Research Supporting Our Theory of Action

The Results Oriented Cycle of Inquiry
We guide district and school leaders as well as teachers through a continuous improvement process that involves defining a desired result, planning toward that result, putting the plans into action, and assessing the effectiveness of those actions in order to make adjustments that will enable you to get closer and closer to achieving your larger vision. The following resources guide our approach to continuous improvement and detail best practices in setting goals, planning, and using assessment to reflect and adjust.

Richardson, J. (2007). Work smarter not harder. Tools for Schools, 11(2), 1-7.

Stiggins, R. & DuFour, R. (2009). Maximizing the power of formative assessments. Phi Delta Kappan 90(9), 640-644

Wiggins, G. & McTigue, J. (2005). Understanding by Design. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development

Our Commitment to Social Justice
In pursuit of a system of education that prepares all students for a rigorous college education, and equips them with the necessary life skills to become thriving members of a democratic society, we actively seek to disrupt patterns of inequity in education by developing systems and structures that work effectively to close persistent achievement gaps based on race, class, and culture. To do this work effectively, we strive to develop our own cultural competence by seeking to understand how race, culture, class, and gender impact how we understand and respond to the world around us.

Eubanks, E., Parish, R., & Smith, D. (1997). Changing the discourse in schools. In P. Hall (Ed.), Race, Ethnicity, and Multiculturalism: Vol. 1. Missouri Symposium on Research and Educational Policy Series (pp.151-168). New York: Garland Press.

Scheurich, J.J. & Skrla, L. (2003) Leadership for Equity and Excellence: Creating High- Achievement Classrooms, Schools, and Districts. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press Inc.

Singleton, G.E. & Linton, C. (2005). Courageous Conversations About Race. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press Inc.

The Aspen Institute Roundtable on Community Change (2005). Structural racism and youth development: Issues, challenges and implications.

The Core Instructional Program
We support schools to build a core instructional program in literacy and English language development that ensures that all students learn at high levels. The following research selections demonstrate that in order to deliver a high-quality instructional program, teachers must learn to implement a rigorous curriculum, develop a repertoire of researched-based pedagogical practices, purposefully use assessments and data, engage in results-oriented planning, and strategically intervene when students may be behind.

Brown-Chidsey, R. (2007). No more waiting to fail. Educational Leadership, 65(2), 40-46.

Goldenberg, C. (2008). Teaching English learners: What the research does and does not say. American Educator 2 (2), 8-23, 42-44.

Hirsch, E.D. (2003). Reading comprehension requires knowledge of words and the world. American Educator, 27(1), 10-13,16-22,28-29,48.

Integrated Systems for Professional Learning
We build the capacity of school leaders to develop and strengthen the systems that support teachers' professional learning to ensure sustained student-achievement results. Research on teacher professional learning has demonstrated that when teachers receive high-quality professional development, have regular opportunities to collaborate, and are supported by a skilled instructional coach, the quality and effectiveness of their instruction improves.

Darling Hammond, L. & Richardson, N. (2009). Teacher Learning: What Matters? Educational Leadership 66(5), 46-53

DuFour, R. (2004). What is a professional learning community? Educational Leadership 61(8), 6- 11.

Fullan, Michael (2006) Breakthrough. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press Inc.

Joyce B. & Showers B. (2002). Student Achievement through staff development. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Schmoker, M. (2006). Results Now. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Results-Oriented Learning
We develop the capacity of school leaders to perform the practices necessary for transforming instruction and sustaining results. Our work with leaders focuses on supporting their efforts to lead whole school improvement and create a school environment where high quality teaching and learning can take place. Our approach is grounded in the research into effective school leadership, the dynamics of change, and leadership necessary for large scale instructional improvement.

Elmore, Richard F., (2000). Building a New Structure for School Leadership. Washington, D.C.: Albert Shanker Institute.

Fullan, Michael (2001) Leading in a Culture of Change. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Marzano,Robert J., Waters, Timothy, & McNulty, Brian A. (2005). School Leadership That Works: From Research to Results. Aurora, CO: Mid-Continent Research for Education and Learning.

Coaching
We define coaching as the practice of partnering with school leaders to transform individual and organizational capacity to maximize student achievement. We work with school leaders and teachers to help them articulate their vision for teaching and learning, to support them to learn from the practices and skills needed to achieve that vision, and to learn to work collaboratively and with accountability to one another. Because this is complex work, our approach draws not only from the leadership coaching literature, but also from organizational change, social interaction and adult learning theories.

Block, Peter (1981) Flawless Consulting. San Francisco, CA: Pfeiffer.

Bloom, G.S., Castagna, C.L., Moir, E.R., Warrant, B. ((2005). Blended Coaching: Skills and Strategies to Support Principal Development. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin University Press.

Heifetz, Ronald A. & Linsky, Marty (2002). Leadership on the Line: Staying Alive Through the Dangers of Leading. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Publishing.

Kegan, R. & Lahey, L.L. (2002). How the Way We Talk Can Change the Way We Work: Seven Languages for Transformation. San Francisco, CA:Jossey-Bass.

Senge, Peter (1995). The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of a Learning Organization. New York, NY: Currency Doubleday.

Putting Our Work Into Context

Public education lies at the intersection of American democracy, national security and economic prosperity. Yet the achievement gap continues to afflict our nation and local communities. From the start of their schooling, students of color from low-income families experience acute disparities in access to high quality education. The following resources underscore not only the nature of this issue, but also the impact the achievement gap will have on many aspects of American life, besides simply education.

McKinsey & Co.: The Economic Impact of the Achievement Gap in America's Schools. April, 2009.

Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics. Achievement Gaps: How Black and White Students in Public Schools Perform in Mathematics and Reading on the Naitonal Assessment of Educational Progress. July, 2009.

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