What Principals and District What Principals and District Leaders are Learning About Leaders are Learning About

Instructional LeadershipInstructional LeadershipAnthony A. Byrd, Ed.D.Anthony A. Byrd, Ed.D.

Assistant SuperintendentAssistant Superintendent

Teaching and Learning DivisionTeaching and Learning Division

Edmonds School DistrictEdmonds School District

Presentation at WERAPresentation at WERA

December 4, 2008December 4, 2008

ContextContext

Washington districtWashington district 20,000 students20,000 students 24 elementary schools24 elementary schools 71.1% white, 13.9% Asian; 7.7% Latino; 5.8% 71.1% white, 13.9% Asian; 7.7% Latino; 5.8%

African-American; 1.5% American-IndianAfrican-American; 1.5% American-Indian 27% free and reduced lunch27% free and reduced lunch Leaders with a wide range of experienceLeaders with a wide range of experience

Research QuestionsResearch Questions

What are principals and district leaders What are principals and district leaders learning about instructional leadership in the learning about instructional leadership in the context of a district reform effort?context of a district reform effort?

What district practices support or inhibit What district practices support or inhibit principals’ learning about instructional principals’ learning about instructional leadership?leadership?

How can this study inform district How can this study inform district administrators regarding principals’ administrators regarding principals’ professional learning?professional learning?

The Problem of PracticeThe Problem of Practice

Districts will not close achievement gaps until Districts will not close achievement gaps until classroom instruction improvesclassroom instruction improves

Schools must have exceptional instructional Schools must have exceptional instructional leaders who understand changeleaders who understand change

District leaders must understand how to District leaders must understand how to support principals within these contextssupport principals within these contexts

The LiteratureThe Literature

Instructional leadershipInstructional leadership

District professional development for District professional development for principalsprincipals

Dynamics of change within educational Dynamics of change within educational organizationsorganizations

Defining Instructional LeadershipDefining Instructional Leadership

Creation of vision (Leithwood and Riehl, 2003)Creation of vision (Leithwood and Riehl, 2003) Understand powerful instruction (Stein and Nelson, Understand powerful instruction (Stein and Nelson,

2003)2003) Support professional development to meet the Support professional development to meet the

instructional goals instructional goals Provide opportunities for reflection (Schon, in Blasé Provide opportunities for reflection (Schon, in Blasé

and Blasé, 1999)and Blasé, 1999) Provide quality feedback to teachers (Blasé and Provide quality feedback to teachers (Blasé and

Blasé, 1999)Blasé, 1999)

Why district leadership mattersWhy district leadership matters

““We join a growing number of researchers and We join a growing number of researchers and analysts who conclude that, for better or analysts who conclude that, for better or worse, districts matter fundamentally to what worse, districts matter fundamentally to what goes on in schools and classrooms and that goes on in schools and classrooms and that without effective district engagement, school-without effective district engagement, school-by-school reform efforts are bound to by-school reform efforts are bound to disappoint.” disappoint.”

- McLaughlin and Talbert, 2003, p. 5- McLaughlin and Talbert, 2003, p. 5

The Role of District LeadersThe Role of District Leaders

Clear focus on instruction (Resnick and Glennan, 2002)Clear focus on instruction (Resnick and Glennan, 2002)

Understand the instruction they want to see (Resnick and Understand the instruction they want to see (Resnick and Glennan, 2002)Glennan, 2002)

Strong learning community at district level (McLaughlin and Strong learning community at district level (McLaughlin and Talbert, 2003)Talbert, 2003)

Understand what schools need (Burch and Spillane, 2003)Understand what schools need (Burch and Spillane, 2003)

How districts can be supportiveHow districts can be supportive

Routine and centralized learning opportunities Routine and centralized learning opportunities for principals (Elmore and Burney, 1997)for principals (Elmore and Burney, 1997)

Provide opportunities for collaboration (CFGs, Provide opportunities for collaboration (CFGs, intervisitations, walkthroughs) (Wagner, intervisitations, walkthroughs) (Wagner, Kegan, et al., 2006)Kegan, et al., 2006)

