Leadership Learning Support Organization

Overview

“Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other.” — John F. Kennedy

The Leadership Learning Support Organization supports school leaders and their teams in accelerating student achievement gains by promoting school capacity, sustainability, and leadership development in elementary, middle, and high schools. The Leadership LSO’s extensive expertise in data-driven instruction, differentiation for all students, and the school development process assists schools in strengthening student outcomes, college readiness, and leadership capacity.

The Leadership LSO offers direct, customized support to schools throughout the five boroughs through its three staff teams:

network teams,
content- and area-specific knowledge management teams,
core management team.

Using all relevant data, each school collaborates with its network team leader to create a personalized support package tailored to the priorities, interests, and needs of the school. Each school receives customized, on-site support services from all three structures around leadership, instruction, and maximizing the accountability tools, as well as participation in ongoing professional learning workshop series. Principals and aspiring principals have the opportunity to participate in a series of leadership and talent development initiatives emphasizing the core leadership competencies and coaching, created and facilitated through a dynamic partnership with Bank Street College.

We are proud that the Leadership LSO earned 100% satisfaction rate in the November 2008 Principal Satisfaction Survey, and believe that our targeted, customized support effectively serves our schools, consistently meeting their evolving priorities, interests and needs.

How We Support Schools

Each network team provides targeted, on-site professional development and support based on individual schools’ interests and needs. Principals can select from six diverse networks, including two Children First Networks, some spanning grades pre-K-12 and some with a concentration of elementary, middle, or high schools. Network leaders, all of whom are former principals and are immersed in the system’s Quality Review training, are matched with schools according to professional experience and principal choice. The network teams encourage and facilitate collaboration of principals within and across networks through meetings and school visits to build capacity, share effective practices, and engage in joint inquiry.

Our knowledge management teams coordinate and facilitate professional learning workshop series from which schools select a personalized package as well as customized, on-site supports based on the specific instructional interests and needs of each school. Knowledge management teams work collaboratively with network team leaders to ensure that services are delivered seamlessly to each school.

The core management team provides schools with direct, integrated support in the areas of leadership development, accountability, assessment, and operations. This includes interaction with the Integrated Service Centers, Office of Student Enrollment, and other DOE departments to facilitate, supplement and expedite direct support to schools, including support in the areas of budget, operations, facilities, sharing space, school restructuring, legal, youth development, student placement and admissions, human resources, and implementation of accountability tools and new Principal Performance Review to optimize instruction.

Instructional support

Knowledge management teams provide customized, on-site support across all areas of instruction as requested by schools and develop and facilitate centralized workshop series for teachers, assistant principals, principals, and other school-based staff, creating opportunities for educators from schools across the Leadership LSO to learn together and share effective practices. These supports reach across all content areas and include specialized supports such as our Campaign for Middle School Success series emphasizing adolescent development, literacy, and mathematics instruction; a focus on early childhood English language arts, mathematics, and science; and strategies for college readiness and success including expansion of Advanced Placement programs. This support is further supplemented by our rich partnerships and collaboration with highly respected organizations such as AUSSIE and Teachers College.

In addition to extensive content-area expertise, our instructional specialists provide on-site and workshop-based support on the implementation of a variety of instructional strategies and approaches to help all learners succeed, including Understanding by Design (UbD), Quality Teaching for English Learners (QTEL), and the Schoolwide Enrichment Model, as well as in the integration of SMARTBoards and other instructional technology across content areas. The knowledge management teams also provide school-based staff with targeted resources such as current educational research and web-based and CD toolkits that include model lessons, effective instructional strategies, lesson planning guides, standards, core curriculum, prior standardized assessments, and test-readiness strategies across the grade levels and content areas.

