Building a Culture that Creates Capacity for Leadership and Learning Anthony Muhammad, PhD

The Task at Hand “If schools are to be transformed into learning communities, educators must be prepared first of all to acknowledge that the traditional guiding model of education is no longer relevant in a post-industrial, knowledge-based society. Second, they must embrace ideas and assumptions that are radically different than those that have guided schools in the past.” —DuFour & Eaker, Professional Learning Communities at Work (1998), p. 34

Two Forms of Change Technical–structural (skill) Cultural (will)

Healthy School Culture “Educators have an unwavering belief in the ability of all of their students to achieve success, and they pass that belief on to others in overt and covert ways. Educators create policies and procedures and adopt practices that support their belief in the ability of every student.” —Peterson (in Cromwell, 2002)

The Will to Lead Aligning the philosophy Managing frustration Creating a culture of collaboration Institutionalizing cultural health —Hollie & Muhammad, 2011

School goals guide behavior. Prescriptive Commitment Belief in all students School goals guide behavior. Reflection Analyze data. Confront brutal facts. Prescription Collaborative Disciplined practice

Aligning the Philosophy Developing Shared Purpose “The mission question challenges members of a group to reflect on the fundamental purpose of the organization, the very reason for its existence. The question asks, ‘Why do we exist?’ ‘What are we here to do together?’ and ‘What is the business of our business?’” —DuFour & Eaker, 1998

Crucial Conversations Conflicting opinions Potential to become highly emotional Stakes are high Patterson, et.al, Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When the Stakes are High (2011)

3 Big “Ideas” of a PLC Ensure high levels of learning for all students Create of a culture of collaboration Focus on Results

Starting a Movement Align, clarify, and build consensus to improve practice Identify impediments to collaboration and address them aggressively Create a plan that improves our collective effectiveness -Hierck and Williams, Starting a Movement: Building Culture From the Inside Out in Professional Learning Communities (2015)

Pause to Think What are you planning to do when you return to school to stimulate dialogue about shared purpose and addressing philosophical conflict? Are you prepared to respond to attitudes and belief systems that contradict the PLC philosophy?

Managing Frustration

Toxic School Culture “Educators believe that student success is based on students’ level of concern, attentiveness, prior knowledge, and willingness to comply with the demands of the school, and they articulate that belief in overt and covert ways. Educators create policies and procedures and adopt practices that support their belief in the impossibility of universal achievement.” —Peterson (in Cromwell, 2002)

Descriptive and Deflective

The Real Difference Descriptive Deflective Reflective Prescriptive Toxic Healthy Descriptive Deflective Reflective Prescriptive

Frustration The Root of a Toxic Culture Frustration: The feeling of being upset or annoyed because of inability to change or achieve something A mismatch between skill set and task Causes people to deflect blame onto others and create covert alliances with people experiencing similar struggles

Inappropriate preparation Poor support system Task overload Recipe for Disaster Inappropriate preparation Poor support system Task overload

The Culture of Complaint Two Vs Venting Validation

Time Out! “To be a good teammate, your responsibilities must be more important than your rights” —John Wooden

Good to Great, Jim Collins What do great corporations or organizations do differently than good or average organizations? They seek and confront the brutal facts. They get the right people on the bus and sit them in the right seats.

Adult Drama Dysfunctional social interactions between adult professionals within a school environment that interfere with the proper implementation of important policies, practices, and procedures that support the proper education of students

The Quandary (Muhammad, 2009) Tweeners Believers Survivors Fundamentalists (Muhammad, 2009)

Pause to Think How do people in your work environment typically respond when they get frustrated (Reflective and Prescriptive or Descriptive and Deflective? Do you have an active group of Fundamentalists? If so, how do they affect your culture?

Collaborative Culture Team: A systematic process in which we work interdependently to analyze and impact professional practice to improve individual and collective results

Macro and Micro Collaboration Systemic Teachers

Coherence “Leaders in PLCs must focus on building collective coherence and a shared mindset among individuals and across the whole system. They must focus on transforming culture. Coherence making is a critical process” DuFour, R and Fullan, M., Cultures Built to Last: Systemic PLC at Work (2013), pg. 23

Guiding Coalition Establish a coalition of people who will guide your PLC journey Ensure that membership represents a diverse cross-section of staff members Levey Guiding Coalition (Administrators, Guidance Counselors, and Department Chairpersons) This team met twice every summer (full days) and two times per month (two hours) throughout the school year

Developing a Shared Focus Shared mission Shared vision Shared values Shared goals

Shared Mission We will work collaboratively to ensure that each student is prepared for post-secondary education.

SMART Goals “One of the most powerful strategies for building the capacity of the staff to work effectively in collaborative teams is to create the conditions that require them to work together to accomplish a specific goal” —DuFour, DuFour, Eaker, Many & Mattos, Learning by Doing: A Handbook for Professional Learning Communities at Work (2016), pg. 159

Shared Vision School Improvement Teams Character Education And Community Service Connection to Public and Private Sectors Parental Partnership University Partnerships Academic Skills Professional Learning Community

Core Beliefs Schools are places for children’s education, not for adult employment. Schools play a major role in the life success of students and their communities. Education is a profession, and educators should conduct themselves as professionals. Education is a mission, and educators should conduct themselves as missionaries. Schools are a community’s most precious institution, and they have the power to transform it.

Core Beliefs Children are the center of everything we do, and our practice should reflect their best interests. Schools must partner with other community members for optimal educational experiences. Character is important, and schools can help shape a child’s character. Community service is important and essential in democratic society.

Reflection What is your written school mission? Do you have a comprehensive vision plan? Are they aligned with the goals of a PLC? Are your core values aligned or is your staff a group of “independent contractors”? Do you need to revisit them? Why or why not?

Leadership at Every Level Healthy School Culture Teacher Building Leadership District State and Federal

Hard Fact We are very flawed individually, but we are nearly perfect collectively!

The Most Critical Cultural Relationship School Leadership Teachers

The Most Critical Instructional Relationship Teacher

School Administration We need each other! School Administration Teachers Teacher cooperation and commitment to school vision Teacher commitment to focus on 4 PLC Questions Interpretation of student data and adjustments to instructional practice Commitment of resources to make the PLC process work Manipulating the master schedule in order to provide adequate collaborative time Resources to provide training and systems support the PLC process

4 Stages of a Collaborative Culture (Tuckman) Forming Storming Norming Performing Tuckman, Bruce (1965). "Developmental sequence in small groups". Psychological Bulletin. 63 (6): 384–99

Reflection How effective is your current system of collaboration? Which stage best describes the current state of your collaborative teams?

Keyword -Dr. Anthony Muhammad Contact Information Website: www.newfrontier21.com E-mail: amuhammad@newfrontier21.com Twitter: @newfrontier21 Facebook: Keyword -Dr. Anthony Muhammad

With the Transforming School Culture video playlist, you'll get curated videos that align to the chapters in the book. Try it for free SolutionTree.com/GlobalPD

AVAILABLE AVAILABLE from Solution Tree SolutionTree.com/Transforming