M.A.

in School Administration

Synthesis Paper

Michael McShane

Rowan University

April 8, 2017
 Introduction

Currently, I am employed as a Special Education Teacher in the City of

Burlington, New Jersey. During my first two years I worked as an inclusion teacher, and

I am now in a self-contained setting working with students who have behavior needs.

Throughout my time in Burlington I have worked with a variety of students who all had

their own individual needs. I have been responsible for the implementation of the

educational program and comprehensive related services as outlined in the student's

Individual Education Plans and worked in collaboration with general and special

education teachers in order to plan and implement unit plans. I have needed to prepare

students for and administer state assessments. Each year, I write Individual Education

Plans and hold meetings with parents to discuss their progress and placements.

For the first year and a half of my career I was employed by Y.A.L.E. School

Central in Columbus, New Jersey. The program at Y.A.L.E. School Central is designed

for students with disabilities, specifically those with Asperger’s Syndrome. During my

time there I spent my first six months as a Teacher’s Assistant. In September of 2010 I

was hired to become the head teacher of my own classroom. As a special education

teacher I had a number of responsibilities. I was able to provide a classroom

environment favorable to learning and personal growth, while establishing an effective

rapport with students. I also wrote and implemented Individualized Education Programs

for each of my students. My experiences at Y.A.L.E challenged me and taught me what

it takes to be a teacher.

Summary of Leadership Experiences

immeasurable. A leader needs to be someone of good moral character, has the

courage to stand up for what they believe is right, and isn’t afraid to make the tough

decisions for the greater good. Great leaders come in all shapes and sizes, and we

need them in every aspect of life in order to thrive as a society. In education, when our

leaders do not possess these qualities, our schools flounder and become unproductive.

I feel that my actual leadership style is that of an administrator whose strength

lies in the human resource frame. I will focus on building relationships with the people

around me, use an open door policy, and openly support my school staff in their

endeavors. In being this type of leader, I will build a strong report with the staff and

students, creating a positive morale throughout the building. I will lead by allowing the

effort I put forth to set an example that others may follow. Currently, my behavior

matches that which I espouse in my relationships that have already been built and

established within my school. My colleagues see me as highly professional, easy to talk

to, and a teacher that does their job to the best of their ability, regardless of the

obstacles that they may face. I plan to be the same way as a leader.

A recent incident that I demonstrated leadership this year involved a grade level

goal for a professional learning community. It was during our grade level team meetings

that we decided to establish an online PLC. One of our grade level goals for the year

was to participate in a PLC that we could be engaged in through social media. Our plan

was to share relevant educational research, articles, and information with each other. I

was able to set up a Facebook group and invite my colleagues to participate in the PLC.

I also posted a few articles for them to read and share, then they were able to do the
same. In setting up this group I was able to show my grade level team that I can take

initiative and was willing to put forth the extra effort to help us reach our goals.

As my career has progressed I have grown as a leader in a number of ways. One

quality about myself that I have seen develop is my self-confidence. In my first few

years as an education professional I was not very outspoken, kept to myself, and often

went along with what my colleagues were saying. As I have progressed in my career, I

have noticed that I am no longer afraid to speak up during staff meetings. I will often

speak out and ask questions that I feel benefit the others listening. I also find myself

being much more comfortable when speaking in front of large groups of people. I have

volunteered to be a part of different initiatives and programs in our school. I’ve needed

to address the entire staff on multiple occasions, and it has become easier for me to do

so each time I do it. As I have become more experienced in my career I have seen my

ambitions grow, and my hopes to become a future leader have only grown with them. I

believe that my studies have helped me grow as a leader in this regard. In furthering my

education, I have learned more about myself and what I am capable of. I have learned

that there are a variety of aspects that make a successful leader and that there is no

formula for what makes a leader successful, but hard work, determination, and most

importantly being a knowledgeable educator are all qualities they need to possess.

I would like to further develop my leadership skills by continuing to educate

myself in the complex matters of educational leadership. By taking what I have already

learned throughout my career and in my studies at Rowan University, I plan to further

expand my knowledge of leadership by taking on additional leadership roles within my

school. I would like to see myself take on the role of Special Education Team Leader,
Assistant Principal, or Child Study Team Supervisor, and I feel that in taking on one of

those roles that I will be able to continue my development as a leader.

