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Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is an evidence-based approach to addressing behavior issues in schools. Typically, the Minnesota Department of Education and the Regional Training Projects sponsor three training sessions per year for schools that are participating in Minnesota's two-year training sequence for PBIS. However, due to the ongoing COVID-19 global pandemic, the Minnesota State Leadership Team (SLT) modified PBIS training to align with individual school changes in learning plans (i.e., distance learning, hybrid, or in-person). This report summarizes training survey results for both of these types of training and their implementation fidelity measurement for Winter 2020-21. School teams are comprised of school staff members and administrators. Participating school teams complete one survey per team at each training. This report summarizes the results for: (1) 70 school teams that are in their second year of training (Cohort 15); and (2) 53 school teams are in their first year of training (Cohort 16).

The 2020-21 AASA Superintendent Salary & Benefits Study marks the ninth consecutive edition of this study. The 2020-2021 version employed a slightly revised and updated survey instrument. The survey tracks the demographics, salary, benefits, and other elements of the employment agreements of school superintendents throughout the country. The study is intended to provide superintendents with actionable information needed to negotiate and manage their compensation and benefits. [For the 2019-20 report, see "2019-20 AASA Superintendent Salary & Benefits Study: Non-Member Version" (ED619866).]

Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is an evidence-based approach to addressing behavior issues in schools. A significant amount of research has been done to identify the critical features of PBIS. More generally, implementation science points to a specific sequence to ensure that PBIS is implemented with fidelity. This fall status report provides information on PBIS implementation fidelity for school teams who are currently in PBIS training sponsored by the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE). The Tiered Fidelity Inventory (TFI) measures implementation fidelity for each of the three tiers of PBIS. It is designed to be taken four times per year while a school team is in training. In Minnesota, schools complete a TFI at each PBIS training. In order to be implementing PBIS with fidelity, a school needs to score 70 percent or better for each of the three tiers of PBIS. This report summarizes average TFI scores and the types of data systems used by: (1) 70 school teams that are in their second year of training (Cohort 15); and (2) 53 school teams are in their first year of training (Cohort 16). Based on the review of the results, the report closes with issues for the Minnesota PBIS Statewide Leadership Team (SLT), including the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) and the Regional Implementation Partners (RIPs) to consider when planning future PBIS trainings and working with school teams.

Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is an evidence-based approach to addressing behavior issues in schools. The Minnesota Department of Education and the Regional Training Projects sponsor three training sessions per year for schools that are participating in Minnesota's two-year training sequence for PBIS. This report is intended for all stakeholders to better understand the status of PBIS schools in training. This report summarizes school teams' attendance at the Spring 2019 training and results from surveys they completed at the end of training. School teams are comprised of school staff members and administrators. Participating school teams complete one survey per team at each training. This report summarizes the results for: (1) 53 school teams that are in their second year of training (Cohort 13); and (2) 47 school teams are in their first year of training (Cohort 14).

Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is an evidence-based approach to addressing behavior issues in schools. A significant amount of research has been done to identify the critical features of PBIS. More generally, implementation science points to a specific sequence to ensure that PBIS is implemented with fidelity. This spring status report provides information on PBIS implementation fidelity for school teams who are currently in PBIS training sponsored by the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE). The Tiered Fidelity Inventory (TFI) measures implementation fidelity for each of the three tiers of PBIS. It is designed to be taken four times per year while a school team is in training. In Minnesota, schools complete a TFI at each PBIS training and an additional TFI assessment is completed at their school with an external evaluator. In order to be implementing PBIS with fidelity, a school needs to score 70 percent or better for each of the three tiers of PBIS. This report summarizes average TFI scores, the number of Self-Assessment Surveys (SAS) taken, and the types of data systems used by: (1) 53 school teams that are in their second year of training (Cohort 13); and (2) 47 school teams are in their first year of training (Cohort 14). Based on the review of the results, the report closes with issues for the Minnesota PBIS Statewide Leadership Team (SLT), including the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) and the Regional Implementation Partners (RIPs) to consider when planning future PBIS trainings and working with school teams.

This report presents the number of child care providers and children enrolled in northeastern Minnesota in 2018, the economic impact of the child care industry, estimates of the unmet need for child care and costs to add capacity to meet demand, the economic impact of the child care shortage, and examples of best-practice business involvement in child care solutions. [The Blandin Foundation, the Northland Foundation, and the Minnesota Department of Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation (IRRR) commissioned Wilder Research and the Center for Rural Policy and Development (CRPD) to prepare this report.]

The school-wide positive behavioral interventions and supports (SW PBIS) program is managed by the Minnesota Department of Education and is implemented in hundreds of Minnesota schools. PBIS is an evidence-based model that attempts to develop a school-wide positive behavior culture. Based on previously documented outcomes, PBIS is a potential solution to reducing the discipline disparities gap between white students and students of color and between students who have a disability and those who do not have a disability. The core concept of PBIS is teaching behavioral expectations in the same manner as any other academic subject. Rather than telling students what not to do, the school staff focus on teaching and rewarding preferred, positive behaviors. The purpose of this case study is to explore the findings from the research literature to increase the understanding of the impact PBIS may have on reducing discipline disparities by race/ethnicity and disability status. It also provides school PBIS teams with concrete strategies that they can use to help reduce discipline disparities in their schools. Links to guides and resources from the University of Oregon to help schools implement these different approaches are also included. Finally, this report provides recommendations to the Minnesota PBIS State Leadership Team (SLT) regarding possible changes to the PBIS training process that could impact discipline disparities for schools in Minnesota.

The Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) and the Regional Training Projects sponsor three training sessions per year for schools that are participating in Minnesota's 2-year training sequence for Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS). This Spring 2016 school status and training report provides a summary of the current implementation status of schools in training and results from the Spring 2016 training surveys. This report is intended for all stakeholders to better understand the status of PBIS of schools in training and help to refine training and data reporting. Wilder Research is contracted to evaluate the statewide PBIS initiative. As a part of the PBIS evaluation, surveys are conducted with school teams who are participating in the training sequence (one survey was completed per school team). The results of these surveys, school team attendance records from the Regional Training Projects, data system information gathered from the RIPs and from school teams, and data entered for the TIC (Cohort 10 only), TFI (Cohort 11 only), and SAS (both Cohort 10 and 11) are the basis of this report. This report summarizes the results of the Spring 2016 trainings and PBIS implementation as of May 2016: (1) There are a total of 52 Cohort 10 schools that are in their second year of training; and (2) There are a total of 56 Cohort 11 schools are in their first year of training.

This Fall 2015 school status and training report provides a summary of the current implementation status of schools in training results from the Fall 2015 training surveys. The Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) and Regional Training Partners (RIPs) sponsor three training sessions per year for schools that are participating in Minnesota's 2-year training sequence for Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS). This report is intended for all stakeholders to better understand the status of PBIS of schools in training and help to refine training and data reporting. This report summarizes the results of the Fall 2015 training surveys: (1) There are a total of 52 Cohort 10 schools that are in their second year of training; and (2) There are a total of 56 Cohort 11 schools are in their first year of training. As a part of the PBIS evaluation, surveys are conducted with school teams who are participating in the training sequence (one survey was completed per school team). The results of these surveys, attendance records from the RIPs, data system information gathered from the RIPs and from school teams, and data entered for the Team Implementation Checklist (TIC) (Cohort 10 only), Tiered Fidelity Inventory (TFI) (Cohort 11 only), and Self-Assessment Survey (SAS) (both Cohort 10 and 11) are the basis of this report.

Synthesizing research on effective at-risk/dropout prevention programs and the learning theory articulated in the American Psychological Association (APA) Learner-Centered Principles, this study examined the essential components present in an exemplary at-risk/dropout prevention program for kindergarten through sixth grade students. The perceptions of district-level and building-level administrators, at-risk coordinators, at-risk teachers, regular classroom teachers, and parents of at-risk students were investigated regarding the programs ability to reduce at-risk behaviors. In all, 25 people were interviewed. Findings of this qualitative case study suggest three major themes that were essential to the effectiveness of the at-risk program: (1) shared assumptions about mission; (2) student-centered focus; and (3) commitment to creation of a nurturing environment. The findings further suggest that 11 subthemes supported the major themes. Analysis of the findings revealed that features within each of the three broad areas clearly reflected the four domains of the APA learner-centered principles, although not every subtheme incorporated the concepts of all four domains. Participants indicated that their program effectively reduced three major at-risk behaviors through improved attendance, academics, and self-esteem. Parents described impressive changes in improved self-esteem, but other respondents identified changes in all three areas. (Contains 2 tables and 53 references.) (Author/SLD)

The relationship between the superintendent and board of education has a significant impact on the quality of a district's educational program. This conceptual paper explores the implications of three distinct trends for that relationship: (1) changing demographics; (2) changes brought about by school reform; and (3) changes in superintendents themselves. The heart of this paper explores the impact of these trends on superintendent-board relationships in the future. After examining current research on superintendent-board relations, the paper considers recent demographic trends and speculates whether changing demographics would alter, in any substantive way, relations between superintendents and boards of education. In a similar vein, how do reforms such as the development of more comprehensive accountability systems (often tied to performance or merit pay for administrators) and changes in school governance models (such as the Chicago model) impact the relationship between superintendents and their school boards? Finally, how do changes in superintendents themselves--in their training and work experiences--affect their relations with school boards? Essentially, the authors ask whether any of these changes will influence or alter relations between superintendents and school boards and, if so, in what way? The essay concludes by posing a series of "Interesting Questions" meant to stimulate discussion and further research into board-superintendent relations. (Contains 49 references.) (RT)