Special-needs services

The Leadership LSO encourages and supports the development of child study teams / pupil personnel committees, which take an integrated approach to addressing the needs of at-risk students’ academic, social, and emotional challenges by capitalizing on their strengths. Instructional strategies, interventions, and enrichments are shared and explored to promote differentiated learning and schools are assisted with IEP and programmatic compliance. Schools also receive support and guidance in the implementation of instructional strategies and scaffolds that promote the acquisition of academic English language proficiency for ELL students.

Youth development support

Through workshop series and on-site, customized sessions, schools receive support in promoting school-wide positive behavior intervention strategies and programs that help improve safety, tone, climate, and student achievement. Schools are also supported in the implementation of advisory strategies and programs that provide students with tools for academic and social success. Guidance counselors and advisers receive support to help all students and their parents with high school and college selection, articulation, transition processes, and career advisement.

Accountability/data support

Network teams continuously work with schools to strategically analyze and utilize data to drive instruction and maximize the DOE accountability tools, including the Quality Review process, Progress Reports, ARIS, and periodic assessments, to ensure accelerated student progress and achievement of school accountability goals. Schools receive network support for school-based Inquiry Teams through ongoing collaboration with Senior Achievement Facilitators (SAFs) and the Leadership LSO/Children First Intensive Design Team.

High schools receive the Leadership LSO’s customized high school data monitoring system that integrates ATS, HSST, and ARIS data into one report for individual students across the school, including Regents readiness, credit accumulation, and attendance. The Leadership LSO is currently developing a similar data tool for our middle schools as well.

Principals seeking targeted, customized support as they strive to accelerate student achievement in order to attain an “A” on the Progress Report, a “Well-Developed” on the Quality Review, and a high rating on the Principal Performance Review;
Schools committed to the continuous growth and engagement of its staff and community partners;
Pre-K–12 schools seeking to advance the work of their school-based teams to provide a value-added and personalized education for each student;
Middle and high schools developing small learning communities and new small schools developing to capacity;
Schools seeking to develop a range of programmatic and instructional options for ELLs and at-risk students; and
Schools that share the following beliefs:
- Leadership requires ongoing capacity-building through continuous learning and collaboration;
- The potential for leadership development and growth of all students, teachers, parents, and administrators lies within the context of the school;
- Personalized education and positive learning environments foster partnerships between teachers, students, and parents.

Feedback from Principals

Principals affiliated with the Leadership LSO have consistently expressed a high level of satisfaction with the targeted, customized support they receive, citing increased student achievement levels and accelerated student progress; support in the use of data and accountability tools; various opportunities for themselves and their staff to further develop leadership and instructional capacity; and the opportunity to be a part of a professional learning community with fellow principals and the Leadership LSO team. In fact, the Leadership LSO achieved 100% principal satisfaction in all six networks on the most recent Principal Satisfaction Survey in November 2008.

What Leadership LSO principals are saying:

"I have been so blessed to have met such wonderful, inspirational and really smart colleagues at Leadership LSO! From day one I felt an instant connection and sense of shared vision--to provide the best possible education to the children and families we serve. I thank you for sharing your expertise and wisdom with me and your commitment to make sure the YSADE community is doing well...We appreciate you!!!” Danika LaCroix, first year principal, PS 636 Young Scholars Academy for Discovery and Exploration, Brooklyn

“The Leadership LSO has consistently supported me in getting the answers and services I need to better serve the needs of my students, their families and our school staff. With the many demands on principals, it has been comforting to know that the Leadership LSO is always reliable and always willing to go the extra mile to figure out what is best for our schools. My network leader, my SAF, and many others, including Jose Ruiz and Laura Rodriguez and their staff are always available to speak and meet with me. Thank you for creating the Leadership LSO to build and foster leadership from within, and most of all being there and supporting me.” Jane Aronoff, eighth year principal, Pelham Preparatory Academy High School, Bronx

“The support provided by my network team has been instrumental in our journey. We could never have reached this level of success without their support for my staff. I am so glad to be a part of the Leadership LSO… Thank you for your support and your role in helping us achieve our ‘Well Developed.’” Norma Caraballo, eighth year principal, PS 38 Roberto Clemente, Manhattan

