Improved districts and schools build a culture of commitment, collegiality,
mutual respect, and stability. Professional norms, according to Characteristics of Improved School Districts - Themes
from Research (October, 2004), include peer support, collaboration, trust, shared responsibility, and continuous learning
for the adults in the system. Districts support school communities of practice and also develop central offices as professional
learning communities.
The Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission evaluation of districts in Virginia supports the importance
of collaboration and teamwork. The report concludes that high scoring schools and successful challenged schools (academically
successful schools despite demographic challenges) reflected "teamwork, collaboration and vertical integration" (Virginia
JLARC, 2004, p. 68). The report states "successful divisions [districts] tend to encourage collaboration among teachers
and principals across the [district] so that all teachers can benefit from best practices that are successfully used in particular
grade levels and vertically among schools that serve the same group of students" (p. 84).
The Learning First Alliance report also emphasizes the importance of teamwork - "working together takes work."
The report states that "simply getting along was not the goal; leaders determined that amity held little value if it did not
create positive change for children." Togneri and Anderson (Beyond Islands of Excellence: What Districts Can
Do to Improve Instruction and Achievement in All Schools, 2003) stated that the "most collaborative districts in the
study worked on working together. Districts deliberately sought and implemented tools to guide collaboration.
Fullen et al ("New Lessons for Districtwide Reform." Educational Leadership. 61(7), 2004) offer a
perspective on professional culture in which "teams of people [are] creating and driving a clear, coherent strategy."
They suggest that "collective moral purpose" is essential to sustained reform. "The moral imperative means that everyone
has a responsibility for changing the larger education context for the better. District leaders must foster a culture
in which school principals are concerned about the success of every school in the district, not just their own" (p. 43).
This "lateral capacity building" will extend, deepen, and help sustain system change. "Teams working together develop
clear, operational understandings of their goals and strategies, fostering new ideas, skills, and a shared commitment to districtwide
development" (p. 44).
Questions for reflection:
- How is the district/school building a professional culture that supports high standards for students and
adults in the system?
- How does the district/school build trust, mutual respect, and competence among the stakeholders?
- How does the district/school provide opportunities for peer support and collaboration, and develop professional
learning communities?
This page was last updated on January 2, 2007.
