Educational Leadership Commons^™

Parental And Community Responsibility Can Help Nurture, Prepare Children, Pat Shipley

Institute for Educational Leadership Monograph Series

In an attempt to control or change the public education system, a debate is being held among the school systems, school employees, communities, and special interest groups in the United States and Iowa. Valuable time and resources have been expended by all participants in this "tug-o-war" as attempts have been made to "reform" the system or take it "back to basics." It has also developed into a war between child advocates and parent advocates. In some instances, it is not the determination of what may be best for the child, but an attempt to ensure and maximize ultimate parental authority. …

Schools And Choice, Timothy Stoffer

Institute for Educational Leadership Monograph Series

One of the most important decisions in a democracy is the kind of education we want for our children. The concept of public education rests on the assumption that the way we educate our youth is based on the fact we want to provide and hope for a better future.

Much of the debate over education in the United States lies in philosophical differences over how schools should be organized, governed, funded, and operated. An understanding of the distinction between public and private schools in this country is important.

Appendix B: First Amendment Religion Clauses: Questions And Answers, Kathy Lee Collins

Institute for Educational Leadership Monograph Series

These answers represent only the author's view of the state of the law in Iowa in mid-year 1994. The responses are general and written for a lay audience. Always consult with your own attorney before relying on such advice.

Separation Can Still Allow Positive Religious Values In Public Life, Rodney Hilpipre

Institute for Educational Leadership Monograph Series

The issue of the separation of Church and State does not have a clear-cut answer. In the 1700s, the founding fathers wrote the Constitution and included the First Amendment, a guarantee that there would be no government sponsored religion. This provision protected individuals from tyranny, but today this same amendment is being used to diminish the role of virtues and values in civic life. Past Supreme Court decisions may cause a person to wonder if there have been gross misinterpretations. The Constitution was written to keep government out of religion, not religion out of government.

Trust: Overcoming The Fear Of It, Building It, And Accepting It, David Haggard

Institute for Educational Leadership Monograph Series

Trust is as fragile as a child and, like a child, must be nurtured and supported if it is to grow. Unfortunately, trust, unlike a child, never reaches independence; is never able to sustain itself without continued nurturing and support; and when injured, does not heal as quickly as a child. Trust can be characterized by the three stages identified in the title of this paper and it might, on occasion, be necessary to add a fourth stage, trust-rebuilding it.

James Autry in love and Profit (1991) suggested that trust is feared. If trust is to grow, that fear must …

Forming A Working Relationship Between Boards And Superintendents, Frederick H. Karre

Institute for Educational Leadership Monograph Series

Acquiring a seat on the local school board or accepting the superintendency position will, in either instance, provide an entry to an enjoyable sequence of constructive years or, possibly, to total frustration. Both positions imply that personal goals can contribute but must not project a dominant route that destroys the team effort.

Leadership in either of these roles will depend on your ability to listen, to exhibit fairness and honesty in expressing your opinion, and to be responsible to the district youth in making your decisions. Personal growth will greatly depend on your desire to learn and the effort you …

Required Attendance At Educational Programs Will Enhance Understanding Of The Roles And Expectations, Wendy Vaubel

Institute for Educational Leadership Monograph Series

In public education in Iowa, teachers, principals, and superintendents are all required to possess educational training and certification to qualify for their positions. What a stark contrast that the board of education, who makes many significant policy decisions, has no competency, educational, or training requirements.

Because educating our children is of such primary importance as we prepare them to be citizens in the 21st century, placing important decisions about future educational policies and programs in the hands of novice volunteers is a frightening prospect. Through my personal observations, it appears that most individuals, including myself, who file to become members …

Customer Service Orientation Provides Opportunities For All Learners, Dale L. Grabinski

Institute for Educational Leadership Monograph Series

Public schools belong to the people whom they serve. To ensure a positive relationship with the community, it is important to develop a philosophical base with a wide variety of publics.

A number of criteria, or tenets, should be included in building and maintaining good community relations. It is important to remember that schools have customers or clients. A customer service orientation results in a focus on meeting the needs of preschool, school-aged, and adult students to build a community of learners.

