 Leadership For Student Learning Sharon Friesen, Candace Saar, Jim Brandon

Inquiry Focus How can leadership practices improve teaching practices, learner engagement and student achievement?

Learning Outcomes 1. Deepen understanding about the leadership team’s role in leading teacher learning and professional growth 2. Develop processes for providing teachers with timely, specific and constructive feedback about teaching and learning

Dimension Four: Leading teacher learning Robinson, 2011

Evidence-based Decisions  Effective leadership of teacher professional learning involves using evidence about student learning to inform decisions about what professional learning is needed, whether it is working, who it is working for, and when it should end (p. 109). Robinson (2011)

Strengthening evidence-based practices Use the following process to examine your data: 1. Observe closely and describe what you see in the data. 2. Build interpretations and explanations for what you’re seeing. 3. Formulate reasoned judgments supported by evidence from your data.

Strengthening evidence-based practices (continued): 4. Make connections (i.e. to effective learning environments, effective teaching practices, worthwhile tasks, assessment practices etc.) 5. Consider different viewpoints and perspectives (What evidence do teachers have that these practices are developing stronger, deeper learning? Students?) Formulate reasoned judgments supported by evidence.

Table Discussion #1 1. What specifically has your leadership team done to strengthen teacher learning in ways that strengthen ALL students’ learning? 2. How do you know that the supports you have put in place for improved teacher learning are making a difference to student learning across your school? 3. What evidence could you point to? 4. How might you help teachers build evidence-based practices that build stronger, deeper learning?

Dimension Four: Leading teacher learning and development  …a strong collective focus on student learning is not enforced by rules but by mutually felt obligations to standards of instruction and learning (p. 107). Robinson (2011)

Knowledge Building Cycles What knowledge and skills do teachers need? What knowledge and skills do we as leaders need? Deepen professional knowledge and refine skills Engage teachers in reflection & new learning What has been the impact of our changed actions? Earl & Timperley 2009

Example: What evidence do we have that students are engaged in worthwhile work?  Evidence from teachers  Task designs  Assessment instruments  Samples of student work to show above  Evidence from leaders  Classroom observations  Responses from parents  Conversations with kids  Evidence from students  Students articulate why and what they are learning  Students accurately describe their work in relation to clear criteria

Break

Individual Reflection  How have AP’s and other middle level leaders in your school been able to impact teaching practices?  What structures, processes and resources have you put in place to enable this?

Table Discussion #2 How do we “measure” our work as leaders of learning? Evidence-based decision-making  How do you know your AP’s and other middle level leaders are impacting teaching practices?  What evidence could you point to that demonstrates your school is becoming an intellectually engaging learning environment for leaders, teachers and students?

Next Steps  Identify your “class”  What are the individuals in your “class” learning?  What evidence could you bring forward to support this claim?  How might you use this evidence to enable your “class” to see learning growth and to help them identify what else they need/want to learn?  What structures, processes and resources might you put in place to strengthen the learning of middle leaders & teachers in your school?

Critical Reflections and Feedforward  What new insights have you gained about leading teacher learning?  What else do you need to learn in order to lead this work in your school?  What do we need to know about supporting your learning needs?

Engaging in Knowledge-Building Cycles? What (new) knowledge and skills do teachers and students need to meet important learning goals? What knowledge and skills do we as leaders need to meet the needs of our teachers and students? Actions to deepen leadership knowledge and refine leadership skills Engage teachers and students in new learning experiences What has been the impact of our changed actions on teachers & students?