LM Aug.2018

MAKING A DIFFERENCE If lawmakers are going to continue to fund the Evidence-Based Funding Model, it’s important they know how schools are spending the money. To find out, IASA spoke with 10 school district leaders across the state about how they are putting EBM dollars to use to improve student achievement. 5

IASA/ECRA Free Strategic Dashboard

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IASA Calendar of Events

14 Register Now for IASA 54th Annual Conference

Vision 20/20 Stakeholders Meet

IASA News in Brief

Welcome to New Illinois Superintendents

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Volume 6, Issue 7 August 2018 LeadershipMatters Mary Schaefer Director of Communications and Marketing mschaefer@iasaedu.org Jason Nevel Assistant Director of Communications jnevel@iasaedu.org 18140

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IASA isHere toHelp inThisNewSchool Year Message From the Executive Director

Dr. Brent Clark

Illinois is back in school after a fast paced summer! As you are immersed in the opening of the school year, here are a few reminders on IASA programs that are designed to help you launch a successful school year. While we all want the school year to start off fully staffed, this school year many of you are facing teacher shortages that we have not seen in many years. The successful passage of HB 5627 this year was a step in the right direction to help address the ongoing shortage of regular classroom and substitute teachers, but filling the pipeline of teachers entering the profession will take much more. In fact, we may see the teacher shortage issue get worse in some areas before things get better. Rest assured, we are working on this situation very closely along with our Alliance partners and other education stakeholders and we may see further policy actions proposed to address this issue. I know the start of school also brings heightened concerns around school safety issues. While you are doing whatever you can to ensure your schools remain safe learning environments for your students, know we are constantly adding resources and references to our School Safety icon on our website. Check back often for the latest resource materials on the topic of safety. And the start of the school year also means that the annual IASA conference is just around the corner. Please mark your calendar to attend the IASA Conference, September 26–28. We hope to see you this year at our fall conference in Springfield. We have a dynamic line-up of speakers and educational sessions that you definitely will not want to miss. See more on conference details in this issue, pages 14–21, and by clicking here . Our keynote speakers Dr. Rick Rigsby and Sue Enquist are sure to get you energized through their motivational messages. State Superintendent Dr. Tony Smith will speak at our closing

session on what Illinois’ new funding and supports mean for strengthening every school community in Illinois. Also at the conference, you can make your selection from over 20 break-out sessions designed to sharpen your institutional knowledge and preparedness on a variety of issues. A special feature at this year’s conference includes a Women in Leadership session on the first

day of the conference as our year-long Celebrating Women in Leadership series begins. Our conference has something for all superintendents

from the small to large and urban to rural districts. We are excited about this year’s program and look forward to seeing you in September in Springfield! As we head into the second year for the Evidence- Based Funding Model, August 10th marked the day that school districts received the first of 22 Evidence-Based Funding payments for FY19. This represents both the base funding minimum (BFM) amount often referred to as the hold harmless provision and the new tier funding for FY19. EBF payments will continue on the 10th and 20th of each month through June of next year. FY19 calculations are available at ISBE’s EBF Distribution page . In total, the passage of the evidence-based funding model provides an additional $650 million for public schools in two years. A special feature in this issue of Leadership Matters explores ways that districts are using their EBM funds to improve student outcomes. Be thinking about how you can accurately explain your planned spending for new tier funding as the ISBE anticipates having an EBM spending plan report available to districts around September 1.

continued...

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Clark ... cont’d. With ESSA accountability now standard for school districts across the nation, IASA is doing what it can to keep you on the cutting edge of what you need to know and how you can comply with these standards. This August and September take advantage and register for the academy learning course— ESSA: School Accountability Under Illinois Plan — AA #1917 that we have scheduled in regions all across the state. This academy is designed not just for you but for your team of staff, including administrative personnel and teacher leaders to communicate the requirements of ESSA to your constituents and communities. Along with the academy, we have scheduled training specifically for you on the free IASA/ECRA Strategic Dashboard designed to help school districts tell their story.

Learn more about the IASA /ECRA Strategic Dashboard and its components on pages 11–13 of this month’s Leadership Matters . We only expect this accountability push to intensify so we encourage you to be as prepared as possible and adopt the tools you need to tell your story in the most realistic and creative way possible. Our strategic dashboard can be customized specifically to include your own district data, providing the ability for you to add digital content in order to visually tell your story. Check it out! Best wishes for a successful new school year!

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EBMFunds ... cont’d.

“It’s a feeling that is unexplainable,” Humphries said about how budgeting is different under EBM. “The quality of a child’s education is less dependent on their zip code.”

