ISLLC Standards: An Interview

Here's a little something I wrote for a class. The name of my subject and her school have been changed for their protection from any unwanted Google searches.

The Interstate Schools Leaders Licensure Consortium (or ISLLC) has laid out a set of standards that can be used to insure that school administrators are successful in supporting student achievement. Although every school is different in the populations they serve, the resources available to them, and the specific needs of their communities, the standards can provide school leaders benchmarks for ensuring that students get the same high quality education anywhere. Much depends on how a principal interprets these standards when creating policies and in practice.

It is sometimes difficult to see how these standards are translated in the management of actual schools. I interviewed Jolene Smith, principal at Garth Elementary in Columbia to see just to see how she adapts these standards when managing her school. Garth Elementary is a rather diverse school near downtown Columbia with a comparatively small student population. What I found in Mrs. Smith was a principal who takes a holistic approach in addressing these standards, explicitly and implicitly.

The first ISLLC standard primarily deals with the inclusion and collaboration of all stakeholders in a shared vision for a particular school. Mrs. Smith developed a shared vision at Garth by revisiting the school’s old mission statement. The mission statement and staff vision is littered with ideas of both student and teacher efficacy, believing that all children can be successful at Garth Elementary. The faculty felt that the original vision was something in which they already believed. Where they wanted to change was in how they lived that mission statement in all that they do. The mission statement became a point of emphasis in every decision the staff makes. “It’s a living statement as far as I’m concerned,” explained Mrs. Smith. In keeping that statement at the forefront, she and her staff really delve into their testing data to look for the various perspectives from different types of assessments and subgroups based on race, gender, and class in order to focus their work on the school’s mission of every child being able to learn. Mrs. Smith pointed to examples of subgroups in the data that signaled a need for interventions and how those interventions improved test scores. Throughout our discussion concerning her collaboration with staff in the development of a shared vision and mission statement, Mrs. Smith always referred to “we” and “our faculty” as the primary enforcers of that mission.

Providing a professional environment that both nurtures and sustains a school culture that revolves around student success summarizes the second ISLLC standard. Mrs. Smith stressed this point as being extremely important and that it is an indicator of whether her school and staff are doing what they have set out to do, which is helping children succeed. The feedback she has received from visitors indicates that she has been successful in creating a positive learning climate at Garth. Mrs. Smith models her expectations to her staff and communicates a clear and consistent message to the entire school through morning announcements, weekly messages to staff, and in everything she says and does, always with a focus on learning. Additionally, Mrs. Smith works from a place of believing in teacher efficacy, in motivating them to keep the level of rigor in the classroom high. She supports these efficacies by ensuring teachers have all the necessary materials, resources, and collaboration time to make their facilitation of learning as effective as possible. After spending time with her staff focusing on “what a master teacher does”, Mrs. Smith has plans of moving on to having master teams of teachers in order to improve instruction for all students. To do this, she is constantly asking her teachers to focus on curriculum, teaching, and relationships with students. All of these pieces come together in creating that positive learning culture described in the standards.

Although she is an experienced, master teacher, Mrs. Smith has had to work hard at the third ISLLC standard dealing with the everyday operations of her school to support her efforts in improving instruction and safety. For twenty-eight years, she honed her craft as an instructor, but managing a school was something she had to work to improve. Realizing that to manage her school building successfully, Mrs. Smith needed resources, time, and manpower. To get these things, she follows her motto: To get anything done, it takes friendly persistence. To make things happen in her building, she often uses a strategy of involving others in her system of management while being sure to add a “double-check” to ensure the system works. The upkeep and management of Garth is not reliant on just one person in Mrs. Smith's system, and she uses this collaborative effort to do everything from locking doors to budgeting to directing dismissal. Another strategy she uses in maintaining her school Mrs. Smith has learned when to take her “turn” and when to push for improvements, basing this approach on two things: safety and learning. If either of safety or learning is affected, she needs to act. Even when the maintenance and the systems of a school are in order, a principal must consider human factors. Part of the management of the building is to take into account behaviors and attitudes that affect student and staff safety. Mrs. Smith found that bullying was a major cause for a lot of safety issues. Implementing programs to combat this issue helped as much with the safety issues at Garth as her use of friendly persistence and systems with “double-checks.”

The fourth ISLLC standard of promoting cultural diversity and utilizing community resources is particularly valuable at a school as diverse as Garth Elementary. Communication came up again as a major piece in the successful implementation of the standard. Since Garth Elementary is a very diverse school, Mrs. Smith makes it clear to the community and anyone considering enrolling their student in her school that diversity is an integral part to the school. Besides her clear communications of a pro-diversity school, she also looks to involve a variety of parents in the school decision making process so as to allow more perspectives, sort of like focus groups. Additionally, Mrs. Smith works with local churches, social agencies, universities, and other community stakeholders in creating partnerships that benefit the students and the community. For example, she cited that over forty businesses have a part in the new building being constructed on Garth’s grounds at the moment. By promoting Garth’s diversity and involving the surrounding community, Mrs. Smith is able to satisfy this standard.

Ethics and legality come into play on the fifth standard. Mrs. Smith feels that trustworthiness begins with her and it spreads from there. When she first came to Garth as a principal, Mrs. Smith opened and cleaned the windows to her office as a symbol of her openness. This spirit of responsiveness said to students, parents, and staff that issues would be resolved in an open and honest way, involving all parties. The idea of “going by the book” permeates how Mrs. Smith and her staff conduct their business. She involves staff in decision-making and is forthright with her own process. Mrs. Smith will ask the staff to help her make a decision regarding procedures or policy. The staff sometimes asks her to make the call. When she does make a decision on her own, Mrs. Smith is certain to explain her thinking, promoting open dialogue. Additionally, Mrs. Smith separates her code of ethics from a religious moral code by focusing on their effects on children as opposed to personal or cultural beliefs. When in doubt, she often defers to someone within the district who can clearly explain where someone’s rights begin and end. Trustworthiness, democratic processes, and following protocol help to meet this standard of ethics and legality.

As an advocate in community and political contexts, the sixth ISLLC standard suggests that principals can have an effect on student achievement through social activism. Mrs. Smith sees her advocacy in two places: her relation to the district’s central office and the school’s image within the community. She looks at her advocacy as beginning with her relation to district offices. Mrs. Smith knows that if she does not make central office aware of problems in her school, they cannot fix those problems. This advocacy has to be balanced with selectivity so as not to pester those who may provide the services she needs. The partnerships that she has with the community, the news media, local businesses, and universities are key in selling her school as a good place for children and learning. She has strong efficacy when considering the service her school and others provide. An example of this advocacy and transparency is when Mrs. Smith allowed a reporter to be embedded in her school. She felt that the media would not be able to report anything positive about her school if they were not there to witness it. Plus, she had nothing to hide. Mrs. Smith promotes the value of her school in all of these partnerships. As she said, “I am the face of Garth School,” and as the face of her school, she has to advocate for its well-being to her district and community alike.

My interview with Jolene Smith helped demonstrate how the ISLLC standards are put to use in supporting student achievement in a variety of ways. Running throughout her policies, practices, and ethics was the notion that student safety and learning were at the forefront. This idea alone aligns with ISLLC standards in that the words “supports the success of every student” are a part of each standard, making the primary focus on student achievement. Mrs. Smith has to consider all the ways in which student success can be achieved and how that success can be defined. This interview helped me see how Jolene Smith is a model principal for Garth Elementary when put into context with the ISLLC standards.