Pacific Center for Instructional Leadership

Lead, Leverage, Learn

Creating great teaching experiences to ensure high academic achievements for all DoDEA Students

CIL Overview

The Pacific Center for Instructional Leadership (CIL) is a critical component of leadership development for DoDEA. The role of the Pacific CIL is to ensure high academic achievement for all DoDEA students, ensuring that every educational leader receives the support they need to help students succeed. The CIL systemically develops high-impact educational leaders in their pursuit of excellence and equity. Success is measured when all DoDEA schools ensure that every student is adequately prepared for success in college, careers and citizenship.

The Pacific CIL has four functions:

Systemic Leadership Development and Support
Professional Development for Systemic Priorities
Learning Networks
Innovative Best Practices

More specifically, the Pacific CIL works in partnership with district superintendents and community superintendents, ISS’s, principals, and teacher leaders to ensure that these individuals are well equipped to lead and support their respective schools. The CIL achieves this by identifying gaps and needs and use school-level data and research to inform training and content development. The support system creates sustained leadership development by providing:

Job-embedded support for learning through coaching
Build structures for collaboration and networking
Implement a robust, differentiated, embedded professional development component which includes leadership capacity building
Support the implementation of large-scale initiatives
Target and transform instructional leadership practices of principals, assistant principals, community superintendents, and district ISSs
Provide ongoing support and continuous improvement

Our Services

We work directly with Superintendents, Community Superintendents, ISSs, and Teacher Leaders providing systemic leadership development and support, professional development for systemic priorities of the agency, and learning networks to share innovative best practices.

Our Impact

We serve all education leadership levels across DoDEA's Pacific footprint and provide professional development opportunities for all educators.

Educators Celebrate DoDEA

Our Team

Who We Serve

District Leadership

The Center for Instructional Leadership (CIL) provides support for each district executive leader; Superintendents and Community Superintendents. This function is undertaken by the Chief of Instructional Leadership Development. The Chief is a key member of the CIL, and designs, delivers and evaluates professional learning in all areas of instructional leadership, with a focus on supporting district executive leaders.

The Chief of Instructional Leadership Development supports each district executive leader in the Pacific Region through professional learning and coaching that is aligned with individual needs. The Chief facilitates networks of executive leaders across the region and provides individual coaching sessions on a consistent schedule as well as requested. Through feedback, the greater CIL team offers differentiated support to district leaders to meet their specialized needs, to include establishing and facilitating regional networks, initiating the sharing of resources, and supporting the leaders as they learn to embody the DoDEA definition of Instructional Leadership. The Chief and the CIL also work side by side with school leaders supporting the implementation and monitoring of the DoDEA Learning Walkthrough Process and Focused Collaboration Time. The Chief and the CIL are also integral to the Prospective Executive Leadership Academy that will ensure a grassroots pipeline of success in order to train the future of our organization.

Superintendents and Community Superintendents are an integral part of our team, providing impactful leadership supporting the DoDEA Mission to Educate, Engage, and Empower Every Student, Every day, Everywhere.

ISS Leadership

The Professional Development Specialist

The Center for Instructional Leadership (CIL) provides support for each district in multiple ways, including a team of Professional Development Specialists (PDSs) located at the region office in Okinawa. The PDS is a key member of the CIL, and designs, delivers and evaluates professional learning in all areas of instructional leadership, with a focus on supporting ISSs. The following PDSs comprise the CIL team in the Pacific region:

PDS (Elementary)
PDS (Middle School)
PDS (High School)
PDS (Special Education)

The PDS CIL team members support instructional leaders in the Pacific Region through professional learning and coaching and are primarily assigned to support ISSs with their needs. The CIL facilitates networks of ISSs across the region and provides individual coaching sessions for ISSs as requested. The PDS team offers differentiated support to ISSs to meet their specialized needs, to include establishing and facilitating regional networks, initiating the sharing of resources, and supporting the next level of implementation of the College and Career Ready Standards (CCRS). The Instructional Systems Specialists (ISSs) are an integral part of our team, providing impactful support in their areas of expertise at the school, district, and region levels. The PDS team is committed to supporting the ISSs through the following venues:

Coaching
Serving as thought partners to ISSs
Providing professional learning at the district level
Sharing support structures for focused collaboration
Supporting ISSs as they plan and reflect on model lessons and instructional support
Promoting and supporting the effective use and interpretation of data
Supporting a systemic approach for the fidelity of implementation of CCRS, assessments, programs and instructional practices
Teaming with HQ, regional, district and school leaders for the implementation and sustainment of systemic priorities through the development of professional learning

Any ISS can reach out to a PPIS or PDS for coaching and support at any time. The PDS team is here to support the four functions of the CIL, and be of support to districts and ISS teams for all of their professional learning needs.

