An effective educational leader promotes the success of every student by ensuring the development of a culture of continuous school improvement. This course provides information, tools, and processes supporting effective teamwork, measurable goals and a guide to school improvement planning that engages the community and stakeholders.
A culture of continuous improvement requires discipline and constant forward momentum (Mourshed, Chijioke, and Barber, 2010). Schools and systems that are recognized as being among the best and most improved achieve significant and sustained growth in student learning outcomes as measured by national assessments. They experience year-over-year learning gains, evidenced by increases in student performance spanning multiple data points and subjects.
Success is not predicated on spending. Many large school systems have dramatically increased spending on education with little or no overall improvement in student outcomes. In some cases, districts and states that increased spending actually saw student outcomes stagnate or regress. Some adequate level of spending is required, as poorer districts traditionally underperform, but money alone is not the answer. Systems that continually improve student performance achieve more with fewer resources.
This course is aligned with PSEL Standard 10: School Improvement which states that:
Effective educational leaders act as agents of continuous improvement to promote each student’s academic success and well-being.”
NPBEA, 2015
Learning Objectives:
Upon completing this course module, you will be able to:
- Employ high-quality data about student performance and other relevant information in planning for continuous improvement.
- Commit to a continuous process of transformation and capacity-building.
- Build and lead an effective school improvement planning and leadership team.
- Set priorities for curriculum delivery, the school environment, and parental involvement that meet the unique requirements of their school.
- Work with the school leadership team or other staff and structures to set action teams and create an action plan for sustainable learning gains.
- Empower staff, review procedures, and evaluate and revise actions as the school improvement plan evolves.
Lessons contain exercises that you will be asked to complete, and resources you can use for continuous learning. Use a personal journal to record your completed exercises and document your learning in this course. This guide can assist you with creating your personal journal. Your school district facilitator may request you submit your personal journal to show proof of course completion. Direction on where to submit your finished journal will be provided by your district facilitator, should they require it.
Select a lesson from the table of contents below to begin your learning. Lessons do not need to be completed in sequence. The pre-test and post-test are optional. If you would like to receive a certificate of completion, you must mark each lesson as complete.