The additional money also preserved a counselor position and allowed the district to avoid sending out reduction-in- force notices to teachers and teacher aides. Cairo is also in a unique situation because 100 percent of its population is considered low-income, which means about 20 percent of its budget is comprised of federal funds. The district relies heavily on those dollars to hire para- professionals. Roughly 70 percent of classrooms have an aide, Evers said. When the district has a better idea of what enrollment will be, EBM dollars could be used in a variety of ways moving forward, she said, including adding more art and vocational opportunities for students or hiring staff to keep classroom sizes small. “We want our kids to have rich, encompassing and cutting- edge opportunities like other districts in the state,” Evers said. “Our kids deserve that access. The EBM is going to finally help make that access available to them.” For the first time in years, East Moline Superintendent Dr. Kristin Humphries said the district isn’t in cost-cutting mode. Like many districts, Humphries said, pro-ration in state funding has been devastating—some years losing over $1 million in general state aid. However, the passage of EBM helped stabilize the budget, and the district can now look to bring back and expand opportunities for kids. The top priority with the EBM funds, Humphries said, is additional reading supports in the elementary schools. East Moline is a diverse district, where almost 40 languages are spoken. With the new dollars in FY18, East Moline hired an instructional reading coach and reading aides to do direct intervention work with kids struggling to read. “We knew we needed additional supports for kids,” Humphries said. For FY19, East Moline is looking to provide more support in math with the addition of an instructional coach at the middle school. The EBM funds have also been used to hire two additional social workers and a music teacher, he said. East Moline SD #7 Enrollment: 2,591 FY18: $1.3 million Type: preK–12 FY19: $928,979

Kankakee SD #11

Enrollment: 4,662 FY18: $2 million Type: preK–12 FY19: $1.3 million

Two years ago, Kankakee closed a school, cut central office administrators and combined positions in an effort to balance the budget. The cuts narrowed the gap but didn’t quite close it. The next step likely would have been reducing the number of social workers—a move nobody wanted to make. However, new dollars from EBM alleviated that concern, Kankakee Superintendent Dr. Genevra Walters said. “Our students have significant social and emotional needs,” she said. “It would have been a challenge to support their needs and for them to have success in academics.” In FY19, Walters said, Kankakee is using EBM dollars to proceed with major initiatives that would have been hard to implement fully without funding. The district is redesigning its educational model to develop a “cradle to career system,” Walters said. Part of that is a competency-based educational model, beginning this year with freshman and eventually expanding to the entire high school. In addition, EBM is putting more technology in the hands of students. Beginning this school year, the district will be 1:1 with computers. A new junior ROTC program will also be supported with EBM dollars, Walters said. “This has been a vision and plan of restructure and redesign the last four years that we have really struggled with without the funding,” she said. “With the additional money, we haven’t had to slow down.”

Nokomis CUSD #22

Enrollment: 563 Type: preK–12

FY18: $159,741

FY19: $105,717 When he was hired as superintendent in 2010, Scott Doerr had to cut about $450,000 to balance the budget.

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“Schools have changed so much in the past 10 years with the social-emotional piece,” Hawley said. “You have to have the social-emotional part first. If those needs are not met there is no chance at academics.” Hawley added she is excited to hire a part-time nurse to be in lock step with the ratio of nurses to students the EBM formula suggests. The plan was also to add a kindergarten teacher to help reduce class size, but the district couldn’t find a qualified candidate. “If the EBM formula continues to be funded at appropriate levels, it will have a tremendous impact on what we can do,” Hawley said. “We’re starting to get our kids on a level playing field.”

Since then, the district operated on modest budgets that didn’t feature much wiggle room for additional spending. Now with the EBM, Doerr said, he is able to bring back important positions he had to cut and expand services for kids. Nokomis added an elementary guidance counselor and teacher, the latter to keep class sizes down. Doerr noted the money will help the district purchase new textbooks for the elementary school, as well as science and social studies books at the high school—something that is long overdue. More Google Chromebooks are also being acquired, speeding up the district’s efforts to be 1:1 from third to 12th grade. Perhaps most exciting, Doerr noted, is how the funds will provide materials and professional development opportunities for Nokomis’ new high school advocacy class. During the 30-minute class, students set the agenda on what they want to focus on, including figuring out a career, job shadowing or just using the time to catch up on homework or study for a test. The class will be available to freshmen and sophomores this year and will be expanded throughout the high school in the future, Doerr said. “The EBM is allowing us to think outside the box and bring back services and new opportunities to kids,” Doerr said. For the first time in about five years, Paula Hawley, Pikeland’s superintendent, said she will have close to a balanced budget and can look at hiring staff. Pro-ration from the state put the western Illinois school district in a big hole that has been difficult to climb out of. With the FY19 EBM funds, Hawley said, the district plans to hire a full-time guidance counselor and part-time nurse. The additional counselor will put someone in each building, freeing up counselors to work with students more on academics and college preparation. It also provides another person to help students with social and emotional needs—an area staff, parents and community members gave feedback on as a priority because Pikeland is a rural community that has few mental health resources. Pikeland CUSD #10 Enrollment: 1,186 FY18: $335,701 Type: preK–12 FY19: $178,761

Prairie Hills ESD #144

Enrollment: 2,549 FY18: $1.2 million Type: preK–8 FY19: $1.3 million

EBM dollars are allowing students at Prairie Hills to be exposed to new academic and enrichment opportunities that weren’t previously available, Superintendent Dr. Kimako Patterson said. What she and her staff have found is that the normal school day simply isn’t long enough to fully support the student body, which is 95 percent low income. The dollars, Patterson said, will essentially allow the district to expand the school day and week for students who need it. During the week, the district will offer students an after- school STEM program, where students will learn skills such as robotics and coding. There will be an emphasis on encouraging girls to participate, Patterson added. And on Saturday, the district is using EBM to create an academy, where teachers are available to tutor and help students. EBM will be used to pay teachers a stipend for the extra work. “Our students will become much more acclimated to science, technology, engineering and math because of EBM,” Patterson said. In addition, new tier funds fulfill a dream of hers, Patterson said, by expanding foreign language opportunities to include French at the junior high. Students at Prairie Hills were only offered Spanish previously.

