Internship Plan

Activity # ____ You may  give the number corresponding to the 38 activities from the text to identify one of the activities.	TExES comp.#___ You must have activities that represent each of the 10 Superintendent competencies.	Summary of Activity - Describe the activity you plan on implementing or participating in during your internship – you may use any of the internship activities identified in the School Leader Internship, 2nd edition, pp. 19 – 68.	Resource Person	Projected Date to be Completed
1b Vision/ Mission	Competency 2	Review board policy on vision, mission, and educational goals. Evaluate the degree to which congruence exists between the District, school vision, mission, and goals. Interview district administrators, faculty, and staff and obtain their perspectives regarding the vision, mission, and goals. Assess the level of agreement among parties involved and the degree of similarity between what is stated" officially" and the actual practice in the district/ school. Note policies and practices not aligned with the vision. List recommendations for greater alignment with the vision, and include your recommendations in the TK20.	Superintendent, Principal, Area Superintendent	Feb 1, 2013-March 1 Feb 2013
2a Strategic Planning	Competency 2	Lead a project to develop a strategic plan for increasing students' literacy skills. Include relevant persons, e.g., teachers, students, curriculum leaders, reading specialists, special educators, and administrators. Infuse other necessary skill areas such as vision, data collection and analysis, communication, etc.	MacArthur Principal	Feb 24, 2013-July 2013
3c Data Collection and Analysis	Competency 2	Review the ways in which assessment data are used by the following: board of education, superintendent, faculty, staff, and community relations/information department. Write a reflective statement about how the leader would seek to improve the use of assessment data in the district/school	Superintendent	Ongoing
4d Effective Communication	Competency 3	Choose two effective listening techniques (e.g., posing probing questions, body language, etc.), and apply the techniques in a student and/ or parent conference. Personally assess the effectiveness in soliciting communication from the student and/ or parent. Include the assessment in the TK20.	MacArthur Principal	April 2013-May 2013
5a Negotiating/Consensus Building	Competency 7	Review board policy/administrative regulations. Assess compliance with policy/regulations. Assess the leadership culture in the school district. How frequently is top-down leadership vs. consensus leadership used? Does the leadership style most often used comply with official policy or administrative regulations? Write a reflective statement discussing the appropriate use of both top-down leadership and consensus leadership. Include the statement in the TK20	School Board& Superintendet of Human Resources	Feb 1, 2013-Feb 28, 2013
6a Collaborative Decision Making	Competency 3	With permission of the superintendent or principal, observe a district cabinet, school administrative team meeting, or other meeting where the leader plans to use collaborative decision making. Observe the leader's behavior in outlining goals/problem definition, seeking information, providing information, clarifying/ elaborating, challenging viewpoints, diagnosing progress, and summarizing.	Superintendent	Ongoing
7c Analyzing the Curriculum	Competency 2	Select one subject or course curriculum. Note the problem being addressed when it was written. Compile a list of the curriculum writers. Note which persons served as representatives for teachers, the subject matter, students, learning theory, and community/state standards. Note whether any weaknesses in the curriculum are present because of a lack of representation in any of these areas.	Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction	1st Tuesday of Every Month
8b School/ Program Scheduling	Competency 5	Participate in the process of student class scheduling. A brief overview of the process and any recommendations will be included in the TK20.	Principal & AP of Instruction	May2013-August 2013
9b Supervision of Instruction/ Instructional Strategies	Competency 2	With permission of the principal and two teachers, conduct two classroom observations using the clinical supervision model (i.e., preconference, observation, analysis, and postconference). Include a summary of the process and recommendations for improvement in the TK20.	Principal & AP of Instruction	Feb 1, 2013-Feb 8, 2013
10c Learning/ Motivation Theory	Competency 2	Meet with a group of similar subject-area or grade-level teachers and review the current curriculum and lesson plans. Compile the amount of traditional, behavioral, cognitive, and experiential learning objectives used. Solicit methods for utilizing more cognitive and experiential objectives in the curriculum and lesson plans.	Bernie Mulvaney &  MacArthur Social Studies Department	Ongoing
10e Learning/ Motivation Theory	Competency 2	Compile a list of all options for student belonging that the school offers. These could include clubs, study groups, sports teams, and other formal and informal groups. Calculate the percentage of students that belong to one or more student groups. Meet with several students to brainstorm reasons students choose to belong or not to belong. Seek recommendations for more students belonging. Include the list, percentages, and recommendations in the TK20.	Mulvaney	Ongoing
11a Learning Technology	Competency 2	Review board policy on technology. Study the district/ school plan on use of technology. Review the degree of compliance between policy and the technology plan, as well as the legal aspects regarding the use of software. Include recommendations in the TK20.	MacArthur Spec Tech & Mulvaney	March-2013-May 2013
12a Evaluation of Student Achievement/ Testing and Measures	Competency 2	Review board policy and assess degree of compliance with board policy and educational plan. Discuss curriculum and assessment of student achievement with administrators and faculty. Write a reflective statement regarding the ways in which evaluations and assessments of student achievement might be improved. Include assessment of compliance and recommendations in TK20.	Superintendent & Mulvaney	Feb. 18, 2013
