Coherence

The Right Drivers in Action for

Schools, Districts and Systems

Joanne Quinn
Day 1
August 8, 2016
Coherence

Building PreK-3 Systems From

Alignment to Coherence

Templates Joanne Quinn

@joannequinn88
 8 THE TAKING ACTION GUIDE TO BUILDING COHERENCE

4. Video Jigsaw Protocol (Continued)

The Coherence
Framework

Focusing Cultivating
Direction Collaborative
Cultures
Cultures

Leadership

Securing Deepening
Accountability Learning

Source: Graphic by Taryn Hauritz.

Copyright 2016 by Corwin. All rights reserved. Reprinted from The Taking Action Guide to Building Coherence in
Schools, Districts, and Systems by Michael Fullan, Joanne Quinn, and Eleanor Adam. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin, www
.corwin.com. Reproduction authorized only for the local school site or nonprofit organization that has purchased this book.
 CHAPTE R 1. COH E R E NCE MAKI NG 9

5. Coherence Framework Assessment Protocol

Framework
The Coherence
Purpose
Use the Coherence Framework Assessment Protocol to assess the degree of coherence in your
school/district.

Coherence Framework Assessment Protocol

1. As a school or district team, review the Coherence Framework Assessment Protocol.

2. Provide evidence for the statements as an assessment of your school or districts degree of
coherence.

Component Evidence
Focusing Shared purpose drives action.
Direction A small number of goals tied to student
learning drives decisions.
A clear strategy for achieving the goals is
known by all.
Change knowledge is used to move the
district forward.
Cultivating A growth mind-set underlies the culture.
Collaborative Leaders model learning themselves and
Cultures shape a culture of learning.
Collective capacity building is fostered
above individual development.
Structures and processes support
intentional collaborative work.
Deepening Learning goals are clear to everyone and
Learning drive instruction.
A set of effective pedagogical practices is
known and used by all educators.
Robust processes, such as collaborative
inquiry and examining student work, are
used regularly to improve practice.
Securing Educators take responsibility for
Accountability continuously improving results.
Underperformance is an opportunity for
growth, not blame.
External accountability is used
transparently to benchmark progress.

Copyright 2016 by Corwin. All rights reserved. Reprinted from The Taking Action Guide to Building Coherence in
Schools, Districts, and Systems by Michael Fullan, Joanne Quinn, and Eleanor Adam. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin, www
.corwin.com. Reproduction authorized only for the local school site or nonprofit organization that has purchased this book.
 .
27. Three Step Interview Protocol
.
Ques%on Person A Person B Person C

Purpose Driven
1. What is your
tree and how
do you engage
others in
moving it?

2. What is your
strategy for
moving the

tree?







3. How well do
people
understand and
support the
strategy? How
might you
increase
understanding
and
commitment?

Copyright ! ?2016 by Corwin. All rights reserved. Reprinted from The Taking Ac,on Guide to Building
Coherence in Schools, Districts, and Systems by Michael Fullan, Joanne Quinn, and Eleanor Adam. Thousand
Oaks, CA: Corwin, www.corwin.com. ReproducRon authorized only for the local school site or nonprot
organizaRon that has purchased this book.
 64 TH E TAKI NG ACTION G U I DE TO B U I LDI NG COH E R E NCE

32. Coherence Progression Protocol (Continued)

Assessing Coherence

Focusing Direction

Component Emerging Accelerating Mastering

Shared purpose A stated purpose or The stated purpose and The purpose and focus
drives action. focus for the focus are clearly are clearly articulated
organization exists in articulated formally, and and shared by all levels
formal documents but groups are beginning to of the organization.
is not widely shared articulate this focus in There is strong
and does not drive their work. The purpose commitment to the
decisions. and focus are beginning purpose and it drives
to drive decisions but decisions at all levels
not consistently. of the school or district.
A small number A small number of A small number of A small number of
of goals tied to goals are stated but goals are stated and goals clearly focused on
student learning may be unclear, and understood by some, improving learning are
drives decisions. there are a number of but deep understanding well articulated and
competing priorities. and action is implemented by leaders,
The school or district inconsistent across the teachers, and staff at all
may be feeling school or district. levels of the system.
overload from too The goals drive some Decisions are directly
many initiatives or decisions but aligned to the stated
priorities. inconsistently. goals.
Fragmentation may be There is a strategy to A vigilant process is in
felt when the goals do reduce the number of place to remove
not seem to be competing priorities distractors, base
connected in a and eliminate decisions on data, and
meaningful way. distractors. remain consistent year
to year.
A clear strategy The strategy for The strategy for The strategy for
for achieving the achieving the goals achieving the priority achieving the goals is
goals is known lacks clarity and goals is stated but led well defined and can
by all. precision. A few by a small number of be clearly articulated
decision makers leaders. by all educators at
understand the strategy Ongoing opportunities every level of the
but is not widely for interaction and school or district.
understood at all engagement with doing Leaders recognize that
levels. the work are needed so it is more important to
A clear link between that clarity and learn from doing the
decisions on the commitment are work and adjusting
allocation of resources developed across the strategy than having a
and the priority goals school or district. lengthy front end
is not evident. Decisions and the process.
allocation of resources Decisions and the
are linked to priorities allocation of resources
but not consistently. are driven by the
strategy and goals.

(Continued)
 CHAPTE R 7. MASTE R I NG TH E FRAM EWOR K 65

(Continued)

Component Emerging
Change Leaders see their role
knowledge is as managing the
used to move the change process one
district forward. interaction at a time.
They rely on formal
roles and structures.
Collaboration between
and among leaders and
teachers is limited to
formal structures.
Deep trusting
relationships are not
consistent.
There is an effort to
build internal capacity
but a reliance on
external experts and
packaged solutions
continues.
There are few or
inconsistent structures
and processes for
building vertical and
horizontal relationships
and learning across the
school or district.
Accelerating
Leaders are beginning
to see their role as
developing others and
creating structures and
processes for
interaction. However
opportunities to
develop new leaders
both formal and
informal are not
always evident.
Collaboration and trust
are emerging within
groups but are
inconsistent across the
school or district.
Capacity building is
recognized as a lever
for change and efforts
to build the collective
capacity of groups is
emerging.
There are some
structures and
processes in place to
foster relationships and
learning vertically
within schools/
districts and
horizontally across
roles within schools
and districts.
Assessing Coherence
Mastering
Strong leadership with
a bias for action exists
at all levels of the
school or district.
Leaders are
intentionally developed
at all levels.
A culture of
collaboration with
deep trust and risk
taking has been
fostered at all levels to
promote innovation
and shifts in practice.
Capacity building is a
key lever for building
confidence and
competence and
pervades the culture.
The culture uses the
group to change the
group by fostering
strong vertical and
horizontal relationships
and learning
opportunities.

Copyright ! ?2016 by Corwin. All rights reserved. Reprinted from The Taking Ac,on
Guide to Building Coherence in Schools, Districts, and Systems by Michael Fullan, Joanne
Quinn, and Eleanor Adam. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin, www.corwin.com. ReproducRon
authorized only for the local school site or nonprot organizaRon that has purchased
this book.