Building a distributed leadership model for systemic change in an MSP project NSF LNC Conference February 2013

Distributed Leadership What are characteristics of distributed leadership What are examples of distributed leadership in your project? What are non-examples? What is a 1-2 sentence definition Pairs or Triads

4. Definition: 1. Characteristics: Distributed Leadership 2. Examples from your project: 3. Non-Examples:

Distributed Leadership Forms of collaboration practiced by the principal, teachers and members of the school’s improvement team in leading the school’s development.” (Heck & Hallinger, 2009)

Leadership Research shows that leaders primarily exert their influence by setting directions for school improvement, cultivating shared goals and norms, developing human capacity, and modifying structures to create conditions to support student achievement. (Leithwood and Riehl 2005)

Distributed Leadership Leadership is not simply a function of what a school principal, or indeed any other individual or group of leaders, knows or does. Rather it is the activities engaged in by leaders, in interaction with others in particular contexts around specific tasks. (Spillane, 2004)

Two key aspects: 1.Leader-Plus Aspect: Leading in schools involves more than just the principal. How individuals, as a collective, are arranged in carrying out the work of leading and managing. 2.Leadership Practice Aspect: Practice is not just about actions of individual leaders, but about interactions of leaders, followers and their situation.

Questions: 1.How do MSP’s actively engage district and site administrators in a model of distributed leadership with teacher leaders to collectively support systemic project implementation, scaling and sustainability? 2.How is leadership distributed in a district and how does it influence school outcomes particularly around science education?

Todays Focus: Sharing strengths and weaknesses of the IMSS District Leadership Institute structures, processes and products which have evolved over the first three years of the grant.

Integrated Middle School Science Project (IMSS) CSU East Bay – Hayward, CA 10 Districts 33 middle schools 4 County Offices of Education 60 Science Teacher Leaders 30 K-12 site and district administrators 230 middle school science teachers Stakeholders/Partners

INSERT DISTRICT COACH MODEL

Figure 1 IMSS Distributed Leadership Roles Oct. 24, 2012Jan. 14, 2013May 13, 2013Oct 27, 2011Feb 3, 2012May 14, 2012 Teachers2333n/a Principals1715n/a14169 District Admins 911n/a898 TOTAL4959n/a Leadership Institute Attendance By Role

Leadership Interactions

District Leadership Institute Series Goals: 1.Understand the IMSS program and how it can be leveraged for systemic change in science education. 2.Identify needs and capacities for science education and design system changes to continuously improve. 3.Build leadership capacity for science in each district at all levels of the organization. 4.Build a network learning community or community of practice between districts and IMSS partners to improve science education.

Objectives and expected outcomes for the institutes: October 27, 2011: Learn: Goals of Project Understand: Stanford Design School Process for designing systems changes Take Action: Needs and Capacity Assessment- Interviews Build Network: Districts discuss context and capacities February 3, 2012  Learn: Client centered process for implementing systems changes.  Understand: Inquiry-based science teaching and learning.  Take Action: Review evidence gathered, reconsider and reaffirm or change focus of district/site work. May 14, 2012  Understand: Role of leaders at all levels in supporting change in science teaching.  Learn: Hear the experience of teacher leaders and their perception of the actual and potential impact of site and district leaders on their work.  Take Action: Review current status of site and district work and plan next steps.

Figure 1 IMSS Distributed Leadership Objectives and expected outcomes for the institutes: October 24, 2012  Understand: Roles of leaders in system change.  Learn: How to integrate literacy (CCSS) and inquiry (NGSS) into curriculum, instruction and assessment.  Take Action: Develop IMSS science professional development plan for this academic year. January 14, 2013  Understand: How Common Core and NGSS will impact science classes and the roles of leaders.  Learn: How teachers integrate NGSS and Common Core into their curriculum and instruction  Take Action: Review and revise iMSS districts’ professional development and recruitment plans. May 13, 2013 Learn: Argumentative Writing and Science (Writing Project) Understand: Review roles and actions of leaders and leadership team (role alike) Take Action: Share out results of professional development plan Build Community: Review plans for summer and academic year 2013/14

INSERT DISTRICT COACH MODEL

Survey ItemDate Teacher Leaders Means Site Administrators Means District Administrators Means Overall Satisfaction with day10/ / I feel good about IMSS science PD plans we made for / / It is beneficial for my organization and me to partner with IMSS 10/ /13 We have enough support at the school site level to make our plan work. 10/ / We have enough support at the central office level to make our plan work. 10/ / I felt like I was part of a strong learning community today. 10/ / District Leadership Institute Survey Results

DLI Findings Need to analyze beyond satisfaction ratings --Ratings ranged from 4.6 to 4.14/5 Ratings differ: TL vs site vs district administrator -- Central office administrators had highest general ratings -- Gradual drop in all three groups -- Probing indicators of progress will occur in spring 2013 Since May 2012, increased perceptions regarding: -- Support available for teams though teachers least clear Iterative process of setting expectations & implementing -- Feeling part of strong learning community (LC) appears to help deal with bumps along the way -- Role of team facilitator needs more study in light of context changes between year 2 and year 3 & dosage effect differences

Survey Item sampling: Survey item: Oct 2011 Feb 2012 May 2012 Oct 2012 Jan 2013 It is beneficial for my organization and me to partner in this project I feel good about the IMSS science PD plans we made I am clear on what is expected of me related to our IMSS plan this year I am clear on the steps our group will do before the next Leadership Institute I felt like I was part of a strong learning community today The facilitators were conducive to our work today My overall satisfaction with today's institute

Jan 2013 DL member reflections

Deborah Sims Assistant Superintendent Fremont Unified School District One district’s work at distributing leadership and supporting systemic change.

FUSD’s Theory of Action: Shared Leadership at All Levels – Excellence in Education Richard Elmore states, “the problem of scaling up school improvement, whether it is in a school or a school system, is one of capacity building and specialization. Building a broad base of capacity is not possible if control is limited to a few individuals. The solution is the broader distribution of leadership.”

The goal of every student having well developed science content knowledge and science practices influences site/district policies and practices as well as the allocation of resources. Structures to Support the Work Teachers Learning, Leading, and Coaching  Science professional development and lesson study  Release time for collaborative planning and classroom visitations

District Leadership Team  Lead Teachers  Principals  Director of Secondary Education  Assistant Superintendent of Instruction  Superintendent  Board of Education Trustee Alignment of District Resources Coherence of the Work

Transitioning to the Common Core IMSS Leadership Team Awareness and Building Content Knowledge Strategic Planning Professional Development Teacher Leaders ELA – Argumentative Writing Science Teachers Standards Crosswalks and Development of Secondary Writing Assessment Pilot Rubric & Scoring Process Reflection Assessment Protocols and Discussion Protocols Mapping

Mapping Leadership Networks and Interactions How effective are these interactions in terms of leadership? How does your project support these interactions/networks and the work of leaders? In pairs, share out your sketch and discuss the following two prompts:

Mapping Leadership Networks and Interactions Who are the leaders in your project? How do they interact? Individually Sketch Out Key Leaders/Groups and Interactions

Next steps New structures and roles can change the leadership practice in schools and districts. Scaffold into leadership positions and develop more than just principals. Tools and methods for documenting leadership practice and interactions Has helped us begin to interpret and reflect on leadership practice in our project

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