Leadership for Learning Building the System to Help All Students Succeed Fourth Annual Policy and Practice Institute – Richard Laine Director of Education The Wallace Foundation June 28, 2006

Page 2 Recognizing success Biggest gains in 4 th Grade Reading NAEP scores – 1998 to 2003: –All students (17 point increase) –Whites (15 point increase) –African Americans (22 point increase) –Latinos (33 point increase) This means you are closing the achievement gap the right way…

Page 3 Room for improvement… 8 th grade NAEP scores are middle of the pack Which means Delawares student going into high school are in the middle of the bottom of the international pack College going rate much lower than national average

Page 4 Creating the Urgency… Whats the rush?

Page 5 A missed opportunity

Page 6 Take Risks… Be Bold… Be Systemic… Be About What Is Best For Kids…

Page 7 Raising student achievement – adding the missing element Heightened demands for accountability A raft of issues on the table –NCLB and Adequate Yearly Progress –Changing demographics –Economic competitiveness and quality of life Long list of solutions –Teacher quality, high school reform, class size, special education, time, equity, adequacy of funding, technology and the list goes on… Whats been missing ????

Page 8 Leadership – an essential lever to improving learning Leadership is second only to classroom instruction among all school related factors that contribute to what students learn at school. --How Leadership Influences Student Learning, 2005

Page 9 Especially in difficult situations Indeed, there are virtually no documented instances of troubled schools being turned around without intervention by a powerful leader. --How Leadership Influences Student Learning, 2005

Page 10 N ot looking for the next Joe Clark… Effective leadership = Prepared leaders + Supportive conditions

Page 11 Schools – Improve the quality of teaching & increase student learning Principals who are: Qualified as well as certified Placed according to the best fit with the schools needs Supported by district & state policies that improve teaching & learning A leadership team that shares responsibility to: Communicate high expectations for every student Engage teachers, students, parents & community Use data to plan strategically & drive decisionmaking Allocate resources (people, time, money) to address priority needs Provide training for teachers, future leaders & others Build a culture of success for all children Results in: Dramatically improving high-needs schools Closing the achievement gap Continuously improving achievement of all students to meet high expectations

Page 12 SCHOOLS DISTRICTS STATES Alignment Improve school leadership district-wide by enacting supportive policies & programs Improve district / school leadership statewide by enacting supportive policies and programs A Cohesive Leadership System

Page 13 States – Improve district/school leadership statewide by enacting supportive policies and programs Standards (effective leadership & training criteria) Leader standards focused on improving instruction Quality standards for leader training programs Leaders training based on standards Training aligned to leader standards Consortiums (e.g., districts-universities) to improve quality of training Conditions to enable success of well trained leaders Assessment & information systems provide credible, actionable & timely data Accountability system w/ incentives/consequences focused on learning Target resources & incentives to meet student needs Streamlining rules & mandates Engagement of relevant partners

Page 14 Districts – Improve school leadership district-wide by enacting supportive policies & programs Standards (expectations of what leaders should do) District leader standards tied to state standards Leaders training based on standards Training aligned to leader standards Partnerships with universities to ensure job-relevant leader training Mentoring of principals & other leaders Succession planning Conditions within which better trained leaders work Recruitment & hiring practices reinforce standards Leaders authority aligned to role and responsibility Access to actionable data Accountability system with incentives & consequences Align resources (people, time, money) to student need Engagement of relevant partners

Page 15 Old solution: Improve the leader Put a great leader in a bad system, and you can bet on the system over time New solution: Improve the leader and the system Put a good leader in a supportive system, and you can bet on kids achieving great things

Page 16 Leadership matters (MN/Toronto study) But leadership is more than good leaders Leadership = leaders + conditions Leaders must be skilled in education and in leading change Change that does not affect student achievement does not count Big change requires political leadership Lessons learned

Page 17 Bringing About Change… Clear vision with high expectations for all children Strong partnerships with delineated responsibilities and shared accountability Understand and use the politics of the system Learn how to lead change

Page 18 Leading change Guiding questions How can leaders help other leaders bring about the necessary changes to significantly improve student achievement for all children? How can state, district and school leaders work together to make the changes?

Page 19 Research: Leadership is critical to making school reform succeed There seems little doubt that both district and school leadership provides a critical bridge between most educational reform initiatives, and having those reforms make a genuine difference for all students. --How Leadership Influences Student Learning, 2005

Page 20 Developing Leaders Improving Conditions Leading Change Effective Leader Performance Teaching Quality Improved Student Achievement

The Wallace Foundation seeks to support and share effective ideas and practices that expand learning and enrichment opportunities for all people. Its three current objectives are to: Strengthen education leadership to improve student achievement Enhance out-of-school learning opportunities Expand participation in arts and culture For more information, please visit our Knowledge Center at or contact mewww.wallacefoundation.org Richard Laine, Director of Education at or The Wallace Foundation Two Park Avenue, 23rd Floor New York, NY Telephone