SREB Training: Creating a High Performance Learning Community

On April 13, 2005, from 4-8 pm, and April 14, 2005, all day, leadership teams from 4J elementary, middle, and high schools participated in the "Creating a High Performance Learning Community" part two training workshop put on by the Southern Region Education Board. The purpose of the part one training was to develop knowledge, skills, and commitment among participating school leaders that will make it possible to create and sustain high-performance leaning cultures in our schools. After that portion of intensive training, participants were given follow-up action plans to do, which they re-visited and refined in this April session.

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The second part of the training began with a short reading, followed by paired sharing.	The pairs discussed the reading in light of the efforts going on in their own schools.	Next, they participated in a quick way to survey and display data about perceptions in their schools.
	Each person put a dot where they thought their school was in relation to the question.
Ron introduces the use of Force Field Analysis as a planning tool to create a high performance learning culture in your school.	First you do a self-analysis; on the left side, the extent you belief the culture statement is essential; on the right, the extent it is practiced in your school.	Then participants got to check their perceptions with those of the members of their school team - here is the team at Kennedy Middle School.
Some perceptions required explanations - Sheldon High School is a complex environment.	River Road/el Camino del Rio Elementary School has the added bi-lingual complication.	The Cal Young team discovers a quick way to cut to the chase - what number did you rate us on for this item?
A typical Force Field Analysis includes what is working for and against change.	Each school has different situations show up in their analysis.	The next step is to think about how they can build on the promising practices, and deal with the obstacles.
After reading and discussing the various types of roles leaders play in schools, people picked the one they most often play.	Roles Leaders Play in Schools 1. Historian 2. Anthropological Sleuth 3. Visionary 4. Symbol 5. Potter 6. Poet 7. Actor 8. Healer Click here to download PDF of leadership descriptions.	Next, they grouped by their role, and wrote descriptors for that role.
Then they went to their 2nd role choice, read the descriptors and added some of their own.	They discovered that some characteristics were the same across leader roles, or have value in specific situations.	Last, they went to the roles they are least likely to think about, and reflected on their characteristics and use in the change process.