School Leadership

The Professional Practice Improvement Specialist

The Center for Instructional Leadership (CIL) provides support for each district in multiple ways, including a team of Professional Practice Improvement Specialists (PPISs). There are PPISs strategically located in each district. The PPIS is a key member of the CIL, and designs, delivers and evaluates professional learning in all areas of instructional leadership, with a focus on supporting ISSs, school, and district leaders. There are 8 PPISs assigned to the Pacific region.

The PPIS CIL team members support instructional leaders in the Pacific Region through professional learning and coaching and are primarily assigned to support school leaders within their assigned district with their needs. The CIL facilitates networks of school leaders across the region and provides individual coaching sessions for principals and assistant principals on a consistent schedule as well as requested. The PPIS team offers differentiated support to school leaders to meet their specialized needs, to include establishing and facilitating regional networks, initiating the sharing of resources, supporting the leaders as they learn to embody the DoDEA definition of Instructional Leadership. The PPIS work side by side with school leaders supporting the implementation and monitoring of the DoDEA Learning Walkthrough Process and Focused Collaboration Time. Research suggests that the leadership that principals provide is only second to that of the quality of teachers (Lemoine, 2014). Principals and assistant principals are an integral part of our team, providing impactful leadership supporting the DoDEA Mission to Educate, Engage, and Empower Every Student, Every day, Everywhere.

The PPIS team is committed to supporting leaders through the following venues:

Providing on-going consultation, coaching and collaborative opportunities to implement research-based, and student-centered instructional practices to foster professionalism, improve learning outcomes, and support transfer of learning into practice.
Serving as thought partners to school and district leaders.
Providing professional learning at the school, district and regional level to include:
- Summits
- Networks
- Assistant Principal Academy
- Courses Offerings
- Monthly School Leadership Meetings
- Just In Time Trainings
Supporting a systemic approach for the fidelity of implementation of CCRS, Assessments, Programs, and Instructional practices within and across regions.
Conducting district and school visits supporting continuous school improvement efforts and sharing support structures for focused collaboration.
Facilitating CIL, district, and school leadership teams to make informed decisions and develop robust plans for improving student achievement, and monitoring school, district and regional effectiveness.
Creating, implementing, and monitoring sustainable, relevant, CIL annual education plans or program improvement plans that support the districts’ continuous improvement plans and addresses systemic goals and local interventions.
Assesses designs, adapts, delivers, interprets, monitors, and evaluates professional learning for instructional leaders, specialists, and teacher leaders and leadership teams.
Assesses professional learning needs of educators within and across districts to meet systemic goals and priorities through design, development, and administration of multiple data collection methods (e.g. surveys, questionnaires, walkthroughs, and observations).
Develops and implements on-going evaluation of professional learning experiences (inputs) and quality and degree of implementation (outputs) to identify performance deficiencies and inform professional development.
Participates in professional learning communities and networks to maintain skills, share effective implementation practices, resolve common concerns, and provide research-based instruction to improve student achievement.

Any ISS, school or district leader can reach out to a PPIS or PDS for coaching and support at any time. The PPIS team is here to support the four functions of the CIL, and be of support to districts and ISS teams for all of their professional learning needs.

Tools and Resources

DoDEA Coaching Model - The DoDEA Coaching model is a framework that is used to ensure that all coaching relationships are built on a foundation of trust where goals are set , action is taken and feedback is provided that is target and specific to help leaders move toward their goal.

