Learner-Centered Leadership for Language and Culturally Diverse Schools in High-Needs Urban Settings | Arizona State University

Program Summary

Introduction

Arizona State University – in collaboration with Alhambra Elementary School District, Creighton Elementary School District, Phoenix Union High School District, Roosevelt Elementary School District, and the Southwest Center for Education Equity and Language Diversity – is committed to implementing a leadership development program that focuses on strategies to overcome educational issues associated with high-need urban settings. The program specifically targets three pillars of leadership: learner-centered leadership, systems thinking, and community leadership. Participants actively learn knowledge and skills related to these pillars of leadership through a series of labs, case studies, workshops, action plans, and reflective practices. The most recent cohort of participants in the Learner-Centered Leadership has been extended to recruit rising administrators from other Phoenix area urban school districts.

Theory of Change

According to Murphy (2002), the professional development of school leaders must be built around five change principles: a) move from management to leadership; b) define purpose and vision; c) change organizational structures; d) enhance quality and equity; and e) develop learning communities. To initiate the change process within the learner-centered leadership program, the project team embraces a framework that is based upon one established by the National Research Council in "How People Learn" (2000).

The Council suggests four characteristics to guide professional development for adults. First, professional development should build on pre-existing knowledge. Second, people have pre-conceptions and misconceptions that need to be recognized and when necessary corrected. Third, scaffolding that provides support and nurturing should be used with adults so that they can grow and learn. Finally, real world applications should be used so that new knowledge is more readily transferred to the existing settings and context. In order to provide real world scenarios, the grant experiences are being offered using multiple mediums including on-line discussions, labs, web courses, and case studies.

Definition of Leadership

Learner-centered leadership is more than a single unifying concept with a set of assumptions and actions; it is a belief in democracy and individuation. Learner-centered leadership is dynamic and creative, and prioritizes learning in educational settings. Learner-centered leadership implies a new framework for leadership in opposition to standardization and organizational efficiency models justified by references to the behavioral sciences. The discussions and application of learner-centered leadership presented in this volume require rethinking the purposes and actions of school leaders; it requires new knowledge and skills for aspiring administrators and new models for professional development for those already on the job. Learner-centered leadership implies a reculturing of school administration that prioritizes the importance of learning (Murphy, 2002a, 2002b). Learner-centered leadership focuses attention on the primary role of learning in the repertoire of expertise for school leaders: learning about oneself as a leader (Danzig, 1999; Ackerman & Maslin-Ostrowski, 2002), learning about instruction and instructional reform (Spillane and Seashore Louis, 2002; Spillane, 2000; Spillane and Thompson, 1997); learning to make sense and reflect on individual and organizational life (Cross & Parker, 2004; Weick, 1993; Weick & Roberts, 1993; Schön, 1991); learning to build communities of learners (Sergiovanni, 1994), and learning to collaborate and share decision making (Murphy, 2002a; Senge et al., 1999). Learning is the organizing concept for the new generation of school leaders.

Mission Statement

The intention of the Learner-Centered Leadership program is to assist high need local educational agencies in developing, enhancing, or expanding their innovative programs to recruit, train, and mentor principals and assistant principals (U.S. Department of Education, 2002). The LCL project collaborates with four participating school districts in: (1) recruiting and training aspiring, rising, and experienced school administrators, (2) building the knowledge, skills, and competencies of novice principals and assistant principals based on current research through meetings, workshops, institutes, reading roundtables, and action learning projects, and (3) encouraging promotion and retention of novice and expert school administrators through participation in professional development and mentoring activities. The LCL program is currently recruiting participants from other Phoenix area urban school districts.

Costs

Cost varies by participant. Teachers (rising administrators) in the first cohort were paid approximately $1500/year to support tuition costs. The second cohort was recruited without any financial incentive. Aspiring administrators are paid $2100/year, and mentors paid $3000/year. Districts liaisons are paid $6000/year. University and project team members are paid a percentage of annual salary to participate in the program (summer salary, 10%-20% annual salary). All funds are provided by the federal grant. Districts provide additional resources by supporting time reassignment for administrators to participate in the planning and hosting of program activities, facilitating district mentoring, and to host program events.

Licensure

One of the three groups of participants is a cohort of prospective administrators who are working toward administrative certification and state licensure by completing required coursework and internships through Arizona State University. Upon completion of the program and passing the required state testing for school principals, they are awarded licensure at the principal level.

Standards

The administrator preparation program is based on Arizona state standards which align with the Interstate School Leadership Licensure Consortium (ISLLC) standards. Internships align closely with the ISLLC and ELCC standards.

Professional development activities are also aligned with ISLLC and ELCC standards, with reference to local district priorities for leadership and school administration.

Measuring K-12 Student Success

Please see the Learner-Centered Leadership results for more information (including tables on school-, district- and state-level student achievement data).

Contact

Arnold Danzig, Project Director
Arizona State University
College of Education
Division of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies
Tempe AZ, 85287

Phone: 480.727.7726 | Fax: 480.965.1880 | Email: Arnold.Danzig@asu.edu

More Information

View all links for Learner-Centered Leadership

Disclaimer

e-Lead provides information on professional-development programs for school leaders that have submitted detailed information and that also meet certain standards-based criteria. Programs listed at the e-Lead website are not endorsed by either the Institute for Educational Leadership or Temple University's Laboratory for Student Success.