Distributed Leadership…A Tool For the School Improvement Journey Presented by… Denise Hicks Barnes, Assistant Principal Louis L. Redding Middle School.

Distributed Leadership…A Distributed Leadership…A Tool For the School Tool For the School

Improvement JourneyImprovement Journey

Presented by…Presented by…

Denise Hicks Barnes, Assistant PrincipalDenise Hicks Barnes, Assistant PrincipalLouis L. Redding Middle SchoolLouis L. Redding Middle School

Sherry Gross, Principal & Lindsay Baker, Teacher LeaderSherry Gross, Principal & Lindsay Baker, Teacher LeaderGlasgow High SchoolGlasgow High School

Amy Levitz, Principal & Tracy Soisson, Teacher LeaderAmy Levitz, Principal & Tracy Soisson, Teacher LeaderGauger-Cobbs Middle SchoolGauger-Cobbs Middle School

Overview…Overview…

Opening Activities:Opening Activities: Common AttributesCommon Attributes The Perfect SchoolThe Perfect School

Definition of Distributed LeadershipDefinition of Distributed Leadership Common ThemesCommon Themes Lessons Learned Lessons Learned Individual Reflection Individual Reflection

What Are Our Common Attributes?What Are Our Common Attributes? Final ThoughtsFinal Thoughts

Common Attributes…Common Attributes…

Although we are all different…we Although we are all different…we have many things in commonhave many things in common

ActivityActivity

In a Perfect World…In a Perfect World…

What does your What does your dream house look dream house look like?like?

In a Perfect World….In a Perfect World….

What does your What does your “DREAM SCHOOL”“DREAM SCHOOL” look like?look like?

Take a few minutes to discuss what Take a few minutes to discuss what your your “DREAM SCHOOL”“DREAM SCHOOL” would look would look

like in 5 yearslike in 5 years..

Distributed Leadership…Distributed Leadership…

What does What does DISTRIBUTED LEADERSHIPDISTRIBUTED LEADERSHIP mean to you?mean to you?

Distributed Leadership Is…Distributed Leadership Is…

Distributed leadership centers around a Distributed leadership centers around a different model within the school where different model within the school where the distinctions between followers and the distinctions between followers and leaders tends to blur (Gronn, 2000)leaders tends to blur (Gronn, 2000)

It incorporates the activities and efforts of It incorporates the activities and efforts of multiple groups in a school who work at multiple groups in a school who work at guiding staff in the instructional change guiding staff in the instructional change process (Spillane, 2001)process (Spillane, 2001)

Distributed Leadership is Distributed Leadership is NotNot……

It is not one more committee on It is not one more committee on which people servewhich people serve

It is not one person single handedly It is not one person single handedly reforming a schoolreforming a school

It is not a top-down leadership modelIt is not a top-down leadership model It is not possible without building It is not possible without building

leadership capacity among your leadership capacity among your facultyfaculty

Contrasting Views of Contrasting Views of Professional DevelopmentProfessional Development

Liptak, L. 2002. In Lewis, C. Lesson Study: A Handbook of Teacher-led Instructional Change.

Practice IS researchResearch informs practice

Reciprocal Relations among learners

Hierarchical relations between trainer & learners

Communication flow: among teachers

Communication flow:Trainers to teachers

Driven by participantsDriven by outside “expert”

Begins with questionBegins with answer

Distributed LeadershipTraditional

Common Themes…Common Themes…GoalsGoals

Building Leadership CapacityBuilding Leadership Capacity

Improving Student AchievementImproving Student Achievement

Enhancing Climate and Culture of the Enhancing Climate and Culture of the SchoolSchool

Increasing Family and Community Increasing Family and Community EngagementEngagement

Common Themes…Common Themes…AccomplishmentsAccomplishments

Louis L. Redding Middle School…Louis L. Redding Middle School… This year we had common planning for grade This year we had common planning for grade

levelslevels Curricular meetings monthly that were about Curricular meetings monthly that were about

Best Instructional Practices – Social Studies for Best Instructional Practices – Social Studies for exampleexample

Common Grade Level Assessments (Math)Common Grade Level Assessments (Math) Using an Enhancing Education Through Using an Enhancing Education Through

Technology (E2T2) to develop Understanding by Technology (E2T2) to develop Understanding by Design units of studyDesign units of study

Communication with parents through mailings Communication with parents through mailings Team Leader meetings were proactive and Team Leader meetings were proactive and

problem solving in natureproblem solving in nature Started our vision for the perfect schoolStarted our vision for the perfect school

Common Themes…Common Themes…AccomplishmentsAccomplishments

Glasgow High School…Glasgow High School… PLC’sPLC’s

• Time built in to master schedule for regular, frequent Time built in to master schedule for regular, frequent meetingsmeetings

