What does YOUR principal do that exemplifies instructional leadership? Or not?
In a few weeks I will be working on my first and second chapters.It got me thinking about instructional leadership? What is it? What is it NOT? What do you WISH they would do?
So let’s hear it from a few of you. What does YOUR principal (or others) do to lead instruction in your school?
Your comments will be shared and then discussed and commented on in class on this forum.
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Tags: instructional leadership · leadership for instruction · principals · school leaders
Sunday, April 25, 2010
The Importance of School Culture for Instructional Leadership
In 1989, Smith and Andrews suggested that there were ten attributes essential for principals who display strong instructional leadership. The attributes are:
1. Places priority of curriculum and instruction issues;
2. Is dedicated to the goals of the school and school district;
3. Is able to rally and mobilize resources to accomplish the goals of the district and school;
4. Creates a climate of high expectations in the school, characterized by a tone of respect for teachers, students, parents, and the community;
5. Functions as a leader with direct involvement in instructional policy;
6. Continually monitors student progress toward school achievement and teacher effectiveness;
7. Demonstrates commitment to academic goals, shown by the ability to develop and articulate a clear vision or long-term goals for the school;
8. Effectively consults with others by involving the faculty and other groups in the school decision processes;
9. Effectively and efficiently mobilizes resources such as materials, time, and support to enable the school and its personnel to most effectively meet academic goals.
10. Recognize time as a scarce resource and creates order and discipline by minimizing factors that may disrupt the learning process.
Sergiovanni suggested that there are leadership forces for instructional leadership; Bossert, Dwyer, Rowan, and Lee (1982) presented the sequence of variable that impact each other leading to instructional leadership; and Smith and Andrews (1989) suggested that there are ten attributes of the leader that impact instructional leadership. In 2002, McEwan provided a different perspective of leadership suggesting that there are seven steps to effective instructional leadership. McEwan’s perspectives have some bases in the work of Bennis (1989), Nanus, and Sergiovanni. The following are the seven steps proposed by McEwans (2002):
• Establish clear instructional goals;
• Be there for your staff;
• Create a school culture and climate conducive to learning;
• Communicate the vision and mission of your school;
• Set high expectations;
• Develop teacher leaders; and
• Maintain positive attitudes toward students, staff and parents.
McEwan (2002) also proposed an Instructional Leadership Behavioral Checklist that has thirty indicators; there are several indicators for each of the seven steps (See Appendix A for a copy of the Leadership Behavioral Checklist). The checklist can be used in a variety of ways: (1) to self-assess present instructional leadership levels; (2) to gain information from members of the faculty regarding perceptions of leadership; (3) to help the leader to set goals for improving instructional leadership, and (4) to help the leader evaluate progress toward meeting the goals of becoming a true instructional leader.
Zapeda (2003) viewed instructional leadership as instructional supervision aligned with classroom observations and professional development for teachers; she said that it is not a linear, lockstep process. Zapeda (2003) presented a model in which instructional supervision, staff development, and teacher evaluations are unified. In this cyclic process, clinical supervision (pre-observation conferences, observations, and post-observations) is coupled with a differentiated form of supervision. The principle aligned with differentiated supervision is that teachers are granted autonomy in deciding which additional methods (in addition to the classroom observations) will be used to assess the teacher’s performances.
As instructional leaders, school leaders should provide opportunities for teachers to work together on the basis of needs linked to what is observed by school leaders in classroom observations. Study groups, learning clusters, and mentoring are some of the informal mechanisms for teachers to work together. On the basis of observations, school leaders can identify strengths and weaknesses of teachers, which lead to which teachers can serve as mentors and which teachers need mentors. Opportunities should also be provided for formalized professional development (Zapeda, 2003).
The results of the professional development- both formal and informal should be evident in classrooms as school leaders continue the cyclic process of observing classrooms. The additional important principle is that the professional development opportunities that teachers engage in should lead to individual goal setting for teachers which leads to professional development. Schools leaders should engage in conducting teacher observations and professional development opportunities in a cyclic manner; which aligns with the roles of instructional leadership. In this model, the alignment of professional development with the needs of teachers in the classroom is critical.
