Human Resources and School Leadership Review

3 building. When it comes to gender the student population is 50% female students and 50% male students ( Big Walnut Intermediate School in Ohio - U.S. news education, 2022). In Big Walnut Local Schools, none of students are eligible to participate in the federal free and reduced price meal program and only 0.8% of students are English language learners ( Big Walnut Intermediate School in Ohio - U.S. news education, 2022). At Big Walnut Intermediate School there are approximately 28 teachers and the student to teacher ratio is 22:1. The district's average teacher to student ratio is 19:1, and the state's teacher to student ratio is 16:1. In the district 100% of the teachers are certified educators, and 76.6% of the educators have been teaching for 3 or more years ( Big Walnut Intermediate School in Ohio - U.S. news education, 2022). At Big Walnut Intermediate the 5th grade teachers will work in two-person teams, where one teacher will teach math and science/social studies, and the other teacher will teach language arts. In addition to the two person teams there are also two three-person teams where one teacher teaches Reading, the other teacher instructs Math, and the third teacher instructs on Writing, Science, and Social Studies ( BWI Information, 2023). The 6th grade teacher teams are composed of four educators, and each will teach a core class of; math, language arts, science, and social studies. There is one two person team that is very similar to the 5th grade two person teams where they split the core subjects taught. For both 5th and 6th grade math and language arts are double blocked, and are 80 minutes long in order to meet the State of Ohio instructional time expectations ( BWI Information, 2023). In addition to the core classes the students attend, the 5th and 6th graders have multiple specials throughout the year. The 5th grade students attend the four offered related arts courses every nine weeks. The related arts courses include; Art, Physical Education, STEM, and Music.

6 teacher will teach math and science/social studies, and the other teacher will teach language arts. In addition to the two person teams there are also two three-person teams where one teacher teaches Reading, the other teacher instructs Math, and the third teacher instructs on Writing, Science, and Social Studies” ( BWI Information, 2023). The teams that are set up by the administrators every year are configured by them without any teacher input. After speaking with other teachers in the building they mentioned that they have never been able to pick what they were teaching, and who they were teaching with. Many of them mentioned that they switch teaching partners and subjects every year, and that it is very frustrating. In addition, the teachers also seem to feel that they are not heard or respected enough when it comes to providing insight on students behavior, and receiving assistance when there are disrespectful students in their classrooms. Furthermore, the relationships between teachers and students at Big Walnut Intermediate seem to vary based on the teacher the student has. It has been stated that one of the most important aspects of relationships in school is the connection people feel towards one another. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2009) defines school connectedness as “the belief by students that adults and peers in the school care about their learning as well as about them as individuals” (p.3). In Big Walnut Intermediate the students do seem to feel safe and supported, and from personal experience they feel this way due to the amount of openness they have with staff and teachers about personal issues they are having inside and outside of the classroom. Devine & Cohen(2007) state, “Feeling safe – socially, emotionally, intellectually and physically – is a fundamental human need. Feeling safe in schools powerfully promotes student learning and healthy development” (p.1).

9 involvement within the student population it always seems that there may be Limited Diversity in Engagement Opportunities. This weakness could be due to a lack of diverse options for students and parents to engage with the school, for instance additional art classes or events. A lack of variety in events can lead to disengagement among the students who do not find suitable involvement opportunities. Overall, the positive aspects of Big Walnut’s culture, such as effective communication, teacher involvement, and strong parent engagement, contribute to a generally high level of student engagement. Cohen and Geier (2010) state, “Positive and sustained school climate is associated with and/or predictive of positive youth development, effective risk prevention and health promotion efforts, student learning and academic achievement, increased student graduation rates, and teacher retention”(p.6). However, despite the many positives the identified weaknesses, including limited decision-making input for teachers and communication gaps with some parents, may hinder student engagement in specific cases. In conclusion, Big Walnut Intermediate has a robust and collaborative culture, but there is room for improvement in terms of fostering teacher leadership, enhancing external stakeholder engagement, and addressing communication gaps with certain groups. These improvements could lead to an even more positive impact on student engagement. School Culture Revision Scenario As you begin your first year in an administrative position, you spend some time getting to know the teachers in your building. The feedback you get from most teachers is that things are ‘fine’, and they don’t have any issues. Upon further investigation with other stakeholders,

