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 //**Strategic Leadership**//

 //A school leader is able to articulate the school’s mission as linked to a vision to prepare students for the demands placed upon 21st century learners. A “student-centric" view is the focus of the school's future strategy, taking into account diversity, the community, values and change. //

//Strategic leadership develops a vision that all stakeholders recognize as the common direction of growth and promotes excitement of the journey to get to the destination. //

// Mission statements are the "how-to" statements or action plans that help schools achieve their vision. Strategic leadership is capable of mapping a road of progress, including both immediate and long-term goals, identifying where the school wants to be and what stakeholders are going to do to get there. //  //Strategic leaders are capable and confident to lead independently and cooperatively in leadership teams, modeling the abilities necessary to energize the school community. Strategic leaders identify the concerns and feeling of the stakeholders; involving and enabling them to participate in a transformative process. Interpersonal intelligence and emotional intelligence are required by the strategic leader to synergize staff, students, parents and community stakeholders. //

**1A. School Vision, Mission, and Strategic Goals: The school’s identity, in part, is derived from the vision, mission, values, beliefs and goals of the school, the processes used to establish these attributes, and the ways they are embodied in the life of the school community. ** Coursework, Training and Readings
 * Training from the Understanding by Design training book Schooling by Design: Mission, Action, and Achievement was used to examine the mission of schooling and educational objectives. This training was used to develop a school vision, mission, and objectives.
 * Facilitative Leadership Training was used to examine vision and purpose within the school and among stakeholders to facilitate change. Also, sharing a compelling vision, having maximum appropriate involvement and building concensus.
 * Training from the Llano Grande Digital Storytelling Retreat was used to effectively communicate school vision, mission, and objectives.
 * Letter of introduction to staff with personal vision statement incorporated.
 * Visit to A.B. Combs Leadership Magnet Elementary School in Raleigh, N.C.
 * Visit to KIPP Academy in Gaston, N.C.
 * Visit to East Garner Magnet Middle School in Garner, N.C.
 * Distinguished Leadership in Practice (DLP) assignment requiring collaborative collection and rating of internship's school's vision and mission statements with mentor principal.
 * Evaluation of Teacher Working Conditions Survey results for internship school.
 * Schooling by Design training that included protocols for creating and articulating mission and vision regularly in incorporating them into the daily operation of the school.
 * How to Win Friends and Influence People (Carnegie, 1981).
 * Seven Habits of Highly Effective People (Covey, 1987).

School Internship Artifacts
 * **Vision.** My internship school had a mission statement, but no vision statement and no beliefs statements. I began working with the students, teachers and parents to develop a vision statement and beliefs statements. I began by polling students, parents faculty and staff for the one word they thought best describes the spirit of knighthood we want represented by our school. We worked from August 2012 to February 2013 in collectively developing a school vision statement.
 * **Branding & Signage.** Riverside Middle School is a new facility which opened its doors August 2012. Having a "clean slate" gave us the unique opportunity to develop signage that would assist in developing the culture and climate of the school. As a result of my NELA site visits to model schools, I shared what I saw in how these successful schools have branded their mission, vision and beliefs. We implemented some of the same practices and in February 2013, signs have begun to be hung on the walls of the school.
 * [[file:Letter to Staff.docx|Letter to Staff.docx]]
 * ** Developing the Riverside Middle School Vision Statement **

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 * **Phase 1 (August/September 2012):** Students, parents, teachers, support staff and parents were asked to give one word that would be representative of their vision of a Riverside Middle School Knight. Combining both the historical imagery of a knight and how we could connect that imagery with characteristics of 21st century learners.
 * **Phase 2 (October 2012):** After polling 326 individuals, the words were presented in a digital story for students, staff, parents and community partners to see. The digital story video was presented at school, the monthly Board of Education meeting and posted on the online digital teacher newsletter. media type="youtube" key="rMBSXRjnXB8" height="315" width="560" || [[image:Vision Worksheet.jpg caption="Document Used as a Guide for Teachers to Facilitate the Vision-Making Process" link="file:Vision Worksheet.jpg"]] ||
 * **Phase 3 (October 2012):** Teachers worked with students to use the top five words to form vision statements and create visual representations.

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 * **Phase 4 (December 2012):** Teachers met to review and discuss the student recommendations. ||  ||
 * **Phase 5 (February 2013):** Consensus was met and the Vision Statement was approved.

