prompts as directed:
a. If you are currently in a school setting: Post your school’s or organization’s vision and then address the following:
· Explain how you know your school is achieving the current vision. If the school it is not achieving the current vision, identify the areas in which the school is not achieving and explain why.
· Describe how stakeholders in your school know the vision and discuss the vision of the school.
· Discuss why the vision you posted needs to be changed or remain the same. Identify the specific parts of the vision that need to be changed or remain the same.
b. If you are not currently in a school setting: Locate the Ashford University vision statement. Post the vision and then discuss the following:
· Discuss the aspects of the vision statement that could be changed to reflect current trends in schools or within your organization.
· Explain how stakeholders at the organization or school would be able to clearly articulate and carry out the vision statement.
2. Comparing Vision Statements This discussion is your opportunity to meet the course objectives Compare different visions to create one vision that fits the school culture and Analyze different visions including theoretical models. Additionally, this discussion is your opportunity to demonstrate mastery of the Course Learning Outcome 1, it reinforces your competency with the MAED Program Learning Outcome 2 and demonstrates your mastery of the MAED Program Learning Outcomes 5, 6, and 7. In our other discussion, you discussed the justification needed when creating or modifying a vision statement. In this discussion you will compare and analyze different vision statements. As you recall from your readings this past week, a vision statement is a goal, where the school hopes to be in the future. It is concise and easy to recall. It describes a clear, compelling argument in intellectual terms, the future reality of what the school hopes to become to help all students learn. As you participate in this discussion, think about those statements and how they are articulated in the two visions you compare. Initial Post Review the two visions below and evaluate each vision in regards to the list below from Gabriel & Farmer (2009, Chapter 2):
. What patterns do you see in the statements?
. What do you like or dislike in the statements?
. Are the statements easy to understand?
. Are the statements too vague, or are they specific enough?
. Are they too long? or too short?
. Do the Statements express and idea or hope for the future?
. Are they too unambitious? Too “pie in the sky”?
. Do they clarify a direction for the school and for its improvement efforts?
Vision 1: Our vision is that our school will instill on the children: A set of moral values, basic skills and desire to obtain more knowledge. They will have strong self-esteem and high personal expectations. They will have tolerance for others and respect others opinions. Our school values the partnership between school, parents and the community in which we serve. Vision 2: Our vision is that children will achieve distinction in all academics and sporting activities. We will offer opportunities in differentiated, effective and rigorous curriculum so all children can succeed. We will have a professional and highly motivated staff. Each child will be valued as an individual in his/her own right and his/her moral development encouraged. Guided Response: Post replies to at least two peers before the close date of this discussion. In your replies, consider asking questions of peers about their responses to encourage further conversation. In your responses, provide an analysis of your peers interpretations of the vision and identify the perspectives that are different than yours and the ones that are similar. Though two replies is the basic expectation, for deeper engagement and learning, you are encouraged to provide responses to any comments or questions others have given to you (including the instructor) before the last day of the discussion; this will further the conversation while also giving you opportunities to demonstrate your content expertise, critical thinking, and real world experiences with this topic.
Assignment To complete the following assignment, go to this week's Assignment link in the left navigation.
It's All About Presentation This assignment is your opportunity to further meet the following course objective: Justify the need to create and monitor a school vision. Additionally, this assignment demonstrates your mastery of the Course Learning Outcome One and mastery of the MAED Program Learning Outcomes Five, Six, and Seven. This week you discussed why a school or organization would create or modify an existing vision and you reviewed and compared different vision statements. The next step in the process of creating a school vision is presenting the need for creating a new school vision to the school board or organization. This assignment puts your technical skills and 21st century skills and creativity to good use in having you create a presentation for the school board or organization. Have fun with the presentation! Get creative and make it informative, entertaining, and engaging. Content
· Audience and Technology: Create a presentation for a school board or managerial staff audience. Use the technology of your choice. Some recommendations include PowerPoint, Present.me, YouTube, Prezi, Jing, or SlideRocket.
· Presentation: Create an eight to ten slide presentation that includes a title slide, a reference slide, speaker notes, in-text citations for media, quotes, paraphrases, and summaries, appropriate use of media, such as graphics, sound, and/or animation, and a consistent theme, format or font for readability. If you use a program without visible speaker notes, submit those in a separate document.
· Vision Statement: Explain why the vision statement should include 21st century skills.
· Conciseness/Recall: Explain why the vision needs to be concise and easy to recall.
· Justification: Justify why the vision statement should reflect all stakeholders at the school or organization.
· Achievability: Describe why the vision statement should be achievable.
Written Communication
· APA Formatting: Use APA formatting consistently throughout. It is recommended you use the content area labels as headings for each section of your content for the presentation.
· Syntax and Mechanics: Display meticulous comprehension and organization of syntax and mechanics, such as spelling and grammar. Your written work must contain no errors and be very easy to understand.
· Source Requirement: Uses no less than three scholarly sources in addition to the course textbook, providing compelling evidence to support ideas. All sources on the reference page must be used and cited correctly within the body of the assignment.
