Connecting Leadership with Learning : A Framework for Reflection, Planning, and Action

What kind of leadership makes learning possible for all students? How can school leaders help teachers increase their knowledge and improve their instructional abilities? What actions should leaders take to ensure that learning occurs? In Connecting Leadership with Learning: A Framework for Reflection, Planning, and Action, Michael A. Copland and Michael S. Knapp give educational leaders a new way to answer these questions and find solutions perfect for their particular school environment.Copland and Knapp assert that far too many educational leaders are struggling with outdated curricula, demands that don t align with their school or district goals, and professional meetings that are high on complaints but low on solutions. Instead of prescribing a linear or rigid approach, the authors encourage educators to be attentive and tune into their leadership actions by using the Leading for Learning Framework. The framework provides different vantage points to help leaders reflect on their strengths and weaknesses, plan for improvement, and take actions to foster learning for students, teachers and professionals, and school and district leaders. The Leading for Learning Framework will empower leaders to Establish a focus on equitable learning Build professional communities Engage communities and external partnerships Act strategically and share leadership Create coherence in their leadership actions The book includes extended case studies, descriptions of 23 different leadership "pathways," and many examples from schools and districts that show the Leading for Learning Framework in action. There is no magic formula for great school leadership, but Copland and Knapp conclude that magic can happen when leaders reframe their efforts to focus more clearly on learning. What kind of leadership makes learning possible for all students? How can school leaders help teachers increase their knowledge and improve their instructional abilities? What actions should leaders take to ensure that learning occurs? In Connecting Leadership with Learning: A Framework for Reflection, Planning, and Action, Michael A. Copland and Michael S. Knapp give educational leaders a new way to answer these questions and find solutions perfect for their particular school environment.

Copland and Knapp assert that far too many educational leaders are struggling with outdated curricula, demands that don’t align with their school or district goals, and professional meetings that are high on complaints but low on solutions. Instead of prescribing a linear or rigid approach, the authors encourage educators to be attentive and tune into their leadership actions by using the Leading for Learning Framework. The framework provides different vantage points to help leaders reflect on their strengths and weaknesses, plan for improvement, and take actions to foster learning for students, teachers and professionals, and school and district leaders.

The Leading for Learning Framework will empower leaders to
*Establish a focus on equitable learning
*Build professional communities
*Engage communities and external partnerships
*Act strategically and share leadership
*Create coherence in their leadership actions

The book includes extended case studies, descriptions of 23 different leadership "pathways," and many examples from schools and districts that show the Leading for Learning Framework in action.

There is no magic formula for great school leadership, but Copland and Knapp conclude that magic can happen when leaders reframe their efforts to focus more clearly on learning.

