NELP Standard 1: Mission, Vision, and Improvement  

The mission of Lake Minneola High School is to “educate ethical and responsible learners who will become accepting, kind, compassionate, and tolerant citizens in an ever-changing global society” (Lake Minneola High School, 2024, p. 1). The vision statement is to be “a learner-centered school that values positive relationships and develops technology expertise to drive high levels of academic achievement and real-world success” (Lake Minneola High School, 2024, p. 1). During my internship, I completed a school-wide improvement project that will hopefully affect student tardiness school-wide through the creation of data tracking, incentives, and regular checks. I picked this activity because I think it shows how I contributed to helping my school further their mission and vision statements by applying improvement methods and utilizing data to help make decisions. I was a part of a team that dug into attendance data, met with stakeholders, and attacked our areas of need by going through rounds of meetings that focused on equity, accountability, and using technology where necessary. We all believe that positive effects on academics will come from this project because the by-product is more about providing more instructional time, better engagement, and consistency.

Alignment with Standards: This artifact supports my development in NELP Standard One by demonstrating how I worked collaboratively with stakeholders to support the mission and vision of our school through effective, continuous school improvement processes. While determining areas we could improve to help students be better learners and citizens, we discovered we had a student tardiness issue. My leadership role included analyzing data, meeting with stakeholders, creating interventions such as incentives, and monitoring student progress to try to help decrease the number of tardy students daily.

Academic Achievement: The academic achievement of pupils is supported through this artifact by attempting to increase student attendance at school. By implementing interventions and monitoring data, we were able to help students increase the number of times they attend school on time. Students who are not attending school or are frequently tardy to class are missing valuable instruction time.

NELP Standard 2: Ethics and Professional Norms

During my internship, I completed Child Abuse Awareness Training, CPR, First Aid, and AED Certification, and was faced with several professional decision-making situations where I collaborated with school administrators and staff to address student needs. I chose the activity of student tardiness because these experiences allowed me to grow as a professional by learning about my ethical responsibility and areas of professionalism related to student safety and learning. These activities support my Professional Certificate for Teachers PCT by ensuring that I maintain confidentiality, show integrity when working with student data and information, and model professionalism at all times when working with students. Implementing ethical decision-making skills and experiencing these professional situations will create academic benefits by ensuring that students feel safe and their physical needs are met while in school.

a) Child Abuse Awareness Training

b) CPR, First Aid, and AED Training

Alignment with Standards: These certifications show that I have met the NELP Standard Two because I was required to complete Child Abuse Awareness Training as well as CPR, First Aid, and AED Certification, and I accomplished this task. Certifications like these show that I understand my responsibilities to protect my students and respond in case of an emergency.

Academic Achievement: Ensuring that students are safe and are in a school that cares about their well-being and protects their rights allows them to feel secure to attend school and become engaged and successful learners. If we can help students not be tardy by addressing the problem ethically and with consistency, we can also increase student learning by providing more instructional time and holding students accountable for their actions.

NELP Standard 3: Equity, Inclusiveness, and Cultural Responsiveness

I chose the activity of student tardiness because during my time at my internship, I worked with students from many diverse backgrounds and collaborated with teachers to help better serve students who may be facing barriers that could impact their attendance and overall time at school. Working on this project allowed me to support equitable practices at my school and assist in creating a culture where all students feel included and valued. I worked with my mentor to analyze data by subgroups and to ensure we were providing resources and interventions for students when needed. This activity supports student academic achievement by helping students from marginalized communities receive equitable educational opportunities and access.

Alignment with Standards: This artifact demonstrates my knowledge and skill development of NELP Standard Three as I utilized equitable and culturally responsive practices during the student tardiness project. Understanding attendance data within student subgroups allowed me to identify needs and work with teachers and school leaders on providing proactive and targeted interventions that benefitted all students. I made sure not to approach this project from a negative point of view when solving problems, but instead considered all students and their needs.

Academic Achievement: This artifact addresses academic achievement by working to ensure all students have equal access to instruction. This can be achieved by remedying the issues that cause students from marginalized groups to miss more school. Providing targeted support and interventions will allow for fewer disparities in attendance and more time in the classroom for students to learn.

NELP Standard 4: Learning and Instruction

During my internship, I collaborated with teachers and administrators to monitor instruction and analyze data to determine how tardiness was impacting student learning. I chose this activity because it allowed me to support a system of instruction, assessment, and data to analyze teaching and learning at my school site. My role allowed me to connect how coming to school late or not at all was cutting into students’ instructional time and created opportunities for teachers to re-engage students. This activity could create academic benefits by allowing students to have more time to learn and spend engaged in classroom instruction.

Alignment with Standards: During this activity, I analyzed student data around tardiness to support teachers and administration around what times students are losing instructional time and need support re-engaging. I collaborated with teachers and administrators to identify solutions to help with student engagement when tardy.

Academic Achievement: This project helps to ensure students are getting high-quality instruction by addressing the loss of learning that occurs when students are tardy and miss critical instruction time. When on-time attendance increases, students have more opportunities to access high-quality learning and better understand the material, which can lead to better academic achievement.

NELP Standard 5: Community and External Leadership

I communicated with parents/guardians through email, meetings, and phone calls to work together and find solutions to help improve student attendance. I chose the activity of student tardiness because working with parents and fostering communication was a large component of my internship. My action supports my Professional Certificate for Teachers (PCT) by allowing me to help create strong partnerships with schools and families to better support students. I am also improving home and school communication and inviting parents to be involved in their child’s education. This benefits the child academically also because student accountability and support from home are increased.

Alignment with Standards: This artifact demonstrates my proficiency in NELP Standard Five because it shows how I worked to collaborate with families in order to help students succeed. Because attendance became an issue with some students, I communicated with the parents or guardians frequently using emails, phone calls, and meetings. These meetings were centered on solving the issue at hand, which was lateness.

Academic Achievement: Academic achievement is supported by this artifact because it creates student accountability while reinforcing expectations of attendance. When schools have good home-to-school connections, parents know what is happening at school and can stress the importance of attendance and being ready to learn when they get to school.

