The PowerPoint from Dr. Gary Wegenke's presentation on Cultural Expectations.

1. Learning-Centered Leadership Development
Program for Practicing and Aspiring Principals
June 24 - 26
Dimension 3: High, Cohesive, and Culturally Relevant
Expectations for Students

2. Introduction
The 2012 – 2013 school year is history!
2
We took pride at _________ school
this school year by accomplishing
____________________________.

3. What Lies Within….
• What lies behind us, and what lies ahead
of us are tiny matter compared to what
lies within us…as principals and aspiring
principals.
• The assumption that all students can
learn and achieve academically at high
levels starts with school leaders
understanding themselves…as well as the
principal’s role.
3

4. 4
Wheel of Learning
(Individuals and Groups)
Reflecting
Connecting
Doing
Deciding
More
Concrete
More
Abstract
More Action More Reflection
Human
beings
need time
to
reflect, co
nnect, det
ermine
priorities,
and take
action
K/RESA May 1, 2002
Reflection and Connection

5. You are Your Experiences and Beliefs
5
Principal’s Role
Over a 30 year period, the principal’s role evolved from
Program Manager  Institutional Leader
- Schedules - Curriculum
- Facilities - Instruction
- Discipline - Assessment
(Hallenger and Heck, 1998)

6. You are Your Experiences and Beliefs
6
Principal’s Role
Currently the “principalship” is being reinvented to meet 21st century
societal challenges…
• More diverse student bodies
• Technology as an instructional tool
• Academic achievement/professional accountability
• Expectations to lead/constant change

7. You are Your Experiences and Beliefs
7
Principal’s Role
Research has demonstrated an “undeniable correlation” between
effective school leadership and student achievement.
(Shen, 1998); (McNulty and Waters, 2004)
Conclusion: create “process/strategies” uniting teachers/staff/parents to
pursue “higher goals” related to student achievement.
Write student achievement goals in schools renewal plans by stating
with:
• In 2013-14, our students “will”… rather than
• In 2013-14, our students “may”…

8. Reflection and Connection
8
School Leadership in Thinking:
Join together the dots without picking up your writing instrument.

9. High Expectations: Beliefs and Will
9
Principal’s Role
Schools that establish high expectations for all students – and
provide the necessary support to achieve these expectations – have
high rates of success.
(Edmonds, 1986); (Brookover et.al., 1989); (Quinn, 2002)
Successful schools: academic emphasis, clear expectations, high
levels of student participation, alternative support systems.
(Cotton, 2003); (Luthwood, Riehl, 2003); (Gamage, 2006).

10. High Expectations: Beliefs and Will
10
Principal’s Role
Successful programs: preventing youth at risk of academic failure
and dropping out of school have demonstrated:
• A student’s relationships with significant people
(ie., principals, teachers and parents) having “high expectations”
makes a difference.
All students need someone who is their advocate and believes in the
student’s ability to succeed.
Convey “high expectations” and “hope” by:
• Expressing: “I won’t give up on you”
• Respecting: a student’s strengths
• Building: on a student’s interests

11. Cohesiveness: Challenge for 21st Century Leaders
11
Cohesiveness Defined
The human band that ties groups of people together as they
attempt to achieve the groups purpose or reason to exist.
Group cohesiveness is focused on:
• group members need to feel their participation is valued
• group members perceive they can make an important
contribution to the group’s effectiveness
• compatibility between our individual personal goals and the
groups goals
• extent a leader and group members can work cooperatively
between and among themselves.
(Forsyth, 1986)

12. Cohesiveness: School Culture
12
School Culture – The interwoven pattern of
beliefs, values, practices and artifacts of the
professional learning community. Who “they” are
and How “they” are to function
(Bohlman & Deal 1997)
School culture take on life through peoples
actions: In schools;
• Collaborative collegiality
• High expectations
• Trust & expectations

13. Cohesiveness: Shaping School Culture
13
Principal’s Role
Question: What shapes school culture?
Response: A school culture conducive to effective teaching
and learning accounts for the “underground stream” of
norms, values, beliefs and tradition of school stakeholders
as they work together…
(Peterson and Deal, 1994)
Influence: Shape the culture by:
• Creating a shared leadership
• Collaborating where possible
• Risk-taking to address complex student needs

14. Cohesiveness: Building Trust
14
Principal’s Role
Keys to Success: The key to developing cooperative interaction and
cohesiveness in a group is the development and maintenance of a
high level of trust among group members.
Johnson & Johnson (2003)
Gragin & Johnson (1995) suggest:
• Practice two-way communication
• Giving information is not the end, receiving feedback is
• Utilize face-to-face communication as often as possible
• Examine each statement for clarity and understanding
• Learn to listen: Ask questions to demonstrate
interest and respect for others
• Trust and credibility go together

15. Cohesiveness: Mission and Vision
15
Question: Why spend organizational
time and energy to develop a school system
mission and vision statement?
Reason 1. Helen Keller: What would be worse than being born blind?
…To have sight without vision.
Reason 2. “Alice in Wonderland": “If you don’t know where you’re
going, any road will get you there.”
Reason 3. A teacher: “People as a result of our school’s vision
statement are beginning to speak the same language, they have the
same kinds of expectations for one another, and our students.”

