American Institutes for Research: Our Emphasis

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1 Recruitment and Retention of Turnaround Leaders Coby Meyers and Winsome Waite. Southeast Comprehensive Center November 6-7, 2013 Copyright 20XX American Institutes for Research. All rights reserved. American Institutes for Research: Our Emphasis American Institutes for Research (AIR) is a non-profit, non-partisan organization focused on the development of rigorous social and behavioral sciences research and the application of research to issues affecting the education, health, and work of youth and adults, particularly the disadvantaged.. 2 1

2 Center on Great Teachers and Leaders Mission The mission of the Center on Great Teachers and Leaders (GTL Center) is to foster the capacity of vibrant networks of practitioners, researchers, innovators, and experts to build and sustain a seamless system of support for great teachers and leaders for every school in every state in the nation. 3 Session Goals Define a turnaround principal, in light of research Discuss challenges associated with recruiting and hiring school leaders Identify strategies for recruiting and hiring turnaround principals 4 2

3 Defining Turnaround Schools; Reasons for Persistently Poor Performance Student Performance School programs Poverty Family literacy Instructional quality Out-of-school learning School culture Community supports 5 Defining Turnaround Schools; What Leaders Can Do Mixed groupings Student achievement Poverty Program coherence Small classes Effective teachers Family literacy Out-of-school learning Culture of high academic press Community supports Focus of Actions 6 3

4 Nine Key Turnaround Lessons 1. Turnarounds can work. 2. Quick, concrete, celebrated wins are essential. 3. Mixing and matching strategies is promising. 4. Capacity building is imperative. 5. Teachers must believe in the turnaround intervention(s). 6. Connecting with parents is important. 7. Ample resources are needed for implementation. 8. Consistent organizational self-assessment is established. 9. Strong leadership is crucial. 7 Principal Influence Community Contexts Leadership Practice Teacher Effectiveness Instructional Quality Student Learning School Conditions Direct Outcomes Indirect Outcomes Clifford, Sherratt & Fetters, 2012; NAESP & NASSP,

5 Turnaround Principals: What s the Difference? 1. Create a T-Chart 2. List the characteristics of an effective principal 3. List the characteristics of a turnaround principal that are different than those of an effective principal Effective Principal Turnaround Principal 9 Turnaround Principals: Current Thinking Effective Principals Turnaround Principal Establish mission and vision Focus on instructional improvement Use data to continuously improve schooling Act fairly and ethically Engage community Advocate for better policy An effective principal PLUS Attains quick wins to rapidly improve Develops trust, efficacy, morale among staff and students Takes action to change cultural norms or rules Leithwood et al., 2004; Hallinger & Heck,

6 Recruiting and Hiring Turnaround Principals: Some Workforce Statistics Workforce Turbulence Graying workforce: Average age 49.9 and, by some estimates, 40 percent of the principal workforce will retire by Increasing mobility (except in rural areas): 4 years in a school Higher demand, fewer will to join Higher proportion of new principals is female Remains primarily white Working conditions Hours per week: Up to an average of 62 hours Lonely at the top: Little peer, supervisor, or other support Job stress Baker et al., 2012; Clifford et al., 2012; Gates et al., 2008; Loeb et al., Recruiting and Hiring Turnaround Principals: e Leadership Pipeline Requires Partnership We lack a human capital management approach to building and supporting school principals, nationally. School turnaround policies emphasize accountability for rapidly improving student learning, which can be associated with principal turnover. 12 6

7 Recruiting and Hiring Turnaround Principals: The Leadership Pipeline Advancement Hiring Practice Recruitment Preparation Districts & Prep Programs Districts Districts & Associations 13 Recruiting and Hiring Turnaround Principals: The Leadership Pipeline Preparation Recruitment Advancement 19% leave Practice annually Hiring 30% of all candidates are considered qualified 20% of new do not pursue positions Experienced leaders choose positions where they can be successful 20% of candidates never complete pre-certification programs Turnaround preparation is specialized/advanced recognition Districts & Prep Programs Districts Districts & Associations 14 7

