Raymond J. McNulty is President of the International Center for Leadership in Education, having previously served as Senior Vice President. Prior to joining the International Center, he was a senior fellow at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, where he worked with leading educators from around the country on improving our nation's high schools. Ray also is a past president of the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD). An educator since 1973, Ray has been a teacher, vice principal, principal, and superintendent. From 2001-03, he served as Vermont's education commissioner. During his tenure, Ray focused on aligning the Department of Education's work on three key issues: early education, educator quality, and secondary school reform.
Ray has presented at the state, national, and international levels on the need for school systems to accept the challenges that lie ahead. He is committed to raising performance standards for both teachers and students and to building solid connections between schools and their communities. Ray believes strongly that education systems cannot wait for the children and challenges to arrive at school; rather, schools need to reach out and help forge solutions. Ray is the author of It’s Not Us Against Them — Creating the Schools We Need, published in 2009 by the International Center.

Presentation Topics Include:

• Establish Reality: Priority #1 for Effective Leadership and Learning
  Too often within the walls of a school building, we lose perspective on the realities of the world around us. For example, students are immersed in technology before they enter kindergarten. Moreover, they will have to meet the expectations of jobs that haven’t even been created yet. Before we can start to solve the challenges schools face today, we must establish reality by asking the right questions and involving parents and the community. This session will focus on how to ground the culture of your school in reality.
  
  
• Supporting Rigor, Relevance, and Relationships in the 21st Century
  The International Center for Leadership in Education has developed a number of tools to aid schools and districts in their improvement efforts. Among them are the Rigor/Relevance Framework, the Learning Criteria to Support 21st Century Learners, the Components of Schools Excellence, and the We Surveys for students and staff. All of these tools can help lead to breakthrough performance. This session will describe how they contribute to building 21st century systems, schools, and classrooms founded on the 3Rs: rigor, relevance, and relationships.
  
  
• Reinventing Our Education System
  It is hard to disagree with the need for schools to be better and the need to increase the rigor and relevance in the classroom, so what is holding us back? This presentation will discuss why we need to reinvent our education system; share lessons learned from school reform efforts and describe the research that supports the Rigor/Relevance Framework, the Learning Criteria, and the importance of using both quantitative and qualitative data in our transformation efforts.
  
  
• Leading Next Practices: Embedding and Distributing Leadership
  Inspiring educators to think differently about how we support learning can be accomplished through empowerment strategies. When people are empowered to act, leadership can emerge in anyone, at any time, and extraordinary accomplishments are possible. Having a common vision, being collaborative, and trusting others are a few of the factors necessary when embedding and distributing leadership. Ray McNulty will discuss the role of leadership and describe the characteristics of extraordinary leaders.
  
  
• Introduction to the Learning Criteria to Support 21st Century Learners
  The Learning Criteria to Support 21st Century Learners™ was developed through a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to identify high performing high schools. Since then, it has grown to become a tool to broaden the ways we look at schools, measure student results, monitor school improvement initiatives and data, and communicate with the community. This session will share the theory behind the Learning Criteria, explain its four dimensions (Foundation Learning, Stretch Learning, Learner Engagement, and Personal Skill Development), and describe how it can contribute to the school improvement planning process.
  
  
• Participation Gap
  It has been said that in order to touch the mind, you must first touch the heart. Schools will not succeed in closing the achievement gap that continues to challenge educators until they ensure that there is no participation gap. Participation entails students being connected to their learning environment and having a desire to be at school, a hunger to learn, and a willingness to engage actively in the learning process. Ray McNulty will explain how educators can help students acquire the three components of participation: personal worth, active engagement, and purpose. This work requires the use of both quantitative and qualitative data; the latter can be obtained through administering the We Surveys for students and staff. Closing the participation gap is the first step in improving the achievement of all students.
  
  
• Connecting Successful Practices to Next Practices and the Role of Empowerment
  Education insiders and outsiders are calling for improvement in the way we educate our children. There seems to be synergy on both sides for change, so why isn’t it moving faster, and where are the results? We are told we need to use research-based best practices in this work and then we are informed that we must innovate — aren’t these directives in conflict with each other? This presentation will share the role that empowerment plays in moving from best practices to next practices, along with strategies that can help us to be more creative in our work.
  
  
• Quadrant D Leadership: What Skills Are Needed to Be a Leader?
  Quadrant D Leadership is the International Center for Leadership in Education’s framework for school leaders. It is a blending of vision and empowerment and involves an adaptive process by which leaders, staff, and students take action to improve teaching and learning in their school. Quadrant D Leadership is situation-specific and comes into play when there is a need for direction or action. This session will describe all aspects of the Quadrant D Leadership Framework: authoritative, creative, collaborative, and adaptive.
  
  
• Creating the Schools We Need
  To make the needed transformation in our schools, educators must be the agents of the change. Leadership and teachers must engage in empowerment of all staff and students. The academic success of students has to be paramount, but real turnaround involves much more than test scores. Culture is the primary factor. This presentation will get participants started on the steady, deliberate work of turning around a school using several very successful schools as examples.
  
  

Please note that all presentations are tailored to meet the needs of the audience.

"Primary Aim of Education"

“We were so lucky to have you at our in-service on March 1. You not only entertained us, you also disseminated important information that really got us thinking. I have drawn on this information and it has definitely informed my teaching and what I know about schools.” "Mr. McNulty is a valued colleague whose knowledge and perspectives are deeply valued by our organization as well as by the districts and communities we serve.

