The Principal as a Data-Driven Instructional Leader

2018 ◽  
pp. 76-97
Author(s):  
Sonya D. Hayes ◽  
Carlos G. Lee
Keyword(s):  
No Child Left Behind ◽  
School Improvement ◽  
Student Learning ◽  
Learning Community ◽  
Professional Learning ◽  
Instructional Leader ◽  
Data Driven ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Improve Instruction

The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) began an educational reform movement that iterated standardization and accountability. Since the onset of NCLB, educational leaders have focused more attention on using data to guide and inform school improvement efforts. Although most school leaders and teachers have access to a wide-range of data, the examination and interpretation of data to inform teaching and to improve student learning has been a challenge for educators. In this chapter, the authors review the literature on data-driven decision making (DDDM) and elaborate on how the principal, as an instructional leader, uses the professional learning community (PLC) process to support the development of teachers in creating an authentic approach to data analysis in order to improve instruction and support student learning.

scholarly journals Elementary Schools Working as Professional Learning Communities: Effects on Student Learning

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
André Moulakdi ◽  
Yamina Bouchamma
Keyword(s):  
Elementary Schools ◽  
School Improvement ◽  
Student Learning ◽  
Learning Community ◽  
Professional Learning ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Improvement Strategy ◽  
Stage Of Development ◽  
Quasi Experimental ◽  
And Mathematics

The professional learning community (PLC) is considered to be an effective school improvement strategy centered on student achievement. The goal of this study was to introduce the PLC approach in a few public elementary schools in Cameroon to evaluate the causal impact of this organizational model on student learning. A quasi-experimental approach was used involving an experimental group and a control group. Student pre- and post-tests were administered in two core subjects (French and mathematics) at both the beginning and the end of the first year of operation as a PLC. Our findings show a significant improvement in the students’ results between the pre- and post-test. The PLC was qualified as being in its initiation stage of development, when members focus on their students’ outcomes and collectively engage in solving the latter’s learning-related difficulties.

scholarly journals Blog-based professional development of English teachers in Mumbai: The potential of innovative practice under scrutiny

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Atiya Khan
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Learning Community ◽  
Professional Learning ◽  
Teacher Collaboration ◽  
Effective Means ◽  
English Teachers ◽  
Information And Communications Technology ◽  
Learning Networks ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Interactive Workshop

The professional development of teachers in India is still, by and large, based on formal and outdated professional learning traditions, often characterised by crash courses and one-off workshops. In education, blogs have proven to be an effective means of establishing and maintaining collaborative learning networks and helping members reflect on their professional practices. Information and communications technology (ICT) enabled practices of teacher professional development is still in its infancy in India. Moreover, there is limited research in India to secure foundational understanding of how and in what ways teachers of English in India use blogs for their professional development. This study explores the use of teacher reflective practice, teacher networking, and teacher collaboration, beyond formal ICT training, through blog-based professional development of English teachers in the Mumbai region of India. Using data collected from 32 teachers from three private schools in Mumbai, through ICT interactive workshop observations, questionnaires, interviews, and blog comments, this action case study explains whether and why blogging, as a learning community, has the potential to add significant value to existing professional development of English teachers in Mumbai.

scholarly journals Leadership Styles of Principals and Teachers of Nigerian Unity Schools: Using School Environment as a Tool For School Achievement

2016 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 98
Author(s):  
Khalil Yusuf Uthman ◽  
Yahya Bn Don ◽  
Abd Latif Kasim
Keyword(s):  
Transformational Leadership ◽  
School Improvement ◽  
Professional Learning ◽  
School Environment ◽  
School Achievement ◽  
School Level ◽  
Learning Collaborative ◽  
The North ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Teachers And Students

Collaborative, non-traditional leadership practices have attracted little attention in research about sustainable school achievement in Nigerian unity schools.  The involvement of teachers in the administration of schools is well justified and arise from the need to boost school environment for the sake of attaining school achievement. The absence of teachers in the administration of unity schools impedes the proper attainment of school achievement. The purpose of this research is to reports on the outcomes of transformational leadership efforts in Nigerian unity schools aimed at enhancing the use of teachers in the administrative set-up.  This study was carried out in seven selected unity schools all located in the north-eastern part of Nigeria. The study used  Multifactor questionnaire 5x, School level environment questionnaire (SLEQ) and School Improvement questionnaire (SIQ) with 5 Likert-scale that involved the use of 800 questionnaires which were sent in which 790 were returned and 760 found valid for data analysis. Participants were drawn from a wide range of disciplines across the sampled schools. The establishment and operation of these school relied on a transformational leadership methodology by principals that facilitates acts of initiative, innovation, vision and courage through group interaction rather than through designated hierarchical roles. This research used the quantitative approach.  The study found out that transformational leadership approach is effective in overcoming problems associated with lack of involvement of teachers in the building of a fruitful environment capable of bringing a good school achievement through cultivating the habit of a transformational leader, the principals of unity schools enabled teachers and other stake holders to engage in peer-led professional learning, collaborative curriculum and pedagogical development, and to facilitate wider institutional change (school achievement). This paper demonstrates that the transformational leadership model for a high school achievement reported here is effective in building capacity for both teachers and students via involvement of teachers in building the environment. The model is flexible enough for a variety of institutional settings, and hence, recommends the use of teachers in secondary school’s administration.

