Education Week - May 8, 2013 - 32

Education WEEK

MaY 8, 2013

www.edweek.org

PRINCIPALS/
HEAD OF SCHOOL

WATERBURY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Is seeking applicants for the following administrative
position:

CROSBY HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL
Intermediate Administrator/Supervisor (092)
CT Certification required
To be considered for this position the candidate must possess,
or be eligible for, a valid Connecticut Administrative
Certification. Three (3) years of administrative /leadership
experience (Vice Principal, Middle School Building Principal,
Supervising Vice Principal, Curriculum or Special Education
Supervisor, or an equivalent position). A minimum of seven
(7) years successful teaching experience is required.
Please attach letter of intent, résumé, three letters of
reference, copy of certification, and transcripts to Applitrack
application:
Applications must be submitted electronically through
Applitrack.com. The link is on our website.
Information and application instructions can be found at our
website:
www.waterbury.k12.ct.us
Waterbury Public School District is an Equal Opportunity/
Affirmative Action Employer
Candidates from diverse racial, ethnic and cultural
backgrounds are encouraged to apply
Closing Date For Applications: May 17, 2013

Head of
Middle-Upper School
Barrie School seeks a Head of Middle-Upper
School for the 2014-2015 school year, with the
possibility of an appointment beginning as early
as the summer of 2013. Our new MUS Head will…
• Embrace research-driven, innovative approaches
to 21st-century learning and have a deep
understanding of the unique educational and
developmental needs of middle-school students
and older adolescents.
• Lead enrollment growth, strengthen retention, and
improve public awareness of our program.
Candidates should have administrative and instructional
leadership experience, be comfortable in a diverse
school environment, be ready to promote and expand
our partnerships, celebrate the use of our campus, and
embrace the Washington, D.C. area as an educational
resource. For a full job proﬁle and details on the search
process, visit www.barrie.org/MUS-Head.
13500 Layhill Road | Silver Spring, MD | 301.576.2800

TOP SCHOOL JOBS’s K-12 TALENT MANAGER

TNTP Report Recommends Focused Supports
For First-Year Teachers
Today, The New Teacher Project (TNTP) released a report, Leap Year: Assessing and Supporting FirstYear Teachers, that examines the unique characteristics of a teacher's initial year in the classroom. An
interesting topic for sure; ask any educator about his or
her first year of teaching, and chances are you'll hear at
least one of the following descriptors: hectic, crazy, confusing, challenging, tough, hard, exhausting. So what is
the best way to support these individuals and assess
their progress? The study attempts to address this
question by examining the performance of over 1,000
new teachers in hard-to-staff subjects located in 15 regions around the country. Measures used included
classroom observations, principal ratings, student surveys, and student growth data.
Key findings from the study include:
1. First-year teachers' performance levels vary, as
do their rates of improvement: Based on the level of
expectations set for the 2011-2012 school year, 5 percent of teachers were removed from the program, 12
percent were put on an improvement plan and given
another year, and 83 percent were granted certification.
2. A teacher's performance in his/her first year appears to predict future performance: Teachers who
outperformed their peers based on initial observation
scores were more likely to demonstrate relatively higher
performance by the end of the year.
3. Multiple measures can complement each other to
provide a portrait of a teacher's potential: Observation results, student surveys, principal ratings, and value-added data were positively correlated.
4. Teachers who demonstrate purposefulness, responsiveness, and a focus on student understanding improve more quickly: For example, teachers
earning a score of 4 or 5 on the observation rubric item,
"Facilitates organized, student-centered, objective-

driven lessons" improved at a faster rate than did their
peers who earned a 3.
The last finding in particular provides useful information
in determining the types of support that offer the greatest benefit to first-year teachers. It suggests that rather
than expect perfection in every aspect of teaching in
one's first year, perhaps it makes sense to hone in on
those foundational skills and characteristics that are the
most likely to help new teachers develop quickly in the
short term, and position them for success later on. With
this in mind, TNTP identifies four key "launch" skills for
teachers to focus on in the first year: delivering academic content clearly, maintaining high academic standards, setting high behavioral expectations, and maximizing instructional time.
As HR professionals, we must remember that highly
effective and engaged individuals desire feedback
and the opportunity to grow. A quote in the report
from one teacher illustrates this perfectly: "Please, tell
me how I am doing! I want to know what I'm doing and
how I can do better. I'm teaching kids and I'm evaluating
them and telling them how they can be better, so why
not me?"
We must also remember that when individuals are
spread too thin, it is hard for them to focus and improve on any one individual area. Maybe this idea
can be a useful area of reflection for your school or district, or its educators: What are the most important skills
to master first, and what are the most effective strategies for doing so?
To read more from TopSchoolJobs's K-12 Talent Manager blog, visit http://blogs.edweek.org/
topschooljobs/k-12_talent_manager/ and click the
"Leadership" link under "Categories".
The opinions expressed are strictly those of the author
and do not reflect the opinions or endorsement of Editorial Projects in Education.

http://www.edweek.org http://www.barrie.org/MUS-Head http://www.waterbury.k12.ct.us http://www.christinak12.org http://www.Applitrack.com http://blogs.edweek.org/topschooljobs/k-12_talent_manager/ http://www.christinak12.org

Education Week - May 8, 2013

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