Foundations of Visionary Leadership

School Culture

Diana Stein

ADMIN/510

June 20, 2016

Russ Cornell

CAPE #1: Developing and Articulating a Vision of Teaching and Learning 

for the School Consistent With the Local Education Agency’s Overall Vision and Goals

 

Introduction

            School culture is built on shared values, beliefs, and practices. It is strong enough to sustain the inevitable change that it will face due to its organic nature. Change is important, ongoing, and necessary to meet the needs of all of our learners. Learning is a continual process for all, teachers included. Every member of the group needs to own the need for change, the directions for change, and what the shared focus will be. This will be continually measured through learning outcomes, vertically and horizontally utilizing professional capacity to the fullest extent. This is done through:

•          site-based decision making, (Part I)
•          creative problem solving, (Part II)
•          action planning, (Part III)
•          professional learning communities, (Part IV)
•          shared leadership, and (Part V)
•         change process. (Part VI)

The purpose of this exploration is to suggest proven strategies to move the goals of shared vision and focus forward. This may mean getting out of our comfort zones to produce second order for sustainable change. It will require a deep desire and commitment to make the necessary changes knowing that teaching is no longer done in isolation to (1) establish goals and expectations, (2) use resources strategically, (3) ensure quality teaching, (4) lead teacher learning and development, and (5) ensure an orderly and safe environment (Robinson’s Five Domains).

Part I

Site-Based Decision Making: Leading Teacher Learning and Development
by Kim Lindley, Director of Staff Development, Capistrano Unified School District, San Juan Capistrano, California

1. Developing and Articulating a Vision of Teaching and Learning for the School Consistent With the Local Education Agency’s Overall Vision and Goals

•  What must we stop doing in order to move forward with our goals?
• What must we continue doing in order to ensure success with our goals?
•  What must we start doing in order to reach our goals?

      (“School Reform Mini Initiative Alphabetical List 2”, YYYY)

2.  Developing a Shared Commitment to the Vision Among All Members of the School Community 

•  School leader as an instructional leader to bridge and connect information to teachers clearly and cohesively to unify systemic change.
• Instructional architect teams to create climate and culture that supports learning with focus on student achievement.
• School leader works with teacher leaders to develop and plans steps for personalized staff development and training.

3. Leading by Example to Promote Implementation of the Vision

• The Principal is the catalyst that supports that learning for all.
• Embrace each stage of staff development (e.g., seminars, traditional workshops, embedded into staff curriculum and support, coaches in the classroom etc.) a continuum that assists teachers as they truly implement changes over time.
• Frame the links and connections for change as a puzzle and how these pieces fit together for sustainable change that is systematic, rigorous, and deep. Guide staff development with measurable goal setting individually and collectively, building in time for reflection (e.g., How do we implement this change? Is it measurable? Did students meet these goals?) 
• Enhance culture and climate of the school from the top down, evaluating 
•  “What’s working? What’s not?” This is done through continuous learning for all, recognizing that these efforts take place outside of school hours. Value this professional development by allowing time for this within the school week, or offer credits as stipend payment for documented efforts.

4. Sharing Leadership with Others in the School Community to Help Accomplish the Vision

“In reality to be a PLC - it takes the top leadership all the way down to the classroom teachers - having a shared vision and mission is key with a focus on building trust and capacity of teachers, as well as, a focus on student learning” (Russ Cornell, University of Phoenix).

•  Creating Personal Learning Communities (PLC’s), constantly collaborating and analyzing what the impact for student learning outcomes are. 
• Common focus remains on student achievement when building effective systems for students to learn.
•  Develop a common baseline of information so that the rigor of the changes taking place extends across the instructional leaders and the administrators so that the collective focus remains on the unified vision.
• Focus on what strategies are truly effective and remain flexible about what environmental changes need to occur to improve learning outcomes, with everyone coming together, empowered to create these changes. (“School Reform Initiative”, YYYY)

 “Building Vision/Goals and Excellence in the Management of Personnel by Secondary School Principals” (2012) stated:

Schools are likely to be more successful in achieving in depth learning when school principals work with personnel and the community to build a collective educational vision that is clear, compelling and connected to teaching and learning. This vision will help them focus attention on what is important and will motivate personnel and even students, and increase their sense of shared responsibility. Bamburg (1994) describes a school vision as an image of what the school can and should become. He stressed that it is embedded in values, hopes, and dreams. He added that, goals and objectives are more specific and concrete. They are derived from the vision, and can be used to focus on change and improvement efforts. Mission he concluded, are still more specific and often defines what the school is trying to accomplish and for whom.

Vision therefore, is a mental image of a possible and desirable future state of the organization. It could also be described as the leader’s ambition of the organization. If a vision conveys an ideal, it communicates a standard for excellence and a clear choice of positive values.