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 * 1B. Leading Change: The school executive articulates a vision, and implementation strategies, for improvements and changes which result in improved achievement for all students. **

Coursework, Training and Readings School Internship Upon internship assignment at Riverside Middle School (RMS), I was asked to play a lead role in facilitating the transition of Williamston Middle School to the identity of a STEM focused Riverside Middle School. Having a new school building, in a new location from the former school was an excellent opportunity to re-culture identity. I have worked with the administration and staff to partner with higher education institutions and businesses to provide STEM experiences and develop a STEM identity for Riverside Middle School. **June 2012**: **August 2012**: **September 2012**: **October 2012**: **November 2012**: **December 2012**: **January 2013:** **February 2013:**
 * Crucial Conversations training will be used to be able to talk and listen effectively.
 * Summer 2012 NELA Fellow self-directed independent reading Iconoclast: A Neuroscientist Reveals How to Think Differently to learn more about how to break from the norms and think differently and innovatively.
 * Leading & Transforming School Culture course Fall 2012.
 * **November 2012 - Presentation at the University Council for Educational Administration Convention, Denver, Colorado.** The 2012 UCEA Conference theme was "The Future Is Ours: Leadership Matters". Convention strands included: leading with global communities in mind; technology-facilitated leadership, communications, and learning; expanding and enriching effective partnerships; and educational policies for the future. **Tonya Little (1) was selected to present her Leadership Digital Story at the convention's Film Festival,** (2) participated in a luncheon as a part of the Institute for Educational Leadership, and (3) was a part of a panel discussion examining innovation in administrative leadership programs.
 * Attended the North Carolina A&T State University (NC A&T St. Univ.) STEM Outreach Workshop with 6th grade math and science teachers. NC A&T St. University will fund student research projects to be completed during the 2013-2014 school year. The RMS team decided to construct and maintain hydroponics units. Students will design experiments to be used with the units.
 * Planned and facilitated a "Back to School Boot Camp" at It's Your Move Now, Inc. an after school tutorial center and day treatment facility. There was a heavy emphasis on hands-on science and mathematics activities.
 * Facilitated workshop for Martin County middle and high school science teachers, "Probes for Formative Assessment in Science"
 * Visited a faith-based organization that sponsors a robotics team to discuss partnership to increase diversity on the team and access to teachers and/or coaches for instruction and training.
 * Met with Martin County 4-H Coordinator to discuss implementation of a school-based 4-H club and robotics team.
 * Met with NC A&T St. Univ. community liaison, Martin County 4-H Coordinator and RMS science and math teachers to begin planning implementation of the RMS 4-H Club and the RMS STEM Kickoff and Science Fair to be held in January 2013.
 * Began restructuring the GLOBAL (Gaining Local Opportunities for Biotechnology Access and Literacy) grant submitted in the Summer 2012 NELA Budget Class so that it could be applicable to Riverside Middle School. Began planning to submit for other grants to pursue STEM equipment and implementation of quality STEM instruction and in-school and out-of-school experiences for students.
 * Began finalizing STEM lesson plans for the NC A&T St. Univ. STEM Outreach projects.
 * Met with Colleen Karl, Eastern Satellite Regional DIrector for NCSU Science House
 * Changed the name of the GLOBAL(Gaining Local Opportunities for Biotechnology Access and Literacy) grant to RAISE (Raising Awareness and Interest in STEM Education) to be inclusive of the wide diversity of STEM opportunities.
 * Met with Martin County 4-H Coordinator to discuss plans to implement the RMS 4-H Club.
 * Science Department meetings to plan for the RMS STEM Kickoff and Science Fair
 * Participated in Flippd Webinar to discover ways that science teachers can utilize online media and technology to increase out-of-classroom learning.
 * Met with RMS STEM stakeholders to get their input before submitting RAISE grant to the NC DPI 21st Century Communities Learning Centers grant program.
 * Produced and shared digital story promoting the RMS STEM Kickoff with Martin County Board of Education members, key stakeholders, parents, students and staff.
 * Attended 21st Century Communities Learning Centers Grant Technical Assistance Meeting, Raleigh, NC
 * RMS STEM Kickoff and Science Fair Open House
 * First RMS 4-H Club Meeting
 * Election of RMS 4-H Club Officers
 * East Carolina University Regional Science Fair, served as chaperone to RMS student

