Leading Together to SOAR: Building Flourishing Lives Through Shared Leadership and High Expectations

Presenters

• Nicholas D. Rose, Big Sandy Elementary SchoolFollow
• Summer F. Christman, Big Sandy Elementary SchoolFollow
• Abby R. Mills, Big Sandy ElementaryFollow
• Emily M. Nolle, Big Sandy Elementary SchoolFollow
• Eleanor L. Allen, Big Sandy ElementaryFollow

First Presenter's Highest Degree Earned

EdS; Educational Specialist

Year First Presenter's Degree Was Awarded

2022

First Presenter's Field of Study

Educational Leadership

Institution Where First Presenter Received Highest Degree

The University of Alabama

First Presenter's Institution

Big Sandy Elementary

First Presenter's Brief Bio and Description of Credentials for This Presentation

Nick Rose serves as Principal of Big Sandy Elementary, where he leads with a deep belief in shared leadership, equity, and empowering every student to reach their full potential. He holds a BS in Political Science and History, an MA in Elementary Education, and an EdS in Educational Leadership, all from the University of Alabama. A graduate of the NAESP PK3 Leadership Academy, Nick has taught at both the elementary and middle school levels and has also served as an assistant principal and principal. He is a two time nominee for the Jacksonville State Teacher Hall of Fame, once as the Tuscaloosa City Schools district winner. Under his leadership, Big Sandy Elementary has earned national recognition as both a Character.org Promising Practice School and a Solution Tree Model PLC School. Guided by the mission “to help each child grow and SOAR so they can lead a flourishing life,” Nick strives to build a culture where students and staff thrive together.

Second Presenter's Institution

Big Sandy Elementary School

Second Presenter’s Email Address

schristman@tcss.net

Second Presenter's Highest Degree Earned

M.A.; Master of the Arts

Year Second Presenter's Degree Was Awarded

2017

Second Presenter's Field of Study

Curriculum and Instruction & Educational Leadership

Institution Where Second Presenter Received Highest Degree

The University of Alabama

Second Presenter's Brief Bio and Description of Credentials for This Presentation

Summer Christman is the Assistant Principal at Big Sandy Elementary School. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Liberal Studies with a Bilingual Teaching Credential from California State University, Chico, and Master’s degrees in Curriculum and Instruction and Educational Leadership from the University of Alabama. Before moving into administration, Summer spent over 20 years in the classroom as a teacher, ESL Instructional Coach, and Instructional Reading Coach, where she developed a deep passion for supporting literacy and language development for all learners. She is a National Board Certified Teacher and a two-time Teacher of the Year recipient. With a strong commitment to fostering academic excellence and supporting the whole child, Summer serves on her school’s Whole Child Team, collaborating with teachers and staff to promote student well-being, engagement, and success. She is dedicated to building positive school cultures that empower both students and educators to thrive.

Third Presenter's Institution

Big Sandy Elementary

Third Presenter’s Email Address

armills@tcss.net

Third Presenter's Highest Degree Earned

M.A.

Year Third Presenter's Degree Was Awarded

2016

Third Presenter's Field of Study

School Counseling

Institution Where Third Presenter Received Highest Degree

University of West Alabama

Third Presenter's Brief Bio and Description of Credentials for This Presentation

Abby Mills is the school counselor at Big Sandy Elementary in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama. With over a decade of experience in education—including ten years as a classroom teacher—she brings a compassionate, student-centered approach to her counseling work. Abby helps students grow academically, emotionally, and socially through classroom lessons, small group counseling, and family partnerships. She holds degrees from the University of Alabama and the University of West Alabama. Abby serves as the leader of her school’s Whole Child Team and was recognized as a Whole Child Champion in 2022. She is currently completing her third year with The Hope Institute Academy, a statewide program dedicated to character education, and was recently named an Educator Workforce Fellow. In 2025–2026, Abby was honored as a Nick’s Kids Teacher Excellence Award recipient. She believes every child deserves to feel seen, supported, and empowered to thrive in both school and life.

Fourth Presenter's Institution

Big Sandy Elementary

Fourth Presenter’s Email Address

emnolle@tcss.net

Fourth Presenter's Highest Degree Earned

B.A.

Year Fourth Presenter's Degree Was Awarded

2020

Fourth Presenter's Field of Study

Early Childhood and Elementary Education

Institution Where Fourth Presenter Received Highest Degree

The University of Alabama

Fourth Presenter's Brief Bio and Description of Credentials for This Presentation

Emily Nolle is a first grade teacher at Big Sandy Elementary in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama. Now in her fourth year of teaching, Emily brings enthusiasm, creativity, and deep care to her classroom. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from the University of Alabama and serves as the lead teacher for her grade level. As the leader of Big Sandy’s Whole Child Team, Emily helps guide initiatives that promote positive school climate, student well-being, and family engagement. She is also an active member of the Parent Teacher Leadership Academy (PTLA), where she collaborates with educators and families to strengthen school-community partnerships. Emily believes that every child deserves to be seen, known, and loved—and she strives each day to create a classroom where students feel safe, valued, and inspired to reach their full potential.