NELP Standard 6: Operations and Management

I chose the activity of student tardiness because my internship allowed me to take part in putting systems in place to track student attendance, analyze tardy data, and communicate clearly with students what was expected to reduce student tardiness. My action supports my Professional Certificate for Teachers (PCT) because I was able to grow in my understanding of how to improve school operational systems, use technology, and apply policy and best practices to better support school improvement. By completing the activity of student tardiness, students can experience academic benefits by having systems that hold them accountable and maximize their time in the classroom.

 Alignment with Standards: This artifact shows my ability to assist with developing and implementing processes by aiding in the design of a system to track tardiness and teach students how to arrive at class on time. By helping to identify ways to track attendance, evaluate data, and communicate expectations to students, I have helped my school run more efficiently.

Academic Achievement: This artifact promotes academic achievement by implementing systems that ensure consistency, hold students accountable for their actions, and ensure instructional time is maximized. 

NELP Standard 7: Professional Capacity

Throughout my internship, I met with teachers and school leadership to discuss students and ways to help improve attendance and student engagement. I chose the activity of student tardiness because it allowed me to collaborate with educators to discuss data and better support students. My action directly supports my Professional Certificate for Teachers (PCT) because it allowed me to help build my colleagues’ professional capacity and continue to help develop a school culture focused on continuous improvement. By encouraging my peers to reflect and grow as educators, students can benefit academically by having teachers who continue to better themselves to support students.

Alignment with Standards: This artifact relates to my skill development with Standard Seven because it shows how I effectively collaborated with teachers and school leaders to collect and interpret data regarding student tardiness and created professional development sessions regarding solutions that could positively impact our students. 

Academic Achievement: This artifact contributes to academic achievement by allowing more collaboration between teachers and administrators, which will increase professional learning. As educators are prompted to discuss student data and analyze why students are missing school, teachers will be able to better help students be successful.

School Improvement Course Benchmark Project (EDAS 741)

Course Benchmark: The benchmark assignment is my school improvement plan and uses data from Lake Minneola High School. I chose to focus on attendance issues with students, graduation rates between males and females, and teacher diversity on staff. My school improvement plan addresses needed school data and gaps, reviews and revisions of goals that aligned with our school’s vision statement, and includes actionable steps with community partnerships.

Artifact

IMPROVEMENT PLAN 

Alignment with Standards: This assignment touches on several NELP standards, but most heavily NELP Standard One (Mission, Vision, and Improvement), NELP Standard Three (Equity and Cultural Responsiveness), and NELP Standard Seven (Professional Capacity of School Personnel). Standard One is specifically mentioned throughout the document where I evaluate school data and reflect on our vision statement when writing improvement priorities and deciding on goals. When setting goals, I ensured that they were focused on students and their long-term outcomes. I tied in Standard Three by recognizing the gap in graduation rates between males and females at my school as well as the lack of male teachers. My initiatives and goals will help provide equitable and supportive environments for students. Standard seven tied into my benchmark when recognizing the need for more male teachers on staff and increasing staff capacity. Throughout the improvement plan, I included school leadership practices by embedding collaboration, decision-making, and improvement.

Academic Achievement: I chose to tackle issues that are barriers to student achievement. My benchmark focuses on absenteeism and creating goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and timely. By doing so, I will increase student learning by having them in school to receive more instruction. Another goal I set was to increase our male graduation rate by allowing more mentorship from male staff and teachers, as well as offering more support for male students. Creating goals that focus on student groups that may be underperforming will help ensure that all students are receiving the resources they need to be successful. Lastly, my benchmark includes offering night school and homebound instruction to help students receive credit and learn at their own pace if necessary.

Supervision of Instruction Course Benchmark Project (EDAS 743)

Course Benchmark: For my benchmark assignment, I chose to complete an action research project on ways to increase teacher efficiency through time management strategies and giving students timely feedback. My goal is to see whether giving students feedback within three days of assignment completion will increase students' turning in their work on time in a 9th-grade English classroom.

Artifact

Action Research Project

Alignment with Standards: The benchmark assignment reflects NELP Standard Four (Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment), NELP Standard Seven (Professional Capacity of School Personnel), and NELP Standard Two (Ethics and Professional Norms). Standard Four is met through action research that targets ways to help students learn more effectively and increase their completion of assignments. By adjusting her teaching practice and including timely feedback on assignments, I am demonstrating a data-driven approach to improving instruction and meeting the needs of students. Standard Seven is accomplished by supporting and strengthening the teacher’s instructional practice. By helping her find time management strategies and time-efficient grading methods, her overall instructional capacity will grow. I met Standard Two through my involvement in professional learning and providing mentorship to a fellow educator. By leading her through the inquiry process of improving teaching efficacy, I show leadership in reflective practice and holding educators accountable for improving student success.

Academic Achievement: My benchmark assignment showcases my ability to support student achievement by helping teachers implement strategies to break down barriers to learning. If teachers can get away from grading being the only reason students need to turn in assignments and begin to provide feedback within three days, students can learn from their mistakes and know what is expected of them when receiving prompt feedback. Students will be able to learn the material at hand, which will support them in meeting the English Language Arts standards for reading and writing. Students will increase their timely submission of work and overall quality of work, thus increasing their academic achievement. Plus, by completing this project in a Title I school, we can help students who need more structure to succeed.

Theory to Practice Exam (EDAS 740)

Course Benchmark: The benchmark assignment is a personal ethics paper that examines the foundational principles of ethical leadership in education, including integrity, fairness, respect, and responsibility. The paper explores ethical decision-making, professional conduct, legal responsibilities, and the role of educators in fostering an ethical school culture that supports student development and well-being.

