TM
SCHOOL LEADERSHIP THAT WORKS
Leadership for a
Culture of Learning
Chris Briggs-Hale
Senior Consultant, McREL
November 2004/CRB
© McREL 2004 Do not copy without
permission
TM
SCHOOL LEADERSHIP THAT WORKS
The Professional Learning
Community
It is time to recognize
that there is no magic
bullet. Programs and
materials do not bring
about change, people
do.
- Richard DuFour and
Timothy Berkey
November 2004/CRB
© McREL 2004 Do not copy without
permission
TM
SCHOOL LEADERSHIP THAT WORKS
Pair Share:
What obstacles stand in the way of
your ability to lead mathematics
reform for high levels of student
performance?
November 2004/CRB
© McREL 2004 Do not copy without
permission
SCHOOL LEADERSHIP THAT WORKS
TM
Turning to the Experts:
Teachers
• Why is our hard work not paying off?
• What do we believe? What is our
vision?
• What do teachers really need?
• How can we restructure our resources
to provide what they need?
November 2004/CRB
© McREL 2004 Do not copy without
permission
TM
SCHOOL LEADERSHIP THAT WORKS
Understand the magnitude of
change.
Lead change of this magnitude.
November 2004/CRB
© McREL 2004 Do not copy without
permission
LEADERSHIP
Variables
LEADERSHIP
School
Guaranteed and Viable Curriculum
Challenging Goals and Effective Feedback
Parent and Community Involvement
Safe and Orderly Environment
Collegiality and Professionalism
LEADERSHIP
SCHOOL LEADERSHIP THAT WORKS
TM
Understanding the Magnitude of Change…
Teacher Instructional Strategies
Classroom Management
Curriculum Design
Student
Home Environment
Learned Intelligence and Background Knowledge
Student Motivation
LEADERSHIP
(Marzano, 2000)
November 2004/CRB
© McREL 2004 Do not copy without
permission
TM
SCHOOL LEADERSHIP THAT WORKS
Instruction
Curriculum
November 2004/CRB
© McREL 2004 Do not copy without
permission
•Unpack standards and benchmarks
•Sort into procedural and declarative categories.
RANK CONTENT BY PRIORITY AND DETERMINE
APPROPRIATE EMPHASIS.
SCHOOL LEADERSHIP THAT WORKS
TM
IDENTIFY THE CONTENT
COMPARE THE CONTENT AND
ARTICULATE ACROSS THE GRADE LEVELS
Compare with: national standards,
other exemplar states, state level testing
frameworks, local curriculum, curriculum
and assessment materials, and district standards.
DETERMINE EXPECTED COGNITIVE
AND PERFORMANCE LEVELS
for each benchmark.
Identify the
appropriate
instructional
Strategies.
DEVELOP AND ALIGN FORMATIVE AND
SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENTS.
DETERMINE THE TIME
REQUIRED TO ACHIEVE PROFICIENCY
IN THE IDENTIFIED ESSENTIAL CONTENT.
GUARANTEED (ESSENTIAL) AND VIABLE CURRICULUM
November 2004/CRB
Kendal, 2003
Marzano, 2003
Marzano, R. J. & Pickering, D. J., 1997
© McREL 2004 Do not copy without
permission
SCHOOL LEADERSHIP THAT WORKS
TM
Leading a Change of This Magnitude…
6 Big Findings
1. The effect size of general leadership
2. Specific leadership responsibilities and
practices with statistically significant effects on
achievement
3. Strong leaders do not always have a positive
effect on achievement.
4. Two major factors: general leadership and
change leadership
5. Responsibilities with positive correlations to
leadership of 2nd order change.
6. Responsibilities with negative correlations to
leadership of 2nd order change.
November 2004/CRB
© McREL 2004 Do not copy without
permission
SCHOOL LEADERSHIP THAT WORKS
TM
Leading a Change of This Magnitude…
Leadership
Responsibilities/Practices
Through the research we identified:
* 21 leadership responsibilities and
* 66 leadership practices
. . . each of which has a statistically significant
relationship to student achievement.
