Your Leadership Priorities in the First Year
Crafting a Theory of Action to BridgeTheory to Practice
Washington State UniversitySuperintendent’s Credential Program
February 12, 2011
Entry Planning, Strategic Planning
• A theory of action is a brief statement of how the practice of the individual — at the system or school level — leads to increases in learning and performance for students
– Richard Elmore, "Professional Networks and School Improvement" The School Administrator, April 2007
• Theories of action, theoretical models, and practical application
• Knowing-Doing Gap: “Teamwork requires embracing common sense with uncommon levels of discipline and persistence.” (Lencioni, 2002)
Entry Planning, Strategic Planning
• What was my theory of action?• Upon what theoretical model did I
rely?• How did I apply the model –
practically – during the phases of entry?
RonHeifetz
© 2001 Harvard Business School Publishing
Tech
nical
Change
Adaptive
Change
Culture of classrooms, schools, districts
Conditions of learning and teaching for students and adults
Competencie
s of adults
Improving ALL Students’ Learning
© 2002 CLG & President & Fellows of Harvard College
TonyWagner
© Consortium for Policy Research in Education
RichardElmore
IndividualResponsibility
CollectiveExpectations
Internally GeneratedFormal Accountability
OrganizationalAlignment
School
Polic
y
Envir
onm
ent
Sta
ndard
s –
Ass
ess
ments
-
Conse
quence
s
Individual
Content
Teacher Student
Instr
uctio
nal
Core
RichardElmore
RichardElmore
Entry Phases
FIRST YEARTRANSITIONINTERVIEW
Michael Watkins, The First 90 Days: Critical Success Strategies for New Leaders at All Levels
Interview priorities
• Student achievement growth (“The Next 20%”)
• Graduation rate improvement• Diversity and cultural competence• Employee association relationships• Community relationships & engagement• Board-superintendent team development
Transition priorities
• Diversity and cultural competence• Employee association relationships• Community relationships & engagement
• Transition/orientation period– Organizational challenges– Transition visits• Schools• Community leaders
Culture of classrooms,
schools, districts
First year priorities
• Student achievement growth (“The Next 20%”)
• Graduation rate improvement• Diversity and cultural competence• Employee association relationships• Strategic planning/community engagement• Board-superintendent team development
First year priorities• Strategic & District Improvement
Plan Implementation– Student achievement growth
(“The Next 20%”)– Graduation rate improvement– Diversity and cultural competence
• Climate & Team Development– Employee association relationships– Board-superintendent team development
• Community Relationships & Engagement– Strategic planning/community
engagement• District Operations
– Financial Operations
The Effect of School Leadership on Student Achievement, Waters & Marzano, McRel, September 2006
First year priorities
Success for each student
Strategic Decision Making: Need for Alignment
©
STRATEGIC PLAN(Where they are going)
ROLES(What people do)
STRATEGIC/OPERATIONAL/TACTICALDECISIONS AND ACTIONS
(how they do it)
Strategic Decision Making: Need for Alignment
©
Superintendent’sCabinet
Equity and AccessAdvisory Council
InstructionalLeadership
Council
Fiscal AdvisoryCouncil
Superintendent’sLeadership Team
Capital FacilitiesAdvisory Council
TechnologyAdvisory Council
Strategic PlanningCouncil
KEY ROLES: Aligning the Work on Student Achievement
MISSIONDistrict
Staff
Strategic Decision Making: Need for Alignment
©
School BoardSuperintendent
EVERETT PUBLIC SCHOOLS: RENEWING THE STRATEGIC PLAN
Nov ’09 Dec ‘09 Jan ’10 May ’10 July ’10 Oct ’10 Jan ‘11
CommunityEngagement/Strategic AlignmentPlan(Sup withConsultants)
ALIGN PLAN
Review Existing
DataEnvironmental Scan
CE1
CE2
CE4
ST1
ST2
ST3
ST4
VISIONING(Large Scale CommunityEngagement
Activity)(Sup, Board,
Steering Team)
ArticulateKey
ComponentsOf
StrategicPlan
Cre
ate
Stra
w V
isio
n
CE3
CE = Small Community Engagement SessionsData Gathering Activity
ST = Study Session/Info Gathering Activity
Stra
tegi
c Ro
adm
ap
Note: this isA multi-componentVision for the District,Not a simple, one-lineVision Statement
Environmental Scanning Task
Force
DesignTeam
Strategic PlanningCouncil
©
Community engagementStrategic planning
October 22 and 23 Visioning eventMeld and coalesce public discussions to date
Involved approximately 150 people for two days
End result – this spring a new district strategic plan, incorporating community expectations and system accountability measures
C
Community
District Families
Student Learning
Teaching and Learning
Resource allocation
Peop
le, S
truc
ture
And
Syst
emsIntentional Partnering
and Strategic Relationships
Innovation, Information
And Technology
PrioritiesProcesses
Strategies
Plans
Initiatives
Measures
Our core values drive our actions and behavior
LEARNING
EQUITY
WORKINGTOGETHER
DIVERSITY
Rev. 2-8-2011
RESPECTPASSION
INTEGRITY
QUESTIONS?
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