freeport school district freeport, il leadership profile

Leadership Profile Report Freeport School District Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates

1

FREEPORT SCHOOL DISTRICT Freeport, IL

LEADERSHIP PROFILE REPORT April 16, 2019

INTRODUCTION This report summarizes the findings of the Leadership Profile Assessment conducted by Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates1 for the Freeport School District 2 Board of Education3 as one of the initial steps in its search for a new Superintendent. The data contained herein were obtained from individual interviews with seven Board members and one unopposed Board candidate and meetings with individuals/groups identified by the Board in interview, focus group or community input settings on April 1-3, 2019 and an online survey which was provided via the District website from March 14 through April 4, 2019. The meetings, interviews, focus groups, and survey were structured to gather data to assist the Board in determining the primary qualities it might seek in its next Superintendent. Through this process, the consultants attempted to identify the personal and professional qualities desired in the Superintendent, as well as the skill sets necessary to build upon what constituent groups valued, while addressing current and emerging issues which the District might be facing. Between 293 and 429 individuals provided input during the process, as reflected in the following chart. It should be noted that the seven current Board Members and one unopposed candidate for the Board participated in individual interviews and seven individuals completed the survey as Board Members. The number of respondents from the other groups that participated in both phases of the process is unknown. (We do not have an accurate way to determine if some who took the survey also participated in a discussion group.)

Group Personal interviews,

focus groups, etc. Survey

Board 8 7

Administrators 15 13

Support Staff 7 38

Community 82 71

Parents 15 96

Faculty 16 68

Total 143 293

1 Referenced in this Report as HYA. 2 Referenced in this Report as School District or District. 3 Referenced in this Report as Board.


2

INTRODUCTION continued

The information gathered in this report represents the findings of the Leadership Profile Assessment conducted personally by Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates on April 1-3, 2019 and through an online survey which was provided via the District website from March 14, 2019 through April 4, 2019, to assist the Board in clarifying the criteria it would seek in the new Superintendent of the Freeport School District. The data contained herein were obtained from input the HYA consultants received when they met with individuals and groups in individual interviews, focus groups or open forum settings and from the results of the online survey completed by stakeholders. The survey, interviews, focus groups and open forums were structured to gather input to assist the Board in determining qualities that it should seek as it employs a new Superintendent to serve the District. It is anticipated that this data also will be useful to candidates interested in the Freeport School District superintendency, as well as to the new Superintendent, once the individual is selected for the position.

PARTICIPATION

The responses provided through the interviews, focus groups, open forums and survey are summarized under Consistent Themes, which can be found beginning on page 5. We have included a rough draft of a possible leadership profile on page 10.

The data contained in this report were gathered from Board-identified or self-selected stakeholder respondents as outlined on page 1 of this report. Therefore, it should be emphasized that the data are not from a purely scientific sampling. However, in almost all cases the data were prioritized by the individuals and members of the groups from which they were gathered. In addition, prior to drawing any conclusions about consistent themes or recurring ideas, the consultants tabulated the occurrence of the indicators or Strengths, Challenges and Leadership Qualities within and among the seven reference groups chosen to participate in this study. So, it can be safely said that there is certainly a rigorous method for bringing these conclusions to your attention and consideration, when selecting the desired characteristics for the next Superintendent of Schools for Freeport School District. Items are included from the interviews, focus groups and/or survey, if, in the consultants’ judgment, they were repeated with sufficient frequency thus indicating a pattern and/or warranting the Board’s attention.

The consultants would like to thank all the participants, who participated in the interviews, focus groups and open forums or who completed the online survey, for their insights and candor. A note of thanks to all staff members who assisted in facilitating our time in the District, with special thanks to Superintendent Dr. Mike Schiffman, Ms. Greta Harrell, Ms. Jesse Johnson and Ms. Beth Peterson and other staff members for their extra efforts in making us feel welcome, handling the necessary arrangements for our meetings, assistance at the meetings and follow-up in the District.

Respectfully submitted, Dr. Constance Collins Dr. Peter Flynn


3

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ONLINE SURVEY

The online survey was completed by 293 stakeholders. The largest group of respondents was Parents (96 representing almost 33% of all respondents). 71 Community Members or about a quarter of the respondents completed the survey. The third largest participant group was Teachers at 68 or slightly over 23% of respondents. The rest of the respondents were Support Staff, Administrators and Board Members.