12e Evaluation of Student Achievement/ Testing and Measures	Competency 2	Randomly select a group of students and elicit their recommendations for how to improve preparation for tests. Compile and critique the student recommendations, and address the issue of student input into this process. The critique and recommendation for student input will be included in the TK20.	AP, Department Heads & Mulvaney	March 6, 2013
13b Supervision of Cocurricular Education	Competency 2	Select an area of interest involving cocurricular activities. With the approval of the sponsor, assist in the planning and supervising of the activity. A critique of the learning experience for the students involved will be included in the TK20. The critique should also address student motivation, discipline, and performance, as well as their relation to the overall education of the student.	Assoc. Principal	Ongoing
14b Staff Development/ Adult Learning	Competency 4	Gather, from written evidence or from someone responsible for staff development, the yearly district/ school staff development plan. Analyze the plan with respect to school mission, student achievement, and teacher evaluations. A copy or overview of the plan and its relationship to the above variables will be included in the TK20.	Bernie Mulvaney &  MacArthur Skills Specialists	April 24, 2013
14d Staff Development/ Adult Learning	Competency 5	Compile a list of all professional development activities completed by the faculty of a particular schooL This should include activities provided by the district/ school and outside of the district/schooL Note discrepancies between the type of professional development and the experience and subject areas of the teachers. Make recommendations for greater involvement in professional development by all faculty members. Include the list, patterns, and recommendations in the TK20.	MacArthur Skill Specialists	Ongoing
15b Change Process	Competency 2	Meet with a current leader involved in implementing a district/ school change. Find out why the change was made and what steps were taken to make the change. Following this meeting, survey several people affected by the change to assess the support or nonsupport for the change. Analyze the stage that each person has reached, and recommend a means for moving the person to the next stage of change. Summarize your findings and recommendations and include them in the TK20.	MacArthur Principal	Ongoing
16d Student Discipline	Competency 2	With permission of the administration, participate in a conference dealing with student discipline. Critique the session with regard to consequences imposed and the need for additional assistance with improving social skills. Include the critique and recommendations in the TK20.	Principal	Feb 5, 2013
17d Student Services	Competency 2	Meet with the counselor, a member of the faculty or administration, and a parent to discuss the role of the school in regard to children responding to their parents' divorce, single parents' needs, and after-school care. Concerns and recommendations will be included in the TK20..	Counselors & AP	May 7, 2013
18d General Office Adminsitration/Technology	Competency 6	Inventory the current administrative technology in use. This inventory will include phone systems, computer systems, copying machines, fax equipment, security systems, and any other form of technology used in the administration of the district! school. The inventory will include the major uses and any major concerns with these forms of technology. The inventory and recommendations for expanded use, upgrading, or changes to current systems will be included in the TK20.	AP & Tech Spec	Ongoing
19b School Operations/Policies	Competency 6	Meet with the district/ school attendance officer. Discuss the rules, procedures, and ramifications of attendance on law, finance, and general school! district operations. Include the highlights and/ or summary of the meeting in the TK20.	Bernie Mulvaney &  Attendance Officer	April 8, 2013
20b Facility and Maintenance Administration/Safety and Security	Competency 8	Meet with the director of maintenance and/ or head custodian to review job responsibilities and schedules of staff. Shadow / observe one custodian and/ or maintenance person for a period of time (1 hour, more if possible). A brief report from the meeting and observation, including the needs, concerns, and overall assessment of work performed, will be included in the TK20.	Mulvaney&Ross Head Custodian	August 16th 8-12pm
21a Student Transportation	Competency 9	Interview the director of transportation to discuss current issues and needs for transportation. This discussion should include costs, maintenance, personnel issues, training and safety, and student problems. A brief summary of the needs and issues will be included in the TK20.	Richard Delgado Director of transportation	Feb. 18, 2013
22b Food Services	Competency 9	Observe a food service worker in the preparation and delivery of either a breakfast or lunch meal. A summary of the observation focusing on the needs, concerns, and overall assessment of work performed will be included in the TK20.	Café Manager	March 7 5am-7:30am
23f Personnel Procedures	Competency 1	Meet with administrators at the district/school level to gather information on placement and promotion policy and procedures. Discuss numbers of teachers teaching outside of their certification areas and the extent to which the district/school promotes and develops from within. Include a summary of the major goals, concerns, and recommendations in the TK20.	Superintendent of Human Resources	March 7, 2013
24d Supervision of the Budget	Competency 8	Complete a requisition for a service or supply item from a budgeted account. A copy of the requisition and a brief description of the path it follows for approval is to be included in the TK20.	Superintendent for Finance	Ongoing
