Building Effective Instructional Leadership Teams

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Building Effective Instructional Leadership Teams

• Ann B. Fiala
• Central Regional Reading First Technical
  Assistance Center
• 3rd Annual National Reading First Conference
• Reno, Nevada July 1820, 2006

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Our Shared Goal

• Ensure that all students in America learn to read
  well by the end of third grade so that they are
  well prepared to achieve their full academic
  potential

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Increased Reading Achievement
For ALL students, even those identified with
distinctive and diverse learning needs, who
typically may be provided services for

• English Language Learners
• Special Education
• Dyslexia
• Gifted and Talented

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Sharing the Vision

• Develop and communicate a clear vision
• for the entire instructional program,
• including reading, that supports using
• SBRR to fully implement SBRI in the
• classrooms

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Scientifically Based Reading Instruction (SBRI)
SBRR gtgtgt SBRI

• Research-based instruction in the classroom
• The essential components
• Essential characteristics of the delivery of
  beginning reading instruction
• Explicit
• Systematic

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Scientifically Based Reading Intervention

• Use DATA to identify specific instructional needs
  of students needing additional, intensive reading
  instruction

• Use DATA to identify those students with same
• needs that can be addressed in a small group

• Use DATA to monitor students progress in
• order to provide most appropriate instruction

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Maintaining the Focus
Improving Reading Instruction
Instructional Leadership Team (ILT)
District LeadersSuperintendent, plus
Campus LeadersPrincipal, plus
Classroom LeadersCoach, plus
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ILT Responsibilities

• Analyzing and using student achievement
• data to make data-informed decisions

• Multiple types of assessments
• School, classroom, individual data

(continued)
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ILT Responsibilities

• Making real-time district, school and
• classroom decisions, based on continuous
• progress monitoring of

• Student data
• Teacher data

(continued)
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ILT Responsibilities

• Aligning reading curriculum with the state
  standards
• Analyzing data and facilitating its use
• Evaluating district and school progress

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ILT Enhanced Knowledge and Skills

• SBRR essential components of reading instruction
  and intervention

• Clearly defined duties and responsibilities
• regarding implementation of Reading First

• Designated individuals with sufficient time
• and expertise to get the job done

(continued)
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ILT Enhanced Knowledge and Skills

• Observing in classrooms, during reading
• instruction and intervention, and then
• providing constructive feedback

• Collecting, analyzing, and using data,
• especially classroom-based assessment data

• Working with all other stakeholders

(continued)
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ILT Enhanced Knowledge and Skills

• Organizing the school for comprehensive
• scientifically based reading instruction,
• including

• Daily schedule (uninterrupted time)

• Use of assessment data (multiple types)

• Use of flexible grouping (data-based)

(continued)
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ILT Enhanced Knowledge and Skills

• Help pinpoint what is working and what is not
  working so instruction can be adjusted quickly
  and efficiently
• Use of data from the four types of assessments
• Screening
• Diagnosis
• Classroom-based
• Outcome

(continued)
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ILT Enhanced Knowledge and Skills

• Determine the cause of instructional problems and
  ensuring that coaches provide the help needed to
  find solutions

• Work with teachers who have problems
• with classroom management or with
• instructional delivery

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Instructional Leadership Team (ILT)

• District LeadersSuperintendent, plus
• Central Office staff implementing RF

• Campus LeadersPrincipal, plus
• School Office staff implementing RF

• Classroom LeadersCoach, plus
• Classroom staff implementing RF

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Instructional Leadership Team (ILT)
District LeadersSuperintendent, plus
Central Office staff implementing RF

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District LeadershipSuperintendent, plus
Facilitates full implementation of the districts
Reading First subgrant by ensuring school
personnel have

• Professional development
• Responsive to needs identified through
• data analysis

• Allocated and accessible resources
• District, school and classroom

(continued)
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District LeadershipSuperintendent, plus
Communicate the strengths and needs of the
districts Reading First implementation efforts to

• State Reading First leaders
• Local school board
• Other district schools
• Community members

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Instructional Leadership Team (ILT)
Campus LeadersPrincipal, plus School Office
staff implementing RF
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School Leadership Principal, plus
Ensure that teachers

• Have all the support necessary for implementing
  the instructional program
• Are teaching the program with a high level of
  fidelity to program procedures

(continued)
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School Leadership Principal, plus
Responsible for (making sure it happens)

• Ordering and distributing materials
• Allocating personnel
• Planning professional development
• Scheduling instruction
• Grouping students

(continued)
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School Leadership Principal, plus