12 teachers feel comfortable and important, seeking out their ideas and opinions will help them feel heard and valued. Building Professional Development Plan At Big Walnut Intermediate Professional Development is crucial, and is offered multiple times a year during teacher work days. In order to meet the district's goals and academic vision of; inspire and guide each student to his or her maximum potential the teachers need to be educated on the best strategies to use in order to personalize instruction, engage students, and grow minds in every subject. In addition, the district focuses on building upon human capital by providing their educators multiple days of professional development a year. Leana & Pil (2014) define the term of human capital as, “Human capital encompasses a teacher’s cumulative abilities, knowledge, and skills developed through formal education and on-the-job experience. For many years, teacher human capital was assumed to be assured through a combination of formal education, certification, and on-going professional development. Building human capital was an individual endeavor undertaken by each teacher”(para.8). The professional development days that are set outside for teachers in the Big Walnut district are designated as waiver days. At Big Walnut Intermediate during waiver days instead of having outside sources or individuals come in to lead the professional development courses the school utilizes its teachers who are knowledgeable about different subjects, and uses them to instruct the different trainings. Hargreaves and Fullan (2014) have offered excellent perspectives of how to transform education in every school. Education is at the crossroads: “It is time to invest and reinvest in our own and our colleagues’ professional capital” (p. 148). Their perspective matches with the perspective of Big Walnut’s school district that in order for teachers to exponentially grow and learn, they should participate in not only attending the professional development opportunities, but also in

15 Next, I will go over the whole plan with the educators in detail. I will start by explaining that the needs assessment will be done in order to gauge the teachers interest and needs. I will remind the teachers of the goals and academic visions of the district in order to help them better understand why some of the trainings are being offered. Once I finish reviewing the goals and visions of the district, and the questions on the needs assessment I will proceed to explain how the trainings will be done. I will begin by explaining to the educators that the trainings will be reviewed at the beginning of each waiver day, and they will be sent out in the agenda for the day. I will show them an example of the table developed with trainings included in it. In addition, I will also show them the other table that is linked on the first agenda that has the description of each training being offered on it. Finally, I will wrap up the meeting by explaining the established online resource bank that includes tools related to the professional development opportunities. In addition, I will establish a regular communication plan to communicate updates, resources, and success stories (e.g., meetings or a monthly newsletter) surrounding the upcoming trainings. I will also encourage employees to discuss their experiences and provide feedback after the trainings are completed using the google form sent to them. In conclusion, after the implementation of this professional development plan, the school will hopefully be increasingly better at educating using the best strategies in order to personalize instruction for every student, engage students, and grow minds in every subject. First Communication to Educators The professional development planning process will begin with an email to the educators in the district about the needs assessment that is being given to them about professional development growth. The letter will state;

18 Table 1 Table 2 Session/ Presenter Location Description Resources 1:1 Conferencing Room 114 If you are looking for a way to provide individual, student-led, conferences for every student, every week then you will want to stop by! Weekly conferencing with students provides individualized feedback and gives students the Presentation and Resources handed at PD 9:00-9:25 ADHD in the Classroom: P. Clark ELL Support : N. Devalt Behavior anagement in he Classroom L.Grimm Canva for Beginners: C.Wallace Literacy Collaborative: A.Hall Building elationships in Advisory : J. Dargush 9:30-9:55 ADHD in the Classroom: P. Clark alancing Small Groups & pendent Work: K. Madson Behavior anagement in he Classroom L.Grimm nva Next Level: C. Wallace iting Rubrics & Conferencing: C. Stone Literacy Collaborative: A.Hall 10:00-10:25 Classroom Incentives: L. Fox alancing Small Groups & pendent Work: K. Madson Behavior anagement in he Classroom L.Grimm edback Groups: M.Spencer Conferencing: R. Burke Literacy Collaborative A.Hall 10:30-10:55 Literacy Collaborative A.Hall Literacy Collaborative: A.Hall. Behavior anagement in he Classroom L.Grimm edback Groups: M. Spencer Conferencing: R. Burke Building elationships in Advisory : J. Dargush