Artifact

PERSONAL ETHICS PAPER

Alignment with Standards: The benchmark assignment meets NELP Standard Two (Ethics and Professional Norms), NELP Standard Three (Equity and Cultural Responsiveness), and NELP Standard Five (Community and External Leadership). It meets Standard Two by allowing me to explore my personal ethics regarding integrity, fairness, and responsibility. I reviewed and analyzed the Model Code of Ethics for Educators (MCEE) and Florida’s state code of conduct. This assignment required me to think about how I will practice ethical decision-making and professionalism when faced with difficult situations in the classroom. The benchmark assignment meets Standard Three by allowing me to analyze how to treat everyone equitably and create inclusive practices that meet the needs of all students. The assignment also meets Standard 5 by requiring me to think about how I will work with families and community stakeholders to establish a common mindset among the students I serve.

Academic Achievement: The benchmark assignment shows that I can support student achievement by setting the tone for ethical behavior in schools. I believe that if school personnel treat students with respect, dignity, and fairness, students will feel more welcomed to learn. Creating ethical procedures that ensure all students are treated equitably will allow all students to have the opportunity to succeed. Additionally, understanding how to make ethical decisions when it comes to student discipline, confidentiality, and student support will help students overcome barriers to learning. By establishing an ethical school culture and collaborating with family and community, students will have an increased interest in learning, which will support their social-emotional and academic well-being.

Community Relations Course Benchmark Project (EDAS 742)

Course Benchmark: This benchmark assignment includes analysis of Lake Minneola High School’s community, including demographics, needs assessment results from interviews and surveys of stakeholders, an annotated list of community resources, and an advocacy plan. Strategies discussed include filling gaps in resources available to students and families and aligning school needs with community resources in order to better serve students. Solutions include the development of a more engaging Multi-Tiered Support System (MTSS) and a school database of resources.

Artifact

COMMUNITY RESOURCES ALIGNMENT PROJECT

Alignment with Standards: The selected benchmark assignment incorporates evidence that demonstrates competency in multiple NELP standards. Evidence is shown in NELP Standard Two (Ethics and Professional Norms). Identification of ethical decision-making was based on data and stakeholder input, with equity of resource acquisition for students in mind. NELP Standard three (Equity and Cultural Responsiveness) was evident when I assessed data from demographic information regarding race, language, socioeconomic status, and school diversity.

NELP Standard Five (Community and External Leadership). Collaboration with internal and external stakeholders, such as school staff, district leaders, community organizations, and creation of an annotated community resource list to help school-community partnerships was created. This showed this showed competency in this Standard

Academic Achievement: This benchmark assignment shows me meeting my instructional leadership goal of supporting student achievement through my analysis of the graduation rate issues at LMHS. I identified causes of below-average graduation rates, including poor attendance, inadequate course offerings, and a lack of needed resources. Addressing student needs through a more engaged school-wide MTSS plan will ensure that struggling students are identified and provided with necessary supports as soon as they begin to fall behind. Academic enrichment will increase students’ opportunities to be engaged and challenged through increased course offerings.

School Law Course Benchmark Project (EDAS 747)

Course Benchmark: This benchmark assignment focused on the various court cases regarding compulsory school attendance and how court decisions alter policy and practice with regard to compulsory school attendance. Through this assignment, I reviewed court cases like Millis Public Schools v. M.P., R.B. v. Mastery Charter School, Wisconsin v. Yoder, and the United States v. Jackson. Topics include ethical dilemmas and legal issues school leaders face when holding students accountable for attendance, when considering extenuating circumstances such as student rights, disability, and family issues.

Artifact

CASE LAW REVIEW

Alignment with Standards
The selected benchmark assignment incorporates evidence that demonstrates competency in multiple NELP standards. Evidence that demonstrates competency for this assignment includes NELP Standard Five: Community and External Leadership. School leaders need to maintain positive relationships with students' families and work with courts and the community when students have frequent absences due to illness (i.e., disability) or religious beliefs. The cases reviewed for this assignment also support evidence that demonstrates competency for NELP Standard Three: Equity and Cultural Responsiveness. Cases like R.B. v. Mastery Charter School and Millis Public Schools v. M.P. highlighted the need for schools to be equitable and culturally responsive to students with disabilities and provide the services needed to meet students' needs.

Academic Achievement: This benchmark assignment demonstrates my ability to support student achievement by emphasizing the critical role of consistent school attendance in academic success while also recognizing barriers that may prevent students from attending. By analyzing legal cases, I developed a deeper understanding of how to balance accountability with compassion and legal compliance.

Course Benchmark: This benchmark assignment focused on Florida urban, suburban, and rural school districts and financial comparisons among each type. The paper included state and federal formulas to determine school funding, equity vs adequacy debate in school finance, special education funding, facility funding, and professional development funding. The paper also compared how funding affects opportunity and learning organizations based on geographic school classification.

Artifact

Fiscal Comparison Paper

Alignment with Standards: This benchmark assignment aligns with multiple National Educational Leadership Preparation (NELP) standards. NELP Standard Two Ethics and Professional Norms is shown through advocating for equitable funding for students. School leaders have an ethical obligation to ensure that students have access to necessary resources and opportunities regardless of the school’s location. NELP Standard Three Equity, Inclusiveness, and Cultural Responsiveness is exemplified by urban, suburban, and rural schools having differences in available resources, technology, and student support services. Schools with a higher population of diverse students must have leaders that understand how to meet the needs of all students. NELP Standard Five Community and External Leadership is demonstrated through school funding discussion. Property taxes are locally derived and can create large funding gaps among neighbors. Federal programs also help fund schools which are decided at the external government level. Lastly, school leaders often partner with community businesses and members to help provide students resources. NELP Standard Nine Operations and Management is shown through school budgets and topics discussed within the paper. Facility funding and professional development funding tie into how school leaders manage the organization. School leaders must efficiently and effectively manage financial resources to ensure the school can run properly and students have the opportunity to reach their full potential.

Academic Achievement: I believe this assignment showed that I could help others achieve because it studied how finances can affect students and their opportunity to learn. There were strong connections to how funding can create larger achievement gaps. If schools are not given equitable money based on their student population they will struggle to provide their students with quality instructional materials, special education services, professional development, and a safe building. Budgeting and allocation of funds can also help leaders provide teachers and students with needed resources. Funding can determine class size and the amount of staff, technology in classrooms, and what curriculum materials are available for educators and students. I feel this assignment showed me how educational leaders can help students achieve at high levels by properly distributing funds to where they are most needed at their school sites.

