Running Head: THE PRINCIPALS ROLE AS A LEADER OF LEARNING

The Principals Role as a Leader of Learning

Critical Element Paper #4

Presented to the Department of Educational Leadership
and Postsecondary Education
University of Northern Iowa

In Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the
Master of Arts in Education

By
Matthew S. Tobin
West High School
Waterloo, IA
November, 15, 2015

Dr. Susan Alborn-Yilek

Running Head: THE PRINCIPALS ROLE AS A LEADER OF LEARNING

Introduction to Leader of Learning
Low test scores, perplexing curricula, and the United States failing to beat other
countries academically are constantly in the news. Todays educational leaders are under the
microscope and are being pressed to solve these issues as quickly and as economically savvy as
they can. They cannot stand idly by in their building, hiding in their office and just handling
organizational issues. Sergiovanni, Starratt, & Cho (2013) elaborate on the situation, Within
these ideological historical shifts in defining the purpose of education, instructional supervision
policy tended to mandate supervisor practices to shape teaching and learning with that
ideological influence (p.7). Because of these demands, principals are responsible for student
achievement within the building and the standardize test scores. Due to this change, the principal
is now seen as the leader of learning in the building. The principal is seen as the curriculum
expert and he or she will set the academic vision for the staff. The educational leader must utilize
research-based practices and evaluative and innovative classroom techniques practices to
increase student achievement.
Building Moment for Curriculum Change
The principal is the curriculum leader in the building, which Sorenson, Goldsmith,
Mendez, & Maxwell (2011) define curriculum leadership as, Connecting curriculum,
instruction, assessment, and evaluation in an effort to improve learning and understanding (p.8).
The principal is responsible for the student achievement in the building and is the driving force
behind the curriculum development in the building. To change any curriculum principals need to
recognize the challenges, set expectations, and foster a collaborative environment.

Running Head: THE PRINCIPALS ROLE AS A LEADER OF LEARNING

Before change is set in motion the principal and staff must realize that establishing a new
curriculum vision is a complicated and lengthy process. Hall & Hord (2014) perfectly note,
Change is a process through which people and organizations move as they gradually learn,
come to understand, and become skilled and competence in the use of the new ways (p. 11).
This starts with the educational leader setting a vision and plan of how to get there. As Maxwell
(2007) summarizes, They see the whole trip in their minds before they leave the dock. They
have vision for getting to their destination, they understand what it will take to get there, they
know who they need on the team to be successful, and they recognize the obstacles long before
they appear on the horizon (p.38). The principal must be able to envision the entire process and
be able to adjust to any setbacks that may occur.
To ensure efficiency throughout the process, the principal must establish high
expectations. Sorenson, Goldsmith, Mendez, & Maxwell (2011) point out, High expectations
create accelerated curricular and instructional approaches that, in turn, increase student
achievement and success (p. 55). With expectations set, the principal must establish a
community of collaboration. Sorenson et al. (2011) suggest, The curriculum team must include
teachers, parents, principals, and other members of the school community. (p. 58). To promote
collaboration between educators, the principal can create Professional Learning Communities.
These communities will bring teachers together that teach similar materials. With the help of the
principal, they will create a curriculum map, essential learnings, and common formative
assessments (CFAs). They will use the data from the CFAs to determine best practice. Principals
can also utilize the data from CFAs to determine how effective teaching strategies used by
educators are. As suggested by Sorenson et al. (2011) Educational leaders ensure achievement

Running Head: THE PRINCIPALS ROLE AS A LEADER OF LEARNING

and success of all students by monitoring and continuously improving teaching and learning (p.
58).
When implementing any curriculum change, the principal must utilize a systematic
approach. Sorenson, Goldsmith, Mendez, & Maxwell (2011) state, Without such a systematic
approach, a principals and the school communitys work, regardless of the level of commitment
and enthusiasm, is doomed to fail (p. 116). However, at any point the approach may fail or
become stagnant. To be able to guarantee that the change continues, the principal must continue
to educate themselves and grow as a leader in order to ensure the process is successful. By
continuing to grow and educate his or her self, the principal can determine the best method.
Maxwell (2007) explains that leaders as learners have the capacity to develop and improve their
skills that distinguishes leaders from their followers (p.26). Principals must be able to draw
upon scholarly articles and books, and utilize educational agencies to help them continue to be a
leader of learning.
Utilizing Observations and Classroom Techniques
According to Marshall (2013), teachers are essentially alone with students 99.9 percent of
the time. This means, throughout the school year, principals are only observing teachers about
0.1 percent of the time (p.27). Principals need to consider this statistic when implementing
curriculum change. Teachers need to be held accountable to ensure fidelity when implementing
any new initiatives. To do so, principals must utilize evaluation process and walk-throughs. Also,
to help teachers effectively implement effective strategies, principals need to be able suggest
techniques to help the educators grow as instructors.

