Introduction While it is true that the single most important influence on a child’s education is the classroom teacher, it is also true that the school and district play an influential role in supporting and creating the optimum learning environment in which the teacher and student interact. “School reforms rarely succeed without effective leadership, both at the level of the system, and at the level of individual school” (Eck, Stringfield, Reynolds, Schaffer, & Bellamy, 2011, p. 2). If all teachers in a school are not providing high quality instruction designed to meet the individual needs of each student, then the gains realize one year are lost the next. Further, if students leave a school proficient in their content knowledge and enter
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According to the New England Secondary School consortium 's Global Best Practices (2015), "collective leadership has a stronger influence on student learning than any individual sources of leadership" (p.13). While superintendents do not directly impact student achievement, how they lead their districts and collaboratively work with their principals and support staff greatly contributes to the success or failure of the district. Marzano and Waters (2009) studied the relationship between district leadership and average student achievement. Through their meta-analysis research, they were able to determine five district leadership behaviors associated with student achievement that together demonstrated a statistically significant correlation of .24 at the .05 level (p.4). Further, “there are virtually no documented instances of troubled schools being turned around in the absence of interventions by talented leaders. While other factors within the school also contribute to such turnarounds, leadership is the catalyst” (Leithwood, Seashore Louis, Anderson, & Wahlstrom, 2004, p. 17). Districts are complex organizations that require steady, stable, and collaborative leadership throughout the system to ensure a high quality education for all students in every school. In Pajak and Glickman’s (1989) case study of school improvement at the district level, they found that “the superintendent and central office supervisors were key figures in stimulating and …show more content…
Their basic premise is that “expectations can get you into trouble unless you create a mindful infrastructure that continually does all of the following: tracks small failures; resists oversimplification; remains sensitive to operation; maintains capabilities for resilience; and takes advantage of shifting locations of expertise” (Weick & Sutcliffe, 2007, p. 2). These concepts have been applied to educational systems with promising results and may provide a good model for district leadership to employ. Datnow and Stringfield (2000) propose that “for schools to become HROs requires well-focused coordination among key groups within a school, district, and state” (p. 187). Marzano and Waters (2009) suggest that districts and schools can become high-reliability organizations if they exhibit these characteristics: “(1) clear goals and constant monitoring of the extent to which goals are being met, (2) an understanding of the necessary conditions under which these goals are being met, and (3) immediate corrective action when goals are not being met” (p. 19). It is essential that our school systems operate on these fundamental principles. As Bellamy, Crawford, Huber-Marshall and Coulter (2005) remind
According to the New England Secondary School consortium 's Global Best Practices (2015), "collective leadership has a stronger influence on student learning than any individual sources of leadership" (p.13). While superintendents do not directly impact student achievement, how they lead their districts and collaboratively work with their principals and support staff greatly contributes to the success or failure of the district. Marzano and Waters (2009) studied the relationship between district leadership and average student achievement. Through their meta-analysis research, they were able to determine five district leadership behaviors associated with student achievement that together demonstrated a statistically significant correlation of .24 at the .05 level (p.4). Further, “there are virtually no documented instances of troubled schools being turned around in the absence of interventions by talented leaders. While other factors within the school also contribute to such turnarounds, leadership is the catalyst” (Leithwood, Seashore Louis, Anderson, & Wahlstrom, 2004, p. 17). Districts are complex organizations that require steady, stable, and collaborative leadership throughout the system to ensure a high quality education for all students in every school. In Pajak and Glickman’s (1989) case study of school improvement at the district level, they found that “the superintendent and central office supervisors were key figures in stimulating and …show more content…
Their basic premise is that “expectations can get you into trouble unless you create a mindful infrastructure that continually does all of the following: tracks small failures; resists oversimplification; remains sensitive to operation; maintains capabilities for resilience; and takes advantage of shifting locations of expertise” (Weick & Sutcliffe, 2007, p. 2). These concepts have been applied to educational systems with promising results and may provide a good model for district leadership to employ. Datnow and Stringfield (2000) propose that “for schools to become HROs requires well-focused coordination among key groups within a school, district, and state” (p. 187). Marzano and Waters (2009) suggest that districts and schools can become high-reliability organizations if they exhibit these characteristics: “(1) clear goals and constant monitoring of the extent to which goals are being met, (2) an understanding of the necessary conditions under which these goals are being met, and (3) immediate corrective action when goals are not being met” (p. 19). It is essential that our school systems operate on these fundamental principles. As Bellamy, Crawford, Huber-Marshall and Coulter (2005) remind