Location

Scarbrough 4

Document Type

Individual Presentation

Primary Strand

School and District Leadership

Relevance to Primary Strand

This proposal exemplifies the School and District Leadership strand by demonstrating how shared, emotionally intelligent leadership transforms school culture and climate. The model empowers staff at all levels to lead within their roles through faculty-chaired teams, data reflection cycles, and structured mentoring systems. Grounded in the Tuscaloosa Whole Child Framework and the Team-Initiated Problem Solving (TIPS) model, it emphasizes prevention, collaboration, and reflective practice. Participants will gain actionable strategies that build collective efficacy, strengthen staff well-being, and create safe, supportive environments for student and adult flourishing.

Alignment with School Improvement Plan Topics

Leadership / Development

Brief Program Description

Discover a practical model for strengthening school culture through shared leadership and Whole Child practices. This session showcases evidence-based strategies that unite character education, staff empowerment, and data-informed decision-making. Learn how faculty-led teams, positive recognition systems, and structured mentoring create sustainable change. Grounded in the Tuscaloosa Whole Child Framework, the TIPS model, and Teacher Induction That Works, participants will gain tools to build trust, enhance belonging, and support both student and staff flourishing through prevention-focused, emotionally intelligent leadership.

Summary

This session presents a practical, field-tested model of shared leadership designed to strengthen school climate, safety, and culture through the integration of Whole Child principles, character development, and staff empowerment. The approach demonstrates how school teams can sustain improvement by distributing leadership, developing emotionally intelligent systems, and embedding prevention-based supports into everyday practice.

At the heart of this work is the Tuscaloosa Whole Child Framework, developed by Dr. Greg Benner, which integrates academic, behavioral, and social-emotional supports into a cohesive, proactive system of leadership. The model aligns with the Team-Initiated Problem Solving (TIPS) process (Chaparro, Horner, Algozzine, & Nese, 2022), providing structured, data-driven collaboration and accountability. Together, these frameworks ensure that decisions are rooted in prevention, equity, and continuous reflection.

The session highlights seven core strategies that leaders can immediately apply to their own settings:

1. Empowering teachers through a faculty-led Whole Child Team.

2. Embedding daily Morning Meetings to cultivate empathy, belonging, and trust.

3. Using the “Power of Three” recognition system to reinforce positive behavior and character.

4. Strengthening family and community partnerships that build relational trust.

5. Integrating HOPE and Whole Child frameworks to align character, academics, and wellness.

6. Utilizing data reflection cycles through the TIPS process for sustained improvement.

7. Establishing a structured mentoring and induction program, as outlined by Link and Whitaker (2023), to develop new teachers through coaching, belonging, and early leadership opportunities.

Participants will leave with replicable tools and templates to support shared leadership implementation, mentoring structures, and data-based improvement cycles. By centering leadership on prevention, relationships, and moral purpose, this approach provides a sustainable pathway for building resilient schools where both students and staff can flourish.

Evidence

This proposal aligns with the School and District Leadership strand, focusing on developing emotionally intelligent, data-driven leaders who cultivate positive climates through collaboration and shared accountability. The approach demonstrates how distributing leadership through teacher empowerment, proactive culture systems, and intentional adult development strengthens both safety and belonging. The Tuscaloosa Whole Child Framework, developed by Dr. Greg Benner, integrates behavioral, academic, and social-emotional supports into a cohesive, prevention-focused leadership model. The Team-Initiated Problem Solving (TIPS) process (Chaparro, Horner, Algozzine, & Nese, 2022) structures team collaboration around data and measurable goals. Together with Character.org’s 11 Principles, these frameworks provide a research-based system for strengthening culture and shared leadership.

1. Strategy: Teacher-Led Whole Child Team

A teacher chairs the Whole Child Team to lead schoolwide social-emotional and character initiatives. This model builds ownership and communication. Research by Spillane (2006) and Leithwood & Mascall (2008) links shared leadership to capacity-building, while Fullan (2014) underscores that sustainable change requires distributed ownership.

2. Strategy: Daily Morning Meetings

Morning Meetings establish relational routines that teach empathy, gratitude, and communication. Goleman (1998) identifies emotional intelligence as a core leadership skill, and Osterman (2000) found that belonging drives motivation and prosocial behavior.