Culture and Its Implications to Instructional Leadership
The leadership traits, skills, and perspectives discussed throughout this paper address competencies and dispositions necessary for leaders to be effective. Effective leadership in schools in this era is linked to the leader’s ability to facilitate school improvement. The obvious core of school improvement is the role of the leader as an instructional leader; which is such a complex role. The teachers, staff members, students, and pertinent stakeholders have to “buy in” to the vision of the leader and to assist the leader in the implementation of school improvement. A variable that is directly related to school improvement and to the roles, skills, traits, and perspectives of the leader is the culture of the school.
Hoy and Miskel (2008) present several perspectives of culture. The 1968 Taiguiran Typology of Climate embraces culture as an integral part of climate. There are several theoretical perspectives that link culture and climate and/or demonstrate an interrelationship between culture and climate. Taiguri (1968) suggests that ecology (building characteristics, school size); mileu (student and teacher characteristics); social systems (social interactions); and culture (belief systems and values) are the four dimensions of climate. In addition to including belief systems and values of organizations/schools, Hoy and Miskel (2008) suggest that culture includes the norms, shared beliefs, rituals, and assumptions of organization.
An obvious goal for school leaders is for schools to develop and maintain strong cultures. Schools with strong cultures will have effective leadership with exceptional student performance. Deal (1985) identified eight attributes of effective schools with strong cultures:
1. Shared values and a consensus on “how we get things done around here.”
2. The principal as a hero or heroine who embodies core values.
3. Distinctive rituals that embody widely shared beliefs.
4. Employees as situational heroes or heroines.
5. Rituals of acculturation and cultural renewal.
6. Significant rituals to celebrate and transform core values.
7. Balance between innovation and tradition and between autonomy and control.
8. Widespread participation in cultural rituals.
1. Places priority of curriculum and instruction issues;
2. Is dedicated to the goals of the school and school district;
3. Is able to rally and mobilize resources to accomplish the goals of the district and school;
4. Creates a climate of high expectations in the school, characterized by a tone of respect for teachers, students, parents, and the community;
5. Functions as a leader with direct involvement in instructional policy;
6. Continually monitors student progress toward school achievement and teacher effectiveness;
7. Demonstrates commitment to academic goals, shown by the ability to develop and articulate a clear vision or long-term goals for the school;
8. Effectively consults with others by involving the faculty and other groups in the school decision processes;
9. Effectively and efficiently mobilizes resources such as materials, time, and support to enable the school and its personnel to most effectively meet academic goals.
10. Recognize time as a scarce resource and creates order and discipline by minimizing factors that may disrupt the learning process.
Sergiovanni suggested that there are leadership forces for instructional leadership; Bossert, Dwyer, Rowan, and Lee (1982) presented the sequence of variable that impact each other leading to instructional leadership; and Smith and Andrews (1989) suggested that there are ten attributes of the leader that impact instructional leadership. In 2002, McEwan provided a different perspective of leadership suggesting that there are seven steps to effective instructional leadership. McEwan’s perspectives have some bases in the work of Bennis (1989), Nanus, and Sergiovanni. The following are the seven steps proposed by McEwans (2002):
• Establish clear instructional goals;
• Be there for your staff;
• Create a school culture and climate conducive to learning;
• Communicate the vision and mission of your school;
• Set high expectations;
• Develop teacher leaders; and
• Maintain positive attitudes toward students, staff and parents.
McEwan (2002) also proposed an Instructional Leadership Behavioral Checklist that has thirty indicators; there are several indicators for each of the seven steps (See Appendix A for a copy of the Leadership Behavioral Checklist). The checklist can be used in a variety of ways: (1) to self-assess present instructional leadership levels; (2) to gain information from members of the faculty regarding perceptions of leadership; (3) to help the leader to set goals for improving instructional leadership, and (4) to help the leader evaluate progress toward meeting the goals of becoming a true instructional leader.
Zapeda (2003) viewed instructional leadership as instructional supervision aligned with classroom observations and professional development for teachers; she said that it is not a linear, lockstep process. Zapeda (2003) presented a model in which instructional supervision, staff development, and teacher evaluations are unified. In this cyclic process, clinical supervision (pre-observation conferences, observations, and post-observations) is coupled with a differentiated form of supervision. The principle aligned with differentiated supervision is that teachers are granted autonomy in deciding which additional methods (in addition to the classroom observations) will be used to assess the teacher’s performances.