Running Head: THE PRINCIPALS ROLE AS A LEADER OF LEARNING

The State of Iowa has constructed a statewide evaluation process. The purpose of the
process is to develop a collaborative procedure between administrators and teachers with the
focus on improving professional practices. The principal will perform two observations and
conduct a pre and post conference for each observation. The goal is to provide constructive
feedback and have the educator reflect on his or her practice. However, the evaluation process
presents a supervisory issue. As Marshall (2013) explains, For end-of-year evaluations to be
credible, school leaders must have a way of knowing what teachers are doing all the time (p.
27). The evaluation process needs to be paired with quick walk-throughs to fully grasp how
effective the instructor is at engaging students and at implementing any new initiatives.
Principals can utilize quick walk-throughs to determine how effective the teacher is
engaging students and how effective the curriculum is being implemented. In a model created by
Marshall (2013) mini-observations need to be unannounced, frequent, and short (p.57). Marshall
(2013) explains, Making the shift to unannounced visits is absolutely essential to getting an
accurate picture of how teachers are performing on a daily basis (p. 58). By keeping them
frequent, the teachers will feel less threatened by the presence of an administrator in their
classroom. Finally, in the model created by Marshall (2013) she also recommends that miniobservations be followed up with a face-to-face interview, perceptive feedback, and that the
principal must be humble and courageous. As Marshall clarifies, Frequent classroom visits and
informal, low-stakes feedback chats make the job of criticizing teachers a bit easier (p. 58).
This method allows principals to get into classrooms, identify any issues, and address them in a
non-threatening manner.
Beyond observing the classrooms, principals can suggest techniques to increase student
engagement and achievement. Principals can ask educators to self-evaluate their performance.

Running Head: THE PRINCIPALS ROLE AS A LEADER OF LEARNING

The first area the educator can evaluate is pacing. Marzano & Pickering (2011) suggest, If
pacing is too slow, energy drops and attention wanes (p.21). Teachers can also look at if they are
building positive teacher-student relationships and peer relationships. Marzano & Pickering
(2011) explain, Effective teacher-student and peer relationships are at the core of a supportive
tone in the classroom (p.148). These relationships are fundamental for fostering a positive
environment in the classroom. Finally, teachers can utilize effective questioning strategies. By
making unique questions, students will become intrigued and stay engaged.
Connecting a Leader of Learning to the Iowa Standards for School Leaders
The Iowa Standards for School Leaders (ISSL) ensure that principals are being held
accountable (School Administrators of Iowa (SAI), 2007). Three ISSL standards drive
curriculum leadership: Standard one (a shared vision), standard two (a culture of learning) and
standard four (family and community) but standard two is the most the critical (SAI, 2007).
Sorenson, Goldsmith, Mendez, & Maxwell (2011) elaborates on what ISSL standard two
requires of principals, Principals help teachers learn when they facilitate discovery of best
practices in teaching and learning and connect those discoveries to current practices and student
assessment. Doing so allows teachers to develop shared knowledge that improves decisions and,
thus, positively impacts student learning (p.31).
How Ive Demonstrated Im a Leader of Learning
During my time as a teacher at West High School in Waterloo, Iowa I have had the
opportunity of being a part of a few different communities and activities that promote a culture
of learning. The Waterloo Community School District has recently implemented International
Baccalaureate Program. This program centers on a rigorous curriculum that promotes creativity

