Begin reform with quick hits on highly visible problems to build collective agency, then sustain a long-term focus on the instructional core¶

Strategy · All strategies
Evidence · no claims cited

Description¶

This two-part strategy pairs early, visible wins with sustained attention to teaching quality. As the article puts it, "principals often begin by attacking and solving quickly some highly visible problems," such as finding supplemental space to relieve overcrowding, because such initiatives "provide concrete signs of change and develop a collective sense of agency." In parallel, principals concentrate long-term on strengthening faculty quality through recruiting talented new teachers, targeted staff development for all teachers, and organizational changes promoting best practices, while managing day-to-day decisions to maximize instructional time.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• Discretionary resources under local control to finance improvements and hire additional teachers

Constraints¶

• Stirring rhetoric quickly appears hollow if not accompanied by complementary action

Target Learners¶

• Elementary school students and teachers in Chicago public schools

Target Learning Goals¶

• Maximized instructional time and improved student achievement

Affordances¶

• Support And Pressure Principal Leadership Framework

Related Strategies¶

• Use the School Improvement Plan and a strategic orientation to attack program incoherence
• Build trust early through quick wins and visible responsiveness to feedback, using a tiered rollout to grow champions

Examples¶

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Key Sources¶

• Penny Bender Sebring and Anthony S. Bryk. (2000). School Leadership and the Bottom Line in Chicago. Consortium on Chicago School Research. https://consortium.uchicago.edu/publications/school-leadership-and-bottom-line-chicago