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RUNNING HEAD: FINAL REFLECTION 1

Contexts and Challenges of School Improvement: Final Reflection

Sarah M. Cowell

Johnston Principal Leadership Academy, NCSU

Content Reflection: School Improvement is about ​So Much More​ than a Plan

The content covered in our course, Contexts and Challenges of School Improvement, will

be extremely valuable to me as a school leader. In addition to learning about impactful school

improvement processes and effective professional development practices, I also gained a better

understanding of the complexity and interconnectedness of several other concepts we have

discussed throughout our program, such as school culture and data analysis, in terms of moving

the school forward.

The two concepts that appear to be the most interwoven are school improvement and

school culture. In one of our first class sessions, Dr. Riddick explained that you cannot improve a

school if your culture is negative. This idea was further emphasized when Jenna McKeel,

Director of School Improvement for Johnston County Public Schools, explained the “recipe” for

school transformation involves mixing “equal parts” positive school culture and strategy. The

recipe analogy helped me create a strong mental model which will serve as my framework for

approaching school improvement in my future role.

School Transformation Part I: School Culture

As a new school leader, it will be important to assess the school culture to determine

areas of strength and areas for improvement. Deal and Peterson (2016) suggest this can be done
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through the use of reflective questioning, careful observations of people and the physical space,

and an ongoing effort to stay in touch with the daily happenings of the school. In our class

discussions, we also noted the importance of gaining the perspectives of both internal and

external stakeholders through the use of surveys. If characteristics of an unhealthy culture are

present and changing or reshaping the culture is necessary, having a thorough understanding of

what is happening and why is a crucial first step. According to Deal and Peterson (2016), “trying

to change a culture without understanding it is a sure-fire recipe for stress and ultimate failure”

(p. 224).

In our Culture and Collaboration course, we have discussed several positive aspects

associated with a healthy school culture, including but not limited to: professional collaboration,

teachers and administrators sharing leadership roles, collective ownership of student learning and

achievement, unity among staff, and intentional focus on a positive future; all of these factors are

necessary for positive school transformation. One of the most important attributes of a healthy

culture is the fact that teachers believe ​every​ student is capable of success; ensuring that every

child succeeds at his or her greatest potential is the ultimate goal of public schooling. Kramer

and Schuhl (2017) posit, “a healthy culture is a school in which educators have an unwavering

belief in the ability of all students to achieve success, and they pass that belief on to others in

overt and covert ways (Muhammad, 2009). Their actions support the belief that all students can

learn at high levels” (p. 29). This mindset will start with me, as the lead learner, and must be

shared by all staff members in order for true school improvement to occur. According to Dr.

Bass, the principal is the “Chief Cultural Shaper”, and keeping this in mind, it will be imperative

that I model what I expect of others, as ​every​ action, conversation, and decision contributes to
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the overall culture of the school. ​Sergiovanni (1992) claims “culture is the most powerful source

of leverage for bringing about change in a school‒or any organization for that matter” (​n.p.​).

School Transformation Part II: Strategy

School transformation requires the use of strategic actions; the first of these actions

involves establishing a shared vision among the staff. According to Bernhardt (2018), “if a

school does not have a clear, shared vision, it has as many visions as it has people” (p. 116). In

addition to a positive school culture, a collective vision will serve as the foundation for all school

improvement work, as it will be the source for unifying staff values and beliefs, inspiring

continued commitment, and maintaining alignment among the school’s various systems.

Learning about the six components of an inspiring vision helped me craft a powerful vision

statement, and provided me with a resource for working with my School Improvement Team

(SIT) to create a meaningful vision for our school. Sharing my vision with my staff first will

serve as a model and allow me to reveal a key piece of my “story”, my own beliefs about

schooling and leadership. As we learned at our ​Digital Storytelling Retreat​, people connect

through stories and the sharing of information that conveys ideas, interests, and values similar to

their own. Hopefully my vision will resonate with my teachers and staff, and will assist them in

determining their own core values and how those values contribute to student success both

within and beyond their classroom walls. As Bernhardt (2018) explains, “shared visions emerge

from personal visions. This is how they derive their energy and foster commitment...If people

don’t have their own vision, all they can do is ‘sign up’ for someone else’s. The result is

compliance, never commitment” (p. 116).


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Ensuring the “right” people are on the School Improvement Team is the second strategic

action in moving the school organization forward. According to both ​Dr. Price and Dr.

