KASB leadership services
have been traveling around the state working with boards, superintendents, and
principals. We have been involved in many great discussions about “school
improvement” the past few weeks. From training on boardsmanship and
strategic planning to working with district administrators focused McREL’s
Balanced Leadership and Evaluations a common theme is apparent. School
districts that are using a big picture, systems approach to student achievement
are starting to see the benefits of their efforts.
So what does leadership
of school district look and feel like when done from a systems perspective?
Alignment
Alignment is often
referred to when we talk about the curriculum and instruction. We focus
on gaps or redundancies within the system, resulting in unprepared
students. This alignment is critical for students, but there is alignment that
also must reflect the board’s vision to impact the work happening in
classrooms. The board sets a vision and adopts policy consistent with the
needs and expectations of the school district stakeholders. The district
administrative team along with the board aligns actions and resources to make
that vision happen. Then building administrators and teachers work within
an established framework to focus on the necessary steps to accomplish the
vision set by the board. The results of alignment are consistent
expectations throughout the system around instruction and achievement, common
vocabulary and processes within the system creating a defined sense of the
work to be done.
Leadership Teams Engaged in Continual Learning
Peter Senge in the the Fifth
Discipline book, discussed the three critical dimensions of team learning;
1) teams must think insightfully about complex issues-What is your
process for asking the right questions to engage your team in some critical
thinking about current issues in education?, 2) there is the need for
innovative, coordinated action-How does your system inspire innovation to
meet the needs of a changing student and community population?, 3) continually
foster the development other learning teams to develop within the organization-What
structures are established to develop a collaborative culture between
building principals and teachers focused on student success?
Systemic Monitoring and Evaluation
How do we know if we are
making progress if we never look at where we are going? School districts
have to develop a culture around monitoring, reviewing, and evaluating all
aspects of the system. We encourage leaders to formalize a process to
frequently revisit goals, and outcomes to determine if they are tracking
towards the desired vision. School districts consistently establish goals
that clarify what they would like to accomplish, but often they are overlooked
in the day to day challenges of running a school system. It’s important
that leaders maintain a constant focus on the mission and goals.
Outreach
When a district has a
clear sense of why they exist and where they want to be in the future,
advocating for support and resources within your community becomes an easier
sale. Yes, I said sale! The recent controversy surrounding the
“common core standards” is a perfect example of the importance of outreach.
Educators did a wonderful job of sharing information and communicating
within our circles. We were much less effective when it came to the
community, politicians, and other stakeholders about sharing our ideals and
beliefs. As leaders we must “paint the picture” and share a vision of how
each of our students benefit when the school district continues to improve and
innovate.
Take the Long View
As we are living through
major shifts in the educational landscape, we start to focus on the individual
initiatives and the timelines to get them implemented. If we are not
careful, focusing on isolated initiatives, leads us toward disconnected
systems, because the people impacted by the initiatives do not have the
opportunity to understand how “it” fits with the overall direction of the
system. We have to continually assist individuals impacted by the
initiative to step back and survey the horizon to show them where and how these
changes merge towards the common vision and direction that has been established
by the board.
As educational leaders
we must always take the time to explain “why” what we do is so important for
students. A clear understanding of the systems approach will benefit our
schools and communities as we make decisions for the future.
