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Preparing leaders to address the achievement gap in high-need schools poses a challenge for educators, high poverty schools, and our nation. School leaders must demonstrate a heightened awareness of how schools initiate the national mission whereby “the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself.” (Obama, 2009). Although complex issues surround poverty and diversity, the first steps to action may not prove as illusive as we may fear. The same values and desire we bring to surmount other educational challenges can guide us in how to better understand and meet the needs of children in low socio-economic and poverty-ridden schools. It must begin with competent and caring leadership. This article reviews key resources for understanding how a new generation of school principals is making a difference in closing the achievement gap in high-need schools.
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For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus — and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace. (Obama, 2009)
A New Generation
A new generation of leaders must assemble pertinent knowledge, commitment, and action to reduce the gap between our highest and lowest performing schools. Educators first must understand the deeply embedded roots of poverty associated with low performing schools and then examine their own values and commitment to changing the circumstances that trap children in a cycle of poverty. Schools need leaders who are committed to providing a learning environment that can overcome family circumstances and conquer the achievement gap found in high-need schools. What matters most in making substantive change, particularly in overcoming social and historical obstacles in high poverty schools, cannot be mandated (Fullan, 1993). Decades of deficit thinking, such as explaining the failures of economically disadvantaged children by blaming the victim, will not be overcome easily (Lyman & Villani, 2004).
Leadership development is complex and multi-dimensional. Leadership in high-need schools, more than any other school environment, must be a balance of intellect, relational skills, and action. For many leaders, this well-balanced formula results in well-informed and deliberate decision-making to impact student achievement. The research on high poverty schools supports these multi-dimensional factors and strategies needed to promote the success of principals. Thomas Sergiovanni (2005) suggests that a symbolic representation of the multi-dimensional leader can be shown with the head, heart, and hand. The head represents intellectual knowledge; the heart represents attitudes; and the hand is the action a leader must take to benefit students and teachers. The Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium Standards for School Leaders’ (ISLCC) standards for leadership mirror these three dimensions and are used as guidelines in the preparation of future leaders (2008).
The research is clear on the vital role of principals in student achievement (Marzano et al., 2005). The principal, however, must take responsibility and be accountable for the vital role of highly committed, high quality teachers as the primary means for closing the achievement gap for high poverty schools. Quality teachers who believe that all children can learn, regardless of their home environment, are the number one remedy to closing the achievement gap (Lyman & Villani, 2004). The school reform research of Robert Elmore and others goes beyond the need to counteract deficit thinking. Researchers also recognize the falsehood that failing schools are due to the failed efforts, commitments, and work ethic of teachers, administrators, and students. Too often teachers in low performing schools are working hard but not in the concentrated areas that will make significant differences in student achievement. Low performing schools must have leaders who make well-informed decisions on the type of work that will have the greatest impact on student achievement (Marzano et al., 2005).
The importance of effective leadership in high-need schools cannot be overstated. To define a starting point for leaders, however, often is a challenge. Therefore, consider the old adage: A thousand mile journey must begin with the first step. The following three resources can serve as an invaluable foundation for taking the productive and responsive first steps in serving high-need schools. Each resource provides a knowledge base, fortified by the attitudes and values needed to accompany this knowledge, ultimately leading to collaborative action.
Resources
The first resource, Leading Diverse Communities: A How-To Guide for Moving from Healing into Action (Brown & Maza, 2005), is a powerful starting point. It provides a workbook approach setting forth 32 principles to guide conversation and reflective practice based on the diverse experiences of participants. The second resource, Best Leadership Practices for High-Poverty Schools (Lyman & Villani, 2004), is a manual for principals and leadership teams to study and emulate the strategies and decisions of successful principals in high poverty schools. Finally, the third resource, Learning by Doing (Dufour et al., 2006), is a teacher-friendly guide for recognizing the existing culture of a school and taking action to move it closer to becoming a professional learning community with a central focus on learning for all its members. The following is a brief summary of each resource work, including strategies leaders may begin to implement to make and sustain change in closing the achievement gap.
Leading Diverse Communities: A How-To Guide for Moving from Healing into Action (Brown & Maza, 2005): This book is based on the work of the National Coalition Building Institute (NCBI). Brown and Mazza offer 32 principles that provide examples of diversity, injustice, and prejudice often found in high poverty schools. An interactive workbook, Leading Diverse Communities, offers participants knowledge, collegial conversations, and reflective practice based on four themes: 1) building environments to welcome diversity; 2) healing ourselves to change the world; 3) becoming effective allies; and 4) empowering leaders to lead.
