Unwrapping the Isllc Standards free essay sample

The ISLLC standards provide high-level guidance and insight about the traits, functions of work, and responsibilities expected of school and district leaders (ISLCC, 2008). Their main purpose is to increase understanding of how educational administrators can enhance teaching practices and student learning. As future school leaders it is imperative that we use these standards as tools in assisting us when making a decision regarding our stakeholders. However, applying the ISLLC standards in a school setting does not guarantee success for a school leader, but it does facilitate the process in creating a positive school culture in a learning environment, which is essential in a school setting. As we conclude this school year, next year will pose different challenges for our migrant department. We are going to be implementing a new program as a Migrant team. Our job description will be changing for next year. The primary purpose for change in schools is to improve the instructional program and, in so doing, improve student achievement (Green, 2009). We will write a custom essay sample on Unwrapping the Isllc Standards or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Throughout the years our main focus has been at the elementary level, but this upcoming year our focus will shift to the junior high level. Furthermore, with all these changes going into effect, we are also adding a new member to the team. As standard 2 states a school administrator is an educational leader who promotes the success of all students by advocating, nurturing, and sustaining a school culture and instructional program conducive to student learning and staff professionals (ISLLC2008). Steps are being taken to ensure we have a smooth transition. For example, the last week of school all migrant advocates will report to their junior high and be introduced to the staff. This will provide an opportunity to meet teachers and staff before the beginning of school. Furthermore, groups will be assigned and individuals will have an opportunity to socialize with school personnel and build professional relationships amongst them. Hopefully this will assist us migrant advocates feel accepted by the school staff and consider us a part of their learning community. When a learning community exists as a part of the school tructure, the process of developing and implementing school improvement plans is enhanced (Leithwood, 1993). As we embark in building our learning communities within our schools, we pose another challenge. Which can be described as lacking in collaboration with our migrant families and community. Standard 4 states that a school administrator is an educational leader who promotes the success of all students by collaborating with families and community members, responding to diverse community interests and needs, and mobilizing community resources (ISLLC, 2008). Parent participation is almost non-existent within our program. We have four Migrant Parent Advisory Council (MPAC) meetings per year. During our MPAC meetings parent participation is very limited. For the last two years we have tried to assign an advisory board, which would consist of a president, vice-president, secretary, and treasure. To this date, we have not been able to establish the advisory group. To address this issue, next year the migrant program will be hosting student activities for parents to attend. Activities will range from math night, movie nights, special recognition awards ceremony, Christmas musicals, even free dinners once in a while. Included in the action plan, we will schedule community members to be guest speakers at our MPAC meetings. This will provide the opportunity for our parents to interact with community members at the local level. We would love to bring in a politician from the state and federal level providing our parents an opportunity to understand how resources and funds are secured and managed in a learning environment. As previously mentioned, this upcoming school year we will be adding a new member to the team. Standard 5 states a school administrator is an educational leader who promotes the success of all students by acting with integrity, fairness, and in an ethical manner. We were notified last month that there are no funds to order new equipment for the new advocate. We must share our limited equipment amongst us. This will be a very grueling decision my administrator needs to make. Conflict is inevitable in this situation. The objective of the school leader should be to minimize negative consequences and maximize positive outcomes (Green, 2009). At the moment it is unclear how our equipment will be distributed. If I were the school administrator I would take a democratic approach. I would schedule a meeting with all advocates and make them part of the decision making process on how the equipment should be distributed. There would be many factors I would consider with the group, before making a decision. First and foremost, I would want to make sure who ever gets the equipment has a secure location for them at their school site. Second, I would gather, collect and analyze student data. Third, I would share my findings with my team and we would discuss the possible ways to enhance student learning with the equipment that we have. By taking this approach, I would involve my advocates in the decision-making process, which should provide acceptance of the decision by all members. As stated in my introduction, the purpose of the ISLLC standards is to improve teaching practices and student learning. Furthermore, the standards provide us with the framework of how to successfully manage a learning environment. The ISLLC standards bring consistency to the learning environment. When the standards are properly applied in an educational community it has a positive impact on all stakeholders and the learning environment. As future leaders, we need to make sure we foster a collaborative learning environment were two-way communication is constantly occurring. Furthermore, creating a positive, trust-based culture is crucial to the success of a school leader and the learning environment. Applying the standards to the process of managing a learning environment should increase your chances of having success as a school administrator. However, the end result is not guaranteed. The experience I obtained while deconstructing the standards was invaluable. It provided me with an opportunity to fully understand how important it is to become an effective communicator. Effective communication is vital in a learning environment; in fact I think it is the most important factor. As future school leaders we need to make sure expectations are clearly communicated to stakeholders. Our success as school leaders will depend on how effectively we communicate with our stakeholders. â€Å"Communication is the lifeblood of the school; it is a process that links the individual, the group, and the organization† (Luneburg amp; Ornstein, 1996). Furthermore, the process used in unwrapping the standards had its purpose.  The process provided us with the opportunity to refine our collaboration and organizational skills. These are all skills we need to master and implement efficiently if we want to succeed in managing a learning environment as a school administrator.