Stakeholder Group Responses to Survey

Frequency Percent

Administrator 13 4.4%

Board 7 2.4%

Community Member 71 24.2%

Parent 96 32.8%

Support Staff 38 13.0%

Teacher 68 23.2%

Total 293 100.0 %

Online Survey Results - State of the District

Regarding the State of the District, the respondents were asked to choose from Strongly Disagree, Disagree, Neither Disagree or Agree, Agree, Strongly Agree about the State of the District overall and in nineteen specific areas. [The nineteen statements were in four categories: Vision and Values-VV, Teaching and Learning-TL; Community Engagement-CE; and Management-M] The following statements were perceived to be district strengths (based upon the percentage of respondents who selected either Agree or Strongly Agree) when responses were combined for all stakeholders responding to the online survey:

Technology is integrated into the classroom. (Teaching and Learning - TL) (74%) • The district engages with diverse racial, cultural and socio-economic groups. (Community Engagement - CE) (52%) • Facilities are well maintained. (Management – M) (51%)

District technology infrastructure is sufficient to support 21st century learning (Management-M) (51%)

The district is working to close the achievement gap. (Vision and Values - VV) (50%)

The Board (at least four members) chose 3 top strengths that were in common with the overall group and they are highlighted above. In addition, the Board perceived the following area as an additional strength of the district:

The district is fiscally responsible. Management-M (71%)


4

Online Survey Results - Superintendent Profile

[The twelve superintendent competency statements were in the same four categories as used in the State of the District: Vision and Values-VV, Teaching and Learning-TL; Community Engagement-CE; and Management-M] Using the online survey, the top-rated competencies respondents selected overall for a Superintendent were:

Foster a positive, professional climate of mutual trust and respect among faculty, staff, and administrators (CE)

Establish a culture of high expectations for all students and personnel (VV)

Be visible throughout the District and actively engaged in community life (CE)

Recruit, employ, and retain effective personnel throughout the District and its schools (M)

Understand and be sensitive to the needs of a diverse student population (TL)

Three of the top-rated competencies by Board Members selected for a Superintendent were the same as three of the five overall choices above and they are indicated in bold. The Board also selected two additional competencies:

Provide transparent communication (CE)

Provide a clear, compelling vision for the future (VV)

When combining the five top-rated competencies with the two additional chosen by the Board provides a balanced list of competencies in the four categories of Vision and Values-VV, Teaching and Learning-TL; Community Engagement-CE; and Management-M.

Percentages of respondents overall who selected each item, as well as percentages by stakeholder group, are presented in a separate document.


5

CONSISTENT THEMES FROM LISTENING SESSIONS

DISCLAIMER: The consultants were not in a position to verify the accuracy of those things that were said by individuals or attested to by groups who participated in the community engagement sessions. In those instances where individuals were identified by name or position, the consultants made note of the comment, although it was not repeated in this report, if it reflected negatively upon the individual.

Strengths

On the following pages you will see many and varied strengths mentioned about the District, its community and its people. Prominent among those elements mentioned is a wide array of current Program Offerings, New Initiatives and Supportive Positions for students in the Freeport School District. People described for us in almost all of the listening sessions the extraordinary Fine Arts, Advanced Placement, Honors, Dual Enrollment, High Academic Potential Program (HAPP), Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) Grammy Award Winning Music Program, Speech at the High School, International Baccalaureate and the Navy Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps among others. People also told us about new initiatives such as the High School Academy effort and Alternatives to Suspension as examples. We also heard about positions that were added such as Deans, Behavioral Specialists and Social Workers to assist students and their families in the pursuit of a quality education. Secondly, people cited the Staff of the school district as being strong and open to trying new things if they understood the rationale and saw the possibility of longevity of a successful new program. Teachers, we were told, excel in their classrooms as well as in related fields. In addition to teachers, central office staff were also cited as being caring individuals.

Third in frequency, participants in meetings mentioned the Diversity of the District, its population and that of the community it serves. The growth of engaged cultures, notably the Latino/Hispanic culture was an example mentioned. We also heard about the Curriculum Alignment that has taken place from school to school with a confidence that it will bring results, specifically in Reading and Mathematics. Fifth in frequency, and related to the Program Offerings mentioned above, we listened to individuals and groups talk about the Relationship between the District and Highland Community College, which they pointed out enhances the Career TEC program, Dual Credit and College Now among others.

We heard many people mention that the District Finances have improved, going from a status of Warning to one of Recognition which according to what we heard applauds the District as being fiscally sound and responsible overall.

