1. BUCKHORN HIGH SCHOOL
2011
Blue Ribbons
U.S. Department of
Schools of
Education
Excellence, Inc.
Blue Ribbon School
Lighthouse
2. The Assistant Principal
as Instructional Leader
Presented by :
Sarah Fanning
Instructional Assistant Principal
Buckhorn High School
Madison County School System
CLAS Conference
for Assistant Principals
January 26, 2012
3. Historical background of the Instructional
Assistant at Buckhorn
-- 1995 First elected Superintendent
-- 1996 Instructional Assistant position added
-- 2007 New Madison County Superintendent
Hired IAPs for all Madison County high schools
-- 2007 Jefferson County added 13 Assistant Principals based on the
model
-- 2008 Begin working with CLAS to prepare Instructional Assistants
statewide
4. What is the most important responsibility we have
as leaders?
5. Student learning
Student success
Instruction
College and career readiness
Student achievement
6. Roles and responsibilities of an Instructional Assistant
Liaison
1. Resource to teachers
2. Advocate for teachers and students
3. Motivator -- celebrates success
3. Member of all professional learning communities
4. Information conduit
7. Roles and responsibilities of an Instructional Assistant
Curriculum oversight
1. Course alignment
2. Monitors delivery of the instructional program
3. Guides curricular decision-making
4. Building enculturation
5. Short-term and long-term planning and reporting
6. Collaborative planning with feeder schools
8. Roles and responsibilities of an Instructional Assistant
Instructional oversight
1. Reads all teachers’ weekly lesson plans
and provides feedback
2. Classroom observations
- Formal (Educate Alabama)
- Informal (pop-ins)
- Instructional rounds
3. Coordinates job-embedded data-driven
professional development and new
teacher orientation and mentoring
4. Administers needs assessments
5. Tracking data
9.
10.
11.
12. Roles and responsibilities of an Instructional Assistant
Planning
1. Prepares teacher packets for
instructional planning for the year
2. Plans remediation for AHSGE
3. Coordinates High Hopes
4. Coordinates Grade Recovery
5. Plans enrichment
6. Coordinates site visits
7. Planning and implementation of
student-centered school
reorganization
13. Roles and responsibilities of an Instructional Assistant
Strengthening faculty
1. Interviews for teacher employment
2. Disseminates information to ensure current
awareness of professional trends
3. Data analysis
4. Plans action research
5. Secures temporary content area replacements
6. Coordinates with universities for student teacher
observation and field experience
7. Facilitates book studies for professional
development
14.
15.
16.
17.
18. Roles and responsibilities of an Instructional Assistant
Family, community, and business relationships
1. Mediates parent-teacher concerns
2. Develops relationships with local business
partners
3. Works with local church and civic organizations
4. Fundraising
19. How I perceive my role as an Instructional Assistant
Principal
“A voice for teachers”
Listen
Observe
Encourage
Sympathize
Empathize
“One of them,” not a threat
“Takes the pulse” of faculty
“Drop-in” rather than “open-door” policy
Reports to the principal daily
Faculty and staff cheerleader
Provide current research on curriculum and instruction
“A teacher of teachers”
20. How I perceive my role and responsibilities in the
community
Find resources & money
Network with university officials
Conduit for inquiries from other schools
Hospitality and building beautification
