Balanced Leadership

The Kansas Association of School Boards formed an exclusive partnership with the Mid-Continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL).  Through this partnership, KASB is offering leadership seminars for building administrators, using the McREL program of Balanced Leadership.

The McREL program is a statistically proven methodology designed to provide building administrators with the necessary leadership skills to improve student learning.  The seminars deal with building level skills.

Because of its study of leadership, McREL has developed the Balanced Leadership Framework.  The framework consists of four major components.  They are:

• Identification of 21 responsibilities that affect student learning.
• Trains principals to focus on the changes that make a difference in student achievement.
• Trains administrators to manage the magnitude of change.
• Guides principals on how to develop a purposeful community to effect student achievement.

Participants in the training engage in four separate two-day sessions throughout the year.  They receive knowledge as well as hands-on activities designed to lead them through the four components of the framework.

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About McREL

McREL – the Mid-continent Regional Educational Laboratory,  is based in Denver, CO and was founded in 1966 as a non-profit organization to assist educators through research and guided training. The organization is dedicated to the dissemination of best practices designed to improve student learning. McREL has provided theory based practices across the United States.  Its first major work centered on classroom instructional behaviors that make a difference in learning.  KASB’s Jim Edwards, assistant executive director for operations, is a member of the board of directors for McREL. 

What others say...

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"The 21 areas of leadership gave the administrators researched based information to help guide them through the decision making process." 

"McRel's Balanced Leadership training through KASB provided our entire administrative team, plus several teacher leaders the knowledge and skill to continue leading our district through this era of challenge and change. The 21 areas of leadership gave the administrators researched based information to help guide them through the decision making process.  It was money and time well spent."

Michael Mathes, Superintendent, Seaman USD 345

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 "It helped me to become more reflective in my practice and more aware of the significant differences between leading and managing." 

"Balanced Leadership teaches and reinforces leadership skills focused on the "right" work in schools: student achievement, professional development, safe schools, and collaboration with stakeholders. Change is inevitable in education. Initiating, embracing, and managing change in a school system requires leaders to recognize how change impacts stakeholders differently, and Balanced Leadership training provides this perspective. The Balanced Leadership training in which I participated provided the framework for how I approach any issue in my district. It helped me to become more reflective in my practice and more aware of the significant differences between leading and managing. I choose to lead by being an informed, reflective, collaborative, and considerate practitioner."

Nadine Smith, Superintendent, Rock Hills USD 107

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"Balanced Leadership is essentially about improving instruction and schools to support student learning... ." 

“Balanced Leaderships was a great opportunity to learn how to manage change by providing guidelines and structure to a process that can be very difficult.  As an administrator, it really helped me understand the different levels people are at in the change process, and it also provided the tools to make the changes in the most effective way to impact student achievement.  It was also a powerful tool to learn the research behind school change.  When you take so much time and effort to change something, you want to make sure those changes are important and impactful.  Balanced Leadership is essentially about improving instruction and schools to support student learning, and anyone looking to improve these things should take this seminar!”

Eric Reid, Superintendent, Ellsworth/Kanopolis/Geneseo USD 327

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"I would highly recommend that administrative teams attend this training!" 

"All of our administrators have completed Balanced Leadership Training and it has made a tremendous difference in our leadership team.  In times like these having everyone on the same page has provided us with the opportunity to make significant improvements in achievement while eliminating missteps.   I would highly recommend that administrative teams attend this training!"

John Burke, Superintendent, Haysville USD 261

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"We are now aware of the leadership responsibilities that are necessary for a change initiative to be positive."

Impact Balanced Leadership had on the administrators, staff and district:  

1. We learned to identify specific leadership responsibilities and practices when dealing with situations in our district, resulting in positive effects on achievement.
2. We know that strong principals are not always effective when using student achievement as the measure of effectiveness.  Being an effective manager does not make you an effective instructional leader.  This training made us aware of areas we need to improve on to assure we are instructional leaders.
3. We learned the relationship between leadership and change.  We are now aware of the leadership responsibilities that are necessary for a change initiative to be positive.
4. We learned the importance of a shared vision in our district and the inclusion of staff in leadership responsibilities. 
5. We learned the importance of shared leadership that results in shared responsibility and mutual accountability toward a common goal.

Terrel Harrison, Superintendent, Colby USD 315

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