Standard+4

= Standard Four: Human Resource Leadership  = //School executives will ensure that the school is a professional learning community. School executives will ensure that processes and systems are in place which result in recruitment, induction, support, evaluation, development, and retention of high performing staff. The school executive must engage and empower accomplished teachers in a distributive manner, including support of teachers in day-to-day decisions such as discipline, communication with parents/guardians, and protecting teachers from duties that interfere with teaching, and must practice fair and consistent evaluations of teachers. The school executive must engage teachers and other professional staff in conversations to plan their career paths and support district succession planning.//

Related Readings & Trainings

 * Clinical supervision assignment
 * Crucial Conversations
 * Data Day: EVAAS, ACRE, Metametrics, NC WISE
 * Developmental Projects: Lower Elementary, Upper Elementary, Middle School, and High School
 * Distinguished Leadership in Practice assignment: "Maximizing Human Resources for Goal Accomplishment"
 * Formal teacher evaluations using NC Teacher Evaluation Instrument at internship site
 * Weekly Internship Logs & Monthly Reports (tracking of teacher evaluation and support activities

4A. Professional Development / Learning Communities
//The school executive ensures the school is a professional learning community.//

Selected Experiences & Artifacts
// Daily Five // / //Café// Book Study: This year, I have participated in a book study of //The Daily Five// and //The Café Book,// written by Gail Boushey and Joan Moser. The authors, known as “The Sisters,” promote a balanced, student-driven approach to literacy instruction. Given that this was my first year working in an elementary school, I knew it would be imperative for me to build my knowledge base in elementary curriculum and instruction, and literacy, in particular, as it is foundational to all teaching and learning. M y participation in the book study, as well as the many conversations I have had about literacy instruction with our literacy coaches, teachers, administrative team, and NELA workshop presenters, will enable me to provide teachers with relevant, research-based feedback and support.



// Professional Learning Team Schedule // : At A.B. Combs, we worked hard to create a schedule that would enable our teachers to meet for regular grade-level Learning Team (PLT) meetings during school hours. Teachers are provided coverage for their classes so that they can meet twice a month to discuss student assessment results, identify strategies for supporting struggling students and providing enrichment for students who have mastered particular objectives, and to develop / revise common assessments. 

4B. Recruiting, hiring, placing, and mentoring of staff
//The school executive establishes processes and systems in order to ensure a high-quality, high-performing staff.//

Selected Artifacts & Experiences
Interviews: I have had the opportunity to interview several candidates for teaching positions at A.B. Combs. On March 19, 2012, I led an interview team, consisting of two 2nd grade teachers and our Instructional Resource Teacher, to interview a potential teacher for the 2012-2013 school year. See below for an excerpt from our follow-up exchange. In addition, I attended the Wake County Transfer Fair to recruit teachers, and will interview them throughout the spring.

//Coaching & Developing Teachers://Throughout the year, I have had the opportunity to engage in coaching cycles with many staff members, including several of our first- and second-year teachers. Together, we have identified areas for professional growth using both observational and quantitative data, as well as the NC Teacher Evaluation Instrument. We have discussed strategies that would positively impact their instruction and their students’ progress, the teacher implemented the strategies, and then we followed up with further observation and conversation. Principal Muriel Summers notes: //"Ms. Swanson has coached beginning teachers. Her excellent coaching abilities have resulted in our BTs having a successful year. She has helped them to find their voices and guided them to try additional best practices."// The emails attached here are examples of this collaborative work.

4C. Teacher and Staff Evaluation
//The school executive evaluates teachers and other staff in a fair and equitable manner with the focus on improving performance and, thus student achievement.//

Selected Experiences & Artifacts
// NC Teacher Evaluation Instrument: // From October 2011 through April 2012, **I conducted** **approximately 60 formal teacher evaluation cycles**. In addition, I have worked with teachers to create their Professional Development Plans (see screenshot below) and evaluate progress to their goals. Through this practice, I have learned the importance of effectively framing the purpose and practical application of the NC Teacher Evaluation Instrument; working with teachers and other evaluators to clearly define and “norm” around what each competency at each level of proficiency looks like in action; and employing my learning from our __Crucial Conversations__ reading/training to facilitate effective post-conferences.