A need for professional development in the districts.


While national school reform legislation continues to raise performance standards for K-12 students, school populations have become increasingly diverse and complex in their range of educational needs. The onus of striking a balance between standards and needs rests squarely on the shoulders of the K-12 administrator, and requires that each administrator have a highly effective and eclectic set of leadership skills.

National shortages of qualified or interested candidates for school leadership magnify the need to provide credible and sustained professional development programs for today’s principal. The role of today’s principal has been reconstructed to meet so wide a range of societal variables that it has almost become too much for any one person to fulfill. This role is not immutable, and lest principals be likened to new wine in old bottles, they must put aside heroics and histrionics, and give some serious thought to redesigning their roles and reputation. This is particularly cogent to new principals during the first three to five years of principalship. Redesigning is not however, a clearly defined task, and tends to vary from school to school and from one community to the next. It is therefore imperative that principals have the caliber of professional development that will build and/or strengthen a wide range of skills, and more so, cultivate wisdom to know when, where and how to use them.

Collaboration that makes a difference.


In an effort to address the need for qualified school administrators, a unique and almost unprecedented collaboration has been formed. This collaboration has joined the forces of the state’s university system-University of South Florida Lakeland (USFL), the local school district-Polk County Schools (PCS), and the business community-Polk Businesses for WorldClass Education (PBWCE). Seminal funding was provided by the the Wallace Reader’s Digest Ventures in Leadership. Through combined knowledge, resources and funding, such a partnership introduces the Quality School Leaders Symposia.

Professional development that works.


Professional development programs have historically been provided in separate time frames, and independent of one another by school districts and universities at both the national and local levels. This archaic system of training has proven to be time consuming, and disconnected from current needs.

The Quality School Leaders Symposia (QSLS) takes a comprehensive approach to professional development for school administrators through pedagogical and practical doctrine. Through QSLS, principals will be able to connect experiences and events within their schools to national standards and guidelines, thereby; tapping into the great energies and talent of their people making leadership second nature.

QSLS consists of a series of 12 interactive, empirical workshops/seminars grounded in theory. Nationally acclaimed lecturers will augment these monthly seminars for each quarter of the year-long QSL Symposia. Evaluation and research tools will track the crossover learning from seminars and lectures by reporting on administrative changes implemented as a result of participation in QSLS. The planning for this project has been extensive, and is based on research-proven approaches to professional development.

Leading & Learning with Technology
The New Principal: Formulas for Success
The Principal as Ethical Leader
The Leadership Edge
Conflict Analysis & Conflict Resolution
The Sensitive Leader
Judgment: Quality Application of Quality Information
Seeking and Analyzing: Problem Analysis Skills
The Principals’ Primer on Stress Management
The Principal, Politics, & the Community
Legal Aspects of the Principalship
The Principal as Communicator: Oral & Written

School Administrator Skills


Research indicates that an effective principal should demonstrate a strong knowledge base and exhibit skills in the below listed areas. These skills are linked to the research-based Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium (ISLLC). They embody the framework of essential skills for the 21st century school leader. The 12 seminars designed around these skills. Guest lecturers will continue the wave of learning by encapsulating much of the theory behind the application for using these skills effectively.


Educational Leadership

Setting Instructional Direction: Implementing strategies for improving teaching and learning including putting programs and improvement efforts into action. Developing a vision and establishing clear goals; providing direction in achieving stated goals; encouraging others to contribute to goal achievement; securing commitment to a course of action from individuals and groups.

Teamwork: Seeking and encouraging involvement of team members. Modeling and encouraging the behaviors that move the group to task completion. Supporting group accomplishment.

Sensitivity: Perceiving the needs and concerns of others; dealing tactfully with others in emotionally stressful situations or in conflict. Knowing what information to communicate and to whom. Appropriately relating to people of varying ethnic, cultural, and religious backgrounds.

Judgment: Reaching logical conclusions and making high quality decisions based on available information. Assigning appropriate priority to significant issues. Exercising appropriate caution in making decisions and in making action. Seeking out relevant data, facts and impressions. Analyzing and interpreting complex information.

Results Orientation: Assuming responsibility. Recognizing when a decision is required. Taking prompt action as issues emerge. Resolving short-term issues while balancing them against long-term objectives.

Organizational Ability: Planning and scheduling one’s own and the work of others so that resources are used appropriately. Scheduling flow of activities; establishing procedures to monitor projects. Practicing time and task management; knowing what to delegate and to whom.

Oral Communication: Clearly communicating when speaking to individuals, small groups, and large groups. Making oral presentations that are clear and easy to understand.

Written Communication: Expressing ideas clearly in writing; demonstrating technical proficiency. Writing appropriately for different audiences.

Development of Others: Teaching, coaching, and helping others. Providing specific feedback based on observations and data.

Understanding Own Strengths and Weaknesses: Understanding personal strengths and weaknesses. Taking responsibility for improvement by actively pursuing developmental activities. Striving for continuous learning.

National Technology Standards: Understanding the National Technology Standards for School Administrators (TSSA). Internet usage, website and evaluation and web research skills. Use of district applications and school-based technologies. Communication across distances and web-based course dynamics. Instructional technology for the enhancement of educational leadership skills.