School culture and leadership of professional learning communities

2015 ◽  
Vol 29 (5) ◽  
pp. 682-694 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Carpenter
Keyword(s):  
School Culture ◽  
School Improvement ◽  
Professional Learning Communities ◽  
Learning Communities ◽  
Learning Community ◽  
Professional Learning Community ◽  
Professional Learning ◽  
Shared Leadership ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Policies And Procedures

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore supportive and shared leadership structures at schools as a function of school culture policies and procedures. Design/methodology/approach – A qualitative study was conducted at three secondary schools in the Midwestern USA. Administrators and teachers were interviewed, professional learning communities observed and artifacts collected to explore school culture policies, procedures and leadership in the implementation of professional learning community practice. Findings – This study concludes that school leaders must provide supportive and shared leadership structures for teachers in order to ensure a positive school culture and effective professional learning communities that impact school improvement. Leaders in schools must work directly with teachers to create policies and procedures that provide teachers the leadership structure to directly impact school improvement through professional learning community collaborative efforts. Originality/value – This study builds on the school culture and professional learning communities literature by exploring existent policies and practices in schools as unique cases. Much of the literature calls for specific case studies to identify issues in the implementation of effective practice. This study is important to the community as specific cases that may inform educational leaders on mechanisms that may be leveraged to ensure successful implementation of policies and procedures outline in school culture and professional learning community literature.

scholarly journals Data-driven decision-making in creating class rosters

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca Wolf ◽  
Joseph M. Reilly ◽  
Steven M. Ross
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Student Learning ◽  
Low Income ◽  
School Leaders ◽  
Data Driven ◽  
Data Driven Decision Making ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Use Of Data ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Rich Data

PurposeThis article informs school leaders and staffs about existing research findings on the use of data-driven decision-making in creating class rosters. Given that teachers are the most important school-based educational resource, decisions regarding the assignment of students to particular classes and teachers are highly impactful for student learning. Classroom compositions of peers can also influence student learning.Design/methodology/approachA literature review was conducted on the use of data-driven decision-making in the rostering process. The review addressed the merits of using various quantitative metrics in the rostering process.FindingsFindings revealed that, despite often being purposeful about rostering, school leaders and staffs have generally not engaged in data-driven decision-making in creating class rosters. Using data-driven rostering may have benefits, such as limiting the questionable practice of assigning the least effective teachers in the school to the youngest or lowest performing students. School leaders and staffs may also work to minimize negative peer effects due to concentrating low-achieving, low-income, or disruptive students in any one class. Any data-driven system used in rostering, however, would need to be adequately complex to account for multiple influences on student learning. Based on the research reviewed, quantitative data alone may not be sufficient for effective rostering decisions.Practical implicationsGiven the rich data available to school leaders and staffs, data-driven decision-making could inform rostering and contribute to more efficacious and equitable classroom assignments.Originality/valueThis article is the first to summarize relevant research across multiple bodies of literature on the opportunities for and challenges of using data-driven decision-making in creating class rosters.

Establishing a Data Culture Using a Data-Driven Instructional System for School Improvement

2021 ◽  
pp. 647-661
Author(s):  
Julius N. Shanks
Keyword(s):  
Student Achievement ◽  
School Improvement ◽  
Professional Learning ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
School Leaders ◽  
Instructional System ◽  
Data Driven ◽  
Federal Mandates ◽  
Improve Student Achievement ◽  
Data Culture

School leaders are faced with enormous responsibilities in addressing student achievement as directed by district, state, and federal mandates. There is a need for school leaders to structure and implement how to acquire, analyze, and commit action from identified gaps in student learning using assessment data. A major part of the process is establishing how teachers use student data to improve teaching and learning opportunities. When discussing school improvement measures and initiatives, one commonly refers to observations, feedback, and professional learning communities as its core components. This chapter provides a framework using a data-driven instructional system (DDIS) as a model for school improvement in establishing a school data culture that can improve student achievement.