One role that I took on this past year was that of the Special Olympics Supervisor

for our newly developed swim program at Wilbur Watts. We received approval to

participate in the Special Olympics of New Jersey, and I jumped at the opportunity to

take a leadership role in the program. I love swimming, and it has been an absolute joy

that I’ve been able to organize and lead a group of students with disabilities to the local

YMCA once a week to swim. I was responsible for creating permission slips, contacting

parents, making sure students had up to date physical examinations from their

pediatrician, organizing the bussing, and scheduling the dates/times that we would

attend swim practice.

In September, the school principal approached me and asked me to be a

member of the school Positive Behavior Support in Schools (PBSIS) team. The team

was responsible for implementing a new school-wide behavioral system that was going

to require a great deal of planning. As a member of the team, each of us was asked to

take a leadership role and relay what we are planning out to the rest of the staff

members. On top of that, we were the primary group of individuals that needed to set

everything in place. Family outreach, fundraising, a new school motto and logo,

behavioral expectations for each main area of the school, and the reward system for

students were only just some of the pieces that we have put together in our PBSIS

monthly meetings.

As a leader I see myself as someone who is very personable. Not only am I

personable with staff members but I am also personable with the members of the
community. I believe that when I become an administrator, staff members will feel

comfortable around me and they will develop trust in me because of this. I also believe

that I will cultivate parental partnership and facilitate community and local business

involvement. This would be accomplished by attending community events, board

meetings, and PTA meetings, all of which I am currently doing. Another leadership

quality I hold is that I am consistent in my plans and expectations. In order to be a

dependable leader one must show consistency in their decision-making as well as in

their demeanor. I have always been an honest person, and I know that my honesty will

also play a big part in the man I’ll become as a leader. I believe that these qualities will

greatly help me in becoming the leader that I hope to soon be.

My administrative internship took place at Wilbur Watts Intermediate School, in

the City of Burlington, New Jersey. Wilbur Watts Intermediate School is a public school

that educates children from grades 3-8 who are residents of Burlington City. The City of

Burlington Public School District is a Title I funded district, and a vast majority of our

community members are low-income families. Wilbur Watts Intermediate School houses

a staff of 65, with a total of 413 students currently enrolled.

According to the 2014-2015 NJ School Performance Report posted on the

district webpage, Wilbur Watts 205 of the students enrolled are male and 208 are

female. 54.7% of the student population is listed as black, 39.5% are white, 4.6%

Hispanic, 1% Asian, and 0.2% are American Indian. 19% of the students that attended

Wilbur Watts have learning disabilities and 1.5% are considered to have limited English

proficiency. One of the most significant numbers in the School Performance Report is

that 60.3% of the students that attended Wilbur Watts during the 2014-2015 school year

are economically disadvantaged students. This percentage equates to a total of 249

students at Wilbur Watts Intermediate School that fall into the economically

disadvantaged category.

During the 2014-2015 school year the District Violence and Vandalism Report

showed 8 total cases of violence, harassment, intimidation, and bullying, vandalism,

weapons offenses, and substance abuse. There was one weapons offense, four HIB

incidents, three acts of violence, and no cases of substance abuse or vandalism. While

these numbers have consistently decreased over the past few years, it is still an area of
concern that could be improved by increased involvement from parents and community

members.

According to John Mooney and Colleen O’Dea’s article, Statewide High-

School Graduation Rate Increases to Nearly 90 Percent, posted on the NJ Spotlight

editorial website, the City of Burlington Public High School had a graduation rate of

78.5% in 2015, dropping from 82.2% the previous year (Mooney & O’Dea, 2016, NJ

Spotlight). In Burlington County, our high school ranked 15th in graduation rate, out of

the 16 total school districts listed by New Jersey Spotlight. To put that in perspective,

New Jersey’s average state graduation rate was 89.7% in 2015. Parental involvement is

considered one of the major components in raising our district graduation rate.
 ISLLC Standards

Standard I

Standard I of the ELCC Building Level Standards holds that “a building-level education

leader applies knowledge that promotes the success of every student by collaboratively

facilitating the development, articulation, implementation, and stewardship of a shared

school vision of learning through the collection and use of data to identify school goals,

assess organizational effectiveness, and implement school plans to achieve school goals;

promotion of continual and sustainable school improvement; and evaluation of school

progress and revision of school plans supported by school-based stakeholders” (ELCC,

2011, Standard 1).

