The Creation of a Professional Learning Community for School Leaders

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-viii

   PDF

2. Introduction

   • Amalia Humada-LudekeCarlos

   Pages 1-12

3. The Evolving Role of the Principal

   • Amalia Humada-LudekeCarlos

   Pages 13-25

4. University-District Partnerships

   • Amalia Humada-LudekeCarlos

   Pages 27-41

5. Developing the Model for the Administrators’ PLC

   • Amalia Humada-LudekeCarlos

   Pages 43-79

6. Insights on the Principals Prior to the PLC

   • Amalia Humada-LudekeCarlos

   Pages 81-91

7. Changed Principal Perceptions

   • Amalia Humada-LudekeCarlos

   Pages 93-101

8. Impact on Practice

   • Amalia Humada-LudekeCarlos

   Pages 103-114

9. Principals’ Perceptions of the University-District Partnership

   • Amalia Humada-LudekeCarlos

   Pages 115-130

10. Narrative from the Lens of the Author

    • Amalia Humada-LudekeCarlos

    Pages 131-148

11. Back Matter

    Pages 149-154

    PDF

The unwavering culture of continuous improvement efforts to bring about school change has irrevocably changed the role expectations for the school leader. The school leader in the 21st century is increasingly perceived as an instructional leader expected to implement whole-school reform models that can shape teacher practice and influence student outcomes. The significant changes in role expectations for school leaders present considerable challenges to an educational system that was not designed to incorporate these conceptualizations. In light of the increased acceptance of changed leadership expectations, the elements that are needed for developing, supporting, and sustaining instructional leaders who can lead systemic change efforts are frequently not present, are fragmented, or are observed at various developmental stages throughout the pK-20 pipeline. This book is centered on the learning and changed behaviors of school leaders, who engaged in a sustained job-embedded professional learning community, facilitated through a university-district partnership. The learning from the findings, suggested that job-embedded learning with their peers, can be instrumental for these principals to build the capacity to lead systemic change efforts. The findings further suggested that creating conditions for new understanding to occur, and sustained opportunities to apply new learning in context to their role, entailed a collaborative effort by a partnership involving two separate institutions with different priorities. The author makes a case for the educational pipeline, to prioritize the support and understanding of complex systemic change efforts and innovations, as they are linked to school improvement.

• Complexities of Implementing Systemic Change Initiatives
• Systemic approach to school change
• Utilizing partnerships and considering the educational pipeline
• School Improvement

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