Linking Leadership to Instruction: A Leadership Development Curriculum for Virginia Public Schools

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Linking Leadership to InstructionA Leadership
Development Curriculum for Virginia Public
Schools

• Dr. Linda Wallinger
• Director of Secondary Instruction
• Virginia Department of Education
• June 25, 2001

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Evolution of the Leadership Development Curriculum

• November 1999 - Board of Education adopted a
  resolution recognizing the need for leadership
  ability in all aspects of life
• As a result, Board president appointed two groups
  to work on developing a student leadership
  development curriculum

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Evolution of the Leadership Development Curriculum

• Leadership Development Committee
• included individuals who have distinguished
  themselves in leadership roles and in providing
  leadership training for others
• oversaw the writing of an optional model K-12
  leadership curriculum for Virginia public schools

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Evolution of the Leadership Development Curriculum

• Leadership Development Subcommittee
• comprised of educators who were nominated because
  of their work with leadership development
• used the guidelines established by the Leadership
  Committee, as well as research and other
  resources, to prepare a draft of the curriculum
  for the committee's approval

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What qualities do recognized Virginia leaders
feel are important as student leaders develop?

• Many types of people can be effective leaders.
• Leaders experience both success and failure.

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What qualities do recognized Virginia leaders
feel are important as student leaders develop?

• Leadership has no gender, ethnicity, religion, or
  political affiliation.
• Participation is a precursor to effective
  leadership.
• Leadership has both costs and rewards.

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What qualities do recognized Virginia leaders
feel are important as student leaders develop?

• Effective leaders have strong skills in
  communicating, making decisions, planning,
  resolving conflicts, etc.
• With leadership comes responsibility in the form
  of stewardship and good citizenship.

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Can anyone be a leader?

• Is leadership development for all students?
• What are the venues where students can
  demonstrate and practice leadership?

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Can anyone be a leader?

• Can leadership be taught?
• Where in the curriculum is the appropriate place
  to include leadership development?

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The Leadership Development Curriculum . . .

• identifies important processes, skills, and
  opportunities that promote leadership in all
  students at all grade levels.
• is based on current research on effective
  leadership as well as on ideas generated by some
  of Virginias most recognized and successful
  leaders.

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The Leadership Development Curriculum . . .

• is closely aligned with Virginias Standards of
  Learning.
• is unique in that it was not written as an add-on
  curriculum.
• allows teachers to embed leadership development
  in existing instruction within all subject areas
  at various grade levels.

LEADERSHIP
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Goals of the Leadership Development Curriculum

• To develop in every K-12 student an awareness of
  his or her own leadership potential.
• To assist young people in developing essential
  leadership skills that enable them to act
  responsibly in all aspects of their lives.

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Goals of the Leadership Development Curriculum

• To develop citizens who possess the leadership
  abilities to meet present and future challenges
  in a global society.
• To provide students with opportunities to learn
  and practice essential leadership skills within a
  learning community.

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Organizing Strands of the Leadership Development
Curriculum

• Developing Knowledge of Self and Others
• Defining Leadership
• Developing Leadership Skills and Practices
• Practicing Leadership Through Service

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Grade Clusters of the Leadership Development
Curriculum

• For the purpose of developing student leadership
  expectations
• K-2
• 3-5
• 6-8
• 9-12

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Structure of the Leadership Development Curriculum

• Three or four student expectations within each
  grade cluster
• A clear progression of continuity and increasing
  complexity from the elementary grades through the
  middle years to high school

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The Leadership Development Curriculum . . .

• may stand on its own so that, if necessary,
  teachers might be able to use the curriculum
  independently of others in the school, for
  example, in an extra-curricular environment.
• contains many ideas and resources that will
  assist teachers as they work to promote
  leadership development in students.

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Organizing Strands of the Leadership Development
Curriculum

• Developing Knowledge of Self and Others
• Defining Leadership
• Developing Leadership Skills and Practices
• Practicing Leadership Through Service

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Developing Knowledge of Self and Others

• Knowledge of self assists students in clarifying
  their identity, self-image, and roles in a
  variety of expanding communities.
• Students are able to assess their present
  strengths and weaknesses and realize their
  potential for leadership.

