Agiri Leadership Tip

Pick a framework for school improvement and convey it your team.

I’ve been a big fan of Tim Westerberg, a School Improvement Coach for many years.  In his book, Becoming a Great High School, Westerberg outlines 6 strategies that help schools achieve greatness.  Since reading the text, I use his framework as a lens for determining how I can best support schools as a Professional Development Consultant and Literacy Coach.

I ask administrators and teachers to rate themselves using his profound and yet simple framework.

I invite you now to assess your school on a scale of 1 to 3:

           3                                             2                                                          1
We got this!                    We are developing                              We haven’t thought about
                                            but need support.                                 this strategically.  We

                                                                                                                need support.

  1. Develops Clear Instructional Goals __
  2. Develops a Common Vision of Effective Instruction __
  3. Uses Frequent Formative Assessment __
  4. Tracks students progress __
  5. Provides timely intervention for struggling students __
  6.  Celebrates student success __

Invite members of your instructional team to discuss ratings.

Deepen the conversation with these questions:
  • Where does our school excel?
  • What are some areas of growth?
  • What should we focus on that will have the biggest and most immediate impact on student learning?

 In working with a principal at one school, we found that although the school had an instructional goal, when we looked at the data, the goal didn’t match what students actually needed to excel in their disciplines.  The students, in fact, had mastered the goal of argumentative writing based on the Common Core ninth grade standard and needed to be pushed further.  In conjunction with the instructional leadership team and teachers, we determined students would now be measured according to the 11th and 12th grade Common Core argumentative writing standard.  

Westerberg’s framework is in flux, meaning quality schools are constantly using these strategies and adapting to the needs of their students.
I wish you a great week filled with success!

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