October 2021 – Special Educator e-Journal

Table of Contents

• Special Education Legal Alert. By Perry A. Zirkel
• Buzz from the Hub
• New Guidance Reaffirms Importance of Full Implementation of Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Amidst COVID-19 Pandemic
• Using the DisCrit Lens to Engage Families From Minoritized Backgrounds. By Monique Matute-Chavarria, Ph.D., Pricella Morris, M.Ed., and Monica R. Brown, Ph.D.
• Modifying an IEP or 504 for Distance or Hybrid Learning
• Q&A on Dispute Resolution in Part B and Part C During COVID-19
• Book Reviews
  • School Leadership that Works. By Lauren Gonzalez   
  • The One Minute Manager.  By Tali Finestone
  • Improving Your Leadership Intelligence: A Field Book for K-12 Leaders. By Alexa Snyder
• Latest Employment Opportunities Posted on NASET
• Acknowledgements

Special Education Legal Alert

By Perry A. Zirkel

© September 2021

This month’s update identifies recent court decisions illustrating the IDEA issues of “stay-put” and “reverse” attorneys’ fees.  For automatic e-mailing of future legal alerts, sign up at perryzirkel.com; this website also provides free downloads of various related articles and special supplements.

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Buzz from the Hub

All articles below can be accessed through the following links:

https://www.parentcenterhub.org/buzz-sept2021-issue1/

https://www.parentcenterhub.org/buzz-aug2021-issue2/

https://www.parentcenterhub.org/buzz-july2021-issue2/

https://www.parentcenterhub.org/buzz-aug2021-issue1/

The Kid Zone! Make learning to read a shared adventure!
The Kid Zone! is a place where parents can participate as their child builds literacy skills in a fun and interactive way. The site is especially targeted to support children who are finding learning to read a challenge. More info for families can also be found under the “Parents and Families” tab at the home page of the National Center for Improving Literacy.

10 Simple Grounding Techniques To Calm Anxiety
This article from Forbes describes what grounding techniques are and how they can be used to allay anxiety. It then describes 10 simple techniques anyone can use to dial back to calm.

Dealing with Adolescent Behavior Problems: Top Tips for Parents
There are many tips and tricks for how parents can deal with adolescent behavior problems. This article discusses general principles of parenting a child with behavior problems, tips for handling the 4 main types (ADHD, oppositional defiant disorder, autism, and conduct disovers), ways to reduce conflict, self-care, and suggestions for parents during the pandemic.

Revised Q&A on Providing Accessible Materials in the NIMAS Format
The Department of Education has released the revised Q&A to support SEAs, LEAs, and other stakeholders in providing accessible textbooks and related materials using the NIMAS file format. This updated document addresses changes to eligibility requirements as well as responsibility for accepting and disseminating qualifying digital educational materials to eligible users (following the Department’s 2020 clarification of the definition of “print instructional materials”).

2020 Annual Report to Congress in IDEA
In case you missed it, the 42nd annual report to Congress was published in January 2021. It’s available online and in PDF, and it will tell you how states are doing with the implementation of IDEA.

“Dear Colleague” Letter to Special Education and Early Intervention Partners
This August 24, 2021 DCL from OSERS makes it clear that the U.S. Department of Education expects that all LEAs will provide every student with the opportunity for full-time, in-person learning for the 2021–2022 school year. The 4-pager is rich with suggestions and links to support SEAs and LEAs in accomplishing this goal.

Crisis Hotlines and Resources for Triggering or Traumatic Events and News
The events taking place in the news may be triggering to many in our communities. This resource from Brainline is one to put in your toolbox and share widely. It includes crisis hotlines for kids and teens, and hotlines for addressing drug or alcohol abuse, domestic violence, rape, and sexual assault. There’s a small section of state and local resources, too.

10 Best Mental Health Apps of 2021
Mental health apps give you tools and support to help with general mental health or specific conditions. This article identifies the 10 best such apps for: therapy, meditation, suicide awareness, stress, anxiety, addiction, boosting your mood, eating disorders, OCD, and the best overall.

What Is Atypical Anorexia?
In short: Someone who has all the symptoms of anorexia but is not underweight. This article from Child Mind goes into much more detail than that! Make sure you also have a look at the related resources listed at the very bottom of the article, to see if any fit would be useful in your work and for sharing (such as Family-Based Treatment for Eating Disorders).

Advocating for My Child’s Literacy Needs
Great for parents of a child with literacy-related concerns, and also a good resource about being their child’s advocate in general.

Posted! Parent Center Data Collection | 2020-21
Here are the worksheets, forms, data item definitions, and supporting resources for Parent Centers to use in submitting results of the 2020 Parent Center Data Collection activities and Program Measures Survey.

