John Goodlad, a recognized education expert associated with the University of Washington, wrote in the seventies that the purpose of American education is to enable youth to enter into the human conversation and to enculturate them into the democratic society. Beyond this purpose, I firmly believe that the mission of all schools is to improve instruction to increase learning. “Learning” is all encompassing including academic, social, emotional, and behavioral components. Just as the Board of Education has a strategic plan to guide the system toward meeting the board’s goals, the superintendent must have a theory (or plan) to lead the system toward realizing its mission. With the help of the educational experts found in the Reading Lists (refer to the Reading List page in this blog), the administration and teacher leaders of the school system, and resources provided through Harvard University and the Connecticut Center for School Change, I have developed my Theory of Action.

My Theory of Action is stated in an “if”; “then” format. Each “if” statement does not directly correlate with each “then” statement; rather, I believe that if all “if” statements occur, then the “then” statements will be the outcome and the mission will be achieved.

My Theory of Action To Increase Learning

IF

We increase the capacity of teachers to implement a norm of instructional practice based on proven strategies that increase learning, to use student data effectively as a basis for planning collaboratively in teams and individually, and we hold them accountable for using these practices;

We increase the capacity of district leaders to use data to workcollaboratively, to model proven instructional practices in their meetings with faculty (collaborative or otherwise); and we hold them accountable for practicing what they learn;

We teach the district leadership team how to be constructivist leaders (creating relationships and trust, balancing explicitness and constructivist decision making, facilitating collaborative meetings with cognizance of content and process, transferring agency to staff and creating reciprocity), how to make these behaviors explicit to teachers, and how to help teachers see the connection between these constructivist behaviors and good classroom practice;

We teach the district leadership how to convey to teachers the expectation that they will apply constructivist practices in classrooms;

We hold teachers accountable for assuming agency and for adopting in their classrooms and in teams the constructivist behaviors modeled by building leaders;

If we foster opportunities for teacher leadership;

THEN

Teachers will become more efficacious about changing their practice to a more research-based methodology;

Teachers will gain knowledge and confidence about using constructivist approaches through observing the behavior of building leaders and will implement these improved instructional practices in their classrooms;

Teachers will implement the district norms of practice, change their beliefs about instruction, become invested in the district constructivist practice to improve instruction to increase learning, and seek leadership positions within the district;

The culture of the district will change to one that is student-centered, allowing students and staff to discover new knowledge through rigorous, varied and research-based learning experiences;

Instruction will improve and learning will increase.

Theory of Action As It Applies to Policy Makers

IF

We consistently apply the theory of action with its focus on student learning and student engagement;

We consistently communicate the district instructional practices to the varied constituencies and show positive results;

THEN

The policy makers will implement policy, allocate resources, and make decisions systemically directed toward achieving the mission of the district to improve instruction to increase learning.