LEADERSHIP IN ACTION

#3: Employ the Key Actions of the Building Leader Across the Areas of Instructional Focus

We know the four critical areas of instructional focus.  We have identified the key actions of a building instructional leader.  All that is left is to employ the key actions across the areas of instructional focus.

To get started, an overview of the document titled Becoming the Instructional Leader of Your Building: Essential Planning Inventory (EPI) is an easy-to-use action plan designed to help building leaders begin applying the five key actions of a building leader across the four areas of instructional focus. The boxes represent the four areas of instructional focus. The horizontal keys represent the key actions of the instructional leader.

pdf-icon Download the Essential Planning Inventory.


The EPI tool is designed to assist you in identifying critical tasks needed as you move toward becoming the instructional leader of your building.  Below is a sample from the EPI that lists the items you will need to gather prior to working through the tool. To make your work more efficient, gather as many of these items as possible.

TOPIC PREPARATION

The Essential Planning Inventory (EPI) is to be after completing this course. The items listed below should be obtained prior to working through the EPI.

  1. A list of all building staff (names and roles) and building master schedule
  2. Building Professional Development Plan (PD Plan)
  3. Building budget (for PD, substitutes, materials)
  4. Building level data (see Missouri Data Portal http://mcds.dese.mo.gov/Pages/default.aspx)
    • MSIP 5 Report and Building Comprehensive School Improvement Plan (CSIP)
    • Special Education Profile
    • Annual Performance Report (APR)
    • Disaggregated Discipline Data (such as office discipline referral, detention, in/out of school suspension-by race and gender
    • Attendance
  5. Building Assessment Plan
    • Knowledge about what common formative assessments (CFA) are developed or are currently used in the building
  6. A list of the building leadership team membership (members, roles/functions, example meeting agendas/minutes/norms/meeting schedule)
  7. A list of existing grade level/content area collaborative teams (CTs) (teams, members, members’ roles/functions, and example meeting agendas/minutes/norms/schedules)

pdf-icon Download the Essential Planning Inventory.


Below is another sample from the EPI tool from the Collaborative Culture and Climate section. Ideally, this tool is designed for electronic completion, but may be printed for paper/pencil completion as well. To begin working in the EPI, you will see three main column headings listed across the top of each page along with Yes/No columns.

TOPICRESOURCEYES/NONEXT STEPS
Critical questions about implementation in one of the four instructional areas of focus is posed. Possible resources are listed to assist in answering the critical question. If you answer “yes,” continue on to the next critical question.  If you answer “no,” mark one of the suggested next steps listed in the column to the right or note your next steps beside the option labeled “Other.”Potential next steps listed to help users to make decisions and to progress through the document more efficiently.  Participants always have the option of marking “other” when desired choice is not listed.

pdf-icon Download the Essential Planning Inventory.