how three district leaders are closing the instructional leadership gap

what is the instructional leadership gap and how does it affect the learning outcomes of our students?

i recently sat down with three district leaders, sean bulson, superintendent, hartford, (md) public schools, jerry boyd, superintendent of washington county (tn) schools, and portia slaughter, chief academic officer at harrisburg city (pa) school district to discuss these critical questions. 

what is instructional excellence?

each of us has a different definition of instruction - what it is, what frameworks and strategies affect instructional practices, and what it means to do it well. to kickoff our interactive panel, i asked the panel to individually answer, “what does instructional excellence mean to you?”

all three leaders agreed that instructional excellence is achieved, in part, with data, accountability, and the measurement of outcomes. another important component is taking the time to understand what is actually happening in classrooms. this group of leaders regularly conducts learning walks to observe instruction firsthand to truly understand how instruction is delivered and which areas need improvement. these learning walks, as we implement them at 瑞士vs喀麦隆亚盘赔率 , are meant to support rather than evaluate, and help school teams clarify what to look for, and what to work through, together.

leaders also need to follow educational research and maintain an understanding of emerging insights that should transform instructional practices. for example, in hartford, sean bulson is thinking deeply about the science of reading and how our improved understanding of how students read can and should affect instruction. we are increasingly seeing districts nationwide shift their literacy instructional practices towards the science of reading as we work to help all students become excellent readers - in fact, over 35 states have enacted mandates to implement the science of reading in the past few years. superintendent bulson and his team are centering their instructional leadership around the "science of instruction" which is defined as using evidence-based principles to help individuals learn, and the "rosenshines principles of action.’ 

rosenshine’s principles are created at the intersection of three distinct research areas: cognitive science, classroom practices, and cognitive support. rosenshine’s instructional principles are based on evidence from these areas, and he argues that each is strengthened from supplemental and complementary support from multiple evidence backed sources.  

superintendent boyd and his team in tennessee are focused on feedback loops. they are working to get alignment and coherence of vision across their team to increase instructional excellence. in harrisburg, dr. portia slaughter is doing similar - while modeling expectations at the district level. this helps ensure the district is centered around the same vision and goals. 

our recent case study from harrisburg schools shows how much the district has achieved and shares examples of how the leadership team empowered school transformation by using student voice data to personalize instructional leadership support. at the foundation of the work in harrisburg are research-proven feedback loops - called the tripod 7cs - which provide both contextual instructional insights aligned to danielson and perceptions of classroom culture.

strong accountability in challenging times

district and school leaders are constantly navigating leadership changes, new initiatives, staffing shortages and more. in this context, each of our central office leader panelists is focused on balancing robust accountability with the practical challenges of these ongoing issues.

bulson sees the current teacher shortage as the greatest strategic challenge in education today. bulson’s team is working on the accountability of teachers through a new lens, one of support and coaching with instructional specialists in a deliberate way. one mechanism we have used at 瑞士vs喀麦隆亚盘赔率 to support is using an evidence-based approach to teacher effectiveness. this approach can also move this process along more quickly. another piece to consider on the path to instructional excellence and accountability is including student voice in the equation. looking at teacher effectiveness through the student's viewpoint can capture essential elements of what is working in instructional practice.

in our recent blog, drew schantz discusses how inspiring, responsive leaders can help with the problem of teacher shortages.

boyd is addressing staffing issues by bringing in teachers from non-traditional pathways. with this solution, he says principals and district leaders must have supports in place to coach these teachers on what good instruction looks like. chief academic officer slaughter mentioned that allowing teachers to grow in a safe space is important, one that doesn’t put teachers on the defensive when receiving feedback. instructional feedback loops are an important way to open the door to productive collaboration. 

creating a collaborative environment

as human nature is - and as cao slaughter noted - receiving feedback often triggers a defensive response. to mitigate this reaction, it’s critical to foster a collaborative environment, where feedback is used for collective growth and open dialogue, mutual respect, and shared responsibility for continuous improvement is encouraged.

all three leaders agree that creating a safe environment and modeling vulnerability is key to collaboration. boyd says “we just have to be honest with one another, trust has to be built, and it starts with being vulnerable and being open and honest.” he pointed out that letting his team see his weaknesses and learning from them is powerful.

authenticity fosters trust and credibility, as team members see you as a leader who genuinely understands their needs and provides meaningful guidance that directly impacts their work and success. this approach not only enhances team cohesion but also promotes a culture of openness and continuous improvement.

i also find that teams with high trust are more likely to collaborate with each other - and that’s when we see creative problem-solving and innovation thrive. each of our team members has valuable contributions - and when we rely and capitalize on their collective expertise, we’re more likely to succeed. 

in a recent blog, our team discusses how a “belonging strategy” can aid in teacher retention. a belonging strategy begins with leaders showing their vulnerability and allowing others to learn and grow in a safe space. 

this conversation with central office leaders was incredibly insightful. they shared so many valuable thoughts that i’ve decided to publish a second part of our conversation. in part two, we’ll discuss some of the pitfalls in this work, their lessons learned, and what advice they would give to other central office leaders. stay tuned!