TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP PRINCIPALS

The following principals have been selected as Transformational Leaders to share their vision, incredible focus and successful practices at the 2010 NAESP Annual Convention in Houston, TX. They work in schools that range from rural to urban locations with diverse populations and unique challenges. These outstanding principals have used their knowledge, expertise, and training to make change in schools and to sustain that transformation to better serve all of their students and communities. We applaud each and every principal who demonstrates such focused commitment to their craft and to their profession.

Susan E. Bridges
A.G. Richardson Elementary School
1837 Simms Drive
Culpeper, VA  22701

Ms. Bridges leads a rural school of 600 students in grades pre K-5.  Two years ago through redistricting 66 per cent of the student population was moved to another elementary school and a new population of students entered.  The school has a 31 per cent population of free and reduced lunch recipients.  The staff immediately organized a process of data collection to reestablish appropriate instruction and curriculum and to assess deficits based on individual needs and achievement levels of all the students.  The new demographics at Richardson required adjustments and a positive culture needed to be institutionalized with the families.  Ms. Bridges’ leadership in establishing and affirming the school’s mission, keeping all staff focused on the mission, and analyzing data to inform the needed changes resulted in immediate positive test results.  Student scores in grades 3-5 were at the 80 per cent range with a 50% population of new students. The focus on assessments to inform instruction made the difference!

Andrew J. Collins
Dayton’s Bluff Achievement Plus Elementary School
262 Bates Avenue
Saint Paul, Minnesota  55106

Mr. Collins has been at Dayton’s Bluff for five years with a population of 400 students in an urban school district. It is a pre-K-6 grade school. Dayton’s Bluff Achievement Plus Elementary nurtures an environment of high standards, clear expectations and academic rigor. It melds five domains to generate a cohesive, collaborative, creative and ultimately highly constructive school. The five domains are academic coherence, focus on students, analysis and use of student data, partnerships, and targeted professional development. This school has over 50 percent mobility each school year and over 90 percent economically disadvantaged families.

Kevin Connelly
Colgate Elementary School
401 51st Street
Baltimore, MD 21224

Mr. Connelly assumed the role of leader in a K-5 school with 335 students that was one of the lowest performing schools in Baltimore. With a population of 66 percent free and reduced lunch eligibility and a designation of Title 1 school, the staff and leadership are currently outperforming their non-Title 1 peers across the district. Students scoring in the advanced range for reading increased from 7.9 percent (2004) to 19.2 percent (2009) and in the advanced range for math increased from 1.8 percent (2004) to 16.7 percent (2009). Colgate also achieved advanced scores in fifth grade reading which averaged a 30.1 percent increase over the last three years.  Most impressively the school behavior referrals have decreased by 34 percent and English as a Second Language services have increased from 2.5 percent to 13 percent. Key factors and innovative approaches have led to Colgate’s school improvements with a cutting edge approach to technology integration.

Brian James Dawes
Ferron Elementary School
100 West Mill Road
Ferron, Utah  84523

Mr. Dawes has been the principal at Ferron for seven years with a school enrollment of 279 students. It is a pre-K-6 school in a rural setting. Ferron is a Title 1 school with 65 percent of students from disadvantaged homes.  After failing to make AYP for two years Ferron has achieved test scores well above the state average for 2008 and 2009. In 2009 test scores reached 95 percent in language arts and 92 percent in math. The most significant scores were seen with students with disabilities. For example, in 2008 the state average was 48 percent and the students at Ferron scored 74 percent in language arts. The school’s strategic plans included the development of a shared vision, utilizing student data with application to direct instruction, and improved communication between all staff members serving the children at Ferron Elementary School. It is one of the few schools in Utah to receive a distinguished GreatSchools rating of 9 out of 10!

Melissa Glee-Woodard
Lewisdale Elementary School
2400 Banning Place
Hyattsville, Maryland  20607

Ms. Glee-Woodard has been at Lewisdale for four years with a population of 563 students. It is a pre-K-5 grade school in an urban setting. Of the 563 students 360 are enrolled in English as a Second Language classes and the school population is 80 percent is Hispanic. In the four years that Ms. Glee-Woodward has been the principal, Lewisdale has made AYP. Also in those four years test scores in grades 3, 4, and 5 have increased from 50 percent in reading to the highest grade level score of 89 percent in Grade 5 and from 49 percent in math to the highest grade level score of 98 percent in Grade 4. With a focus on data analysis and a strong belief that “All Children Can Learn” the cultural shift has made Lewisdale a very successful place of learning with a 96 percent attendance rate.

Theresa Mattison
Carstens Elementary School
2592 Coplin
Detroit, MI 48215

When Dr. Mattison became the principal of Carstens Elementary School with 285 pre-K-5 students, the test scores were below 10 percent. As she focused on staffing and building a strong instructional team, the test scores began to rise along with an improved school culture. She has consistently made AYP and been recognized by the Michigan Department of Education. Carstens has been recognized as one of the top five schools in the state and the number one elementary school. The Skillman Foundation has recognized Carstens as a “High Performing and Achieving School of Excellence” from 2007-2009. Dr. Mattison has focused on the elements of creating a positive school environment with improved student management, community agency coordination, and multi-disciplinary teams.

Greg Wiles
Lone Star Middle School
11055 Lone Star Road
Nampa, ID

Mr. Wiles opened Lone Star Middle School two years ago with 750 students in grades 6-8. It includes a population of 65 percent free and reduced lunch students. From the initial opening of the school to the second year, the number of socioeconomically qualifying children increased by 40 percent. Mr. Wiles’ steady leadership has overcome the challenges associated with a new school and focused on the opportunities to create a strong vision and a professional learning community that fosters collaboration among all staff. The focus on assessment and grading practices and the importance of quality formative and summative assessments have created an environment and sustained positive changes for the adolescents the school serves.