• Approximately 30 groups of 4-6 professionals linked Approximately 30 groups of 4-6 professionals linked by subject area or responsibilitiesby subject area or responsibilities

Increased Teacher Leadership Increased Teacher Leadership • in areas of PEP and MAPin areas of PEP and MAP

PD delivered via PLC’sPD delivered via PLC’s Individualized PD for facultyIndividualized PD for faculty Faculty meetings focused more on instruction Faculty meetings focused more on instruction

and less on administriviaand less on administrivia

CommonThemes…CommonThemes…AccomplishmentsAccomplishments

Gauger-Cobbs Middle School…Gauger-Cobbs Middle School… Increase in DSTP dataIncrease in DSTP data MAP GrowthMAP Growth Collaborative TeachingCollaborative Teaching Time for CollaborationTime for Collaboration PBS Planning TeamPBS Planning Team Action TeamsAction Teams Teachers are committed to improving student Teachers are committed to improving student

achievement achievement Teachers facilitating professional developmentTeachers facilitating professional development Roll Through Professional DevelopmentRoll Through Professional Development

Collaboration CycleCollaboration CyclePlanning

AndModifying

Teaching And

Observing

Reflecting and

Improving

Choosing ALesson

Common Themes…Common Themes…BarriersBarriers

Achievement GapsAchievement Gaps Discipline DisparitiesDiscipline Disparities TimeTime Staff Transition (Staff Transition (turnover in turnover in

administration and teachersadministration and teachers)) Low Parental InvolvementLow Parental Involvement Resistance to ChangeResistance to Change

Common Themes…Common Themes…Next Next StepsSteps

Louis L. Redding Middle SchoolLouis L. Redding Middle School VisionVision TimeTime CollaborationCollaboration Meeting NormsMeeting Norms Parent InvolvementParent Involvement

Common Themes…Common Themes…Next Next StepsSteps

Glasgow High School…Glasgow High School… Individualized PD continuedIndividualized PD continued Sophisticated PLC projects to impact Sophisticated PLC projects to impact

greater number of faculty/studentsgreater number of faculty/students Improved public relations/parent Improved public relations/parent

involvementinvolvement

Common Themes…Common Themes…Next Next StepsSteps

Gauger-Cobbs Middle SchoolGauger-Cobbs Middle School CollaborationCollaboration

• NormsNorms• Goal SettingGoal Setting• Using Data Using Data • LogsLogs• Common AssessmentsCommon Assessments

Peer VisitsPeer Visits Video Tape as a ToolVideo Tape as a Tool Targeted InterventionsTargeted Interventions PBSPBS

Professional Development…Professional Development…This yearThis year FutureFuture Outside Outside

OpportunitiesOpportunities

Gauger-Gauger-CobbsCobbs

Teaching in Teaching in the Blockthe BlockCurriculumCurriculumCollaborationCollaboration

PBSPBSCollaborationCollaboration

Professional Professional DevelopmentDevelopmentSchool VisitsSchool Visits

GlasgowGlasgow CurriculumCurriculumBlock Block SchedulingSchedulingIndividualized Individualized PDPDMAPMAP

CollaborationCollaborationIndividualized Individualized PDPD

Professional Professional DevelopmentDevelopmentSchool VisitsSchool Visits

Louis L. Louis L. ReddingRedding

DPAS IIDPAS IIData DayData DayVisioningVisioningCurriculum Curriculum DaysDays

Instructional Instructional MeetingsMeetingsMeeting Meeting NormsNormsVisionVision

Professional Professional DevelopmentDevelopmentSchool VisitsSchool Visits

Lessons Learned…Lessons Learned…

All teachers are leaders, and this All teachers are leaders, and this leadership promotes a feeling of leadership promotes a feeling of professional satisfaction.professional satisfaction.

Opportunities for Authentic LeadershipOpportunities for Authentic Leadership Celebrate LeadershipCelebrate Leadership ““People support what they help create” People support what they help create”

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““

Individual Reflection…

How is distributed leadership How is distributed leadership exemplified in your school or exemplified in your school or organization?organization?

Identify examples that currently Identify examples that currently exist.exist.

Individual Reflection…

What are the What are the common attributescommon attributes that exist among the three that exist among the three schools?schools?

Of these common attributes…what Of these common attributes…what can we make common to our can we make common to our school or organization?school or organization?

Final Thoughts….Final Thoughts….

Distributed Leadership may already Distributed Leadership may already exist in various forms within your schoolexist in various forms within your school

Although we may all look very different, Although we may all look very different, we all have common attributes…we all have common attributes…

most notably…our desire to most notably…our desire to positively impact student positively impact student achievement!!!!achievement!!!!