Essential Skills Program

CREATING & ADMINISTERING AN EFFECTIVE SCHOOL

offered in Miami by Deborah Welch 26 June - 2 July 2008

offered in London by Deborah Welch and Lee Fertig 12-18 July 2008

 

This course offers the knowledge and skills necessary for international school leaders to articulate a vision and design and implement a plan for an effective school that is focused on student learning.  It assists participants in understanding the ‘big picture’ of what international schools and how leaders can optimize conditions to maximize learning and be focused on results. Participants will:

• Identify the elements of an effective school that is focused on learning and constantly improving
• Develop strategies for bridging from vision to day-to-day practice.
• Practice using data to assess student learning and school improvements
• Analyze elements which lead to a positive school culture and climate
• Explore the notion how we can best plan and lead for change
• Develop skill in the critical role of recruiting, selecting and orienting new staff as well as optimizing staff and structures to improve learning
• Develop a school improvement plan for improved student learning

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INSTRUCTIONAL SUPERVISION

offered in Miami by Patricia Handly-Johnson and Sarah Putnam on both Miami dates:  26 June - 2 July 2008 (and) 4-10 July 2008

offered in London by Julie Ryan and Susan Napoliello 4-10 July 2008

One of the most essential skills of an international school principal is to know how to connect and use the processes of supervision, evaluation and professional development to promote teacher growth and maximize student learning and performance. This course will teach participants how to make this important connection while focusing on results-driven instructional leadership in the context of a professional learning community. It is intended for aspiring as well as practicing principals who have little experience with supervision/evaluation or who wish to refine their skills. Participants will learn and practice the following essential instructional leadership skills:

• How to design supervision processes which promote growth for both teachers and students
• How to design the elements of effective teaching ( a summarized review)
• How to differentiate between supervision and evaluation, and how to identify effective schemes
• How to apply strategies and practices that will encourage teachers to reflect on their practice
• How to apply conferencing strategies that promote student learning
• How to supervise through the observation of instruction and student engagement
• How to supervise through looking at student learning results
• How to individualize the supervision and evaluation processes
• How to use the school learning community as an on-going and on-site professional development program

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LEADERSHIP & GROUP DYNAMICS

offered in Miami by Christopher Bowman  4-10 July 2008

offered in London by William Powell 26 June - 2 July 2008

 

A school cannot be effective without strong leaders.  This course offers participants the opportunity to explore the essential leadership skills and team processes required for the international school.  Participants will learn and practice:

• Essential elements of situational leadership and other prominent leadership models
• Principles and practices of group dynamics for all levels of teams within the school setting
• How to lead change and improvement processes, including conflict management
• Effective means of staff motivation
• Skills of effective communication
• Personal development as a leader
• How to assess their own leadership strengths, weaknesses and approaches.

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CURRICULUM LEADERSHIP IN THE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL (renamed from Curriculum and Resource Development)

offered in Miami by Bambi Betts 18-24  June 2008

offered in London by Kevin Bartlett and Gordon Eldridge 4-10 July 2008

 

A clear, rigorous curriculum is essential in the international school. This course will equip participants to lead a full curriculum process, including development, implementation and monitoring.  Participants will learn and practice with:

• The range of curricula currently available to international schools
• The axioms on which effective curriculum is based
• How current research about teaching and learning should influence international school curriculum design
• Defining what students should learn, including the notion of standards
• The essential elements of assessment needed in a written curriculum
• Models for getting curriculum written in your school
• Effective curriculum monitoring practices
• Designing a curriculum development or improvement plan for your own school

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ASSESSING STUDENT LEARNING

offered in London by Bambi Betts 26 June - 2 July 2008

Recent research suggests that effective assessment practices can dramatically improve student learning.  A comprehensive assessment plan, which outlines  policies and practices for determining the extent of student learning, as well as promoting it,  is an essential component of an effective school and one which many international schools are lacking.  In this unique course, participants will:

• Examine the reasons why it is necessary to rethink current assessment practices
• Practice with some of the key learning of  the last decade regarding assessment
• Identify and work with the four major categories assessment in international schools, including both internal and external
• Explore the leadership practices related to developing and implementing a full assessment scheme
• Practice developing an assessment policy
• Practice designing a results-driven decision-making model, based on four types of data

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Advanced Course Program

THE EFFECTIVE PRINCIPAL: FROM THEORY TO PRACTICE

offered in London by William Powell 12-18 July 2008

 

The principalship presents moment-to-moment challenges, along with both short and long-term critical leadership opportunities, which do not present themselves, as courses often do, in neat categories. This course provides participants with the practical application and integration of the knowledge and skills taught in the Essential Skills Courses. Through the experience of serving as a principal of a hypothetical international school and related case studies, simulations and role-play activities participants will face the day to day realities of principalship and :

• Analyze data and set related goals
• Develop the skills required to build leadership capacity in others
• Practice recruiting teachers and leading teams, and managing conflict and crises
• Develop pro-active plans for curricular improvement
• Focus on time management, communication, decision making, and the management of scarce resources.
• Practice self-analysis and reflective leadership
• Practice leading teams and managing crises and conflict

 Prerequisite: Now open to anyone who has taken 2 PTC courses. 

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• How to distinguish between board and administrative responsibilities with regard to finance
• How to put in practices which ensure that financial decisions follow what is best for students
• Basic accounting principles
• Best practices in budgeting, monitoring and control
• Long range financial planning, with student learning as the centerpiece
• Key financed-related personnel policies, including performance pay
• Basic use of spreadsheets as a key tool

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LAW & POLICY IN THE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

not being offered in 2008

 

By definition, every school leader assumes weighty responsibilities for people and relationships, events, facilities, and a host other operational facets.  This course provides a comprehensive overview of the primary legal issues that confront principals and other school leaders in international schools of all types.  Emphasis is placed on developing skills to recognize the events that give rise to legal and policy issues.   The course is taught through the Socratic Method used in preeminent law schools and uses common law in the most developed countries as the primary lens.
Participants will:

• Explore the distribution  of powers and responsibilities in international school settings, with emphasis  on the role of the principal
• Examine major areas of  law and legal issues related to conducting an international school including  tort, contracts, conflicts of law, negotiations, and agency  (liability).
• Examine and practice with school policies and their relationship to potential legal  issues
• Examine the emerging field of internet law – cyber-schools, cyber-misconduct and intellectual property use/misuse.
• Practice thinking,  writing and negotiating using common law cases to illustrate how a legal  system can impact an international school
• Examine the role of  ethical leadership as it relates to law

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