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Monday, October 25, 2010

Intern Plan

Activity #
You may give the number corresponding to the 38 activities from the text to identify one of the activities. TExES comp.#___
You must have activities that represent each of the 10 Superintendent competencies. Summary of Activity - Describe the activity you plan on implementing or participating in during your internship – you may use any of the internship activities identified in the School Leader Internship, 2nd edition, pp. 19 – 68. Resource
Person Projected Date to be
Completed
1c 002 Evaluate and compare the vision statements from RISD with a comparable district listed on the AEIS report. Identify similarities as well as differences and make recommendations to RISD. Dr. Largent

World Wide Web 11/15/10
2b 002 Review and analyze the strategic plan for the district. Identify personnel involved in all aspects of the plan. Investigate concerns from anyone involved. Dr. Largent and/or Lesa Jones 12/1/10
3c 002 Review ways in which assessment data are used by the following: board of education, superintendent, faculty, staff, and community relations department. Reflect on findings. Betty Collins and/or Kathleen Glidewell 12/15/10
4c 001 Assist in conducting a faculty meeting or a staff development. Survey faculty on presentation and identify strengths and weaknesses. Scott Schwartz 3/1/11
5a 002 Review board policy/administrative regulations. Access compliance and leadership culture within the school/district. Does the leadership style match? Dr. Largecnt 3/1/11
6c 002 Survey administrators and school teachers within the campus to assess the areas in which they believe decisions should be reached collaboratively. Discuss this survey with superintendent and principals. Scott Schwartz 4/1/11
7e 005 Interview the district textbook coordinator concerning procedures and process of adopting and choosing textbooks. Kathleen Glidewell 12/1/10
8c 005 Meet with high school counselors and evaluate and discuss changes in student schedules. Look at number of changes and ways to make this number lessen. Terri Daniel
Lisa Cockrum 12/15/10
9d 005 Observe instructional aide and note duties, time, and expertise to students, Collie Hagen 1/15/10
10a 006 Review methods used on campus to encourage and motivation in classroom. Read articles pertaining to motivation and discuss readings to admin. and faculty. Jason Wilcox 12/15/10
11c 006 Interview technology director on evaluating software used in district. Mike Bates 1/15/10
12d 006 Form and lead a team of teachers to study and develop a plan for improving test scores in an identified area. Jason Wilcox 2/1/10
13d 005 Meet with a group of randomly selected students to evaluate cocurricular education. Discuss strengths and weaknesses. Jason Wilcox 2/1/10
`14e 007 Survey a broad spectrum of teachers to elicit recommendations for relevant professional development. Scott Schwartz 1/15/10
15b 010 Meet with a current leader involving a major change. Identify why the change was made and the support for and against he change. Betty Collins 12/1/10
16c 006 Examine the current discipline policy and provide feedback on its strengths and weaknesses. Scott Schwartz 1/15/10
17c 010 Interview the school nurse to discuss the major requirements, concerns, and goals for the current school program. Brandi Franks 12/15/10
18b 008 Review the job requirements of campus secretaries. Identify their duties and provide feedback relative to their assignments. Scott Schwartz 1/15/10
19c 008 Review the districts opening and closing procedures. Take an active part in these procedures. Dr. Largent 5/15/10
20b 009 Meet with the director of maintenance and review job requirements and schedules of personnel. Observe a maintenance person for a period of time. Charles Mcreight 1/15/11
21b 009 Observe a bus route during the am or pm and make recommendations. Mark Turney 11/15/10
22b 009 Observe a food service worker in the delivery of a meal to students. Barbara Mcreight 1/15/10
23b 007 Participate and conduct an interview with a professional applicant, Jason Wilcox 12/1/10
24d 008 Complete a requisition for a service or supply item from a budget account. Holly Gresham 12/1/10
25b 003 Prepare a written document to be sent out to the public. Scott Schwartz 11/15/10
26d 003 Observe a meeting of the site based decision making committee, Observe the role of the parents and recommendations for the effectiveness of their participation, Kathleen Glidewell 12/1/10
27a 003 Examine and evaluate the HS library with regard to resources available to culturally diverse populations. Martha Blackmon 12/1/10
28a 003 Complete a list of social agencies that are available to students, faculty, and administration. Scott Schwartz 3/15/10
29c 001&004 Gather an compile a list of board goals of the superintendent. See if these goals match the description of the superintendent. Dr. Largent 12/15/10
30a 001&004 Interview a retired educator to relate the history of the community and school that relate to the current school today. Ricky Hassell 2/15/10
31e 001 & 004 Provide evidence to demistrate that you actually do what you tell others to do. Jason Wilcox 5/1/10
32a 001 & 004 Development of the following interpersonal skills: expects criticism, shares responsibilities, promptly gets back to others with concerns or needs, and encourages others to participate. Jason Wilcox 5/15/10
33b 001 & 004 Attend as many board meetings as possible. Include agendas and outcomes or decisions pertaining to each of the agenda items Greg Weiss 5/15/11
34b 005 Attend a special education meeting involving annual review. Jerri Largent 12/15/10
35a 010 Campus implementing no pass no attend. Meet with both sides to reach consensus on the new proposal. Scott Schwartz 12/15/10
36a 006 Compile a list of current issues that affect teaching and learning. Assess the degree of importance and urgency for each issue. Betty Collins 5/1/11
37a 008 Contact several persons experienced in superintendency and compile a list of professional associations. Jason Wilcox 3/1/11
38a 008 Compile a list of books, publications, training materials and district or state publications used for the position of study. Dr. Largent 3/13/10