PART 1: Data Collection, Data Analysis, and Guiding Question (NELP 1.2)

Quantitative and Qualitative Data Collection and Analysis

Information was gathered by taking attendance records from Lake Minneola High School. In Quarter 3, there were originally 15 instances of tardiness among students for the first period of the day. This data showed that a change was needed. The collection of attendance sheets with time stamps and discipline referrals allowed us to find trends. Students weren't being tardy randomly at the beginning of the day. Some specific students continually came into school without anyone noticing or holding them accountable. Through research of the data, it was obvious that we needed to put a plan into place to help students get to school on time. When students are tardy, it disrupts the classroom and the learning process.

Link to data LMHS Discipline Comparison

Qualitative data was gathered through interviews with my field placement mentor, Mr. Roberts, the school’s principal. Mr. Kimbro, a Social Studies teacher who was on the attendance committee, and a parent, Ms. Williams, who served on the school's advisory committee. Interviews were held to learn more about what caused tardiness. Their responses indicated that there were two problems. One, the obvious problem was that students did not have enough incentives or consequences for coming into school late. Two, in the morning, the parent drop-off car line was backed up. Teachers were frustrated by the lack of uniform monitoring throughout classrooms and felt that a whole school-wide system was needed. Parents felt that rewarding good behavior would encourage students to follow the rules. The resource officers on site noticed that there was a pile-up of cars each morning. A new traffic flow pattern could provide some relief. The major concern was that some students were not being held accountable for being tardy. This further supported using incentives and consistent monitoring. We chose to address the concern of students not being held accountable.

Interviews were conducted with Mr. Roberts (principal), Mr. Kimbro (Social Studies teacher), and Ms. Williams (parent) to gain more insight into student tardiness to the first period of the day. These interviews were completed by me using a prepared 10-question interview. Results were compiled to look for commonalities and compare experiences and perceptions between participants. When analyzing the data collected from these interviews, common themes were identified. Themes included: why students are late, how being late affects learning, if current strategies are working, rewards versus punishments, should parents be involved, what can be done to help students, and what are the solutions.

These links below provide the individual interview transcripts.

Ms. Williams Interview

Mr. Kimbro Interview

Mr. Roberts Interview

Question 1: Is being tardy to the first period of the day a problem at our school?

Each participant agreed that students being tardy to the first period of the day is a problem. Mr. Roberts stated that it is “something we constantly work on” and that it “sets the tone for the day”. Mr. Kimbro stated that it happens “almost every day” and is frustrating when students miss learning. Ms. Williams felt that people do not realize how many students are chronically late and that some children have family scheduling issues that contribute to the problem.

Question 2: Why do you think students are late to class?

Each respondent listed multiple reasons that they believed students are late. Mr. Roberts mentions lack of transportation, being homeless, and not being held accountable. Mr. Kimbro believes that students are just lazy and choose to stay up late. Mrs. Williams states that kids are “often overwhelmed with the busy mornings”. Overall, it seems as though some students are occasionally late due to circumstances out of their control, but are regularly late due to their habits.

Question 3: How does being late to class affect student learning?

All participants agreed that when students are not in class on time, they do not achieve at the highest level. Mr. Roberts expressed that “they are missing whatever learning activity we start with” and therefore fall behind. Mr. Kimbro said that when students are late, he must “pause instruction and spend time reteaching” the material. Ms. Williams feels that being away from class can make kids “feel embarrassed and behind”.

Question 5: What strategies does our school currently implement to improve students' on-time arrival to class?

The school currently reinforces the attendance policy, contacts families, and encourages teachers to take attendance at the start of the class. Mr. Roberts explained that whatever consequences are decided upon “need to be followed through with”. Mr. Kimbro loves to “wake kids up with a fun lesson” as a bell ringer to encourage them to be on time. Ms. Williams wishes that schools would better communicate with families when students are repeatedly late.

Question 6: Do you think we should reward students for coming to class on time, why or why not?

Mr. Roberts and Mr. Kimbro both believed that if students know there will be a reward for good behavior, they will be on time. All participants agreed that students should not be punished if they are late every once in a while. Ms. Williams felt that rewarding students would only work if parents knew about it and were encouraging their student to earn it.

Question 7: Should parents be involved when their child is habitually late?

Majority of respondents agreed that parents should be involved. Mr. Roberts explained that parents ultimately take responsibility for helping their child develop good habits. Mr. Kimbro agrees and added that teachers can only do so much to form relationships with students. Ms. Williams agreed but pointed out that the school should also offer support when parents may be unable to help for various reasons.

Question 8: What are some things we can do to help students be on time?

Each person had a different approach to solving this issue. Mr. Roberts believes that we can hold students accountable while also rewarding them and contacting home when there are issues. Mr. Kimbro said that teachers can help by “keeping kids engaged and forming relationships”. Mrs. Williams suggested moving start times later or allowing more flexibility due to scheduling conflicts.

Question 9: How can we support students who continue to be tardy?

All participants felt that in order to support students, you had to get to the root of why they were late. Mr. Roberts explained that our school could always offer interventions if we find there are common reasons why kids are late. Mr. Kimbro said that by forming relationships with students, we can support them. Ms. Williams believes that schools can offer counseling, alarm clocks, and help with bus schedules.

Question 10: What do you believe are the best overall solution to students being late?

The principal and Mr. Kimbro suggest the best overall solution is to be have teachers uphold the schools attendance policy. They think accountability has to be used by all teachers not just the few that mark students tardy. Ms. Williams feels that incentivizing students will help change the behavior of being tardy. When students know there are rewards for being on time, they will strive to earn them. Teachers should take the time to build relationships with their students this will encourage them to come to school on time. School and parents should work together to help students be successful.

Based on the results of this interview, students need to be held accountable for being tardy to the first period of the day. Some students just need a consequence to recognize that being late is not accepted. When participants were asked about how to support students, many focused on building relationships with the students. After all of these answers were collected, it was noticed that many of the answers were similar. Solving the issue of students being tardy to class will require consistency amongst school staff.

