EOCS 7450                                                                           Pamela
Barnett

Practicum in
Leadership                                                      Case
Study #6

ISLLC Standard #6:

A
school administrator is an educational leader who promotes the success of all
students by understanding, responding to, and influencing the larger political,
social, economic, legal, and cultural context.

Name of Case Study:

Forging
Ahead

Questions the Case
Study Answers:

1.
How does an
administrator shape public policy to provide quality education for students?

2.
How does an
administrator ensure that communication occurs among the school community
concerning trends, issues, and potential changes in the environment in which
schools operate?

The Situation:

GMS
has a 6th, 7th and 8th grade
configuration.  It is the local
middle school but does not completely function as a true middle school.  Other than team planning time, the
school functions as a junior high.
Many student needs are not being met.  This unique age group needs
opportunities to develop their emerging abilities, to be challenged, to grow
socially and emotionally and to experiment with aspects of personal identity.
The middle school concept provides an environment where all the necessary
opportunities can be provided for adolescents.  Previous attempts to move towards the
complete middle school concepts have been met with opposition due to funding
issues and raising property taxes.

Answers to Questions:

To
shape public policy to provide quality education for our students, Principal
Brown should become well versed in the research related to the middle school
concept and its success in meeting the needs of all students and providing the
necessary opportunities for all students to be successful.  Mr. Brown should develop a vision and a
plan to implement the middle school concept at GMS.  Armed with this knowledge and plan the
administrator should communicate it to his faculty, staff and parents through
various means including meetings, presentations, pamphlets, newspaper articles
and staff development.  Mr. Brown should
arrange for teams of stakeholders to visit successful schools implementing the
middle school concept and to interact and gain insights on overcoming
obstacles.  The information and
knowledge should be organized and presented to stakeholders, especially the
school board and superintendent.
Mr. Brown should be open to the concerns related to funding and be
prepared to offer suggestions and solutions for the concerns.  He should emphasize the positive results
and ‘payoff’ of funding the implementation of the middle school
concept.

Mr.
Brown should not get discouraged or give up.  He should present options such as
implementing the middle school concept in increments and collecting data on its
success.  Mr. Brown should
consistently stay abreast of the trends and issues by attending community meetings
and middle school conferences, reading professional material and participating
in professional learning.  He should
continue to communicate his support and keep all stakeholders updated on the
progress of meeting the needs and interests of all students.