Part II

Creative Problem-Solving

Teachers need time to meet on a regular and scheduled basis in order to come to decisions that will drive and promote growth. Critiques must be open-minded, positive, and proactive in moving the vision along. The influence of positivity of key team members is contagious. Fear is dissolved by direction and support. Critical elements of getting buy-in include understanding what the personal gains will be from being an agent of change. The journey involves stretching and being a little uncomfortable at times.
This will take grit to get through. Getting out of our comfort zones takes support, tools, and resources to move through. The impact of reaching through to the next level closer to the end goal is deeply satisfying and becomes its own reward. My role as principal is to enable others to take the lead and bring their expertise into action: to lead having power with each other, rather than having power over others. This needs to be modeled and invested into every person on every level of the organization. This exchange is sincere, transparent, and empowering. In these ways school improvement becomes part of daily practice (“School Reform Initiative”, YYYY).

Part III

Action Planning

Assessment drives instruction; likewise data drives the actions of planning. A dialog, among any number of people, brings ownership to the emerging new ideas. 

This (dialog) will make possible a owning of meaning in the whole group, out of which will emerge some new understanding. It’s something new, which may not have been in the starting point at all. It’s something creative. And this shared meaning is the ‘glue’ or ‘cement’ that holds people and societies together (Bohm, D., 1990).

Vital Ingredients for Data Driven Dialog

•  Muti-faceted process
• Priorities must be determined
• Data must be analyzed
• Priorities and challenges must be identified
• Success indicators must be outlined
• Accountability issues must be defined (external and internal, e.g., high school exit exam)
• Blend what worked well before with new directives. Praise first, redirect second. Change takes time.
• Determine resources: money, time, and people
• Consider research and best practices
• Curriculum coaches embedded into the classroom

Developed by the Teacher Development Group, 2002.
Based on work presented by Nancy Love, author of “Using Data/Getting Results,” 2002.

(“Data Driven Dialog”, YYYY)

Phases for Data Driven Dialog

Phase I Predictions

Surfacing perspectives, beliefs, assumptions, predictions, possibilities, questions, and expectations. This time is spent thinking privately:

•      I assume...
•       I predict...
•        I wonder...
•       My questions/expectations are influenced by...
•       Some possibilities for learning that this data may present...

Phase II Go Visual Step-by-Step Guide to Re-Create the Data Visually
(“School Reform Initiative”, YYYY)
This step in the process is to use with educators in illuminating two data sets. There is not a presenter in this process.

1. Getting Started. The facilitator reminds the group of norms and shares each step outlined below.

2. Examining Data Set #1. The facilitator distributes data set #1 and offers time to examine (length to be determined based on the volume of data). (5-10 minutes)

3. Describing Data Set #1. The facilitator asks, “What do you see?” In rounds, participants offer statements about the data, avoiding judgments and interpretations, using directionality words wherever possible (e.g., “on page 2, I see,” “In the third column, I see”). (7 minutes)

4. Interpreting Data Set #1. The facilitator asks, “What wonderings do you have about the data?” In rounds, participants offer “I wonder statements” that can be charted. (7 minutes)

5. Examining Data Set #2. The facilitator distributes data set #2 and offers time to examine (length to be determined based on the volume of data). (5-10 minutes)

6. Describing Data Set #2. The facilitator asks, “What do you see?” In rounds, participants offer statements about the data, avoiding judgments and interpretations, using directionality words wherever possible (e.g., “on page 2, I see,” “In the third column, I see”). (7 minutes)

7. Interpreting Data Set #2. The facilitator asks, “What wonderings do you have about the data?” In rounds, participants offer, “I wonder statements” that can be charted. (7 minutes)

8. Identifying Intersections and Dissonances. The facilitator offers time for the group to talk together about what intersections are evident in the data and what dissonances arise from the data. This information can be charted. (10 minutes)

9. Debrief (3 minutes)

Phase III Observations
Analyzing the data for patterns, trends, surprises, and new questions that “jump” out.

Phase IV Inferences
Generating hypotheses, inferring, explaining, and drawing conclusions. Define new actions and interactions and the data needed to guide their implementation. Building ownership for decisions.

Part IV

Resourcing Strategically: Professional Learning Communities

Time and resources must be allocated to allow teachers to self-reflect and then choose a path for personal professional development and transformation through outside avenues (online, local workshops, degree programs, etc.). The vision comes into focus the more we understand about how we are each personally connected to it. That takes energy and commitment. 

Leading a Professional Learning Community could include the following structure:

•  Horizontal conversations – by grade level, 1x per week
•  Vertical conversations – by subject/content area (e.g., literacy, 1x per week  (every teacher is assigned to one of 3 vertical teams)
•  Candid conversations – Principal has candid conversations with people individually and in groups
•       Teachers Supporting Teachers– Small Learning Communities of different grade levels sharing their work together. Discussions are comfortable, candid, and no hierarchy is involved.
• Instructional Coach and Principal Review w/ Individual teachers (vertical dialog): (1) Design structure and protocol on how to effectively engage all learners. (2)Share ideas, share students samples, for the sole purpose of raising student-learning results.
• Curriculum Mapping in alignment with standards across grade levels insures scaffolded instruction across the grade levels. (Ongoing) (Educational Impact, YYYY)

The Principal’s role in leading a Professional Learning Community

            Culture, the values and beliefs of the learning leaders, move the Professional Learning Community (PLC) into truly learning professionally together. Understanding what the purpose is, what roles are played individually (as well as collectively), and what resources are available creates a common language that unifies and leads to clear communication. When the goals and objectives are finely tuned to the needs of the students, teaching is potentially precisely targeted.