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continued...

EBMFunds ... cont’d. “It’s always been important to me to expose minority students to foreign language,” she said. “It gets them ready to be able to continue French once they enter high school.” Any remaining dollars will be used to help balance the budget.

Streator Township HSD #40

Enrollment: 879

FY18: $650,611

Type: 9–12 FY19: $420,122 Launching a new STEM program was supposed to be a three-year plan, but EBM jumpstarted the process, Superintendent Matt Seaton said. The district is investing the dollars into a new STEM lab and employing math and science teachers to design and oversee the project. “They’re going to develop the classroom design as they go through this year,” Seaton said. “We feel like it’s a teacher’s dream.” The new lab will be equipped with robotic equipment, computers, flexible furniture and 21st century work stations, among other things. But even more than the state-of-the-art space, Seaton said, the new program will provide students with job skills needed for a new labor market. Streator is primarily a blue-collar community that sends as many students into the trades and vocational programs as it does to four-year universities. “This was the next step for our math and science program,” Seaton said. “We’re providing exposure to students in advanced areas of science and math that interest them.” The goal of the STEM program eventually is to make it student-led, Seaton said, adding the “sky is the limit” on the potential once students see what their predecessors did and build from there. “We were waiting financially for retirements or an opportunity to adjust staff,” Seaton said on the district’s plan to design a STEM lab. “But with EBM coming in, it gave us enough cash on hand to go ahead and do it.”

Rockford Public Schools #205

Enrollment: 26,040 FY18: $8.3 million Type: preK–12 FY19: $8.9 million

The infusion of EBM dollars is supporting major changes at the elementary and pre-K level, as well as preserving Rockford’s College and Career Academy, Superintendent Dr. Ehren Jarrett said. Last year, the district piloted what it calls “innovation zones” to help improve student achievement at elementary schools. The idea, developed in conjunction with the teacher’s union, will lengthen the elementary day by 45 minutes in exchange for additional dollars to be used to meet additional building level staffing needs. The EBM will also allow Rockford to sustain an early childhood investment that includes an FY19 investment of over $2 million in local funds. The expansion has allowed a significant increase in all day early childhood seats. “We see early childhood as a long-term intervention that is a good use of the funds,” Jarrett said. “We can really sustain a program like this because of EBM.” Rockford is also using the dollars to hire additional kindergarten teachers to keep classroom sizes at 20 students or below, Jarrett said, as well as add assistant principals at the elementary level. The extra administration in the building will free up principals from things like cafeteria and recess supervision and allow them to dedicate more time to increase instructional support and leadership. At the high school level, Jarrett added, EBM helps support its academy, which provides students with real world experiences with local businesses, among other things. “EBM is really giving Rockford students the chance to have the same opportunities as wealthier districts,” he said.

Vienna HSD #133

Enrollment: 380

FY18: $235,948

Type: 9–12 FY19: $225,085 The old funding formula created an extreme burden on Vienna High School that caused the district to cut and reduce programs and offerings, as well as delay capital maintenance projects, Superintendent Joshua Stafford said. Vienna High School actually ranked as the third least adequately funded district in the state. With the release of the second year of EBM dollars, Stafford

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We are looking for 25 Good Leaders!

We’re looking for 25 IASA members who share the vision of “Maximum Educational Success for All Students” to become members of IASA’s elite professional development cohort known as ISAL—the IASA School for Advanced Leadership.

Click here to apply for the ISAL Cohort V • Application deadline is October 12, 2018.

Find out more about ISAL

Questions: IASA Office: 217–753-2213

Dr. Nick Osborne: nrosborne@eiu.edu Dr. Gary Zabilka: gzabilka@iasaedu.org

ISDLAF+MonthlyUpdate Click here to view the most current ISDLAF+ rates, economic indicators and general economic news brief. To obtain additional information regarding this IASA sponsored service, contact Dr. Donald E. Weber, Senior Vice President, Corporate Relations/ ISDLAF+ at 630–657–6435. To check daily rates, visit the ISDLAF+ website at www.isdlafplus.com.