The main piece of empirical evidence that demonstrates this learning was the

Leadership Platform Paper was completed during Building Organizational Capacity, in

order to analyze and describe the theories of leadership that best describe my

leadership style and behaviors. I needed to discuss and evaluate my leadership style,

different examples of instances I have shown my leadership, how I plan to further

develop my leadership skills, and my feelings on demonstrating leadership in the future.

The assignment also called for the reflection of my own personal beliefs, values, and

experiences during my career as an educator. This assignment focused primarily on

ELCC Standards 1.1 and 1.2. I was able to take on the task of assessing my own

thoughts on the shared vision for a school. I had to look at my own personal qualities as

a leader, and identify which of those qualities best promote collaboration within an

education community. Additionally, I was able to use my prior observations of school

leaders to assess organizational effectiveness. I feel that my experiences under a

makes up the differences between effective and ineffective school leaders.

In completing the Leadership Platform Paper I was able to identify my leadership

qualities. Specifically those that subscribe to Alan M. Blankstein’s Failure is Not an

Option. In my studies, I learned that Blankstien’s third principle, Collaborative Teaming

Focused on Teaching for Learning is one of the most important foundations for me as a

leader. I believe that collaboration among school staff is a crucial component of having

a successful school. During the completion of this assignment I also learned that I have

been more of a leader than I was giving myself credit for. When I really sat down and

thought about it, I was able to come up with a number of instances in which I showed

strong leadership skills.

Another assignment that shows empirical evidence for Standard I was the

Leadership Change Project. For the Leadership Change Project I needed to initiate a

change within my school that was discussed and agreed upon between myself and my

field mentor. I was required to combine all prior knowledge, research, theoretical bases,

and relevant coursework to develop my Change Project.

This project correlated best with ELCC Standard 1.2 and 1.3. I first took into

consideration that increased family engagement is a need within the school and also the

entire district. When looking back I came to the realization that the district and school

goals both stress the importance of increasing parental involvement and clearly identify

it as a need. During the project, I used data to gauge student attendance rates, while

also measuring parental attendance rates at school functions to determine if the change

initiative was successful. The objectives that were outlined in the Change Project helped
promote school improvement and by increasing the amount of family and parental

involvement, we helped the school and district as a whole.

During this assignment I learned an immeasurable amount of important

information about myself as a proponent of change, while also discovering that my

colleagues were willing to help out in my endeavor to make a positive change in our

school. I feel that I worked very hard during this project, and that there were numerous

aspects throughout the year that went into its successful implementation. I made it my

goal to build a stronger learning community by strengthening the partnership between

families and the school. This relationship between families and schools has been

proven to increase student success rates.

Standard II

Standard II of the ELCC Building Level Standards states that “a building-level

education leader applies knowledge that promotes the success of every student by

sustaining a school culture and instructional program conducive to student learning through

collaboration, trust, and a personalized learning environment with high expectations for

students; creating and evaluating a comprehensive, rigorous and coherent curricular and

instructional school program; developing and supervising the instructional and leadership

capacity of school staff; and promoting the most effective and appropriate technologies to

support teaching and learning within a school environment” (ELCC, 2011, Standard 2).

For my first artifact under Standard II in my Educational Leadership Portfolio I

used the Analysis of Organizational Culture that was completed during the Educational

Organizations and Leadership course. In it, I had to describe and analyze my professional

environment using Bolman and Deal’s four frames, as well as, Edgar Schein’s Three Levels
of Culture. It was necessary to hold discussions with my workplace colleagues and gather

their ideas in regards to how they felt about the workplace. I addressed the current

professional context in the educational setting, and the general feelings toward the

leadership in the school.

This paper connected to the ELCC Standards 2.1 and 2.3. The expanded knowledge base

in educational administration including understanding schools as systems and planning for

continuous improvement was evident in my work. I have observed administrators sustain

school culture that is conductive to school culture through the many ways that they have

encouraged the positive actions of their pupils. I was also exposed to the different aspects

of the supervision of school staff through thought out and meaningful professional

development put forth by administrators.

