ESD Regional Workshop
Year 2
Workshop 1
Participant Handout Packet
Washington State Leadership Academy
Year 2  Workshop 1
How Does the Leadership Academy
Expect to Support / Develop Effective Leaders?
 WSLA curriculum reflects a commitment to connecting KNOWLEDGE TO PRACTICE
 WSLA views leadership for learning as a collaborative, systemic model of knowledge, skills,
and behaviors
 WSLA workshops are designed to provide new knowledge and skills, to reflect on practice,
and to initiate plans
 WSLA has developed a list of the Academy Critical Content, Expected Outcomes, Expected
Leadership Behaviors, and expected Coaching Support
WSLA Participant Norms
We will:
• Always treat each other with respect
• Actively listen to each other
• Encourage everyone to fully participate
• Be respectful of time and perspectives of others
• Stay focused, involved, and productive
• Be committed to be here ready to work ‐ on time and with little distraction
• Set our goals high and plan for ways to meet those goals
• Find ways to celebrate our success, for others and for ourselves
• Have fun and enjoy the time with our peers
GOALS for the Day:
We will:
1. Refocus our Academy work for the second year
2. Refresh the leadership needed for the implementation of the Academy work in the
second year
3. Continue to examine the implementation of our Teaching and Learning Framework
4. Deepen our understanding of the Problem of Practice (POP), Theory of Action (TOA),
Evidence of Progress (EOP), and Cycle of Inquiry (COI) and their relationship to our work
5. Determine our team’s growth in the first year of WSLA.
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Washington State Leadership Academy
Year 2  Workshop 1
WASHINGTON STATE LEADERSHIP ACADEMY
PROBLEM OF PRACTICE
How can we create and lead a system that ensures
effective instruction for all students, integrates multiple
initiatives; i.e., Common Core, TPEP, Smarter
Balanced…, and results in sustained high levels of
learning?
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Washington State Leadership Academy
Year 2  Workshop 1
Team Time:
1. What do you hope to accomplish this year?
2. How does the work you hope to accomplish align with the data you and your
colleagues have reviewed in developing your Theory of Action?
3. Why is the work you will be doing this year the right focus for your district?
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Washington State Leadership Academy
Year 2  Workshop 1
TEAM TIME:
What steps does our WSLA team need to take this year to move forward on the
WSLA Rubrics?
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Washington State Leadership Academy
Year 2  Workshop 1
Elmore’s Seven Principles for Instructional Core Improvement
With your district colleagues, discuss each of the following concepts from Elmore’s work – be
prepared to share your thoughts.

In summary, many forces in the name of “improvement” often pull the focus away from
the Instructional Core. If this focus is lost, true instructional improvement is unlikely.

We learn to do the work by doing the work, not by making more and more policies
about the work, not by spending money on the next new idea about the work, not by
asking people to do what they demonstrably do not know how to do and pretending
that they do.

What’s more, we don’t progress by claiming that things are getting better when one
part of the distribution is improving and other parts are staying the same or getting
worse. Focusing on the instructional core of teachers and students in the presence of
content can be learned and practiced at progressively higher levels of skill and
knowledge.
Now, with your district colleagues, answer the questions below – again, be prepared to share
your thoughts.

How does the Instructional Core affect our work and how does the Instructional Core
directly apply to our POP/TOA?

What evidence do we have that we are focusing our work on the Instructional Core?

Do we have the right steps in our Theory of Action to make a significant change in the
learning for all of our students?

What do our staff members need to learn?
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Washington State Leadership Academy
Year 2  Workshop 1
Cycle of Inquiry
What evidence are we looking for?
Who will be looking for the data? When?
When will we be analyzing/interpreting the information? When?
How will we share the results of what is found with others: the board, the community and
the staff?
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Washington State Leadership Academy
Year 2  Workshop 1
Assignment
Due date:
Please send an electronic copy to your instructors and coach two
weeks before the next workshop.
We will send our homework to our instructors by:______________________
The first written assignment for second year participants is focused on identifying
and assessing evidence of progress.
Directions:
Teams are asked to write a brief (2-3 page) team reflection on the following
questions:
1. What specific evidence will you be gathering and analyzing this year?
2. What action steps have you taken since last June?
3. What results have you seen from you action steps so far?
Our team will meet on:________________________________________
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