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The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) accountability push is on as school districts are increasingly called upon to substantiate a compelling story for the return on investment they provide to the communities they serve. In reality, it’s about how you can tell your own district’s success story within your local community in a very powerful way. In order to reach that objective, IASA has partnered with ECRA Group to provide a free dashboard to all IASA member school districts that can be customized with their own district data. The Strategic Dashboard is a powerful tool for superintendents and boards of education to tell their school district’s story and track important indicators and priorities at the aggregate level. IASA Executive Director Dr. Brent Clark says that the evolution of the dashboard came about as a result of planning discussions with IASA’s partner the ECRA Group, that school districts needed a reliable process or procedure to report metrics regarding their district to their community. “Our role is to help school districts be prepared for ESSA and the accountability push that is going to intensify in the future,” said Clark. “We believe the new IASA/ECRA Strategic Dashboard positions districts to be responsive in their community and allows them to share a complete story on their district using both qualitative and quantitative indicators.” Through the dashboard components, school administrators are able to identify metrics they want to report on, keeping the data points very fluid as districts are able to add data, charts, video and other useful digital content to visually tell their story. To learn how to use the Strategic Dashboard, IASA is offering training statewide through August and September. By Mary Schaefer IASA Director of Communications & Marketing IASA/ECRAFree StrategicDashboard Invites School Districts toShareTheirOwnStory #TellYourStory

Dr. John Gatta, Chief Executive Officer of the ECRA Group and designer of the IASA/ECRA Strategic Dashboard, indicates the IASA/ECRA dashboard training will walk superintendents through three phases on the dashboard design including: 1) How to tell your story, 2) Defining Your Success, and 3) Monitoring Your Progress. “For each phase, we will provide guidance and best practices for how to think about your school district story lines,” he says. “We will provide a real example of a school district in your region and provide the time needed for participants to actively work on your own individual dashboard. The objective is for each superintendent to walk out with a completely framed dashboard.” While the ISBE School Report Card has a contained, identical set of criteria and data points by district, the IASA/ ECRA Strategic Dashboard is 100 percent customizable, according to Gatta. The Strategic Dashboard is organized into three main sections: Vision, Indicators and Strategy. 1. The Vision section allows school districts to craft a narrative inclusive of videos and other digital assets to articulate a clear and compelling vision for student success. 2. The Indicators section operationalizes the district’s vision into observable quantitative and qualitative indicators. 3. The Strategy section allows districts to communicate how they intend to accomplish their vision.

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continued...

Dashboard ... cont’d.

IASA Complimentary Strategic Das

TellYour Story

Mission Statement

The mission of Sample Unit School District is to provide a quality education that prepares today’s child for tomorrow’s world.

Vision Statement

Sample Unit School District will serve its community by providing an exemplary education focused on whole-child development,

1 Guiding principles are the beliefs that set the foundation for how an organization will operate. The principles are accepted guidelines that capture the District’s values and priorities and provide direction for employees as they go about their daily work. The following guiding principles were developed in alignment with stakeholder feedback and revised by the Board of Education. 2 3 We believe: • Each student is entitled to an excellent education that meets his or her individual needs. • A diverse curriculum improves student learning and expands student experiences. • Technology use is an essential skill for enhancing student learning and growth. • In providing a safe and respectful school environment. • Diversity expands one’s worldview and enhances the education experience. Ű (KPCPEKCN JGCNVJ CPF ƒUECN TGURQPUKDKNKV[ CTG HWPFCOGPVCN VQ CEJKGXKPI QWT vision. • Community partnerships strengthen our schools. 4

IASA/ECRA Complimentary Strategic Dashboard (example)

DefineYour Success

Student Success

APCoursework

CommunityService

CareerDevelopmentExperience

Co-Curricular Involvement

350 #OFSTUDENTSEARNING A,B,ORC INAPCOURSEWORK

42% STUDENTSCOMPLETING COMMUNITYSERVICE

60% JUNIORS/SENIORSWITHCAREER DEVELOPMENTEXPERIENCE

45% STUDENTS IN2ORMORE ACTIVITIES

Learning Environment

QualityEducation

StudentRelationships

StudentAttendance

ClassSize

87% PARENTSRATEQUALITYOF EDUCATIONGOOD/EXCELLENT

78% STUDENTSREPORTPOSITIVE RELATIONSHIPSWITHCLASSMATES

97% STUDENTATTENDANCE

21 AVERAGENUMBEROFSTUDENTS INACLASS

$

Finance and Resources

FiscalHealth

Moody’sBondRating

LocalPropertyTaxRevenue

Facilities

3.7 PROFILESCOREFROMANNUAL FINANCIALREPORT

19 BONDRATING

77% LOCALPROPERTYTAXREVENUE

78% STAKEHOLDERSAGREEFACILITIES AREWELLMAINTAINED

MonitorYour Progress

Goal 1: Achieve Equity in Curriculum Opportunities

4 Objectives

80% Align Programs of Study

5 Strategies

100%

Gather feedback from faculty and staff.

0%

Submit Plan to community.

75%

Submit ideas to school board.

100%

Complete Training Materials.

30%

Interservice training for principals.

100% Provide training to use assessment data for analyzing curriculum, sequence, and gaps

2 Strategies

25% Align courses to student academic needs

3 Strategies

0%

Audit inclusionary practices in elective courses

4 Strategies

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“The IASA/ECRA Strategic Dashboard allows school districts to be more creative and scientific with regards to data indicators. Schools are no longer confined to metrics that derive from state mandated data,” said Gatta. “Schools can now leverage any local data available to define more meaningful metrics that best measure the outcomes that are important to their communities.” It’s not one size fits all for the IASA/ECRA dashboard either, Gatta added. “The dashboard is designed to be a highly flexible tool that districts can freely modify to tell their story,” he said. “The state report card is only part of the story—unless the missing parts are told. Absent the rest of the story, the incomplete story told via the state report cards becomes the full story. The idea is to provide communities the full story of their school districts.” Ideally, districts should be ready to launch their local dashboard no later than October 31st when the Illinois State Board of Education launches the Illinois School Report Card by individual school districts. Telling the local school district story was originally part of the initial Vision 20/20 discussions back in 2013 when the public-policy platform was adopted. “When the Vision 20/20 framework was first conceived, a fundamental tenet was that we were going to make sure districts were telling the whole story with the outcomes that matter the most,” said Clark. “Information and outcomes are shifting all the time, but the most important factor is promoting what matters most to you in your district and sharing that story. What shapes the definition of success is more aligned to the actual work you are engaged in.”