21 to communicate what specifically they need to do to progress toward mastery or demonstrate mastery. These groups are also a great way to differentiate content to make sure you are addressing the needs of all students. In this session I will show you what these groups look like, how to implement them, and provide resources to get you started! Concluding Activities When the waiver day is over these questions will be sent out for the educators to fill out. These questions will be used to evaluate the Professional Development Opportunities that were offered. The questions on this google form will include; 1. What did you like about the professional development training? 2. What additional resources would you like to continue to implement the literacy strategies in your classroom? 3. What information needs to be added or removed for future professional development training on this topic? 4. What do you still need after attending the professional development training? Professional Development Revision Scenario After completing your needs assessment and laying out your PD plan for the staff, you discover that there are teachers who do not agree with the direction you are taking the building. There are a small group of teachers that are bad-mouthing your decisions and even actively working against the plan you have laid out. How will you work with these teachers? Do you attempt to ‘get them on board?’ Do you change the focus of your plan? Professional Development Revision Response Statement In my previous plan I mentioned how the teachers would help lead the professional development and would use their human capital to help increase the social capital of the whole

22 staff. In order for my professional development strategy to work I will need all teachers to cooperate, work together, and work as leaders during the process. Hilton et. al (2015) explained the importance of collaborative learning by stating, “‘The team approach means that the projects undertaken become a team effort because admin and teachers are working on them collaboratively.’ An important outcome of collaboration for the leaders was the notion of building shared knowledge and understanding”(p.116). Since my previous plan was based on teachers sharing their own human capital with others to build their social capital, the way I will work with these teachers is by asking them to share something that they are passionate or knowledgeable about at the PD training day. The teachers who are bad-mouthing the decisions and are resisting the process will then be able to share their own interests, and this may change their mind on the new professional development process. In addition, clearly the teachers who are against the new professional development process are resistant to change for some reason, so as their administrator I would approach the educators and invest time in hearing their opinions on what professional development should look like. Once I have heard the concerns, wants, and needs of the teachers who are resistant I will ask them to share information on the professional development that interests them. In addition, hopefully asking the teachers to share what they want to learn at professional development will get them on board, and I will not have to change my approach to my professional development plan. Hilton et. al (2015) explained the difference collaborative learning makes on a school culture by stating, “School leaders and teachers alike felt a strong commitment to enacting the professional learning in their schools through collaborative effort, leading to a collective efficacy among participants, and in turn creating a more positive environment”(p.121).

23 Recruitment/Hiring Strategy In order to recruit educators who are highly qualified there needs to be a well established recruitment and hiring process in place. Herman (2018) stated the importance behind a well developed recruitment and hiring process by stating, "Districts and schools must recognize that building their teaching force is imperative to their success and to the success of their students”(para.27). Before hiring or recruiting any educator, as the district HR I would need to evaluate what the current needs are. In order to do this successfully I would first need to look at the number of students that would be at each grade level, or in each class. Then I would need to look at how many educators are currently teaching in those specific roles, and I would need to evaluate if there are enough educators to teach the number of students who will be in those classes during the next school year. After evaluating the numbers, if I determine that additional educators will need to be added to meet the number of students ratio determined by the district I would then establish what required skills or licenses are needed for each role that is being hired for. For instance, if a 5th grade writing and Science teacher is being hired the required skills or licenses that would be required would be experience teaching students in or around 5th grade, and an appropriate license issued by the state of Ohio to teach both subjects. Next, before beginning recruitment in the public I would build a stronger employer brand in order to attract new educators to my district. The appeal of the district could be shown through the district's website and social media. For example, on the website I would be sure to add pictures of events in the district, information on the students' success, and resources about the benefits and salary. Many times when teachers are looking to switch districts they automatically look for the information on the benefits and salary in order to make informed decisions if it is a strong financial move for them to leave their current district. Finally, I would also make sure that