People told us of ways in which the Communications of the District have improved and increased over the last couple of years, which they shared was verified, by a recent survey where 83% of respondents reacted favorably to the efforts of the district.

Finally, we heard of the District making good efforts in Professional Development through Learning Communities and School Improvement Team days, particularly in the areas of Special Education and training for Nurses and Counselors, as well as assistance in the newly aligned curriculum areas mentioned earlier.


6

Challenges/Concerns/Issues

The number one concern shared by people who attended our listening sessions was the concern of Student Achievement. People mentioned schools being on a watch or warning list with a lingering achievement gap obvious among minority students and students of poverty. People talked about how low scores on the state assessments might also indicate a lack of college or career readiness at the upper grade levels.

Somewhat related to this issue, we heard about the Discipline Problems in regular classrooms with students who are either not motivated or capable to engaging in the learning being offered, resulting in teachers having time consumed with misbehavior and students lacking focused time on task. People shared that Discipline seems to be tied to PBIS (Positive Behavioral and Interventions and Supports) and Second Step as the District’s effort to address Discipline. Yet, people described what they perceived as a ‘disproportionality’ in the discipline of minority students.

Next in frequency, we heard people talking about what seems to be a relatively Low Staff Morale in the District, which may make it difficult to keep staff motivated with many new programmatic efforts and some felt that teachers do not always seem to buy in to District efforts due to their not feeling valued.

Of equal concern to the participants in our listening session was the student issue of living in Poverty. The economic disadvantage that nearly two-thirds (64%) of the families in the school district are experiencing was something that people shared with us as impacting the ability of students to come to school prepared to learn.

We heard from different groups that there is a continuing issue in the area of Teacher Recruitment and Retention, especially newer, younger teachers and some principals. People told us that there is an apparent inability to attract people to come to work in Freeport and people further said that it is even more difficult when it comes to African American or Latino teachers. Although mentioned under Strengths, people also pointed to Finances and the Declining Tax Base as a continuing issue in preserving, much less adding to the fund balance of the District’s budget. Participants in our listening sessions shared with us that the school district seems to have a higher than average identification rate of 16% of its students in Special Education. In addition, some mentioned that there is an ‘over-representation’ of minority students in Special Education. We were told that this situation is further exacerbated by the difficulty of recruiting qualified and certified Special Education teachers, where the District is currently understaffed. Further, some said that there seems to be confusion around the process of placement in the Special Education program. Finally, we heard clearly expressed concerns about the Lack of Accountability in central office, buildings and support service departments.


7

Desired Characteristics of the Next Superintendent

Later in the document you will see listings of the strengths, challenges and leadership characteristics mentioned by the various groups from which we heard. On the following pages, we have listed the desired qualities for the next Superintendent in order of priority under the seven types of groups. A table format is used at first so that you can look at three groups or four groups and their priorities at once, side by side.

The next table shows a listing of the Characteristics of the next Superintendent in the areas of attributes, expertise and style items that were mentioned most frequently by all the groups combined.

Finally, we have included the draft profile which uses the highlighted items - most desirable characteristics mentioned by the seven categories of people based on the individual and group discussions. The draft profile also incorporates all of the most frequently mentioned items from the online survey, which in most cases were the same as those most frequently selected items by Board members.

HYA promises to use all of its available resources to assist the Board in finding a candidate who will possess most of the characteristics desired by the respondents, including the Board. HYA intends to meet the challenge of finding individuals who possess many of the skills and character traits required to build upon the District’s reputation while addressing the concerns expressed by the constituent groups and present them to the Board for its review and selection.

Desired Leadership Qualities

Desirable Characteristics Listed by Categories of Respondents

After naming all of the desirable traits for the next leader of the Freeport School District through brainstorming in group discussions or individual interviews, we asked the individuals to identify those qualities that were most mission critical for this school district at this point in its history. In the table below, these are the leadership qualities that rose to the top in our discussions with various people over the course of three days. Items in bold were mentioned by more than one category.


