Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 An Evidence-Based Approach to the Practice of Educational Leadership First Edition Ronald W. Rebore Angela L. E. Walmsley Saint Louis University This multimedia product and its contents are protected under copyright law. The following are prohibited by law: Any public performance or display, including transmission of any image over a network; Preparation of any derivative work, including the extraction, in whole or part, of any images; Any rental, lease, or lending of this program.

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 Chapter 4: The Learning Community and an Evidence- Based Approach

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 Instructional Objectives To learn how to create a culture of evidence in a school district that will enhance the learning community To provide information that can be used to engage stakeholders in discourse, which will strengthen the learning community. To understand the importance of the learning community, as the school is situated within a surrounding community

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 Instructional Objectives To understand the operationalization of shared responsibility among members of the learning community To understand the “concept of duty” and why it is a learning community’s responsibility to educate a younger generation. To provide examples of evidence for different members of the learning community to show progress or changes within a school, and to develop these into a school improvement plan

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 Introduction Educational leadership is a shared responsibility which is focused on the promotion of learning by all members of the community. All people involved in the learning community need to see results of the learning effort as evidence in the form of data.

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 The Culture of the Learning Community Every school is a reflection of the community surrounding it. Administrators must work to develop a positive learning culture. This requires the administrator to reflect on his or her own practices to facilitate such an environment.

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 The Culture of the Learning Community The culture of learning communities can be negative or positive. –Negative: high turnover rate, high absenteeism, high drop-out rates –Positive: low teacher turnover, mentor programs, low absenteeism, low drop-out rates The administrator must start where the school and community is at and work towards improving the learning community.

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 The Culture of the Learning Community An administrator should evaluate both informally and formally the learning culture and suggest changes as needed. A network or team of instructional leaders should be built to continually strive towards the best learning community. An administrator should match the school’s or community’s goals and expectations.

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 The Culture of the Learning Community In order to lead a professional learning community, the following attributes of culture must be analyzed: –Collaboration –Leadership –Focus on learning –Goal development –School improvement plans –Celebration –And persistence R. Eaker, R. DuFour, and R. DuFour, Getting Started: Reculturing Schools to Become Professional Learning Communities (Bloomington, IN: National Educational Service, 2002) p.10

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 Mission Identification “The first critical role of building a learning community is to build a solid foundation of shared mission, vision, values, and goals” An administrator should develop an idea of what he or she sees as a vision or mission of the school. The administrator should open up the idea for others to contribute to the mission. Ibid.

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 Mission Identification The mission statement becomes the vision and values of the school and community it reflects. It becomes the school improvement plan. This mission must be accepted by the community in order to produce actions and results.

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 The Organizational Structure of the Learning Community Individual agendas and politics can get in the way of an overall vision of the good of the community. Focusing on the common purposes can help to overcome these issues.

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 The Organizational Structure of the Learning Community The superintendent is the link between the community and school representing what the board of education believes and what the schools and its teachers and students require. The superintendent must be able to communicate well politically and educationally.

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 The Organizational Structure of the Learning Community The learning community not only includes superintendent, principal, teachers, and students but also: –Taxpayers –Politicians –Business leaders –Religious organizations –Places of student employment –Volunteer organizations

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 The Organizational Structure of the Learning Community Learning communities do not work from a top down or trickle down stance. Learning communities allow for a bottom up approach, where those involved at the closest level with students work together collaboratively to improve student learning.

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 Membership in the Learning Community Membership involves all stakeholders and community members who use the school as some part of their lives and encompasses a large part of the surrounding community. Membership should be valued and open 9, collaborative, and respecting of diversity.

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 Communication with the Learning Community The administrator often leads communication and should use language that is easily understood by all. The administrator should be honest and encourage the same. The administrator should not discuss issues that he or she does not fully understand or know the answer to.

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 Communication with the Learning Community Make a point that all community members are informed and heard. This may be accomplished through: –The media –School tours –Board meetings –Annual reports –Webpages –Calendars J.R. Hoyle, F.W. English, and B.E. Steffy, Skills for Successful 21 st Century School Leaders (Arlington, VA: American Association of School Administrators, 1998), p. 44

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 Communication with the Learning Community In the past, administrators spoke for three purposes: 1.To provide information 2.To persuade 3.To mark a special event Ibid A good leader should move towards providing opportunities for dialogue among community members.

