Fostering A Positive School Culture Through Collaborative Administrative Practices A Framework for Excellence: The Role of Administration

Session Goal To outline ways in which Central Office personnel can foster school-level collaborative administrative practices and support the district mission and goals

Key Terms… Collaborative Distributed Loose-Tight Structures & Processes Collaborative Distributed Loose-Tight Structures & Processes

District Importance Excellent schools in poor districts implode over time, whereas, poor schools in excellent districts get better. -Linda Lambert Excellent schools in poor districts implode over time, whereas, poor schools in excellent districts get better. -Linda Lambert

A Leadership Framework Shared Knowledge Common Beliefs Collective Commitments What WhyHow THOUGHTS EMOTIONSACTIONS Vision Collaboration Trust

Shared Knowledge Through Strategic Focus Shared Knowledge Collaboration What Vision THOUGHTS

Strategic Focus These… Policies Practices Procedures Should Align With… Ensuring that all students learn Results-Orientation Collaborative Culture

Structural Changes An academic program supportive of all students learning A system for monitoring student progress Job-embedded professional learning An academic program supportive of all students learning A system for monitoring student progress Job-embedded professional learning

An Academic Program 1. How are all students placed in academic classes? 2. How do collaborative teams refine and consistently follow the agreed upon pacing of a guaranteed and viable curriculum? 3. How are all students provided necessary interventions? 1. How are all students placed in academic classes? 2. How do collaborative teams refine and consistently follow the agreed upon pacing of a guaranteed and viable curriculum? 3. How are all students provided necessary interventions?

Loose-Tight The Central Office should be tight on supporting school sites in making these structural changes and loose in providing school, sites the autonomy to make the accompanying cultural changes

Monitoring Student Progress 1. What systems and processes are used to frequently provide collaborative teams with timely data on student learning? 2. How are results used to provide support and feedback to collaborative teams? 1. What systems and processes are used to frequently provide collaborative teams with timely data on student learning? 2. How are results used to provide support and feedback to collaborative teams?

Loose-Tight The Central Office is tight on the need for schools to support each overarching central office goal Yet loose on each schools action steps and respective SMART goals Then monitoring, support, and feedback occur continuously The Central Office is tight on the need for schools to support each overarching central office goal Yet loose on each schools action steps and respective SMART goals Then monitoring, support, and feedback occur continuously

Professional Learning 1. How is collaboration time embedded during the school day? 2. How are support and coaching services provided to collaborative teams for their professional learning? 3. How is professional development, job- embedded and guided by students learning results? 4. How do tools and routines guide the work of collaborative teams? 1. How is collaboration time embedded during the school day? 2. How are support and coaching services provided to collaborative teams for their professional learning? 3. How is professional development, job- embedded and guided by students learning results? 4. How do tools and routines guide the work of collaborative teams?

Loose-Tight Again it is critical that the Central Office shift its focus and resources to be tight on ensuring school sites make structural changes to allow for job- embedded professional learning And loose in providing school sites with the autonomy needed to make necessary cultural changes Again it is critical that the Central Office shift its focus and resources to be tight on ensuring school sites make structural changes to allow for job- embedded professional learning And loose in providing school sites with the autonomy needed to make necessary cultural changes

Common Beliefs Through Distributive Leadership Vision Why Trust Common Beliefs EMOTIONS

Common Beliefs Through Distributive Leadership 1. Establish common beliefs 2. Indentify and articulate the fundamental purpose of the district and the big ideas to achieving that purpose 3. Trust- encourage organizational autonomy within defined parameters 1. Establish common beliefs 2. Indentify and articulate the fundamental purpose of the district and the big ideas to achieving that purpose 3. Trust- encourage organizational autonomy within defined parameters

Loose-Tight Loose leadership practices promote collegiality by providing a collaborative team with the autonomy to develop values and beliefs that drive their team and classroom practices Tight leadership practices promote accountability by requiring a collaborative team to produce artifacts that articulate their focus on student learning Loose leadership practices promote collegiality by providing a collaborative team with the autonomy to develop values and beliefs that drive their team and classroom practices Tight leadership practices promote accountability by requiring a collaborative team to produce artifacts that articulate their focus on student learning

Collective Commitments Through Collective Efficacy Collaboration Collective Commitments Trust How ACTIONS

Loose-Tight Tight leadership is exhibited by focusing the efforts of collaborative teams within the defined parameters While loose leadership will simultaneously be exhibited by allowing the teams to design, implement, and refine tools and routines to collectively engage in the continuous improvement of student academic achievement Tight leadership is exhibited by focusing the efforts of collaborative teams within the defined parameters While loose leadership will simultaneously be exhibited by allowing the teams to design, implement, and refine tools and routines to collectively engage in the continuous improvement of student academic achievement

Conclusion Educators want solutions that are exotic and easy, but in reality the answers are simple and hard to do. Educators want solutions that are exotic and easy, but in reality the answers are simple and hard to do.