Paraprofessionals | Updated and Revised
As requested, we’ve completely updated our info page on paraprofessionals (paraeducators, or paras, for short). Amazing, how the scope of their work has changed over time.

Try CPIR’s Mental Health Resources Page
(Lots of connections to materials in Spanish)
Updated in 2021, this page offers you a quick-connect to resources of all kinds: what to do and where to turn in a mental health crisis, a fact sheet on emotional disturbances, centers of expertise to be sure to visit, where to find mental health services, and organizations dedicated to specific mental disabilities.

Long COVID under Section 504 and the IDEA: A Resource to Support Children, Students, Educators, Schools, Service Providers, and Families
To date, many students have contracted COVID-19 and are still experiencing its effects, in the form of what has come to be called “long COVID.”  This 8-page resource from OCR and OSERS builds on guidance issued by the Departments of Justice and Health and Human Services concerning long COVID as a disability and clarifies that, for young children and students, long COVID can be a disability that gives rise to IDEA eligibility and may also be a disability under Section 504 and the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Anxiety in People Who Learn and Think Differently
(Available in Spanish: La ansiedad en personas que piensan y aprenden diferente)
People who learn and think differently are more likely to have anxiety than other people. In fact, children with ADHD are up to 3 times more likely to have anxiety than those who don’t have ADHD. Anxiety also often occurs with dyslexia, slow processing speed, and sensory processing issues. This series of articles from understood.org includes an anxiety log that parents can download and use to take notes on when their child gets anxious. The anxiety log is also available in Spanish.

Panic Attacks and How to Treat Them
(Also available in Spanish:Ataques de pánico y cómo tratarlos)
A real panic attack is when you experience sudden, intense physical symptoms — racing heart, sweating, shaking, dizziness, shortness of breath, nausea — and you interpret them to mean something is terribly wrong. People often believe they’re dying. Read more at the Child Mind Institute.

20 Tips for Supporting Team Mental Health
The mental health of each team member is vital to your organization’s performance. Leaders at every level must intentionally and continually commit to finding ways to improve the mental health of their teams.

 Webinar Series for Your Viewing Pleasure

Putting the DEC-Recommended Practices to Work in Parent Centers
The Division for Early Childhood’s (DEC) Recommended Practices offer guidance to parents and professionals who work with young children who have or are at risk for developmental delays or disabilities. CPIR has hosted a series of webinars to spotlight the revised RPs for Parent Centers, the latest taking place on August 5th. Online and available for your learning and sharing pleasure!

Part One | May 2021 | Designed to familiarize listeners with many of the resources and materials to support familyuse of the RPs to promote positive outcomes for young children (0-8) with or at risk of developmental delays and disabilities.

Part Two | August 2021 | Building on Part One, presenters discuss ways to sharethe RPs in the ongoing work of a Parent Center, especially ways in which Parent Centers can use the RPs in their daily work with families.

Bonus Webinar | Act Early Ambassadors 2021 | March 2021 | Heard of the Act Early Ambassadors of the CDC? Considering their work on behalf of very young children, the Ambassadors are perfect partners for Parent Centers. Listen to this webinar and connect with free, parent-friendly resources for developmental monitoring of young children.

Just in Time Tool
(Available in English and Spanish)
The Just in Time tool is designed to help families of children who are deaf or hard of hearing (DHH) connect to family-to-family supports with a focus on state-level resources. The tool contains the most essential resources identified by both families and professionals to address hearing-related needs. Sound like something your Parent Center can use? Paste its badge on your website, and families of children with hearing needs can tap into a wealth of resources in English and Spanish. You can even add to the resources listed…

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New Guidance Reaffirms Importance of Full Implementation of Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Amidst COVID-19 Pandemic

This month, U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) sent a letter to its state and local partners reiterating its commitment to ensuring children with disabilities and their families have successful early intervention and educational experiences in the 2021-2022 school year.  

This letter outlines a series of question and answers (Q&As) as children and students return to in-person learning. The Q&As focus on topics to help ensure that—regardless of the COVID-19 pandemic or the mode of instruction, children with disabilities receive a free appropriate public education (FAPE) in accordance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), and that infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families receive early intervention services.   

“Serving all children and students with disabilities in our public schools isn’t just written into law – it’s a moral obligation and strong equitable practice. When we recognize and celebrate these differences as strengths, and when we help all children make progress toward challenging educational goals, everyone benefits,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona. “I’m proud that the Department is releasing these tools as part of the federal government’s important and necessary obligation to IDEA.” 

