Achievement Centered Leadership

Radisson Conference Center, Kalamazoo22-24 June 2016

Western Michigan University

A PROGRAM for PRINCIPALS and ASPIRING PRINCIPALS

1

Walter L. Burt, Ph.D., WMU Associate Professor

J. Mark Rainey, Ed.D., Education ConsultantD r . L o u a n n B i e r lein - P a l m e r

Module II : Distributive & Empowering Leadership:

Developing Teacher Leaders

Facilitated by

Dr. Louann Bierlein Palmer

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3Initial Self-Assessment Items

1) The majority of our teachers are involved in school leadership activities via

committees or other organizational structures.

2) We have an environment in which teachers feel very comfortable in offering

input on needed improvements.

3) The majority of our teachers engage in peer observations and feedback.

4) We have an environment in which teachers work together closely on school

improvement activities.

5) We have one or more fairly strong professional learning communities in place

within our school.

6) We have a culture of collective responsibility among all teachers and staff

within our school.

Quick Self-Assessment –

On a Scale of 1 (strongly disagree) to 6 (strongly agree), rate your school:

4L E A R N I N G O B J E C T I V E S

Session Objectives

1. Review the concepts and research supporting empowering and distributive leadership.

2. Understand several key methods for “distributing power.”

3. Complete application activities to assess your own organization’s status in key areas.

4. Generate ideas for one or more “empowering leadership” renewal activities for school year 2016/17 (and beyond).

5DTLDistributive & Empowering Leadership

What is Distributive & Empowering Leadership?

• The “sharing” of leadership with others, or sharing the “power of influence” which comes with leadership.

• Many different words are often used to describe a similar concept: shared leadership, collaborative leadership, empowering leadership

• Distributive leadership is not necessarily the “act” of distributing power, but the mindset (or perspective) a given leader takes about how to operate within a given organization (Spillane, 2006) .

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DTL Research & Leadership

• Leadership acts as a “driver” in building a school’s academic capacity, and research has found that a more team-oriented and collaborative approach to school leadership is directly linked with improved teaching and learning (Hallinger & Heck, 2010).

• Research is becoming very clear, that leadership and the appropriate “sharing” or distributing of power associated with leadership makes a difference (Leithwood, Mascall, & Straus, 2009; Marzano & Waters, 2009; Reeves, 2006).

Research on Distributive & Empowering Leadership Reveals…

7DTLTeacher Support

Research Reveals…

Research Reveals…

• However, it important to note that shared leadership is only “indirectly” related to student achievement.

• The power comes from helping teachers:

– Organize themselves into professional learning communities;

– Engage in reflective discussions about instruction;

– Participate in practitioner-focused action research; and

– Have a sense of collective responsibility for student learning (Louis et al., 2010)

Research Reveals…

8DTLEmpowering Creativity

How to Best Distribute Power

1. Finding and Empowering Teacher Leaders (& Removing

Barriers to Teacher Leadership)

2. Creating the Environment for Leadership Capacity (e.g.,

Professional Learning Communities)

9DIDMWMU-ELRT TRAINING WITH DIDM

99DTLTeacher Leaders’ Influence

Distributing Power: Finding & Empowering Teacher Leaders

Teacher leaders are teachers who successfully influence the behavior, beliefs, or actions of others thereby increasing the capacity for student achievement and success (Lester, 2008)

Such Teacher Leaders:

(1) lead within and beyond the classroom;

(2) contribute to a community of learners and leaders;

(3) influence others toward improved practice; and

(4) accept responsibility for achieving outcomes (Katzenmeyer & Moller, 2009).

10DTLTeachers’ Influence

Why Teacher Leadership?

• Research tells us to create teacher leaders (since teachers have a direct connection to learning outcomes)

• Tenure in schools for teachers is longer than most administrators.

• Demands of a building administrator today exceed time and expertise.

• Building administrators often have limited expertise in areas where teachers have fluency (e.g., curriculum content)

• Teachers are on the “in” when often times administrators are on the “out.”

1111DTLSustainable Opportunities

Research on Teacher Leadership has found:

• enhanced professional efficacy and retention of excellent teachers;

• less resistance to change as teacher leaders positively influence other teachers;

• more career enhancement and opportunities for self-improvement;

• enhanced accountability for results; and

• increased chances for sustainable reforms.

(Katzenmeyer & Moller, 2009; Lieberman & Miller, 2004; Mangin & Stoelinga, 2008).

1212DTLWhat Does the Field Say?

