The School Improvement Team IPLI, April 2014 The School Improvement Team the consideration of effectiveness, influence, and weak ties School leaders are challenged to develop teams designed to support school improvement efforts. The decision as to who is to be on a team will be addressed, using a new concept to serve as a criterion – weak ties.

Imagine rating each teacher in your building on a scale like this 5 4 3 Imagine rating each teacher in your building on a scale like this 2 1 effectiveness -1 -2 -3 -4 -5 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ability to influence others

5 4 3 2 1 effectiveness -1 -2 -3 In this example, 50 teachers have been rated. Who might seem the best for the team? -4 -5 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ability to influence others

5 4 3 2 1 effectiveness -1 -2 -3 Friendships have been identified using strong and weak lines. Strong lines represent stronger friendships. -4 -5 1 2 2 3 3 4 4 5 5 6 6 7 7 8 8 9 9 10 ability to influence others

13 teachers have been identified as being “connected.” 5 A B 4 3 C K 2 H M 1 effectiveness J G D -1 L N -2 -3 F E -4 13 teachers have been identified as being “connected.” -5 1 2 2 3 3 4 4 5 5 6 6 7 7 8 8 9 9 10 ability to influence others

Drop the strong ties and keep the weak ties… 5 A B 4 3 C K 2 H M 1 effectiveness J G D -1 L N -2 -3 F E Drop the strong ties and keep the weak ties… -4 -5 1 2 2 3 3 4 4 5 5 6 6 7 7 8 8 9 9 10 ability to influence others

5 A B 4 3 C K 2 H M 1 effectiveness J G D -1 L N -2 -3 F Would you have considered these two as the best to recruit before considering the “weak ties” theory? E -4 -5 1 2 2 3 3 4 4 5 5 6 6 7 7 8 8 9 9 10 ability to influence others