He's very approachable and cares about our success. As noted above, his knowledge base is amazing. He has current and important information we need, and knows how to present it in a compelling fashion. Like the Velveteen Rabbit, he is REAL. He relates to the issues we face but doesn't let excuses get in the way of progress." “I would like to express my sincere appreciation on behalf of the Alabama Department of Education and central office personnel that attended the SDE Summit. Ray’s presentation provided research-based information and proven models needed to move this state to the next level as we strive for continuous improvement. A system approach to developing successful academic programs is crucial to improving student achievement within and across districts and has strong implications for best practice at the state level. Ray’s presentation was not only meaningful and rich in content, it was very motivational to hear. During the planning committee debriefing, many positive comments were made about the quality of the presentation and how well it aligned with the theme of the conference.

I must say that Ray’s presentation was the highlight of the Summit!” "We worked with Ray when our district was preparing for a vote in which our district would be split in two. The result was to split the district and we are in a much better position because of our work with Ray, preparing in advance for the outcome of the vote. Ray provided insight and a national view, which was very helpful in the planning sessions.

Ray’s ability to look at issues of concern from various perspectives, as well as his varied background and experiences in education, adds to the process of addressing issues. Ray is able to break apart the challenges allowing those working with him to identify new and creative ways to find solutions. Ray is always upbeat and positive, identifying the strengths of those he works with and he builds teams which will face the issues together once he has left.

We respect Ray for his skills and insight to help districts work through the challenges and opportunities which face public education today. We NEVER would have seen the progress that has happened without Ray." “Ray is able to present the ‘tough stuff’ about our challenges in a way that delivers a message of hope and instills a ‘can do’ attitude among our educators. Ray’s message to our educators has helped create a greater climate for change within our state. We are further along that systemic path to change because Ray has walked with us as a guide, mentor, and friend.”

Why schools should try things not "research-based"
Published March 8, 2011
The Washington Post, The Answer Sheet

VT Afterschool for All Legislative Day
Published March 25, 2010
http://vermontafterschool.org/advocacy/vt-afterschool-for-all-legislative-day/

Student Expectations Unmet: Where Are the Electronics?
Published January 2010
http://aasa.org/SchoolAdministratorArticle.aspx?id=11040

Speaker urges innovation to improve education experience
Published on Tuesday, August 25, 2009.
http://www.billingsgazette.com/news/local/education/article_f51180f6-91dd-11de-bfe5-001cc4c002e0.html

City Lights: Education should hug technology
Published on Sunday, January 25, 2009.
http://billingsgazette.net/articles/2009/01/25/news/local/30-citylights.txt

Overhaul to education approaches urged
Published on Tuesday, January 20, 2009
http://billingsgazette.net/articles/2009/01/20/news/local/23-ed.txt

Speaker says schools face different times
August 27, 2008
http://www.newburyportnews.com/archivesearch/local_story_239230029.html

Topic	Related Resource(s)	Related White Papers	Related Workshops
Establish Reality: Priority #1 for Effective Leadership and Learning	It’s Not Us Against Them – Creating the Schools We Need (available June 2009)	Preparing Students for Their Future The Process of Change — Why Change, What to Do, and How to Do It	Whole School Reform  Leadership Development
Leadership for the 21st Century	Leadership for Rigor, Relevance, and Relationships Leading Change in High Schools School Performance – How to Meet AYP and Achieve Long-term Success	Preparing Students for Their Future	On-Going Leadership Development to building capacity Leadership for Rigor, Relevance, and Relationships
Everyone’s Got the Message that We Need to Change, So Now What?	It’s Not Us Against Them – Creating the Schools We Need (available June 2009) Leading Change in High Schools	The Process of Change — Why Change, What to Do, and How to Do It Successful Schools: From Research to Action Plans	Whole School Reform Process including: -We Surveys -Needs Assessment/Strategic Planning with on-going implementation support -Annual Model Schools Conference
Future Trends and Challenges in Education	Leadership for Rigor, Relevance, and Relationships How Brain Research Impacts Instruction in Grades K-6 and 7-12	Globalization - Tipping the Scale of Economic Supremacy Preparing Students for Their Future	Empowering Leaders Using the Rigor Relevance Framework Creating Gold Seal Lessons
Reinventing Our Education System	Using the Rigor/Relevance Framework Leading Change in High Schools	The Process of Change — Why Change, What to Do, and How to Do It	Using the Rigor/Relevance Framework Using Data to Achieve AYP
Introduction to the Learning  Criteria to Support 21st Century Learners	Student Engagement – Creating a Culture of Academic Achievement Personal Skill Development in Grades 6-12 – Enhancing Learning for 21st Century Success Student Engagement Teacher Handbook	Learning Criteria Webinar Strengthening Student Engagement Gender Differences and Student Engagement	Differentiated Instruction Student Engagement International Center Sympsosia with facilitated action planning
Participation Gap	Strategies for High School Students with Disabilities in the General Education Curriculum Reaching the Hardest-to-Involve Parents: Powerful Partnerships Under NCLB Closing the Achievement Gap – A Practical Handbook for Teachers	Achieving Academic Excellence through Rigor and Relevance	We Surveys Needs Assessment/Strategic Planning with on-going implementation support Meeting the Needs of Struggling Learners
Supporting Rigor, Relevance, and Relationships in the 21st Century	Student Engagement – Creating a Culture of Academic Achievement Personal Skill Development in Grades 6-12 – Enhancing Learning for 21st Century Success Student Engagement Teacher Handbook	Strengthening Student Engagement Gender Differences and Student Engagement How Brain Research Relates to Rigor, Relevance and Relationships	Instructional Leadership Student Engagement Differentiated Instruction