As instructional leaders, school leaders should provide opportunities for teachers to work together on the basis of needs linked to what is observed by school leaders in classroom observations. Study groups, learning clusters, and mentoring are some of the informal mechanisms for teachers to work together. On the basis of observations, school leaders can identify strengths and weaknesses of teachers, which lead to which teachers can serve as mentors and which teachers need mentors. Opportunities should also be provided for formalized professional development (Zapeda, 2003).
The results of the professional development- both formal and informal should be evident in classrooms as school leaders continue the cyclic process of observing classrooms. The additional important principle is that the professional development opportunities that teachers engage in should lead to individual goal setting for teachers which leads to professional development. Schools leaders should engage in conducting teacher observations and professional development opportunities in a cyclic manner; which aligns with the roles of instructional leadership. In this model, the alignment of professional development with the needs of teachers in the classroom is critical.
Culture and Its Implications to Instructional Leadership
The leadership traits, skills, and perspectives discussed throughout this paper address competencies and dispositions necessary for leaders to be effective. Effective leadership in schools in this era is linked to the leader’s ability to facilitate school improvement. The obvious core of school improvement is the role of the leader as an instructional leader; which is such a complex role. The teachers, staff members, students, and pertinent stakeholders have to “buy in” to the vision of the leader and to assist the leader in the implementation of school improvement. A variable that is directly related to school improvement and to the roles, skills, traits, and perspectives of the leader is the culture of the school.
Hoy and Miskel (2008) present several perspectives of culture. The 1968 Taiguiran Typology of Climate embraces culture as an integral part of climate. There are several theoretical perspectives that link culture and climate and/or demonstrate an interrelationship between culture and climate. Taiguri (1968) suggests that ecology (building characteristics, school size); mileu (student and teacher characteristics); social systems (social interactions); and culture (belief systems and values) are the four dimensions of climate. In addition to including belief systems and values of organizations/schools, Hoy and Miskel (2008) suggest that culture includes the norms, shared beliefs, rituals, and assumptions of organization.
An obvious goal for school leaders is for schools to develop and maintain strong cultures. Schools with strong cultures will have effective leadership with exceptional student performance. Deal (1985) identified eight attributes of effective schools with strong cultures:
1. Shared values and a consensus on “how we get things done around here.”
2. The principal as a hero or heroine who embodies core values.
3. Distinctive rituals that embody widely shared beliefs.
4. Employees as situational heroes or heroines.
5. Rituals of acculturation and cultural renewal.
6. Significant rituals to celebrate and transform core values.
7. Balance between innovation and tradition and between autonomy and control.
8. Widespread participation in cultural rituals.
Instructional Leadership and Professional Development
“Leadership could be considered the single most important aspect of effective school reform.”Robert Marzano, Educational consultant
Leadership matters, as Robert Marzano clearly states above, in order for high school reform to be successful and sustainable.
Jim Collins, a business consultant and author of the best-selling book Good to Great, puts it another way. “Great vision without great people is irrelevant,” he writes. To illustrate his point, Collins uses as an analogy a bus filled with employees.
“The executives who ignited the transformations from good to great,” Collins writes, “did not first figure out where to drive the bus and then get people to take it there. No, they first got the right people on the bus (and the wrong people off the bus) and then figured out where to drive it.”
The good-to-great leaders understand three simple truths, Collins explains.
“First, if you begin with who, rather than what, you can more easily adapt to a changing world. If people join the bus primarily because of where it is going, what happens if you get ten miles down the road and you need to change direction? You’ve got a problem. But if people are on the bus because of whom else is on the bus, then it’s much easier to change direction: ‘Hey, I got on this bus because of who else is on it; if we need to change direction to be more successful, fine with me.’
“Second, if you have the right people on the bus, the problem of how to motivate and manage people largely goes away. The right people don’t need to be tightly managed or fired up; they will be self-motivated by the inner drive to produce the best results and to be part of creating something great.
“Third, if you have the wrong people, it doesn’t matter whether you discover the right direction; you still won’t have a great company.”