8 Recruiting and Hiring Turnaround Principals: AIR s Survey of Midwestern Superintendents Although all districts have principal hiring procedures in place, research provides little insight on districts principal hiring procedures. How districts hire principals, what information is weighed, and how information is weighed remains unclear (Spanneut, 2007; Whaley, 2002). Our Survey Study 5 states (IA, IN, MI, MN, OH) exhibiting policy variation Created 69-item survey Professional associations reviewed and publicized 730 reps (32% of total) from single districts 72% self-identified as a rural district 96% self-identified as superintendents 15 Recruiting and Hiring Turnaround Principals: AIR s Survey of Midwestern Superintendents Marketing Outlets Difficulty Yield The majority (87%) of districts use multiple methods of recruitment. About 4.4% used an executive search firm. Districts tend to act independently, with little assistance from state departments of education. 66% rate principal recruitment hard or very hard. 55% of respondents said they considered fewer than 10% of applications reviewed to be quality. 16 8

9 Recruiting and Hiring Turnaround Principals: AIR s Survey of Midwestern Superintendents Hiring process Four step process: Paper screen, job interview, and building walk-through 85 percent of respondents do not require principals to perform leadership tasks as part of the process Selection criteria are not typically written down The superintendent is the decision-maker Investment Most districts spend approximately 2 months and less than $1000 on principal recruitment and hiring 17 Recruiting and Hiring Turnaround Principals: AIR s Survey of Midwestern Superintendents Nature Nurture Match Principals have specific character traits that make them successful and resilient in any school or a specific type of school Principals can be specially trained for turnaround schools Principal skills and talents are effective when matched to school leadership needs Examples Examples Examples Seattle Public Schools interview questions Hillsborough County Public Schools interview questions Miami-Dade County Residency Program University of Virginia Turnaround Academy Quality School Leadership Identification (QSLID) hiring 18 9

10 Quality Recruiting School and Leadership Hiring Turnaround Identification Principals: (QSL-ID) A Role for States and Associations Survey of Midwestern Superintendents Support for turnaround principal development, training and recognition Identification of strong turnaround leaders through use of state-level data Documentation of turnaround leader practices Support for turnaround leader training and coaching Advanced or specialized certification Support for turnaround principal hiring Central clearinghouse for districts and candidates Training on hiring procedures 19 Quality Recruiting School and Leadership Hiring Turnaround Identification Principals: (QSL-ID) The Matching Approachts Candidate School and District Accreditation Experience Technical Knowledge Performance Hiring Process Standards-driven Adaptable Data-based Capacity-building Efficient Performance Direction Existing Talents Culture 20 10

11 Recruiting and Hiring Turnaround Principals: The Matching Approach in QSLID Step Prioritize Recruit Facilitator s Guidebook Form committee. Assign responsibilities. Analyze data. Set priorities. Adapt materials. Send announcements. Toolbox District USA training scenario QSL-ID rubrics Application form Application review form QSL-ID rubrics Meeting Number 1 & 2 2 & 3 Screen Hire Set an interview. Run on-site visits. Use authentic tasks. Narrow the pool. Evaluate candidates. Reach consensus. Recommend finalists. District USA training scenario Interview question bank Data analysis task Teacher observation task 3 & 4 Rubrics and prioritizing form 5 & 6 21 Recruiting and Hiring Turnaround Principals: QSLID Authentic Tasks and Tools Meeting Agendas Teacher Evaluation Task Data Interpretation Task Speaking Task 22 11

12 Recruiting and Hiring Turnaround Principals: QSLID Authentic Tasks and Tools Read (skim) the materials on your own. Reflect on these questions with your table: What does this do? Who might use it? How might it be used? Why is it important? Report on your answers to these questions to the larger group. 23 Questions and Final Comments 24 12

13 Presenter Name Coby Meyers 1000 Thomas Jefferson Street NW Washington, DC Advancing state efforts to grow, respect, and retain great teachers and leaders for all students 25 13