24 in the job description and postings there are clear descriptions of what the job entails, but also what qualifications are expected, and what benefits the job will bring to the educator. The main goal for building the brand for the district is for every outlet to emphasize how my district is different from all of the other districts in the area. Strong recruitment is definitely important in order to find the best teachers available to fill the positions. Xu (2018) stated the importance, “Recruitment is not hiring; rather, it is making available the right mix of a rich and diverse set of effective applicants to be considered for hiring”(para.1). The next step after revising the website, social media, and posting would be to post the job openings on both the district website and the regional education website. In addition to adding the posting to the district and regional education website I would also include the posting on large hiring websites such as K12 Jobs and indeed. On all of the websites the posting will have a description of the job, qualifications that the candidate needs to have, benefits that come with the job, and the date the posting closes. Adding the posting to multiple sites will increase the amount of hires who will apply due to the broad range of people each site reaches. Before doing formal interviews, I will try to attend if you jump scares in the region in order to build a candidate pool. If I do not build a formal candidate pool I would then rely on taking notes on many of the teachers I had conversations with in order to remember them when they apply for the positions later down the road. Finally, the job fair also informs educators about my sister, division and mission of our district, and possibly positions that are open, or will be opening in the near future. As mentioned before, building a strong brand by means of advertising is always positive in order to recruit the best educators in the region.

25 After posting the position on the different websites I would wait the two weeks that the job was posted, and then I would review the resumes and applications that were submitted. While reviewing the resumes and applications I would carefully examine submissions. When examining the applications I would focus specifically on if the candidate meets the minimum requirements in addition to assessing how the candidate would culturally fit within our district. The next step in the process would be to conduct interviews with the candidates who met all of the criteria, and appear to culturally fit within the school they are applying to based on their responses on their application. During the interview I would focus on engaging with the qualified candidates by asking questions about their background, skills, and interests. In addition, I would ask pertinent questions about their past experiences to evaluate their qualified skills for the position they are interviewing for. Finally, I would decipher their cultural alignment and overall fit to the school they are applying to be sure that they would fit in, follow the building's goals, and have the same vision for the students overall success. Interview Structure As mentioned in the previous section, having an organized interview structure is highly important in order to attract the most qualified candidates for the positions. During the interview I will begin my interview with an introduction. During the introduction I will provide an overview introducing myself and anyone else who may be present for the interview. In addition, I will also plan on describing the building and position being offered. Finally, I would add a description of the type of candidate I am looking for that should fit into the district’s and school’s current culture.

26 The next part of the interview process would be all about the candidate. Xu (2018) mentioned, “If we want success in hiring quality teacher applicants, it is of supreme importance to identify the qualities that really matter in an educator’s effectiveness and purposefully look for those qualities during the hiring process”(para.1). During this part of the interview I would explore the candidate's background. During this section I would be asking the candidate’s question about the educational history and their work history in order to understand more about their educational background knowledge and experience. In addition, I would be asking additional questions about some of their work experiences, and why they may have left previous jobs. Finally, I would ask the candidate’s to tell me about their personal interests in order to better get to know them, and see if they fit into the school’s current culture. After asking about their experiences that we present on paper I would ask the candidate behavioral types of questions. For instance, I would ask the educator about how they assess problem-solving in their classroom. I would also ask about their behavior management techniques, and how they may deal with unruly or disrespectful behavior in their classroom. Communication is also a key behavior that must be present in order for educators to have a strong relationship with their students, families, and teammates so I would ask how they promote communication with all three. Finally, I would ask about teamwork and how they contribute to a team that they would plan and teach with. Another important aspect of the district that needs to be communicated is the current culture of the district and building. In order to better understand the candidate, and assess if they are a good fit I will ask them questions about their current values when it comes to education, and also what they know about our district's goals, mission, and vision. Goldhaber, Theobald, &