"What kind of leadership makes learning possible for all students? How can school leaders help teachers increase their knowledge and improve their instructional abilities? What actions should leaders take to ensure that learning occurs? In Connecting Leadership with Learning: A Framework for Reflection, Planning, and Action, Michael A. Copland and Michael S. Knapp give educational leaders a new way to answer these questions and find solutions perfect for their particular school environment. Copland and Knapp assert that far too many educational leaders are struggling with outdated curricula, demands that don't align with their school or district goals, and professional meetings that are high on complaints but low on solutions. Instead of prescribing a linear or rigid approach, the authors encourage educators to be attentive and tune into their leadership actions by using the Leading for Learning Framework. The framework provides different vantage points to help leaders reflect on their strengths and weaknesses, plan for improvement, and take actions to foster learning for students, teachers and professionals, and school and district leaders. The Leading for Learning Framework will empower leaders to *Establish a focus on equitable learning *Build professional communities *Engage communities and external partnerships *Act strategically and share leadership *Create coherence in their leadership actions The book includes extended case studies, descriptions of 23 different leadership "pathways," and many examples from schools and districts that show the Leading for Learning Framework in action. There is no magic formula for great school leadership, but Copland and Knapp conclude that magic can happen when leaders reframe their efforts to focus more clearly on learning." -- Publisher What kind of leadership makes learning possible for all students? How can school leaders help teachers increase their knowledge and improve their instructional abilities? What actions should leaders take to ensure that learning occurs? In Connecting Leadership with Learning: A Framework for Reflection, Planning, and Action, Michael A. Copland and Michael S. Knapp give educational leaders a new way to answer these questions and find solutions perfect for their particular school environment.Copland and Knapp assert that far too many educational leaders are struggling with outdated curricula, demands that don't align with their school or district goals, and professional meetings that are high on complaints but low on solutions. Instead of prescribing a linear or rigid approach, the authors encourage educators to be attentive and tune into their leadership actions by using the Leading for Learning Framework. The framework provides different vantage points to help leaders reflect on their strengths and weaknesses, plan for improvement, and take actions to foster learning for students, teachers and professionals, and school and district leaders. The Leading for Learning Framework will empower leaders to: Establish a focus on equitable learning, Build professional communities, Engage communities and external partnerships, Act strategically and share leadership, Create coherence in their leadership actions.The book includes extended case studies, descriptions of 23 different leadership "pathways," and many examples from schools and districts that show the Leading for Learning Framework in action. There is no magic formula for great school leadership, but Copland and Knapp conclude that magic can happen when leaders reframe their efforts to clearly focus more on learning. Experienced or prospective school leaders know there is way more pressure to make sure all students are learning, but what specific actions will ensure that learning occurs, and where does one find the time to do this? This book answers those questions and provides the reader with a systematic way to more quickly create powerful, equitable learning for all students. Two experienced and accomplished education experts introduce the Leading for Learning Framework and provide specific advice on how to quickly foster student, teacher, and systemic learning, including: (1) Three actions that will focus one's school on equitable learning; (2) Five essential tasks for building professional learning communities; (3) Four ways to engage the external environments that matter for learning; (4) Four strategies for acting strategically through shared leadership; and (5) Three steps to ensure one's leadership actions are coherent. This is an ideal book for reflecting on one's own leadership, guiding school improvement planning, or using in leadership training and education courses. Following a preface entitled, A Call for Leadership That Is Focused on Learning, this book is divided into three parts: (1) Leading for Learning: Establish Foundational Ideas; (2) Exploring the Leading for Learning Framework in Practice; and (3) The Leading for Learning Framework in Action. Also included are: (1) Epilogue: Hector and Mr. G. Revisited; (2) Appendix: Pathways to Learning; (3) a list of references; (4) information about the authors; (5) methodological notes; and (6) a list of related ASCD resources on school and district leadership Acknowledgments......Page 8 Preface A Call for Leadership That Is Foscused on Learning......Page 10 Part One Leading for Learning: Establishing the Foundational Ideas......Page 18 Hector’s Challenge to Educational Leaders......Page 20 Essential Ideas and Tasks for Learning-Focused Leaders......Page 26 Part Two Exploring the Leading for Learning Framework in Practice......Page 44 Establishing a Focus on Learning......Page 46 Building Professional Communities That Value Learning......Page 60 Engaging External Environments That Matter for Learning......Page 73 Acting Strategically and Sharing Leadership......Page 88 Creating Coherence......Page 104 Part Three The Leading for Learning Framework in Action......Page 118 Leading Learning in Schools......Page 121 Leading Learning in School Districts......Page 162 Using the Framework in Practice and in Leadership Development......Page 188 Epilouge Hector and Mr. G. Revisited......Page 212 Appendix Pathways to Learning......Page 218 Content, Assessment, and Accountability Pathways......Page 222 Professionals and Professional Development Pathways......Page 231 Learner and Learner Support Pathways......Page 247 Workplace and System Pathways......Page 259 Methodological Notes......Page 276 References......Page 281 Index......Page 288 About the Authors......Page 296