Planning for Leadership

I am currently studying for my School Building Leadership license in New York at the Center for Integrated Training and Education, affiliated with the College of Saint Rose. Once I graduate and pass the license exam, I can become a school administrator. This is a quick program. 6 classes. 5 weeks each. 600-hour internship. I started in October 2022 and will complete the program next summer.

Over the last five weeks, I began to focus my vision for leadership. Despite being a quick program, I learned so much in my first class and realized I made the right decision in pursuing an administration license.

We have often heard about the “achievement gap” in schools. It’s the difference in achievement scores between students of different socioeconomic backgrounds. New York City is the largest school system in the country, with over 1 million students (NYC Department of Education). But not all students have equitable access to education. In the 2020-21 school year, only 10 African-American students were accepted to Stuyvesant High School, a specialized school of over 3,000 students in lower Manhattan (Shapiro). In the 2022-23 school year, 45% of the Specialized High School Admissions Test takers were black or Latino students, yet only 8% were accepted (Bocanegra). In the year before the pandemic, Asian-American and white students graduated at a higher rate than black and Latino students (McGowan). The achievement gap is the result of something far more troublesome and challenging to overcome–the “opportunity gap.”

My goal as a leader is to reduce the opportunity gap. I want to break down barriers so all students have access to high-quality education to make our students into productive global citizens. The National Educational Leadership Preparation (NELP) Standards will be my rubric to ensure I am meeting my vision and mission for my students. These standards focus on ethics, professionalism, equity, cultural responsiveness, instruction, community-building, operations, and management (National Policy Board for Educational Administration). 

Building leaders wear many hats. We are responsible for the health and safety of our staff and students, building a culture of communication and collaboration, developing budgets and funding opportunities, etc. These responsibilities must be in the facilitation of achieving our vision for student learning. While there have been three waves of education reform in the last four decades, we cannot rely on systemic changes in an era of political stalemate (Razik, Taher, A. et al. 24). Instead, leaders must rely on open systems to build a culture of collaboration between staff, students, families, community partners, and other schools to share information and build towards the common vision of improving student learning.

Closing the gap is not only about innovative leadership. Being aware of the inequities in education is the first step to change. Last year, 104,000 New York City students were homeless (Closson). It’s a staggering and heartbreaking number. These students face some of the biggest challenges in accessing opportunities. They often don’t have access to the internet or a safe and quiet place to study, or face transportation issues getting to and from school. Awareness of programs such as McKinney Vento can go a long way to supporting students who are homeless.

Furthermore, 13.9% of NYC students were English Language Learners, 20.6% were students with disabilities, and a staggering 71.9% percent were economically disadvantaged (NYC Department of Education). ESSA Funded Programs can support these students. Title I funds can build equitable education. Title II funds can support teachers, principals, and staff in the quality of education they provide. Title III funds can support bilingual students and English language learners (ELL). Title IV funds can support a well-rounded education for all students. Leaders must take advantage of all funding opportunities. As the Transition Coordinator at my school, I attempt to close this opportunity gap by collaborating with ACCES-VR, BridgesNYC, and Includenyc. These organizations support students in developing and achieving their postsecondary goals. In addition, I work with my students to develop resumes, practice interview skills, and apply for jobs.

Closing the opportunity gap also requires careful planning and collaboration. Leaders must rely on purposeful goal-setting. 

Four Disciplines of Leadership
Focus	Set wildly important goals (WIG) that are challenging but attainable. Goals should be aligned with the direction and expectations of the administration, teachers, and students.
Leverage	Develop an action plan and lay out the steps to achieve the goal. Develop timelines and regular check-ins to tweak the action plan to meet a favorable trajectory.
Engagement	Engage all members working towards the goal. Keep them competitive and their eye on attaining the goal.
Accountability	Keep all members accountable for their roles.

Leaders must also utilize a data-driven decision-making process that reveals inequities. As the Data Specialist at my school, I will be responsible for collecting and analyzing data to identify inequities.

Foundations of Decision-Making in Schools
Understanding	Understand the data.
Formulating	Identify possible solutions.
Applying	Implement strategies (i.e. Action Plan)
Reflecting	Check to see if the team is meeting the action plan.
Improving	Evaluate the decision.

Above all, leaders must foster a safe learning environment for staff and students. Leaders can accomplish this by fostering a culture of respect and collaboration between staff and students through student activities, student government, and incorporate culturally relevant practices into lesson planning. Leaders should aim to be a trauma invested school in which there is a positive atmosphere, and there is buy-in from staff and students on common safety and social-emotional practices.

Trauma Spectrum Practices
Level 1: Trauma Inducing	Level 2: Trauma Indifferent	Level 3: Trauma Informed	Level 4: Trauma Invested
A school environment that promotes more trauma. There are no practices to support students with emotional or behavioral issues. It is an unsafe environment for staff and students.	A school that does not take into consideration the whole child in its practices and policies. The school focuses almost entirely on academic data. There are little to no protocols to support trauma.	A school that has some practices to address the needs of students. Trainings, workshops, and strategies are unevenly accepted throughout the school.	A school that has full staff consent to school practices. Teams work together and there is a positive atmosphere for staff and students. There are social-emotional practices and the school incorporates all aspects of student learning into developing a safe school.

Education is my passion. I am a product of the New York City school system. The opportunities afforded to me are why I am here today and able to communicate my vision for the public school system. Over the next several months, I hope to gain a new appreciation for building leaders and continue to develop a purposeful mission designed to uplift our students.

Works Cited

1. Bocanegra, Michelle. “Black, Latino Students Again Admitted to Elite NYC High Schools at Disproportionately Low Rates - Gothamist.” Gothamist, 15 June 2022, gothamist.com/news/black-latino-students-again-admitted-to-elite-nyc-high-schools-at-disproportionately-low-rates. Accessed 6 Nov. 2022.

2. Closson, Troy. “More than 104,000 New York City Students Were Homeless Last Year.” The New York Times, 26 Oct. 2022, www.nytimes.com/2022/10/26/nyregion/nyc-homeless-students.html#:~:text=The%20number%20of%20homeless%20students,public%20school%20system%20of%20Philadelphia.&text=About%2030%2C000%20students%20lived%20in%20shelters.. Accessed 6 Nov. 2022.

3. McGowan, Clodagh. “High School Graduation Rate up While Racial Divide Plateaus.” NY1, Spectrum News NY1, 17 Jan. 2020, www.ny1.com/nyc/manhattan/news/2020/01/17/high-school-graduation-rate-up-while-racial-divide-plateaus. Accessed 6 Nov. 2022.

4. National Policy Board for Educational Administration. “National Educational Leadership Preparation (NELP) Program Recognition Standards Building Level.” Aug. 2018.

5. NYC Department of Education. “DOE Data at a Glance.” NYC Department of Education, 2022, www.schools.nyc.gov/about-us/reports/doe-data-at-a-glance. Accessed 6 Nov. 2022.

6. Razik, Taher, A. et al. Custom Multitext for EDA 505 Introduction to Educational Leadership. Available from: VitalSource Bookshelf, (3rd Edition). Pearson Learning Solutions, 2017.

7. Shapiro, Eliza. “This Year, Only 10 Black Students Got into N.Y.C.’S Top High School (Published 2020).” The New York Times, 19 Mar. 2022, www.nytimes.com/2020/03/19/nyregion/nyc-schools-numbers-black-students-diversity-specialized.html. Accessed 6 Nov. 2022.