25c Community/ Public Relations	Competency 3	Investigate through knowledgeable persons in the district to ascertain who are the leading groups and individuals in the community. Using brief phone interviews, discuss their assessment of communication with the district/school, issues and concerns, and recommendations for improved relations. Include a summary and recommendations in the TK20.	East Aldine Management District	Ongoing
26a Parent Involvement	Competency 1	Develop a general questionnaire addressing school policy, instruction, homework, activities, discipline, and parent involvement. Distribute the questionnaire to a group of parents. A summary of the findings concerning parent attitudes about school will be included in the TK20.	Superintendent, Principal, Area Superintendent	Feb 2013-June 2013
27d Climate for Cultural Diversity	Competency 3	Meet confidentially with one or more students of differing racial groups to assess their concerns and recommendations for a positive culturally diverse climate in the district/school. A summary and critique of the interview will be included in the TK20.	MacArthur Principal	Ongoing
28c Community/Business Involvement and Partnerships	Competency 4	Interview two community leaders that reside in the district/ school attendance zone. Focus on their perceptions of the quality of education, concerns, and recommendations for the schools. A summary of the interview will be included in the TK20.	East AldineDistrict	Ongoing
29a Position Goals and Requirements	Competency 7	Obtain a copy of the job description and evaluation instrument used for the position of study. Analyze the correlation between the requirements listed in the job description and the performance standards of the evaluation. Copies of the job description and evaluation and the analysis will be included in TK20.	MacArthur Principal	Feb 8, 2013
30a Philosophy/History of Education	Competency 6	Find a retired educator or elderly community member, and conduct an interview. Focus on the oral history of the community and school system. Note significant events that affect the district/ school today. Include highlights of the interview in the TK20.	Mulvaney	Ongoing
31a Ethics	Competency 1	Draft a list of the guiding principles for ethical behavior that you currently employ. Interview one school and one business/ civic leader, and solicit the principles that they employ. Compare and contrast the lists with the objective of recommending several guiding principles on the basis of their impact on increased learning and school improvement. Include the lists, comparisons, and recommendations in the TK20	Bernie Mulvaney &  MacArthur Social Studies Department	Feb 2013-May 2013
32a Interpersonal Relationships	Competency 1	Choose from the following list of interpersonal skills the ones you wish to develop throughout the school year. It is recommended that you choose two to four, but you may add others as you become proficient in your first choices. • Converses with others in a positive and pleasant manner • Avoids criticizing and values diverse opinions/perspectives • Avoids interrupting others while speaking • Acknowledges accomplishments of others • Promptly gets back to others with concerns or needs • Shares information with others who need to know • Accep ts cri ticism • Avoids being defensive when challenged • Shares self with others • Seeks to know and understand others When leading meetings: • Encourages others to participate • Acknowledges feelings and values within the group • Eases tensions when they occur • Attempts to resolve conflicts constructively • Encourages consideration of varying perspectives • Shares responsibilities	MacArthur Principal& Mulvaney	Ongoing
33b School Board Policy and Procedures/State and Federal Law	Competency 4	Attend as many board meetings as possible. Include the agendas in the TK20, followed by a list of outcomes/decisions pertaining to each agenda item and any recommendations..	School Board	2nd Tuesday of the Month
34a Federal Programs Administration	Competency 10	Review requirements for the current IDEIA, and meet with the special education director to discuss responsibilities of principals in meeting the guidelines. Compile a list of recommendations about what principals will need to know and be able to do to meet IDEIA guidelines and better serve special education students. The list will be included in the TK20.	Counselers and Special ed Department	March 1, 2013
35a Issue and Conflict Resolution	Competency 6	Choose a current issue at your district/school. Find at least two persons on either side of the issue. Meet with the chosen persons in a group or individually to ascertain the goals for each side. Ensure that each side understands the goals of the other side. Develop a list of concerns that each side has about the opposing side. Devise a resolution that helps both sides achieve their goals and addresses all concerns. Meet with both sides to reach consensus on the new proposal or plan. Include the goals, list of concerns, and consensus on goals in the TK20. Include any recommendation for the school! district concerning the issue.	Superintendent & MacArthur Principal	April 29, 2013
36a Current Issues Affecting Teaching and Learning	Competency 6	Compile a list of current issues that affect teaching and learning. Use research literature and perspectives from administrators, teachers, students, and parents in compiling the list. Assess the degree of importance and urgency for each issue. Include your list and assessment with any recommendations in your TK20.	MacArthur Staff	Ongoing
37c Professional Affiliations and Resources	Competency 7	Submit a brief professional development plan. Plans should include deficiencies cited in the internship in the various learning areas. The plan should also include ongoing development with membership and service to pertinent organizations cited in the above activity. The professional development plan is to be included in the TK20.	MacArthur Department Heads	DPP Meetings every Wed. Throughout the year
38a Professional Library	Competency 8	Compile a list of books, publications, training manuals, and district or state publications used or recommended for the position of study. The list should include resources of the highest quality and relevance to the position and educational leadership. The list should be included in the TK20.	Mulvaney	Ongoing

