CLINICAL LEADERSHIP EXCELLENCE Wayne A. Secord The Ohio State University Columbus, OH

Elisabeth H. Wiig Knowledge Research Institute Arlington, TX

SOME REAL WORLD DRIVING CONCEPTS

• School Reform and the Need for Real Leadership • A National Focus on Literacy and School Performance DISCLOSURES • Public Laws - “Meaningful Access Tenets” Financial • Cost of Two Systems (Regular and Special ED) • Cultural and Linguistic Diversity and Poverty • Royalties Income • Graying of Our Educational Leadership • Speaking Engagements • Loss of our Nation’s Intellectual Capital Non-Financial • Old Paradigm Approaches Continue to Fail Us • None • Serving now, and Serving the Future • Preparation for Work in a Global Marketplace • Surviving – Thriving in a Digital World, and • Importance and Interconnection of Language and Human Competence

SOME IMPORTANT CONCEPTS FROM SPORTS • Importance of Teamwork (The Team Comes First) • PRACTICAL Goal Setting • A Good Process Usually Wins • Learn From Your Mistakes • Help Others Get Better • Support (Be There for) Others • Coach Others • A Few Things Done Well • Represent Your Community • Winning Isn’t Everything • Good Will Typically Show Its Hand First • And Don’t be a You-Know-WHAT!

Presented for: OSLHA Columbus, OH March 2016

TIME TO REDEFINE MYSELF (YOURSELF) • Interventionist • Change Agent • Detective • Culture Builder • Collaborator • Mentor

• Consultant • Motivator • Team Leader • Visionary • Coach • Instructional Leader

WHAT MAKES GOOD SCHOOLS • Every Child Can Learn • Shared Responsibility for All Students • Collegiality Among Professionals • Instructional Leadership • Parent (Family) Involvement • Teamwork and Sharing Unite Teachers • School Level Control • Central Office is a Help Source

ESSENTIAL PARADIGMS • Pay Attention to Context First • Authenticity – Real Behaviors • Multiple Instructional Agents • Collaboration • Flexible Team Partnerships • Early Intervention - Prevention • Indirect Services- Empowerment • Sense of Competence

“Shared Stimuli - Multiple Contexts - Multiple Agents” COMMONALTIES OF EDUCATIONAL LEADERS • Bedrock Beliefs • Courage (Risk Taking) … The Long Haul • A Strong Social Conscience • A Seriousness of Purpose • Situational Mastery • A Vision for Excellence and Change • An Enduring Faith that All Things are Possible MY BEDROCK BELIEFS • Good Seeds Grow in Good Cultures For a Speech-Language Pathologist • Before Age 7-8 (Print, Meaning, Sound, Story and Talk) • After Age 8 (Constructing knowledge; becoming strategic) • Consultation and Collaboration Provide the Leverage Needed for Success • Indirect Services reach more children •“DO A FEW THINGS WELL” A FEW THINGS DONE WELL! • Focus on Functionality in context • Focus on the Most Important Things • Design Intervention with and through others! • Put a System in place that works when you’re not there! • Know Your Client Well enough to help him. • In God We Trust - all others need data!

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VAN RIPER’S BEDROCK BELIEFS • Understand the Nature of the Problem (Disorder) • Assessment Should Focus on Functional Skills • Prioritize the Most Important Skills or Behaviors • Develop a Conscious Presence for New Responses • Motivate the Client to Change and Use His or Her New Behaviors • Motivate Yourself to Succeed with Each Client • Put a System in Place to Support your Client • Focus on Carry Over Skills – Generalized Learning • Observe and Track Performance Carefully INSTRUCTIONAL EXCELLENCE (Conscience Presence) • Motivation • Ownership • Awareness GOOD LEADERS ARE ALSO GOOD COACHES - GOOD CONSULTANTS • What Do Good Consultants Do? • How Are Leadership & Consultation Related? • How Do They Operate? • How Do They Build Good Schools? • How Do They Put First Things First? • How Are All of These Paradigms Related? • Let’s Enroll in a New Course called • School Consultation 101 OUR LEADERSHIP EXCELLENCE STUDY OVERVIEW OF THE NATIONAL EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP STUDY • 45 State SLH Associations Involved • 30 Special Education Groups • Principals, Lead Teachers & Parents • Extensive Questionnaire - Results Follow WHAT IS CLINICAL LEADERSHIP EXCELLENCE ALL ABOUT? All Educatiors •Take time to listen (perspective taking) •Good problem solving and decision-making skills •They take a comprehensive approach. •They have passion and love challenges. •They show subtle confidence and instill it in others. Special Educators and School SLPs •They have presence, passion, and creativity •They make things clear and practical for others •The have great enthusiasm about their work •They display true professionalism •They share effective strategies in creative ways A SPECIAL THANKS AND CONSIDERATION TO OUR OSU STUDENTS FOR THEIR CLEVER PPTS AND SPECIAL THANKS TO CORRINE GALVIN. 3