Gatta also reports that telling a district’s story is just one part of the process. Letting students tell their story through their own learner profiles is also critically important. ECRA also provides an add-on fee-based component to the free dashboard should districts want to include that special feature in their dashboard. The IASA/ECRA dashboard training is being held as part of a full one-day package with IASA’s professional development academy, “ESSA: School Accountability Under Illinois Plan—AA #1917” because both tie together in helping districts tell their story. (Please see scheduling, page 30.) The ESSA academy is designed for superintendents and administrative teams, including teacher leaders, to work together to understand the Quality Framework for Illinois school districts and to be able to apply each school’s ISBE Summative School Designation Score to a Continuous School Improvement Plan for improvement and growth. The 6.0 hour academy (3 hours in person) will provide attendees with resources they can use in presenting an ESSA overview to their constituents. The Academy course curriculum will demonstrate how participants can “tell their story” as it relates to what is happening in their building/district and how those things tie into ESSA. That same day, administrators can also attend the ECRA Dashboard training to learn more about marketing and branding the district’s vision for stakeholders. To learn more how to register for the remaining ESSA Academies and IASA/ECRA dashboard training sessions, click here . For more information on the dashboard go to www.theecragroup.com .

To roll out IASA and ECRA’s new Strategic Dashboard and our new administrators’ academy “ESSA: School Accountability Under Illinois’ Plan—AA #1917,” we are offering two classes as part of a full one-day package in every IASA Region during August and September 2018. You may attend the Strategic Dashboard seminar, the ESSA Academy or both, and you may attend on different days, at your convenience. See scheduling calendar on page 30 of this issue of Leadership Matters. For more details and to register, please click here .

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Rigsby ... cont’d.

The opportunity to encourage and challenge superintendents to make an impact on the lives of children is something he looks forward to, Rigsby said. Superintendents, he said, carry an enormous responsibility because they have the ability to impact so many lives. For any leader, the challenge is being able to communicate your vision to your staff and getting them to buy in but, at the same time, be self-aware of their influence. “The leaders I meet and admire the most are the ones who have one thing in common—a definitive purpose and burning desire to communicate and stay on message,” he said. “That burning desire to encourage others and, at same time, growing their influence so they want to go, want to work and want to participate. He continued: “Leadership is influence. The ability to influence others in your sphere.” Rigsby also attributed his success in life to public education. When he was in the third grade, his teacher changed his life when she volunteered to stay after school with him while he read.

He describes the experience in a video on his website this way: “A third grader from the hood started to develop a vociferous appetite for reading and developed an efficacious vocabulary.” It would have been easy for that teacher to overlook him, but she didn’t, Rigsby said. That’s why anytime he speaks to academic communities, he reminds them that you never know where a child will end up. Every day, it’s imperative for school leaders to “bring their A-game” and be willing to do what it takes to reach kids. “I was the class clown, but this third-grade teacher did not judge me and was not deterred by my poor behavior choices in class,” Rigsby said. “I stayed after school, and she introduced me to Beverly Cleary books and, as a result, I developed a real appreciation for the written word. Because of the seeds planted by that third-grade teacher, I still read a lot.” Rigsby is one of three keynote speakers at the IASA Annual Conference, along with state superintendent Dr. Tony Smith and legendary UCLA softball coach Sue Enquist. Smith will speak Friday morning and Enquist will close the conference. Rigsby is a father of four with two grandchildren.

To learnmore about Rigsby and watch himspeak click here.

Rigsby’s book became a USA Today and Wall Street Journal best seller; the graduation speech it inspired has received 100+ million views on Facebook and YouTube.

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Thursday. Sept. 27—4:30pm SECOND GENERAL SESSION

Back by popular demand!

“Be ready to walk away with some exciting ideas for your school district,” said IASA Associate Director for Professional Development Dr. Richard Voltz. “This fast-moving session will present a wide menu of interesting topics.” The sessions will be moderated by Dr. Michael Lubelfeld, Superintendent of North Shore SD #112, and Dr. Nicholas Polyak, Superintendent of Leyden Comm HS #212.

Ignite returns to the 2018 IASA Conference. Ignite is a fast-paced method of sharing best practices. Each presenter has five minutes to “Tell Their Story” about an initiative they are proud to share with their fellow superintendents. The format consists of 20 slides advancing automatically every 15 seconds. This requires the presenter to be concise and entertaining in order to make an impact with the audience. This year’s presenters and topics are listed below. Be sure to support your colleagues as they share their topics with you.