While the bus analogy is used in a business context, it also applies to high school reform. In order to change the culture under which schools have long operated, they need a vision. But, most importantly, schools require a team of teachers who are committed to developing a vision and working together with other teachers to ensure that the vision is sustained.
Again, Great vision without great people is irrelevant.
Education consultants Rick DuFour and Doug Reeves assert that it’s a myth that high school reform can take place only until there is buy-in from everybody.
“The cycle of organizational improvement is not vision, buy-in and action,” Reeves writes in his book The Learning Leader, “ but rather vision, action, buy-in and more action.”
Behavior precedes belief. Therefore, Reeves concludes, “If you wait for people to have buy-in, be happy or change belief systems, then change will never happen.”
Each high school in Ventura County is different, with its own unique needs. So, we’re not advocating a one-size-fits-all plan for high school reform, but we are offering a one-size-fits-all process for reinventing high schools.
As we have covered in previous chapters, our high schools must change with the times in order for all students to be prepared to compete in an ever-changing global economy. And research by the National Staff Development Council has shown that leadership for change is most effective when:
-- It is carried out by a small group of educators with the principal serving as a strong cohesive force. The notion that an individual can affect change by sheer will and personality is simply not supported by research. Conversely, a leadership team that is too large risks becoming inert. A smaller group is more powerful in overcoming inertia. What is most important is that substantive change must be supported by both administrators and teachers.
-- The leadership team operates in such a way as to provide strong guidance while demonstrating great concern for those not on the team. The principals and leadership teams cannot micromanage their school, the views of all in the school must be considered.
-- It is characterized by specific behaviors that improve interpersonal relationships. Optimism provides hope, and honesty builds trust. Leadership teams are successful when members talk about the possibilities that exist at their school, not its limitations.
In schools that have restructured into Professional Learning Communities, the principal does not assume the primary responsibility for instructional leadership; that’s left to the teachers in the school who take on leadership roles. They help their colleagues by:
Supporting them through peer coaching.
Observing them in the classroom.
Conferring with them on teaching and learning.
Empowering them to make important decisions on their own.
Instructional leaders also promote professional growth by:
Studying literature and proven professional growth programs.
Supporting risk-taking, creativity and innovation.
Providing effective staff development programs.
Providing resources and time during the school day to aid collaboration.
Offering feedback and suggestions.
In addition, instructional leaders promote teacher reflection by:
Modeling and developing action research skills.
Having teachers ask questions about the school.
Using data to question, evaluate and critique teaching and learning.
Extending autonomy to teachers.
Developing a shared vision on the direction of the school.
Professional Development Standards
The National Staff Development Council is the largest non-profit professional association committed to ensuring success for all students through staff development and school improvement. The NSDC has developed a set of staff development standards, divided into three categories: context, process and content. They all are guided by the following three questions:
What are all students expected to know and be able to do?
What must teachers know and do in order to ensure student success?
Where must staff development focus to meet both goals?
Context Standards
Staff development that improves the learning of all students:
Organizes adults into learning communities whose goals are aligned with those of the school and district. (Learning Communities).
Requires skillful school and district leaders who guide continuous instructional improvement. (Leadership).
Requires resources to support adult learning and collaboration. (Resources).
Process Standards
Staff development that improves the learning of all students:
Uses disaggregated student data to determine adult learning priorities, monitor progress, and help sustain continuous improvement. (Data-Driven).
Uses multiple sources of information to guide improvement and demonstrate its impact. (Evaluation).
Prepares educators to apply research to decision making. (Research-Based).
Uses learning strategies appropriate to the intended goal. (Design).
Applies knowledge about human learning and change. (Learning).
Provides educators with the knowledge and skills to collaborate. (Collaboration).
Content Standards
Staff development that improves the learning of all students:
Prepares educators to understand and appreciate all students, create safe, orderly and supportive learning environments, and hold high expectations for their academic achievement. (Equity).
Deepens educators’ content knowledge, provides them with research-based instructional strategies to assist students in meeting rigorous academic standards, and prepares them to use various types of classroom
assessments appropriately. (Quality Teaching).
Provides educators with knowledge and skills to involve families and other stakeholders appropriately.
(Family Involvement).