27 Tien( 2019) explained the importance of getting to know the backgrounds of the teachers by stating,“Finally, some argue that teachers of different backgrounds are able to draw on their own cultural contexts when determining instructional strategies and interpreting students’ behavior”(para.6). In addition, I would also ask questions about their preference when it comes to what subjects they want to teach, or what type of group setting they would prefer to teach in. The final question would be about the teacher’s future career goals. Many of the questions that will be asked will be done so in order to ensure alignment with my school and district’s current culture. Finally, I would conclude the interview by asking the candidate if they have questions. Asking this question during the interview offers candidates the opportunity to seek clarification or information regarding the role, the district, or the interview process. In addition, it also gives me the opportunity to get to know more about the educator’s interests or passion if they ask questions about our district including those in our current educational practices. Example Interview Questions ● Can you tell me about yourself, your educational background, and your interests? ● Can you outline your strengths and weaknesses as an educator? ● Can you explain while you are interested in this position? ● What are your expectations of your administrator? ● Can you narrate a challenge you overcame in your past experiences? ● How do you encourage problem-solving in your classroom? ● What behavior management strategies do you use in your classroom? ● Can you give an example of how you would communicate with students, parents, and

28 teammates regularly? ● Can you describe a team achievement, or how you worked with your team to achieve a goal? ● What are your future career goals? ● What do you know about our district's vision, mission, and goals? ● Why do you believe you're a good fit for our district and building? Cultural Responsiveness In order to enhance cultural responsiveness I will employ inclusive language in communications with all candidates. In addition, during the interview process I will avoid discriminatory or offensive questions.. I will also respect diverse cultural norms and practices, and I will refrain from referencing any cultural or religious beliefs. Finally, I will stay mindful of personal biases and assumptions when getting to know the candidates during the interview process. Employment Laws and Mandates Finally, in order to adhere to employment laws and mandates while going through the hiring and interview process there will be a few things I will do in order to provide a fair hiring process to all applicants. First and foremost, I will make sure to eliminate all discriminatory language in communications both verbally and formally during the interview. I will make sure to understand and comply with anti-discrimination laws provided both by the state and the district. In order to also be fair throughout the process I will be sure to follow proper hiring procedures, including completing background checks on everyone. Finally, I will ensure employment contracts align with applicable laws and regulations. In conclusion, by incorporating these refinements, the recruitment and hiring strategy I

29 will follow will be both effective and legally compliant, fostering a culturally responsive and inclusive workplace. Recruitment and Hiring Revision Scenario You are down to two final candidates for an open position in your building. On paper, the candidates are fairly equal. Both have the same certifications and the same amount of experience (a few years). The biggest difference is in their approach to teaching. One candidate is very traditional, and the other is very progressive. Both teachers have data to support high student achievement and success in their current positions. Your interview team is split as to who should be offered the position. You have gone through your entire recruitment and hiring process, but now you must make a decision. How do you decide? Do you need to add an additional layer to your process to help vett the best candidate? Revision Response Statement In my past scenario I mentioned going through the hiring process by starting with recruitment fairs and finding qualified candidates to interview through that. I would continue to follow the initial process that I had laid out previously, but I would add an additional layer to the process in order to find the best candidate that is suitable for the position. Adding an additional layer seems to be the best decision to make in order to be fair to both candidates. The final layer that I would add to the interview process would be a scenario and lesson plan. The scenario that would be given to the candidates would include information on the students, ability levels, behavior, content that needs to be taught, and any accommodations or interventions that need to be in place during the lesson. Once the candidates are given the specific scenario they will be teaching in they will be asked to develop a lesson plan that can meet the needs for all of the students, and increase the potential for student success surrounding