“Over the past two years during which we have been supported by the Leadership LSO, we have been more than satisfied with our support. I.S. 98 received “A” on our Progress Report both years, and our Robotics team competed and excelled in the New York City Tournament, The Robotics Competition in Atlanta, and at the Asian Open Tournament in Tokyo. None of this would be possible without the high quality support provided by the Leadership LSO and their commitment to I.S. 98.” Claralee Irobunda, sixth year principal, JHS 98 Herman Ridder, Bronx

“Welcome to the best organization in the city, an army of educators ready to support you and your school.” Henry Rubio, third year principal, A. Philip Randolph High School, Manhattan

“Today we learned that 84.5% of our current fifth graders earned a level 3 or 4 on the Social Studies State Test, and 13% of these students were Special Education Students. I have been extremely appreciative of all the support that has been provided to our school [by the Leadership LSO]. As a newer Principal, I am constantly looking for critical/constructive feedback and guidance from those that have experience with instructional leadership. I have been very fortunate to always gain timely and valuable insight from the supports available to me. I look forward to continuing our work together to ensure that these results are sustainable as we move forward.” Chad Altman, second year principal, PS 100 Isaac Clason School, Bronx

Price

$39,500

(This all-inclusive price includes support from the network team, content- and area-specific knowledge management teams, and the core management team.)

For More Information

Contact Laura Rodriguez, CEO, at lrodrig2@schools.nyc.gov or (718) 828 7731 / (917) 714 7633.

or Yael Kalban, Special Assistant, at ykalban@schools.nyc.gov or (718) 828 7755 / (646) 761 0815.

View a printable pdf version of the profile and printable profile data.

Note: This SSO offers one or more Children First Networks. View additional details and a list of networks.