The Q&As document on Child Find Under Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act released with the letter is the first Q&A in the series and reaffirms the importance of appropriate implementation of IDEA’s child find obligations, which requires the identification, location and evaluation, of all children with disabilities in the states. An effective child find system is an ongoing part of each state’s responsibility to ensure that FAPE is made available to all eligible children with disabilities.    

Other topic areas under IDEA include: 

• meeting timelines;
• ensuring implementation of initial evaluation and reevaluation procedures;
• determining eligibility for special education and related services;
• providing the full array of special education and related services, that may include compensatory services, for students with disabilities to ensure they receive a FAPE; and
• delayed evaluations and early intervention services to infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families served under IDEA Part C.

“The pandemic didn’t alter IDEA’s guarantee of FAPE. This school year will be important for children, students, and educators,” said Katherine Neas, acting assistant secretary of OSERS. “These guidance documents are one more example of federal technical assistance available to help states ensure student success.”

The announcement underscores the need for the Department to continue to provide support to states to ensure they have the information necessary to carry out these important requirements and to make good use of the additional American Rescue Plan (ARP) funds to ensure the full implementation of IDEA requirements.

https://sites.ed.gov/idea/files/rts-qa-child-find-part-b-08-24-2021.pdf

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Modifying an IEP or 504 for Distance or Hybrid Learning

As the year begins with distance or hybrid learning at most schools, many parents are worried that pre-pandemic IEP plans may leave students with disabilities without vital services.

Luckily, IEP or 504 plans aren’t set in stone. If a parent is concerned that their child is struggling (or that they will be once class gets underway), it might be time to make some additions to the child’s plan to incorporate remote learning accommodations.

This article from the Child Mind Institute describes how parents can help their child get the support they need, whatever this school year brings. Access the article at:
https://childmind.org/article/modifying-an-iep-or-504-for-distance-or-hybrid-learning/

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Book Review: School Leadership that Works

By Lauren Gonzalez

Purpose and Thesis

School Leadership that Works was written by Robert Marzano, Timothy Waters, and Brian McNulty in 2005. Its primary purpose is to combine research on effective school leadership practices with realistic implementation. It provides practical guidance for both experienced and novice leaders as they design a concrete plan to address daily challenges that come with leading in a school by translating the findings gathered by the authors of the book into specific recommendations to be used in schools. The book also features notes on all requisite technical information that is necessary to understand current research as well as an appendix section that contains a list of Cotton’s 25 leadership practices and 21 responsibilities that are explored in-depth within two of its chapters.

The thesis of Marzano, Waters, and McNulty’s (2005) work is that effective and inspired leadership behaviors can significantly enhance students’ academic achievement while also preparing them to become knowledgeable, skilled, and responsible citizens in their society (Marzano et al., 2005, p. 123). This is in stark contrast to previous beliefs surrounding leadership in which the success of a school depends on an effective principal or functioning of complex organizations as necessary preconditions for high academic achievement, most of which present conflicting evidence (Marzano et al., 2005, p. 6). While there is a paucity of research on school leadership and its effects on the effectiveness of schools in developing student achievement, the authors conducted a meta-analysis of research spanning over 35 years that supports that leadership behaviors have a substantially positive impact on student achievement (Marzano et al., 2005, p. 12).

Main Themes

The main theme of this book is the ever-increasing importance of effective leadership as it relates to student achievement. The second chapter of the text organizes a plethora of research on school leadership by showing a meta-analysis of prominent theories. Some theories discussed in this book include transformational/transactional leadership, servant leadership, situational leadership, and instructional leadership. In this chapter, the 25 categories of principal behavior are discussed in-depth as they provide a knowledge base for the authors to create a broad framework for effective leadership (Marzano et al., 2005, p. 38).

Marzano et al.’s meta-analysis indicated that administrative leaders in schools can affect student achievement and defined 21 leadership responsibilities, each of which are detailed in chapter 4. Each of these responsibilities has had a statistically significant relationship with student achievement according to a meta-analysis on past theoretical literature (Marzano et al., 2005, p. 64). The authors differentiate first-order and second-order change. First-order change involves problems that can be feasibly solved by schools while second-order change involves problems that cannot easily be solved by can be somewhat alleviated by providing continued support to the community. The 21 responsibilities of leadership can be applied to everyday first-order changes and corrections that a school faces and must become a regular aspect of managing the school (Marzano et al., 2005, p. 75).

The authors also provide suggestions to promote effective leadership skills and behaviors by recommending two interventions: comprehensive school reform (CSR) models and site-specific approaches. It is suggested, however, that CSR models should be adapted over time to meet the specific needs of a school since the effectiveness of CSR models tends to vary between schools. When site-specific approaches are used, a school designs its own intervention using an 11-factor model with 39 possible action steps which can help schools to identify the focus of its work that is specified to the needs and context of the current situation (Marzano et al., 2005, p. 97).