School leaders, teachers, and staff would benefit from a professional book chat about Leading Diverse Communities. Book chats have become an effective means for professional development in many schools. Participants have an opportunity to improve knowledge through the content and make connections to first-hand experiences through conversations with peers. Participants should be provided with a copy of this book and encouraged to read and respond to it as a journal of personal insights and experiences. One or more of the participants should be designated to establish a schedule of meeting times and facilitate discussions. Leading Diverse Communities provides case studies, 32 guiding principles, and opportunities to share personal experiences regarding diversity. These shared conversations of deeply important, first-hand lessons can build trust and support for leaders, teachers, and staff in working together on behalf of students in low socio-economic environments. A final activity, Assessment Worksheet for Moving from Healing into Action, (Brown & Mazza, 2005) provides a culminating reflection of growth and personal understanding for each book talk participant.
Best Leadership Practices for High-Poverty Schools (Lyman & Villani, 2004): Making a difference in high-need schools requires a special blend of characteristics that are clearly outlined in Best Leadership Practices for High-Poverty School (Lyman & Villani, 2004). After reviewing the different types of poverty and its associated needs, these authors offer two bold examples of successful principals in high-need schools. Offering an exploration of school setting, mission, programs, and culture, the text dissects those components of each individual’s leadership style that have proven to have the greatest impact on students’ educational success. Narratives of the leader’s day, the staff’s role, and the school’s environmental context help transform this study into an intimate introduction to people who are making a difference. Perhaps even more vital is the comparative analysis provided of both the leadership practices employed by these leaders and the learning environments in the two schools. Lyman and Villani provide a research context for these qualitative attributes of success, organizing the research in terms of four topics: the achievement gap; successful high poverty schools; strategies of principals in high poverty schools; and beliefs of principals in successful high-poverty schools (Lyman & Villani, 2004).
The authors argue that the causes of the achievement gap may be debatable. However, clear evidence exists regarding the impact on this gap by effective teachers with high expectations rather than deficit thinking (Valverde, Scribner, & Sheilds, 2001; Wagstaff & Fusarelli, 1995) who use culturally sensitive pedagogy ( Delpit, 1995; Gay, 2000; Ladson-Billings, 1994; Nieto, 2002-03: Valverde & Scribner, 2001). Relying primarily on a national study of high-need schools, Dispelling the Myth (Barth et al., 1999), Lyman and Villani argue that the elements of successful high poverty schools include an emphasis on state standards, increased math and reading instruction, and an investment in professional development, parental involvement, and accountability systems for the schools’ adults (Lyman & Villani, 2004).
Strategies of successful principals in high-need schools were determined from a comparative analysis of four major studies, indicating that principals need to support teachers with resources, professional development, and opportunities, while instilling clear, collaborative goals, building parental relationships, using testing strategically, and monitoring and developing standards and assessments aligned with the curriculum (Lyman & Villani, 2004).
To identify the beliefs of successful principals in high-need schools, the authors conducted a comparative analysis of four comprehensive studies to identify strongly modeled belief in students, a commitment to develop and support teachers, and a family-centered school culture (Lyman & Villani, 2004). Whether exploring how to influence beliefs and values or engender high student expectations, the authors provide a research basis for educational leadership that will illuminate the “common humanity” of which President Obama speaks.
When Best Leadership Practices for High-Poverty Schools is used for leadership development, book talk participants can benefit by pausing after reading the principal profiles in the book to reflect on their own leadership strengths. A comparison/contrast graphic can identify common strengths in connection to the portrayed principals. Aspiring educational leaders can see its relevance as they read the authors’ identification of research-supported characteristics for successful leadership. The closing chapters on “Influencing Beliefs & Attitudes” and “Making a Difference” provide an opportunity for aspiring leaders to identify areas they need to develop to successfully serve the students of high needs-schools by comparing the conclusions of research to their own expertise.
Learning by Doing: A Handbook for Professional Learning Communities at Work (Dufour, Dufour, Eaker, & Many, 2004): In order to apply these reflective understandings of effective schools, it is essential to establish a structure that supports collaboration and growth. Professional learning communities (PLC) provide just such an opportunity to “close the knowing-doing gap” within a school (Dufour et al, 2006). In Learning by Doing, Dufour and his fellow authors clearly outline how to assess the current professional culture within one’s school and to make deliberate movement toward establishing professional learning effective understandings of effective schools, it is essential to establish a structure that supports collaboration and growth. Dufour suggests seven pragmatic principles for successful professional learning communities: 1) a focus on learning; 2) collaboration and teaming; 3) collective inquiry; 4) action orientation; 5) continuous improvement; 6) assessment of results; and 7) celebrating success (2006). The collective application of these principles is a blueprint for cultural change that will close the achievement gap. The background knowledge of PLCs and the vocabulary for building common understandings are provided as a foundation for growing collaboration. This resource then outlines how to move forward from any stage in the culture-building process while sustaining and nourishing further development. From overcoming conflict to build consensus to creating a results-oriented community, this practical workbook approach stresses the realities of a school undergoing change.
