Dion Ginanto
The main goal of an effective principal is the students’ success. In creating students’ success, what the principal needs to do is to develop a vision of leading and a vision of learning. In my previous article, I have presented CHEETAH as my vision of leading. CHEETAH can work side by side with one’s vision of learning, because vision of learning can be implemented well if principals have a clear leading vision. Subsequently, visions of leading and teaching are needed to create high performance in schools’ with the final outcome being the success of the students. In this article I would like to discuss EPICS (Equitable, Positive, Intellectually based, Collaborative, and Safe) and value added of students success.
EPICS: My Vision of Learning
A good principal should start by making a clear vision of learning. By doing this, a principal will have a clear picture of what s(he) need to do. I name my vision of leading after the old poem that has deep meaning. Therefore, I hope my vision of leading has a deep meaning, which is to create students’ success.
a. Equality
The United States always tries to eradicate discrimination in schools against students of color and low SES students. This situation is not really different from the discrimination in my country. Even though we do not discriminate against students by their color, we do unconsciously discriminate against students based on their social status. Therefore, to make a better place for study, I would try my best to eliminate the gaps among students, because every student was born with the right to get the same education as others. A principal should be able to make sure that every student has the same chance to be successful. In line with this, Goldring, et al., (2007) wrote that the core challenge facing America’s schools, especially urban schools, is improving all students’ achievement and decreasing the achievement gap.
In this case, I will assure that teachers should create the same treatment to students. All students must have the equal opportunity to access the free resources and facilities: book, Internet, laboratory equipment (science and language lab.), etc. I will also create the equal opportunity for success in the classroom for instance: students have the equal opportunity in the class discussion, all students have opportunities to respond to questions, all students receive reinforcement from the teacher, all students will get the same attention from the teachers. All students must have the same privilege in the classroom/school regardless the sex, social status, or social background. To increase the awareness of equality, I will promote the seminar for both teacher and students about “education for all.”
b. Positive
I will try my best to implement positive school/classroom settings as well as students’ and teachers’ attitudes. These two components living things (students and teachers) and unliving things (school/classroom) should be maintained as positive as possible. Bossert, et al., (1982) asserted that “smaller classes do produce higher achievement scores, but decreasing class size does not always improve instruction. Resent research indicates that the overall achievement distribution within a classroom affects learning significantly.” (Page 41) This reminds me of the fact that in most schools in Indonesia, every class is occupied by more than 35 students. The reason behind classroom settings with number of students is that we do not have sufficient teachers and classrooms. In dealing with this, I will work very hard to open up networks to get aid from outside to build more classrooms. I will also try to promote a character-based curriculum for teachers and students, in order for them to reclaim their eastern culture that is almost extinct. For instance, students kissing teachers’ hand, nodding and greeting teachers, praying together before the class begun, for teachers wearing Malay uniform every Friday, etc.
As a principal I will promote the positive climate in the classroom such as, students should remember their friends’ name, the students should also great each other, to not stingy to say thank you, please, and excuse me. These kinds of activities are not really popular in my school than it used to be; therefore, I need to remind this wisdom of eastern culture. Besides, I will also make sure that all teachers can be a good role model for students, such as being punctual, not to smoke in the school, greeting students in the hallway, being helpful to supervise students and for those who need remedial, etc. To change the teachers habit is not easy, smoking for example, a lot of male teachers in my schools are smoking. I believe that school will not be able to prohibit students from smoking habit if their teachers are smoking in the buildings. To create a positive climate of the classroom and school is very important to make a positive feeling both teachers and students. If we can create a positive climate of classroom and school, we will obviously be able create an effective school.
c. Intellectual Based
One of the characteristics of an effective school is when the intellectual habits are rooted in the school life. To create intellectual based in the school, I will adopt the idea of Goldring et al., (2007) about the core components of school performance. There are seven components that can lead to the students’ success: (a) High standards for student learning, (b) Rigorous curriculum, (c) Quality of instruction (d) Culture of learning and professional behavior (e) Connections to external conditions (f) Systemic performance accountability (page 32).
