The Do’s and Don’ts of Instructional Leadership: The Role of Superintendent
- Do believe instructional leadership is a significant part of your role as superintendent, even if your district employs an assistant superintendent for instruction, curriculum director, instructional coach, technology integrationist, etc.
Don’t take a hands-off approach to the instructional component of your district.
- Do determine first-hand whether your principals practice effective classroom observation methods.
Don’t rely solely on what they say they do. Have principals show you classroom observation data and observe coaching conferences.
- Do develop a common language with building principals and the faculty around classroom observations and effective instruction.
Don’t assume people know what you’re talking about.
- Do assess the culture of your schools and district to determine how teachers view the role of the principal based upon present practice.
Don’t assume the faculty understands what it means for a principal to be an instructional leader.
- Do include instructional leadership as part of your professional growth plan.
Don’t focus on budgets, buildings and board relations to the expense of instructional leadership.
- Do use administrative meetings as classes for the principals.
Don’t waste your principals’ valuable time dispensing information that could be shared electronically.
- Do read the best literature on instructional leadership and share what you learned with the principals.
Don’t assume your principals are extending their own professional development by reading the best books and journals.
- Do articulate a clear vision of what effective instruction and assessment look like in your school district.
Don’t assume your speech at the opening session will instill your vision in the minds of everyone and immediately become the culture of the district.
- Do practice viewing classroom instruction as an administrative team and practice coaching conferences.
Don’t assume your principals were master teachers themselves or that their master’s degree automatically makes them great instructional leaders.
- Do take time to read summative evaluations written by your principals.
Don’t assume that a principal who completes all the evaluations on time is an effective evaluator.
- Do establish common, district-wide procedures for evaluating teachers.
Don’t accept resistance from principals when they cite differences among buildings as a reason to refrain from common procedures.
- Do play a key role in planning, implementing, and evaluating professional development.
Don’t delegate such that you are disengaged in monitoring the success of the professional development.
- Do visit classrooms and ask teachers about their instructional decision-making.
Don’t be afraid to enter a classroom for fear of disrupting learning.
- Do include instructional coaching in the annual evaluation of principals.
Don’t let the ISSL Standards restrict the scope of your formal feedback to principals.
- Do survey your teaching staff to determine their views on the level and effectiveness of instructional leadership provided by the principals.
Don’t be concerned that surveying teachers will shed light on “elephants in the room.”
- Do analyze school and district data to determine the effectiveness of classroom instruction.
Don’t rely solely on what your principals share about the academic health of their building.
- Do provide principals specific feedback on their effectiveness as a classroom and instructional coach.
Don’t be afraid to be honest in your feedback to principals.