NORWOOD — Superintendent David Thomson is pleased to announce that Norwood High School Principal Hugh Galligan has been recognized as the 2022-2023 Massachusetts School Administrators’ Association (MSAA) High School Principal of the Year.
Galligan was recognized by the MSAA with the 44th Bertram H. Holland Award at its annual Summer Leadership Institute in Plymouth at the end of July. The award is named in honor of the late Bertram H. Holland, former executive secretary of the MSAA.
He will additionally be honored by the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) in Washington, D.C. at the Principals Institute in November.
MSAA annually recognizes high school principals who demonstrate exemplary skills in instructional leadership, supporting a safe learning environment and fostering a collaborative culture of shared decision-making among all members of their school community.
Galligan has served as the principal of Norwood High School since 2018. He previously served as associate principal at Hanover High School and began his career in education as an English teacher with the Boston Public Schools.
During his time as the Norwood High School principal, he has led the planning, development and implementation of a number of changes, advancements and new programs within the school in areas benefiting both students and staff.
A study of the high school schedule began in the spring of 2020. All aspects of the structure of the high school schedule and options available to students were evaluated. The study aimed to assess how the high school schedule functions and determine how it could be improved to allow for more equity, choice, flexibility and support.
Through a year-long study committee, 20 staff members worked to create a new schedule by researching effective schedules from neighboring high schools, examining district and school goals, and conducting focus groups and surveys with students.
The resulting schedule provided students with more equitable access to courses, programs and time to get support and extra help from teachers. The schedule also gave students more voice and choice in the classes they took and restructured the course elective system to provide more introductory exposure to subjects at early grades and further specialization in subjects of interest to individual students in higher grades.
Elements of the schedule also provided students with enhanced opportunities for career exploration and planning, and work-for-credit opportunities, and resulted in enhanced graduation requirements that align with MassCore recommendations.
The schedule also allowed for the incorporation of more collaboration and professional learning time for teachers, allowing them to learn and teach to their interests and strengths.
The schedule was fully adopted in the 2021-2022 school year and will continue to be evaluated for improvements in the coming years.
Born during Galligan’s time as principal, the idea of the “Portrait of a Norwood Graduate” has also been embedded into the school culture. The vision outlines the skills all Norwood Public Schools students develop during their time in the district, which include the 5Cs of communication, collaboration, creativity, critical thinking and citizenship.
The “Portrait of a Norwood Graduate” was developed over the course of two years by staff, students, community partners and families. It was piloted during the 2018-2019 school year, and fully implemented in 2019-2020. The identified 5Cs also helped to guide remote and hybrid learning during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Over the last year plus, staff documented where the development of the 5Cs occurred during a student’s high school career and worked to build opportunities in the curriculum to further develop the 5Cs. For example, the implementation of project-based learning and capstone projects culminated in a symposium where students showed their creativity through a portfolio of artwork. Other students conducted long-term research and completed projects that fostered civic engagement to identify real-world problems and identify possible solutions.
The implementation of the “Portrait of a Norwood Graduate” vision represented a paradigm shift from content-driven instruction to skills-based teaching and learning. It has since expanded to other grade levels, and the 5Cs have been added to Norwood High School’s longstanding and comprehensive mission statement. The 5Cs also complement the high school’s 4As goal, which is to help all students attain high levels of engagement and achievement in academics, arts, activities and athletics. Together, these visions make up the school’s motto, “4As, 5Cs, 1 team.”
Principal Galligan has also worked to synthesize targeted professional development at Norwood High School with the school’s and district’s strategic goals and teaching and learning practices. During the 2020-2021 school year, NHS partnered with the Highlander Institute to develop culturally responsive and sustaining teaching and learning practices. Instructional rounds have also been adopted for teachers and administrators to encourage collaboration.
Furthermore, Galligan’s creative use of the budget process and available resources has allowed for additional staffing and programs to provide academic, behavioral and social-emotional learning supports and interventions for students. This included the addition of staff members trained in social work, adjustment counselors, academic interventionists and a restorative practices educator, as well as additional alternative learning programs.
“I am looking forward to carrying on with a high level of collaboration among our administrators and educators, and these achievements would not be possible without their efforts and commitment,” Principal Galligan said. “We will continue working to build on our foundational success and continue our development in these areas in order to foster an inclusive school culture, a sense of belonging and high levels of support for staff, students and families.”
“Principal Galligan has been an innovator for our high school and an asset to the district as a whole, and this is just a small sampling of his accomplishments and impact over the past few years,” Superintendent Thomson said. “I am pleased to see him recognized for his work and dedication to our Norwood High School students and staff, and congratulate him on this honor.”
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