Data and School Leadership |
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As our school year continues and we approach parent conferences, report cards, progress reports, midterms, and end of quarter timelines, it is important for us to pause as school principals and reflect on our students' learning in the form of data analysis. Data is a resource and tool that we must make time to interpret in order to make equitable leadership decisions and take positive action.
When exploring data, it is important to see it through a lens of illumination and learning. Oftentimes, data can be used as a hammer. As you consider your data, ask yourselves the following question: "What is it I am looking to learn?" With so much data at our fingertips, it can easily become overwhelming and freeze our best intentions. Knowing what it is you are looking to learn will allow you to align what data you begin to source and analyze. As you begin, think about who might join you in the work. Can you include your administrative team in the process? Do you have an instructional leadership team that can support this work? Working with others can support a data-rich, positive culture and climate.
Using a data routine and/or protocol can systematically support you and your team's analysis in rich step-by-step, non-biased ways. This Swift Data Routine may assist you in your analysis journey. Take it one step at a time. We get better at interpreting data and making data-informed decisions by making it a priority and designing our system in ways that support that priority. Start small and schedule your next meeting.
Happy planning!
The TIP Sheet team
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Resources
Access the following resources to read more around data analysis and school leadership:
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Welcome to Principles for Principals, a new podcast from SDCOE's The TIP Sheet team. Whether you are a veteran or novice school leader, this podcast is for you! We are excited to share tips and resources to help in developing or fine tuning your leadership skills.
In Episode 2, we have a conversation with Steve Green who leads SDCOE's Assessment, Accountability, and Evaluation department. Listen as Green shares the importance of leaders utilizing school data.
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We Want to Hear From You! |
Do you have an idea for an upcoming edition of The TIP Sheet? Our team would like to hear from you. Please take a moment to share your ideas by filling out this brief survey. |
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Social and Emotional Learning Community of Practice |
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Join colleagues from across San Diego County to learn, collaborate, and implement social and emotional learning (SEL). Team attendance is encouraged to ensure that collaborative learning moves your SEL work forward, but is not required. Team members could include mental health professionals, school and district leaders, teachers, family engagement staff, and community partners. The next meeting is Dec. 12 from 2:30 to 4 p.m. Register to join the group one day a month.
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Join us at Equity Conference on Jan. 20 and 21 and come away with renewed purpose and practices you can implement immediately. Registration is now open for the event planned in-person at the San Diego Convention Center. The annual conference brings together district and school leaders, teachers, parents, students, and community members committed to educational equity to collectively grow our knowledge and work for students.
The 2022 Equity Conference event theme is Equity is Love in Action, and the event is expected to connect hundreds of people with each other and with equity learning and practices.
- Register your team today
- Learn more about the featured keynote speakers
- Nominate a colleague, student, or community member for a Lighthouse Award
- Submit a proposal to present
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SDCOE Universal PreKindergarten to 3rd Grade |
We invite you to receive SDCOE's Universal PreKindergarten to 3rd Grade publication. This publication is designed to provide local educational agencies (LEAs) and schools with the most up-to-date information pertaining to the implementation of universal transitional kindergarten (UTK) as it relates to the California Department of Education (CDE) requirements.
Our goal is to provide the most current and relevant content for the implementation of universal transitional kindergarten and establish a network across San Diego County to support the establishment of creating a new grade level. This publication will be released at least monthly as needed.
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2022 Grading for Equity Book Study
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Using the text Grading for Equity by Joe Feldman, the book study is a forum for educators to explore the history and research on grading, examine the problems with many current grading policies and practices, and to better understand the pillars and practices of equitable grading. During this virtual six-session book study, participants will discuss themes in the book and engage in conversations around the challenges and opportunities of shifting grading practices and policies to better support student motivation and learning. For more information and to register, see the Grading for Equity book study flyer here.
Book Study Dates: Feb. 8, Feb. 15, Feb. 22, March 1, March 8, and March 15
Follow-up Content-Area Sessions: May 3 and 10
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SDCOE School Counselor ASCA Model Program |
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The SDCOE School Counseling department is excited to announce that it will be offering a two-year, countywide American School Counselor Association (ASCA) National Model training program. The training is designed to lead school counselors through the development, implementation, evaluation, and improvement of a comprehensive school counseling program built on school-specific data. It allows time and guidance for participating teams to conduct a deeper dive into the metrics of their school counseling program, with the goal of becoming a Recognized ASCA Model Program. The series will consist of six full-day workshops presented over the course of two school years, which will all be led by an ASCA-certified trainer.