We urge districts in Ventura County to create an environment in each of their schools that encourages educators to work together to help all students achieve to a higher level. We also recommend districts and schools to learn more about the strategies, principles and frameworks of Professional Learning Communities.
What Can I Do?
To ensure that all high school students gain maximum benefit from 21st Century high schools that emphasize instructional leadership and professional development, we recommend the following:
School Board members:
Hire and support superintendents who recognize the importance of building a strong team of leaders.
Institute policies for shadowing leaders in other school districts.
Invest in development of principals.
Work with superintendents to reconsider the job descriptions of principals so that they can focus on academics.
Superintendents and Assistant Superintendents:
Address the time element involved for a principal to build a strong team of leaders.
Develop a vision with achievable goals.
Invest in the professional development of principals.
Engage in shared learning by attending professional development opportunities with principals.
Participate in professional development put on by local universities and professional associations.
Establish forums to reduce isolation and share best practices.
Principals:
Encourage and support distributed leadership.
Take advantage of the expertise already on your campuses by creating opportunities for your leaders to shine.
Build relationships with the business community.
Participate in public forums to explain school’s goals.
Teachers and Counselors:
Actively participate in Data Teams and other site leadership teams.
Participate in developing power standards.
Create a professional development plan.
Actively participate in professional development opportunities and events.
Business Community:
Volunteer to spend time with your school leaders to better understand their challenges.
Volunteer your time and expertise by participating in Parent Teacher Student Association leadership teams.
Leadership matters, as Robert Marzano clearly states above, in order for high school reform to be successful and sustainable.
Jim Collins, a business consultant and author of the best-selling book Good to Great, puts it another way. “Great vision without great people is irrelevant,” he writes. To illustrate his point, Collins uses as an analogy a bus filled with employees.
“The executives who ignited the transformations from good to great,” Collins writes, “did not first figure out where to drive the bus and then get people to take it there. No, they first got the right people on the bus (and the wrong people off the bus) and then figured out where to drive it.”
The good-to-great leaders understand three simple truths, Collins explains.
“First, if you begin with who, rather than what, you can more easily adapt to a changing world. If people join the bus primarily because of where it is going, what happens if you get ten miles down the road and you need to change direction? You’ve got a problem. But if people are on the bus because of whom else is on the bus, then it’s much easier to change direction: ‘Hey, I got on this bus because of who else is on it; if we need to change direction to be more successful, fine with me.’
“Second, if you have the right people on the bus, the problem of how to motivate and manage people largely goes away. The right people don’t need to be tightly managed or fired up; they will be self-motivated by the inner drive to produce the best results and to be part of creating something great.
“Third, if you have the wrong people, it doesn’t matter whether you discover the right direction; you still won’t have a great company.”
While the bus analogy is used in a business context, it also applies to high school reform. In order to change the culture under which schools have long operated, they need a vision. But, most importantly, schools require a team of teachers who are committed to developing a vision and working together with other teachers to ensure that the vision is sustained.
Again, Great vision without great people is irrelevant.
Education consultants Rick DuFour and Doug Reeves assert that it’s a myth that high school reform can take place only until there is buy-in from everybody.
“The cycle of organizational improvement is not vision, buy-in and action,” Reeves writes in his book The Learning Leader, “ but rather vision, action, buy-in and more action.”
Behavior precedes belief. Therefore, Reeves concludes, “If you wait for people to have buy-in, be happy or change belief systems, then change will never happen.”
Each high school in Ventura County is different, with its own unique needs. So, we’re not advocating a one-size-fits-all plan for high school reform, but we are offering a one-size-fits-all process for reinventing high schools.
As we have covered in previous chapters, our high schools must change with the times in order for all students to be prepared to compete in an ever-changing global economy. And research by the National Staff Development Council has shown that leadership for change is most effective when:
-- It is carried out by a small group of educators with the principal serving as a strong cohesive force. The notion that an individual can affect change by sheer will and personality is simply not supported by research. Conversely, a leadership team that is too large risks becoming inert. A smaller group is more powerful in overcoming inertia. What is most important is that substantive change must be supported by both administrators and teachers.
