Rural Turnaround Leadership Development

The Power of Partnerships

Edited by:
Ellen H. Reames, Auburn University

A volume in the series: Dimensions of Leadership and Institutional Success: Exploring Connections and Partnerships. Editor(s): Ellen H. Reames, Auburn University.

Published 2018

Rural Turnaround Leadership Development: The Power of Partnerships focuses on a three- year rural turnaround leadership project sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education. The project was designed to foster the development of a cohort of aspiring school leaders in rural high poverty/low performing K-12 school districts. The Alabama Project was selected by the U.S. Department of Education, in part, because it was the only submission which emphasized partnership between higher education institutions, school districts and the Alabama State Department of Education (ALSDE). Facets of the book include a treatment of the structures and processes each university created to develop their unique program, the distinctive turnaround curriculum used at each university, the role of mentoring in developing aspiring rural school leaders and the internship experiences and practices which supported aspiring leader development. One of the most powerful changes witnessed during the project was the development of aspiring leaders by the major and ancillary partners. The cross-connections between K-12 districts, the ALSDE, and the three university educational leadership programs was a multifaceted and multi-layered collaborative approach. The partnerships not only strengthened within each master’s program, but across agencies as a result of this project. The book will describe the value of partnership and leadership development through the eyes of the major contributors. The contributors or authors of the book will include the Alabama State Department of Education, the three educational leadership higher education institutions i.e. Auburn University, University of Alabama and Samford University, partner school district representatives and graduates of the program.

CONTENTS
Alabama’s Rural Turnaround: Growing Partnerships for School Success, Ellen H. Reames. Powerful Partnerships: The Alabama State Department of Education’s Role in the Rural Turnaround Leadership Pipeline, Karen Anderson & Christine Spear. Alabama: Successful Rural School Context and Turnaround, William A. Bergeron, Ellen H. Reames, & Francis K. Kochan. Designing the UA PACT Program: Letting the Research Guide Us, Brenda Mendiola & Jingping Sun. Preparing Bold, Visionary Leaders for School Turnaround, Brenda Mendiola & Jingping Sun. Evaluating the UA PACT Mentoring Program: Lessons Learned, Brenda Mendiola & Sijia Zhang. Providing Opportunities for Real-World Learning, Jingping Sun & Sijia Zhang. History and Development of the Samford Program, F. Jane Cobia. Engaging Stakeholders in Curriculum Development, F. Jane Cobia. Mentoring as a Bridge to Practice, F. Jane Cobia. Partnering for Customized Field Experiences, F. Jane Cobia & Julia Hannah. Partnership: The Heart of Leadership Preparation, Ellen H. Reames & Susan Slear. AU PACT Turnaround Curriculum, Brittany M. Larkin, Susan E. Slear, & Lisa A.W. Kensler. Building Capacity for Turnaround School Leadership through Intentional Mentoring, Linda J. Searby & Brittany Duncan. The Leading-Edge Model: Transformational Mentors Guiding Aspiring Leader Interns”, Diane T. Murphy & Deborah F. Quattlebaum. PACT Evaluation, Design, and Project Outcomes, Terry Cash.