Leadership for Powerful Instruction Central Office Transformation June 2, 2011 Sandy Austin Consultant, Center for Educational Leadership Mark Johnson

Leadership for Powerful Instruction

Central Office Transformation June 2, 2011

Sandy AustinConsultant, Center for Educational Leadership

Mark JohnsonSuperintendent, Nooksack Valley School District (WA)


5 Dimensions of Central Office Transformation

1. Learning-focused partnerships with school principals2. Assistance to the central office-principal partnerships 3. Reorganizing and reculturing each central office unit to

support the partnerships and teaching & learning improvement

4. Stewardship of the overall central office transformation process

5. Evidence use throughout the central office to support continual improvement of work practices


4. Stewardship of the overall central office transformation process

Stewardship: “the careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one’s care”

Merriam-Webster Online, http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stewardship, downloaded 3.2.10.


Definition:“Theory of Action: An articulated rationale for WHY a

particular set of actions or strategies are likely to lead to the outcomes you seek”

Can be rooted in:• Research• Examples of good practice• Evidence you collect about your own practice• Intuition (but be careful about this….)

Work from a Theory of Action


Theory of Action: a rationale“A theory of action describes the beliefs that undergirds an organization’s strategy and links the strategy to the organization’s vision; a theory of action can be thought of as the storyline that makes a vision and strategy concrete. It is a hypothesis using an if-then statement to articulate what will be achieved and how, in the broadest sense, it will be achieved. The power of a theory of action is that the theory helps an organization be explicit about why it is doing something and how it expects that those actions will lead to improved student achievement.”

Strategy In Action, Rachel Curtis and Elizabeth City


One System’s ExampleWe believe that … If we work as a cohesive system, and if we focus our work on the Instructional

Core (teacher’s knowledge and skills, student engagement in their own learning

and aligned challenging content), and if we design professional development

that is collaborative and job embedded, and if we continuously improve our

practice through cycles of inquiry and data analysis and if we, develop

leadership at all levels, and if we effectively communicate to all stake holders across the system,

then we will reach our mission of ensuring success for all students (defined as being college, career and citizenship ready)


Given the definition and your current initiatives, what would you say is your district’s theory of action?

If we ______________, and ____________, and______________, then we will ______.


Story of Nooksack Valley School District (WA)

2009 District Demographics

Native American 7.6%

Asian 1.6%

Black 1.1%

Hispanic 25.2%

White 63.4%

Free/Reduced Lunch 55.2%

Special Education 19.0%


An Example of Stewardinga Theory of Action

Having a Teachable Point of View


Mission as Moral Imperative

Ensuring the success of all studentsGraduating all students college,

career, and citizenship ready


Nooksack Valley’s Theory of ActionIf we focus onImprovement of the instructional core as the key variable in

improving student achievement

Continuously improve adult practice through collaborative adult learning (the vehicle)

Making this the systems number one responsibility and leadership imperative

Then we will achieve our mission ofEnsuring the success of all students (Graduating all students college, career,

and citizenship ready)


Development of the Theory of Action• Experience

o After aligning the curriculum and assessing performance, students were still not succeeding

o Asked, “What else to we need to consider?” • Studied the research, read as a central office team with our

principals • Asked, “What are districts doing where students are

succeeding?” “What are the best practices”? • Visited other sites• Brought in outside consultants


Ways to Gain Understanding of and Commitment to a District’s Theory of Action

1. Common readings that promote theory of action

2. Teacher leadership summits

3. Theory into guiding questions that forced action

4. Teachers leadership teams

5. Board learning


Beginning the Work …Gaining Commitment by Doing the Work

• Answering the essential questions

• All agendas (lesson plans) focused on the theory of action

• All openings focused on the theory of action

• Developing structures that reinforced theory


Recognition that a theory of action is not merely an exercise, but a critical component of improving student achievement and closing achievement gaps.

Aligning strategies to the theory of action and monitoring student achievement.


1. Improving the Instructional Core

• Develop common vision of literacy and math instruction (teacher leaders, external expertise)

• Alignment of “work” to essential questions

• Literacy and Math Guides

• Units of Study

• District writing assessment, others

Theory of Action In Action; one example


2. Collaborative Adult Learning

• Leadership teams (teacher leaders)

• External coaching/expertise (early on)

• PLC “training”

• Lesson Study• Studio Classrooms

• Learning Walks (aka “rounds”)



3. System Responsibility/Leadership Imperative

• Superintendent/Assistant Superintendent directly involved in learning with staff

• Principal instructional learning and development• Administrative team collaborative learning• Time and resource allocation• Supervision and coaching system shift• Board understanding and commitment



• Instructional leadership standards - naming best practice• Principal “expectations” - defined, co-shaped, and practiced• Administrative team meetings – focus on learning and

accountability• Consultancies - learning from each other• School “rounds”/1-1 visits (6 per school per year)• Sharing “lesson plans” and observing each other• Instructional rounds-learning walks to supervisory walks

Principal Development: A Key Strategy


Is the theory of action and theory in action working?

What is the evidence?


4 of 5 schools received Washington State Achievement Award for “Overall Excellence”(top 5% of schools in state)– Student achievement– Comparison to peers – Graduation rate(The next most recognized school system in the state

had 9 of 40 schools receive this award)

A Bit of “Evidence”


• Above state averages (significantly in most cases) in every content area and every grade level on state assessments

• Numerous leadership and system recognitions• 100% of teachers indicated their desire to stay in

district (#1 reason—”collaborative adult learning culture)

A Bit of “Evidence”


Other Evidence


Other Evidence


Using the Data to Leveragethe Theory of Action

Where the data does not indicate improvement, then where do we need to adjust?•Instruction ? •Assessment ?•Leadership ?•Adult Learning ?


Using a Theory of Actionto Make Decisions

• Budgeting • Grant applications


• Broken record - This is our theory of action!• Run cover for principals (to a point)• Be there-sponsor, participate, contribute, model

learning/thinking, etc.• Name what you believe in and value, then act like it

(distributive leadership, with and through people, reciprocal relationships, etc.)

• Ensure the necessary conditions are in place (this is intense work-time, focus, energy)

Sponsorship/Stewardship


• Expect push back (not necessarily negative)- ignore?- address head on?- address indirectly?- retreat?

• Look for break throughs/teachable moments• Culture and beliefs will change only through

action (not by talking about it).

Sponsorship/Stewardship


Considerations for Next Steps

1. Do you have a clearly articulated theory of action?

2. Is it understood by key stakeholders?

3. To what degree to these stakeholders have a commitment to this theory of action?

4. To what degree do your system’s initiatives match your theory of action?

Documents

Leadership for Powerful Instruction Central Office Transformation June 2, 2011 Sandy Austin Consultant, Center for Educational Leadership Mark Johnson