News

Ken Leithwood's report Evaluation of the Project: Leading Student Achievement: Our Principal Purpose is now available in DRAFT form.

Download the Report DRAFT (PDF)

A PowerPoint presentation outlining the principal purpose of the Leading Student Achievement project. It is designed to explain the Leading Student Achievement Project to teachers to encourage them to complete the survey.

Individuals interested in viewing the PowerPoint presentation can download and print the document by clicking on the following link.

Leading Student Achievement: Our Principal Purpose (Expanding the Professional Dialogue for Action) (PPT)

These letters are instrumental in assisting with the project.

The Letter to Principals explains in more detail the importance of the Principal Survey responses to the LSA Project. Letter to Principals (PDF)

The Letter to Teachers can be photocopied for use with your teachers to explain the importance of completing the survey. Letter to Teachers (PDF)

The OPC Centre for Leadership offers the participants of the Leading Student Achievement Project a variety of professional development opportunities to provide support to school leaders as they build professional learning communities in their schools and across their boards.

Workshops are usually five hours in length; however, length and focus can be customized to suit the needs of principal learning teams. Consultative visits are also available from OPC staff.

For more information, contact Susan Nesbitt at OPC Telephone: 416-322-6600, Toll Free 1-800-701-2362
E-mail: snesbitt@principals.on.ca

Emotional Intelligence?
Literacy: The Principal's Role
Principal as Action Researcher
Professional Learning Communities?
Supporting Math Education in Schools Vital Signs Revisited...

Emotional Intelligence: A Key to Effective Leadership

School leaders bring their values, knowledge, experience and skill to their work each day. The understanding and appropriate application of Emotional Intelligence (EI) is key to effective leadership. As the challenges, demands and complexities of the principal's role increase, this knowledge will continue to be the foundation of dynamic, successful and effective leadership.

OUTCOMES
In this workshop participants will:

• learn the components of Emotional Intelligence
• understand the connection between Emotional Intelligence and successful school leadership
• receive personal feedback based on the results of assessment inventories
• be introduced to strategies that will further enhance their Emotional Intelligence toolkit.

Literacy: The Principal's Role

Literacy development is the key to student achievement. The EQAO assessments and the grade ten literacy test highlight the importance of literacy instruction in our elementary and secondary classrooms. The research is clear - principals and vice-principals are key to the implementation of a successful literacy plan that improves student achievement.

OUTCOMES
In this interactive workshop participants will:

• review the research and resources on effective literacy instruction
• examine the fundamental role the principal plays in improving literacy achievement
• learn practical strategies to promote and support best practices in literacy instruction
• explore successful strategies for implementation and supervision of effective school-wide literacy programs.

Principal as Action Researcher: The Balanced School Day

Are you passionate about school improvement? This workshop is tailored for the inquisitive principal whether you are novice or experienced. This is a day planned to give you an opportunity to work with other effective professionals for systematic change. If your school is not generating the desired level of success or your expectations for improvement are not being met, this may be the day for you. Action research is a powerful tool for simultaneously improving educational practice and health in a school.

OUTCOMES
In this workshop participants will:

• review an authentic example of the principal as action researcher
• become familiar with a step by step process for action research (model)
• have an opportunity to dialogue and problem solve with colleagues about the steps, processes and obstacles of action research
• begin to develop or refine an Action Research Plan

The Principal as Instructional Leader

Research indicates that sustained organizational improvement requires elements of strong leadership, a shared mission, vision and values; collective inquiry; collaborative teams; action orientation and experimentation; continuous search for improvement; results orientation and celebration. In schools these elements lead to the development of professional learning communities where student learning is the focus.

OUTCOMES
In this workshop participants will:

• define and review the purpose and characteristics of a professional learning community
• identify strategies that support the building of a professional learning community
• use reflection, interaction and practical resources to initiate a planning process that transforms schools into professional learning communities
• utilize a resource book for incorporating professional learning communities in the school improvement planning process.

Supporting Math Education in Schools

Mathematics is a major curriculum focus in both elementary and secondary education. The principal's role in supporting math education is vital to the success of improved learning for all students.