3. Strategy: “Power of Three” Positive Reinforcement System

The Power of Three celebrates a 3:1 ratio of positive to corrective interactions, creating a culture of reinforcement. Berkowitz (2021) highlights that virtue is learned through practice, and Sugai & Horner (2006) show PBIS systems improve behavior and safety.

4. Strategy: Family and Community Engagement Initiatives

Family partnerships increased participation by 50% and strengthened community trust. Bryk & Schneider (2002) and Epstein (2018) emphasize that relational trust and collaboration between families and schools drive improvement.

5. Strategy: Integrating the HOPE and Tuscaloosa Whole Child Frameworks

The integration of HOPE and the Tuscaloosa Whole Child model aligns academics, character, and well-being. Benner’s model emphasizes prevention and system alignment, while Fullan (2014) and Sergiovanni (2005) connect moral purpose to lasting cultural change.

6. Strategy: Continuous Improvement through Data Reflection

Teams use TIPS protocols to analyze data and guide practice. Chaparro et al. (2022) found TIPS-trained schools improved meeting efficiency and reduced discipline incidents, reflecting Benner’s prevention-oriented framework for sustained progress.

7. Strategy: New Teacher Mentoring and Employee Induction

Each new staff member is paired with a mentor and induction coordinator to ensure belonging and consistency. Link & Whitaker (2023) advocate for relational, ongoing induction. Ingersoll & Strong (2011) confirm that structured mentoring improves retention and teacher quality, sustaining organizational culture.

Synthesis and Connection to the Main Strand

This leadership model embodies the School and District Leadership strand by showing that culture and safety grow from shared, emotionally intelligent leadership rather than compliance. It develops leaders at every level who model empathy, accountability, and collaboration; integrates TIPS and Whole Child frameworks for data-informed reflection; and sustains staff well-being through mentoring and professional support. As Leithwood, Harris, and Hopkins (2020) note, leadership is second only to instruction in influencing learning. When leadership is shared, reflective, and morally grounded, schools become thriving communities where students and staff flourish.

References (APA 7th Edition)

Berkowitz, M. W. (2021). *Primed for character education*. Character.org. Bryk, A. S., & Schneider, B. (2002). *Trust in schools: A core resource for improvement*. Russell Sage Foundation. Chaparro, E. A., Horner, R. H., Algozzine, B., & Nese, R. N. T. (2022). *How school teams use data to make effective decisions: Team-initiated problem solving (TIPS)*. Center on PBIS, University of Oregon. Epstein, J. L. (2018). *School, family, and community partnerships* (2nd ed.). Westview Press. Fullan, M. (2014). *The principal: Three keys to maximizing impact*. Jossey-Bass. Goleman, D. (1998). *Working with emotional intelligence*. Bantam. Ingersoll, R., & Strong, M. (2011). The impact of induction and mentoring programs for beginning teachers. *Review of Educational Research, 81*(2), 201–233. Leithwood, K., Harris, A., & Hopkins, D. (2020). Seven strong claims about successful school leadership revisited. *School Leadership & Management, 40*(1), 5–22. Link, T., & Whitaker, B. (2023). *Teacher induction that works: A lasting impact from day one* (2nd ed.). Routledge. Sergiovanni, T. J. (2005). *Strengthening the heartbeat: Leading and learning together in schools*. Jossey-Bass. Spillane, J. P. (2006). *Distributed leadership*. Jossey-Bass. Sugai, G., & Horner, R. (2006). A promising approach for sustaining school-wide PBIS. *School Psychology Review, 35*(2), 245–259. Benner, G. J. (n.d.). *Tuscaloosa Whole Child Framework: Integrating academics, behavior, and social-emotional supports*. University of Alabama.

Learning Objective 1

Identify and apply practical strategies for strengthening school culture through shared leadership, including teacher-led teams, daily relational practices, and data-informed decision-making aligned with the Tuscaloosa Whole Child Framework.

Learning Objective 2

Examine evidence-based systems such as the Team-Initiated Problem Solving (TIPS) model and Teacher Induction That Works to create sustainable structures for staff collaboration, mentoring, and early career support.

Learning Objective 3

Develop an actionable plan to replicate key components of the model—proactive behavior reinforcement, staff empowerment, and relationship-centered leadership—to foster safe, supportive, and flourishing school communities.

Start Date

6-2-2026 3:45 PM

End Date

6-2-2026 4:45 PM

Recommended Citation

Rose, Nicholas D.; Christman, Summer F.; Mills, Abby R.; Nolle, Emily M.; and Allen, Eleanor L., "Leading Together to SOAR: Building Flourishing Lives Through Shared Leadership and High Expectations" (2026). Southeast Conference on School Climate. 73.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/secsc/2026/2026/73

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