16. Cohesiveness: Mission and Vision
16
Principal’s role
To understand and convey to the school community the difference
between a “mission statement” and “vision statement.”
Both statements can inspire positive action, however…
A Mission statement defines the fundamental purpose of a school
system providing a “snapshot” of where the system desires to be in
the future.
Vision statements focus on conveying the direction a school system
is moving through clearly stated goals

17. Cohesiveness: Mission and Vision
17
Principal’s role
A mission statement can be further refined into a vision statement
that becomes a source of inspiration. The vision statement leads
toward specific goals.
Example 1) The mission of the …public schools is to provide
educational opportunities which enable students of all aspirations and
abilities to grow and learn.
Example 2) A statement of vision…elementary school will by the end
of the 2013-14 academic year increase academic achievement of 4th
grade students by 2-5%. The goal will compare a student’s 3rd grade
test results on the Iowa Test of Basic Skills with cohorts in the 4th
grade.

18. Cohesiveness: Mission and Vision
18
Principal’s role
A principal’s “visionary leadership” makes a difference in his/her
ability to inspire and influence internal processes linked to student
learning.
These internal processes include:
• Establishing a school mission (or “responsibility statement”)
• Setting academic expectations with clear stated goals
• Identifying student learning opportunities
• Protecting instructional time

19. Cohesiveness: Mission and Vision
19
Question(s): Does your school system have a mission
statement? Vision statements?
In summary:
Mission – Directs our attention towards a future state of affairs. Must be
clear, concise, trusted as real, shared and believed to be doable
(Terry, 1993).
Vision – An inspiring declaration of a compelling dream, accompanied by a
clear scenario of how it will be accomplished. (Whitaker & Moses, 1994).
High Expectations – Setting academic goals had an effect size of 0.55
standard deviations higher than the achievement scores for classes where
clear learning goals were not established, Marzano (2003)…translates into a
21% percentage difference in achievement.

20. I Have a Dream: Exercise
20
Visionary Leadership
Martin Luther King Jrs. –
“I Have a Dream Speech” to be adapted to a school
vision statement. (Handout)

21. Reflection and Connection
21
School-Based Leadership:
It takes a school system to develop, implement, and
monitor… high cohesive… expectations for all students.
However, it takes a school to be the achievement and
performance center.

22. Reflection and Connection
22
“Schools are managerially tight, but culturally loose” – T. Sergiovinni (1995)

23. Reflection and Connection
23
Focal Points for “Effective” Schools:
• Students come in all sizes and
shapes
• Success keys: Effectiveness,
Equity, and Efficiency
• Educational tools
• “Building Responsibility Statement”
• School-Based Councils

24. Reflection and Connection: Effectiveness
24
School-Based Leadership:
Students respond to teacher’s self fulfilling prophecies when it
comes to classroom learning (Rosenthal and Jacobson, 1968)
Encourage teachers to focus on setting their expectations by
aligning with:
• A building’s Database
-Demographic - Graduation Rates
-State/National Tests - Attendance
-Dropout - Suspension
• Results of Data Use
-Create expectations - Set Goals
-Moral Assurances - Shape Culture

25. Reflection and Connection: Effectiveness
25
School-Based Leadership
School-Based Councils:
• Establishing Relationships (Purpose)
- Common Understandings
- Communication Links
- Partnerships
- Collective Commitment
• Investing in Their School
- Teachers (beliefs, instructional expertise)
- Parents (home cultures, expectations)
- Support Staff (local communications)
- Students (hopes, perspectives)

26. Collaboration: Definition
26
Collaboration is a process to create:
Interpersonal relationship based on people working
together to develop processes of exploration, discovery
and understanding.
Successful schools: focus on the natural condition of all
children to perform at high levels; where performance is
based on facilitating conditions that deliver learning
experiences in a way that “fits” the child…but is not
punishing (Butler, 1997).

27. Collaboration: Parent Involvement
27
Research Studies
• Involving parents in school planning and decision making is
critical in establishing “effective schools” wherein all students are
expected to academically achieve.
• Leithwood and Jantze (1999) studied predictors of school
achievement …a predictor was the families educational culture.
• Pounders, et.al. (1995) studied the functions of school
effectiveness related to student achievement and found parent
commitment was positively associated with student achievement.
• Bronstead-Burns (1998) found the higher the congruence between
parents’ and childrens’ expectations, the higher the childrens’
achievement.

