How Do Principals Really Improve Schools? Rick DuFour and Mike Mattos

How Do Principals Really Improve Schools?
Rick DuFour and Mike Mattos

"Instead of micromanaging teachers, principals should lead efforts to collectively monitor student achievement through professional learning communities"

- Educators know how to improve student learning, must be motivated to do so.
- Principals are in a paradoxical position.
- Principals have the time and expertise to improve each teacher's professional practice by observing that teacher in the classroom.  

NO
No carrot sticks, micromanaging, merit pay, fear, competition, barriers, sanctions and punishments. Not based solely on student achievement research based approaches. No to observing curriculum the principal is not familiar with, time consuming and constant observations, hurting relationships (trust, integrity, care, respect). No to checklists.

YES
Yes to collaborations, enhancing pedagogies, peer support and mentorship. Yes to appreciation and helpful observation, and sharing.

“There's no such thing as a universally effective teaching strategy; the effectiveness of any given strategy can only be determined by evidence of its effect on student learning”
(DuFour & Marzano, 2011).

The Case for the PLC Process
- Focus on the collective analysis of evidence of student learning.
- Create the collaborative culture and collective responsibility of a PLC
- Participate in a PLC that is focused on becoming responsive to students
- Take collective responsibility
- help students achieve at higher levels,
-  higher levels of professional satisfaction (Louis & Wahlstrom, 2011).
- Share teaching practices
- make results transparent
- engage in critical conversations
- Improve student achievement and their professional practice
- promote shared leadership
- engage in collective inquiry to decide on the work  (What knowledge, skills, time, evidence, and dispositions should all students acquire as a result of the unit we're about to teach?

Five Steps to Success on the PLC Journey

1. Purpose of the school is to ensure that all students learn at high levels (enlist staff,   examining practice, program, and procedure) 
2. Organize staff into meaningful collaborative teams t
3. Establish a guaranteed and viable curriculum 
4. Use the evidence of student learning to identify student need 
·    5. Coordinated intervention plan (timely, directive, diagnostic, precise, and systematic). 

A Culture of Collective Responsibility

-  PLC process has two powerful levers for changing adult behaviors: irrefutable evidence of better results and positive peer pressure to try new practices.
 Principal will look for ways to align the process to a culture of collective responsibility for learner-focused outcomes

"Principals may be stuck with punitive accountability policies, they don't have to be stuck with a punitive mind-set"
(DuFour & Fullan, 2013).  


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Professional Learning Communities: A Model for Ontario Schools

PLCs are a catalyst for improving instruction. (p. 3) The six components of a professional learning community: 1. Ensuring learning for all - learning (not teaching) becomes the focal point, and a positive outcome results.(p.2) 2. Focus on Results - student attainment of knowledge and skills must be consistently considered and reviewed.(p.2) 3. Relationships - With deep respect infused in a PLC, conflict can be dealt with through professional, open, and non-judgmental dialogue. (p.3) 4. Collaborative Inquiry - PLC should set aside time to share practices, examine student work, and plan.(p.3) 5. Leadership - Principals should spend their energies on supporting environments focused on teaching and learning. (p.3) 6. Alignment - It is important for staff to accept the responsibility of the success of all students, not only the students in their class or grade. (p.4) Literacy and Numeracy Secretariat. October 2007. Professional Learning Communities: A Model for O
Read more

Changing Landscapes

Co-Creating a  Learning Canada Teachers, parents, and students created this document about their understanding of how global forces are shaping their learning communities Connectivity does not mean connection . According to Active Healthy Kids Canada, students in grades 6-10 engaged in ‘screen time’ activities for approximately 5 ½ hours on weeknights, and up to 7 ½ hours on weekends Equity continues to elude us . According to UNICEF (2009), Canadians are among the richest people on the planet, yet we are at the bottom of the list of economically advanced countries with respect to children’s readiness to learn by age 6. In 2012, groups of principals from across Canada began looking for alternative approaches to improve schools that deepen active citizenship and lifelong learning Education addresses our deepest longing and aspirations for our children, not just a quick scan of latest spreadsheet of testing results All teachers and principals are being increasingl
Read more

Learning Connections

Math and Students with Learning Disabilities We recently did a 'learning connections' on learning disabilities and math achievement at the Intermediate level.  It allowed teachers from grades 7-10 to work together, look at curriculum connections, and observe each other.  We looked at the LD profile of different students and received training on what it feels like to have different types of learning disabilities.  We were given the LD profiles of every LD student in our classes and asked to focus on one particular student who was under performing.  We came up with ideas on how to accommodate that particular student's disability and different lesson plans and activities that would help them to excel.  It was really great to see connections between elementary and secondary teachers.
Read more