1. Effective Schools Effective Superintendents:
The Emerging Instructional Leadership Role

2. Educational Reform First Wave (1982-1986) Second Wave (1986-1989)
Improving Classroom Instruction
Underscored the Need for Strong Instructional Leadership (school & district)
Effective Schools Research
Second Wave ( )
Professionalizing Teaching
Shifting Control to the District and Building Levels
Promoting Higher Order Thinking Skills
Emphasizing Problem Solving
Addressing the needs of “at-risk”children
Third Wave (1988-forward)
Child-centered delivery system
Empowering teachers
Brokering services

3. While each wave of reform brought contradictory demands on school administrators…..
Importance of Instructional Leadership was clear in all 3 waves of reform. Initial Effective Schools Research focused on the individual school and suggest that the capacity for improvement, and change resides at the “building” level.

4. (1985-1995) Focus on the School District
It is very difficult to sustain an effective school without the support of the central Office, superintendent, and board of education.
District level leadership teams that include the superintendent must develop and implement a district plan to support the individual schools.
Districts with excellent student achievement have superintendents who are personally involved with their curriculum and instructional programs. (Murphy, Hallinger, and Peterson 1985)

5. Superintendents Role in Instructional Leadership Journal of School Leadership (Lars G. Bjork May, 1993)
Staff Selection
Principal Supervision
Establishing Clear Instructional Goals
Monitoring Instruction
Financial Planning to Improve Instruction
The success or failure of public schools has been directly linked to the influence of the district superintendent, particularly those who maintain high levels of involvement instructional programs. (Bridges, 1982 and Cuban, 1984)

6. Effective Schools Activity

7. WV Standards for Effective Schools
Creating a Common Language
Consistent Focus
Collaboration

8. American Institute of Research
5 year study
750 Low performing schools
Education week Sept. 19, 2012

9. Strong Leadership Accountability Pressure and Support from District
Data effectively used to target student interventions
Teacher collaboration was the most common used strategy at successful turnaround schools
Year-long professional development tied to improvement plan
Multiple, interlocking strategies that form a framework for improvement
Sense of coherence, collaboration, leadership, and support

10. What doesn’t work New curriculum---there is no silver bullet
Professional development that is not year-long in scope
Too many strategies and not a clear focus

11. Learning for All…..
“We can, whenever and wherever we choose, successfully teach all children whose schooling is of interest to us. We already know more than we need to do that. Whether or not we do it must finally depend on how we feel about the fact that we haven’t so far.”
Ron Edmonds