Principal's Viewpoint on Creating a

"Caring Community of Learners“

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMLy7HPaorY&NR=1

1313DTLTeacher Educational Approaches

Formal & Informal Teacher Leaders

“Informal” Positions

• Teachers of influence choosing NOT to leave classroom, but influencing others via

– Casual conversations

– Sharing teaching materials

– Facilitating professional development

– Peer coaching & mentoring

– Organizing action research groups

– Leading book studies

“Formal” Positions

- instructional coach,

- mentor,

- department chair

1414DTLObstacles

Barriers to Teacher Leadership

• Teachers often feel they do not have the knowledge and skills to lead other adults.

• Egalitarian norm of school cultures discourages teachers from drawing attention to themselves

• Strong “teacher identity” vs “administrator identity” (e.g., that is “their” job, not mine)

• Lack of resources and time for teachers to do more (over-reliance on a few teachers)

• Comfort of principal to really share power

1515DTLTeacher Leader Fears

Lots of Different “Fears” (Sanocki, 2013)

- Fear of negativity.- Fear of adult drama.

- Fear of being perceived as a kiss-up.- Fear of being perceived as false.

- Fear of being perceived as stupid.- Fear of being perceived as too friendly with administration.

- Fear of casting judgment on others.- Fear of failure; that people will not come on board.

- Fear of losing identity and connections with colleagues.- Fear of not being respected as a professional.

- Fear of not having the right amount of resources.- Fear of not making a difference.

- Fear of not making connections with kids.- Fear of not understanding the changes and evolution in education.

-- Fear of rejection.- Fear that others will think I want to be principal.

.

1616DTLOvercoming Fears

Yet, Fears Can Be Overcome (Sanocki, 2013)

Recommendations for Educational Leaders

Collaborate to build learning communities.

Provide a safe culture in which teacher leadership can thrive.

Collaborate to understand and minimize egalitarianism, seniority structures, and administrative gatekeeping.

Actively and safely discuss teacher leader introspection to reveal the fears and hopes of teacher leaders.

1717DTLCreating Leaders

And, There are Lots of Teacher Leaders to Be Found…

“Within every school there is a sleeping giant

of teacher leadership that can be a catalyst

for making changes to improve student

learning…. By helping teachers recognize that

they are leaders, by offering opportunities to

develop their leadership skills, and by

creating school cultures that honor their

leadership, we can awaken this sleeping giant

of teacher leadership” (Katzenmeyer &

Moller, 2009, pp. 2-3).

1818Developing Skillsets

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Adapted

Teacher Leadership Identification Activity

• Who are the Potential

Teacher Leaders in Your

School & What Specific

Skills Might Each Bring?

Thoughts to Consider

• Match the unique needs at your school with individual teachers who have potential for leadership

• Think about those who may have skills and talents yet to be discovered. Encourage them to help fill a niche in your school.

• Work to develop leadership roles for many teachers. Avoid calling on the same teachers and strive to discover new potential for leadership in your school.

1919DTLAssessments

Teacher Leader Assessment Tools

• Teacher Leadership Readiness Instrument - self-assessment tool for teachers to reflect upon their personal beliefs and strengths regarding their potential role as a teacher leader (see Attachment A).

• Teacher Leadership School Survey (TLSS) - tool for principals to gather information from all teachers in a building regarding the extent to which a culture of active teacher leadership is occurring (see Attachment B).

Source: Awaking the Sleeping Giant: Helping Teachers Develop as Leaders by Katzenmeyer and Moller (2009)

2020DTLProfessional Learning Community

Adapted

Distributing Power: Creating the Environment for Leadership Capacity

Professional Learning Communities Core Elements

• Shared and Supportive Leadership

• Shared Values and Vision

• Collective Learning and Application

• Shared Personal Practice (i.e., Peer Review & Feedback)

• Supportive Conditions – Relationships & Structures

2121DTLLearning Communities

Adapted 21

PCLs or Teachers Who are Simply Meeting?

• Many schools are now engaged in professional learning communities – but are they really PLC’s (or just teachers meeting together)?

• PCL Assessment Tool by Olivier, Hipp, & Huffman (2008).

• See Attachment C

2222DTLLeadership Capacity

Adapted.

Distributing Power: Creating the Environment for Leadership Capacity

• Essential to assess and enhance a school’s leadership capacity including

– the broad-based, skillful participation of teachers in the work of leadership,

– teachers’ understanding of sustainable school improvement (Lambert, 2003, 2006).

• The Leadership Capacity Framework includes of four possible school environments

– quadrant 1 involves low skillfulness and low teacher leadership participation levels,

– quadrant 4 involves high levels of both skillfulness and teacher leadership participation.

• Lambert notes that complex issues do not divide neatly into boxes, and schools may find themselves in more than one box.