WHAT IS CLINICAL LEADERSHIP EXCELLENCE ALL ABOUT? WHAT DO THEY DO? •They Get the big picture •Some of Us Like Change •They Collaborate •They Share perspectives •Teamwork Can Change the World •They Empower others •They Enjoy their success •They Think Outside the Box •Nothing succeeds like…. •They try hard new things •They refine their clinical skills •They know it is never easy •They remember important things

•They Pay attention •Others Clearly Do Not! •The Listen •They Share common goals •They’re problem solvers •They Maintain Visibility •They’re Positive •They’re well informed •They’re not afraid •They Lead with passion •They make key decisions •They expect bumpy roads •They do a few things well

•Change is Difficult •Build Bridges to Others •Listening is No. 1 •Believe in teamwork •They Build relationships •Learn from your mistakes •They’re not afraid to be Wrong •Results oriented mentality •They Take Risks •They Maintain a sense of balance •Don’t take no for an answer •They expect brain gas •They believe anything’s possible

Top-10 Leadership Excellence Concepts Number 10 They remember their priorities (their children and students). They come first! - Context-based improvement, participation and progress mean everything, - They coach and empower their students to take control and improve. Number 9 They are not afraid! They take risks! - They go the extra mile to challenge the system for their students. - They don’t take “no” for an answer. - They get around problems in creative ways (“rules are meant to be broken”). Number 8 They try new things, hard things, and engage in deep practice. - They’re always looking for new and creative ways to improve performance. - Deep practice builds expertise (skills performed fluently; with ease and speed). Number 7 They understand change, both systemic and human. - They are patient problem solvers and carefully work within their systems. - They search for tipping points (small things that help people change).

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Number 6 They are able to achieve situational (contextual) mastery. - They display confident and ever apparent control over their work place. - They successfully win others to their bedrock leadership beliefs. Number 5 They focus on a few things at any time and try to do them (extremely) well! - The “few things done well” concept applies to teachers, parents and students. - They put a practice system in place that works without them! - Their intervention-based system then is designed with and through others Number 4 They have an academic end-point for everything they do. - First and foremost, most intervention activities are curriculum-based - Everything they do is designed with improved classroom responding in mind. Number 3 They have superb crossover-knowledge and skills. - They understand curriculum standards and implementation. - They understand how classrooms work, scripts, routines, events, etc. - They are especially savvy with regard to special education laws and rules. - They are keenly sensitive to multicultural and multilingual variability Number 2 They insist upon teamwork, effective collaboration and consultation. - It’s how they succeed at “doing a few things really well.” - It gives them the leverage needed to accomplish things they can’t do alone. - It’s ensures success across materials, settings and multiple participants. Number 1 They listen and they’re good at it. - Listening was clearly the number 1 leadership practice by far! - Listening (perspective taking) is their fuel for teamwork and collaboration - Superb listening skills fuel educational leadership excellence! While there were many other characteristics, skills, strategies, etc. mentioned by the school leaders, the ability to listen and focus in on the most important needs was clearly the most important educational leadership strategy. One respondent even said, “I use my listening skills as a weapon, it’s truly what makes me good.” The ASHA Leader, May 2014, Vol. 19, 28-29 5

Some Final Suggestions From an Honoree • Sign your name to your work! • Seek first to understand (listen and perspective take) • Don’t let negative feedback become the criticism that hurts and then sticks • Systems, large entities, etc. will never love you back • Crisis in Chinese means “Danger and Opportunity”

LEADING FROM THE HEART (FINALE) TO ME LEADERSHIP MEANS • Going to Others • Modeling New Ways • Encouraging Others • Building Partnerships • Raising Others Up • Inspiring Change

• Talking and Listening • Having Great Faith

WHAT DOES IT TAKE • Science - EBP Principles - Systems Based Thinking - Tipping Points for Change - Solid Bedrock Beliefs - A Vision for Excellence • Heart - A Mission Focused on Others - A Strong Commitment to Service

• Motivation - Success Through Others (Collaboration) - Motivation -Willingness to Stick Your Neck Out - Student/Client Empowerment - Building the Conscious Presence

- A Strong Sense of Community - A Sense of Wholeness & Caring for ALL

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