Format
Individual Presentation
First Presenter's Institution
Broward County Public Schools
Second Presenter's Institution
Transformational Leadership, LLC
Third Presenter's Institution
NA
Fourth Presenter's Institution
NA
Fifth Presenter's Institution
NA
Location
Session 6 ( Ballroom D)
Strand #1
Academic Achievement & School Leadership
Strand #2
Family & Community
Relevance
School leaders have the responsibility to build culture while advancing a viable vision for teaching and learning. Building school culture is a community enterprise that includes fostering leadership, teaching and learning, parental engagement, and community partnerships. This presentation is related to two strands, namely Academic Achievement and Leadership as well as Family and Community.
Brief Program Description
The culture of a school has far-reaching impacts over every aspect of the organization. Participants will be exposed to researched-based strategies, and ideas to revitalize their school culture for minorities in urban schools. Participants will learn ways to make positive shifts, build relational trust, and recharge their students, staff and school culture.
Summary
The culture of a school has far-reaching impacts over every aspect of the organization. According to Musiowsky-Borneman (2017), “Creating a positive culture allows for a safe and engaging environment for everyone to learn and grow in, and ensures that everyone is content to be part of the community each day.” In this session, participants will be exposed to researched-based strategies, methods, and common-sense ideas to shape and revitalize their school culture while promoting the academic growth of underachieving students in urban schools. Participants will learn ways to drive school culture, make positive shifts, and build relational trust. This session will provide participants with strategies to energize, rewire, and recharge their students, staff and school culture.
Evidence
Through the transformation of the school culture, students learning increased significantly by 43% proficiency in Florida Algebra 1 End of Course (EOCs), 11% increased in proficiency in Geometry EOCs, 50% proficiency in Biology, and 75% passing rate in U.S. History EOCs. Furthermore, students participated in Career Readiness program that trained them in pre-employment and workforce skills resulting in 3 months internship with the City of Pompano, FL. The Mayor and City Commissioners for the City of Pompano Beach, FL recognized the program as being effective in positively impacting, and preparing students for the workforce.
Biographical Sketch
Dr. Gastrid Harrigan is a Principal at Broward County Public Schools, and Adjunct Professor at Broward College and Colorado State University–Global Campus. Labeled an at-risk student and retained for 2yrs, he overcame personal struggles and setbacks to graduating in the top 5-percent and pursued an engineering degree with full academic scholarship. He holds a BS in Electrical Engineering and MS in Educational Leadership from Florida Atlantic University, and an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership from Walden University.
Dr. William Valmyr is the CEO of Transformational Leadership, LLC. Dr. Valmyr earned a B.S., M.S., Ed.S. from Nova Southeastern University; a PhD from South Florida Theological Seminary. In his 20th year of teaching, Dr. Valmyr teaches U.S. History and College Success Strategies at Blanche Ely High School, the school has a large population of Dual Language Learners. An ESOL endorsed teacher with an Educational Specialist Degree in TESOL, he teaches English for Academic Purposes (EAP—Listening and Speaking) courses for Adult English Learners in the English Department at Broward College. He is also a Part-Time Assistant Professor of Leadership at Kennesaw State University. He is a certified trainer, speaker, and coach with The John Maxwell Team.
Keyword Descriptors
Positive School Culture, At-Risk-Student, Leadership, Internship
Presentation Year
2019
Start Date
3-5-2019 1:00 PM
End Date
3-5-2019 2:15 PM
Recommended Citation
Harrigan, Gastrid, "Four Pillars to Reducing Achievement Gaps in Urban Schools" (2019). National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Conference. 110.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/nyar_savannah/2019/2019/110
Included in
Four Pillars to Reducing Achievement Gaps in Urban Schools
Session 6 ( Ballroom D)
The culture of a school has far-reaching impacts over every aspect of the organization. Participants will be exposed to researched-based strategies, and ideas to revitalize their school culture for minorities in urban schools. Participants will learn ways to make positive shifts, build relational trust, and recharge their students, staff and school culture.
