Collaborative Inquiry and Professional Learning

Professional learning is the catalyst for school improvement. An emphasis on learning reflects the reality that learning never stops and that the most vibrant and successful schools are those where everyone acts on the need to continue to improve. The most successful professional learning involves educators in more collaborative activities to examine their work and improve practice. Activities like book study, looking at student work, instructional rounds and collaborative work teams reflect these new norms. There is a growing recognition that when a school faculty comes together around a shared vision and a collective commitment to improved student learning, the results are meaningful and long lasting. 

Learning Forward, formerly the National Staff Development Council, recommends that professional learning focus on clear results and include activities that promote the growth and learning of teachers and administrators.  Activities should be based on standards, and they should be thoroughly woven into the job, rather than simply being an activity that is done as an “extra,” possibly outside of work hours or on staff development days. In other words, learning activities should be results driven, standards based and job embedded (NSDC, 2001).

Many schools use professional learning communities as a way to engage in professional learning.  A professional community of learners is a school where teachers and administration continuously seek to learn and grow professionally and then act on what they learn (Astuto, et.al. 1993; DuFour, et.al., 2010). The goal is improve student learning by improving effectiveness and PLC's reflect these characteristics (Eaker, DuFour & DuFour, 2002; Hord & Sommers, 2008). 

• Collective Inquiry: Teachers and leaders work collaboratively to examine data about student learning and develop a plan to address students’ needs.
• Results Orientation – There is clarity about outcomes with a “laser light” focus on achieving the desired results.
• Supportive and Shared Leadership: Power and authority is shared by inviting teachers and families to provide input into decision making about improving student learning.
• Action Orientation: There is a willingness to try new things and adopt a “whatever it takes” stance in support of student learning.
• Focus on Continuous Improvement: Teachers and leaders recognize the value of routinely examining practice and making changes when appropriate. 

A post in a recent Education Week blog discussed collaborative inquiry as a way to nurture and develop teacher leadership. The post makes a powerful case for collaborative inquiry as perhaps the most empowering feature of an effective learning community. I'd enjoy hearing from you about your experience with collaborative inquiry and PLC's.

Use a Data Night to Set Priorities for School Improvement

Recently I was working with a school near Chicago on their school improvement plan. A task force of parents, teachers and administrators revised the school's vision and then selected twenty different types of data that could be used to help identify action steps. Every member received a notebook full of data and a wiki was created so that members could share their observations and thoughts about the data.

The group held several "data nights" where they met, worked together to examine the data, discuss its implications, and assess the school's current success on each indicator. Small work groups met to continue the analysis and suggest next steps.

The data nights were helpful because they assured that everyone had the same data, had an opportunity to talk about its meaning, and to contribute to the analysis. These "data nights" helped the group move forward to develop a plan for their school's continued improvement.

A protocol for planning and conducting a data night are included in my recent book, Rigor in Your School: A Toolkit for Leaders available from Routledge/Eye on Education (www.eyeoneducation.com).

A Force Field Analysis

I'm always looking for tools that can help teachers and principals think more deeply about an issue. My favorite tools are those that provide for solid analysis and provide an opportunity for people to work together during the analysis.

A Force Field Analysis is just such a tool and it allows a group to identify the factors working for an issue as well as those working again the issue (opposing forces). One of the benefits of the discussion is that it can help you plan for, or reduce, the impact of the opposing forces, and strengthen or reinforce the supporting forces.

Conducting a Force Field Analysis is pretty straightforward.

• First, state the problem or the desired state in clear, concrete terms. 
• Discuss and list the factors working for, and those working against, the desired state. 
• Review and clarify the items to make sure there isn't repetition and overlap. 
• Once there is agreement on the factors assign a score to each force from 1 (weak) to 5 (strong) or high, medium and low. 
• Finally, discuss the factors and their scores. This helps to identify next steps. 

The factors working against a plan often become the focus of a plan of action. This level of analysis can  help you, as a leader, set priorities and goals. Additional information about a Force Field Analysis is available here.

Conduct a Data Night

Recently I was working with a school near Chicago on their school improvement plan. A task force of parents, teachers and administrators revised the school's vision and then selected twenty different types of data that could be used to help identify action steps. Every member received a notebook full of data and a wiki was created so that members could share their observations and thoughts about the data.

The group held several "data nights" where they met, worked together to examine the data, discuss its implications, and assess the school's current success on each indicator. Small work groups met to continue the analysis and suggest next steps.

The data nights were helpful because they assured that everyone had the same data, had an opportunity to talk about its meaning, and to contribute to the analysis. These "data nights" helped the group move forward to develop a plan for their school's continued improvement.