In the completion of my Organizational Culture Analysis I was able to learn about

the work of Boleman and Deal, as well as, Schein’s Three Levels of Culture. The four

frames of political, human resource, structural, and symbolic are commonly used by

principals and teachers when they are handling different situations in the field of education.

Additionally, I realized the variety of ways I have observed administrators implement

espoused beliefs into their leadership plan.

Analysis of District PD Plan completed during the Building Organizational

Capacity course. This course asked that students identify a leader within their educational

community to analyze their leadership style and behavior in the school. This paper focused

specifically on the professional development aspect of leadership and how it can be

effective when used properly by a building principal.

school leader. The development and supervision of school staff in the areas of instructional

practices was observed and discussed. Professional Learning through collaboration was

noted as one of the areas the school principal focused on and encouraged for his staff.

By doing the Analysis of Professional Development I learned how a strong

school leader has a limitless influence on the various levels of a school. In my observations,

I witnessed school leaders exemplify what it means to be a professional development

leader and I plan to take what I have learned with me in my future as an administrator.

The third artifact I used for ELCC Standard II was the Curriculum Development

Project completed during the course, Curriculum Design and Development. The Curriculum

Development project was a comprehensive analysis of a school district’s current curriculum.

I used the Curriculum Development Tool outlined in Curriculum Design and Development. I

also used the state and federal standards to review the curriculum guide and determined

that there was a need for modifications and revisions to the current 4th Grade Science

Curriculum at Wilbur Watts Intermediate School. Standard 2.2 upholds that each student

understands and can create and evaluate a comprehensive, rigorous, and coherent

curricular and instructional school program. This was accomplished by looking through the

curriculum thoroughly and coming up with recommendations to improve and enhance it. I

felt that the Next Generation Science Standards needed to be included in the current

curriculum to create a fresh new take on something that had become stale and disregarded

over time.

Analyzing the 4th Grade Science Curriculum brought to light the fact that there

are many aspects included in this piece of curriculum are outdated and need to be
refreshed. I discovered that the textbook the curriculum was based on was from the year

2003 and many teachers do not even use them due to their content and condition. It was

also brought to my attention that teachers were using the curriculum as a kind of guide to

their instruction, and they need to find their own resources to teach the content currently

required by the state.

Standard III

Standard III of the ELCC Building Level Standards states that “a building-level

education leader applies knowledge that promotes the success of every student by ensuring

the management of the school organization, operation, and resources through monitoring

and evaluating the school management and operational systems; efficiently using human,

fiscal, and technological resources in a school environment; promoting and protecting the

welfare and safety of school students and staff; developing school capacity for distributed

leadership; and ensuring that teacher and organizational time is focused to support high-

quality instruction and student learning” (ELCC, 2011, Standard 3).

A Classroom Teacher Observation was done during the Instructional Leadership

and Supervision course. During the observation, I used Hunter’s Steps in Lesson Planning.

By using Hunter’s Steps in Lesson Planning I was not only able to complete this

assignment, but also give one of my colleagues’ useful and constructive feedback on a

lesson I observed.

The teacher observations that I conducted directly correlate to the ELCC

Standards 3.1 and 3.5. In observing a fellow teacher, I was able to monitor some of the

school operational systems that take place in the classroom. I found that the discussion we
had and the feedback I gave following the lesson helped support high-quality school

instruction and student learning.

After the observation, I realized that this was a beneficial experience not only for

the teacher being observed, but also for myself. I was able to break away from my normal

day and got to spend time in another classroom, taking in all of the aspects that I knew I

could use in my own teaching practices. I learned more about the importance of

collaboration, and that no matter how highly respected a certain teacher may be, there is

always room for constructive discussion that can further enhance student learning.

The second artifact used to represent Standard III of the ELCC was the Budget Creation

assignment created during School Finance and Records. This assignment required

students to develop a budget in order to fund a new school program. I was able to act

as if I was the principal of a Middle School that needed to implement a new Anti-Bullying

program for the school. The main part of this task was to adjust the school’s current

budget so that I could pay for the new program. A School Budget Worksheet was

completed in order to make the necessary budget reductions. The Budget Creation

relates to Standards 3.2 and 3.3. I efficiently used fiscal and technological resources to

manage the school budget. The implementation of the new Anti-Bullying program is a

school based policy that protects the welfare and safety of students within the school.