Sustaining a Teacher Professional Learning Community in China Through Technology

2021 ◽  
pp. 800-819
Author(s):  
Jayne Fleener ◽  
Lianfang Lu ◽  
Jian Dun ◽  
Yang Mingquan
Keyword(s):  
Learning Community ◽  
Professional Learning Community ◽  
Professional Learning ◽  
Teaching Practices ◽  
Master Teachers ◽  
Student Autonomy ◽  
Teacher Professional ◽  
Improve Instruction ◽  
Emergent Behaviors ◽  
Beijing China

This study explores the evolution of a professional learning community (PLC) of Chinese teachers over a multi-year period. A group of 16 teachers participated in a three-semester PLC over the 2008-2009 school years to develop master mathematics teachers in a school district in Beijing, China. The goal of the PLC, as identified by the teachers, was to improve instruction for greater student autonomy, creativity, and problem solving as they developed their master capacity building skills and networked relationships. This paper explores what has happened to these 16 teachers six years later, specifically considering how they may have used technology to further their development as master teachers. This study shows the potential of a PLC for self-adaptive, emergent behaviors and understandings that are instructional for transforming teaching practices, sustaining changes in teaching practices and preparing students for 21st century engagements.

scholarly journals Harbors of Hope: The Planning for School and Student Success Process

2006 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sonya Pancucci
Keyword(s):  
School Improvement ◽  
Professional Learning Communities ◽  
Learning Communities ◽  
Learning Community ◽  
Effective Schools ◽  
Professional Learning ◽  
Planning Process ◽  
Practical Knowledge ◽  
Senior Consultant ◽  
School Improvement Planning

Hope, schools, professional learning communities,and school improvement planning – what links these words? According to Hulley and Dier (2005), hope is the key to achieving successful and effective schools through reculturing with professional learning communities as the vehicle for change in the school improvement process. Wayne Hulley, president of Canadian Effective Schools Incorporated and senior consultant for the Franklin Covey Company, has 35 years of experience in North America working in the area of school improvement. Co-author Linda Dier has extensive knowledge having worked for 30 years in education systems in Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Currently, she is senior consultant with Canadian Effective Schools Inc. and administrator of the Canadian Effective Schools League. Together, Hulley and Dier have written a text for educators and administrators at the district, board, and school levels, combining research theory with the practical knowledge gained in their joint 70+ years’ experience in education to provide a comprehensive planning process for school improvement. This text presents a step-by- step process that notes the highs and lows or « implementation dips » of the school improvement cycle. The authors have utilized the learning community model of professional development as a vehicle to facilitate, guide, direct, and sustain change towards successful and effective schools.

scholarly journals Decoding individual differences in STEM learning from functional MRI data

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joshua S. Cetron ◽  
Andrew C. Connolly ◽  
Solomon G. Diamond ◽  
Vicki V. May ◽  
James V. Haxby ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Conceptual Understanding ◽  
Brain Activity ◽  
Data Driven ◽  
Stem Learning ◽  
Concept Knowledge ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Concept Inventories ◽  
Using Data ◽  
The Brain

Traditional tests of concept knowledge generate scores to assess how well a learner understands a concept. Here, we investigated whether patterns of brain activity collected during a concept knowledge task could be used to compute a neural 'score' to complement traditional scores of an individual’s conceptual understanding. Using a novel data-driven multivariate neuroimaging approach—informational network analysis—we successfully derived a neural score from patterns of activity across the brain that predicted individual differences in multiple concept knowledge tasks in the physics and engineering domain. These tasks include an fMRI paradigm, as well as two other previously validated concept inventories. The informational network score outperformed alternative neural scores computed using data-driven neuroimaging methods, including multivariate representational similarity analysis. This technique could be applied to quantify concept knowledge in a wide range of domains, including classroom-based education research, machine learning, and other areas of cognitive science.

Development of an intervention framework for school improvement that is adaptive to cultural context

2021 ◽  
pp. 136548022110519
Author(s):  
Anna Kristín Sigurðardóttir ◽  
Börkur Hansen ◽  
Berglind Gísladóttir
Keyword(s):  
School Improvement ◽  
Learning Community ◽  
Professional Learning ◽  
Teacher Collaboration ◽  
Change Process ◽  
Cultural Context ◽  
Educational Systems ◽  
Drivers Of Change ◽  
Process Of Change ◽  
High Level

The challenge of educational improvement, due mainly to the complexity of educational systems, is well-known. The aim of this study is to provide knowledge regarding the process of change within schools to better understand how it might depend on cultural context and the characteristics of individual schools. Based on interventions in four compulsory schools (6–15 years old students) in Iceland, the study uses both qualitative and quantitative data. The process of change was guided by a framework grounded in professional learning community principles and designed to be adaptive for cultural contexts as well as the interdependence of different factors of educational systems. Theories of drivers of change and indicators of schools as professional learning communities were used to understand cultural conditions within them. The main findings indicate that the change process in team-driven schools with relatively high levels of teacher collaboration and engagement works well in the framework. By contrast, the change process seemed restrained in the profession-driven and problem-driven schools characterised by either a high level of teacher autonomy and lack of collaboration or engagement in solving several generic problems. The study provided valuable insights regarding the complexity of facilitating change, particularly, the importance of identifying main drivers of change affecting an intervention process at the initiation stage.

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