Lastly, the authors presented a five-step plan for effective school leadership based on the research and theories that were discussed throughout the text. The first step involves the development of a school leadership team based on the foundation of a purposeful community. The second step separates the 21 leadership responsibilities by stating that 12 of the responsibilities are for members of the leadership team and 9 of them are for the school principal. The third step is to identify the right work or the focus of change within the school. The fourth step is to analyze the current situation to determine whether the school should take a first- or second-order change initiative (Marzano et al., 2005, p. 121). The fifth and last step is to match the appropriate leadership behaviors and strategies to the first- or second-order change the school hopes to address (Marzano et al., 2005, p. 122).

Key Quotes

One quote that stood out was one that the authors agreed was highly important and relevant in today’s world: “I used to ask, ‘Why doesn’t somebody do something?’ until I realized that I am somebody.” (Marzano et al., 2005, p. 123). It is common for educators and administrators to blame others rather than taking the initiative to act in ways that would result in long-term positive change in their schools. Therefore, it is important for school leaders to take matters into their own hands by implementing changes that lead to evidence-based practices wherever they can in a consistent manner and reflecting upon the fidelity and effectiveness of how these strategies were used.

The authors cited Fullan’s (2001) quote: “The big problems of the day are complex, rife with paradoxes and dilemmas. For these problems, there are no once-and-for-all answers” (p. Marzano et al., 2005, 67). Many of our students face issues such as poverty, racial prejudice, food insecurity, etc., and these issues, most of the time, cannot be solved by school staff alone. This leads to another poignant quote that was included within this text: “We need to develop a new language of improvement that is better designed to respond to the problems of the present and lead into the future, rather than one that is designed around the solution of problems belonging to an age gone by” (Marzano et al., 2005, p. 68). In other words, rather than trying to solve the unsolvable, it is our duty as educators to take swift, decisive action by providing supports to those who are facing these issues in their daily lives. This is described in the text as second-order change.

Another relevant quote can be found in the sixth chapter: “No predesigned comprehensive school reform program will address the unique characteristics of a given school” (Marzano et al., 2005, p. 81).    Oftentimes, school leaders or those providing professional training to others, will refer to specific methods and prescribed steps in the hopes that what worked in one environment will lead to seamless implementation and a significant increase in academic achievement. Rather, schools should begin with a framework of factors that can be changed to enhance student achievement. A sample framework is provided in the same chapter (Marzano et al., 2005, p. 82).

Another key quote would be: “A school can identify challenging goals as a whole as well as for individual students, and then provide the systematic, specific feedback that will generate learning.” Whether it is to address challenges that affect the whole school and/or individual students, the leadership team should meet with as many stakeholders who are involved as possible to plan for the implementation of a systematic approach to address any issues. They should also meet frequently to discuss progress and exchange specific feedback by sharing each other’s strengths and weaknesses as well as how they can best support one another in the present moment (Marzano et al., 2005, p. 87)

Weak and Strong Points

The biggest strength of School Leadership that Works is its collection of data-driven research on the characteristics of a highly effective school leader. While this book was mostly written with administrators in mind, some of its recommendations can be applied to educators within classroom settings. It is very helpful in highlighting the key attributes and managing styles of effective leaders should have in clear and concise language and provides actionable recommendations that are highly practical and applicable to real settings. Overall, Marzano, Waters, and McNulty’s work is thought-provoking, helpful, and can help administrators create a well-organized and highly effective school environment that will lead to long-lasting positive change.

While most of the text in its parts discussing the implications of past research, any sections describing the methodology and results of the research were filled with jargon that only experienced researchers could understand. The book contains technical notes in one of its appendices in an attempt to alleviate this problem and they do somewhat provide more context on how the data was collected and then analyzed by the authors. However, the use of terminology to refer to concepts related to research, statistics, and data, was still too advanced for someone who does not have as much of an understanding of these topics. Another flaw of this book is that its primary thesis of the impact of leadership on student achievement is based on a 0.25 correlation, which is rather weak as far as correlations go. The authors also imply there is a causal relationship in that increases in leadership will lead to increased student achievement. Readers should take proper precautions when interpreting data this way, as some events may not be the cause of others.

Comparison to Fullan’s Text

Fullan’s (2001) book, Leading in a Culture of Change, mostly focuses on the complexities of the unpredictable and rapidly occurring nature of change. It also focuses on how people can lead effectively and foster leadership in others despite challenging circumstances. There is much more emphasis on the traits that make an organization the best it can be whereas School Leadership that Works discusses the individual traits of effective leaders. The most apparent difference between the two texts is that Fullan (2001)’s book can be used in any managerial situation whereas Marzano, Waters, and McNulty’s (2005) work is more specific to educational settings. While both texts are geared towards school administrators, their content can be somewhat applied to classroom teachers to a lesser extent.