            The Principal and Instructional Coach will build capacity amongst all PLC members by training each member on how to constructively and effectively coach each other. “Skillful teaching requires skillful modeling on leadership skills. Clearly defined goals must be measureable, as well as flexible to adjust to the students’ needs. All steps for improvement of teaching must flow directly from the analysis of data, and then it is the response of how we meet those needs of the students as we guide them to new ends” (Bob Schultz, Principal, Heritage Middle School, Westerville, Ohio).

(Educational Impact, YYYY)

Part V

Shared Leadership: Ensuring Quality Teaching

“…the necessity for a vision to guide principals to facilitate intellectual simulation to ensure that teachers have quality work-embedded opportunities to expand, enhance and refine their instructional skills” (Leithwood, Leonard, & Sharratt, 1998; Kurland et al., 2010). 

    Teachers, as well as students, are required to be much more rigorous and flexible in finding not only the answers to the given problems, but also skilled in analyzing the context much more closely to be able to find the next questions/problems for themselves. This mirrors the Double-Loop Learning, because we’re problem solving and problem finding.
     “Synergy is provided through diversity, and complexity is given more in-depth attention. Everyone contributes a piece of the knowledge from his or her own particular way of thinking or perspective. The pieces of the puzzle are put together, and we view the whole” (Ereh, et al, p. 39, 2012).
     “Not only is the quality of decision influenced by thinking styles, but organizational position, grade level, and educational setting are additional factors that, when blended together, provide a basis for producing stronger decisions. In more recent years, there has been more emphasis placed on increasing the breadth of input in decision-making groups” (Ereh, et al, p. 40, 2012).

Part VI

The Change Process

I have observed that in order for transformation to occur organization wide, small, consistent, metamorphosis needs to be happening throughout every level, every direction, and within every person of the systems in place. The key word in that seems to be “systems.” This translates to cohorts of professional learning communities working collaboratively to support the sharing of best practices in alignment toward the shared goals. This means working smarter, not harder. When teachers work together utilizing each other’s knowledge, intelligence and energy human and social capacity are most efficiently put into action. This sounds easier than it actually is; the biggest hurdles seem to be ego and grit.

The relationship between building the school vision and goals is directly dependent upon the excellence of the site principal’s leadership. It is of central importance that the principal encourages capacity building programs, leadership training especially as aligned with methodologies and pedagogies to meet the needs of the diverse range of learners. Well-planned, well-defined steps will positively impact student achievement.

If we change our minds we will also change our actions. Throughout the whole process we need to be focused on what’s best for the students, and then link those intentions to our deeply rooted shared values and beliefs. Trust is the necessary driver for transformation. If we can picture it, we can achieve it, together.

(Creative Commons Image)

Conclusion

Capacity, climate, community, and quality instruction are inseparable. The relationship between the school’s vision and professional development will directly influence the school’s culture. The practice of building in time for capacity building, shared leadership, professional learning communities, and creative problem solving will positively drive students’ learning results. The impact of positive leadership, horizontally as well as vertically, cannot be underestimated. Collaborative teaching is built on trust, founded on hope, and nourished by change for the greater good.

References

Building Vision/Goals and Excellence in the Management of Personnel by Secondary School Principals. (2012, April). International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 2(4), 154-161. Retrieved from http://hrmars.com/admin/pics/705.pdf Educational Impact. (YYYY). Retrieved from https://www.educationalimpact.com/programs/programs/activity/SLToolbox_03b_01/

Data Driven Dialog. (YYYY). Retrieved from http://schoolreforminitiative.org/doc/data_driven_dialogue.pdf Smart Goals Can Sometimes Be Dumb. (2015, January). Forbes, 01(08). Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/markmurphy/2015/01/08/smart-goals-can-sometimes-be-dumb/#2a899151142c

Educational Impact (YYYY). Instructional Leadership [Video file]. Retrieved from Educational Impact website: https://www.educationalimpact.com/programs/programs/activity/InstLead_07a_01/

Educational Impact (YYYY). The Principal’s role in leading a Professional Learning Community [Video file]. Retrieved from Educational Impact website: https://www.educationalimpact.com/programs/programs/activity/InstLead_07a_02/

Ereh, C. E., Okon, J. E., & Uko, E. (2012). Building vision/goals and excellence in the management of personnel by secondary school principles. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 2(4), 154-161.    

Fullan, M. (2014). The principal: Three keys to maximizing impact. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences April 2012, Vol. 2, No. 4 ISSN: 2222-6990

Leithwood, Leonard, & Sharratt, 1998; Kurland et al., 2010

School Reform Initiative. (YYYY). Retrieved from http://schoolreforminitiative.org/doc/data_mining.pdf

School Reform Mini Initiative Alphabetical List 2. (YYYY). Retrieved from http://www.schoolreforminitiative.org/protocol-alphabetical-list-2/

Ubben, G. C., Hughes, L. W., & Norris, C. J. (2016). The principal: Creative leadership