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Fostering Teacher Efficacy Through Intentional Instructional Leadership Practices
In response to radical changes in the socio-economic health of the community in recent years, students at Diamond View Middle School in the Susanville School District have increasingly experienced trauma and poverty, which surfaced as chronic absenteeism, lowered academic achievement, and higher rates of suspension. Instead of responding reactively to these challenges, the District became proactive, instituting powerful levers of change including frequent classroom walkthroughs, thoughtful and aligned professional learning offerings, results-oriented coaching conversations, social emotional supports, data-informed planning, and a teacher-led and classroom-centered action plan that resulted in Diamond View Middle School’s 2024 designation as a California School of Distinction. Join us to learn from Susanville’s unique success, and to gather specific strategies you can bring to your own site.
This talk was presented at:
2025 National ESEA Conference
February 2025
in
Austin, TX
For more information:
thall@wested.orgslevens@wested.orgdheimbigner@susanvillesd.orgjwaddell@susanvillesd.org
Speakers
Tamara Hall
Tamara Hall is a District and School Improvement Facilitator at WestEd and is dedicated to building the capacity of K–12 educators to improve schools, ensuring equitable outcomes for all students. Hall provides technical assistance and coaching focused on equity through research, evidence-based instructional strategies, formative assessment, job-embedded coaching, aligned standards-based curriculum and teacher evaluation systems. She provides leadership coaching that supports school improvement initiatives, professional development plans, coaching and feedback systems, professional learning communities, data analysis, and data-informed lesson design. Additionally, Hall has helped numerous districts and schools raise overall achievement, narrow the achievement gap between groups of students, and exit improvement status. Currently, Hall collaborates with the Arizona Department of Education, supporting P3 Literacy Coaches and leaders with instructional practices supporting the science of reading and Utah State Board of Education supporting site leaders with Leadership for Instructional Transformation. Before joining WestEd, Hall spent over 20 years in teaching and administration in high schools. She has taught graduate students in education leadership, philosophy of education, instructional supervision, and program evaluation. Hall served as secondary administrator and a principal of a large, comprehensive high school with a diverse population, where she and her staff significantly improved reading, math, and writing scores and graduation rates. Hall has co-authored and presented at numerous conferences. Most recent presentations include: • Developing Collaborative Systems for Equity and Teacher Efficacy • Professional Collaboration for Alignment of Standards and Assessment: Intentional Lesson Design • Leadership for Instructional Transformation • Transformative Leadership for Equity: A Leadership Implementation Guide • Teachers Coaching Teachers Through Plan, Observe, Debrief (POD) Cycles Hall has an EdD in educational leadership and policy studies from Arizona State University.
Susan Levenson
Susan is a WestEd School and District Improvement Facilitator with broad expertise in curriculum, instruction, and assessment. In recent years she has led work in several states supporting implementation of WestEd’s Four Domains of Rapid School Improvement, specifically in the domains of Turnaround Leadership and Instructional Transformation. Through intensive coaching for both teachers and leaders, instructional support at the structural and classroom levels, facilitated data analysis, and strategic planning, she and her team foster markedly improved outcomes for students. During her tenure as the state ELA Coordinator for Georgia’s Common Core implementation she developed the Common Core Professional Learning Master Plan for the state and built capacity for robust professional learning communities in hundreds of sites. She has worked as a consultant with College Board both as a content developer and trainer and with Pearson, SBAC and PARCC in assessment item development and review. She holds National Board Teacher Certification, Master Teacher Designation, post-graduate certification as a K-12 Reading Specialist and an Academic Coaching credential. She earned her B.S. in Psychology from the University of Georgia and her M.Ed. from Georgia State University.
Jason Waddell
Mr. Waddell has been a keystone member of the educational community in Lassen County for over 30 years, serving for 19 years as superintendent in Title One school districts – the last 15 of these in the Susanville School District. His commitment to education is further evidenced by the additional leadership roles he fills for the professional community, including his service as Lassen County SELPA Chairman since 2010, Executive Board Member of the Northeastern JPA (Workers Comp/Risk Management) and his service as the Region 1 President of the Association of California Administrators (ACSA). Mr. Waddell holds a Master of Arts in Education, Administration and Supervision, as well as a BA in English Literature.
Dede Heimbigner
Dede Heimbigner has been the Diamond View Middle School principal in Susanville, California, since 2019, bringing over 20 years of experience in education. Under her leadership, the school has successfully implemented Professional Learning Communities, curriculum alignment, classroom observation and feedback systems, and Social and Emotional Learning and Positive Behavior Intervention Systems. These initiatives have significantly enhanced the school's educational environment, contributing to its recognition as a 2024 California Distinguished School. A University of Nevada, Reno graduate and certified Microsoft Innovative Educator, Dede is also an active member of Computer Science for NorCal and the Northern California Educational Leadership Consortium.
ESEA Network
The National Association of ESEA State Program Administrators (formerly the National Title I Association) is dedicated to building the capacity of education professionals to provide disadvantaged children with a high quality education. Their ESEA Network website provides a host of resources to educators at all levels.
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About Us
The National Association of ESEA State Program Administrators (formerly the National Title I Association) is dedicated to building the capacity of education professionals to provide disadvantaged children with a high quality education. Their ESEA Network website provides a host of resources to educators at all levels.
Connect with Us
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