Leading Literacy March Keay Cobbin

To share what I have learned working with literacy leaders who have been successful in affecting change in teaching and learning that has resulted in better outcomes for students.

 Represents a dramatic departure from the ‘expected’ to the ‘unfamiliar’  Requires new knowledge and skills for successful implementation.  Changes the culture Marzano, R. J., & Waters, T., & McNulty, B. A. (2005)

About Children  Every child can learn to read, write and orally communicate at high levels  Every child has the right to learn in a rich, active and supportive literacy environment About Teachers  The underlying motivation for most teachers is the success of their students  Teachers need high quality continuous professional development About Leaders  There is a direct relationship between significantly improving outcomes for students and effective literacy leadership by principals and other leaders in the school. About Literacy  Our understandings of literacy continuously evolves – we need to keep learning

“There is only one conclusion that can be drawn about a transformation that changes everything, changes everyone, represents a departure from the familiar, demands the acquisition of new skills, and continues for ever: this transformation requires substantive change – real change - and real change is real hard!” DuFour, R., DuFour, R., Eaker, R., & Many, T. (2010)

Effective Literacy Leaders Create a vision Build their teachers’ capacity Ensure internal accountability exists Are deeply involved in the learning Understand the change process

Effective Literacy Leaders Create a vision

“A vision helps clarify the direction in which an organization needs to move. The vision functions in many different ways: it helps spark motivation, it helps keep all the projects and changes aligned, it provides a filter to evaluate how the organization is doing, and it provides a rationale for the changes the organization will have to weather.” Kotter, J., (1995)

1. shaped by an understanding of the current research around literacy processes. 2. shaped by an understanding of the current research into literacy pedagogy.

Teaching Readers Essential Knowledge and Understandings The evolving understanding of the reading process The comprehension strategies that readers use to construct meaning Extended time for students to read Critical role of ‘substantive talk’ The importance of motivation and choice The strong correlation between vocabulary knowledge and comprehension

 The Gradual Release of Responsibility “ All the explicit instruction in the world would not make strong readers unless accompanied by lots of experience applying their knowledge, skills and strategies during actual reading”. Pearson, (2006)  Formative Assessment  Transferability of skills

“What you do with your vision after you create it will determine your success. … so you need to communicate it frequently and powerfully and embed it within everything that you do.” Kotter, J., (1995)

Effective Literacy Leaders Create a vision Build their teachers’ capacity

 “Leaders who call upon others to engage in new work, achieve new standards, and accomplish new goals have a responsibility to develop the capacity of those they lead to be successful in meeting those challenges.” DuFour, R., DuFour, R., Eaker, R., & Many, T. (2010).  For every performance I demand of you, I have an equal responsibility to provide you with a unit of capacity. Elmore, R. (2010)  Professional Development – 19 th out of 134 influences on student achievement. Hattie, J. (2009)

 High quality, continuous, well planned professional learning over an extended period of time  Well-detailed professional learning plan that articulates:  the new knowledge and skills teachers will acquire  what teachers will be doing differently in the classroom  the contexts for learning  resources  projected impact on student learning  indicators of success /progress at various points – small wins  how the impact of the PL will be measured – student achievement measures

 Time for learning  Professional Reading  Resources  Engagement of external support when/if required  Professional Learning Communities

Professional Learning Communities - the deprivatisation of practice “… an ongoing process in which educators work collaboratively in recurring cycles of collective inquiry and action research to achieve better results for the students they serve.” “… the key to improved learning for all students in continuous job-embedded learning for all teachers.” DuFour, R., DuFour, R., Eaker, R., & Many, T. (2010). Learning By Doing A Handbook for Professional Learning Communities at Work

Effective Literacy Leaders Create a vision Build their teachers’ capacity Ensure internal accountability exists

 They (principals) are not just accountable for creating the conditions in which results might happen – accountability presumably resting with teachers – but rather they are responsible to ensure that results do happen. Leithwood, K. (2010)

Internal Alignment of Responsibility Expectations Accountability Individual Responsibility Accountability Collective Expectations Elmore, R. (2010)

Internal Alignment of Responsibility Expectations Accountability Individual Responsibility Accountability Collective Expectations Elmore, R. (2010)

Effective Literacy Leaders Create a vision Build their teachers’ capacity Ensure internal accountability exists Understand the change process

 Change is a slow, difficult, and gradual process for teachers  Most teachers oppose radical adjustments to their current practices.  Willingness to adopt an innovation is often largely affected by the perceived magnitude of the change.  Embrace resistance – it is a natural part of change! “…redefine resistance as a potential positive force” Fullan, M. (2002)

Guskey (2002) Professional Development Change in Teachers Classroom Practices Change in Student Learning Outcomes Change in Teachers’ Beliefs & Attitudes

Phase V The Inventing Phase Phase l The Initiating Phase Phase ll The Clarifying Phase Phase lll The Cultivating Phase Phase lV The Culminating Phase Take on leadership role in this area Return to Phase l in a new area of learning Jan Burkins (2007)

Effective Literacy Leaders Create a vision Build their teachers’ capacity Ensure internal accountability exists Are deeply involved in the learning Understand Change

 “Professional development was more effective when the school leadership supported opportunities to learn, where there was access to relevant expertise, and when opportunities were provided to meet to process new information.”  “Specific dimensions of instructional leadership that had greatest effects on student outcomes were promoting and participating in teacher learning and development John Hattie (2009)

 “..you never put people in a group without participating in some way yourself…”  “The point is, learn to think of yourself as a leader of learning, and try to model the practice you expect other people to engage in.” Elmore, R. (2010)

 Leaders have the greatest influence on outcomes for students when they participate in and promote the professional learning of their teachers. Lloyd, Claire A., Robinson, Viviane, M. J., & Rowe, Kenneth, J. (2008)

Effective Literacy Leaders Create a vision Build their teachers’ capacity Ensure internal accountability exists Are deeply involved in the learning Understand the change process

“Identify those values, traditions, and practices that you will preserve, not just those you will change.” Pull the Weeds Before You Plant the Flowers “I will not ask you to implement one more initiative until we take some things off the table. Then Listen. It might be the first round of applause you have had in a while.” Reeves, Douglas, B., (2009)

 Burkins, J. (2007). Coaching For Balance. Newark, DE: International Reading Association  DuFour, R., DuFour, R., Eaker, R., & Many, T. (2010). Learning By Doing A Handbook for Professional Learning Communities at Work  Elmore, R. (2010). Leading the instructional core. In Conversation. Volume 11, Issue 3  Fullan, M. ( 2002). Principals as leaders in a culture of change. Educational Leadership.  Guskey, T. (2002). Professional development and teacher change. Teaching and Learning Theory and Practice. Vol. 8, No. 3/4  Hattie, J. (2009). Visible Learning. New York, NY: Routledge  Kotter, J., (1995). Leading change: why change transformation efforts fail. Business Review.  Leithwood, K. (2010). Evolving perspectives: leaders and leadership. In Conversation. Volume 11, Issue 2  Lloyd, Claire A., Robinson, Viviane, M. J., & Rowe, Kenneth, J. (2008). The impact of leadership on student outcomes: an analysis of the differential effects of leadership types. Educational Administration Quarterly 2008; 44; 635  Marzano, R. J., & Waters, T., & McNulty, B. A. (2005). School Leadership That Works  Reeves, Douglas, B., (2009). Leading Change in Your School How to Conquer Myths, Build Commitment, and Get Results. Alexandria, VA: ASCD  Pearson, D. (2002). Effective practices for developing reading comprehension, from What Research Has to Say About Reading Instruction. Newark DE: IRA