About Us About Our Schools School Support Organizations Community and High School Superintendents Integrated Service Center Funding Our Schools Data About Schools DOE Leadership News About NYC Schools Academics Choices & Enrollment Schools in the Community Offices & Programs Rules & Policies Student Support, Safety, and Activities Student Performance & Accountability	Leadership Learning Support Organization E-mail to a friend Overview “Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other.” — John F. Kennedy The Leadership Learning Support Organization supports school leaders and their teams in accelerating student achievement gains by promoting school capacity, sustainability, and leadership development in elementary, middle, and high schools. The Leadership LSO’s extensive expertise in data-driven instruction, differentiation for all students, and the school development process assists schools in strengthening student outcomes, college readiness, and leadership capacity. The Leadership LSO offers direct, customized support to schools throughout the five boroughs through its three staff teams: network teams, content- and area-specific knowledge management teams, core management team. Using all relevant data, each school collaborates with its network team leader to create a personalized support package tailored to the priorities, interests, and needs of the school. Each school receives customized, on-site support services from all three structures around leadership, instruction, and maximizing the accountability tools, as well as participation in ongoing professional learning workshop series. Principals and aspiring principals have the opportunity to participate in a series of leadership and talent development initiatives emphasizing the core leadership competencies and coaching, created and facilitated through a dynamic partnership with Bank Street College. We are proud that the Leadership LSO earned 100% satisfaction rate in the November 2008 Principal Satisfaction Survey, and believe that our targeted, customized support effectively serves our schools, consistently meeting their evolving priorities, interests and needs. How We Support Schools Each network team provides targeted, on-site professional development and support based on individual schools’ interests and needs. Principals can select from six diverse networks, including two Children First Networks, some spanning grades pre-K-12 and some with a concentration of elementary, middle, or high schools. Network leaders, all of whom are former principals and are immersed in the system’s Quality Review training, are matched with schools according to professional experience and principal choice. The network teams encourage and facilitate collaboration of principals within and across networks through meetings and school visits to build capacity, share effective practices, and engage in joint inquiry. Our knowledge management teams coordinate and facilitate professional learning workshop series from which schools select a personalized package as well as customized, on-site supports based on the specific instructional interests and needs of each school. Knowledge management teams work collaboratively with network team leaders to ensure that services are delivered seamlessly to each school. The core management team provides schools with direct, integrated support in the areas of leadership development, accountability, assessment, and operations. This includes interaction with the Integrated Service Centers, Office of Student Enrollment, and other DOE departments to facilitate, supplement and expedite direct support to schools, including support in the areas of budget, operations, facilities, sharing space, school restructuring, legal, youth development, student placement and admissions, human resources, and implementation of accountability tools and new Principal Performance Review to optimize instruction. Instructional support Knowledge management teams provide customized, on-site support across all areas of instruction as requested by schools and develop and facilitate centralized workshop series for teachers, assistant principals, principals, and other school-based staff, creating opportunities for educators from schools across the Leadership LSO to learn together and share effective practices. These supports reach across all content areas and include specialized supports such as our Campaign for Middle School Success series emphasizing adolescent development, literacy, and mathematics instruction; a focus on early childhood English language arts, mathematics, and science; and strategies for college readiness and success including expansion of Advanced Placement programs. This support is further supplemented by our rich partnerships and collaboration with highly respected organizations such as AUSSIE and Teachers College. In addition to extensive content-area expertise, our instructional specialists provide on-site and workshop-based support on the implementation of a variety of instructional strategies and approaches to help all learners succeed, including Understanding by Design (UbD), Quality Teaching for English Learners (QTEL), and the Schoolwide Enrichment Model, as well as in the integration of SMARTBoards and other instructional technology across content areas. The knowledge management teams also provide school-based staff with targeted resources such as current educational research and web-based and CD toolkits that include model lessons, effective instructional strategies, lesson planning guides, standards, core curriculum, prior standardized assessments, and test-readiness strategies across the grade levels and content areas. Special-needs services The Leadership LSO encourages and supports the development of child study teams / pupil personnel committees, which take an integrated approach to addressing the needs of at-risk students’ academic, social, and emotional challenges by capitalizing on their strengths. Instructional strategies, interventions, and enrichments are shared and explored to promote differentiated learning and schools are assisted with IEP and programmatic compliance. Schools also receive support and guidance in the implementation of instructional strategies and scaffolds that promote the acquisition of academic English language proficiency for ELL students. Youth development support Through workshop series and on-site, customized sessions, schools receive support in promoting school-wide positive behavior intervention strategies and programs that help improve safety, tone, climate, and student achievement. Schools are also supported in the implementation of