Fullan’s theories on leadership are mentioned by Marzano, Waters, and McNulty. According to the text, Fullan argued that educational reformers are fighting an “unwinnable” battle because the school system seeks changes but is inherently averse to it. Much like Marzano et al., Fullan states that there is no easy solution to these complex challenges. Instead, they both suggest new ways of addressing these issues in that they can be seen as opportunities to design schools as learning communities. While Marzano et al. discuss the 25 leadership practices and 21 responsibilities, Fullan offers his framework for leadership that includes its characteristics of effective leadership: moral purpose, coherence making, knowledge building, understanding change, and building relationships.

References

Fullan, Michael. (2001). Leading in a Culture of Change. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Print.

Marzano, R. J., Waters, T., & McNulty, B. A. (2005). School leadership that works: From research to results. Alexandria: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Print.

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Book Review: The One Minute Manager

By Tali Finestone

The New One Minute Manager Kenneth Blanchard and Spencer Johnson is an updated version of what many consider to be one of the top texts from the 1980s about project management: The One Minute Manager. This latest version modernizes implementations towards present day situations while still reflecting the same methodology. The text follows the story of a young and eager to learn man seeking out an effective manager to train him. When the man finally encounters a manager how claims to be a ‘one-minute manager’, he is taught a leadership model that can be used by managers to strengthen their team’s performance, self-sufficiency, and enthusiasm.

This uncomplicated and thorough evaluation of how to improve management and leadership styles goes on to detail three “secrets” for successfully managing others using the following three concepts: minute goals, minute praising’s, and minute redirects. The book is split into sections for each secret. Minute goal setting refers to ensuring that staff are aware of what is expected of them at all times. One-minute praising’s are used to help staff be the best that they can be. One minute re-directs involves that act of reprimanding and reassuring staff when needed.

Main Themes

The New One Minute Manager offers an updated approach from its original version that focuses on the idea that individuals are an essential component of any organization and that it is imperative that they being treated accordingly. Authors, Ken Blanchard and Spencer Johnson, develop the story around a manager that encourages the individuals that he leads to find balance in their personal and professional lives. The manager also considers that by giving people the opportunity and trust to self-manage and supervise others can be beneficial to staff and the organization as a whole. These beliefs are rooted in the three secrets outlined throughout the book.

The first ‘secret’ revealed in the book is “one-minute goals”. Rather than a manager establishing goals for those they lead; the manager is attentive towards their views of employees and takes a collaborative approach towards goal development. These goals are then outlined in a simplified format so that they can be easily understood by everyone. The staff is then encouraged to survey the goals on a regular basis in order to ensure that their actions reflect these goals. Should they find that their work is not a reflection of their goals, they are encouraged to adapt to their work strategy to effectively meet the goals outlined.

The second secret is “one-minute praising’s”. This strategy is carried out when a manager observes that an employee is meeting the goals successfully and then offering them immediate praise. The concept is to recognize that the employee is carrying out a task properly, let them know that they are doing things correctly, and then note how it made the employee react and feel. Blanchard and Johnson claim that in doing so, the individual will become more cognizant of what the correct actions are and then begin to engage in self-praising practices and, as a result, will boost their confidence and motivation.

The third and final secret is “one-minute re-directs”. This outlines how managers should respond when they identify that an employee has done something incorrect. Rather than simply reprimanding employees, which can often result in unresolved behaviors, the use of the one-minute re-direct enables the individuals to recognize and learn from their mistakes. The concept is to initially confirm verify and assess the error made with the employee. The manager can then communicate to the individual their thoughts on the mistake that was made and how they perceive that it has impacted their results. The manager is then supposed to let the employee know that they do not see the error as a reflection of who they are in the workplace, and to let them know that they still have respect for them and the work that they do.

Key Quotes

“We’re here to get results. By drawing on the talents of everyone, we’re a lot more productive.” (Pg. 13) – This quote outlines the importance of a leader recognizing value in those that he or she supervises. At the end of the day, the work produced, and the end result is only as good as the individuals responsible.

“The brainpower isn’t only in the executive office- it can be found throughout the organization.” (Pg. 11) – The role of the manager is not simply to delegate tasks to employees. This is an ineffective and inefficient strategy that often leaders to poor results. Instead, the manager most take a collaborative approach and value the input of everyone involved.

“I’m a participative manager. Supportive. Considerate. Humanistic.” (Pg. 10) – A manager that is not actively involved in day-to-day tasks has no way of connecting with the work that he or she is expected to leader. Seeing that employees are a part of his or her team allows everyone to feel appreciated and to produce work that is valued by everyone.

