Whole in one: education leaders who make thoughtful choices about their own continuous learning can drive entire districts forward.

First came the workshop. Then came a glimmer of an idea. Next came the goal, which changed everything. It was Raymond Yeagley who set it all in motion. The Rochester (N.H.) Schools superintendent attended a Quality School Portfolio workshop a few years ago to learn about how the Web-based tool can help in collecting, analyzing and making sense of data. Using what he learned, he prepared a report on reading performance in Rochester's elementary schools.

"[We found] strong evidence that we weren't challenging kids at the top. A few strategies used for all kids worked better for the bottom quartile of kids only," Yeagley says. "Out of that professional development came a change in instruction in our district." It also spawned more study on reading, which led to the adoption of the key concept in the book The 90% Reading Goal (The New Foundation Press, 1998). Rochester educators vowed to have 90 percent of students reading at or above grade level by the end of the third grade, and maintaining or improving their performance in all subsequent grades.

As the administrative team detailed a plan to give teachers reading instruction tools, they realized that pulling them out of the classroom for intense professional development would be most effective. A new way of working for positive change in the district was born. "Teachers, because we're excusing them, know that we're really serious," Yeagley explains.

District leaders like Yeagley who take their own continuous learning seriously know that the rewards can be far-reaching for organizations.

"If we believe in education, we have to believe that knowledge is power in the most positive and equitable sense of the word," says William Mathis, superintendent of Rutland Northeast Supervisory Union in Brandon, Vt.

Or, as Wayne Johnson, who leads Nekoosa (Wis.) School District, says, "You're either moving forward or you're moving backward. You can never stand still in this biz." To Johnson, moving forward means constantly reading, as well as participating in education conferences and holding monthly professional development sessions for Nekoosa administrators.

These types of activities are what drive change in districts, notes Cathy Mincberg, who recently founded the nonprofit Center for School District Effectiveness. "We don't have competitive pressure that says if you don't change fast enough, you're going out of business. We get to stay in business," says Mincberg, who was most recently Houston Independent School District's chief business officer and, before that, school board president. "Professional development needs to create uneasiness so we will be pulled toward change."

Sand Traps For Leader Learners

As any administrator knows, digging out the time for learning can mean a whole different kind of uneasiness. "A lot of staff development has been put on the back burner," says Jim Kiscaden, a former superintendent who now directs the Pennsylvania Leadership Development Center, which runs training centers for administrators throughout the state.

Some administrators don't even think they should make time for professional development. A recent Cross City Campaign for Urban School Reform report, Leading From the Middle: Mid-Level District Staff and Instructional Improvement, reveals that many program managers, content area directors and other central-office administrators--at least among those studied in Chicago, Milwaukee and Seattle--often don't see themselves as learners.

It's especially true of the informal learning that takes place during school visits. "A lot of these people came out of schools and think, 'I'm from there, I've been there,'" says Cross City Campaign Program Director Christina Warden. "Even those who see a need to grow individually see that within a particular content area or specialty.... Most don't think of a larger context."

Another professional development sand trap is the perceived lack of quality options. Mathis generally avoids professional development courses and seminars because, he says, "There is too much panacea rubbish being pumped out by gurus and too much packaged general planning model junk." There's the "How to make your school meet AYP!" workshop, for example. You can't "overcome the effects of poverty with a rigorous phonics program," he quips.

Superintendent John A. Dotson is far from impressed with the offerings, too. Besides the financial and time-away costs of traveling to attend, the leadership training programs that he's seen just don't relate enough to his school system, Louisa-Muscatine Community School District in Letts, Iowa. And customizing these programs is both difficult and costly.

So he and others in the district developed their own leadership program. "It's more meaningful because it applies directly to our needs and wishes," Dotson says.

Since there's no such thing as the be-all workshop or program, it's common for top district leaders to grab bits and pieces of skills and knowledge from a mix of sources. "The most committed take advantage of different avenues and areas-webinars, conferences, their reading. There are folks engaged in their own study groups. They're going through doctoral programs," says Karen M. Dyer, manager of education and non-profit sectors at the Center for Creative Leadership. "They're seeing these as opportunities for their own professional growth."

An informal DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION survey on continuous learning confirms that education leaders are sampling various formats. Here's what superintendents and other central-office leaders do to keep improving themselves--or, as leadership guru Stephen R. Covey puts it, keep sharpening the saw:

* Attend conferences and workshops

Superintendent Elaine Giugliano of Wood-Ridge (N.J.) School District selects conferences that relate to district goals and school-level objectives. Last year's Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development conference was a good fit, for example, because of a district focus on review and revision of curriculum. Sharing is what allows Franklin (Va.) City Public Schools administrators to get the most bang for the buck. "All who attend these sessions must deliver information learned to all professionals," reports Superintendent Alline B. Farmer.

