Standard 1: Development and Implementation of a Shared Vision

Reflecting on the role of the school leader, I feel I have always understood the

importance of a clearly articulated vision. One aspect of vision that I had not previously thought

about was how strategically this vision needs to be communicated and integrated into the culture

of the school in order to build a community of leaders and learners equipped to live it. The first

leadership standard is comprised of three parts: shaping a student-centered vision, developing a

shared vision, and implementing the vision. In the EDAD 614: Leading Instruction course, I

read the book, ​The Principal: Three Keys to Maximizing Impact​, by Michael Fullan. Fullan

discusses the role of the principal in maximizing student achievement. He writes, “Humans are

fundamentally motivated by two factors: doing things that are intrinsically meaningful to

themselves, and working with others--peers, for example--in accomplishing worthwhile goals

never before reached” (2014, p. 7). Throughout the course of this program, I have learned that

not only is it important to share a clearly articulated vision with all stakeholders, but a strong

leader also motivates a team through using data to give value to a mission and vision, and uses

collaboration to shape, develop, and implement that vision.

Over the course of this program, I have reflected on the missions and visions of the

schools I have worked with. The first artifact represented is the ​Mission and Vision

portion of my Context Map from EDAD 610: Leading School Communities in a Diverse

Society. I reflected on the different vision and mission statements I have encountered over the

years and revised the statement for my current site based on my reflections. Through this focus

and reflection, I began thinking more about the mission of my current site, how this impacted the

formation of our ​school wide goals​ , and how this reflects the organization’s shared vision of
learning and growth for all students on our campus. As an instructional leader, I had the

opportunity to collaborate with the leadership team to create these goals. Using a lens based on

this shared vision for student achievement, I examined CAASPP data over the last three years

and found an equity gap reflected in our scores. Our English Learner population had

demonstrated a decline in scores over the last three years. This data resulted in a researched

based action plan as demonstrated by the ​Best Practices​ assignment from EDAD 618B: Leading

School Improvement. As I continue to establish my leadership skills, I will examine ways in

which multiple sources of data can be used to guide the evolution of a shared vision, and through

continued practice as an instructional leader, strengthen my skills in facilitating the collaboration

necessary to truly embed the shared vision into the culture of the school.

References

Fullan, M. (2014). ​The principal: Three keys to maximizing impact (1st ed.).​ San Francisco,
CA: Jossey-Bass.