Strengths and Weaknesses

The emphasis that Blanchard and Johnson make on collaborative goal setting outlines the many strategies involved in a health work-place culture. When employees feel that their concerns and opinions are heard and that their thoughts are valued, they are able to take on a sense of pride in their work and motivate them to succeed. In addition, the concept of setting simple and concrete goals is a common issue that many work places struggle with. The text outlines how to navigate this concept in a clear and obtainable way that can be applied to a variety of different organizations and tasks. Another strength is the emphasis made by offering praise to employees in different ways to fit a variety of situations. Many staff members to not learn how they are viewed by the organization until a yearly review meeting takes place or until they make an error. By offering consistent praise, constructive feedback is obtained, and communication is increased.

Some areas of weakness within the text are related to the re-direct concept. While the authors do acknowledge the importance of re-directs, they do not offer guidance on the various situations in which this situation could be applied. Providing modeled situations to help the reader connect to the concept would have been beneficial. Similarly, the story did not follow the advice of the authors when the manager confronts the employee about the mistakes made. If done as recommended, the manager would have assisted the employee in recognizing his or her mistakes so to ensure that they arrived at a correct conclusion.

The New One Minute Manager vs The One Minute Manager

Author Ken Blanchard first wrote “The One Minute Manager” as a simple guide for managers in 1983. The first of its kind, this easy-to-read business parable was widely popular and reflected the disciplinary strategies that a parenting guide might offer. However, “The New One Minute Manager”, which was published in May 2015, offers an updated perspective on management styles to reflect modern times.

While both versions are presented in a storyline format, one of the biggest differences between the two was that the newest version changes the one-minute reprimand to become a one-minute redirect. This change reflects the deeper connection between leaders and their employees and offers a less “parental” approach to discipline.

While the establishment of clear goals are still very much a key component in both versions, the newer version emphasizes collaboration. In the time period that the first book was written, managers used to give their staff their goals. However, now it is much more common that they reach them together.

References

Blanchard, K. H., & Johnson, S. (2015). The new one minute manager. Thorsons, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers.

Blanchard, K. H., & Johnson, S. (1982). The One Minute Manager. William Morrow an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

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Book Review: Improving Your Leadership Intelligence: A Field Book for K-12 Leaders by

By Alexa Snyder

Abstract

In Improving Your Leadership Intelligence: A Field Book for K-12 Leaders Green and Leonard provide various situational judgement tests for five different leadership intelligence components as a way for the reader to improve their leadership intelligence. This review looks at the major themes of Improving Your Leadership Intelligence, discusses the book’s strengths and weakness, as well as comparing to other educational leadership text.

Improving Your Leadership Intelligence Book Review

Green and Leonard first worked together when they coauthored another leadership book, Leadership Intelligence: Navigating to Your True North but continued with a sequel to that book since both Green and Leonard have worked in leadership positions in school and have done work in educational leadership field. They wanted to take their passion for leadership intelligence and school leadership and bring it together in one book. Improving Your Leadership Intelligence: A Field Book for K-12 Leaders continues the work that was first done in Green and Leonard’s first book by continuing the idea of leadership intelligence assessment that was first introduced in Leadership Intelligence: Navigating to Your True North. The leadership intelligence assessment is an assessment that evaluates the test takers leadership intelligence by looking at five major components, these components will be discussed in detail later. After completing the assessment, the test taker is able to see their areas of weakness and strength. This helps the test taker/reader know what sections they should focus on and how to use the material presented in the book. This allows the reader to get the most benefit from the book and better the areas they need help with.

In Improving Your Leadership Intelligence: A Field Book for K-12 Leaders Green and Leonard also look at the five components of leadership intelligence and how to strength those areas from a strictly school leadership point of view. Improving Your Leadership Intelligence was created to give current leaders and future leaders a chance to develop their leadership intelligence by using situational judgement tests (SJTs). These tests are based off real life experiences and show the large and small challenges that a leader will face. The tests allow leaders to practice and think about what they would do in that situation which then grows their people skills and allows them to make the correct decisions. The book was created in a field book fashion because as you work through the SJTs you will increase your confidence in your navigational skills and therefore become a better leader. Also, there are many ways that you can approach the book, as an individual, as a group, one section at a time, the whole book, and a field book allows you to use as it fits you and your needs best. The field book also allows leaders to gain insight and familiarity with the real-life situations that school leaders face.

Throughout Improving Your Leadership Intelligence: A Field Book for K-12 Leaders Green and Leonard are trying to prove their thought that “developing or enhancing your leadership intelligence and adaptive capacity and thereby your ability to make proper decisions is a foundational leadership ability” (Green & Leonard, 2017).