November 2004/CRB
© McREL 2004 Do not copy without
permission
TM
SCHOOL LEADERSHIP THAT WORKS
Difference in Leadership Ability
November 2004/CRB
© McREL 2004 Do not copy without
permission
TM
SCHOOL LEADERSHIP THAT WORKS
Difference in Student Achievement
November 2004/CRB
© McREL 2004 Do not copy without
permission
TM
SCHOOL LEADERSHIP THAT WORKS
Characteristics of Change With
1st & 2nd Order Implications
First Order
Second Order
An extension of the past
A break with the past
Within existing paradigms
Outside
of existingthe
paradigms
Building
CAPACITY
to re-invent the
Complex
way we do
business
Nonlinear
in MATHEMATICS
Consistent with prevailing norms, values Conflicts with prevailing norms, values
Incremental
Linear
Implemented with existing
knowledge/skills
Implemented by experts
November 2004/CRB
Requires new knowledge/skills
Implemented by stakeholders
© McREL 2004 Do not copy without
permission
TM
SCHOOL LEADERSHIP THAT WORKS
Leadership Responsibilities Positively
Associated with 2nd Order Change
Responsibilities
Intellectual
Stimulation
Change
Agent
Monitors/
Evaluate
November 2004/CRB
Practices
•Keeps informed about current research & theory regarding effective
schooling
•Continually exposes staff to cutting edge ideas about how to be effective
•Systematically engages staff in discussions about current research &
theory
•Continuously involves the staff in reading articles & books about
effective practices
•Consciously challenges the status quo
•Is comfortable with leading change initiatives with uncertain outcomes
•Systematically considers new & better ways of doing things
•Monitors & evaluates the effectiveness of curriculum, instruction, &
assessment
© McREL 2004 Do not copy without
permission
TM
SCHOOL LEADERSHIP THAT WORKS
Leadership Responsibilities Positively
Associated with 2nd Order Change
Responsibilities
Practices
Flexibility
•Is comfortable with major changes in how things are done
•Encourages people to express opinions contrary to those with
authority
•Adapts leadership style to needs of specific situations
•Can be directive or non-directive as the situation warrants
Ideals/ Beliefs
•Holds strong professional beliefs about schools, teaching, &
learning
•Shares beliefs about schooling, teachers & learning with staff
and parents
•Demonstrates behaviors that are consistent with beliefs
November 2004/CRB
© McREL 2004 Do not copy without
permission
TM
SCHOOL LEADERSHIP THAT WORKS
Leadership Responsibilities/Practices
Negatively Impacted by Second Order Change
Responsibilities
Practices
Culture
• Develops a shared vision of what the school could
be like
• Promotes a sense of well being
• Promotes cohesion among staff
• Promotes cooperation among staff
• Develops an understanding of purpose
Communication
November 2004/CRB
• Develops effective means for teachers to
communicate
with one another
• Is easily accessible to teachers
• Maintains open and effective lines of
communication with staff
© McREL 2004 Do not copy without
permission
TM
SCHOOL LEADERSHIP THAT WORKS
Leadership Responsibilities/Practices
Negatively Impacted by Second Order Change
Responsibilities
Practices
Order
• Establishes routines for running of the school that
staff understand and follow
• Provides and reinforces clear structure, rules and
procedures for staff
• Provides and reinforces clear structure, rules and
procedures for students
Input
• Provides opportunities for staff to be involved in
developing school policies
• Provides opportunity for input on all decisions
• Uses leadership team in decision making
November 2004/CRB
© McREL 2004 Do not copy without
permission
TM
SCHOOL LEADERSHIP THAT WORKS
The Professional Learning Community
…floats on a sea
of conversation.
Good
thinking…
Fear
Frustration
Feeling Incompetent
Distributed Leadership
November 2004/CRB
© McREL 2004 Do not copy without
permission
TM
SCHOOL LEADERSHIP THAT WORKS
Distributed Leadership
True forms of distributed leadership require that:
• The right work is completed by multiple
people working together regardless of
positional authority.
• Responsibilities and tasks, rather than people
in specific positions, guide and ground the
work.
November 2004/CRB
© McREL 2004 Do not copy without
permission
TM
SCHOOL LEADERSHIP THAT WORKS
Distributed Leadership
• Capitalizes on individual strengths to create a
common approach to improvement
• Creates an intentional shared responsibility for
accomplishing the right work, which in turn
creates internal accountability
• Increases the capacity to do the right work
November 2004/CRB
© McREL 2004 Do not copy without
permission
TM
SCHOOL LEADERSHIP THAT WORKS
Conversation is the natural way
we humans think together.