8

Board

Attributes 1. Honesty 2. Trustworthy 3. Integrity

4. Positive 5. Stay a while

Expertise 1. In Diverse District 2. Communication 3. Change Culture of Mediocrity 4. Board/superintendent

relationship

Style 1. Collaborative 2. Accountable 3. Relationship builder 4. Guide with Urgency

Administrators

Attributes 1. Open communication 2. Honesty 3. Healthy 4. Integrity 5. Ethical behavior Expertise 1. Strategic Thinker/Implementer 2. Diverse Student achievement 3. Communication 4. Instructional Leader 5. Strong Leader

Style 1. Collaborative 2. Relationship Builder 3. Visible, Approachable

Community

Attributes 1. Personable 2. Visionary 3. Trustworthy Expertise 1. Track Record in similar

district 2. Communicator 3. Superintendent

Style 1. Visible in Community and

District 2. Decision Maker

Faculty

Personal Attributes 1. Highly Ethical 2. Shake Things Up 3. Integrity

Areas of Expertise 1. EnVision/ Move

Toward It (Strategic) 2. School improvement 3. Communication –

listen and validate 4. Deal with Unions

Administrative Style 1. Relationship Builder 2. Decide in interest of

kids 3. Hold staff

accountable 4. Interact Diverse

students and staff

Parents

Personal Attributes 1. Willing to Stay a While

Areas of Expertise 1. Knowing F.S.D.

community 2. In similar district 3. Instructional Leader

Administrative Style

1. Collaborative Problem solving

Students Personal Attributes 1. Open to new ideas Areas of Expertise 1. Motivate Staff

Administrative Style 1. Involved in Student Life 2. Visible & Approachable

Support Staff Personal Attributes 1. Integrity 2. Community Minded 3. Learner

Areas of Expertise 1) Communicator 2) Discipline 3) In Diverse District 4) Manager

Administrative Style 1) Visible 2) Relationship Builder 3) Empower and Hold

Accountable

Most Desirable Characteristics Mentioned By the Seven Categories of People Above:

Attributes

Integrity (4) Honesty (2) Stay a while (2) Open (2) Ethical (2) Trustworthy (2)

Expertise and Experience

In Diverse District (5) Communication (5)

Instructional Leader (2) Strategic Thinker (2)

Style

Relationship Builder (4) Collaborative (2)

Hold Accountable (3) Visible and Approachable (4)

Involved in Student Life (2)


9

*The numbers next to the highlighted items indicate the number of categories of respondents that mentioned these items as priorities.

Summary of Input

Most Desirable Qualities from the Surveys and Listening Sessions

Top overall competencies selected on the Online Survey and the survey of the Board:

Foster a positive, professional climate of mutual trust and respect among faculty, staff,

and administrators

Establish a culture of high expectations for all students and personnel

Be visible throughout the District and actively engaged in community life

Recruit, employ, and retain effective personnel throughout the District and its schools

Understand and be sensitive to the needs of a diverse student population

Provide transparent communication

Provide a clear, compelling vision for the future

From the listening sessions

Attributes Honesty Integrity Stay a while Open Ethical Trustworthy

Expertise and Experience

In Diverse District Communication

Instructional Leader Strategic Thinker

Style Relationship Builder Collaborative

Hold Accountable Visible and Approachable Involved in Student Life


10

Desired Characteristics of Superintendent

Superintendent of Schools Freeport School District

Freeport, Illinois

After receiving input from administrators, community members, faculty, parents,

students, and support staff, the Freeport School District Board seeks an individual who has

had successful experience as a leader in a diverse school district with a track record of

increasing student achievement.

In addition, the selected candidate will be a visible and approachable member of the

community and the District, who is involved in student life as the instructional leader,

building relationships and enhancing partnerships in the community and the district,

especially in the development of a team relationship with the Board. The Board seeks

someone who is guided by a deep sense of integrity and is a strategic thinker and

implementer. This individual will understand the two-way nature of accountability and

therefore seek a collaborative approach with staff and community in developing and

executing the mission, vision and goals of the district.

The Board of the Freeport School District is looking for an honest and ethical

individual, who will commit to the mission, vision, goals and objectives of the Freeport

School District.

The successful applicant for this position will listen to staff in a trustworthy spirit of

open communication as a basis for making and recommending decisions that express a

caring nature for students and all stakeholders.

Further, the Freeport School District seeks a Superintendent who has record of

demonstrating the following competencies …

Foster a positive, professional climate of mutual trust and respect among faculty, staff,

and administrators

Establish a culture of high expectations for all students and personnel

Be visible throughout the District and actively engaged in community life

Recruit, employ, and retain effective personnel throughout the District and its schools

Understand and be sensitive to the needs of a diverse student population

Provide transparent communication

Provide a clear, compelling vision for the future

Consented to by Freeport School District Board on 04.16.19

freeport school district freeport, il leadership profile

Documents