Ignitepresentersand topics include:

This Isn’tMyMom’sReport Card: SD#13’s JourneyTowardStandards-BasedGrading andReporting Presented by Superintendent Dr. Jon Bartelt, Bloomingdale SD #13 Competency-BasedEducation Presented by Superintendent Dr. Genevra A. Walters, Kankakee SD #111

CreatingSpaces That InspireLearning, InnovationandCreativity Presented by Superintendent Dr. Kimberly Boryszewski, Schiller Park SD #81

TheFailureFramework Presented by Superintendent Dr. Tad Everett, Sterling CUSD #5

TheCollegeandCareerGuidebook Presented by Superintendent Stephen Murphy, Carbondale CHSD #65

TellingOurDistrict’s EBMStory Presented by Superintendent Carrie Hruby, O’Fallon CCSD #90

UsingSocialMediaToChangeThePerception of aDistrict Presented by Superintendent Dr. Courtney L. Orzel, Lemont-Bromberek CSD #113A

ABeginner’sGuide toDigitallyTransforminga District viaStrategic Planning Presented by Superintendent Dr. Kevin B. Russell, Chicago Ridge SD #127-5

UsingFlipgrid toGiveTeachers Input Presented by Dr. Kelly D. Stewart, Retired Superintendent

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more on conference...

Friday, Sept. 28—9:30am CLOSING GENERAL SESSION

Competitive Greatness 24/7: Sue Enquist Excellence Never Blinks

By Mary Schaefer IASA Director of Communications and Marketing Sue Enquist, a former UCLA coach who has achieved more national championship titles (11) than anyone in NCAA Division I softball history, is frequently asked how individuals discover the champion in themselves every day. “It’s really a discipline. The minute your toes hit the floor you must take five seconds to remind yourself you don’t have to be perfect,” said Enquist. “The problem with the love affair of being a champion is everybody is in love with the medal, the trophy, which is the last 10 seconds of the season. Do your best every day and be mindful of the little things, pay attention to the details.” Enquist will share some of the techniques she has learned in coaching champions in her presentation at the closing session of the IASA Annual Conference on September 28th. Her keynote will focus on a renewed road map for personal excellence, including actionable principles to launch your sustained improvement in work, home and play. Throughout her career, Enquist said, she’s noticed a common theme in successful people is they pay attention to the details. It’s a skillset she’s tried to emulate. The daughter of a chemical engineer and World War II veteran and nurse, she articulates her philosophy of life, leadership and competition in three words: Prepare, love and honor.

“I was an ordinary kid. I was not blessed with an amazing physique but was surrounded by people that put a high value in preparation and attention to details, process and discipline,” said Enquist. “The second thing I learned at a very young age is there are going to be things you like to do and those activities you don’t like to do.” She is thankful for the teachers, family and coaches that helped inspire her to be her best. Above all, she coaches the importance of staying committed when everybody is ready to check out and not be part of the game or process. “Being able to love the class, love the game, love the challenge on its hardest day will separate you from everybody else because that is when everybody quits,” she states. “So the idea is really around loving the game, including loving academics unconditionally because average people slow down or quit when it gets hard.” In 2006, Enquist retired after 36 years as a UCLA student, coach and administrator. She has been honored with inductions to six Hall of Fames including the UCLA Hall of Fame, USA Softball Hall of Fame, National Fast Pitch Coaches Association and International Women’s Sports Hall of Fame. She’s extremely proud of the graduation record during her coaching years, which reached a level of 98.5

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percent. The number of athletes she coached who became coaches is also something she’s proud of. For Enquist keeping that consistent adrenalin flowing was paramount in order to stay on top of the game and successfully win championships. During her session at the IASA Conference she will be offering advice to superintendents on how they can build on their own achievements. “As a school administrator, what is the technical expertise you need in your office and in your school? Be a hornet about those technical processes,” said Enquist. “All the little things are connected to the big things. It shows in the environment if you are paying attention or not.” She advises not to let the little things slip. Enquist always sweated the little things because she knew if she placed the little things at a high level that the big things would take care of themselves—resulting in the championship or having your school district win awards for academic achievement. Competitive excellence means to go out every day to compete to do your best as your best will always be good enough, she adds. “Coaches want to win all the time

language of a champion lies in the consistency of holding strong when it gets hard and celebrating everyone’s successes. Superintendents are in high throttle from August to June. It’s not about peaking at one point, but rather a slow deliberate uphill climb to encouraging student success. For superintendents if they can leave the office every day saying, ‘you know, I gave everything I had today,’ that is an achievement, Enquist believes. After 27 years of coaching, Enquist became really interested in seeing how she could build a pillar foundation at the youth level. “I really felt amateur sports was missing important character and technical pillars for softball families,” Enquist said. To help develop leadership for players, coaches and parents, she worked to found ONE Softball Inc., LLC, an online digital network serving families. The online community is also now identifying resources and developing free content for parents and coaches and

