Principal Directed Collaborative Planning in the Elementary School (original) (raw)
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Purpose: This study examines learning, and both cognitive and behavioral change among a sample of randomly assigned urban principals, half of whom participated in a sustained, district-based professional development program (DPD). Research Methods: Latent class analyses of daily log data, qualitative typology development, and case studies of change provide a rich portrait of the learning and change process. Findings: Few dramatic transformations of practice. Instead, principals attributed to the DPD a gradual refinement of existing practice through a process that allowed them to "break down" declarative knowledge to better understand its consequences for their work, but also provided knowledge structures, tools, and routines for reintegrating ideas from the program into strategically valuable procedural
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Principals can play a key role in improving instruction and student achievement. The Institute of Education Sciences conducted a random assignment study of a professional development program for elementary school principals to support state and local efforts to improve school leadership. The program focused on helping principals conduct structured observations of teachers' classroom instruction and provide targeted feedback. It provided nearly 200 hours of professional development over two years, half of it through individualized coaching. Key findings include: • Despite substantially increasing the amount of professional development principals received, the program did not affect student achievement or most teacher or school outcomes. For example, the professional development did not affect school climate or principal retention. • The program did not have the intended effects on principal practices that it targeted, which may explain its lack of effects on key student, teacher, and school outcomes. For example, it decreased the frequency of instructional support and feedback teachers received from principals, and it did not affect the number of teacher observations principals conducted or the usefulness of the feedback as reported by teachers. A number of studies suggest that principals can be critical to the success of their schools. i Perhaps because of this, the recent reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act gives states and districts flexibility to use federal funds to support principal leadership. For example, states and districts can use these funds to provide principals with professional development on observing classroom instruction, providing feedback to teachers, and using evaluation results to inform decisions about teachers' professional development and retention. Principal professional development programs use different approaches to improve principals' performance, but there is limited research to guide their design and use. The only previous large-scale random assignment study of intensive principal professional development found that the McREL Balanced Leadership Program-which focuses on 21 leadership responsibilities-had limited effects on principals' practices and no effects on student achievement. ii However, some less rigorous studies of the National Institute for School Leadership's Executive Development program-which focuses on strategic thinking, coaching teachers, and driving and sustaining transformation-have found more positive effects. iii To expand the available evidence on ways to improve principals' performance and student achievement, the U.S. Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences conducted a rigorous, large-scale evaluation of a specific approach to principal professional development. This approach sought to improve three areas of principals' practices: 1. Instructional leadership: Helping teachers improve instruction by observing teachers, using data from observations to provide feedback, and selecting curricula. 2. Human capital management: Developing teachers and other staff by recruiting, managing, and retaining effective teachers and arranging professional development tailored to their needs. 3. Organizational leadership: Developing the school as an organization by setting a school mission, improving school climate and culture, and deploying resources aligned with strategic goals. The Department competitively selected the Center for Educational Leadership (CEL) at the University of Washington to deliver the professional development program. At that time, CEL's program was in wide use-it had implemented customized versions of its principal professional development in more than 100 school systems across nearly 30 states. Although CEL's program included aspects of all three of the areas listed above, it emphasized instructional leadership. The program encouraged principals to conduct frequent classroom observations and document what teachers and students did and said in the classroom using a nonjudgmental, fact-based approach. An instructional framework and observation rubric guided principals' observations and documentation. iv The program asked principals to use this documentation to provide feedback to teachers. This emphasis was based on evidence suggesting the importance of principals using observation results and providing feedback to help improve the quality of teachers' instruction. v (See Appendix A for more
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In order to better serve our nation's youth, educational leadership preparation programs must be willing to transform current preparation practices. This paper emphasizes the need to develop high quality school leaders to successfully create and sustain necessary changes in schools. The dynamic transformation of a principal preparation program, which stemmed from a university-district collaborative, is discussed in detail. Key areas of the transformation and partnership are shared, such as the foundational needs, the stakeholders involved, the course sequence redesign, the course and syllabi revision process, the co-teaching model, the internship, culminating experience, and current funding sources. Finally, conclusions and recommendations for transforming principal preparation program partnerships to support all children.
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Educational Research Review, 2020
The instructional leadership role is one of the most critical and necessary roles of a school leader to promote students' learning. However, it is a common notion that the principal solely is the instructional leader in a school. Thus, this paper aims to discover who else works as an instructional leader and how an instructional leadership team can be formed. Findings from a semi-systematic literature review show that the principal is not alone the instructional leader in a school. Instead, he/she is the leader of the instructional leadership team, and the assistant principals and the content experts are the members of this team. Moreover, the paper also finds that the principal's role is critical to forming an instructional leadership team for the students' better academic outcomes. Key words: Instructional leader, principal, teaching-learning, learners, instructional leadership team, school.
The Role of Principals in Professional Learning Communities
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The purpose of this article is to identify how principals shape the adoption and implementation of professional learning communities. The study employed a sequential mixed-methods approach in which interviews, observations, and document analysis informed survey design. Teachers were surveyed in four elementary schools about the practices and supports they received in grade-level professional learning communities. Qualitative and survey data reveal that principals influence both what teachers undertake in professional learning communities and how well they carry out these activities. The study was limited to a small sample of only four schools in two districts and relied primarily on principal and teacher self-reports. More work is needed to explore the role of principals in a broader sample as well as the relationship between district and building leadership. Findings are discussed in terms of what actions principals can undertake to sustain meaningful professional communities. This article provides guidance on how principals can influence and support teacher collaboration. Research and practice suggest that professional learning communities (PLCs) can serve as mechanisms to change the culture of the school and support instructional improvement (DuFour, 2003; Hord, 1997; Kruse, Seashore Louis, & Bryk, 1994). PLCs were originally conceived as structured time for classroom teachers to work collaboratively to develop their practice and share their wisdom. As McLaughlin and Talbert (2007) explain, "Learning communities provide opportunities for reflection and problem solving that allow teachers to construct knowledge based on what they know about students' learning and evidence of their progress" (p. 5). Given PLCs' focus on instruction, classroom teachers often make up the majority of PLC membership. Although school-wide PLCs are not uncommon, many grade-level meetings have been recast as PLCs to enhance instructional planning and professional development of classroom teachers. PLCs provide valuable time for teachers to jointly review student achievement data, develop lesson plans, share successful instructional strategies,