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 Communication with the Learning Community The administrator must understand: –Political issues in the community –Budgetary or tax issues for the community –Cultural issues within the community –The cultural, ethnic, and political involvements of the community

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 The Operationalization of Shared Responsibility An administrator should realize that he or she cannot lead alone. The school or district is only as good as the parents, teachers, and supportive staff make it. Teachers must be given time and authority to work together and create programs for the betterment of the students.

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 The Operationalization of Shared Responsibility A principal should utilize teachers by providing opportunities for leadership within the learning community. An administrator can share leadership with citizens or parents through promoting parental involvement and volunteerism. Community members can lead by providing additional or alternative forms of education to students.

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 The Principle of Subsidiarity “Subsidiarty, as a principle suggests that, wherever possible, decision making should take place at the point closest to the people, not the other way around.” It is imperative to involve parents and teachers in planning since they are closest to the issues at hand. R. Mason and S. Randell, “Democracy, Subsidiarity, and Community-Based Adult Education”, Convergence, 28, No. 1, 1995, p. 24.

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 The Principle of Subsidiarity Four assumptions are present when goal setting is a learning community effort: 1.People involved on a daily basis best understand concerns or problems best 2.Groups of people working together face-to-face provide a successful situation 3.Those who developed the goals will work hardest to achieve them 4.Creativity is spread throughout many members in the population Ubben, Hughes, and Norris, The Principal, p. 38

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 The Concept of Duty and the Social Contract By providing public education for future citizens of America, current citizens are upholding a duty or social contract. The ideas of a concept of duty and a social contract to educate the youth in a community need to develop beyond issues to taxes and bond levies.

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 The Concept of Duty and the Social Contract The duty of education transcends from local to global. The success of the society depends on how many citizens see education as part of their duty to their society. Reciprocity is a key element to the learning community.

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 The Concept of Duty and the Social Contract Taxpayers want to see student achievement and feel that they will receive something in return from their contribution. A true learning community offers those not affiliated with the school something “in return”, such as access to school facilities.

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 Leading the Learning Community The most successful administrators in a school are effected because of the indirect actions taken, such as vision and goal setting. The most effective principles are those who center their leadership style on collaboration and professionalism while facilitating the work of members of the learning community. Davis, Darling-Hammond, LaPointe, and Meyerson, School Leadership Study, p. 5.

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 Leading the Learning Community In order for a school leader to be accepted in the community, he or she must retain two important aspects: 1.Trustworthiness 2.Competence

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 Leading the Learning Community An administrator must be able to work with a budget while campaigning for more funding when necessary. The most important aspect for an administrator in leading the school- community partnership is communication. The administrator must pair good communication with evidence-based programs to become an effective leader.

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 Evidence-Based Assessment to Evaluate Results for Leaders and Consumers of Education Various members of the learning community should be able to demonstrate their own involvement to other effectively. Parents, teachers, administrators, and citizens should be able to know about and understand evidence of student learning. Teachers should be able to demonstrate their abilities and successes to those in the community.

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 Evidence-Based Assessment to Evaluate Results for Leaders and Consumers of Education Technology can be used to make information regarding school personnel updated and available to the community. Community leaders who are actively involved in the school can demonstrate their effectiveness by making available the various projects or way they are involved in the school.

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 Evidence-Based Assessment to Evaluate Results for Leaders and Consumers of Education Citizens of the community should be able to demonstrate their level of involvement and the types of interactions they have with the school. Administrators should show evidence of the work they are completing within the school and within the community.

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 Evidence-Based Assessment to Evaluate Results for Leaders and Consumers of Education Most importantly, the school or school district must be able to show evidence of the student learning and community involvement in a school.

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 School Improvement Plan The goal of collecting evidence is not to have perceptions about the community, but to have evidence on which to make operational definitions. Every school should have a school improvement action plan. The community should have input to Changes or alterations to this plan.

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 Discussion Questions and Statements 1.Explain the principle of subsidiarity and provide an example in your school that uses this principle. 2.Describe the culture of your learning community. 3.Which citizens may value the concept of duty and the social contract and why? 4.Describe the organizational structure of your learning community.

Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2007 Discussion Questions and Statements 5. In what ways is communication important between an administrator and other members of the learning community? 6. Describe some ways an administrator can communicate with different members of the learning community. 7. Provide an example of how a community leader may be involved in the school.