Challenges Facing Student Assessment In The 90s: A Collection Of Papers [Complete Monograph]

Institute for Educational Leadership Monograph Series

No abstract provided.

Wisely Assessing The Assessment Software, Dorothy H. Pospichil

Institute for Educational Leadership Monograph Series

When I first read the statement I was to address, I figured the topic would be simple. As a secondary high school social studies teacher, I would discuss how my students use technology to demonstrate their learning. Videos, photography, multimedia programs, and word processing are a few ways they use technology for me to assess their understanding of the concepts. I use the computer to record and report their grades. As I reread the issue statement, I realized it dealt with ways I use technology to assess, monitor, and report learning. I am in trouble now.

I use a scanner …

Which Assessment Model To Use When?, Gary Phye

Institute for Educational Leadership Monograph Series

Assessment must be multi-dimensional to be effective. The two major dimensions are standardized achievement tests and classroom assessment involving teacher developed tests. Both types of assessment must be included in an assessment scheme that attempts to monitor student achievement and student learning. I will argue that while achievement is the product of learning, it is not assessed in the same manner.

The concept of assessment is itself multifaceted. Assessment involves a structured plan that includes the use of several types of instruments we frequently call tests. Thus, several models of assessment would be employed in any classroom. The key factor …

Taking A Risk To Improve Accountability, David W. Boelman

Institute for Educational Leadership Monograph Series

Improving accountability to our public and, more importantly, to our students means taking risks and moving out of our comfort zones. Committees: have composed mission statements to promote higher levels of thinking skills: and the development of lifelong learners. Will the district's goals and objectives be used effectively to study the challenges facing student assessment in the 1990s? Then will the district improve their accountability of accurately reporting the data of student assessment to the public?

This paper will present some viewpoints of a curriculum coordinator for 5 Iowa school districts which include educators, students, and parents for 11 school …

The Coach And The Team Working Together Make For A Winning Season, Wayne L. King

Institute for Educational Leadership Monograph Series

Serving your community is a privilege in whatever capacity; however, when you are elected by your community to serve, you are expected to use the knowledge and ability that the voters acknowledged by electing you to that position.

The public school systems today are the most valued institutions of our country. They are the starting point of everyone's life. If mistakes are made in the student's early life, that student may well suffer those consequences throughout his/her entire life.

The board of education of any given district is to see that children do not falter, but rather build from year …

Communication: The Key To A Positive Relationship Between The Board Of Education And The Superintendent, Bill R. Kruse

Institute for Educational Leadership Monograph Series

The challenge to the operation of an effective school district begins with a shared vision of the purpose and direction of the school district. All players must share this vision. The school board, administration, faculty, and community members must all be headed towards the same end. Only if this direction is clearly defined and a road map to achieve this vision is laid out will the students enjoy the benefits of an effective school district.

Once the vision is defined, the work really begins for everyone, but especially for the superintendent. It will be this person's challenge to make sure …

Leadership, Debra M. Van Den Berghe

Institute for Educational Leadership Monograph Series

Can we ensure long-term communication and information flow within and between the board of education and superintendent of schools?

The single most important factor that will determine long-term board/superintendent relations of leadership among these two entities. The future of board/superintendent relations will be America's educational system's ability to identify, attract, train, and retain effective leaders, both as school board members and as superintendents.

In the 21st century, three factors will be crucial to the leadership abilities of board members and superintendents. These characteristics include the ability for American schools to identify, attract, and train effective leaders in both roles and …

Issue Area Five: Making Effective Decisions, Including Emphasis On Consensus Building, Conflict Resolution And Learning Together, Donald M. Gunderson, Elizabeth T. Cooper

Institute for Educational Leadership Monograph Series

No one person or organization-whether it's a family, a business, a civic organization, or a school district-can exist without occasional conflict. What's more, no one would want to exist without conflict, for conflict is responsible for the birth of new ideas, options, and inventions. The important issue is how the conflict is viewed and ultimately resolved. At some point before, during, or after the conflict has occurred, people have the ability to resolve that conflict. That ability, however, depends on the participants' willingness or desire to resolve the conflict.

