Central Valley Educational Leadership Institute (CVELI) professional learning experiences engaged more than 860 Valley leaders that touch the lives of over 100,000 students. CVELI was honored this year to be renamed in honor of Dr. John Welty.
The John R. Welty Center for Educational Policy and Leadership
Central Valley Educational Leadership Institute (CVELI) was formed in 2002 by then-President Dr. John Welty with the mission to support Central Valley educational leaders in their efforts to eliminate the achievement gap and raise the achievement of all students. In 2014, Dr. Welty retired after 20 years of service as Fresno State president. In honor of his service to the Fresno State and the Central Valley, renaming CVELI was proposed. In accordance with CSU policy, the CSU Board of Trustees in March 2016 officially renamed CVELI as The John R. Welty Center for Educational Policy and Leadership (Welty Center).
The Welty Center Rural Network
The aim of the Rural Schools Network is to bring the resources of the University to our superintendents in small districts and facilitate a network of sharing. Regional meetings engaged 18 superintendents and their administrative teams in classroom visitations, focused presentations and job-alike dialogues. This work impacts more than 12,000 Valley students. Two vital partners in this work are Fresno County Office of Education and Lozano Smith Attorneys at Law.
Middle Leaders Program-Cohort Three
In spring 2016, the third Middle Leaders Program Cohort concluded. This two-year seminar series served 35 educational leaders that were both classified and certificated. Program themes include leading from the middle, teambuilding, followership, building trust, dealing with difficult people, coaching up those you lead, creating a positive workplace culture/environment and addressing workplace micro-inequities. With the graduation of the third Middle Leaders cohort, the program has now served more than 100 middle leaders from seven districts. Cohort Four will begin in fall 2016.
Leadership Team Training- Building Coherence for Instructional Improvement (BCII) Project
The Welty Center is the first educational organization in the United States to offer comprehensive internal coherence (IC) leadership team training to reinvent school culture, by expanding the role of teacher leaders, increasing organizational transparency and focusing on a schoolwide instructional focus. Healthy organizations, including schools, have a high level of internal coherence – the shared belief that they can conquer any barriers to achieve priority organizational goals. Research shows that schools with high levels of internal coherence can overcome the negative impact of poverty on student achievement. This year the Welty Center expanded the IC Leadership Team Project to include 27 schools: 18 in Clovis USD and nine in Dinuba USD.
Exemplary School Conference
Each year, Central Valley PreK-16 educational leaders gather at The Welty Center Exemplary Schools Conference. On October 22, 2015, Fresno County Office of Education, Fresno Pacific University and the Welty Center hosted the sixth annual conference. Keynote speakers Bob Marzano and Darrell Scott focused on how leaders create school cultures that can help awaken a passion for learning in their students.