By working out a way to help prevent bullying, students will not only be safer, but they

will feel safer as well.

In completing the budget I learned how comprehensive and complicated it can

be to manage the fiscal operations of a school. Sometimes, the administrators making

these calls face very difficult decisions that can have a negative impact if they are not
well thought out. It is important to make these decisions carefully, ensuring that what

eventually gets decided is in the best interest of the school and will cause the least

amount of turmoil.

Artifact three also comes from School Finance and Records. A Budget Analysis

was performed to promote student success by showing the ability to use fiscal resources in

a school setting. The objective for the Budget Analysis was to identify the top budget

priorities of a school district and the compare those priorities to other similar districts.

Districts that were used to compare needed to be within the same enrollment and grade

organization group. The spending of district money, staffing, and outliers that are found in

the budget were identified. The Budget Analysis relates to Standards 3.1 and 3.2. By

completing this piece I got to evaluate and take an in depth look at the school district’s

finance operation system. Technological resources were a major component of this

assignment because all of the information that I used was found on the New Jersey

Department of Education website.

I was able to learn many different aspects in regards to my school district's budget in my

work on this assignment. Most importantly, I learned that I have a genuine interest in

school budget’s and I spent additional time researching this topic after completing the

assignment. I found it interesting to see how the different schools across the state

budget their money. Another interesting new piece of information that I discovered in

working on this assignment was developing my understanding of the General Fund

Excess Surplus. I learned that this money can be used to cover any additional costs the

district may not have been prepared to face, and at times, this fund has saved jobs from

being cut.
Standard IV

ELCC Standard IV expresses that, “a building-level education leader applies

knowledge that promotes the success of every student by collaborating with faculty and

community members, responding to diverse community interests and needs, and mobilizing

community resources on behalf of the school by collecting and analyzing information

pertinent to improvement of the school’s educational environment; promoting an

understanding, appreciation, and use of the diverse cultural, social, and intellectual

resources within the school community; building and sustaining positive school relationships

with families and caregivers; and cultivating productive school relationships with community

partners” (ELCC, Standard 4, 2011).

The first artifact used to represent Standard IV was an Action Research Project,

finalized during the Action Research in Education class. This assignment that I had to

complete involved determining an area of improvement within the school in which I teach

and designing an action research plan that I believed would create a positive change within

the building. After first creating a hypothesis, I began the process of implementing the

necessary action that would set the plan in motion. I also collected various forms of

qualitative and quantitative data that were necessary for my research. Once I analyzed the

data, I was able to initiate a second cycle of action research and once again review those

results to determine a final conclusion. This project targeted students with behavior issues in

school, and a plan was developed to help motivate these students so they would be

motivated to act out less and struggle less with their behavior.

This Action Research project focused primarily on ELCC Standards 4.1 and 4.2.

Immediately, I took on the challenge of articulating a vision because I had to decide what
actions I needed to begin so that I could carry out my research. After discussing the topic

with other faculty members, I was able to develop an idea that every teacher could use in

their own classroom. My project focused on improving the behaviors of struggling students

within the school. I was able to implement my vision by carrying out the action research. I

made the decision to implement a token reward system in my classroom, basing my method

on the findings of B.F. Skinner.

Completing the Action Research project showed me that with the right motivation,

even the so called “bad” students can reach greater heights when they are properly

motivated. Since the implementation of this project, I have assisted other teachers in

creating their own Token Reward Systems that help them with behavior management in the

classroom setting.

During the Instructional Leadership and Supervision a Policy Review was done. In

this Policy Review, it was required that I research my school district’s system for teacher

evaluations and conducted an interview with the school administrator most directly

responsible for conducting teacher evaluations. I interviewed my school principal and our

discussion revolved around the McRel Teacher Evaluation System which he currently uses

to evaluate our school staff. We also discussed the details that classroom observers were

looking to find, the way in which the system is administered, and each of our own personal

experiences and views on the McRel System.

