Leader of Learning

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Presented to the Department of Educational Leadership

and Postsecondary Education
University of Northern Iowa

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In Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the
Master of Arts in Education or Advanced Studies Certificate

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By
Jessiah P. Gilchrist
Taft Middle School
Cedar Rapids, IA
November 20th, 2016

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Dr. Sharon Ingebrand

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Review of Literature

Being a leader of learning is taking on a role nothing short of complex and those who

wish to be successful in this role must know and understand the intricacies of what it takes to

push and guide the learning that occurs within the building they lead. The research on leading

learning paints a challenging picture to understand but when analyzed from a multi-reviewed

perspective, one can begin to navigate the complexities presented. Sorenson, Goldsmith,

Mended, & Maxwell say it best when they explain that as a leader of learning, there is So little

time, and so much to do. (p. 2) The review of literature on the subject offers answers but the

real challenge is implementation of said research when the stakes are highest and the one person

responsible, the leader of learning, must act to drive learning.

Student achievement and progress is perhaps one of the best indicators that a leader of

learning is being successful in their role. Student gains is directly connected to solid instructional

leadership. As Printy, Marks, & Bowers research explain, when transformational and shared

instructional leadership coexist in an integrated form of leadership, the influence on school

performance, measured by the quality of its pedagogy, and the achievement of its students, is

substantial. (p. 370) One cannot diminish the importance of instructional leadership; it is

foundational to reaching the goals of an educational institution. According to Day, Gu, &

Sammons, (2016) Successful principals build cultures that promote both staff and student

engagement in learning and raise students achievement levels. (p. 253) It is this engagement in

learning that raises the level of learning within the classroom and improved student performance

naturally becomes the outcome.

Understanding how the leader of learning can directly impact the instruction delivered by

teachers and thus impact student learning is key as an educational leader. Ross and Cozens
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(2016) explain, Leadership practices that are capable of addressing quality instruction also have

the potential to increase the schools climate and teacher effectiveness. (p. 171) It is not by

chance that instruction improves, but with clear instructional leadership. When instruction

improves, the effect is felt by the students. The impact of leadership on student learning cannot

be understated and can completely change the culture of the school. School Leadership had a

substantial effect on School Academic Optimism, indicating the critical role of principals in

shaping a culture of optimism in relation to student learning. (Savvides & Pashiardis, 2016. p.

519)

The research also shows the necessity of a leader of learning to not be bogged down with

managerial tasks in order to exert energy and time to improve the instruction of the teachers. A

principal must learn to distribute their workload in order for this to be accomplished. According

to Supovitz, (2000), An important benefit of distributed leadership is that it will free up time for

principals to become true instructional leaders. (p. 16) Teacher leadership models are at the

forefront of distributive leadership. It is through these models that we see the implementation of

improved teacher practice and it is the role of the principal to implement well or poorly. For

such empowerment models of TL to flourish in schools, power and authority must be

redistributed, trusting relationships among faculty must be nurtured, and a collaborative culture

must permeate school communities. (Nicholson, Capitelli, Richert, Bauer & Bonetti, 2016. p.

48) A leader of learning must rely on building capacity in others so they can effect change in the

classroom. They cannot do it all themselves and it is that collaborative piece that must be in

place for the instruction to improve.

Use of data is also heavily present in the research on instructional leadership. The use of

data to support instructional changes is an idea a leader of learning must provide to the teachers
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they lead. Without data, informed instructional changes cannot and will not take place. A leader

of learning creates a culture of inquiry that is supported by data (Diamond & Spillane, 2004). It

is through the use of this data that adjustments in instruction are made and teachers can increase

the likelihood of student learning.

Skills, Knowledge, and Dispositions

First and foremost, a leader of learning must hold high expectations of themselves as a

leader of learning so they can also hold high expectations of the staff they work with. They must

work hard and be driven to know the intricacies of the role of instructional leader and be

dedicated to not just get the job done but become excellent at improving teachers professional

practice. They must also have knowledge of adult learning theory so they can teach the teachers

they serve learn how to improve their instruction. They must have good interpersonal skills to be

able to communicate well with teachers. They must have planning skills and the ability to

observe and utilize research to help improve teacher practice. Jenkins (2009) explains that,

Research and evaluation skills are needed to critically question the success of instructional

programs (p. 37). The ability to analyze and research specific instructional methods and

programs and communicating it well with staff is critical.

An instructional leader must have a wealth of knowledge related to instruction in the

classroom. This includes both pedagogy and instructional resources. Throughout the school year,

a leader of learning may be faced with a variety of challenges, each of which require the

knowledge of a particular resource or instructional strategy and having that knowledge will

provide the teachers with quick solutions to their challenges. Whitaker explains that teachers rely

on their principals to help provide them with what they need to do their job at a high level.

(2007) Not having the knowledge could break the trust teachers need in their instructional
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leaders. They must also know the state standards inside and out in order to assist the teachers in

helping their students master said standards.

The disposition of an instructional leader must be calm and courageous. They must have

vision and the ability to think long term while realizing that changes do not happen overnight but

occur after consistent and authentic conversations with the teachers they serve. They must be

able to frame the conversations they have with staff in a way that helps them focus on improving

their teaching and student learning. Lastly, they must have the demeanor of a life-long learner

who continually makes an effort to better their own practice. They must have a vision for the

instruction taking place within their building. Lastly, they must be willing to not take offense to

individuals who disagree with them and they must be willing to have tough conversations with

the teachers they work with.