My Superintendent Interview

Interview with Dr. Archie Blanson

Deputy Superintendent of Aldine ISD

What is your definition of leadership?

Leadership is something you are either good at or not.  In a school district, a Superintendent has to balance and prioritize tasks and issues quickly, efficiently, and proficiently.  You are constantly balancing needs of students’, needs of staff, concerns of parents, and community feedback.  To be a successful leader, one has to work with all stakeholders while leading the school district toward greater student success.

What are the positive aspects of being in a leadership position, like Superintendent?

Being in the Superintendent’s seat allows you to make the final call on all issues and to truly make a real impact on the direction of the school district.  You are involved in long-range goal setting and resource allocation at the district level. As Superintendent, you can really guide and direct the overall learning environment.  However, you also are responsible for ensuring that there are excellent campus leaders in place.  These leaders are expected to ensure student success.  To ensure student success, you must build your relationship with these leaders.  You must have solid communication with them, and you must have high expectations for them.  This will help drive change in your district.

What are the negative or difficult aspects of being in a leadership position?

A Superintendent cannot be all things to all people, they need to make choices that help the most students.  Decisions that you make that appease one group may irritate another, that is why we must always have the students in mind.  To be an effective leader, you have to keep your eye on what is truly important and ask yourself, “Is this the best decision for our kids?” If the answer is yes, then you can sleep at night, even if you are criticized by some. I have no issues sleeping at night because I know I am doing the best I can for the students of Aldine.

Another difficult aspect in today’s environment is funding.  Where are we going to get the funding to run the programs we have and need. School districts are being asked to do more with less. This makes it difficult for a Superintendent to meet the needs of all stakeholders while balancing the budget and still giving students what they need and what the community expects.

What do you believe are the attributes of a good Superintendent?

Honesty—The leader of the district is held to a high standard, and must model the behavior he/she desires from everyone in the organization.  The Superintendent must be seen as transparent and above-board on all fiscal matters, accountability issues, community concerns, etc.

Integrity—Going back to the statement about asking, “Is this the best decision for our kids?”, you have to balance that within what is legally acceptable and is in line with the community’s expectations.

Flexibility—A Superintendent has to be flexible.  Every day is a new day with new challenges.  You may go into the office with a list of things to do, and once you hit the door, the day takes you in a million different directions.  You must be able to adjust through the issues as they arise and adjust where you spend your time accordingly.

Hard Work Ethic—Leading a district is not an easy task, and it certainly is not an 8-4 job.  Deadlines must be met, staff members need the resources necessary to ensure student success in a timely fashion, and the expectation of visibility demands that you attend a great deal of evening events.

