Change Leadership Academy
The second training session is offered on-line. During this second week of training participating teams participate in the Language Planning Institute—a learning experience that introduces educational leaders to principles of bi-lingual education in schools and programs for the deaf.
At the conclusion of the first two training sessions, participating teams return to their schools to engage their systems in activities in a 5-month long “Preparing for Transformational Change Seminar” that will help them plan to engage their systems in transformational change. The preparation activities are taught to the teams during their first week of training. The preparation activities unfold during the seminar. The outcomes of this preparation period are a comprehensive action plan to transform the participating schools for the deaf, a design for a 5-day training institute that delivers change leadership training to educators working in the participating schools for the deaf, and a personal learning plan to help each team member become a master of transformational change. During the seminar period faculty and staff assigned to the Academy will be available to provide advice and guidance to the participating teams as they prepare their systems to engage in transformational change.
Participating teams return to Gallaudet University for their fourth and final week-long change leadership course. In this fourth course, participants learn advanced knowledge and skills for transforming their schools for the deaf. At the conclusion of the Academy experience each member of all teams receives a Certificate of Change Leadership.
Course 1: PST 644 Mastering the Art & Science of Transforming School Systems (Introductory) (3 PST Credits)
Teams of educators from schools for the deaf participate in the first of four courses that trains them how to create and sustain transformational change in their schools. During this course, participants learn basic transformational change concepts and principles. They are introduced to principles of personalized learning and learn why that philosophy is important for the future of their schools. They also are introduced to a field-tested methodology for creating and sustaining transformational change called the School System Transformation Protocol. They will study in-depth Phase 1 of the School System Transformation Protocol. Teams will be expected to design an action plan to prepare their schools to engage in transformational change. This course also provides a foundation for the Language Planning Institute, which is the second course in the sequence.
Course 2: PST 630 Enhancing Deaf Education: Language Planning and Leadership (Hybrid—face-to-face and online) (3 PST credits)
Purpose of the Seminar Series
More and more schools/programs serving students who are deaf, hard-of-hearing, and/or have cochlear implants recognize the importance of providing all students with the opportunity to use both ASL and English as languages of instruction and achieve bilingual proficiency in both languages. Given the growing acceptance of these bilingual programs nationwide, there is a critical need to develop and implement an effective language planning model that will increase capacity of schools/programs to successfully engage students in this type of bilingual learning environment. This seminar series is designed to provide participants with exposure to critical elements of effective language and literacy planning, using a holistic professional development model involving readings, structured face-to-face and hybrid online seminars, hands-on activities, action plan and topical presentations.
Description of the Seminar Series
This intensive seminar series is designed for school and program leadership teams (e.g., superintendents, principals, directors of instructional services, supervisors, master teachers, and curriculum specialists). This seminar series provides participants with a conceptual basis for designing and implementing bilingual program models for second language and deaf/hard-of-hearing learners. This series is designed to enhance the infusion of an ASL/English bilingual framework into the total schooling experience through collaborative and school-based language planning. This series is an adaptation of part of the research-based ASL/English bilingual professional development curriculum that was developed, revised, and facilitated in 40 residential schools and programs for the deaf in the United States from 1997 to the present (see CAEBER for an overview of CAEBER activities).
Formats of the Seminar Series
Participants will take a more global view of theoretical perspectives on bilingual education and language and literacy research, through planning and structuring the school-wide learning environment. Specifically, participants will learn about: a) effective school-based language and literacy planning, b) essential features of bilingual education program models, c) research-based information concerning the development of two languages (ASL and English) and English literacy, and d) implementation of effective professional development. The seminars and group activities are designed to help participants become more reflective about their schools’ language and literacy planning and professional development plan.
Course 3: PST 646 Preparing for Transformational Change Seminar (3 PST Credits)
Teams of educators from schools for the deaf participate in the third of four courses that trains them how to create and sustain transformational change in their schools. During this course, participating teams return to their schools to implement their action plans to prepare their schools to engage in transformational change. During the seminar, the teams also design a 5-day training institute that will deliver training to their colleagues about the nature of transformational change. The teams also design a team-based learning plan that will help each member become a master of the art and science of transforming school systems. During this course, all of the participating teams will be connected to each other through an on-line “Change Leadership Community.” Also, Change Leadership Academy faculty and staff will be available to provide technical assistance and advice to the teams as they prepare their systems to engage in transformational change.
Course 4: PST 647 Mastering the Art & Science of Transforming School Systems (Advanced) (3 PST Credits)
This is the fourth and final course in the Change Leadership Academy. During this course, participating teams return to the Academy to learn advanced concepts and principles for transforming school systems, including how to pay for whole-system change, the concepts high-leverage starting points, retooling reward systems, changing organization culture, the politics of change, principles of strategic communication, strategies for making changes “stick,” and managing resistance to change.. The remaining phases of the School System Transformation Protocol will be examined in detail. Teams will prepare a comprehensive action plan to fully implement the SST Protocol after they graduate from the Academy.