The field of educational leadership faces serious challenges in the 21st century, such as the shortage of principals and superintendents, the growing demands for leadership positions, and the struggle for adequate resources. This paper explores the challenges facing this field from the position of university educational leadership preparation. The many factors involved with school leadership preparation do not operate separately of each other but are interdependent. What occurs in one area, such as university administration's awareness of the education administration program, can affect how the university supports the program, which in turn, affects faculty promotion, tenure, salary, program quality, and student enrollment. The interdependency practiced by baseball leagues is used as a metaphor of school leader preparation to help communicate the nature of mutual collaboration. To meet the needs of current and future schools, this paper recommends that practitioners in all aspects of educational leadership realize their work is fundamentally interdependent, that they come together to seek a mutual and complex understanding of the educational leadership context and the stakeholders who work within it, that they build common ground and shared goals, and that they work collaboratively toward the realization of those goals. (Contains 56 references.) (RT)

The district superintendent's instructional leadership has emerged as a critical issue in ongoing efforts to reform schools. To elaborate on this trend, an exploratory case study that focused on the perceived and actual leadership characteristics and actions of district superintendents is presented here. For the study, indepth interviews were conducted with five district superintendents in California. Interview responses indicated that the superintendents perceived four attributes to be essential in their ability to be successful instructional leaders: (1) possession and articulation of an instructional vision; (2) the creation of an organizational structure that supports their instructional vision and leadership; (3) assessment and evaluation of personnel and instructional programs; and (4) organizational adaptation. By employing responses given by the superintendents and by scrutinizing their articulated roles, a preliminary model of perceived superintendent behaviors was constructed. To confirm perceptions, actions, and behaviors articulated by the superintendents, triangulation interviews were conducted with school principals and school board members in each of the participating districts. A 52-item questionnaire was also administered to every principal and school board member in these districts. The responses confirmed the articulated actions and behaviors of these superintendents in their promotion of the technical core of curriculum and instruction. (Author/RJM)

Personnel evaluation in education occurs predominantly at the summative level and is used primarily for personnel decisions. Teachers are provided little feedback regarding their classroom performance and even less assistance in improving areas identified as weaknesses. While the improvement of instructional practice is perhaps the most important--and most positive--purpose of teacher evaluation, the current "dominant model" of teacher evaluation does not empower teachers to improve their instructional practices. Typically, there is no feedback for the teacher and no suggestions for improvement. The Collaborative Teacher Growth Model is offered as a possible alternative to the current system of evaluating teacher performance. This model incorporates feedback from a variety of sources--administrator observations, peer evaluations, student feedback, and teacher self-assessment--in an attempt to obtain a thorough and representative assessment of a teacher's instructional performance. The individuals then work collaboratively to develop an appropriate and individualized improvement plan for the teacher. However, several limitations to this alternative model exist. Language contained in state law and/or collective bargaining agreements often limit the frequency and scheduling of teacher evaluations. Fair dismissal laws may also specify that only individuals holding certain positions within the district may serve as evaluators of teaching performance. Finally, teachers must still be open to the idea of constructive feedback and must acknowledge that there is a need for improvement and that all teachers can improve. (Contains 36 references.) (Author)

An essential component of effective leadership is the cultivation of followers. This study examined whether 67 California and Ohio elementary and secondary school teachers understood the role and importance of followership in influencing school leadership. Teachers provided demographic data and completed the Teacher Sentiment Inventory, which assessed the extent to which their specific actions and characteristics reflected their understanding of followership. They ranked statements associated with particular actions or beliefs concerning the relationship between the teacher and the principal. Results indicated that teachers fell into one of three styles of followership: exemplary followers (with high levels of active engagement and independent thinking), pragmatist followers (who perform required tasks well but seldom venture beyond them), or conformist followers (with high active engagement but low independent thinking). None of the teachers were classified as alienated (independent thinking only) or passive (neither independent thinking nor actively engaged) followers. Both men and women scored high on independent thinking in their work. Female teachers reported higher levels of active engagement in the role of follower than did male teachers. (Contains 26 references.) (SM)

This study investigated the criteria for admission to teacher education at 50 National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) accredited undergraduate universities. These universities varied in geographical location, public and private affiliation, and size of student enrollment. The study analyzed and evaluated admission criteria in light of recent educational reforms that call for higher standards and more qualified candidates in order to ascertain whether the universities had actually implemented more demanding performance based on criteria for teacher candidate selection. Based on the findings, the study identified the absence of standardized admission criteria and consistent policies of ongoing assessment. It proposed a balanced integration of both performance based admission criteria as well as continual evaluation of program goals in the admission and education of preservice teachers. (Contains 32 references.) (Author)

This study investigated the criteria for admission to teacher education at 50 undergraduate universities accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). These universities varied in geographical location, public and private affiliation, and size of student enrollment. The study analyzed and evaluated admission criteria in light of recent educational reforms that call for higher standards and more qualified candidates, in order to ascertain whether the universities had actually implemented more demanding performance based criteria for teacher candidate selection. The study employed the qualitative and quantitative analysis of data drawn from university published materials, telephone inquiries, teacher-education and public school teacher interviews, and surveys of the dean, department chair, or director at the 50 universities. The study disclosed: (1) a general lack of consistency in requirements for admission to teacher candidate programs at the university level; (2) a need for qualitative measures to evaluate admission candidates; and (3) a need to modify initial screening and ongoing evaluation of teacher candidates. (Contains 19 references.) (MAH)