DoDEA defines coaching as " Coaching is a one-to-one process of providing deliberate support to clarify and achieve instructional leadership goals to ultimately impact student achievement goals. As highlighted in the Blended Coaching model, coaching can be instructional (provide expert information, advice, or resources) or facilitative (guide the coachee to learning using feedback and reflective questions). Effective coaching has the following characteristics: based on trust and permission; provides the coachee with data and feedback; values problems as learning opportunities, uses listening and powerful questions, and is practiced in an ethical manner (Bloom, Castagna, Moir, & Warren, 2005). Coaching is not supervision, mentoring, training, or therapy. Coaching is a way to provide ongoing, consistent follow-up by way of questioning, demonstrations, constructive feedback, and intentional conversations about new strategies and knowledge."

DoDEA IC Map - The innovation Configuration Map (ICM) aims to outline the core components of the DoDEA Coaching Model. The basis for the ICM is a set of core coaching components drawn from the Blended Coaching Model and aligned with the International Coach Federation Core Coaching Competencies.

DoDEA Learning Walkthrough Implementation Guide 2.0 - This guide supports instructional leaders in implementing the Learning Walkthrough process within a Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA). It is designed to offer thoughtful guidance to DoDEA schools with an established culture of collaboration and inquiry, as well as those that are just beginning to observe instructional practices in classrooms and discuss teaching and learning in a focused manner.

Some resources used by the Center in our work with leaders

Leaders of Learning

The Center used this resource with leaders to show how district leadership, principal leadership and teacher leadership have a direct correlation to student achievement. It explains how we each have to work as a team to ensure student success.

Blending Coaching

This book was used by the Center to help support leaders in becoming instructional coaches for their schools.

The Art of Coaching

This is an invaluable resource the Center used when providing leaders the tool box they need to hone their skills as an instructional coach.

The Art of Coaching Teams

The Center uses this book as a follow on to their work with leaders with The Art of Coaching. The focus was to develop each leaders ability to coach teams so that they are high performing and student–centered.

Now, Discover Your Strengths

The Center is currently using this resource to help leaders discover their true talents and strengths.

Events

AP Network – This academy is for all Assistant Principals in the Pacific region. This academy will help participants generate a shared understanding of student-centered instructional practices and how you as an instructional leader can develop a culture of trust, team building and growth within your school. Participants will develop their understanding of both the leadership and managerial side of the AP position to provide them with a well-rounded perspective of what the role of Assistant Principal is in DoDEA and to prepare Assistant Principals for school leadership should they wish to apply for open Principal positions. Dates for the Academy TBD. Opportunity to take this course for credit will be offered.

ISS Learning Network - The academy dates TBD. We will be using the DoDEA Coaching model and IC map to grow your coaching skills. This course is only available for ISSs in the Pacific and will be offered for recertification credit. In this academy, participants will continue to develop a shared vision for instructional coaching and implement strategies to grow the impact of your coaching program so you can better support your teachers and students.

Next Level Leader’s Network – This network is for current Assistant Principals who are looking to “level up” and apply for the principalship. The courses run each month, are voluntary, and expose Assistant Principals to the roles and responsibilities needed to become a Principals as well as preparation for the interview process to include resume development, resume reviews, and interview preparation.

Prospective Principal Network – this network is for any DoDEA Pacific employee looking to eventually pursue a position as a school Principal. This voluntary network runs once a month and covers such topics as school leadership, budgeting, manpower, critical decision-making, communication, school culture, strategic planning, focused collaboration, and action orientation.

New Principals’ Network – This network is for leaders who are new to the principalship. It will provide quarterly Just In Time trainings to help your first year go smoothly. We will meet in August, December, and March.

Superintendent’s Summit – This leadership summit is designed foster the creation of system-wide supports for ISSs, principals and assistant principals. Leaders will have the opportunity to share their expertise leading to a deeper understanding of what ISSs, principals and assistant principals need to be successful. This summit date TBD.

Leadership Summit – Our Leadership Summits provide leaders with the tools they need to be equipped for system-wide priorities and build their capacity for implementing DoDEA initiatives with fidelity. Opportunities are provided for leaders to build strong networks, share their expertise with colleagues and stay current in their field. This summit sets the stage for the next school years learning with support from the Pacific Center for Instructional Leadership. The event date TBD