• Winningest NCAA Division I Softball Coach, attained 11 National Championships • Former All-American and USA World Champion and Founder/CEO of ONE Softball LLC • Retired in 2006 as UCLA Head Coach, after 36 years as UCLA student, coach and administrator • She sits in six Hall of Fames as a player or coach including: UCLA Hall of Fame, USA Softball Hall of Fame, National Fast Pitch Coaches Association and International Women’s Sports Hall of Fame. • Former USA World Champion and Pan Am Gold Medalist as a player

but sometimes we have to do things that are not going to win in the short term but are going to win in the long term,” Enquist says. Enquist encourages superintendents to understand how to build a championship culture within their district environment, whether that is in their executive offices, schools or teachers. “There is a common vernacular of championship culture that is shared at all levels,” she says. “The leaders must understand what he or she stands for and articulate that day to day and hold people accountable on good days and bad days.” She states it doesn’t matter if you are in a big district or small district, in charge of 10 or 100 people, the common

student athletes to help tackle mental health, perfectionism and wellness issues. She feels this is her gift back to the sport of softball. “Amateur sports can be a great foundation for teaching values to help support what families are doing on a day to day basis,” she said. “The Onesoftball.com website has over 600 videos from our best in the game talking about how to get to college and how to technically improve and how to teach character in a very specific way, such as how you think and speak and act. We want to create a more fun environment at practice.” To learn more about Sue Enquist go to: www.sueenquist.com or www.onesoftball.com .

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more on conference...

2018 54TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE Sept. 26–28, 2018 —Springfield, IL Registration available online at: http://www.cvent.com/d/6gqp9s

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Day/Time Wednesday, September 26, 2018 8:30 a.m.–3 p.m. Daily Overview:

Event

Early Bird Academies —School of Professional Development—Administrators’ Academy Credit Courses

10 a.m.–6 p.m.

Registration Open

1–3 p.m.

Celebrating Women in Leadership : How We Learn, Lead and Live (also see page opposite)

2:45–3:45 p.m.

New Superintendent Mentoring Meetings

4–5:45 p.m.

Opening General Session and IASA Annual Meeting Keynote Speaker: Dr. Rick Rigsby , President and CEO of Rick Rigsby Communications, Making an Impact

6–7:30 p.m.

IASA Welcoming Reception

Thursday, September 27, 2018 6:45 a.m.

IASA Sixth Annual ‘Super’ 5K Fun Run/Walk

7 a.m.–5 p.m. 7:30–9 a.m.

Registration Open

Continental Breakfast for all Conference Attendees

New Superintendents’ Roundtable Breakout Sessions

8–9 a.m.

8 a.m.–4 p.m. 9 a.m.–2 p.m. 9:15–11 a.m.

IASA/ECRA Strategic Dashboard—Technical Assistance Room

Exhibit Hall Open

Second General Session— Ignite

11 a.m.–12:30 p.m.

Lunch available inside the Exhibit Hall for all Conference Attendees Get Charged Up Session with the IASA Communications Staff New Superintendents Panel— Building Trust: Reflections on the First Year Breakout Sessions

12:30–1:30 p.m.

1:45–2:45 p.m.

Large Breakout Session— Ask the IASA Staff

3–4 p.m.

Breakout Sessions

4:30–5:30 p.m.

High School District Organization Meeting

4:30–6 p.m.

Association of Illinois Rural and Small Schools Meeting (AIRSS) IASA School for Advanced Leadership Alumni Reception

4:30–6:30 p.m.

5–7 p.m.

Southern Illinois University Reception

6 p.m.

Hospitality Suites Open President’s Reception

9–11 p.m.

Friday, September 28, 2018 7–11:30 a.m.

Registration Open Fellowship Gathering

7:30–8:30 a.m. 8:30–9:30 a.m.

IASA Past Presidents Meeting Breakout Sessions

9:30–11:45 a.m.

Closing General Session Brunch Keynote Speakers: Dr. Tony Smith , State Superintendent of Education, What Our New Fund- ing and Supports Mean for Strengthening Every School Community in Illinois and Sue Enquist , Competitive Greatness 24/7: Excellence Never Blinks

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11:45 a.m.

Adjournment

CELEBRATING Women in Leadership: HOWWE Learn Lead & Live IASAConferenceKick-OffMeeting Wednesday, September 26th from 1–3pm at Abraham Lincoln Hotel i i g , t r t fr t r i l t l

Join us! On Wednesday, September 26, 2018, we will host our first annual meeting of Celebrating Women in Leadership and invite all women superintendents in Illinois to join us. Dr. Nancy Blair, Professor Emerita of Leadership Studies at Cardinal Stritch University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, will lead the session as we discuss opportunities, challenges and successes that female leaders face in the role of the superintendency. Participants will receive a book for an upcoming book study to be held at the Joint Annual Conference. This is a free event for all female superintendents in Illinois who are registered for the IASA Annual Conference . IASASuper-Region LunchMeetings October 1, 2018–Glen Ellyn | October 4, 2018–Springfield | October 22, 2018–Mt. Vernon In the fall, we’ll host three Super-Region lunch meetings to bring women superintendents together across the state to continue our dialogue surrounding this important topic, as we continue to network, celebrate and share our stories of leadership. This is a free event for all female superintendents in Illinois. Joint Annual ConferenceWorkshop: CelebratingWomen in Leadership Friday, November 16, 2018 from 9am-12pm In November, Dr. Blair will lead a 3 hour workshop for female superintendents and host a book study on the text provided at the IASA conference. This workshop will provide a more in-depth opportunity for female leaders across the state to network, celebrate and share their inspiring stories of leadership. This is a free event for all female superintendents in Illinois and participants need to be registered for the Joint Annual Conference to attend. in ! , t r , , il t r r t l tin f le r tin in r ip in it l rint t in Il in is t j in . r. lair, r f r rit f r ip t i t r in l trit iv r it , is in, il l t i is rt iti , l e t t f le l r f in t r le f t rint . rticip t il f r in t t l t t int l f r . is is fr t f r l f le rint t in Il in is r r ist r f r t I l f r . Register here .