28. Cohesiveness: Parent Involvement
28
Question: Does your school practice involving parents in school
decision-making?
Research: Bredeson (1985) found that one in five schools studied were
parents highly involved in a formal sense.
Parent involvement in most schools is viewed as:
• supportive and tangential
• rather than – a rich source of expertise and knowledge
Challenge: To encourage parents to be actively involved in their
children’s education pre-K through 12th grade

29. Reflection and Connection:
29
Parent Expectations of their Schools

30. Self Efficacy: Definition
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A person’s belief in his or her own ability to succeed in a particular
situation.
Research says: “The most effective way of developing a strong sense
of self efficacy is through mastery experiences”
(Bandura, 1994)

31. Self Efficacy: Instructional Leaders
31
What should a principal and their teachers know about self efficacy?
Response: Self efficacy is based of beliefs that
• Form in early childhood and evolve through life;
• Every child needs one (or more) significant adult(s) to assert in
overcoming self doubt;
• Every child needs an adult who can minimize stress and regulate
mood.

32. Self Efficacy: Instructional Leaders
32
School revolves around instructional beliefs and work of teachers.
Student achievement at high levels is possible when teachers
collaborate and collectively nurture the self efficacy of all students.
Research: Goodhard, Hay and Hay (2004)
Studied perceptions of collective efficacy with relation to student
learning. The findings were:
• “Sense of self efficacy” is a significant predictor of productive
teaching practices
• The higher the “sense of efficacy the more likely a teacher will
take and welcome different tasks

33. Self Efficacy: Instructional Leaders
33
Mental Models
Mental models are “maps” of how an individual’s (principal
teachers…) world is perceived and, therefore, often works.
Issue: Our unconscious tendency to “select” evidence that supports
our personal assumptions and often downplay (“a good idea”)
contrary.

34. Collective Efficacy: Faculty Commitment
34
Public
- Good Ideas
- Vision Statement
- Shared Goals
- Learning Expectations
- Teaching Capacity of Peers
Private
- Individual’s assumptions, needs, values, feelings,
personal vision
- Alliance (informal) …collective efficacy
- Views on “ripe issues”
- Importance of schools work
- Feelings of trust and confidence
- Feelings of cultural competence
-Skills and Ability
- Personal Values
Mental Models

35. Cultural Competence: Instructional Leaders
35
Question:
What is cultural competence?
The ability to successfully teach students from cultures
other than ones own.
• Must be framed in the large context of “school
renewal” or school change efforts.
• Often discrepancies between what teachers report
and what they actually do in school.

36. Cultural Competence: Instructional Leaders
36
Research:
Boykin and Cunningham (2001) examined the effects on performance
incorporating cultural factors into teacher presentation and content
materials. Their findings indicated:
• the facilitative effects of incorporating music and movement on African
American children’s cognitive reasoning performance makes a
difference.
Castagneu and Bradboy (2005) examined literature on culturally
responsive schooling and it’s affect on indigenous youth (ie. American
Indian and Alaskan native students). Their findings indicated a firm
grounding in heritage language is a fundamental prerequisite for the
development of culturally healthy students…and their communities.

37. Cultural Competence: Instructional Leaders
37
Question: What is a culturally competent school?
Culturally competent schools are schools that
honor, respect and value diversity in theory and practice;
and where teaching and learning are made relevant for
students from different cultures.

38. Cultural Competence : Instructional Leaders
38
Much of the research linking cultural competence practices to
student achievement is not definitive…
Research:
Ladson & Billings (1995) examined teaching practices of eight exemplary
teachers of African American students…
Findings indicated the:
(a) importance of speech and language patterns in the interactions with
students,
(b) student achievement occurs in social structures outside of
schools, and
(c) Cultural congruence with school’s mainstream culture leads to mere
accommodation of student’s culture within the classroom

39. Culturally Responsive : Instructional Leaders
39
Illustration:
Henderson High School in Fairfax County, VA identified
programs and strategies that contribute to being culturally responsive.
 Elective courses to help students form diverse courses get along. (ie.
Combating intolerance)
 Peer mediation: allows students from diverse backgrounds to talk about
potentially diverse issues
 Parent Liaisons: Paid to work with families who would not otherwise have
become involved with schools.
 Openness to “clubs”: to reflect the cultural identities, and opportunities for
student engagement with school
 Telephone Trees: Designed to inform parents on school issues; sensitive to
multiple languages
 Effort Awards: For students who have overcome academic
difficulties

40. Planning Matrix: School Renewal Activity
40
Focus on one dimension of the seven
dimensions
High, cohesive and culturally relevant
expectations for students
What:
A brief description of a renewal activity beyond
what exists in their school
Participants will “brainstorm”/identify factors to
be included in a vision statement for their
school
Who:
A brief description identifying “stakeholders” or
significant people/groups that need to be
involved
Participants will “brainstorm”/identify factors for
creating a school mission statement that
becomes school policy
What:
A brief description identifying the measures
used to determine the renewal activity is
successful
Participants will “brainstorm” identifying (outline)
2 or 3 goals stemming from their vision
statement that can be “measured” and thereby
determining the “success” in terms of student
academic growth

41. Thank You and Summation
41
Thank you for participating with me today on the topic of
High, Cohesive, and Culturally Relevant Expectations for
Students. I have prepared a document, “Hey, You’re the
Principal”, which summarizes a few thoughts of what I
believe will serve you well – as Instructional Leaders.