Problem of Practice and Develop a Guiding Question

The problem identified was tardy students with no intervention system in place. After looking through my quantitative/qualitative data. I created a guiding question with the help of Ms. Walker. How will incentives and monitoring improve student tardiness? Lake Minneola High School's goal is to ensure that we have maximum time for instruction and that students are learning responsibility. My data showed that we needed to implement something that would encourage and hold our students accountable. The guiding question helps to focus on something that can be measured.

Quantitative and qualitative data were collected weekly for the third quarter, January-March, to measure how incentives and monitoring increase student success in not being tardy to the first period. Attendance records were used to gather baseline data on occurrences of first-period tardiness before implementing the action plan. We began by acknowledging student success through incentive recognition, such as a trip to the awesome cabinet. This cabinet contains items that a student can pick from; usually snacks. We also have incentive prizes that offer students a school challenge coin or privilege such as free admission to a school sponsored event. Events can include sporting events, school musicals, or plays. In addition to implementing frequent monitoring, such as checking in on tardy patterns, students were referred to staff, and parents were notified. Monthly data were compared to our baseline data to see if we were reaching our goal of reducing our tardiness occurrences from 15 to 11 by March 6, 2026. Tables and graphs were created using data spreadsheets to identify trends among different groups of students.

Qualitative data were collected from surveys given to administrators, teachers, students, and parents regarding their feelings about the incentives put in place and how effective the monitoring is at holding students accountable. We gathered information about fidelity of implementation by checking in with staff to ensure monitoring is being completed as it was intended. We saw a decrease in the number of tardies and received positive feedback from students, parents, and staff to let us know that our plan was working. Although we saw a decrease we wanted to make sure this was sustainable.

Goal Setting

The improvement goal was to decrease student tardiness from 15 times to 11 or fewer by March 6, 2026. The outcome was measurable and realistic. It was suitable as a goal to measure over time. Applying consequences and incentives, along with a tracking system, were the interventions that took place to help reach the goal. When completed, tardiness decreased to 10, which meant the interventions were working to address the tardiness at Lake Minneola High School. Decreasing student tardiness from 15 to 10 relates to the guiding question. How will incentives and monitoring improve student tardiness? When incentivizing and monitoring are implemented, bad habits change, the culture changes (Kenyon et al., 2022). The goal was to see behavior changed by a specific amount.

Motivation was increased through incentives, which are positive reinforcement of good behaviors. We rewarded students through privileges, praise, and prizes when they were on time for the first period of the day. We felt students were more likely to change their behavior and make it to class on time if they received incentives. One of the biggest things about behavior theory is that the more you reinforce a new way of thinking, the more likely you are to make that behavior permanent as time goes on. Monitoring creates accountability (Kilb & Labudek, 2022). Whether through attendance, teacher referral, and admin follow-up, when we monitor something, it ensures that we will catch it when it happens.

With the incentives, students had more reason to make it to class on time, and with monitoring, there was greater structure for enforcing expectations. I feel this goal was measurable because we tracked how many students were tardy to the first period of the day using our attendance system. If on average, 15 students were late initially, and after implementing incentives and monitoring, that number decreased to 10 students, we reached our goal. This goal was doable because it showed our intervention was successful. If we didn’t meet our goal of reducing 15 to 11 students being tardy for the first period of the day, then we failed at improving our students’ behavior as much as we wanted to, and we would have to go back and rethink our strategy.

PART 2: Accountability Protocol:  (NELP 7.4)

Evaluation of District Policies and Instructional Expectations

District policies regarding student attendance, punctuality, and utilizing instructional time all connect to this project. Lake Minneola High School has policies that clearly explain expectations for students and teachers when it comes to attendance procedures. Policies address the need for accurate recording of tardiness as well as following through with consequences and interventions. Instructional expectations include beginning teaching and learning when the bell rings by having organized classrooms. The policies allowed for a great framework to build upon for creating a culture of tardiness reduction with accountability and consistency. The link to the district policy that was reviewed.

Teacher supervision, support, and evaluation were conducted through administrator walkthroughs and formal observations as well as through Professional Learning Communities (PLCs). Administrators regularly walked through the halls to ensure that teachers were following appropriate procedures with the beginning of class bell-to-bell instruction and student arrival protocols. Formal observations were based on the district’s frameworks and Marzano’s teacher evaluation model. While classroom procedures are not directly mentioned in administrator observation forms, expectations regarding classroom management, instructional pacing, and student engagement during arrivals are discussed during individual and faculty professional development sessions. Teachers are expected to show that students have something to do when they walk into the classroom, and it must be something engaging that students must be waiting to do when the bell rings. Teachers have high instructional expectations for student behavior, which already aligns with the guiding question. Because monitoring of student arrival times is already being conducted, it will be simple to add on designated tardy tracking and incentive recognition. We are expected to meet students at the doors as they arrive, and once the late bell rings, teachers are required to hold students who are tardy accountable.

Support is provided through PLC meetings and professional development. Our attendance committee reviews attendance data, including data specific to first-period tardies. Both of these collaborative efforts were used to answer the guiding question. When teachers meet to discuss how to improve student behavior and attendance, they are able to hold each other accountable and provide consistency within their classrooms. Feedback from administrators during walkthroughs and formal observations is also connected to data collected. Teachers are frequently praised for having strong classroom entry procedures and well-planned transitions. Teachers who allow students to engage in independent work immediately as they enter the classroom are usually the teachers for whom students show up on time.

Plan for the Assessment and Improvement of Teacher Performance

Teacher supervision included classroom walkthroughs, feedback sessions, and evaluation. Administrators and instructional leaders monitored classrooms and behaviors to ensure that teachers were holding students to expectations. Lake Minneola High School teacher supervision supports the guiding question because teachers were held accountable for following expectations set for students when being tardy. Teachers are expected to follow through with school procedures by writing referrals for late students and communicating with parents and their grade level administrators when needed. Teacher supervision was essential to the success of this project because when a student is tardy to class, it interrupts learning.