On-site principal coaching (Fink and Resnick, On-site principal coaching (Fink and Resnick, 2001)2001)

Why this is all so hardWhy this is all so hard

““If familiarity breeds contempt, unfamiliarity If familiarity breeds contempt, unfamiliarity breeds rejection. No one warmly seeks, let breeds rejection. No one warmly seeks, let alone embraces, significant intellectual and alone embraces, significant intellectual and personal change.” - personal change.” - Sarason, 1996, p. xiiSarason, 1996, p. xii

Change often affects a person’s sense of worth Change often affects a person’s sense of worth of competence, because change may imply of competence, because change may imply something is wrong with the current state something is wrong with the current state (Bolman and Deal, 2003; Evans, 1996)(Bolman and Deal, 2003; Evans, 1996)

What makes change possibleWhat makes change possible The political will (Tyack and Cuban, 1995)The political will (Tyack and Cuban, 1995) Creating a sense of urgency (Kotter, 2002)Creating a sense of urgency (Kotter, 2002) Significant interruption of the current state of affairs Significant interruption of the current state of affairs

(Sarason, 1990, 1996)(Sarason, 1990, 1996) Trust and relationships (Bryk and Schneider, 2002; Trust and relationships (Bryk and Schneider, 2002;

Barth, 2001)Barth, 2001) Vision (Kotter, 2002)Vision (Kotter, 2002) A clear theory of improvement (Elmore, 2004)A clear theory of improvement (Elmore, 2004) Involvement of those affected (Sarason, 1996)Involvement of those affected (Sarason, 1996) Learning in context (Elmore, 2004)Learning in context (Elmore, 2004)

The research contextThe research context District concerned about student performance in District concerned about student performance in

literacyliteracy Build teacher capacity to teach effective literacy Build teacher capacity to teach effective literacy

practicespractices Build principal capacity to lead the workBuild principal capacity to lead the work Focus on the workshop structureFocus on the workshop structure If teacher leaders and principals understand specific If teacher leaders and principals understand specific

content, and principals learn how to integrate that content, and principals learn how to integrate that content at the site level, effective practices will root content at the site level, effective practices will root themselves in classrooms and student learning will themselves in classrooms and student learning will improve.improve.

The Collaborative Literacy ProjectThe Collaborative Literacy Project

Principals and teachers learning side-by-side Principals and teachers learning side-by-side in content sessions led by PEBCin content sessions led by PEBC

Cross-classroom/cross-building observationsCross-classroom/cross-building observations Instructional coachesInstructional coaches Principal leadership sessions (some)Principal leadership sessions (some)

MethodologyMethodology

Action researchAction research Qualitative case study approachQualitative case study approach Searching for a “thick description” (Merriam, Searching for a “thick description” (Merriam,

1998)1998) Nine district staff and one consultantNine district staff and one consultant Purposeful sampling/maximum variation Purposeful sampling/maximum variation

(Merriam, 1998)(Merriam, 1998) Four schoolsFour schools

Data Collection/AnalysisData Collection/Analysis

InterviewsInterviews ObservationsObservations Document and artifact studyDocument and artifact study Within/cross-case analyses (Merriam, 1998)Within/cross-case analyses (Merriam, 1998) Member checks (Mills, 2005)Member checks (Mills, 2005)

FindingsFindings

The importance of assessmentThe importance of assessment

The positive impact of content-loading and The positive impact of content-loading and teacher observationsteacher observations

The importance of central office leadershipThe importance of central office leadership

The power of contextThe power of context

The Importance of AssessmentThe Importance of Assessment

Disconnect between vision and action planDisconnect between vision and action plan

Lack of clarity about instructional needs of principalsLack of clarity about instructional needs of principals

Varying definitions of instructional leadershipVarying definitions of instructional leadership

Limited knowledge about principals’ effectiveness at Limited knowledge about principals’ effectiveness at instructional leadershipinstructional leadership

The positive impact of content-The positive impact of content-loading and teacher observationsloading and teacher observations