* Join in on roundtables and other organized discussions with peers

"We certainly face very similar challenges every day, and there's no need to rediscover America on every issue," says Johnson of why he meets regularly with other superintendents in Wisconsin.

For Loyola Garcia, assistant superintendent of Haddon Heights (N.J.) School District, participating in regional curriculum and technology consortiums has not only meant discussions about related concerns, but also the chance to combine resources and expertise. "As new members join they instantly have a network to contact for support and information," he says.

* Take a leadership role in state and national activities

Associations often offer a range of professional development activities, but educators who go a few steps beyond that can wind up making a real district impact. "Taking an active role in both state and national education issues has allowed me access to some of the most recent developments in high school reform," says Michael Haluska, superintendent of Jefferson-Scranton (Iowa) Community Schools. "I've been able to provide our high school principal with extraordinary resources to assist with school improvement."

A one-time project helped Johnson to impact other districts, as well. He and others from the state school board association and superintendents' group researched the use of e-mail by school board members, including the legal implications of electronic communication. That led to a published article and a training video that Wisconsin districts can access.

* Write

Mathis says he finds himself researching and writing almost constantly. His learning "starts with curiosity (or anger) about some particular topic." This brings on some studying and has led to published manuscripts and speaking engagements. Currently he's got three journal manuscripts in the works.

* Enroll in class

From doctoral programs to here-and-there courses of interest, formal studies are one way of delving into a particular subject. Julie Miller of Collinsville (Ill.) Community Unified School District, for instance, makes a point to take one class each semester. "I find that the course content and the regular interaction with other area administrators is very rewarding," says Miller, who is director of curriculum and instruction.

* Teach within the district or beyond

Superintendent Joseph Rudnicki has found that teaching evening university classes for teachers and administrators forces him to read what he otherwise might miss. Preparing for a class on education law, for instance, means reading "recent cases that I'd otherwise let go astray," he says. Instead of hoping that his human resources director, chief business officer or curriculum assistant superintendent keep him up-to-date on developments, he's able to stretch and challenge his administrative team by his own knowledge.

* Consult with experts

As chief business officer in Houston, Mincberg found herself purchasing knowledge she and her team didn't have by working with consultants "When I brought in people who knew more than I did, I got training through [conversations and project work]," she says. "I got a little mini MBA every time."

* Read

Working on Rod Paige's team in Houston also meant experiencing work life with a copious reader. "He'd go get 10 different papers from around the country on Sunday, peruse those and feed back to us," Mincberg recalls. "Every Monday morning all you could talk about was teaching and learning." Paige was also known to bring in a new book every week.

Subscribing to regular news summary services are a help to many administrators. Michael Hopkins, assistant superintendent in Rochester, N.H., enjoys reading The Marshall Memo, sort of a Cliff's Notes version of education journal articles that's put together by former principal Rim Marshall.

Nancy Graham, executive director of quality, continuous improvement and planning for School District of Lee County, Fort Meyers, Fla., says she reads everything from education journals, newsletters and books to People and Oprah magazines. Guilty pleasures? Not quite.

"I have always been cognizant that schools are a microcosm of society," she explains. "Magazines like People provide a really clear view of the 'narcissism' that exists in the world of fame and fortune. Our students often see this world as 'reality' and sometimes believe that their sights need to be set in that direction. We have an obligation to be aware of what our students are tempted to emulate and provide some guidance and direction for them along the way." People's human interest stories and Oprah's relationship stories are also worthy of reflection and sharing, Graham adds.

* Organize book studies

Administrators recommend the book club format as a way to delve in-depth into a single work. At Plainview (Texas) Independent School District, district- and school-level leaders are tackling Monday Morning Leadership (Cornerstone Leadership Institute, 2002) in their voluntary book study group this year. "We assigned the discussion each week to two to three administrators, and they plan and lead us so we stay focused," says Elementary Instruction Coordinator Linda Murphree. "We read the chapter and then discuss and relate it to education, and how we can apply it to our own situations. It is a good motivator to keep up on reading professional leadership-type books."

* Spend time in schools

It's all about connecting with people on their own turf, according to the Cross City Campaign report on mid-level district staff. Rather than just observing classrooms, effective administrators really experience what's going on in schools by attending meetings and interacting with students and support staff. A firsthand look at the challenges and wonders in each school teaches what other methods of professional development can't.

* Participate in staff development

That firsthand look is also the reason many district administrators participate in staff development activities along with teachers. "When staff [members] see administrators take an active interest, they feel supported and that the training is more worthwhile," points out Superintendent Alan L. Meyer of East Marshall Consolidated School District in Gilman, Iowa. "I believe that as administrators we can more easily talk the same language if we have the same experience and are somewhere on the same page."

