Leading for Learning: Reflective Tools for School and District Leaders

Author: Knapp, M.S., Copeland, M.A., and Talbert, J.E.
Publisher: Center for the Study of Teaching and Policy
Publication Date: 2003, February
Full text available online at: http://depts.washington.edu/ctpmail/PDFs/LforLSummary-02-03.pdf

Abstract (written by WestEd)

Knapp, Copeland, and Talbert, step by step, describe a system of education and what the effective district or school leader does to make all parts coherent and focused on the goal of improving student achievement. The authors start by identifying three learning agendas: student learning, professional learning, and system learning. "What a student learns depends on what the teacher knows and believes, and on what the school and district leaders know and believe about supporting teachers' and students' learning."

Then the authors describe five areas of mutually reinforcing action for leaders to address the three learning agendas:

• Establishing a focus on learning;
  
• Building professional communities that value learning;
  
• Engaging external environments that matter for learning (relationships and resources from outside groups);
  
• Acting strategically and sharing leadership ("multiple pathways" to the three learning agendas); and
  
• Creating coherence (connecting the three learning agendas to learning goals).

Concrete tasks for the school leader and the district leaders are listed for each of the five areas of action along with a description of process and challenges. A focus on learning (the first action area) is founded on five core values: ambitious standards for student learning; belief in human capacity; commitment to equity; belief in professional support and responsibility; and commitment to inquiry.

Regarding multiple pathways for acting strategically, concrete examples of leverage are delineated graphically. For example, professional practice standards, preparation and certification, mentoring and induction support, support for ongoing professional development, supervision and evaluation, and compensation and reward are interconnected pathways focused on professionals and their practice.