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The Principals Role as a Leader of Learning -Critical Element Paper #4 Presented to the Department of Educational Leadership and Postsecondary Education University of Northern Iowa -In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Master of Arts in Education or Advanced Studies Certificate -by Deborah F. Cleveland AEA PD Online Johnston, Iowa 1/31/2014 -Dr. Charles McNulty

Critical Elements: The Principals Role as a Leader of Learning

Introduction What does the research say? In Linking Leadership to Student Learning (Leithwood and Louis, 2012, Chap. 6) an analysis of a larger study was examined to answer three questions: 1. What does instructional leadership look like to teachers? 2. Are teachers reports of instructional leadership similar in substance to what principals have to say about instructional leadership? 3. Does instructional leadership look different at the elementary and secondary level? The analysis was carried out using both quantitative and qualitative data. The quantitative data was gathered by looking at 17 questions from a survey. Ten of the questions were focused on Instructional Ethos, the tone or culture in a building that supports professional learning. These ten questions made up what the analysis identified as Factor 1. Seven additional questions focused on instructional actions or the steps administrators take to engage with teachers about their professional growth (factor 2). The qualitative data was comprised of interview of 20 principals and 86 teachers. Teachers were asked: 1. What role does your principal play in guiding and supporting your work in classrooms? 2. How often does the principal observe or visit your classroom? 3. What kind of feedback or suggestions does the principal give you to help you improve your instruction? Principals were asked:

Critical Elements: The Principals Role as a Leader of Learning 1. Tell me about the last time you visited a classroom. What was the purpose of the visit? Describe what you were looking for. 2. What communication did you have with the teacher before, during, and after the visit? 3. How do you know that changes are being made to instruction? 4. How often do you visit classrooms?

Principals whose teachers rated them in the top 20% in one or both factors were labeled high scoring. Principals whose teacher rated them in the bottom 20% in one or both factors were labeled low scoring. The analysis showed that there was a significant difference between schools with principals in the top 20% and the bottom 20%. Specifically, there were five elementary and five secondary schools whose principals scored high in factor 1 and had high achievement in mathematics. It is also important to note that three elementary schools and eight secondary schools who had scored low in factor 1 had low student achievement in mathematics (Leithwood and Louis, 2012, Chap. 6). While not definitive, the study hints at the conclusion that schools that have leadership that score low in factors 1 or 2 appear to have lower student performance and than schools who have principals that score high in factors 1 or 2. What skills, knowledge, and dispositions are required of principals who seek to facilitate their own professional growth and development, as well as that of teachers and students? Leithwood and Louis (2012, Chap. 6) suggest two areas that must be the foci of a leader of learning. The first is referred to as Instructional Ethos or the culture in a building that

Critical Elements: The Principals Role as a Leader of Learning supports professional learning. The second is Instructional Action or the explicit steps a principal takes to engage with individual teachers about their growth. Instructional Ethos speaks to the dispositions that a leader of learning must possess in order to build a culture of professional growth. It begins with the principal having a vision and belief that all students can achieve at a high level. This vision results in the principal having a focus on providing high quality programing to all students and a commitment to staying the course until the job is done (Leithwood & Louis, 2012, chap. 6). It isnt a question about will student achievement improve? but rather how will we improve student achievement? A principals disposition will only go so far when establishing a culture of professional growth. To successfully establish this culture, the principal must possess the skills and knowledge to build consensus around the mission of helping all students achieve at a high level secure community support for the schools improvement efforts promote leadership among teachers ensure wide participation in decisions about school improvement efforts support struggling teachers recruit and higher quality teachers for all students Instructional action is also part of being a leader of learning. Leaders who take instructional action must first and foremost believe that high quality instructional leadership and high quality classroom instruction are linked and that together they impact student learning. Leaders must also believe that all teachers can learn and grow. These beliefs will

motivate leaders to gain an awareness of teaching and learning that is occurring in their school.