Main Themes

The major themes of Improving Your Leadership Intelligence consist of the five components of leadership intelligence that Green, and Leonard think there are. According to Green and Leonard the five components that make up leadership intelligence are: credibility, competence, ability to inspire, vison, and emotional intelligence/soft skills. All these components are looked at individually and there are SJTs specific to each component.

Credibility is the one thing that most people notice about a leader. It is looked at by people asking themselves a simple question: does the leader say what they mean and support that with their actions? Based off the answer people get from that question tells them if the leader is credible or not. Green and Leonard say that real credibility can only be gained by bringing together your thoughts and actions. Some of the SJTs that Green and Leonard present the reader with range from simple situations that are about would you take bribes and making sure that purchasing laws are being followed. There are some more serious situations presented such as what would you do if one of your teachers was arrested for a DUI or there is a possible bomb threat. The range of situations allows the reader to really think about what they would do and start thinking about how what they say and then what they do affects the way people view their credibility.

Many people think that competence is having the knowledge and skills required to do a job. Green and Leonard argue that it is more than that. Competence is also having the trust and respect of the people that follow and look up to you. It is knowing what to do, how to do it and when you should act on something. Some of the SJTs that are presented to help readers improve their competence include situations about a student having a gun at school, losing a funding source after having promised to purchase various items for schools, and what should be done with an expensive audit that was also extremely critical. All these situations are looking at different aspects of competence. Some are helping the readers build the knowledge and skills that are required of a school leader and others help readers learn the times they should act and the times they should not.

Leaders generally have the intention to inspire the people that follow and look up to them, but they are often not able to meet those intentions. For some reason leaders and other people think that having the ability to inspire be is a skill that only motivational and coachers poses. Green and Leonard state that being able to inspire people can simply be achieved by what you say and do. The situations that Green and Leonard present for ability to inspire range from teachers not getting a raise and there are chances of a strike, what do you say to your staff as their leader? Another situation presented is a student being diagnosed with cancer and not getting a positive checkup three weeks before graduation. There are a variety of times that school leaders will have to inspire the whole school, the staff, or one individual. Green and Leonard present various situations that require different ways you will need to inspire people.

Vision is one of those things that seems simple, but once you start looking at it on a deeper level you see how hard it is to achieve vision. Determining and creating your vison is easy but creating a shared vison and communicating that effectively is challenging. The situations that are presented help the reader determine how to create a shared vision and share it with the school. Some of the situations are your school is being used as an evacuation site and an administrator needs to be there. How do you pick which administrator will be there to oversee things? Another situation is that there is a student that comes to your office on a regular basis and his behavior does not seem to get better. His mother does not help improve the student’s behavior. On the student’s most recent visit to your office the mother questions why you are sending her child home. The situations presented by Green, and Leonard do a great job of allowing the reader to think about the various aspects of creating a vision and how to share that vision with various groups.

Emotional intelligence is being able to recognize emotions in yourself, controlling those emotions, acknowledging emotions in others, and having social/relationship awareness. Social awareness and relationship management is also considered soft skills. In today’s fast-paced society is more important than ever to focus on building strong relationships with the people that follow you. Some of the situations that are presented include having one of your major ideas implemented but challenges arise and at the end of the year you must get rid of your idea. Another situation is as superintendent you recommend that a principal accepts a teacher’s resignation, but you when you check in with the principal, they let you know they declined the teacher’ resignation. The situations address all the aspects that make up emotional intelligence and soft skills.

Key Quotes

“Leadership intelligence is defined as “a construct that represents the level of leadership capacity an individual posse at any given time. It addresses the characteristics, dispositions, and the ‘soft’ people/relational skills of individuals, including: credibility, competence, ability to inspire, vision, and emotional intelligence” (pg. xiii). This quote shows how the authors define leadership intelligence which is the major theme of the book. It provides the reader a clear sense of what is it. Readers can not improve something they do not understand.

“The main thing to remember is that there are many ways to get a specific destination. There is more than one correct way to solve a problem, and the quickest route to a solution may not always be the wisest” (pg. xvi). This quote is talking about the SJTs that the readers will encounter throughout the book. It explains to the reader that there are different ways that a situation can be handled and there may not be one right answer. It also says that the easiest way to fix a challenge may not be the best way.

“Although inspiration can sometimes take the form of high energy and mountain-moving motivation, inspiration is best achieved through what we do and say” (pg. 51). This continues Green and Leonard’s idea that inspiration is often viewed as something is impossible to achieve but it something that can be achieved.

