Raymond J. McNulty is Senior Vice President of the International Center for Leadership in Education. 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 to reinvent 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.

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.
  
  
• Reinventing Our Education System
  It is hard to disagree with the intent of No Child Left Behind — to give every student as rigorous and relevant an educational experience as possible. Districts and schools can move forward on implementation by using data to focus on the most essential learning and by providing multiple pathways for students to acquire the academic skills and knowledge they need, not only to pass the tests, but also to succeed in post-school opportunities. This presentation will discuss why we need to reinvent our education system, share lessons learned in high school reform from a project funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and describe the research that supports the Rigor/Relevance Framework™ and the importance of moving to application-based instruction as a means of raising student achievement.
  
  
• Leadership for the 21st Century
  How do we restructure our education system when we cannot envision it? How can we be innovative and develop new programs and services while facing extensive regulations and severe budget constraints? These are just a few of the dilemmas we face in education. In this session, Ray McNulty will share leadership lessons and a set of strategies, including Quad D Leadership and the Rigor/Relevance Framework, to build innovation and leadership density into education systems, schools, and classrooms.
  
  
• Everyone’s Got the Message that We Need to Change, So Now What?
  Getting the school improvement process started and keeping it moving are collaborative efforts that pose some interesting challenges. Ray McNulty, who has been involved in numerous change efforts in all types of schools and districts, will share some practical tactics, actions, and steps to attack the challenges. These solutions have evolved from the International Center for Leadership in Education’s work over the last five years in reinventing schools, including its high school initiative funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
  
  
• Future Trends and Challenges in Education
  The future is being shaped by four mega trends – globalization, changing demographics, technology, and evolving values/attitudes. Ray McNulty will explore these trends and their impact on what students need to know and be able to do. In addition, he will discuss why we need to reinvent our education system, share lessons learned in school reform, and describe the research that supports the Rigor/Relevance Framework™ and the importance of moving to application-based instruction as a means of raising student achievement. He will conclude by discussing the challenges we will face in the new conceptual age that lies ahead and the impact on students, schools, and society if we do not prepare students adequately for this changing world.
  
  
• Introduction to the Learning Criteria to Support 21st Century Learners
  The Learning Criteria to Support 21st Century Learners™ is a free resource initially developed through a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to identify high performing high schools. It has grown to become a tool to broaden the ways 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.
  
  
• 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.
  
  

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

"Primary Aim of Education"

"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.”

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