Teacher performance was evaluated by classroom walkthroughs, tracking attendance accurately, and holding students to the same expectations when being tardy. Administrators gave teachers feedback on their monitoring procedures. Teachers reflected on their performance and held each other accountable for following procedures consistently. By allowing everyone to share in the project, teachers improved their performance when it came to being accountable and working with students. It was good to see the majority of the teachers were engaged and fully committed to reducing incidences of students being tardy for first period.

When determining ways to support teacher growth based on the data acquired from this accountability project aimed at decreasing first-period tardies, administrators and PLC teams used data from focus, professional learning, and reflection. Administrators and PLC teams reviewed trends with tardies and classroom walkthrough data after each formal period of data collection. When areas of improvement were identified, such as classroom procedures for arrival not being utilized or expectations for entering class not being clearly defined, teachers received support based on their needs. This support included cycles of coaching and professional learning opportunities focused on effective classroom procedures. Administrators conducted follow-up walkthroughs and provided teachers with tools to track their improvement. Using this information, administrators met with teachers to give specific feedback. By aligning the evaluation process and support with instruction, administrators guided teachers to impact student behavior. The goal was to decrease first-period tardies from 15 to 11.

Documents that supported teacher performance included Marzano’s Framework Domain 1: Classroom Strategies and Behaviors, walkthrough observation forms that include classroom management and student engagement prompts, and PLC meeting notes where we keep track of attendance data. Tardy documentation and reporting are completed through an electronic system called Focus. The Focus system allows us to easily monitor first-period tardies and recognize when students go a certain number of days without being tardy. By aligning teacher supervision and instructional expectations, we supported the implementation of an incentive system that helped us reach our goal of decreasing first-period tardies from 15 to 11. Our school’s attendance clerk Ms. Pacheco was responsible for running daily reports and consolidating the data into comprehensible reports for all stakeholders.

Plan for the Assessment and Improvement of Student Outcomes

Student progress was measured by daily attendance records, or how many tardiness students had accumulated before and after the intervention. Teacher observations and student comments about whether they felt the rewards were motivating were also used. We tracked progress throughout the project to ensure goals were being met. Looking at data from before versus after the implementation gave proof that students were improving. This allowed us to use data to drive our project’s guiding question and goals.

The school measured student development towards our guiding question of how incentives and monitoring can help students be more on time and decrease first-period tardies by 4 to 11 by tracking daily tardy data, which was entered into a school-wide student information system called Focus. Our attendance clerk pulled the data daily for review by administrators, PLC teams, and the attendance committee to look for trends of tardiness between particular groups of students, days of the week, or classroom settings. In addition to school-provided data, we also spoke to students and got teacher feedback to qualitatively measure student development on responsibility and responsiveness to incentives. Student development was tracked through progress checkpoints; if students were not developing as we had hoped, we would adjust our intervention strategies. An example of this would be we tweaked one of our incentives to increase family contact upon data findings. Student development towards our goal was measured by not only improvements in punctuality, but also student accountability.

To ensure that student achievement would increase, we connected our need for students to be on time to greater instructional time and buy-in. Teachers were expected to conduct classroom instruction from bell-to-bell by engaging students in standards-based work right when they walk into the classroom. This way, when students are on time, they are able to hit the ground running and not lose any instructional time. As the number of tardies decreased, we looked at student formative assessment scores, completion of assignments, and engagement data to see if students are benefiting from additional instruction time. Students were to receive extra support due to being tardy during our intervention time. Our Intervention time at Lake Minneola High School is held four times a week between third and fourth period.

PART 3: Training and Professional Development (NELP 7.3)

Planning for Professional Development 

The professional development plan aligned with data, questions, and goals because it focused on strategies to assist staff with maintaining consistency when monitoring tardiness and implementing incentives. It provided teachers with resources that they could use to motivate students to be on time and reinforced positivity within classrooms. It also ensured that everyone worked together by reminding teachers that we were all in this together. Ensuring professional development aligned with data assisted the project in running successfully. We met every Wednesday either for data review or collaboration. It was a struggle to keep the professional development engaging and interesting for teachers.  

Staff members at Lake Minneola High School have the capacity to successfully implement the project because instruction and classroom management are already very strong. Teachers were slightly inconsistent when it came to monitoring tardiness, which is something that we addressed through professional development. Some teachers were more focused on befriending students instead of holding them accountable for being late. We needed to remind teachers this behavior hurts other students. Leaders created an environment for staff that allowed for open communication and collaboration, which had a positive effect on implementation. Teachers were willing to listen to each other and change their practices if necessary.

Teacher self-reflection was encouraged through professional development by asking them to think about how their procedures may play a role in students not being prepared on time. We had teachers reflect on their current routines and how they can improve upon them. We tried to incorporate time for reflection during meetings and follow-up meetings. We wanted teachers to reflect on their own growth and the changes that they have made. It was important for us to have teachers do a self-diagnosis of the issues they were causing due to them not following attendance policies. We felt they would have more buy-in if they were totally engaged.

Cultural responsiveness will be addressed through professional development by reminding teachers to be understanding of tardies but still expect students to be prepared when they enter the classroom. We can provide teachers with strategies to help students who may have certain things going on at home that are out of their control. We have great school counselors than can assist with student issues out of the teacher’s control. We have to engage all departments to help students. We can not only provide assistance for a certain group of students. By doing this, we can ensure that we are being fair and equitable when helping students.

The professional development plan was designed around addressing areas of weakness when it came to ensuring students were held accountable for being late to class. Professional development training would allow staff to engage in quality training that would help coach them on how to better run their classroom. Staff were recruited as team peer mentors because of their areas of strength, experience, and interest in helping decrease student tardiness. Staff members who were chosen led group data meetings, modeled classroom techniques that were effective at increasing student attendance, and coached their peers during peer coaching cycles. Distributing leadership among staff created staff capacity within the school. This allowed staff to feel like they had a role in helping the school get better.