““The content loading sessions have really The content loading sessions have really helped. I have more craft knowledge now to helped. I have more craft knowledge now to provide the professional development we provide the professional development we need.” need.” - principal- principal

““It is always nice to go out and do the site It is always nice to go out and do the site observations, as it provides a visual of what observations, as it provides a visual of what the instruction should look like.” the instruction should look like.” - principal- principal

The Importance of The Importance of Central Office LeadershipCentral Office Leadership

VisionVision- “It would be great if we had one set way we - “It would be great if we had one set way we were headed as a system. That way all of this work were headed as a system. That way all of this work would tie together.” would tie together.” - principal- principal

Central office leadership-Central office leadership- “I would love to have my “I would love to have my assistant superintendent sit down with me every assistant superintendent sit down with me every couple of weeks and say, okay, let’s start planning couple of weeks and say, okay, let’s start planning some professional development.” some professional development.” - principal- principal

Support structures for principals-Support structures for principals- “Principals need “Principals need more time to talk about how to lead the work in their more time to talk about how to lead the work in their buildings. They need more time to hear from other buildings. They need more time to hear from other principals.” principals.” - principal- principal

The Power of ContextThe Power of Context

““The principals are all over the place, just like The principals are all over the place, just like in the classroom. We have a handful of in the classroom. We have a handful of principals who are really working to try to do principals who are really working to try to do the work and some, for whatever reason, are the work and some, for whatever reason, are not.” not.” - district leader- district leader

““Every school is so different. Every principal Every school is so different. Every principal is so different in what they know and what is so different in what they know and what they feel comfortable with and what they they feel comfortable with and what they admit they want to know.” admit they want to know.” - literacy coach- literacy coach

A reflectionA reflection

““Fundamental changes in patterns of Fundamental changes in patterns of incentives occur not by engaging in ambitious, incentives occur not by engaging in ambitious, discontinuous reforms, but rather by pushing discontinuous reforms, but rather by pushing hard in a few strategic places in the system of hard in a few strategic places in the system of relations surrounding the problem and relations surrounding the problem and carefully observing the results.” – Elmore, carefully observing the results.” – Elmore, 2004, p. 292004, p. 29

ImplicationsImplications

Understand what is needed in the first place Understand what is needed in the first place (Bolman and Deal, 2003)(Bolman and Deal, 2003)

Central office leaders might spend more time Central office leaders might spend more time in buildings with principals- learning contextin buildings with principals- learning context

Create a definition instructional leadershipCreate a definition instructional leadership Create a instructional leadership self-Create a instructional leadership self-

assessment toolassessment tool Have a strong district vision around instructionHave a strong district vision around instruction

Limitations of this studyLimitations of this study

Short data collection timelineShort data collection timeline

Mixed levels of contact with principalsMixed levels of contact with principals

I worked in this district- biasI worked in this district- bias

Small sample sizeSmall sample size

Questions for further studyQuestions for further study

What would a prolonged study of the research What would a prolonged study of the research questions I put forth for this project indicate questions I put forth for this project indicate about the work of instructional leadership?about the work of instructional leadership?

Would a larger, survey-based study of all Would a larger, survey-based study of all principals give a broader picture?principals give a broader picture?

What would an outside expert see?What would an outside expert see? What would a deeper look at just one aspect of What would a deeper look at just one aspect of

this study reveal?this study reveal?

A final thoughtA final thought

Generally, districts spend more time with the Generally, districts spend more time with the bureaucratic management of the system that with the bureaucratic management of the system that with the “instructional core.” (Elmore, 2002)“instructional core.” (Elmore, 2002)

““Direct involvement in instruction is among the least Direct involvement in instruction is among the least frequent activities performed by administrators of any frequent activities performed by administrators of any kind at any level, and those who do engage in kind at any level, and those who do engage in instructional leadership activities on a consistent basis instructional leadership activities on a consistent basis are a relatively small proportion of the total are a relatively small proportion of the total administrative force.” (Elmore, 2004, p. 17)administrative force.” (Elmore, 2004, p. 17)