Sunday, October 17, 2010

Personal Vita

Jason W. Wilcox
P.O. Box 266, New Summerfield, TX. 75780
(W) (903) 683-5401; (M) (903) 658-9777; jason.wilcox@ruskisd.net

Education/Certification

M. Ed. Administration,Lamar University, Beaumont, TX, 2009
BS Agriculture Production, Stephen F. Austin State University,
Nacogdoches, TX, 2000
Principal Certificate EC-12 Texas Principal valid thru 8/29/2009
Teacher Certificate 6-8 Vocational Agriculture Production valid thru 7/31/2012

Administrative and Leadership Experience

Assistant Principal, Rusk High School
Rusk Independent School District,
Rusk, TX, 2008-present
Assisted in developing a master schedule involving 47 teachers with 18 of which were new to the district.
Developed new policies and procedures for discipline on campus.
Prepared 2 days of Professional Development for staff.
Developed a Campus Improvement Punishment Activity for students to help foster school pride and keep our campus clean.
Productively used district’s evaluation instrument to monitor staff performance and provide positive feedback to staff concerning areas of strengths and weaknesses.
Provide high school discipline report to school board on a monthly basis.
Revised and edited Student and Teacher Handbook for upcoming school year.

DEIC Committee Member,
Rusk High School, Rusk, TX 2008-present
Served as a liaison between high school staff and technology department concerning technology issues.
Responsible for providing campus positives’ and concerns to committee on a monthly basis.
Major contributor to the development of the Campus Improvement Plan.
Provide input to resolve issues or concerns throughout the district.








Student Drop-Out Committee Chair,
Rusk High School, Rusk, TX 2006-present
Lead numerous committee meetings with other faculty concerning improving student drop-out rates
Developed incentives for students to stay in school
Provided opportunities for at risk students to receive positive incentives to maintain their education
Developed plans to encourage drop-outs back in school

Parental Involvement Committee Chair
Designed programs to build parental involvement on our campus and within our classrooms
Lead numerous staff and parent meetings to identify areas of improvement in parental involvement
Developed “ My Open Door Policy” which provides parents a welcome feeling into my classroom or office
Improved Parental Involvement by 15% during first year as chair

Vice-President School Board
New Summerfield I.S.D., New Summerfield, TX. 2002-present
Oversee the management of the school district
Co-Led the hiring of a New Superintendent
Oversee the construction of a 2.2 million dollar additional to the high school
Effectively evaluate the Superintendent annually
Develop goals for the district and Superintendent to be met annually


Teaching Experience

Lead Agriculture Science Teacher,
Rusk High School, Rusk, TX, 2002-2008
Maintained a state of the art Ag Mechanics program.
Broadened the curriculum within our program to better fit the needs of all students
Provided not profit labor and shop projects to the community
Hosted a student teacher for 1 semester
Lead students to numerous awards and prizes for contest and projects built
Maintained an excellent perception of the Rusk Agriculture Program
Managed in excess of a $20,000 departmental budget
Provided students with a skill or trade that they could use upon graduation




Agriculture Science Teacher,
Rusk High School, Rusk, TX, 2000-2002
Worked collaboratively with mentor teacher to develop my teaching skills
Conducted self assessments of myself by evaluating student learning
Prepared lesson plans that would meet diverse group of students
Participated in numerous ARD meetings as classroom teacher as well as CATE representative



Coaching Experience
FFA Advisor,
Rusk High School, Rusk, TX, 2000-2008

Supervised and responsible for over 100 members annually
Supervised 40-50 agriculture projects annually
Numerous teams finishes in top 5 at state competitions
Led Forestry Team to 3 Four State Southern Regional Woodland Contest
Responsible for an annual $40,000 fundraiser
Responsible for numerous students on over night trips
Developed a code of conduct fro FFA members
Developed a well trusted and professional report with faculty members


Additional Training/Professional Development

“Administrators’ Update,” Region VII Service Center, Kilgore, TX, June 2010
“Annual Haglund Law Firm Administrator Training,” Angelina Junior College, Lufkin,TX, June, 2010
“ TASP Summer Conference,” Austin Convention Center, Austin, TX, June, 2009
“First Time Texas Campus Administrators’ Academy,” Region VII Service Center, Kilgore, TX, January, 2009.
“First Time Texas Campus Administrators’ Academy,” Region VII Service Center, Kilgore, TX, November, 2009.
“Leadership for the 21st Century,” Region VII Service Center, Kilgore, TX, September, 2009
“PDAS Certification,” Region VII Service Center, Kilgore, TX, July, 2008
“ILD Certification,” Region VII Service Center, Kilgore, TX, June, 2008

Presentations
Wilcox, J. (2008, August). Crisis Management Within The School.
Presentation at Rusk High School Band Auditorium, Rusk, TX.