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Developing Knowledge of Self and Others

• Knowledge of others encourages students to
  consider and understand the way others view and
  respond to the world at large.
• Effective leadership rests in the ability to
  combine knowledge of self and knowledge of others
  to advance both personal and group goals.

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Developing Knowledge of Self and Others

• Students View of Himself/Herself
• Roles in various communities
• Personal strengths and weaknesses
• Factors contributing to changing self-image
• External influences on self-image

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Developing Knowledge of Self and Others

• Students Behavior and Interactions with Others
• Definition of responsible behavior
• Style of interacting with others
• Outside influences on own ideas
• Consequences of decisions and actions

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Developing Knowledge of Self and Others

• Interest In and Concern For Others
• How to work with others
• Recognition of the needs and concerns of others
• Recognition of the value of diversity
• Importance of the contributions of all members of
  a group

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Defining Leadership

• Leadership is a process rather than an event.
• The roles of leaders and followers may change
  over time.
• Ethical and responsible behavior are emphasized.
  

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Defining Leadership

• Active leadership may involve personal and public
  risks and opportunities.
• Leadership may be influenced by many factors,
  including opportunity, age, gender, ethnicity,
  religion, or political affiliation.

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Defining Leadership

• Characteristics of Leadership
• Positive and negative qualities of effective
  leaders
• How leadership applies to all aspects of life
• Study of various leadership styles and theories

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Defining Leadership

• Role of the Follower
• Importance of followers
• How to be an active, informed, supportive
  follower
• How the roles of leader and follower are
  interdependent and fluctuating
• Concept of civil disobedience

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Defining Leadership

• Role of Environment in Leadership
• How different settings and contexts can affect
  leadership goals, styles, and success

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Developing Leadership Skills and Practices

• Effective leaders use personal skills that can be
  acquired by all students
• developing a vision
• motivating others
• taking initiative
• communicating effectively
• setting goals
• making decisions
• managing resources

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Developing Leadership Skills and Practices

• Communication Skills
• Importance of good listening, speaking, reading,
  and writing skills
• Ability to present information clearly and to
  analyze it accurately
• Empathy with and recognition of others
• Ability to mediate conflict and bring consensus
• Role of constructive criticism

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Developing Leadership Skills and Practices

• Decision Making and Resource Management
• Effective use of information and resources in
  making decisions
• Ability to submit alternative solutions and make
  adjustments as necessary
• Use of organized procedures in facilitating
  groups

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Developing Leadership Skills and Practices

• Planning and Goal Setting
• Importance of planning and setting goals
• Ways to set short- and long-term goals
• How to review goals and their outcomes
• Translation of goals to vision
• Motivation of others to work toward a common
  direction or vision

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Practicing Leadership Through Service

• Servant leadership enables students to
• understand the concept of stewardship and
  ownership of the environment
• experience citizenship and identify the
  responsibilities and roles of responsible
  citizens
• become altruistic leaders by providing
  opportunities for volunteerism

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Practicing Leadership Through Service

• 10 Assessment of Community Needs
• Define community needs
• Distinguish between needs and wants
• Recognize the compromises, sacrifices, and
  consequences that are part of satisfying needs
• Support all members of a community in addressing
  needs

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Practicing Leadership Through Service

• 11 Citizenship
• Roles of a responsible and active citizen
• Importance of participation
• Ways to assume active roles as a citizen

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Practicing Leadership Through Service

• 12 Stewardship
• Protecting and caring for people and things
• Ways in which leaders are concerned about their
  community
• Ways to become vested in the community and its
  resources

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Practicing Leadership Through Service

• 13 Service
• Practice of leadership through service
• Importance of community needs above individual
  needs
• Demonstration of unselfish behavior
• Importance of volunteering and serving others

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Additional Components of the Curriculum

• Sample Instructional Activities
• Annotated Bibliography
• Appendix
• Presentation of student expectations in a
  horizontal format
• Excerpts from
• Fairfax County Public Schools Leadership Course
  Program of Studies
• Youth Leadership Initiative
• Correlations to Standards of Learning and Career
  and Technical Education Competencies

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For more information about the Leadership
Development Curriculum, contact

• Dr. Linda Wallinger
• Virginia Department of Education
• lwalling_at_pen.k12.va.us
• 804-225-2880
• http//www.pen.k12.va.us/VDOE/Instruction.pdf