To create intellectual climate in the classroom, I will make a checklist of the core components of school performance:
1. High standards student learning: both teachers and students set the rigorous learning goals, teachers and students have high expectations of success, closing the gap between advantaged and less advantaged students, and raising the overall academic achievement of all students (Goldring et al., 2007).
2. Rigorous Curriculum: the curriculum is adjusted to the need of the students, the curriculum is adjusted with the eastern culture but still adopted western perspective (think globally but act locally), the lesson plan should be useful for the students future, the curriculum is using up to date materials.
3. Quality instruction: teachers should maximize student academic and social learning, actively encourage students engagement, have clear instructional goals, anticipate students’ misconception, communicate to their students what is expected of them and why, etc (Goldring et al., 2007).
4. Culture of learning and professional behavior: teachers share goals and values, focus on student learning, shared work, deprivatized practice, and reflective dialogue (Louis, Marks, & Kruse, 1999 in Goldring et al., 2007).
5. Connections to external conditions: school has community-wide involvement, such as school-linked social services, parent education programs, and community organizing initiatives (Mediaratta & Fruchter, 2001 in Goldring et al., 2007).
6. Systemic performance accountability: external accountability (performance expectations that emerge from outside the school and the local community). Internal accountability (curricular decision making, addressing instructional issues, responding to various performance measures) (Bryk & Scheneider, 2002 in Goldring et al., 2007)
d. Collaborative
As a principal, I should be able to ensure that students can work collaboratively in the classroom. This is very important, because the teaching and learning tradition in the east is quite different from the culture of learning in the west. We still practice the conventional method, i.e., teacher-centered learning in which students come, sit, and listen to their teachers in the class. This conventional methods have impacted the outcome of the students, in which they are unable to work collaboratively in the workplace; and they also has a minimum creativity in their real life. Therefore, I will make sure that every teacher use Student-Centerd Approach (SCL) approach in the classroom. SCL includes: problem based learning instead of “test-based learning”, discussion, individual/self learning. In SCL approach, teacher is functioned as facilitator. To make a bigger impact, I will routinely conduct class visit (three minutes walks), instructional rounds.
e. Safe
The tragedy in Connecticut last month has given us the warning that the safety of students must become the highest priority program at school. This tragedy can happen everywhere, including my country, even though gun ownership is strongly prohibited in Indonesia. Besides terrorism, schools must be able to guarantee safety from fire and natural disasters (e.g. earthquake). To handle these situations, I will lead training for students and teachers in order to make them ready if they face those kinds of tragedies in the future. I agree with the idea of Whitehead, et al. (2013) that one of the principal’s roles in global learning is as guardian for safety: “The principal was responsible for establishing a safe environment for the school, addressing bullying and violence, among many other issue.” (page 44)
Value-Added Student Success
In leading my school, I will do my best to realize the final target of all my school goals: student success. In defining the students’ success, there are four value added of the students: student achievement, student attendance, student enrollment, and college enrollment (Goldring et al., 2007). Since I work in a high school, I need really to strive to make sure that all of my students are enrolled in college upon completion of their study.
All in all, the final outcome of my vision of leading is students’ success that is value added. I believe that to support students’ success, I need to realize the core components of school performance. In realizing the core components of school performance, I need to have a learning vision. Therefore, EPICS: Equitable, Positive, Intellectually based, Collaborative and Safe is considered a strong learning vision that I will undertake in the future. Last but not least, CHEETAH (in my previous article) is needed to create the EPICS atmosphere in the classroom and school. After the atmosphere of the school is turned to positive, then the core components and students’ success can be accomplished efficiently and effectively.
References:
Bossert, S.T., Dwyer, D.C., Rowan, B., & Lee, G. V. (1982). The instructional management role of the principal. Educational Administration Quarterly, 18(3), 34-64.
Goldring, E., Porter, A.C., Murphy, J., Elliot, S.N. & Cravens, X. (2007). Assessing learning centered-leadership: Connections to research, professional standards, and current practices. Nashville, TN: Vanderbilt University.
Whitehead, B., Bjoschee, F., Decker, R., (2013) The principal: leadership for a global society; Los Angeles CA., Sage.
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