The Policy Review artifact connects to the ELCC Standards 4.1 and 4.2. By

requiring both parties of the observation process to hold a pre and post conference, McRel

is upholding collaboration among staff members through the collection of information that is

pertinent to the improvement of the school’s educational environment. The McRel

demonstrates an understanding of cultural diversity within the school community.

In the completion of this assignment I was able to learn how difficult it can be for

administrators to complete the daunting task of performing dozens of observations

throughout the course of the school year. My school principal informed me that scheduling

the observations can be challenging. In addition to scheduling issues, the system itself is

very time consuming to complete and requires a lot of attention to detail.

The Change Initiative Proposal PowerPoint was used as the third artifact for

Standard IV. This proposal was completed during the Building Organizational Capacity

class. I needed to initiate a change within my school that was discussed and agreed upon

between myself and my field mentor. I was required to combine all prior knowledge,

research, theoretical bases, and relevant coursework to develop my Change Project. My

project involved increasing the amount of family involvement within our school. In my

proposal, I developed a plan that was designed to help our school improve an area of need.

Wilbur Watts made it a school goal for the 2016-2017 school year to increase parental

involvement, and this proposal made an attempt to help achieve that goal. Collaborating

with faculty and community members, responding to diverse community interests and

needs, and analyzing information pertinent to improvement of the school’s educational

environment, proved to be major points addressed in the proposal and project.

This assignment required a lot of time and energy to ensure that I had done a

thorough job. I felt that the aspect of increasing parental involvement within our school was

very important. One of our school goals for the year was to increase family involvement, so I

wanted to do what I could to help our school achieve that goal. While it may have seemed
like a difficult task, it was worth it in the long run to know that I did something that helped

make a difference in the improvement of our school/community relationship.

The Change Initiative Proposal Powerpoint connected to ELCC Standards 4.3 and

4.4. Each of these standards involves the development and sustainment of a close

relationship between the school and community. By building and sustaining these

relationships, students will benefit greatly.

Standard V

ELCC Standard V affirms, “a building-level education leader applies knowledge that

promotes the success of every student by acting with integrity, fairness, and in an ethical

manner to ensure a school system of accountability for every student’s academic and social

success by modeling school principles of self-awareness, reflective practice, transparency,

and ethical behavior as related to their roles within the school; safeguarding the values of

democracy, equity, and diversity within the school; evaluating the potential moral and legal

consequences of decision making in the school; and promoting social justice within the

school to ensure that individual student needs inform all aspects of schooling” (ELCC,

Standard 5, 2011).

In the Instructional Leadership and Supervision course, a Plan for Supervision and

Instruction was developed. The Plan for Supervision and Instruction in Instructional

Leadership and Supervision asked that students share their insights on their schools

Teacher Evaluation System. The McRel Teacher Evaluation System was discussed in

this artifact. Teacher interviews were conducted to get a feel for the staff’s opinion on

the McRel System. The adequacy of McRel, how it worked, and the instruments that are
involved in its implementation were all areas of focus during the completion of the

assignment.

This plan withholds the fifth ELCC Standard. The Plan for Supervision and Instruction

Artifact connects to ELCC Standards 5.1 and 5.2. While the McRel System is not

perfect, it does ensure that observers are looking to make sure teachers uphold

themselves with integrity and treat students with fairness. At the beginning of each

school year the McRel System requires teachers to do a self evaluation so that they are

able to reflect on their practices and demonstrate self-awareness.

In my work on this project I was able to learn more about my fellow staff members views

on the McRel Teacher Evaluation System. I discovered that most of the other teachers

in my building feel the same way that I do about McRel, and believe that there could be

a more effective, user friendly system that we can use instead. I also learned how

difficult it can be to complete a McRel Evaluation as an administrator.

During the Law and Ethics for School Leadership course, I completed an Educational

Case Law Study. In this assignment I needed to write a legal brief regarding the Tinker v.

Des Moines Independent Community School District case from 1969. During that case the

families of High School students felt that the First Amendment rights of their children were

violated. This case is still significant today in how we determine the rights of students in the

U.S. public school system.

This study upholds the fifth standard of the ELCC. The Educational Case Law Study

connects to standards 5.4 and 5.5. In the completion of this study I was able to evaluate the

potential moral and legal consequences that can occur due to decision making within a
school. It is important to know as an administrator that students have rights and that should

not be taken for granted.