At Parkway School District in Chesterfield, Mo., summer institutes are designed for staff members at all levels of the school system. "The work seems to be more effective when teachers, administrators and support staff gather around to solve a problem," notes Kathy Blackmore, director of staff development.

* Chat (and listen)

"I make every opportunity a learning opportunity, especially when I interact with others," says George Linthicum, superintendent of Sun River Valley Schools in Simms, Mont. "Everyone has something to offer others, and I take full advantage of the knowledge and wisdom of those I encounter."

For example, when a student became partially disabled recently and administrators decided to train all bus drivers in assisting mobility-impaired students, Linthieum knew whom to call--a bus driver he knew of who had extensive training and experience in transporting individuals with disabilities.

Talking to those in the district and community, of course, also refers to kids. 'I pay particular attention to the children I serve," Linthicum says. "They are often the greatest teachers, especially about the game of life."

On Par: Professional Development Plans at Work

Leadership experts are generally in favor of district administrators creating their own professional development plans--provided they don't just collect dust on a shelf. "Modeling and facilitating a learning community at the district level is key, and I rarely see that, frankly," says Linda Lambert, a professor emeritus at California State University at Hayward and author of Leadership Capacity for Lasting School Improvement (ASCD, 2003). "What I tend to see are [district leaders] worried about how to work with the schools, rather than [thinking about) how they themselves [might] improve their practice."

Driving growth as a leader is easiest when you are familiar with the entire course rather than a single part of it. "It's hard to be an island unto yourself.... [There] needs to be a link to the system, a district agenda," says Christina Warden, a program director at the Cross City Campaign for Urban School Reform. "Otherwise you're sort of in your own enclave while doing the best you can. You tend to improve your content knowledge without ever improving your skills and ways of working."

Not to mention, school boards aren't about to pay for training just so administrators can feel empowered, says Karen M. Dyer, manager of education and nonprofit sectors at the Center for Creative Leadership, which helps leaders recognize strengths and weaknesses. "I think that all of this needs to be in the service of students," she says.

Here's how two districts approach the professional development plan process:

ROCHESTER (N.H.) SCHOOLS

Superintendent Raymond Yeagley has seen his fair share of professional development requests that, he says, "just didn't make sense to me." That's why he has always been conscious of ensuring that his own continuous learning relates to his job and "will contribute to making the district better." Certain classifications of employees in Rochester, which Yeagley has led for the past 17 years, are subject to the same rule.

Everyone, including Yeagley, submits a three-year plan to Assistant Superintendent Michael Hopkins for approval. "If he thinks something is not in line with district goals, then I won't complain. I'll just fix it," the superintendent says. (This test has yet to happen, Hopkins says. "He stays on task.")

Plans can cover both district and personal goals, and employees can choose from 16 different formats of learning. They're encouraged to hit each of the five district goals over the course of three years.

PARKWAY SCHOOL DISTRICT, CHESTERFIELD, MO.

"This is the most intellectually stimulating and practical development model for administrators I have ever seen," says Assistant Superintendent Cynthia Jaskowiak of Parkway's system of continuous learning. "We really have taken the approach of developing a person over the course of their career."

The Parkway model begins with a two-year induction period of required courses, followed by choices for development across three paths of learning. Path A administrator courses include readings and discussion, while Path B's and C's are intensive study of a major topic of district-wide direction or significance, supported by a facilitated course (with Path C's characterized by more independent work). Current Path A's include The Angry Adult: How Do Administrators Respond?, Mapping Out the Disability Maze and nine other courses. This year's Path B's cover leadership styles, using data, cognitive coaching and technology application and integration.

"As you progress in your career, there is greater latitude in professional development and proposals can be made to do in-depth study in an area of personal interest," notes Jaskowiak, who is currently immersed in a plan related to strategic reading.

RELATED ARTICLES: Training Topics.

What are education leaders aiming for when planning activities for lifelong learning? A survey in DA Daily, DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION'S e-mail newsletter, asked readers to identify the topics they and their central-office administrator colleagues need most.

More than 80 responses, most of them from superintendents and associate or assistant superintendents, revealed the greatest need for professional development that delves into education law/No Child Left Behind, finance/budgeting, leadership, and curriculum and achievement. Here's a closer look at these and other topics:

* LEADERSHIP

WHAT KIND OF LEADER AM I? That's what administrator participants in Center for Creative Leadership programs learn through assessments such as 360-degree feedback. One superintendent had noticed her staff would only give her feedback she wanted to hear. After the anonymous 360-degree exercise, the leader learned that her requests for data were perceived as micromanaging. Now she's careful about her approach, stating her intentions up front.

"It may be said that good leaders are born, but training gives one an opportunity to self-examine one's actions and ask the question, 'Could I have done a better job?"