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Questions? Contact Dr. Courtney L.Orzel, Superintendent of Lemont- Bromberek CSD #113A

at 630–243–3189 or corzel@sd113a.org .

Proudly sponsored by:

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air Poor

All Illinois School Districts are working to comply with the requirements of education reforms. For years, the Illinois Association of School Administrators (IASA) has worked to provide support via the Senate Bill 7 Performance Rankings File . This program gives districts a method of managing district positions aligned to local qualifications, teacher’s credentials, and performance ratings. The program compiles this local data and creates reports needed to comply with Senate Bill 7. The 2018–2019 file has been enhanced with updates in response to user ideas. Recent updates include: software available for purchase Performance Rankings Tool 2018–2019 Senate Bill 7

• Expanded license endorsements and content specific endorsements. • Only one notification letter per teacher (rather than one for current and more for other eligible positions). • The ability to export data to use for other data needs.

• Four podcasts—overview, transition data, sorting data within the program, and optional merge letter process. • Method to filter teachers on or off evaluation cycle. • Tracking of the evaluator name and evaluator’s IEIN. • Ability to sort lists of data within the program.

This software was originally reviewed by the Senate Bill 7 teams from the Illinois Federation of Teachers (IFT) and the Illinois Education Association (IEA). The 2018–2019 version of this software builds on the knowledge gained from hundreds of users.

The 2018–2019 IASA Senate Bill 7 Performance Rankings File is ready for you to purchase and download. The access request form can be found at http://www.iasasurveys.org . The cost of using this software has never increased and the annual licensing fee is $275 for members and $550 for non- members. Please note that previous versions of the IASA Senate Bill 7 Performance Rankings File are no longer supported. Also, the service method for the 2018–2019 software will be via email only.

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Hit the Ground Running NewSuperintendents Prepare for First Year on the Job By Jason Nevel

IASA Assistant Director of Communications Formulating a game plan for your first year on the job as a superintendent was much simpler 30 years ago, says Dr. Rich Voltz, IASA associate director. “In the old days when I was first going into the superintendency, I had my own ideas of where I thought the district should go, and the board members had an idea,” Voltz said. That’s no longer the case. “You have to talk to your teachers, parents, students, important community members—police chief, fire chief and chamber of commerce—to find out what they think the school is and what they think the school should be,” Voltz said. To help superintendents prepare for that first year, IASA annually holds a New Superintendents’ Conference, a two- day event aimed at helping superintendents transition to their new role. This year’s conference was held in Springfield August 1-2. Forty-six new superintendents from across Illinois attended the event. Creating an entry plan is one skill superintendents learned at the conference. “An entry plan teaches you to be focused on obtaining information from a variety of constituents,” Voltz said. “It keeps you from going out and saying, ‘I want to do X, Y and Z.’ Because, in reality, what you should be saying is, ‘What does the community want the school to be.’” This year’s conference featured a session on Illinois’ new evidence-based funding model, led by IASA Executive Director Dr. Brent Clark and IASBO Executive Director Dr. Michael Jacoby. Clark and Jacoby reviewed how the law came to be, what it entails and what expectations superintendents face.

Other topics included legal issues administrators could face, how to balance work and professional life, handle a media crisis, as well as a discussion about the importance of reviewing policies before making decisions. “Every superintendent should have certain handbooks readily available,” Voltz said. “They should have the “Illinois School Code,” their district’s own policy manual, Brian Braun’s “Illinois School Law Survey” and their employee/student handbook. All of those things need to be within an arm’s reach, so when they have an issue, they can easily go back and reference these important resources. “A lot of people make decisions and don’t look back at the policy. If you’re wrong, you could get fired for that.” Four Ignite sessions—five-minute speeches intended to be enlightening and thought-provoking—were also included this year. The speakers were: Dr. Jill Griffin, Bethalto CUSD #8; John Price, North Chicago SD #187; Tip Reedy, Williamsville CUSD #15; and Dana Smith, Flossmoor SD #161. “No surprises for the board. Communicate all the time,” Smith told the attendees during his Ignite speech. “The last thing you want is for a board member to learn from a community member at the grocery store about a crisis. It will not go well.” Mike Denault, who began his superintendency this year at Summersville SD #79, a preK–8 district in Mount Vernon, said the conference exposed him to a lot of the challenges he will face in his first year on the job. “I left Springfield confident in knowing that I had learned numerous strategies that would lead to a successful transition to my new position and with the assurance that I would have all of the support of, not only the IASA, but also its distinguished membership to lean on when the need arises,” he said. 23