By working on this assignment I learned about a court case from 1969 that still holds

much relevance today. Students were suspended from school for expressing what they felt

was their freedom of speech. The court decided that the school had not violated the

Constitution in the suspension because it was felt that the students’ behavior was proving to

be a distraction to the learning of other students.

Throughout my Practicum/Seminar in Administration during the Fall 2016 and Spring

2017 semesters, I completed eighteen reflective journals. The Reflective Journaling took

place throughout the course of my Internship/Practicum experience. I was able to journal

important events that occurred throughout the course of the school year and discuss from

an administrative standpoint. My Reflective Journals varied greatly in what they entailed.

Some included workshops, PLC’s, and assisting in PD days, relating to the development of

staff, and others were directly related to different scenarios with students in which

administrative meetings were necessary. Throughout the reflective journaling process I was

able to look back on my experiences and describe how they relate to the field of

administration. Standard 5.2 directly connects to the Reflective Journaling that was done

during my Practicum/Seminar in Administration. The process of reflective practice is

important in the field of education, as we must learn from past occurrences and use those

experiences to grow as we move forward.

The Reflective Journal process taught me that it is always beneficial to look back and

reflect on different occurrences throughout the school year. I enjoyed going back and

reading some of the things that I had written earlier in the school year. Many of the meetings
and events that I recorded in my Reflective Journaling had been forgotten until I looked back

at them. When looking back I was able to again reflect on these events and in some cases

had even more insight into them then I did at the time they were written.

Standard VI

Standard VI of the ELCC asserts that “a building-level education leader applies

knowledge that promotes the success of every student by acting with integrity, fairness, and

in an ethical manner to ensure a school system of accountability for every student’s

academic and social success by modeling school principles of self-awareness, reflective

practice, transparency, and ethical behavior as related to their roles within the school;

safeguarding the values of democracy, equity, and diversity within the school; evaluating the

potential moral and legal consequences of decision making in the school; and promoting

social justice within the school to ensure that individual student needs inform all aspects of

schooling” (ELCC, Standard 6, 2011).

By completing the District Budget Analysis in the School Finance and Records course, I

fulfilled the reflective practice aspect of the ELCC’s sixth standard. ELCC Standard 6.1

connects to the Budget Analysis Assignment by matter of association. I now understand

that another way I can be an advocate for students and families is through the

budgeting of funds within the school. Most parents do not realize when their child’s

school is cutting funding or needs to make budget cuts in order to save jobs, but I think

that being able to communicate these issues with parents they will get on board and do

what they can to help. Many times, a budget change is left to a vote, if parents are more

informed, they will know what to do in order to benefit their children’s academic growth.
The District Budget Analysis was necessary to show a complete budget analysis of the

City of Burlington School District. By completing this analysis I identified the top budget

priorities of a school district and the compare those priorities to other similar districts.

Districts that were used to compare needed to be within the same enrollment and grade

organization group. The spending of district money, staffing, and outliers that are found

in the budget were identified.

I was able to learn many different aspects in regards to my school district's budget in my

work on this assignment. Most importantly, I learned that I have a genuine interest in

school budget’s and I spent additional time researching this topic after completing the

assignment. I found it interesting to see how the different schools across the state

budget their money. Another interesting new piece of information that I discovered in

working on this assignment was developing my understanding of the General Fund

Excess Surplus. I learned that this money can be used to cover any additional costs the

district may not have been prepared to face, and at times, this fund has saved jobs from

being cut.

In the course School Finance and Records, an Action Research Paper was written to

determine an area of improvement within the school in which I teach and designing an

action research plan that I believed would create a positive change within the building. After

first creating a hypothesis, I began the process of implementing the necessary action that

would set the plan in motion. I also collected various forms of qualitative and quantitative

data that were necessary for my research. Once I analyzed the data, I was able to initiate a

second cycle of action research and once again review those results to determine a final

conclusion. The plan was developed regarding students behavior to help motivate them so
they would make better decisions in school and act appropriately. The Action Research

Project connects to Standard 6.1 because students that struggle in school needed to be

shown that they are worth the time and effort it takes to help them be successful. I

completed my action research in a Self-Contained Special Education Setting with students

that greatly struggle handling their emotions and behavior. The token reward system helped

motivate them and increased their likelihood of making more positive choices.

