Building the Systems and Structures to Address Instructional Priorities

Instructional leadership is how we improve student outcomes, especially for historically underestimated and underserved students. In spite of its importance, it can often be challenging to move from theory to practice. This workshop provides a bridge between the why, what, and how of ambitious instructional leadership, helping leaders be intentional around six key leadership practices—setting a vision for ambitious instruction, upgrading curriculum and resources, creating systems for data-driven instruction, providing equitable access for interventions, developing systems for professional development and collaboration, and offering coaching to teachers. Through the lens of these practices, you'll examine case studies and identify actionable strategies to implement in their own schools, taking care to keep students at the center of this important work.

When it comes to high-quality, equitable education, the responsibility has to be shared across a school. Distributed leadership—an approach that recognizes leadership qualities and expertise exist within all levels of schools—is an impactful way to scale and sustain instructional excellence. But distributing leadership doesn’t just happen—it needs to be planned for and communicated so teachers and staff understand the expectation. In this workshop, you'll craft a shared leadership vision with intention and direction, and create a plan for communicating that vision. You’ll also learn to effectively distribute leadership in a way that leads to better decision-making, enhanced innovation and creativity, and a more inclusive and equitable school environment for adults and students alike.