Improving schools secured external resources aligned with a development agenda and employed them strategically, and cultivated strong distributive leadership with a make-or-break principal role¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · causal r1 · q2
Currency · newest study 2003 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q2 i? Schools that were strong or improved were more effective at securing resources aligned with a particular development agenda and employing them efficiently and strategically, and distinguished themselves by cultivating strong, distributive leadership in which the principal played a make-or-break role. → Smylie 2003

Evidence¶

Smylie 2003¶

Smylie, M. A., Wenzel, S. A., with Allensworth, E., Fendt, C., Hallman, S., Luppescu, S., & Nagaoka, J. (2003). The Chicago Annenberg Challenge: Successes, Failures, and Lessons for the Future. Consortium on Chicago School Research. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED

q2 · i? · causal · r1

Longitudinal field research on 12 Annenberg schools over five years. The report states "Teacher leaders make substantial contributions to school improvement, but this analysis highlights the 'make-or-break' role of the principal, even when people in different roles join principals in 'leadership work.'"

"However, what distinguished these schools from nonimproving schools was the ability to secure resources aligned with a particular development agenda and to employ these resources in an efficient and strategic manner. Finally, schools that were strong or that improved distinguished themselves from weak schools and nonimproving schools by the cultivation of strong, distributive leadership."

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• High-performing CHSRI schools shared four practices for guiding and sustaining instructional improvement: defining leadership responsibilities, creatively distributing them, institutionalizing routines, and focusing team work on school-wide goals — related
• Principals in improving schools actively reach out to teachers, parents, and community leaders and coordinate programs strategically — related
• Female principals empowered others through shared ownership, committee involvement, and staff development — related
• Annenberg external partners accumulated substantial experience working with schools but were not particularly successful in promoting improvement across the large number of schools they served — related
• External partners played the central role in forming and running implementation networks, with most principal interaction directed at partners rather than other schools — related
• External partners' influence is necessarily limited by their minor role in schools' attention and activity — related
• Partner success varies substantially between schools based on teacher and administrator willingness to collaborate — related
• In selected Chicago schools, external partners sparked documented improvements in instruction, parent involvement, or school climate — related
• Strong state-level leadership is reported as a key enabler of school improvement efforts, including through resource allocation and dedicated teams — related
• Effective leadership plays a pivotal role in guiding digital transformation in educational organizations — related
• Schools implementing MTSS demonstrate the framework's hallmarks, including stronger collaboration, data use, and aligned improvement initiatives — related
• Foxglove Elementary distributes leadership across staff roles but has few mechanisms to coordinate the work — related
• Teachers' ability to deliver strong instruction depends substantially on the school context, family resources and challenges, and the larger community — a broader claim this one bears on
• Organizational-level support targeted four areas: coordination and leadership, professional norms, monitoring of instruction and learning, and resources — related
• Strong leadership is central to rapid school improvement, per the article's summary of research — a broader claim this one bears on
• Transition Leaders play a central role in coordinating collaboration between schools and stakeholders, but their effectiveness depends on sufficient flexibility and resources — related