Completing the Action Research Paper I discovered that me that with the right

motivation, struggling students can reach great heights when they are properly motivated.

My focus question was, “will student behavior improved when a positive reinforcement token

reward system is used?” The answer to that question was yes, but I discovered that it was

also circumstantial, depending on multiple factors like what the rewards are, how often they

are earned, and the approach teachers take when rewarding students. Since the

implementation of this project, I have assisted other teachers in creating their own Token

Reward Systems that help them with behavior management in the classroom setting.

The third artifact included in Standard VI was a Change Initiative Proposal. The Change

Initiative Proposal was done during the Building Organizational Capacity course. This

proposal was the lynchpin for the Practicum/Seminar in Administration. I was required

to come up with an idea that would implement a change within my school. I needed to

initiate a change within my school that was discussed and agreed upon between myself

and my field mentor. I was required to combine all prior knowledge, research,

theoretical bases, and relevant coursework to develop my Change Project. My project

involved increasing the amount of family involvement within our school. I developed
specific objectives that I felt would directly result in the increase of parental involvement

if met.

The main purpose of the proposal, and the Change Project during my practicum, was to

increase parental involvement within Wilbur Watts Intermediate School. It was designed

to promote equity, and diversity within the school by developing more community and

family involvement within the school environment. The Change Initiative Proposal

connects directly to Standard 6.3. This standard is seen in my working to help improve

the low parental involvement we have at Wilbur Watts. This has begun to become a

trend over the course of many years, and we are working hard to turn that trend around.

This assignment required hard work and perseverance to ensure that I had done a

thorough job. I felt that the aspect of increasing parental involvement within our school

was very important. One of our school goals for the year was to increase family

involvement, so I wanted to do what I could to help our school achieve that goal. While it

may have seemed like a difficult task, it was worth it in the long run to know that I did

something that helped make a difference in the improvement of our school/community

relationship. When families and communities are involved and engaged in the learning

of their children, there is an overall increase in student’s academic achievement. So far,

it seems to be working and our efforts are proving worthwhile. Hopefully, in the near

future, we see that change take an effect on the success of our students as well.
 References

Clark, C. & Rust, F. Teachers Network Leadership Institute. How to Do Action Research

in

Your Classroom. (2016, March 19).Retrieved from

https://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/Action_Research_Booklet.pdf

Johnson, A. Minnesota State University. Action Research: Methods of Collecting Data.

(2012). Retrieved from

http://www.academia.edu/8767522/DATA_COLLECTION_METHODS_FOR_AN

_AC

TION_RESEARCH_PROJECT

McLeod, S.A. (2015). Skinner- Operant Conditioning. Retrieved from

http://www.simplypsychology.org/operant-conditioning.html

014-15 Violence & Vandalism Report. The City of Burlington Public School District.

(2016).

Retrieved from: http://www.burlington-

nj.net/ourpages/auto/2013/10/24/49929825/Violence%20and%20Vandalism

%2014-15.pdf

Blankstein, A. (2013). Failure Is Not an Option: 6 Principles That Advance Student

Achievement in Highly Effective Schools (3rd Ed.). Corwin Press.

Lindstrom, P., & Speck, M. (2004). The Principal as Professional Development

Leader. Corwin Press.

Mooney, J., & O’Dea, C. (2016). Statewide High School Graduation Rate Increases to

Nearly 90 Percent. NJ Spotlight. Retrieved from:

NJ School Performance Report. Wilbur Watts Intermediate School. (2015). The New

Jersey Department of Education. Retrieved from:

http://www.state.nj.us/education/pr/1415/05/050600085.pdf

Parenting Partners. (2016). Family Leadership Inc. http://www.familyleadership.org/

Sprick, B., Rich, M. (2010). A Proposal to Strengthen Family and Community

Engagement within the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. Chicago

Appleseed Fund for Justice. Retrieved from: http://chicagoappleseed.org/wp-

content/uploads/2012/08/appleseed_policy_proposal_esea_section_11181.pdf