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Sarah M. Cowell
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
improvement processes and effective professional development practices, I also gained a better
discussed throughout our program, such as school culture and data analysis, in terms of moving
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
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 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
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
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
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
building capacity and professional growth. As we discussed in this course, when planning those
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
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
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
Erkens, C., & Twadell, E. (2012). Leading by design: an action framework for PLC at work
Knapp, M. S., Swinnerton, J. A., Copland, M. A., & Monpas-Huber, J. (2006, October).
Kramer, S.V. & Schuhl, S. (2017). School improvement for all: A how-to guide for doing the
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.).