In a school district setting, many ways exist to resolve conflict …

Board Decision-Making Processes Are Enhanced And Empowered By Using A District-Wide Vertical Team, Ronald Barney

Institute for Educational Leadership Monograph Series

How often have you heard or read about a board of education adopting a new program at the superintendent's recommendation only to have 50 people at the next board meeting vehemently opposing the idea? What went wrong? Very often boards rely upon the recommendations of the superintendent. While competent and highly trained, this person cannot know everything about all the issues that may surround every decision. How, then, can the board decision-making process be enhanced so that boards of education can feel comfortable that issues have been adequately discussed and prepared?

Boards of education need to follow a site-based decision-making …

The Why, Who, And How Of Developing Community Links, Suzette G. Jensen

Institute for Educational Leadership Monograph Series

Developing positive links with the community will require school board members and school administrators to deal head-on with the issues facing public education. We must deal honestly with negative attitudes about the quality of our public schools and the problems we are facing.

Perhaps the first question we should answer is. ''Why do we need to develop positive links with the community?" The most likely answer is "so the community will support (dollars) public education." Or, perhaps, we could be more philosophical and suggest we need positive links with the community to nurture community support for the drastic changes needed …

Opening The School Doors To Keep The Public Informed, Marybeth Wagner

Institute for Educational Leadership Monograph Series

In education, as in business, public relations are extremely important. Good public relations keep people informed and encourage them to find out more about the producer and the product. The best way for the local school district to do this is to get members of the public into the schools. It is the job of everyone who works for, or is involved with, the schools to forge positive links with the community.

Because fewer homes now have students in school and thus have fewer ties to the K-12 local education system, it is important to get people into the schools …

Let's Slow The Jump On The ___ Assessment Bandwagon, Gregory E. Dunn

Institute for Educational Leadership Monograph Series

Contrary to what you may think, I did not forget to "fill in the blank" in the title of this paper. Actually I'm just a little confused as to the proper term to use. Should I fill the blank with "alternative" (Worthen, 1993), "authentic" (Wiggins, 1989), "direct" (Willis, 1990), "performance-based" (Herman, Aschbacher, & Winters, 1992), "functional" (Iowa Department of Education, 1991), or "curriculum-based" (Deno, 1987; Tucker, 1985)? It gets even more confusing when writers use terms as synonyms for each other (Herman et al.; Willis) or when writers use the same term but define it differently (Linn, Baker, & Dunbar, …

In The Name Of Improving Education And Searching For Answers . . . The Challenge Is Ours Now, Kathy D. Brill

Institute for Educational Leadership Monograph Series

The Primary Program Crowing and Learning in the Heartland defines assessment as the systematic process of gathering evidence of what a child can do. In the same document, evaluation is defined as the on-going process of making judgments and decisions based on the interpretation of evidence gathered through assessment (Nebraska/Iowa Departments of Education, 1993).

Assessments of student learning are of a wide variety and should evaluate an even wider berth of student skills, thought processes, and learning styles. Evaluation should be to help learning and provide information that leads to improving the quality of student learning. A familiar form of …

A Practitioner's View Of Current Issues In Assessment, Linda Calvin

Institute for Educational Leadership Monograph Series

The current educational debate concerning testing centers on the various merits of standardized tests, norm-referenced tests, authentic assessments, and performance-based assessments. The issues include questions of fairness, accountability, relationships between desired outcomes and test results and the concomitant implication for improved teaching strategies and curriculum, validity and reliability; and usefulness for comparison purposes.

Integrated Learning Systems: Blessing Or Burden?, Lee Vermulm

Institute for Educational Leadership Monograph Series

Potentially the most powerful tool of transforming schools lies with using technology to alter the relationship between assessment and instruction. Before that can happen, educators must consider the purpose of assessment. Many traditionally see it as something separate from instruction-something to do before or after, rather than during instruction. Frequently teachers view assessment with some fear and dislike because its associated so closely with pronouncing a final verdict-a grade. It's rarely considered as integral with the teaching and learning process. Consequently, use of technology in assessment depends partly on teacher attitudes toward assessment in general.