Critical Elements: The Principals Role as a Leader of Learning They can develop this awareness by looking at lesson plans, attending team meetings, and

frequently visiting classrooms with the explicit purpose of making formative observations about teaching and learning. They will meet with teachers to provide feedback about their observations and discuss instructional issues. Leaders of learning must also provide time for teachers to collaborate, identify and provide resources to help staff improve, and empower teachers to learn and grow by providing them with differentiated learning opportunities. What does ISSL require of principals as leaders of Learning? Iowas Standards for School Leaders explicitly call form many of the dispo sitions, skills, and knowledge required of a leader of learning. Most of those connections can be made to Standard 2: Instructional Leadership. This standard states, an educational leader promotes the success of all students by advocating, nurturing, and sustaining a school culture and instructional program conducive to student learning and professional development (School Administrators of Iowa, 2007, p. 1). It asks principals to 1. address culture 2. build a climate of caring and trust by recognizing staff and student accomplishments 3. encourage the design of effective learning experiences for students 4. be involved in the monitoring and evaluation of curriculum/instruction/assessment 5. provide ongoing coaching for improvement and professional development opportunities to develop teaching 6. use research/theory to develop professional growth plans 7. promote collaboration 8. be accessible, approachable, visible, and engaged with all stakeholders

Critical Elements: The Principals Role as a Leader of Learning

Items 1, 2, 3, and 6 are directly related to instructional ethos, while items 4, 5, 7, and 8 connect to instructional actions. Perhaps the greatest difference between Leithwood and Louiss, leader of learning and standard 2 is that standard 2 includes language like monitor and evaluate. What actions have I taken as an aspiring leader that demonstrates my functioning as a Leader of Learning? How will I build on these actions as a Leader? Beginning in 2007, I had the opportunity to support the implementation of Authentic Intellectual Work (AIW). The AIW Iowa initiative provide professional development to improve the quality of teaching to help students: Develop higher order thinking Demonstrate complex understanding of significant disciplinary concepts And engage in work that has meaning and value beyond school. -Center for AIW 2010 As an AIW coach, I met with teams of teachers, administrators, and area education agency (AEA) consultants. Each time we met, we examined assessment tasks, student work, or classroom instruction and scored them with the AIW standards. The purpose was not to connect numerical scores to what we were analyzing, but to use the scores as a catalyst for a deep conversation about the AIW standards and what we were analyzing. By engaging in this conversation, the team collectively deepened their understanding of what higher order thinking, disciplined inquiry, and value beyond school look like in practice. As an AIW coach I had very focused and meaningful conversations about the authentic quality of assessment tasks, student work, and instruction with teachers.

Critical Elements: The Principals Role as a Leader of Learning

As I look to my future as a Leader of Learning, I will use much of the knowledge and many of the skills I gained as an AIW coach. I will use the knowledge I gained around what higher order thinking, disciplined inquiry, and value beyond school to craft a shared vision for what high quality learning opportunities look like. Perhaps one of the biggest takeaways was how to build a culture where teachers were not afraid to share their practice with a group and have focused discussion around about it. A leader of learning must be empathetic, able to think flexibly, and willing to let other voices in the conversation be heard. He or she must carefully consider when it is or is not the right time to ask the hard questions; while at the same time not allow the focus of the conversation drift off into things that will not help improve learning. A leader of learning must into these conversations believing in the positive intent of teachers and that teachers want to do what is best for students. I am confident that my experience as an AIW coach has prepared me to address instructional ethos and take instructional actions within a school system.

References Center for Authentic Intellectual Work. (2010). AIW Project Brief. St. Paul, MN. Leithwood, K. & Seashore, K. (2012). Linking Leadership to Student Learning. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. [Kindle Version]. Retrieved from Amazon.com. School Administrators of Iowa. (Nov. 2007). Iowa Standards for School Leaders. Retrieved from www.sai-iowa.org.