Jason is a nationally
recognized expert in school improvement, school culture, and professional
learning communities (PLCs). He arrived
at The Ohio State University to assume the position of Director of the Kinnear
Literacy Project this past September. Among the many accolades Jason has
received, the National Association of Elementary
School Principals selected him as the National Distinguished Principal of
Wyoming in 2011. It was under his
leadership that Sheridan’s Meadowlark Elementary was named a National Blue
Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education in 2012.Jason’s expertise and especially his work at Meadlowlark has encouraged our training team to think more deeply about the correlations between PLCs and the work we do in Literacy Collaborative. Within this, the vital role principals play in helping to create the culture necessary for any initiative to be successful - as well as systems thinking - have also been points of interest.
The importance of systems thinking, or a systems approach, is not a stretch when it comes to Literacy Collaborative, as this is clearly evident within and throughout the elements of the framework and its design. As a comprehensive school reform project, Literacy Collaborative is a well-coordinated, cohesive system…a system defined by Lyons and Pinnell (2001) as “an arrangement of things so intimately connected that they form a unified whole…greater than the sum of its parts…with components working together in synergy, producing an effect greater than each could accomplish alone” (p. 44).
The goal of Literacy Collaborative is
to incorporate elements of effective schools to improve literacy instruction
and the reading, writing and language skills of elementary, intermediate, and
middle school students in order to significantly raise the level of achievement
for ALL children.
·
long-term professional development - the
cornerstone of Literacy Collaborative;
·
school-based literacy coaches trained in
research-based methods who receive ongoing professional development as they
implement these practices in their own classrooms;
·
a research-based instructional model that is
language-based, student-centered, process-oriented, and outcome-based;
·
long-term, site-based professional development
for every member of a school’s literacy faculty;
·
assisting schools in monitoring the progress of
every student through systematized assessment, data collection, and analysis;
and
·
creating in-school and in-district leadership
through the training and support of school-based literacy leadership teams,
administrators, and literacy coaches.
In discussing this with Jason, I
asked if he would share some thoughts as to what has proven to be successful in
his work…principal moves that helped him cultivate, nurture, and sustain PLCs…ones
that could also help principals/buildings/PLCs in the successful implementation
of Literacy Collaborative. His insights are as follows:
“In
a shared leadership environment it is very important that staff view themselves
as a team – with each staff member being asked to lead team meetings and share
data and/or successful teaching strategies.
The principal should continuously lead staff in learning and discussing
how and what it means to become a great team – such as staff taking
responsibility for student learning and holding each other accountable through
sharing data and creating shared goals.
At the opening of every year, the principal needs to ensure that staff
development and resources are aligned to the school’s goal(s). Motivational and team building activities
should be intertwined within all training.
The
primary focus of all team meetings needs to be on student learning. Minutes from each meeting, along with
documents such as formative assessments and rubrics, should be turned in to the
principal for review, and kept in a binder for easy reference by all. This system allows the principal to monitor
the implementation of policies and to support staff in their endeavor of
meeting the expectations of the school community.
A
school principal must also take a very active role in the education of all
students. He/She is an instructional leader that
must work with staff - being willing to team teach, model lessons, and be a
visible learner to his/her staff. The
principal demonstrates a strong belief in learning for all by being a member of
the team. A principal should be responsible for attending all of a team’s
meetings - completing all assignments and learning projects of that particular team. He/She should periodically attend other team
meetings to offer support and guidance as well. It is important that the principal
take a small group of students, on a daily basis, to provide instruction based
on student need. This instruction could
consist of intervention on a skill students are struggling with, or enrichment
on a skill they have mastered.
When
operating under this leadership philosophy, schools have the potential to make
tremendous gains in student learning.”
In describing the synergy that
emerges from a systems approach, Lyons and Pinnell (2001) use the analogy of a
symphony orchestra “where each component has a necessary role that must be well
performed; all players have defined responsibilities and actions that must be
fulfilled; and all sections must work together in harmony (literally as well as
figuratively)” (p. 45). Depending upon the context or situation, the conductor’s
role could be likened to that of a literacy coordinator/coach, a teacher
empowered to facilitate work for the school’s PLC or, importantly, the building
principal – “as it is the principal that is the most potent factor in
determining school climate” (p. 191).
- create and work with leadership team to plan schedules to maximize learning time
- control classroom interruptions through policies about intercom use, scheduling of assemblies, etc.
- create and work with leadership team to plan schedules to maximize learning time
- make resources available for building a
collection of professional materials
- designate a meeting place where teachers can
keep materials and work together
- regularly evaluate the results of professional
development, looking for evidence of learning on the part of teachers and
indices of achievement on the part of students
- place a high value on teachers’ participation
in ongoing professional development
- participate in staff development sessions along
with teachers
Additional
suggestion:
- participate in Literacy Collaborative Team Planning and Principal Academy sessions
ASCD (2013). The Principalship. Educational Leadership, Vol. 70, No. 7.
Literacy Collaborative (2012). Literacy Collaborative [Brochure].
Columbus, OH: The Ohio
Lyons, C.A. & Pinnell, G.S.
2001. Systems For Change in Literacy Education: A Guide to
Professional Development. Portsmouth: Heinemann.
Professional Development. Portsmouth: Heinemann.