Our professional development plan utilized technology in many different ways. We used Google Classroom and Google Forms to upload resources and gauge feedback from our staff. Technology allowed us to collect and examine data in an ethical manner. We were able to collaborate with teachers through Google Docs and discussion boards. Technology allowed us to have flexible professional development that could happen at any time. We made sure to follow all ethical standards when using technology. We ensured that we followed all district and Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) protocols when discussing student data. Technology was used to support accessible, data-driven, and collaborative professional development.

Professional Development Implementation

Activities

·       Initial meeting with the Attendance Committee

·       Data Dive meeting

·       Planning meeting

·       Incentive workshop

·       Collaboration meeting

·       Monitoring training review of data meeting

·       Data review

·       Evaluation

PART 4: Implementation of Accountability Project (NELP 7.2)

Implementation Details

The project was carried out at Lake Minneola High School, where teachers implemented an accountability plan consisting of procedures for incentives and tracking tardiness. Students knew what to expect and why it was important to come to class on time after teachers held discussions in class and informed them school-wide. Rewards were offered to students, such as incentives, prizes, and praise to encourage them to do better. Staff consistently tracked students when they were tardy by using the school’s current attendance system and by repeating expectations every day.

I have encountered successes and barriers during the implementation process that affected our outcomes. One success we had during our project was that the number of students arriving after the tardy bell rang in the morning decreased by more than we had anticipated. Our tardiness went from 15 to 10, and students knew what was expected of them and showed signs of better habits. A barrier we faced during our project was having every member of staff follow through with checking students when they were tardy and writing referrals. This barrier has been improving since the beginning of the implementation of our project because of continual communication.

Teachers felt the change that occurred allowed for better classroom management and increased teacher satisfaction. Teachers reported there were less interruptions during the 1st period of the day when students walked in the classroom after the tardy bell rang. Teachers also felt confident while teaching when they knew what to expect and what to do with students who were walking into class late. Teachers believed they had more administrator and peer support while trying to reach the goal. Teachers felt more connected to their work when they felt they had support from others.

I believe that this project allowed us to develop and maintain a healthy school culture by motivating students and holding students accountable for their actions. When teachers reward students for their good behavior instead of punishing them, students feel more supported. Students feel as if they are in a better school environment when their peers and teachers are praising them for their good behavior (Pérez et al., 2023). Teachers will be able to teach culturally responsive behavior because every student is being treated equally.

Relationships, trust, and well-being are important because they create a foundation that helps improve collaboration among staff, become more open to change, and feel as though they can work towards goals together. When educators know that they can trust their leaders and their peers they will be more inclined to have open conversations, take risks in their instruction, and work towards goals as a team. Trust will allow teachers to feel psychologically safe when reflecting on areas that need to be improved upon, such as students walking into classrooms late. When educators have good relationships, they will feel that they belong to a team and can work together to find solutions. Well-being is important because if educators don’t feel like they can manage the stress from constant improvement, they will not be able to consistently meet student needs (Levasseur and Clément, 2025).

We tried to maintain a strong professional culture by building trust throughout the entire process. We emphasized open communication, working together, and celebrating when we saw staff making an effort. We provided time in professional learning communities and team meetings to allow staff to come together to share data, implement strategies, and problem solve. We asked for staff input and included them in decisions that were made about the project. We all felt as if we had a say in what happened next for the project which built trust. We also tried to encourage one another and pay attention to everyone’s well-being by not overloading them with work. When we saw a student walking in late decrease, we celebrated.

Collaboration

The collaboration that occurred during the implementation of my accountability protocol project was intentional and systematic. We collaborated around data attendance tardy data, teacher observations, and stakeholder input during our PLC’s and administrative team meetings in order to drive data-based decision making processes. This included gathering data on first period tardies, processing the data to look for trends within grade levels and subgroups, digging into root causes, and determining interventions. We also collaborated during implementation to enact the interventions we decided on reward incentives, monitoring, teacher and staff following the same tardy procedures. Teachers, administrators, and support staff had assigned duties within the tardy protocol so everyone was on the same page. We checked in with each other during PLC’s and team meetings to ensure consistency. We met each Wednesday to discuss what was working and what we were still struggling with. This allowed us to make small changes throughout the project if needed.

We also collaborated outside of these meetings. Many times teachers would stop by my classroom to let me know how students reacted to expectations or to share ideas on how to get kids to be on time. There were times where teachers would conference with their peers about best practices for classroom routines and building relationships with students. Collaborations among teachers and administrators contributed to enhanced instructional practices by allowing teachers to realize through our PLC discussions that student tardies were wasting valuable instructional time and students were coming into classrooms unfocused. Teachers were able to conference with their peers about best practices and hold each other accountable by observing classrooms.

Collaboration among stakeholders positively impacted student achievement by ensuring that the interventions were targeted to students who needed them and were being carried out with consistency. Because we continued to gather data on student tardies, teachers were able to pinpoint students who were continually being tardy and require additional support parent contact, mentoring, and reward incentives. Reductions in lost instructional time and increased student engagement, which are results of effective collaboration, have been shown to improve student achievement (Wullschleger et al., 2025). Collaboration allowed us to attack school improvements by teaching us what was and was not working during the data collection phase. We decided together that we needed to change up the way we monitored students and designed better rewards and incentives. Evidence of collaboration used for my project can be found in PLC agendas/meeting notes, email communication, and our group data tracker that we all had access to. An example of a resource that shows collaboration around data use in schools can be found here: Meeting notes

One strategy I used to effectively collaborate with others during my project was by modeling the way. I always set clear expectations for meetings whether it is goals, agendas, norms, or the purpose. I learned to have a Purpose, Agenda, and Limit (PAL) for every meeting I am going to facilitate. I provided closure by summarizing what took place during the meeting and identifying next steps. Keeping everyone informed and on the same page built trust and clarity within the staff. I also modeled active listening skills, an openness to others’ ideas, and a solutions-oriented mind frame.