A protocol for planning and conducting a data night are included in my recent book, Rigor in Your School: A Toolkit for Leaders available from Eye on Education (www.eyeoneducation.com).

Force Field Analysis: A Tool for Decision-Making

I'm always looking for tools that can help groups may decisions or select a strategy. One I've used regularly is the Force Field Analysis. It can help to identify a clear course of action and is anchored in the belief that every idea has both advantages and disadvantages.

When you use a Force Field Analysis you consider both the driving forces and the restraining forces, the things that facilitate and inhibit change. Driving forces are the things that affect an issue and push it in a particular way; they tend to be things that initiate a change and keep it going. Restraining forces are those things that act to restrain or decrease the driving forces.

Start by stating the problem or desired outcome in clear, concrete terms. Then discuss and identify those factors working for and against the desired state. Then review and clarify each factor assigning a score from 1 (weak) to 5 (strong), or high, medium or low. Finally, discuss the factors and their scores. The discussion often helps you identify appropriate next steps and become the focus for a plan of action.

There are many tools to help with decision-making. I like the Force Field Analysis because it tends to depersonalize the discussion. I'd enjoy hearing from you about other ways you use to help with decision-making.

Collaborative Tools

Recently in my principalship class I asked students to prepare a statement of their personal vision for their school. They shared the vision with a small work group and then had to present the vision during a simulation in class. One of the requirements was that they use one collaborative tool to gather feedback from the "faculty" in their simulated school.

We talked about the importance of this type of collaboration and how it signals the principal's investment in building shared ownership and vision.

Building a repertoire of collaborative tools that principals can use to work with teachers, staff, families and community is an important skill. I've put together a set of collaborative tools that are available on my website (www.ronwilliamson.com).

I'd enjoy hearing from you about other collaborative tools that you've used in your school.

Conducting Successful Meetings

If you're like most principals you spend more time than you would like in meetings. Many are very productive and others are far less successful. There are several things you can do to immediately improve the meetings you lead.

First, it is critical to spend some time planning the meeting. Be clear about the purpose of the meeting. Be equally clear about what is being decided and who will make the decision. Also identify any meeting standards or norms. For example, a set of operational norms about how the group will work together can make a meeting more successful.

Second, develop an agenda that includes the following items: a clearly stated purpose or goal for the meeting, time to review agreed-upon operational norms and norms of collaboration, a clear statement for each agenda item about the action to be taken (e.g., discussion, decision), the allocation of time for each item, time for reflection and processing of information, and time at the end of the meeting to clarify what information should be shared and by whom.

Third, always be clear about operational norms. This includes seating arrangements, processes for group memory (recording discussion and decisions), guidelines for discussion (use of a parking lot), adequate time for discussion, clarity about when the group moves from discussion to decision-making, and methods for disseminating information. Bob Garmston and Bruce Wellman provide a useful set of norms at www.adaptiveschools.com.

Finally, be clear about how decisions will be made and by whom. If the group is deciding identify the process before it is time to make a decision. Consensus is often the preferred model but can be cumbersome. Many groups use some alternate like requiring agreement by 75% of the group, or using the "Fist to Five" model discussed in a blog entry on January 28, 2010.

Meetings can be a challenge. Because principals are involved in so many of them it is important that they be as successful as possible. I hope you find these ideas helpful and would enjoy hearing from you about your strategies for leading successful meetings.

Creating Your Personal Vision

Having a clear sense of vision or purpose for your school is important. Besides having your own personal vision you must work collaboratively with teachers, families, staff and students to develop a clear and compelling vision for your school.

It all begins with your personal vision. That vision consists of the most fundamental beliefs about life, about your work, and about relationships with people. I suggest you use a four-step process to develop your vision statement.

Step 1: Think about your personal and professional life. Describe what you would like to achieve and the contributions you would like to make. Think of it as something already accomplished. Describe what it looks like and feels like. For example, imagine hovering in a hot air balloon over your life. Imagine your life as successful as it might be---what would you see? what would you feel? what would you hear?

Step 2: Consider your self-image, relationships, personal interests, and community based on the things you wrote in step 1. Examine each item in your draft statement to be sure it still fits.

Step 3: Develop a list of values and identify those that are most important in your life. Once this is done, review the list and rank them from most to least important. Remove the least important. Re-rank if appropriate. Check for relevance with your earlier statement. Eliminate any item that is not relevant.

Step 4: Use the items from the first three steps to develop a statement about who you are. Review and edit the statement as often as needed until you believe it accurately reflects your vision.

Final Note: The job of a principal begins with vision. If you don't have a vision, or haven't revisited it recently, you won't have a clear direction when pressures mount. I suggest that you take the time to develop your own vision and to build shared vision for your school community.