ISSL Standards

The Iowa Standards for School Administrators (ISSL) outlines the required standards

administrators of Iowa are expected to meet. Characteristics of a leader of learning are closely

related to the ISSL standards. First, ISSL 5, ethical leadership is most important because a leader

of learning must choose to be ethical in all they do related to curriculum and instructional

leadership. There are many opportunities for instructional leaders to not fulfill their role

completely and it seems that many do just this. Those who follow ISSL 5 will be sure to take

their role seriously and do the right thing. (School Administrators of Iowa [SAI], 2007).

ISSL standards 1 and 2 are the next most important standards as they are closely related

and somewhat useless without the other. A leader of learning must have a vision for those they

lead. Without having a vision, a leader of learning will offer only random and potentially

unimportant instructional changes. The vision drives the instruction. ISSL 2 then takes the vision
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set by the leader and improves the instruction of the teachers to achieve said vision. These two

ISSL standards work hand in hand to set the tone and then reach the tone set.

ISSL standards 3 is also important to the leader of learning. A leader of learning must be

able to manage the school they are leading by delegating the managerial tasks to trusted

individuals which simultaneously builds capacity in the staff members they lead. Jenkins

explains best that, If principals are to take the role of instructional leader seriously, they will

have to free themselves from the bureaucratic tasks, and focus their efforts toward improving

teaching and learning. (p. 37)

ISSL standards 6 and 4 are the last of the standards directly related to the leader of

learning. Political leadership, ISSL 6, is important because the leader of learning must know how

to leverage what they have to get what they need in their school. They must first be able to

determine the instructional and curricular needs of their school by building relationships with

every stakeholder, ISSL 4, by taking their input, and turning said input into the curricular and

learning needs of their students. Once these needs are determined, the political sense a leader of

learning has will provide them with the ability to obtain what their school needs.

My Actions as a Future Leader of Learning

The special education position I have held for the past six years have helped me to master

the core standards of language arts, literacy, and math. Not only have I had to learn the standards

but I have also had to learn previous grades standards in order to fill the gap of the students I

work with. Through teaching the core standards and remediating groups of low-performing

students, I have come to understand there are numerous ways in which various students master

standards; some learn through hearing and answering questions on paper while some learn

through peer interactions and reporting their learning to the teacher. I have assisted general
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education teachers in implementing the curriculum based on the state standards in the general

education setting through collaboration and co-teaching. I also plan to join a curriculum

development team at the district level and help design unit plans for either language arts, literacy,

or math.

I have also taken a leadership role in the special education professional learning

community (PLC) in our school. This has happened not because I was chosen but because I

stepped up and chose to lead the team. Much of what I have implemented in our PLC has led our

team to reflect on their teaching practices and discuss how we can improve our teaching

practices. Although this has been challenging, I have learned how to work with personalities that

are strong and different than my own while still collaborating to do what is best for our students.

As a future leader of learning, I also hold a collaborative classroom teacher position in

our district and host student teachers in my classroom. As a collaborative classroom teacher and

a cooperating teacher, I am learning how to hold reflective conversations with other teachers in

my district with the end goal of improving both our professional practices. This has helped me

understand how to frame conversations that lead to teacher improvement as well as hold

conversations that are not always comfortable but improve teacher reflection and practice.

The finesse needed to be an instructional leader who effects change in the classroom is

real and much like improving as a classroom teacher, experience can make all the difference. The

experiences I am currently delving into and the experiences I plan to do will help provide me

with the knowledge and skills needed to be an effective leader of learning.

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References

Day, C. Qing, G. Sammons, P. (2016). The impact of leadership on student outcomes.

Educational
Administration Quarterly, 52(2) 221-258.

Diamond, J. B., & Spillane, J. P. (2004). High-stakes accountability in urban elementary schools:
Challenging or reproducing inequality? Teachers College Record, 106, 1145-1176.

Jenkins, B. (2009). What it takes to be an instructional leader. Principal, 88(3) 34-37.

Nicholson, J. Capitelli, S. Richert, A. Bauer. A, Bonetti, S. (2016) The affordances of using a

teacher
leadership network to support leadership development: creating collaborative thinking
spaces to
strengthen teachers skills in facilitating productive evidence-informed conversations.
Teacher
Education Quarterly, 43(1) 29-50.

Ross, D. Cozzens, J. (2016). The principalship: Essential core competencies for instructional
leadership
and its impact of school climate. Journal of Education and Training Studies, 4(9) 162-
176.

Savvides, V. Pashiardis, P. (2016) An exploration of relationship between leadership and student

citizenship outcomes in cyprus middle schools. Educational Administration Quarterly, 52
(3).
497-526

School Administrators of Iowa (2007, November). Iowa school leadership standards and criteria.
Reteived from http://sai-iowa.org/iowa-standards.cfm

Supovitz, J. (2000). Manage less: lead more. Principal Leadership, 1(3). 14-19

Whitaker, B. ( 1997), Instructional leadership and principal visibility

The Clearinghouse, 70(3), 155-156.
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