Summative Assessment: Leadership: Mission, Vision, and Change Latesha M. Gordon University of Phoenix EDD 724: Instructional Leadership Dr. Todd Wente April 14, 2025

[Audio] As we embark on this presentation on summative assessment, leadership, mission, vision, and change, let's explore how we can integrate our mission and vision to drive change and growth in our educational institution..

[Audio] The mission, vision, and change within a school are essential elements of education, influencing educational goals. It is a complex process for leaders to implement changes in education. Educational planners must analyze the school's needs to develop effective plans for change. There are six key components that leadership teams can utilize to guide successful changes and development within their institutions. These components include developing a collaborative educational vision and institutional mission, establishing a strong commitment to the expert community, fostering good relationships with educational communities, promoting professional and educational growth for students and teachers, establishing successful partnerships with parents and other stakeholders, and implementing systematic planning and implementation processes. By focusing on these components, schools can increase student success and achieve their goals..

[Audio] Our administration team facilitates collaboration and dialogue to ensure we work together to fulfill the school's vision and continuously improve towards our mission and vision. We strive to provide a unique blend of academic rigor, character development, and personalized learning to enable every child to achieve elevated academic and social standards and become leaders in their homes, communities, and beyond..

[Audio] As a leader, recognizing the value of equity in education is crucial, ensuring that all students receive a quality education, support, and care with fair treatment. The NPBEA Standards emphasize the importance of cultural competence in our interactions and practices, fostering a sense of cultural sensitivity. By embracing these standards, we can create a more inclusive environment where every individual feels valued and respected..

[Audio] Educational leaders develop and support rigorous and coherent curriculum, instruction, and assessment systems to promote students' academic success and well-being. At Phalen Leadership Academies, we prioritize scholar learning by utilizing data to address individual needs, recognizing that scholars learn uniquely. Our instructional strategies include tiered lessons, small group sessions, in-school tutoring, hands-on activities, and integrated technology. Additionally, we provide a 6-8 week rigorous summer enrichment program to aid scholars in maintaining and accelerating their learning gains. An effective teacher offers scholars diverse learning opportunities that foster their growth. Scholars and the community collaborate to establish classroom expectations at the start of the school year, practicing and modeling these expectations consistently throughout the year..

[Audio] Teachers treat students fairly, with respect and dignity, ensuring every student feels valued. This commitment to fair treatment and respect is unwavering and forms the foundation of our school's culture. Our school has developed a student handbook to support this standard, outlining student and family academic expectations, including information on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports. The Live Schools platform provides real-time positive rewards and addresses negative behaviors. The student code of conduct book explains this process, and we have incorporated restorative practices and social-emotional competencies into our approach..

[Audio] Effective educational leaders cultivate an inclusive, caring, supportive school community that promotes the academic success and well-being of each student. By fostering a safe, caring, and healthy school environment, they ensure that students feel accepted, valued, trusted, respected, and treated with care. This includes promoting social support, extracurricular activities, and accommodations for the learning needs of students. Leaders also encourage adult-student, student-peer, and school community relationships that value and support academic learning and positive social and emotional development. Furthermore, they cultivate and reinforce student engagement in school and positive student conduct, while infusing the school's learning environment with the cultures and languages of the school's community..

[Audio] Our school recognizes the importance of incorporating diverse student languages and cultural backgrounds into our curriculum. We believe that this approach not only reflects the diversity of our community but also actively promotes transformational and social action approaches related to diversity. At Phalen Leadership Academies, we are committed to ensuring that all students, including those who are Limited English Proficient and immigrant students, have access to high-quality education that meets their individual needs. This includes providing targeted support through Title III programs to help these students attain English proficiency and develop high levels of academic attainment. By doing so, we aim to create a community of care and support for all students, where everyone feels valued, respected, and empowered to succeed..

[Audio] Effective educational leaders foster a professional community of teachers and other professional staff to promote each student's academic success and well-being. By establishing trusting working relationships among leaders, faculty, and staff, schools can promote professional capacity and the improvement practice. A leader's attributes influence teacher motivation and teaching quality, both significantly impacting student performance. Skilled leadership is crucial for student and school success, involving everyone working together as a team. Effective teaching involves explanation, demonstration, and continuous practice, achievable through continuous professional development. Ongoing learning and growth are essential for the success of both teachers and students..

