Six strategies for change & crossing the implementation bridge
Strategy 1: Creating a Shared Vision of the Change: The vision is that over the next three years a distributive leadership structure will be implemented in all district schools. In each school, all teachers are organized into small teams of 5-6 with a Senior Team Lead who is released from the classroom for part of the day, while still serving students the other part of the day. These Senior Team Leads will be responsible for coaching, designing professional development, and teacher evaluation. |
Explanation for Addressing this Strategy with Stakeholders: In order to ensure all in the district shares this vision, we need to address the current failed system of off-site peer evaluation. Because the Peer Observer Program was implemented using off-site evaluators who were rarely available for coaching and professional development, many teachers had a less than positive response. However, when surveyed, the teachers felt that the opportunity to work with a content level specialist in an on-going coaching relationship was very valuable. We can leverage this feeling of trust in an expert to create buy-in with this new model. Everything that teachers liked about having a peer evaluator without the negative aspects of no relationship with the person can be corrected with an onsite model. The expert is one of their own and works with a significantly smaller group, thereby improving the growth aspect of the model. |
Strategy 2: Planning and Identifying Resources Necessary for the Change: Planning for this shift will require demonstrating to schools that an on-site coach who also teaches is a model that has worked elsewhere. |
Explanation: In the district, differentiated roles have been being piloted for the past two years at selected schools. Creating testimonies from teachers in our district and team leads about the process and how it worked will be essential to getting buy-in across the district. Beyond these testimonies, showing data that correlates this kind of coaching model with growth on the teacher evaluation rubric will also help ease fears. |
Strategy 3: Investing in Professional Development/Professional Learning: Those teachers selected to be Senior Team Leads will need robust, on-going professional development in coaching models, adult learning theory, and the district teacher evaluation rubric. A Professional Learning Network of Senior Team Leads will need to be established to support those in this position as they help their buildings navigate this change. |
Explanation: A change of this magnitude has the potential to greatly empower educators to take charge of their own growth through positive peer coaching and interactions. On the flip side, poor training and implementation holds the potential to ruin a teacher’s career has evaluation has such high stakes in Colorado. Two years of ineffective ratings can lead to a teacher losing probationary status and returning to the status of an at-will employee. Only with robust and on-going development can Senior Team Leads maintain the trust of their colleagues in this kind of environment. |
Strategy 4: Checking or Assessing Progress: Feedback loops must be created to gauge both teacher and Senior Team Lead experiences with the new system. These loops must be monitored and acted upon in such a way as to make modifications to the system in a timely fashion so as to not lose the buy-in of all participants. Systems of accountability need to be in place where the Senior Team Lead is documenting her work with teachers that demonstrates adherence to and effective use of the coaching model. |
Explanation: This new system asks that teachers and team leads take a lot of risk. If at any point it seems as though the system is breaking down, then the potential exists for a hostile work environment. Because the team leads will still be a part of the school and department/grade level, they must maintain a good working relationship with their peers. Open channels of communication are essential toward a transparent process of implementation. Due to the release time granted the Senior Team Lead, having a system where that person can show how their time is being utilized and the effect they are having on those they are working with will again help with the transparency of the system. |
Strategy 5: Providing Continuous Assistance: To ensure the success of the model, Senior Team Leads will be part of a Professional Learning Network that provides support, encouragement, and resources to each other. |
Explanation: Because this type of role is so new and untried in most buildings, those in the Senior Team Lead position will need a strong support network as they seek to be change agents in their buildings. |
Strategy 6: Creating a Context Conducive to Change: In order for this switch to Senior Team Leads to be successful, the culture of the building and the district will need to be carefully managed to help all stakeholders accept the change and feel an ownership of it. Open channels of communication and transparency are the first step toward creating this kind of culture. The success of the model will depend greatly on how well trust is built and sustained. |
Explanation: Because peer observation has been used in the past and was not well received, it will be vital to explain why this model is needed and how it can help all teachers grow their practice. The culture must be embraced where teachers feel trust in their peers who also work in the same building with the same population of students. Without such a culture, this new change will be met with mistrust and suspicion and will only create divisions within the teams. |