- Margaret Wheatley
November 2004/CRB
© McREL 2004 Do not copy without
permission
TM
SCHOOL LEADERSHIP THAT WORKS
Quality Conversations:
The Backbone of Professional
Development and Collaboration
• Quality conversations are governed by
purpose, mission, norms, and structures
• Quality conversations are focused on student
performance and are driven by a sense of
inquiry
• Quality conversations are embedded into the
schedule, culture, and budget of your school
November 2004/CRB
© McREL 2004 Do not copy without
permission
TM
SCHOOL LEADERSHIP THAT WORKS
If ten people are
conversing round a
table, the truth lies not
with any one of them,
but in the centre of the
table, between and
among the perspectives
of all ten.
- R. Brian Stanfield
November 2004/CRB
© McREL 2004 Do not copy without
permission
TM
SCHOOL LEADERSHIP THAT WORKS
Personal Lessons from a Rural
Community:
• Sustainable school reform will only result
by intentionally focusing on the
development of a culture of inquiry and
learning
• Sustainable school reform will only result
by leveraging the strengths and wisdom of
local people
• We are only as strong as our weakest link
• Silence does not equal consent
• Emotion is the engine of learning
November 2004/CRB
© McREL 2004 Do not copy without
permission
TM
SCHOOL LEADERSHIP THAT WORKS
After all, how do you hold a
hundred tons of water
in the air with
no visible means of support?
You build a cloud.
- K.C. Cole
November 2004/CRB
© McREL 2004 Do not copy without
permission
TM
SCHOOL LEADERSHIP THAT WORKS
References
Bridges, William. (1991). Managing transitions: making the most of change. Cambridge,
MA: Perseus Books.
Colorado Department of Education Model Mathematics Task Force. (1995, June 8). Colorado
model content standards for mathematics. Retrieved September 7, 2004, from
http://www.cde.state.co.us/cdeassess/standards/pdf/math.pdf
Colorado Department of Education. CSAP assessment frameworks. Retrieved September 7,
2004, from http://www.cde.state.co.us/cdeassess/csap/frameworks/index.htm
Colorado Department of Education. Colorado student assessment program (CSAP) item
maps. Retrieved September 7, 2004, from
http://www.cde.state.co.us/cdeassess/csap/asitemmap_index.htm
Cortez-Ford, Evelyn. “Promoting student success through teacher leadership and
communication.” Draft, November, 2003. Aurora, CO: McREL.
DuFour, Richard, and Berkey, Timothy. “The principal as staff developer.” Journal of Staff
Development, Fall 1995 (Vol. 16. No. 4), National Staff Development Council, 1995, from
http://www.nsdc.org/library/publications/jsd/jsddufour.cfm
Guiney, E. (2001). Coaching isn't just for athletes. Phi Delta Kappan, 82(10), 740-743.
Kendall, J.S. & Snyder, C. (2003) Finding the time to learn: A guide. Retrieved September
7, 2004, from http://www.mcrel.org/topics/productDetail.asp?productID=148
Marzano, R. J. & Pickering, D. J.(1997). Dimensions of learning, Teacher’s Manual.
Alexandria, VA: Association for
November 2004/CRB
© McREL 2004 Do not copy without
permission
TM
SCHOOL LEADERSHIP THAT WORKS
References
Marzano, R. J. & Pickering, D. J.(1997). Dimensions of learning, Teacher’s Manual.
Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) &
Aurora, CO: Mid-continent Regional Educational Laboratory (McREL).
Marzano, R. J. (2000). A new era of school reform: Going where the research takes us.
Aurora, CO: Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning.
Marzano, R. J. (2003). What works in schools: Translating research into action. Alexandria,
VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Richardson, Joan. “When teachers work together, knowledge and rapport grow.” Tools For
School, August-September 2001. National Staff Development Council. From,
http://www.nsdc.org/members/tools/tools8-01.pdf
Sparks, Dennis. “Why change is so challenging for schools: An interview with Peter Senge.”
Journal of Staff Development, Summer, 2001 (Vol. 22, No. 3) National Staff
Development Council, 2001. From,
http://www.nsdc.org/library/publications/jsd/senge223.cfm
Stanfield, R. Brian (Ed.) (2000). The art of focused conversation: 100 ways to access group
wisdom in the workplace. Gabriola Island, British Columbia: New Society Publishers.
Wheatley, Margaret J. (2002). Turning to one another: simple conversations to restore hope
to the future. San Francisco: Berrett-Khehler Publishers, Inc.
Wheatley, Margaret J. (1994). Leadership and the new science: Learning about organization
from an orderly universe. San Francisco: Berrett-Khehler Publishers, Inc
November 2004/CRB
© McREL 2004 Do not copy without
permission