Running Head: THE PRINCIPALS ROLE AS A LEADER OF LEARNING

and differentiating for higher learning. Ive been a part of a team that has been vertically
integrating advance courses from 8th grade to 10th grade. The goal of the integration is to better
prepare students for more rigorous classes that they would take as a junior or senior. As a future
educational leader, it might not be the most economical decision to implement a program like the
International Baccalaureate, but I would love to promote a highly rigorous and engaging
curriculum. I will strive to send my teachers to conferences and provide other professional
development opportunities to reach this goal.
All the educators at West High are a part of one or two Professional Learning
Communities (PLCs). These PLCs are required to create a curriculum map for their course, set
essential standards, and create common formative assessments (CFAs) to collect data for
determining best practices. The administrative team is required to be a part of any district wide
PLC. The principals and the assistant principals are critical in ensuring that the staff cooperate,
stay on task, and complete any needed work. As a future administrator, I will implement PLCs in
my building. I have seen how this fosters collaboration between content specialists and how
collectively they can create effective assessments.
Last year, West High implemented a Response to Intervention (RTI) model to help
increase academic achievement. The administrative team built in an extra period throughout the
school day, and for a period students are required to attend seminar. The model implemented at
West requires every student to remain in tier one, unless a teacher submits them for intensive
help. If a student is a submitted, the student will either be placed in tier two or tier three
depending on their willingness to comply. I was a part of teacher-led team that helped train the
staff and address issues from the initial launch. We centered on connecting RTI to PLCs. We
defined essential standards and CFAs and how to implement them with fidelity. As a future

Running Head: THE PRINCIPALS ROLE AS A LEADER OF LEARNING

educational leader, I will ensure that my building has an RTI system. Through my experience,
this system has raised student achievement and is a great time for students to seek help from a
content specialist.
As for my personal experiences as a leader of learning, I feel hosting student teachers has
been the most impactful experience. At first, the teacher serves as a model for the student teacher
as they acclimate to the surroundings. As they take over the classroom and implement their own
instructional strategies, the model teacher must encourage them to experiment and try new
things. Throughout the process, the mentor teacher helps guide and shape the future teacher that
they will become through self-reflection and practice. They help them hone their craft and guide
them to create meaningful lessons and assessments. Just like and administrator, at the end of the
placement you must determine if theyre fit to be an educator.
Waterloo implemented the Teacher Leadership and Compensation grant last year and I
was asked to be on the evaluation team. There were four of us and we were given set criteria to
evaluate each position. Each person evaluated had to submit about a dozen artifacts to show that
theyve been meeting expectations. After our evaluation, our recommendations were sent to our
building principal and finally a district representative looked at both recommendations.
Conclusion
Principals are the leader of learning for their building and the instructional leader behind
curriculum changes. These leaders are the ones responsible for combating low test scores,
perplexing curriculums, and the United States failing to beat other countries academically. They
must recognize the challenges, create the vision, and create a collaborative environment to
launch any curriculum changes. Principals must utilize evaluative and classroom techniques to
ensure students are benefiting from the curriculum changes. Principals are under constant

Running Head: THE PRINCIPALS ROLE AS A LEADER OF LEARNING

pressure to raise student achievement, but as Maxwell (2007) states, When the pressure is on,
great leaders are at their best (p.182). Principals must rise to meet the pressures of the job and
be the leader of learning for the stakeholders in the community!

Running Head: THE PRINCIPALS ROLE AS A LEADER OF LEARNING

References
Hall, G., & Hord, S. (2014). Implementing change: Patterns, principles, and potholes (4th ed.).
Boston: Allyn and Bacon.
Iowa Standards for School Leaders . (n.d.). Retrieved November 18, 2015, from http://www.saiiowa.org/iowa-standards.cfm
Marshall, K. (2013). Rethinking teacher supervision and evaluation: How to work smart, build
collaboration, andcClose the achievement gap. (2nd ed.). Somerset: Wiley.
Marzano, R.J. & Pickering, D. J. (2011). The highly engaged classroom. Bloomington, IN:
Marzano Research Laboratory.
Maxwell, J. (2007). The 21 irrefutable laws of leadership: Follow them and people will follow
you (Rev. and updated 10th anniversary ed.). Nashville, Tenn.: Thomas Nelson.
Sergiovanni, T., Starratt, R., & Cho, V. (2013). Supervision: A redefinition (9th ed.). Boston, MA:
McGraw-Hill
Sorenson, R.D., Goldsmith, L.M., Mendez, Z.Y. & Maxwell, K.T. (2011). Principals guide to
curriculum leadership. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.