“Defining vision is simple. Creating a shared vision and, more significantly, effectively communicating that shared vision, and transforming it into action is the challenge” (pg. 71). This is continuing Green and Leonard’s idea that coming up with your vision is the easy part and that you should really focus on creating a shared vision and communicating that with your team.

“Additionally, with the incredible influx of technology into our lives, many of us are not nearly as ‘in tune’ with others as in the past” (pg. 89). Green and Leonard are highlighting the fact that in today’s society with everyone so reliant on technology we do not have those strong relationships that we once had. This is an area that many people need to work on today since we are so used to relationships being done through technology, not face to face.

Strengths and Weaknesses

The field book style of this book is not something that is commonly seen when it comes to leadership books, but that is one of the strengths of this book. The field book style allows you to work on just one section or multiple sections instead of having to read the whole book when you just want to improve one area. Green and Leonard are able to cover the five components of leadership intelligence with this field book. The use of SJTs is not uncommon in the field of education since examples are commonly included when talking about a topic and people have an opportunity to think about what they would do. The SJTs in this book allow the reader to see real life examples about situations that will likely come across in their career in educational leadership. It gives the reader a way to think about various situations and time to think about how they should handle it in a safe environment. Green and Leonard providing their options allow the readers to see how other people might have handled the situation or other ways to handle the same situation. Green and Leonard also provide their solution which explains which one of their options is the correct one and why. This allows the readers to see the justification to why that option was the correct one. Understanding why a solution is the correct one can help the reader develop that skill and understand how to handle a familiar situation in the future. Green and Leonard also do a great job of including a lot of variety in their situations that address all aspects of each component. There are situations that address minor challenges that may come up and there are also situations that address more serious issues that you may face as a leader.

It is not common to see leadership books presented in a field book style and solely based on providing situations. This might be because people do better when they are provided with clear step by step directions of what they can do to improve a skill set, this is one of the weaknesses of Improving Your Leadership Intelligence. Green and Leonard provide a very brief description of what each component is but does not discuss it in detail. In order for the reader to improve the skill they need to understand clearly what the skill is. If Green and Leonard were to provide a clear description of each component and some steps the reader can do to increase their knowledge in that area that book would be more complete.

Comparison to Fullan

Leading in a Culture of Change by Michael Fullan is another book about improving your leadership skills. Fullan focuses on leadership in a business and school environment. Fullan’s and Green and Leonard’s books are similar in the sense that they each provide examples of the different components of leaderships that author has. Fullan also has five components that he thinks makes up a whole rounded leader. In Fullan’s view point the five components that make up a good leader are moral purpose, understanding change, relationship building, knowledge creating and sharing, and coherence making. Some of these components sound similar to Green and Leonard’s components while others sound completely different.

Fullan’s component of moral purpose is all about wanting to make a different in your students’ lives and the path that you take to get there. Green and Leonard do not have a component that is like Fullan’s moral purpose component, but it is something that they may agree with but it not something that is needed for leadership intelligence.

One of Fullan’s biggest components is understanding change. Fullan states that change happens quickly, and it is inevitable. In order to be a good leader Fullan says that you have to understand the change process and accept it. Green and Leonard do not have a concept that is like this, but they do acknowledge in their thesis that to be a good leader you need to be adaptive.

Both Green, Leonard and Fullan acknowledge that to be a good leader you will need to have strong relationship with everyone that you work with. All three of them also realize the fact that it is a skill that many people lack and must consciously work on. Green and Leonard look at building and maintain strong relationships as a part of a bigger picture, which is emotional intelligence and soft skills. They think that you need relationship to have good emotionally intelligence and soft skills, but it is not something that is solely needed in order to be a leader. Fullan places more of an importance on relationship since one of his leadership components is only about relationships.

References

Fullan, M. (2001). Leading in a Culture of Change. Jossey-Bass.

Green, W.S. & Leonard, E. E. (2017). Improving Your Leadership Intelligence: A Field Book for K-12 Leaders. Rowman & Littlefield.

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Acknowledgements

Portions of this or previous month’s NASET’s Special Educator e-Journal were excerpted from:

• Center for Parent Information and Resources
• Committee on Education and the Workforce
• FirstGov.gov-The Official U.S. Government Web Portal
• Journal of the American Academy of Special Education Professionals (JAASEP)
• National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth
• National Institute of Health
• National Organization on Disability
• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
• U.S. Department of Education
• U.S. Department of Education-The Achiever
• U.S. Department of Education-The Education Innovator
• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
• U.S. Department of Labor
• U.S. Food and Drug Administration
• U.S. Office of Special Education

The National Association of Special Education Teachers (NASET) thanks all of the above for the information provided for this or prior editions of the Special Educator e-Journal

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