Leading For Instructional Improvement: How Successful Leaders Develop Teaching And Learning Expertise

There is little agreement among school leaders on what constitutes quality teaching and how best to support teachers in improving lessons, assessments, and classroom instruction. This book will show how principals and other school leaders can ‘grow’ the expertise of teachers to deliver high quality instruction that serves all students well. It introduces principals to a five-part model of effective instruction. It then shows leaders how to make use of this framework for guiding new and veteran teachers on improving lessons, instruction, and other aspects of classroom practices.

Stephen Fink is executive director of the Center for Educational Leadership and affiliate associate professor in the College of Education at the University of Washington, Seattle.

Anneke Markholt is associate director of the Center for Educational Leadership and an affiliate faculty member at the University of Washington in the department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies.

Foreword.

Acknowledgments.

Introduction.

The Authors.

About the Center for Educational Leadership.

Part One Making the Case for Instructional Expertise.

One The Leader's Role in Developing Teacher Expertise.

It Takes Expertise to Make Expertise.

Building Shared Understanding.

Conclusion.

Discussion Questions.

Part Two Developing an Expert Instructional Eye.

Two The Five Dimensions of Teaching and Learning.

Purpose.

Student Engagement.

Curriculum and Pedagogy.

Assessment for Student Learning.

Classroom Environment and Culture.

Conclusion.

Discussion Questions.

Three Applying the Five Dimensions of Teaching and Learning.

Analysis.

Conclusion.

Discussion Questions.

Four Observing Classroom Practice.

Leadership Begins with Purpose.

The Learning Walkthrough.

The Goal-Setting and Implementation Walkthrough.

The Supervisory Walkthrough.

Conclusion.

Discussion Question.

Part Three Leading for Instructional Improvement.

Five Responding to Observations.

Observations, Interpretations, and Feedback.

Classroom Observations and Honest Conversations.

The Development of Shared Vision: A District Case.

Organizing Thinking: A Middle School Case.

Conclusion.

Discussion Questions.

Six Orchestrating Professional Learning.

Leaders as Conductors.

Orchestrating Professional Learning.

Conclusion.

Discussion Questions.

Seven Coaching to Improve Practice.

What Is Coaching?

Why Does Coaching Matter?

Modes of Coaching.

Peer Coaching and Mentoring.

Cognitive Coaching.

Instructional Coaching and Content Coaching.

Expertise in Content Coaching.

Research-Decide-Coach.

Conclusion.

Discussion Questions.

Eight The Leader's Role in Improving Teacher Practice.

Reciprocal Accountability.

Leading with an Inquiry Stance.

Conclusion.

Discussion Questions.

Part Four Embracing New Opportunities for Leading and Learning.

Nine A New Vision for Improving Learning for All.

Discussion Questions.

Appendix A: 5D Framework.

Appendix B: Types of Classroom Observations.

References.

Index.