Promoting Effective School Leadership, Through TVUSD's Principal Mentoring Program

TEMECULA, Calif., March 26, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- A mentoring program introduced by Temecula Valley Unified School District (TVUSD) Deputy Superintendent Jodi McClay provides ongoing leadership support for the district's 27 school principals.

"Having been a new principal at one point in my career, I realized a need when I came to the district office in 2007 to provide more on-site support, especially with the ever-changing demands of school leadership," says Deputy Superintendent McClay. The program began by focusing on new principals, who received site visits every week to offer advice on educational strategies that advance student achievement and guide teachers toward effective classroom practices.

McClay points to findings by the Institute of Education Sciences, the nation's leading source for rigorous, independent education research, evaluation and statistics, which indicate that the school principal is a key driver of student achievement, second only to the classroom teacher. In brief, the principal sets the tone for a positive school climate, student development and motivation, academic learning, and quality instruction.

"This program has evolved over time," says McClay, "as new principals asked for ongoing mentoring and on-site visitations even after their first two years." She explains that each of the school sites within TVUSD has a district-level mentor, who once excelled as a site principal, positioned in the Educational Support Services (ESS) Division.

"These mentors," according to McClay, "visit the schools at least every other week, but check in with new principals each week. They provide another set of eyes and ears to analyze the quality of teaching and learning on the campus. And they work collaboratively with the school's instructional team to ensure that learning on the campus is top-notch."

Each mentor coaches 5-9 schools, and while it takes a great deal of time (at least two hours per visit), they concentrate on meeting the needs of each school. According to McClay, "This allows us to differentiate and support the creativity and innovation of each site administrator and leadership team." Another plus, she says, is that this mentoring program puts district staff in classrooms to observe exactly how curriculum, instruction, and assessments are being utilized to impact student learning.

McClay believes that this program has been a critical factor in boosting TVUSD's student achievement. She cites research by the Wallace Foundation and the Center for Educational Leadership that praise programs similar to TVUSD's and correlate them to increased student achievement. Principals also share positive remarks about the program, with one recently sharing, "I love the site support model! It is so helpful to have my site mentor coming essentially every other week to answer questions and provide a fresh set of eyes as we walk classrooms and provide feedback on teaching and learning." Another shared, "The principal mentoring program is extremely helpful! I love that we receive every other week follow-up and feedback. It helps us keep informed and gives us important feedback on instructional practices being used in our classrooms."

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