School leaders must be sensitive to the needs of adult learners, recognizing the importance of experiential and practical learning experiences that can be readily applied to the classroom. Robert Knowles (1984) provides key insights for school leaders in understanding androgogy, the nature of adult learners, and, consequently, ways to transform learning communities such as those described by Dufour. This theory of adult learning attempts to explain why adults learn differently than do other types of learners. Androgogy suggests that the best practices in adult learning provide learners with principles of high levels of involvement in planning, relevance, and pragmatic application (Knowles, 1984).
Learning by Doing is structured as a handbook for schools that strive to become professional learning communities. It provides numerous reproducible worksheets that teacher and leadership teams can use immediately. Leaders need to articulate a clear understanding of the powerful force for good that can come from empowering teachers to practice the principles of professional learning communities. This resource initially would serve as a catalyst for leadership understanding and, ultimately, as a tool for teacher leaders to employ as part of the process of building effective professional learning communities.
The same PLC principles that are improving the quality of education in K-12 settings also can foster needed improvement in leadership preparation. “When a school or district functions as a professional learning community (PLC), educators within the organization embrace high levels of learning for all students as both the reason the organization exists and the fundamental responsibility of those who work within it.” (Dufour et al., 2006, p. 3). Efforts to implement PLCs have been shown to be effective in improving teaching and learning, which is vital to all socio-economic environments, particularly those with high levels of poverty.
The fundamental purpose of successful PLCs is to actualize continuous and meaningful improvement within the school. Most important in building successful PLCs are the collaboration and empowerment of all its members to continue to learn and improve learning for students. The authors of Learning by Doing emphasize how to use the tools of a PLC in the school improvement process. In summary, Learning by Doing provides the tools for school improvement. Combined with the reflective underpinnings gained from Leading Diverse Communities and the essential influence of leadership beliefs from Best Leadership Practices for High-Poverty School — leaders have a three-tiered structure to engender improvement for children in schools of poverty.
Conclusion
We cannot mandate what matters for leaders and teachers in high poverty schools. However, we can recruit, prepare, and support school leaders who are committed to developing schools where learning for all students is the centerpiece of the organization. Change in high poverty schools will occur with compassionate and committed leaders who have shared objectives, work in collaboration with others, and take action toward meaningful change. Leaders are needed who possess a delicate balance of head, heart, and hand (Sergiovanni, 2009).
High poverty schools will not improve through a single formula or answer, but rather through conversation and continuous reflective questioning. Lyman and Villani (2004) provide a short but effective starting point for this critical reflection: 1) What does the research about high poverty schools say, and what do we need to know more about? 2) How can belief in the ability and promise of the children be cultivated? 3) How can professional development contribute to successful high poverty schools? 4.) How can collective leadership be developed in a school? 5) How are meaningful partnerships created with families and the community? The effective school leader will use the responses to these questions as a way to address unconscious prejudices and contradictory behaviors that otherwise nourish deficit thinking and contribute to the achievement gap. Simply, school leaders have an opportunity to nourish a spirit of social justice in a school by taking action to ask reflective questions, provoke new conversations, provide book discussions, and challenge the status quo of high poverty schools.
It is no coincidence that the heart is the strongest muscle of the body. The role of the heart can not be overemphasized in leaders whose attitudes and beliefs will model for others the actions needed truly to transform poor schools. The only blame we will find in looking back on this period of time will be for those who failed to take action.
Leadership standards established by Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium (ISLLC) can guide the work of leaders but must be implemented alongside teachers in classrooms and in partnership with parents. The work of the principal has been described by experts in the field as one of the most challenging. This work requires courage, collaboration, and constant discernment as one reflects daily on how to maximize the use of human and other resources to foster student achievement.
Learning must begin by standing on the shoulders of those who already have achieved successes in diverse schools. Resources, such as those described in this article, can enlighten the path of each leader as they inspire others to climb together to new heights.
Future generations must be able to look back on this era and know that leaders were prepared to overcome anything that impedes children of any color or race in our country from the education they are guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution. President Obama reminds us of education as one of our precious constitutional freedoms. We must rise to the challenge. “Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested, we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations” (Obama, 2009).
Yes we can. We must rise to the challenge.
References
Brown, C. and Mazza, G. (2005). Leading diverse communities: A how-to guide for moving from healing into action. National Coalition Building Institute. San Francisco: Jossey Bass.
Dufour, R., Dufour, R., Eaker, R., and Many, T. (2006). Learning by doing: A handbook for professional learning communities at work. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree.
Heifetz, R. and Linsky, M (2002). Leadership on the line, Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press.
ISLLC Standards: http://wps.ablongman.com/ab_bacon_edadmin_1/7/1806/462533.cw/index.html
Knowles, M. (1984). Andragogy in action. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Lyman, L. and Villani, C. (2004). Best leadership practices for high poverty schools. Lanahm: Scarecrow Education.
Marzano, R. J., Waters, T., & McNulty, B. A. (2005). School leadership that works: From research to results. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Obama, B. (2009). Inauguration Speech, Washington D.C.
Sergiovanni, T. (2009). The principalship: A reflective practice perspective. Boston: Pearson.
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