30 the standards and goals being taught. Didau states the importance of having a lesson in the interview process”(para. 3). During the lesson the two candidates will be scored based on the lesson content, delivery of the lesson, organization of the lesson, and activities that accommodate or challenge multiple learners in the classroom. The teachers' lesson plans and physical lesson presented will both be evaluated based on a set rubric. If any confusion or further questions are present after the lesson is presented to the interview team the panel may ask the candidate follow-up questions about the lesson. Furthermore, this final layer of the hiring process should help identify the best candidate for the position due to the lesson being focused around the content that could be potentially taught in the class. Being able to physically witness the teacher implementing a lesson that could potentially be done in a future class is important for any administrator in order to see the human capital brought forth by the new candidates. Finding new candidates with specific traits or skills could potentially help build and connect an entire school culture, and build professional capital. Reflection After taking this course, my thinking has become more well-rounded and my administration focus has continued to stay educator focused. My plan for the future is to be a transformational leader, who puts my teachers first, and always listens to their wants and needs before making a decision for the school. After taking part in the course, I have learned the importance of including the teachers in decision-making and valuing their thoughts and opinions will help build trust, and a stronger school climate.

31 In the end, after revising my plans I feel more confident with making backup plans and solving problems that can arise at any moment when you are an administrator. Before entering this course, I may not have been as knowledgeable about different skills or approaches that needed to be used with teachers when different scenarios or problems arose. After all of the practice and research done throughout this course, I feel better prepared to be an administrator who is involved with the hiring process, professional development, and building school culture. In the future I hope to continue to learn more about different leadership styles, and how I can be an adaptable and understanding administrator for my entire staff. References All About Big Walnut Local Schools . About Us. (2023). https://www.bwls.net/AboutBW.aspx#:~:text=In%20order%20to%20achieve%20this,thinking%2 C%20communication%2C%20and%20collaboration . Big Walnut Local Schools Board of Education.(2023).https://www.bwls.net/BoardOfEducation.aspx. Big Walnut Intermediate School in Ohio - U.S. news education . Best Middle School: U.S. News Rankings. (2022). https://www.usnews.com/education/k12/ohio/big-walnut-intermediate-school-274927 BWI Information. (2023). https://www.bwls.net/BWIInformation.aspx

32 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2009). School connectedness: Strategies for increasing protective factors among youth. Atlanta: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. ( http://www.cdc.gov/HealthyYouth/AdolescentHealth/pdf/connectedness.pdf ). Cohen, J. & Geier, V. K. (2010). School Climate Research Summary: January 2010. New York, NY. Devine, J. & Cohen, J. (2007). Making your school safe: Strategies to protect children and promote learning. New York: Teachers College Press. Didau, D. M. (2017, May 11). Can we improve school interviews? part 3: The interview lesson . David Didau. https://learningspy.co.uk/psychology/can-improve-school-interviews-part-3-interview-lesson/ Goldhaber, Theobald, & Tien (2019) https://kappanonline.org/why-we-need-diverse-teacher-workforce-segregation-goldhaber-theobal d-tien/ Hargreaves and Fullan. (2012). Professional Capital: Transforming Teaching in Every School. Teachers College Press. Herrmann (2018). http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/may18/vol75/num08/Rethinking-Teach er-Recruitment.aspx Hilton, A., Hilton, G., Dole, S., & Goos, M. (2015). School Leaders as Participants in Teachers’ Professional Development: The Impact on Teachers’ and School Leaders’ Professional Growth. Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 40(12). http://dx.doi.org/10.14221/ajte.2015v40n12.8

33 Jennings, K. (2009). Federal Education Priorities and Creating Safe Schools. U.S. Department of Education, Washington, DC. Leana & Pil (2014). A New Focus on Social Capital in School Reform Efforts. Retrieved from https://www.shankerinstitute.org/blog/new-focus-social-capital-school-reform-efforts Professional Capital: Transforming Teaching in Every School. Hargreaves and Fullan. (2012). Teacher's College Press. Steinbrink, L. (2021). 5 things administrators can do to build trust and community in their buildings . Teaching Channel. https://www.teachingchannel.com/k12-hub/blog/5-things-administrators-can-do-to-build-trust-an d-community-in-their-building/ Xu (2018) https://www.tieonline.com/article/2400/why-does-it-matter-how-we-select-and-hire-teachers-