A Prerequisite To Authentic Assessment: The Development Of A Reflective Classroom, Jeanette L. Fields

Institute for Educational Leadership Monograph Series

During the past decade the American educational community has been struggling through a long and difficult labor to achieve a quiet philosophical rebirth. This rebirth is an attempt to create an educational culture where values, beliefs, and customs are built upon reflective inquiry. Dewey and his predecessors believed "that to transform reflection into action consonant with the students' thoughts became the very function of teaching" (Eiseley, 1962, p. 152). The ability to observe intuitively and intellectually, the analysis and reflection of those observations, and the development of intellectually passionate learners therefore are not direct results of an authentic assessment culture, …

Considering Learning And Teaching First; Then Assessment Follows, Robert M. Boody

Institute for Educational Leadership Monograph Series

Let's begin by admitting that as a field we really know very little about the impacts of various assessment models on students, schools, or anything else. Worthen, Borg, and White (1993) note that "most criticisms and defenses of tests are still primarily 'articles of faith, ' not scientifically supported positions" (p. 412). This statement should give us some pause. It suggests that the well-respected, professionally competent authors of a good text on educational measurement and evaluation aren't really sure of the impacts of measurement on students and other things! I admit that the authors would probably not understand their statement …

The Educational Dividend: A Return On Public Investment, Thomas E. Deeter

Institute for Educational Leadership Monograph Series

Investment dividends provided to shareholders serve as one index of corporate success or growth. To maintain public support, school districts must inform stakeholders about the effectiveness of the teaching and learning process in preparing students for the future. Accountability systems used to plan for school improvement require information on many topics and form a variety of sources. Results of an evaluation process in general and of assessment practices in particular indicate educational success (educational dividends). Assessment results demonstrate student achievement regarding knowledge, performance, or interpersonal outcomes, and indicate that a school is indeed achieving its mission. By accessing results by …

Putting The Meaning Back Into Accountability, Robert L. Ziomek

Institute for Educational Leadership Monograph Series

Over the last 20 years, starting with the minimum competency testing movement of the 1970s, the word accountability has been slowly eroding away and, just recently, has been rendered meaningless due to overuse, misuse, and sophistry. When used in combination with other words like fiscal, educational, and social, the phrase is elevated to the level of an oxymoron (see e.g., Hansen, 1993). A careful reading of any dictionary or thesaurus reveals the following descriptive phrases and synonyms associated with the adjectives accountable and accountability: subject to giving an account, capable of being accounted for, answerable, responsible, liable, explainable, attributable, obliged …

Preface

Institute for Educational Leadership Monograph Series

The Institute for Educational Leadership (IEL) is a unit of the College of Education at the University of Northern Iowa. The Institute's mission is to promote the improvement of elementary, secondary, and post-secondary education throughout the state of Iowa. To fulfill this mission the Institute serves as a catalyst for: informal dialogue on educational issues impacting the schools of Iowa, region and nation; developing collaborative relationships with individuals and/or organizations external to schools; and education policy development.

This compilation of position papers and issue group consensus reports represent the individual and collective wisdom of Iowa educational leaders relative to strengthening …

Information: The Key To Better Relationships, Marla Anstey

Institute for Educational Leadership Monograph Series

As a first year board member, I am still very much a novice. There is much to learn, including but not limited to the-Iowa Code, board authority, board restrictions, and school policy. Experienced members of each board can assist and be very helpful in instructing new board members. Former board members are helpful sometimes, but false ideas can also be gotten from bitter former members. The board member that had "an axe to grind" should be feared and ignored. Personal opinions need to be heard but not always heeded.

Trust, respect, and a willingness to communicate are important. Trust can …

Issue Area One: Building Mutual Trust And Understanding Within And Between The Board Of Education And Superintendent Of Schools, Susan Fisher

Institute for Educational Leadership Monograph Series

Picture the ideal school district where the board of education and superintendent have a perfect relationship built on trust and mutual understanding. The district basks in the brilliant sunshine of a communication system providing information that is honest, sufficient, timely, and legal. Everything works! Ideal situations don't just happen. They begin with the first handshake between a new superintendent and the hiring board, or a new board member and experienced board members and with the superintendent already in place. No doubt communication has taken place before hiring or election and an initial impression has been made. (Specific strategies for developing …