[Audio] Effective educational leaders recognize the importance of ongoing learning and professional development for their faculty and staff. They understand that this process is essential for faculty-initiated improvement programs and practices. To achieve this, they design and implement job-embedded opportunities for ongoing professional learning collaboratively with faculty and staff. This allows for collegial feedback and collective learning, enabling teachers to refine their skills and expertise. The process of professional development consists of three stages: orientation, integration, and refinement. During these stages, teachers plan and participate in learning necessary for real-world application, become confident in cooperative learning methods, and transition from basic to expert competence. By providing ongoing learning opportunities, educational leaders empower their faculty and staff to continuously improve their practice, ultimately benefiting students..

[Audio] As a scholar, it is crucial to contribute to the development of vision, mission, and core values that support student success. This requires creating a shared understanding and modeling it. By doing so, we ensure that everyone involved in the educational process is aligned towards achieving the same goals. We must also research and explore professional ethical behaviors that promote fairness, professional norms, learning, and continuous improvement. This helps us maintain high standards and strive for excellence in our profession. Furthermore, emphasizing the importance of cultural competence in our interactions and practice fosters a sense of cultural sensitivity, allowing us to better serve diverse student populations. Finally, valuing the well-being of school personnel by promoting a healthy work-life balance makes them feel valued and respected, leading to increased job satisfaction and productivity..

[Audio] As a leader, it is essential to develop and communicate the mission and vision, ensuring all stakeholders understand their roles and responsibilities within the educational community. By modeling professional norms and acting ethically, we lead with integrity, fostering trust and respect among students, families, and staff. Recognizing and respecting the strengths, diversity, and culture of our community members enables us to create an inclusive environment where everyone feels valued and supported. Furthermore, fostering a growth-minded professional community empowers educators to continuously improve their practice, ultimately benefiting student learning outcomes..

[Audio] School leadership involves creating a vision and mission by setting the direction for the school through participation and involvement. This emphasizes the importance of leadership devoting time to creating the mission as a strategy for school effectiveness, contributing to shared commitment amongst school professionals. Instructional leadership includes one dimension that defines the school's mission and focuses on student learning. Leaders play a crucial role in defining and communicating the goals of the school, empowering them to shape the future of education. Transformational leadership consists of one category of setting directions that include the presence of behaviors by the school leader that contribute to the school mission, vision, and specific student goals and priorities..

[Audio] Leaders play a pivotal role in aligning a school's vision and mission with the NPBEA Standards. Their guidance is essential in promoting action and equity-centered change. The school's mission and vision should be used as a planning framework, with each NPBEA standard connected to a goal for improvement. Leaders should lead with a shared vision built on standards embedded in hiring, curriculum, professional development, evaluations, and various leadership decisions..

[Audio] The references provided offer valuable insights into the significance of mission and vision in educational leadership. Ertuğruloğlu's study highlights management's perceptions towards the vision and mission in secondary education, emphasizing the importance of effective communication and collaboration. Glickman et al.'s supervision and instructional leadership framework underscores the need for leaders to develop a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities. Nappi's research on building effective teams stresses the importance of engagement and collaboration among team members. The National Policy Board for Educational Leaders' professional standards emphasize the need for leaders to prioritize student learning and well-being. Finally, Phalen Leadership Academies' transformative education initiative demonstrates the potential for innovative approaches to education. These references collectively underscore the critical role of mission and vision in shaping educational leadership practices..

[Audio] The importance of referencing credible sources cannot be overstated when concluding an analysis. Our research has relied heavily on publications from reputable journals and official documents from Phalen Leadership Academies, serving as evidence of our commitment to accuracy and transparency. By citing these sources, we demonstrate respect for intellectual property rights and acknowledge the value of building upon existing knowledge. Moving forward, it is vital that we prioritize the use of credible sources, ensuring that our findings are grounded in empirical evidence and informed by expert opinion..