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SDCOE Faculty and Staff Professional Learning Opportunities |
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The Principal Spotlight section is designed to highlight a San Diego County principal each month to build a sense of community and connect leaders with one another out in the field. Principals will share their insights, leadership practices, and any other skills and tips they use to grow their practice, increase system capacity, and impact students in San Diego County. |
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This month we had an opportunity to connect with Brian Rainey, principal of The O'Farrell Charter School. He serves as the principal of the 9th through 12th grades. Something unique about Rainey is that he has been at O’Farrell for his entire career, starting as a student teacher, teacher, family leader, vice principal, and currently he is the founding principal of the high school.
One motto or belief that he lives by is: “Every student deserves the very best education. Where you live should have no bearing on the quality of education you receive.”
As a site leader, Rainey is extremely proud of O’Farrell being recognized as an AVID National Demonstration High School and an NCUST award recipient. In fact, O’Farrell has been listed among America's best high Schools by US News & World Report for the past four years (with six graduating classes). This year, his schools are listed in the top 2% of the nation and featured in the book Five Practices for Improving the Success of Latino Students. In addition, O’Farrell will be featured in the upcoming book When Black Students Excel. But more than that, Rainey states, “I am so proud of the incredible human beings my students are. How they treat the staff, each other, and everyone they meet. Oh, and we have the most amazing staff anywhere.”
Rainey shared that strong teacher-student relationships are one of the three pillars of the O’Farrell vision statement. At O’Farrell, the staff members believe that strong teacher relationships with students are the mechanism that gets students to do the difficult things they don't want to do. Rainey shared, “When they believe the teacher cares about them, they don't want to let the teacher down. When they are shown love and care by a staff member, they will accept the correction when it comes. In order to do this you have to build time into the schedule for it.”
Every student starts the day in Homebase with their Homebase teacher. This is the teacher that looks after the student for four years, is their coach, mentor, cheerleader, and primary disciplinarian. He said, “Every high school student starts every year with a parent-teacher-student meeting with their Homebase teacher to set goals for the year and learn about what's going on at home. We shut down school and have bonding experiences like the air band contest, the dodgeball tournament, powder puff football, turkey trot, and the freshmen and senior retreats. I provide opportunities for teachers to go on trips with students to go mountain biking, rock climbing, kayaking, surfing, and paddle-boarding. If you want to cultivate relationships you have to provide the time and space for it.”
This year, Rainey decided to try something new to support the great work that is happening at O’Farrell. He shared that he added an academic dean position with the primary responsibility of helping teachers improve their teaching and as a result will provide the very best instruction for students. He shared a quote that resonates with him from President Barack Obama, “From the moment students enter a school, the most important factor in their success is not the color of their skin or the income of their parents, it’s the person standing at the front of the classroom.” Rainey responded, “If that is true, and I believe it is, then I must invest in helping my teachers become excellent in all facets of teaching.”
Like many leaders, Rainey looks for resources that support his leadership. He uses StrengthsFinder, which has been transformational in his leadership approach. He said, “Understanding that each person is wired to have different strengths, and their greatest potential for growth and overall happiness is in those strengths, has become foundational for me. It has affected how I hire and coach teachers, and the emphasis I put on electives and after school clubs and activities.”
We asked one thing he does outside of work that helps create work-life balance, and Rainey shared, “While I don't have the time or talent to be very good, I enjoy playing guitar and singing. It uses a different part of my brain and headspace and helps me unwind. My daughters like to join me in singing 80s music, which always warms my heart.”
Rainey is a lifelong learner and appreciates networking with other leaders. He shared, “I want to spend more time speaking with and learning from other leaders. I've begun to reach out to fellow administrators in Southeast San Diego, but would like to learn from leaders at all types of schools in all types of contexts.” If you are a leader who shares that same passion, you can email him at brian.rainey@ofarrellschool.org.
Thanks for the plug, Brian, and best wishes to you and your community!
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Principal Brian Rainey with his 2018 graduating seniors from The O'Farrell Charter School
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Hello! I’m Rich Carreon, and I am honored to serve as an executive leadership coach with the SDCOE’s District and School Improvement team. I have been in the education field for over 25 years in a variety of roles from teacher, coach, coordinator, and administrator at both the middle school and high school levels.
I feel very blessed each day to be a part of this highly committed team where I get to collaborate and learn with highly skilled and knowledgeable coaches who want to support schools, districts, and leaders from San Diego County. As an executive leadership coach, I love going into schools and districts to collaborate with school leaders as we sort through data, systems, equity opportunities, and leadership strengths and challenges. Currently, we are serving schools and districts with 9th-grade On-Track and Master Coursework services which focus on "a-g" completion with an emphasis on our historically underserved students.
or by phone at 858-292-3870. You can also follow me on Twitter @CarryOnRich. |
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If you have any questions or comments about The TIP Sheet newsletter, email SDCOE Executive Leadership Coach Erin Dare or call 858-295-8913.
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Get up-to-the-minute information about what's happening at SDCOE and in our districts across the county. |
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