2323DTLLeadership Capacity Framework

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Quadrant 1

Principal as autocratic manager

Limited (one-way) flow of information; no shared visions

Codependent, paternal/maternal relationships; rigidly defined roles

Norms of compliance; blame; program coherence technical and superficial

Lack of innovation in teaching and learning

Student achievement is poor, or showing short-term improvements on standardized measures

Quadrant 2

Principal as “laissez-faire” manager; many teachers developing unrelated programs

Fragmentation and lack of coherence of information, and programs’ lack of shared purpose

Norms of individualism, lack of collective responsibility

Undefined roles and responsibilities

Spotty innovation with both excellent and poor classrooms

Student achievement appears static overall (unless data are disaggregated)

Quadrant 3

Principal and key teachers as purposeful leadership team

Limited uses of school-wide data, information flow within designated leadership groups

Polarized staff, pockets of strong resistance

Strong reflection, innovation, and teaching excellence among selected teachers; program coherence still weak

Student achievement static or showing slight improvement

Quadrant 4

Principal and teachers, as well as parents and students, are skillful learners

Shared vision results in program coherence

Inquiry-based use of information to inform decision and practices

Roles and actions reflect broad involvement, collaboration, and collective responsibility

Reflective practice consistently leads to innovation

Student achievement is high or improving steadily

Figure 1. Leadership capacity of four school types (adapted from Lambert, 2006, p. 240).

2424DTLLeadership Capacity Framework

.

director

Personal attributes and behaviors

Learns continually

Thinks strategically

Value/vision driven

Sets norms with staff

Supervises/ensures staff

accountability

Convenes conversations

Honors history

Sponsors staff growth

Accepts responsibility

Breaks dependencies

Clarifies roles

Articulates strategies

Creates safe, “holding”environment

Personal attributes and behaviors

Learns – attends to epiphanies

Thinks strategically

Translates values into vision

language

Lets go, provides support, and

sticks around

Scaffolds with ideas and

questions

Mediates roles

Develops structures that build

reciprocal relationships

Coaches for instructional

improvement

Personal attributes and behaviors

Learns continually

Thinks strategically

Value/vision driven

Continues and expands behaviors initiated in earlier phases

Instructs staff (or arranges for

instruction) in:

Collaboration, group processes,

and teaming;

Conversation and dialogue;

Inquiry/data use;

Trust building;

Best instructional practices;

Communication skills

Facilitation;

Conflict resolution; and

Accountability

Guides staff to:

develop shared vision;

establish process observation or

norms;

use inquiry;

question assumptions;

conduct constructivist

conversations;

identify and solve problems;

surface/mediate conflict;

find resources (time, professional

development, monies); and

plan

Participates with other members of the community to:

think strategically;

share concerns/issues;

share decisions;

monitor and implement shared visions;

engage in reflective practices

(reflection/inquiry/dialogue/action);

monitor norms and take self corrective actions;

build a culture of interdependency;

self-organize;

diversify and blend roles;

establish criteria for self-accountability;

share authority and responsibility (dependent on expertise

and interest, rather than role); and

plan for enculturation of new staff and succession

Use formal authority to convene

and maintain conversations,

challenge complacency or

incompetence, and make certain

decisions

Use formal authority to sustain

conversations, insist on

professional development and

inquiry agenda, mediate the

demands of the district and state,

and set reform pace

Uses formal authority to implement community decisions,

mediate political pressures, work with less than competent

staff, and work on legal and reform challenges

2525DTLSummary

Wrapping Things Up

• Bottom Line: Research

has linked Empowering

& Distributive

Leadership to improved

student outcomes!

Renewal Project Ideas:

• Finding and Empowering

Teacher Leaders (& Removing

Barriers to Teacher Leadership)

• Creating the Environment for

Leadership Capacity

(Professional Learning

Communities)

• And do not forget about

empowering student leaders as

well!

2626DTLPractitioner Advice

Adapted

Distributing Power: Advice from Former Cohort Principal

The 3 “E’s”

• Engagement – Creating an environment for leadership capacity

• Encouragement – Helping teachers become active practitioners through school processes, events, and real time/action research.

• Empowerment – Removing barriers to leadership by valuing individual passion and commitment while providing job-embedded opportunities to share personal talents.

2727Renewal Example

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Previous Cohort Leadership Example

• Bloomingdale Middle/HS Team

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DTLD

Renewal Activity Brainstorming & Sharing

• Working with your

partner, brainstorm on

potential activities this

coming year related to

“Distributing and

Empowering Leadership.”

DTL

2929DTLDistributing & Empowering

Sharing Power is Fun!