Hundreds of Iowa school leaders benefit from Balanced Leadership program
In a state that takes education seriously, it was no surprise that Iowa was one of the first to participate in McREL’s Balanced Leadership program. What was surprising, however, was how educators embraced the program and coordinated their efforts to create the best statewide application of leadership training to date.
The relationship between Iowa and McREL started in 2005, when the School Administrators of Iowa (SAI) asked us to review its standards for principal evaluation and professional development and align them with our research on effective school leadership. Then, with an unprecedented statewide effort underway to strengthen the preparation and development of principals, McREL was asked to provide Balanced Leadership training to help leaders deepen their understanding of our research. Over the next two years, with funding from the Wallace Foundation, McREL consultants delivered Balanced Leadership to hundreds of principals in eight of Iowa’s 10 AEAs.
AEAs lead the way
AEAs have consistently offered learning opportunities and support to school leaders, but only in recent years have they tried working “in tandem” with each other and holding themselves accountable at all levels, according to Pam Armstrong-Vogel, former program leader for leadership development at Heartland AEA in central Iowa.
This joint effort means representatives from AEAs, SAI, and DOE meet monthly to discuss how to collectively continue meeting the needs of school leaders. “Rather than duplicate services, these agencies have come together to discuss how we can each play a role and complement each other with the work to be done,” Armstrong-Vogel said.
A tangible commitment to the work
At Heartland, all principals and superintendents now participate in a three-year academy based on Balanced Leadership concepts. The AEA also offers coaching for superintendents, principals and school leadership teams as they implement Balanced Leadership and develop tools to support it.
According to Sharon Kurns, Heartland’s director of professional learning leadership, the initial work with McREL has been expanded to include study groups for superintendents and administrative teams as well as the development of a system that “audits” or tracks the amount of time teams spend on each of the 21 responsibilities identified in Balanced Leadership. The data from this audit, Kurns explained, is then used to determine areas in which they want to improve or change.
This kind of dedication and the wide-reaching effect of McREL’s research and leadership training “goes beyond lip service,” said McREL consultant David Livingston. “In one way or another, through the state standards, the professional development, or the evaluation process, every school and district leader in Iowa has been touched by our work.”
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Learn more about McREL’s Balanced Leadership program for school leaders, our institutes, and how this program can help all school leaders improve student achievement.