-- The leadership team operates in such a way as to provide strong guidance while demonstrating great concern for those not on the team. The principals and leadership teams cannot micromanage their school, the views of all in the school must be considered.
-- It is characterized by specific behaviors that improve interpersonal relationships. Optimism provides hope, and honesty builds trust. Leadership teams are successful when members talk about the possibilities that exist at their school, not its limitations.
In schools that have restructured into Professional Learning Communities, the principal does not assume the primary responsibility for instructional leadership; that’s left to the teachers in the school who take on leadership roles. They help their colleagues by:
Supporting them through peer coaching.
Observing them in the classroom.
Conferring with them on teaching and learning.
Empowering them to make important decisions on their own.
Instructional leaders also promote professional growth by:
Studying literature and proven professional growth programs.
Supporting risk-taking, creativity and innovation.
Providing effective staff development programs.
Providing resources and time during the school day to aid collaboration.
Offering feedback and suggestions.
In addition, instructional leaders promote teacher reflection by:
Modeling and developing action research skills.
Having teachers ask questions about the school.
Using data to question, evaluate and critique teaching and learning.
Extending autonomy to teachers.
Developing a shared vision on the direction of the school.
Professional Development Standards
The National Staff Development Council is the largest non-profit professional association committed to ensuring success for all students through staff development and school improvement. The NSDC has developed a set of staff development standards, divided into three categories: context, process and content. They all are guided by the following three questions:
What are all students expected to know and be able to do?
What must teachers know and do in order to ensure student success?
Where must staff development focus to meet both goals?
Context Standards
Staff development that improves the learning of all students:
Organizes adults into learning communities whose goals are aligned with those of the school and district. (Learning Communities).
Requires skillful school and district leaders who guide continuous instructional improvement. (Leadership).
Requires resources to support adult learning and collaboration. (Resources).
Process Standards
Staff development that improves the learning of all students:
Uses disaggregated student data to determine adult learning priorities, monitor progress, and help sustain continuous improvement. (Data-Driven).
Uses multiple sources of information to guide improvement and demonstrate its impact. (Evaluation).
Prepares educators to apply research to decision making. (Research-Based).
Uses learning strategies appropriate to the intended goal. (Design).
Applies knowledge about human learning and change. (Learning).
Provides educators with the knowledge and skills to collaborate. (Collaboration).
Content Standards
Staff development that improves the learning of all students:
Prepares educators to understand and appreciate all students, create safe, orderly and supportive learning environments, and hold high expectations for their academic achievement. (Equity).
Deepens educators’ content knowledge, provides them with research-based instructional strategies to assist students in meeting rigorous academic standards, and prepares them to use various types of classroom
assessments appropriately. (Quality Teaching).
Provides educators with knowledge and skills to involve families and other stakeholders appropriately.
(Family Involvement).
We urge districts in Ventura County to create an environment in each of their schools that encourages educators to work together to help all students achieve to a higher level. We also recommend districts and schools to learn more about the strategies, principles and frameworks of Professional Learning Communities.
What Can I Do?
To ensure that all high school students gain maximum benefit from 21st Century high schools that emphasize instructional leadership and professional development, we recommend the following:
School Board members:
Hire and support superintendents who recognize the importance of building a strong team of leaders.
Institute policies for shadowing leaders in other school districts.
Invest in development of principals.
Work with superintendents to reconsider the job descriptions of principals so that they can focus on academics.
Superintendents and Assistant Superintendents:
Address the time element involved for a principal to build a strong team of leaders.
Develop a vision with achievable goals.
Invest in the professional development of principals.
Engage in shared learning by attending professional development opportunities with principals.
Participate in professional development put on by local universities and professional associations.
Establish forums to reduce isolation and share best practices.
Principals:
Encourage and support distributed leadership.
Take advantage of the expertise already on your campuses by creating opportunities for your leaders to shine.
Build relationships with the business community.
Participate in public forums to explain school’s goals.
Teachers and Counselors:
Actively participate in Data Teams and other site leadership teams.
Participate in developing power standards.
Create a professional development plan.
Actively participate in professional development opportunities and events.
Business Community:
Volunteer to spend time with your school leaders to better understand their challenges.
Volunteer your time and expertise by participating in Parent Teacher Student Association leadership teams.
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