OUTCOMES
In this interactive workshop participants will:

• become familiar with innovative strategies for supporting math education
• identify teacher performance practices in exemplary math programs and incorporate them into the performance appraisal process
• understand the importance of math education and the allocation of resources to benefit math programs.

Vital Signs Revisited: Improving Literacy and Numeracy Results

This workshop focuses on the principal's role in improving student achievement in literacy and numeracy. This workshop provides practical strategies to support teachers and teaching teams in making good decisions based on classroom evidence.

OUTCOMES
In this workshop participants will:

• investigate fundamental challenges and solutions for improving literacy and numeracy results
• develop an understanding of the role that classroom research has in school improvement
• understand the teacher's role in decision-making using classroom evidence
• examine the interaction of different types of evidence to identify problems and program weaknesses
• develop best practice models for getting to root causes, for reframing problems into solutions and setting SMART goals that get results
• gain experience searching and selecting the most effective strategies for improving teaching in literacy and numeracy
• use these processes in order to implement them effectively with teachers.

The response to the Leading Student Achievement Project is very enthusiastic and positive. Principals across the province welcome the opportunities to engage in meaningful dialogue and to learn from the expertise of their colleagues. The reality of a shared vision and a common understanding in creating and sustaining authentic professional learning communities is being realized.

CPCO Professional Development is designed, developed and delivered by Catholic principals for Catholic principals.

CPCO Professional Development opportunities are well researched and reflect the most recent practical, job-embedded strategies which focus on student achievement.

CPCO Professional Development is customized to suit the needs of the particular Principal Lead Team. Contact: nkelders@cpco.on.ca

Living the Parables: Sowing the Seeds
Catholic School Administrators need the opportunity to take time to reflect on their own spirituality and vision for their school communities. This multi-media retreat focuses on five parables and how they can be lived out in our modern world. School administrators will receive resources that will assist them in leading their own faith days with their staffs and support them in building Catholic Professional Learning Communities.

Assessment Literacy: Our Continuous Journey
A data-driven dialogue to support student achievement through authentic assessment. Participants will receive practical strategies in managing quantitative and qualitative data. The workshop can be customized to utilize the board's data information system to "raise the bar and narrow the gap."

Professional Learning Communities: Stretch Your Thinking and Take Action
This action oriented workshop will deepen thinking about Catholic professional learning communities. Administrators will build on their own knowledge and skills as well as the expertise of other educators. Action Research and Critical Friends groups are among the variety of PLC models that will be explored.

Targeting Literacy and Numeracy: From Ideas to Practice
A comprehensive exploration of proven high yield strategies to improve student achievement in literacy and numeracy from a principal's perspective.

Emotional Intelligence Inventory
Deepening principals' awareness and understanding of the important role that emotional intelligence plays in ensuring the necessary skill set for creating and sustaining relationships in Catholic Professional Learning Communities.

Companions on the Journey: Called to Lead, Called to Serve
This mentoring program provides the mentor and protégé with the tools they need to support and enhance the process. The program is flexible and can be adapted to meet the needs of the board.

Individuals interested in viewing the agenda for the June 8th & 9th symposium at the Delta Toronto Airport West hotel can download and print the document by clicking on the following link.

Leading Student Achievement: Our Principal Purpose (Symposium Agenda) PDF

Dear Lead Principals and Superintendents:

Thank you so much for your enthusiastic participation in the January 27th Symposium. The feedback on the day has been very positive. We are looking forward to the culminating symposium on June 8th and 9th at the Delta Hotel.

As part of the ongoing research component of the Leading Student Achievement: Our Principal Purpose Pilot Project Carol Slater, assistant to Dr. Ken Leithwood, will be in touch with you over the next couple of weeks to conduct a telephone interview. This will involve a series of questions pertaining to your role as lead principal such as: what you have learned from this opportunity and how has it impacted on your leadership practices. The telephone interview will not take up too much of your time.

Your ongoing commitment to this ambitious and innovative project is greatly appreciated.

Kind Regards,

Barbara McMorrow
Professional Development Director
Catholic Principals' Council Of Ontario
bmcmorrow@cpco.on.ca