PART 5: Accountability Report (NELP 6.1)

Evaluate the Effectiveness of the Accountability Project

We surveyed teachers and administrators, as well as gathered data from notes we took during implementation to evaluate the success of our accountability project. Teachers noted that there were less tardy students as well as the class being ready to learn. Administrators witnessed improvements throughout the building due to our interventions. Project success was measured by the reduction of tardy students. This can be quantified by 15 to 10 tardy students daily. Our intervention produced change of the problem of students showing up to school late. I used Google Forms to survey teachers on the outcomes of the accountability project. This link will take you to the survey. After the implementation of the project we survey stakeholders to determine the effectiveness of the project. This link will take you the results.

Monitoring had a positive impact on our management, communication, and operating systems. We developed procedures that held students accountable for being tardy and let staff know what was expected of them. Communication was increased between teachers, students, and administration by being consistent when reinforcing expectations. Online monitoring allowed us to have quality data that we could look back on throughout the process. This allowed operations to run smoothly when dealing with students.

Barriers and obstacles that we faced during our project included some staff members not participating when we began. This was cleared up when we reviewed expectations. Time restraints because we all have busy schedules made it hard to be consistent when monitoring. Students also gave us some resistance during the beginning of the project, but bought into it once they were given support. Continued support and communication helped us get through these barriers. We had and still have a group of parents that make excuses for their child being late.

Resource management was not affected by our project. Personnel was not affected because we were able to divide teams to monitor students. Students were not affected by this project, in fact they benefitted by being in school learning instead of taking away from others’ learning. Budget had no effect as the rewards were cheap and could be justified. We used our Positive Behavioral Intervention and Support (PBIS) fund to buy students snacks and rewards. The sources of data we used to measure project success included attendance records, teachers’ surveys, and student input. The notes I took during the process also helped a great deal. This link displays our outcomes.

Sustainability

The data collected throughout the accountability project will allow us to show proof for decisions made for both long term and short term planning at Lake Minneola High School. Things we learned through this project are how often we should monitor and use motivation tactics with our students and staff. Administrators will be able to give similar interventions in the future to monitor student progress and behavioral changes with staff. Taking ideas that we know lead to good data and implement them into our school system will help us continue our positive trend from this project. We don’t want our school to just improve; we want to make these good practices our norm.

Plans to motivate continuous improvement include frequent incentives and monitoring. Teachers will continue to monitor data to make sure trends are being maintained. Giving teachers chances for professional development will allow us to continue best practice. Asking for feedback from stakeholders will allow us to better ourselves moving forward. These are just some of the things we will do to build upon our success in the future. It is important to note that while this project provide positive results, we cannot always think incentivizing students will work. There is still a level of accountability that must be maintained in order to correct behaviors.

PART 6: Communication of Results and Outcomes (NELP 5.3)

Our resource plan included items that fall under district policies that support student attendance, student accountability, and academic success. Meeting students where they are at by supplying resources for incentives and monitoring student attendance fell right into our district's value of students taking advantage of their instructional time. As a district, we are constantly seeking improvement on student achievement. By monitoring students and providing incentives, we were able to support our teachers and our school mission. Since we used things we already had in place, this was a cost-friendly and sustainable project. We used our PBIS funds to buy snacks and rewards. You could connect to our bigger goal of improving attendance.

We had staff meetings to communicate expectations, share data, and update everyone. Students were informed about our goals and incentives through classroom meetings and school announcements. We communicated with leadership to ensure our project would support our school goals and to ask for help when we needed it. Having regular meetings with teachers and staff helped everyone stay on the same page. We were able to advocate for our school and community by sending emails and call-outs to other parents. This project allowed us to share with our community about the importance of being timely, losing instructional time, and being accountable for your actions. By letting staff get involved and provide input, we were able to advocate even more for our school. Allowing students to provide input on what incentives they wanted also helped increase engagement.

There is no audio evidence provided for the phones calls made. These calls are not allowed to be recorded. I provided a transcript of the call in the table.

This link provides an example of the email sent to a parent with the names being removed due to FERPA.

Email evidence

This is a link to a meeting agenda from January 28^th

Meeting Link

Name of Association:  Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Incorporated

Acronym for Association: APA

Date of Initial Membership:  October 29^th 2011

Description of Association:  Alpha Phi Alpha, the first intercollegiate Greek-letter fraternity established for African American Men, was founded on December 4, 1906 at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York by seven college men who recognized the need for a strong bond of brotherhood among African descendants in this country The fraternity initially served as a study and support group for minority students who faced racial prejudice, both educationally and socially, at Cornell. The Jewel founders and early leaders of the fraternity succeeded in laying a firm foundation for Alpha Phi Alpha’s principles of scholarship, fellowship, good character, and the uplifting of humanity.

Association's Website: https://apa1906.net/ 

Level of Activity/Involvement in the Association: Member, served as the local chapter in Waukegan, Illinois (Kappa Chi Lambda), Correspondence Secretary from 2012 – 2013.

Name of Association:  National Education Association

Acronym for Association: NEA

Date of Initial Membership:  January 1, 2021

Description of Association:  National Education Association (NEA) is a professional organization and labor union that represents educators across America including teachers, administrators, and support staffs. This organization advocates for public education, works to ensure professional excellence for educators and students and provides resources for educators. NEA helps educators with their benefits by offering training, support, and union activities. NEA aims to influence education policy, protect educators’ rights and improve conditions that students learn in. I chose to join this organization because it helps me as an educator. Being able to be a part of a supportive community that you have a voice in is very important to me. NEA helps me have access to many different resources, legal protection, and training that will allow me to further my career.

Association's Website: The NEA Website

Level of Activity/Involvement in the Association: Member, I attend all local meetings related to my school district of Lake County Schools in Florida.

Licensure Test Score

My score is 156

I received a score of 156 on the School Leadership Licensure Assessment. My score is 10 points higher than the cut score. The cut score is the minimum score required to meet the state's requirement. My score is 44 points lower than the highest possible score. The typical score range for the assessment is 162–177. My score falls below the typical range by a few points. Despite scoring below the typical range, my score still demonstrates that I am competent in the knowledge and skills needed to be an effective school leader and meet my licensure requirements.