Professional Affiliations
Texas Association of Secondary School Principals, 2008-present
Vocational Agriculture Teacher Association of Texas, 2000-present
Association of Career and Technology Educators, 2006-2008



References


Dr. Jim Largent Scott Schwartz
Supt. of Schools, Rusk ISD Principal, Rusk High School
203 East 7th St. 203 East 7th St.
Rusk, Tx. 75785 Rusk, Tx. 75785
(903) 683-5592 (903) 683-5401


Greg Weiss Michael D. Davis
Supt. of Schools, New Summerfield ISD Owner/Operator Tri County Ls.
P.O. Box 6 P.O. Box 206
New Summerfield, Tx. 75780 New Summerfield, Tx. 75780
(903) 726-3536 (903) 726-3291

Randy Copeland Darrin Webb
Principal, Arp High School Supt. of Schools, Garrison ISD
101 Toney Drive, Drawer 70 459 N. Hwy 59
Arp, Tx. 75750 Garrison, Tx. 75946
(903) 859-4917 (936) 347-7000

Transfer Theory

I see the idea and concept of transfer theory a very meaningful aspect to growth and development of an education or any other aspect of life. Take for instance a NASCAR driver. He did not just happen to go and sit in the driver seat of a NASCAR and begin competing professionally. He probably began driving his grandpa’s or dad’s truck around the farm or on the back roads in order to obtain a foundation of driving. He then began moving on to driving on the roads once he received his license. I am sure he had to drive in some minor races before he was chosen to become a NASCAR driver. In my mind this is a perfect example of the transfer theory. He was able to transfer what he had learned from the beginning of his driving experiences to when he became a professional driver. This goes to show that in order to get to the top of something you need to begin at a lower level and transfer what you have learned along the way. In education it is important to grow through all levels and gain experience that will transfer you to top of the ladder. If you look at the job of being superintendent, wouldn’t you say that it would be very helpful if you had the knowledge of being a student, teacher, and administrator before pursuing to become a superintendent. Transfer theory is a concept that is used every day. People take what they learn from a prior experience and transfer it to what they a currently doing. With this in mind, the transfer of knowledge is only improving the outcome of what they are doing.

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Superintendent Interview

I have had the opportunity to interview the superintendent of Rusk ISD, Dr. Jim Largent. I believe that he is one of the most respected and knowledgeable superintendents of our area. The response he had to my interview questions were very precise and to the point. He didn't hesitate in answering any questions and I believe had an answer for each of them that were full of insight. It is hard to just pick five of the interview questions to reflect on. However, one thing that Dr Largent spoke about in several of his answers was the importance of hiring administrators or directors under him that would be great leaders. He continued to say that this was an important part of being a good leader or superintendent. Dr. Largent mentioned that in order to be a good superintendent you must have the same goals and vision that the stakeholders have within a school. He explained that the community, board, educators, parents, and students must all be on the same page. He mentioned that what might be good for some schools wouldn't be for others because they may have different visions for their schools. This is such a realistic statement made by Dr. Largent. Another area Dr. Largent spoke on a few times was the importance of having collaborative decision making processes throughout the district. He mentioned the importance of having input from many different people in order to come up with the best solution or answer to concerning matters. He did still emphasize that he was still held accountable for the decision but felt better if it was a group decision. Dr. Largent left the interview emphasizing how rewarding his job was the majority of the time. He mentioned that being a teacher, assistant principal and principal helped to set the stage for his superintendent position but being superintendent was much more global than just one campus or department. Dr. Largent felt that a successful superintendent was one that was seen at all events and treated everyone equally and was fair in all his decisions.

Thursday, October 7, 2010

Blogging by Educational Leaders

The use of Blogs by educational leaders is growing rapidly. Even the use of Blogs within our district is becoming more and more popular. The use of Blogs is an excellent resource for educators to learn and find answers to issues that pertain to them. Our Region Service Center is promoting the use of Blogs among their school members. They are using professional learning communities and are commenting on the positives that these communities are getting. I believe that Blogs may be one of the best staff development tools that their is to offer.

Using Action Research

Action research is one of the greatest tools that I have used as an administrator. It allows educators to evaluate and address issues or concerns that are occurring within their own school. As administrator on my campus, I have established a Campus Improvement Committee that uses an extreme amount of Action Research. We meet on a weekly basis and discuss problems or concerns that have arisen the prior week. We work collaboratively on resolving problems that we or other educators have identified themselves. Educators who identify problems within their own school environment are more apt to solve these issues than someone who is not directly involved with the school. Rusk ISD has received two different technology grants in the last couple of years. Our intermediate campus began two years ago implementing a Vision 20/20 grant. This school year they rolled out laptops to every student on campus. The campus educators use Action research continually to evaluate and identify issues that occur throughout this program. This research is going to be extremely helpful to the Jr. High campus when they begin their laptop roll out next Spring. Action Research at RISD has become extremely beneficial for the entire district.