**March 2013:** **April 2013:** Artifacts
 * Attended the NC A&T Urban Educator's Initiative Conference, Greensboro, NC
 * Presented at the Scaling STEM Conference along with a RMS 7th grade science teacher and my NELA Coach, John Parker
 * Attended the NC A&T St. Univ. 4-H Robotics Training at the NC Cooperative Extension Agency in Tarboro, NC
 * Submitted the Raising Awareness and Interest in STEM Education (RAISE) grant for the 2013 NC DPI 21st CCLC grant submissions.
 * School site visit with NELA Coach John Parker to the Wayne School of Engineering in Goldsboro, NC
 * Recruited STEM partners for the Earth Day event in April
 * Recruited STEM partners for the Earth Day event
 * RMS STEM Earth Day Event, 17 STEM partners set up booths for hands-on, interactive activities for students, families and cRecruited STEM partners for the Earth Day event
 * May 2013: **
 * NC A&T State University STEM Outreach Coordinator and Golden Leaf Foundation Representative school site visit to RMS to talk with administration and teacher and see projects maintained by students.
 * Meeting with NCSU Science House Eastern Satellite Region Coordinator, Pitt Pirates Robotics Coach, NC A&T State University Community Liaison, RMS administration and STEM teachers to discuss participation in competitive robotics events.
 * August 2012- Facilitation of Workshop, "Probes for Formative Assessment in Science" ** for Martin County Middle School and High School Science Teachers







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 * Administrative Entry Plan ** developed as a requirement for the NELA Course ELP-651 Internship


 * School Internship Project Phase III- Holistic Needs Assessment **

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 * Highlights from the 2012 UCEA Convention, Denver, Colorado **

NCSU College of Education Feature Story About UCEA Film Festival


 * RMS STEM Logo Developed to Promote STEM ** **Identity**

This meeting was held before I attended the NCDPI Technical Assistance Meeting for 21st Communities Learning Centers grant seekers in Raleigh, NC along with Assistant Superintendent Dr. Chris Mansfield. (l. to r. RMS 7th Grade Science Teacher,Jennifer Veverka; Asst. Superintendent Dr. Chris Mansfield; Greenville Utilities, Jason Manning; Shanae Godley, NC A&T State University; Colleen Karl, NCU Science House; Franklin Scott, 8th Grade Science Teacher)
 * January 2013 STEM Stakeholders Meeting **

First 4-H Meeting Flyer

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Robotics Training for NCA&T State University STEM Outreach Partners Tarboro, NC



21st Century Communities Learning Center Grant Proposal, Submitted March 22, 2013

2013 Earth Day Event, "Our Earth" Depends on "Our Now"



Partnership with STEM stakeholders has provided opportunities for our teachers to expand upon learning for students.



The year-long work in increasing the STEM identity of Riverside Middle School was analyzed as a Problem of Practice presented to NELA members and staff of Riverside Middle School.

**1C. School Improvement Plan. The school improvement plan provides the structure for the vision, values, goals and changes necessary for improved achievement for all students. ** Coursework, Training and Readings
 * Understanding by Design training used to implement a standards-based curriculum that leads to student understanding and achievement.
 * Examined internship school's SIP and talk with SIT members about how the plan was developed and how it is currently implemented and monitored.

<span style="background-color: #c0c0c0; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">School Internship

First Year On the Job
 * Participated as a member of the School Improvement Team.
 * Attended Tier II PBIS training with SIT and PBIS team members.
 * Implemented Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) at Riverside Middle School
 * Facilitated Riverside Middle School Process for NCDPI Application for Middle School STEM Identification

<span style="background-color: #c0c0c0; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 17px;">Artifacts

Implementation of Professional Learning Communities, at Riverside Middle School, based upon Rick DuFour's model for PLCs.

===<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">1D. Distributive Leadership: The school executive creates and utilizes processes to distribute leadership and decision-making throughout the school. ===

Coursework, Training and Readings
 * The Fifth Discipline Fieldbook. Strategies and Tools for Building and Learning Organization (Senge et al, ) will be used as a guide to foster a learning environment focused on the achievement of all students by engaging others in systems thinking forethought.
 * Crucial Conversations training
 * Facilitative Leadership training including training on coaching for performance
 * ELP 552 School Base Plannning, Management, Evaluation, Fall 2012
 * ELP 651 Internship in Educational Leadership Practice, Fall 2012-Spring 2013
 * Bolman, L. G., & Deal, T. E. (2003). Reframing organizations: Artistry, choice, and leadership. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
 * Militello, M., Rallis, S. F., & Goldring, E. B. (2009). Leading with inquiry & action: how principals improve teaching and learning. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press

<span style="background-color: #c0c0c0; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">School Internship
 * Continue to serve as a facilitator of PLCs, as a practice of professional collaborative learning and empowering others to lead
 * Increased teacher efficacy and confidence in participating in school-wide STEM event.

<span style="background-color: #c0c0c0; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">Artifacts ** Planning for STEM Family Night ** Snapshot of the Google Doc created for distributing responsibility of staff members to contact key STEM stakeholders in our community. The Google Doc allowed us to remain up-to-date on contacts and to maintain a record of community stakeholders for current and future events and collaborations.