Good Communicator—Poor communication has been the downfall of many well-intentioned administrators.  Keeping all stakeholders informed is the best way to ensure support.  Even when the information is not necessarily positive, it is best to be up-front with those involved and did I say honest?.

Positive Attitude—The Superintendent sets the tone for the district.  He/she has to relay a positive attitude to other staff members so that they see the tasks at hand as possible to achieve and meaningful.  To get people to believe in your vision you must sell all positive aspects.  People respond to positive things.

Superintendent Competency 1 emphasizes the importance of integrity, fairness and ethical behavior. What does ethical leadership look like?

Ethical leadership is basing all decisions and actions on honesty and integrity.  It looks like somebody who is out-front when things are going poorly.  This is highlighted when the staff and the community don’t necessarily agree with all of your decisions but most people respect your decisions.  A leader who approaches decision-making by being honest and forthright, will always be trusted because people know that you are choosing what is best for all of your students. By approaching decisions with impartiality and by being brave enough to implement those decisions, you set a track record.  Doing what is right isn’t always easy or popular.  That is ethical leadership.

REFLECTION:

I chose to interview Dr. Blanson not only because of his Superintendent experience, but also because of his experience moving up in Aldine ISD without ever running a building as a principal.  This is something that may happen to me because of my current role.  In his current role, Dr. Blanson is responsible for working directly with all departments on finance templates, legislative requirements, training, board relations, etc.

During our discussion, Dr. Blanson mentioned how rewarding being a Superintendent is, and how it is a position suited for individuals that enjoy tackling a challenge. He said that challenge changes daily.  He also mentioned that he likes to seeing a project through to completion.  His expertise in the fiscal aspects of being a Superintendent has made him a mentor for many people in Aldine ISD.  Dr. Blanson, as Deputy Superintendent, has the pulse of Aldine ISD.  He knows what is happening before most people do.

I will continue to learn from his experiences not only through this interview, but also as I work with him in Aldine.  I have asked him to help provide Superintendent and board training/goal setting.  My expectation through these experiences, is that he will demonstrated the type of leadership described in his interview responses.

Action Research

Action Research is a way to deal with potential problems by finding a systematic approach to solve the problem.  In my action research class for my Masters and Principal Certification, I did a project that looked at the correlation between extra -curricular spending and student achievement on the TAKS test. This action research plan was a success.  I found that school districts that put more money into extra-curricular activities have better test scores.  I believe that this correlation is due to the fact that students who has a bond with the school are more successful that the student counting the minutes to leave.  I also found that students that are involved in extra-curricular activities have better attendance.  I also believe this comes from E
Ross Perot's "No Pass, No Play."  Students who find school important show up.  This is where extra-curricular activities play a vital role in education.  This as an aspiring Superintendent, I must remember you students come to school and why they want to be successful.

In conclusion, action research is a process where we take stake holders and look at potential problem and potential solutions while putting together an action plan.  This plan will take the issue and walks us through step by step to a conclusion.

How Educators may use Blogs

I enjoyed setting up my blog when I was getting my Masters.  I actually stayed up with it and started two more.  One for my job and one for fun.  I enjoy blogging as it gives me a creative outlet.  It has given me a place to reflect and post ideas.  The blogging has really spurred my thinking and made me come up with some creative solutions to problems.

The directions to set up the blog were accurate and easy to follow.  With the ease of creating a blog, I can have my coaches create one for their respective teams and have their players follow it as well as set up opportunities to develop skills by asking interactive questions.

I plan on using my blog as a leadership tool with my internship.  I plan on asking questions and posting and let my fellow classmates give me suggestions or invite questions of their own.  My belief about blogs is to put out a point of view or an opinion and see if the idea stands.  My classmates will help me with this.  I also believe that this interact will serve as a quasi professional development where we can all learn from each others strengths and improve our weaknesses.  True collaboration is where learning is headed.  We must be able to use each other as resources to find the knowledge we seek.

Starting my first post for Superintendent Certification! 

Coming in the future posts.......

• On the screen provided, write a description of what you have learned about action research and how you might be able to use it. This description should be at least 200 words.
• Next write an analysis of how educational leaders might use blogs – 25 words or more are recommended.

Looks like I will be using this a ton.....welcome to the journey, glad you are along for the ride.