advisory strategies and programs that provide students with tools for academic and social success. Guidance counselors and advisers receive support to help all students and their parents with high school and college selection, articulation, transition processes, and career advisement. Accountability/data support Network teams continuously work with schools to strategically analyze and utilize data to drive instruction and maximize the DOE accountability tools, including the Quality Review process, Progress Reports, ARIS, and periodic assessments, to ensure accelerated student progress and achievement of school accountability goals. Schools receive network support for school-based Inquiry Teams through ongoing collaboration with Senior Achievement Facilitators (SAFs) and the Leadership LSO/Children First Intensive Design Team. High schools receive the Leadership LSO’s customized high school data monitoring system that integrates ATS, HSST, and ARIS data into one report for individual students across the school, including Regents readiness, credit accumulation, and attendance. The Leadership LSO is currently developing a similar data tool for our middle schools as well. Principals seeking targeted, customized support as they strive to accelerate student achievement in order to attain an “A” on the Progress Report, a “Well-Developed” on the Quality Review, and a high rating on the Principal Performance Review; Schools committed to the continuous growth and engagement of its staff and community partners; Pre-K–12 schools seeking to advance the work of their school-based teams to provide a value-added and personalized education for each student; Middle and high schools developing small learning communities and new small schools developing to capacity; Schools seeking to develop a range of programmatic and instructional options for ELLs and at-risk students; and Schools that share the following beliefs: Leadership requires ongoing capacity-building through continuous learning and collaboration; The potential for leadership development and growth of all students, teachers, parents, and administrators lies within the context of the school; Personalized education and positive learning environments foster partnerships between teachers, students, and parents. Feedback from Principals Principals affiliated with the Leadership LSO have consistently expressed a high level of satisfaction with the targeted, customized support they receive, citing increased student achievement levels and accelerated student progress; support in the use of data and accountability tools; various opportunities for themselves and their staff to further develop leadership and instructional capacity; and the opportunity to be a part of a professional learning community with fellow principals and the Leadership LSO team. In fact, the Leadership LSO achieved 100% principal satisfaction in all six networks on the most recent Principal Satisfaction Survey in November 2008. What Leadership LSO principals are saying: "I have been so blessed to have met such wonderful, inspirational and really smart colleagues at Leadership LSO! From day one I felt an instant connection and sense of shared vision--to provide the best possible education to the children and families we serve. I thank you for sharing your expertise and wisdom with me and your commitment to make sure the YSADE community is doing well...We appreciate you!!!” Danika LaCroix, first year principal, PS 636 Young Scholars Academy for Discovery and Exploration, Brooklyn “The Leadership LSO has consistently supported me in getting the answers and services I need to better serve the needs of my students, their families and our school staff. With the many demands on principals, it has been comforting to know that the Leadership LSO is always reliable and always willing to go the extra mile to figure out what is best for our schools. My network leader, my SAF, and many others, including Jose Ruiz and Laura Rodriguez and their staff are always available to speak and meet with me. Thank you for creating the Leadership LSO to build and foster leadership from within, and most of all being there and supporting me.” Jane Aronoff, eighth year principal, Pelham Preparatory Academy High School, Bronx “The support provided by my network team has been instrumental in our journey. We could never have reached this level of success without their support for my staff. I am so glad to be a part of the Leadership LSO… Thank you for your support and your role in helping us achieve our ‘Well Developed.’” Norma Caraballo, eighth year principal, PS 38 Roberto Clemente, Manhattan “Over the past two years during which we have been supported by the Leadership LSO, we have been more than satisfied with our support. I.S. 98 received “A” on our Progress Report both years, and our Robotics team competed and excelled in the New York City Tournament, The Robotics Competition in Atlanta, and at the Asian Open Tournament in Tokyo. None of this would be possible without the high quality support provided by the Leadership LSO and their commitment to I.S. 98.” Claralee Irobunda, sixth year principal, JHS 98 Herman Ridder, Bronx “Welcome to the best organization in the city, an army of educators ready to support you and your school.” Henry Rubio, third year principal, A. Philip Randolph High School, Manhattan “Today we learned that 84.5% of our current fifth graders earned a level 3 or 4 on the Social Studies State Test, and 13% of these students were Special Education Students. I have been extremely appreciative of all the support that has been provided to our school [by the Leadership LSO]. As a newer Principal, I am constantly looking for critical/constructive feedback and guidance from those that have experience with instructional leadership. I have been very fortunate to always gain timely and valuable insight from the supports available to me. I look forward to continuing our work together to ensure that these results are sustainable as we move forward.” Chad Altman, second year principal, PS 100 Isaac Clason School, Bronx Price $39,500 (This all-inclusive price includes support from the network team, content- and area-specific knowledge management teams, and the core management team.) For More Information Contact Laura Rodriguez, CEO, at lrodrig2@schools.nyc.gov or (718) 828 7731 / (917) 714 7633. or Yael Kalban, Special Assistant, at ykalban@schools.nyc.gov or (718) 828 7755 / (646) 761 0815. View a printable pdf version of the profile and printable profile data. Note: This SSO offers one or more Children First Networks. View additional details and a list of networks.