Andrea Williams: Instructional Leadership Interview

The following information was gathered in an interview with Andrea Williams, principal of Theresa Bunker Elementary School. In my experience working with Mrs. Williams as a teacher in this school as well as the time spent learning from her during these interviews, I can say with utmost assurance that Mrs. Williams takes her job as instructional leader very seriously. It is her top priority to lead this school in such a way that student learning is the center of all instructional decisions that she and the teachers make. She feels strongly that it is her primary responsibility to ensure the learning of all students. She strives to build a culture where student learning is the highest priority for each member of the staff. Mrs. Williams
Williams has taken to assist in creating gains in student achievement is to institute data board meetings at each grade level. As part of the PLC process, teachers gather data about students’ specific learning needs and meet together weekly to analyze this data together. Initial screening is done early in the year to establish a base line for each student’s level of learning. Teachers record this data on color coded cards and place them into targeted intervention groups and attach the cards to a bi-folding board. They bring this data to a meeting with Mrs. Williams as well as the intervention specialist and special education teachers. During these meetings each student’s needs are discussed and decisions are made as a team about what intervention programs will best meet their needs. After six to eight weeks of working with students with these initial interventions, the team reconvenes with a second round of assessment data to analyze progress that has been made. Then the team discusses what possible changes to make to the interventions being offered and make necessary changes. This process continues until the end of the school year. At the end of the year, all the colored cards are moved around on the board indicating the progress students have made. Teachers can see that the lower achieving students who started the year at the bottom of the board have moved up closer to the top. It is an excellent way to see the
The data board process allows teachers to better diagnose learning gaps and immediately start to fill those gaps by offering targeted intervention strategies. Teachers have become more proficient in pinpointing student needs and thereby are able to refine their teaching practices to meet those needs sooner and more efficiently. The data board meetings also have proven to help all teachers, Title I aids, and special education teachers who may work with the child to know what their needs are. Everyone is on the same page and working together to provide for each individual student in the school. Through these data driven decisions and targeted instruction throughout the day student achievement outcomes are expected to be positive by the end of the year. Mid-Year data collections and data board meetings have already taken place and have shown some significant growth in a good number of students. By using this data board process we are better able to find weaknesses in students and implement needed interventions more quickly so they do not fall behind even