Steidinger,​ this is critical; staff members should not be on the School Improvement Team simply

to fulfill the obligation of it “being their turn”. Instead, both educational leaders suggest that as

the principal, I should clearly articulate the important responsibilities and expectations of the

team and describe the ideal qualities or characteristics of SIT members. With that information in

mind, teachers and staff can determine who is best to represent each major department. In

Cage-Busting Leadership​, Hess​ (​ 2013) emphasizes the importance of getting the right people in

place and considering what can be done to reward “star” staff members; one way to

communicate their value is to offer them an opportunity to be part of a productive leadership

team which includes them in major decision-making and assists them in growing professionally.

The third strategic action in school improvement involves using various sources of data

to guide and inform decision-making. Over ten years ago, Knapp, Swinnerton, Copland, and

Monpas-Huber (2006) proposed that “forward thinking educators are beginning to envision a

future in which in-depth data analysis focused on student learning will be a routine part of

teachers’ and administrators’ daily work, and the most important means for continuous

professional learning” (p. 3). While public schools have made strides in the area of data use, I

would argue that we still have great work to do in order to make “in-depth data analysis” part of

our daily routines. As the school leader, I must facilitate data analysis and data-driven dialogue

with various teams across the school, including the School Improvement Team and Professional

Learning Communities. SIT should analyze various data sources, both qualitative and

quantitative, to determine school-wide strengths and areas of need. As discussed in our ​Data Use
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for School Leaders​ course, analyzing data may actually elicit more questions and discussion

points than actual solutions. However, using data in addition to considering the context and core

values of the school, often leads to more effective outcomes when making decisions. This is

especially important to keep in mind when crafting “wildly important goals” for the School

Improvement Plan. Although the data may reveal several areas in need of attention, we must

consider what is within our realm of control and what will have the greatest impact on student

learning; it will be crucial that we only select two or three areas of focus for which to write clear,

measurable, and achievable goals (​McChesney, Covey, & Huling, 2012​). From there, the team

must create lead measures, or “leveraged actions”, that will enable the team to accomplish the

goals (McChesney, Covey, & Huling, 2012). Utilizing lead measures to track progress ensures

the School Improvement Plan is a “living, breathing” document that is revisited and revised often

as a true means for working toward positive school transformation.

Offering relevant, high-quality professional development to all teachers and staff is the

fourth strategic action for propelling the organization forward. The professional learning

opportunities available to educators should be aligned with both the wildly important goals and

teachers’ needs, and provide value-added experiences that have a positive impact on student

learning. As the lead learner, it will be important that I facilitate various professional

development sessions throughout the year in order to communicate my own investment in

building capacity and professional growth. As we discussed in this course, when planning those

sessions, I must remain mindful of the effective elements of adult learning.

Conclusion
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This course has encouraged me to pull together and reflect on the various content learned

throughout our program. Now more than ever, I recognize the complex, interwoven nature of the

many components involved in school improvement. As we discussed in our course focusing on

Professional Learning Communities, aligned systems yield better results; in terms of school

improvement, that means the school culture, vision, goals, and professional development are all

sending the same message. ​Erkens and Twadell ​(2012) posit, “in an aligned organization,

‘everything the school does...is designed to support the message that helping all students learn at

high levels requires collaborative and collective effort’ (DuFour & DuFour, 2010, p. 89)” (p. 50).

With a continuous focus on creating a positive school culture and implementing strategic actions

to move the organization forward, I can be an effective leader who drives toward change while

keeping the many systems within the school in alignment.


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References

Bernhardt, V. L. (2018). ​Data analysis for continuous school improvement​ (4th ed.). New York,

NY: Routledge.

Deal, T. E., & Peterson, K. D. (2016). ​Shaping school culture​ (3rd ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John

Wiley and Sons Incorporated.

Erkens, C., & Twadell, E. (2012). ​Leading by design: an action framework for PLC at work

leaders.​ Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Pre

Hess, F. M. (2013). ​Cage-busting leadership.​ Cambridge, MA: Harvard Education Press.

Knapp, M. S., Swinnerton, J. A., Copland, M. A., & Monpas-Huber, J. (2006, October).

Data-informed leadership in education. ​The leadership issue project,​ 1-52.

Kramer, S.V. & Schuhl, S. (2017). ​School improvement for all: A how-to guide for doing the

right work.​ Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press

McChesney, C., Covey, S., & Huling, J. (2012). ​The 4 disciplines of execution.​ New York, NY:

Free Press.

Sergiovanni, T. J. (1996). ​Moral leadership: getting to the heart of school improvement​ (1st ed.).

San Francisco, CA: John Wiley & Sons, Inc..

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