--Paul C. Gagliarducci, superintendent, Hampden/ Wilbraham (Mass.) Regional School District

* INTERNAL COMMUNICATION

PRINCIPAL FOR A DAY: When Diana Nelson, executive director of the Cross City Campaign, spent a recent day as guest principal in Chicago, she found out that 15 to 20 e-mails arrive daily "from someone in central office that wants something," she says. "Principals tend to think of these requests as demands.... They don't think of them as going to some useful end." That's why a recent campaign report recommends dialogue over directives.

* ROLE OF CENTRAL OFFICE

"A lot of people [are] brought [into the central office] because they did a really good job ... in their local schools. They come in thinking [that] part of their job is to help other schools learn to do what they did. But their job should be helping schools figure out it's [only one] path they can take. When you're just trying to reproduce your own cookie cutter, you get very directive and hardened because these little cookies aren't coming out the way you thought."

--Christina Warden, program director, Cross City Campaign for Urban School Reform

* CURRICULUM AND ACHIEVEMENT

FACT: When school staff members believe district managers possess knowledge of teaching and learning, they tend to have high hopes for district reform. Yet, according to the report Leading From the Middle: Mid-Level District Staff and Instructional Improvement (Cross City Campaign for Urban School Reform), there's often a lack of expertise n the teaching and learning process.

* TEAMWORK

TALKING TEAMS: Superintendents David H. Smette and John J. Di Natale of Jamestown (N.D.) Public Schools and Haldane Central School District in Cold Spring, N.Y., respectively, make it a point to discuss teamwork. Each spring, Smette's group evaluates its collective strengths and weaknesses--or "what went right and what went wrong the past year," he says. He develops goals for team skill-building for the upcoming year. Di Natale and his team discuss individual leadership styles to help understand how their behaviors affect others; the discussions also help ensure everyone is on the same page with educational goals.

* EDUCATION LAW

"Has anyone really read the entire [No Child Left Behind] document? There is a whole lot of information in it that refers to issues beyond those that have received national and local district attention."

--Nancy Graham, executive director of quality, continuous improvement, planning, School District of Lee County, Fort Meyers, Fla.

"[Administrators need help in] staying upbeat when education is getting beat up economically and otherwise."

--Candy Maim, director of special education, District 309, Park Rapids, Minn. She says having a positive attitude while defending schools not meeting AYP is important.

* STRATEGIC PLANNING 

"Organizational strategy is quite easily the most overlooked concept in the management of school districts, ... Strategy is the organizational DNA; it is the genetic force behind organizational behavior and performance."

--Philip Abode, doctoral student in educational leadership, University of California, Fresno.

* QUALITY PROCESS

LONE EDUCATOR: Superintendent Jeff Abbott is also a black belt--in Six Sigma, an American Society for Quality certification program. The East Allen County (Ind.) Schools leader was the only district leader in his class and, he says, the only superintendent ever trained in Six Sigma, yet he recommends it--and the Baldridge National Quality Program--to his peers. Abbott now shares his quality know-how with educators through a graduate-level course. Cathy Mincberg, founder of The Center for School District Effectiveness, also recommends reaching out to other industries, such as the nonprofit and government sectors, because "they just make you think about things differently."

* PRODUCTIVITY

"Effective human relations and basic ability to organize themselves and ... projects are the common, absolutely essential requirements for all administrators. These are the places where administrators die young."

--William Mathis, superintendent, Rutland Northeast Supervisory Union, Brandon, Vt.

* EXTERNAL COMMUNICATION/ PUBLIC RELATIONS 

"Administrators, [and] all educators, are in the public relations business, and we had better prepare ourselves for responding, rather than reacting, to the public we serve."

--George Linthicum, superintendent, Sun River Valley Schools, Simms, Mont. He listens to the public by visiting places such as the local senior citizens center.

* FINANCE/BUDGETING

"In the tight economy we're experiencing in education, across the country, it s certainly a survival tool you need."

---Wayne Johnson, superintendent, Nekoosa (Wisc.) School District. He includes teachers, and support staff in budget discussions, because as the key part of the school system ... they need to be absolutely engaged with the school budget."

RELATED ARTICLE: More to Learn.

Besides the subjects listed on pages 50 and 51, administrators suggest considering the following professional development topics:

* CHANGE

* DIVERSITY

* TECHNOLOGY

* DATA-DRIVEN DECISION MAKING

* SCHOOL REFORM

* STAFF MOTIVATION

* MIDDLE SCHOOL EDUCATION

* SPECIAL EDUCATION

* COLLECTIVE BARGAINING/ NEGOTIATION

* PARENTAK INVOLVEMENT

* HUMAN RESOURCES/ PERSONNEL

* SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION

* PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES

Melissa Ezarik is features editor.