School Administration Managers (SAMs) enable principals to focus on the instruction leadership work within their school in addition to the day-to-day managerial functions.  The SAM project has proven successful in districts across the nation and GA.  GLISI supports the SAMs project in GA and has supported several districts implementing the SAMs project, including Atlanta Public Schools, Gwinnett County Public Schools and the Georgia College Early College.

What is the SAMs Initiative? 

The SAM Initiative began in Louisville, KY, in 2002 with the Alternative School Administration Study, which looked at conditions that prevented principals from making instructional leadership their priority and developed strategies to change those conditions. Now, nine states, including Georgia are involved with developing and implementing SAMs. These states include: California, Delaware, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri, New York, and Texas. Mark Shellinger of Jefferson County School District coordinates the national SAMs expansion project.

The SAM Initiative is a process that allows principals to focus time on improving instruction and learning. As a part of SAMs, principals do not stop managing their buildings – they simply learn to delegate some of their management responsibilities -- creating more time to spend on teaching practice, student learning and school improvement.

The SAM Project consists of five core elements:

1. A readiness and willingness by principals and districts to commit to increasing time for instructional leadership;
2. An initial Time/Task Analysis Data Collection™ of how the principals spend their time;
3. Principals’ engaging with a School Administration Manager (SAM) in daily meetings;
4. External coaching; and
5. Follow-up Time/Task Analysis Data Collection after one year to assess improvement.

How Does SAMs Work?

The SAM Initiative helps principals assess how they are using their time so they can make continual improvements.

Principals first receive baseline data from Time/Task Analysis Data Collection. Data collectors shadow principals for five days and record in five-minute increments how much time they spend on management, instructional or personal tasks. Principals use this data to create goals for the time they spend on instructional leadership. One year later, Time/Task Analysis Data Collection is completed again to assess improvement.

Principals meet daily with a School Administration Manager (SAM). The SAM may be a new staff position or an existing staff member who takes on new duties. The SAM works with the principal to analyze how time is being use, shift managerial duties to others and establish the next day’s calendar. During meetings, they use a software calendar program, TimeTrack™, which was developed for this purpose. The primary goal is to increase the principal’s time on leading instructional improvement.

Principals and SAMs meet monthly with a Time Change Coach. Coaches are retired school administrators who are selected and trained. In these meetings, the Time Change Coach helps the principal/SAM team reflect on progress and challenges, identify professional development needs, and connect with other SAMs and principals in the SAM network.

The SAM Initiative helps principals use a range of data to further reflect on their practice and develop a plan to increase time spent as instructional leaders. In addition to providing principals with data on how their time is spent, the initiative also helps them analyze results from school and community surveys.

SAMs in the News

Managers Help Principals Balance Time, in Education Week, 02/13/2008

http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2008/02/13/23sam_ep.h27.html

The National School Administration Manager Project, a Legisbrief by the National Conference of State Legislators

http://www.illinoissams.ilstu.edu/downloads/SAMLegisBrief209.pdf

Video Vignette of Making the Time for Effective Instructional Leadership- PBS Documentary 

Other state initiatives:

Illinois: http://www.illinoissams.ilstu.edu/

Iowa: http://www.sai-iowa.org/school-administration-manager/

For more information, please contact:

Kendra Washington-Bass at kendra_washington_bass@gwinnett.k12.ga.us