• Improvement in reading instruction
• within a school
• depends
• on the
• principals involvement

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Instructional Leadership Team (ILT)
Classroom LeadersCoach, plus Classroom staff
implementing RF
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School LeadershipReading Coach, plus

• Proactive educator
• Takes the initiative
• Is persistent

• Responsive educator
• Has strong communication skills
• Provides constructive, specific,
• non-threatening, feedback

(continued)
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School LeadershipReading Coach, plus

• NOT an administrator or an evaluator
• Knowledgeable and experienced educator
• Reading teacher with thorough
• understanding of the essential
• components of beginning reading
• instruction

(continued)
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School LeadershipReading Coach, plus

• Assists teachers in planning and pacing
• reading instruction

• Participates in collaborative grade-level
• meetings to assist in analysis and
  utilization
• of data

• Meets regularly with principal, plus
• to review data and assess progress

(continued)
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School LeadershipReading Coach, plus
Possesses knowledge of and expertise with

• SBRR
• Assessment instruments
• Adopted core reading program(s)
• Research-based strategies
• Research-based practices
• Research-based interventions

(continued)
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School LeadershipReading Coach, plus

• Provides support and assistance to classroom
  teachers in the full and skillful implementation
  of the schools research- based comprehensive
  reading program with all students

(continued)
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School LeadershipReading Coach, plus
CONTENT PEDAGOGY

• Demonstrates lessons, modeling instructional
  delivery and using the instructional materials as
  designed

(continued)
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School LeadershipReading Coach, plus
Provides on-site professional development

• Understanding instructional design of the program
  
• Increasing knowledge and skills of program
  implementation
• Increasing competency to implement the program
  with fidelity

(continued)
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School LeadershipReading Coach, plus

• Conducts classroom observations and
• provides next-step support for teachers

• Serves as a resource for identifying
• appropriate instructional strategies and
• interventions

(continued)
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School LeadershipReading Coach, plus

• Assists teachers in preparing and pacing
  instruction

• Participates in collaborative grade-level
• meetings to assist in analysis and use of
• data

• Meets regularly with principal, plus to
• review data and assess progress of program

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ILT Accountability

• Informed instructional decision-making
• Consistent, effective classroom management
• Maximized student engagement in academic learning
  activities
• Aligned instructional priorities to ensure ALL
  students are making adequate gains in reading
  achievement

(continued)
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ILT Accountability
From first to last day of school year

• Full-scale implementation
• Reading instructional program
• Reading intervention program
• Ongoing, data-driven professional development
• Student achievement in reading

(continued)
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ILT Accountability

• High standards and expectations for all
• Progress monitoring system to identify those
  needing additional support or intervention
• Students
• Teachers
• Analysis of student achievement data

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ILT Responsiveness
Plan of Action

• Clearly define new staff positions and roles
• Use collaborative decision-making system
• Respond to effectiveness of program
  implementation
• Organize realistic course of action in manageable
  steps
• Establish and maintain full commitment of all
  stakeholders

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Reading First

• Requires scientific based reading instruction

• Emphasizes active and informed use of
• assessment data for instructional decision
• making at ALL levels, and

• Relies on the Instructional Leadership Team to
• Clearly communicate goals
• Focus on a clear plan of action, and
• Guide schools in maintaining a shared vision
• of reading achievement for all students

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Web Resources

• U.S. Department of Educations Website
• www.ed.gov/programs/readingfirst/index.html
• Reading First legislation (Title I, Part b,
  Subpart 1 of the No Child Left Behind Act)
• www.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/esea02/pg4.html
• Guidance for the Reading First Program
• www.ed.gov/programs/readingfirst/guidance.pdf

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Reading First
Team Work
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References

• Learning Point Associates (2004). Reading first
  instructional leadership for principals.
  Naperville, IL Author.
• National Center for Reading First Technical
  Assistance. (2005). Leading for reading success
  Building instructional leadership in Reading
  First schools. Portsmouth, NH RMC Research
  Corporation.
• National Center for Reading First Technical
  Assistance. (2005). Leading for reading success
  Reading First coaches. Portsmouth, NH RMC
  Research Corporation.
• Womble, S.N. (2006). The leadership role of
  administrators in the era of No Child Left
  Behind. Understanding and implementing reading
  first initiatives the changing role of
  administrators. (7-16). Newark, DE
  International Reading Association.
• U.S. Department of Education, Office of
  Elementary and Secondary Education. (2002).
  Guidance for the Reading First program.
  Washington, DC Author.

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Ann B. Fiala afiala_at_mail.utexas.edu Central
Regional Reading First Technical Assistance Center