What Kind of Educational Leadership Transforms Schools Today?
At Partners in School Innovation, we’ve spent decades working shoulder to shoulder with educators who are deeply committed to equity. These are leaders who want to create schools where every student can thrive. But many are grappling with the same question:
What kind of leadership does it really take to disrupt inequity and transform schools in lasting ways?
The answer, we’ve found, lies in developing Change Agents.
What is a Change Agent in the Context of Education?
Change agents are educators who have the skills and mindsets to lead real, lasting change. They can challenge the status quo with clarity and courage, while building the trust, relationships, and systems that make sustained improvement possible. They are equipped to name inequities, navigate complex dynamics, and guide their communities through meaningful transformation. Change agents model inclusive practices, build collective ownership, and create the conditions where every student (and every adult) can thrive.
With all of this in mind, it’s no surprise that becoming the kind of change agent described above takes time, intention, and a commitment to continuous reflection and improvement. It’s a developmental journey that we’ve supported many educators with through the years.
Through years of research, on-the-ground coaching, and feedback from educators, we at Partners have created the Change Agent Framework, which is a tool we use to guide leaders through strengthening their skills as agents of change.
The framework is grounded in research and best practices, including clear indicators of progress across five key areas of development. These areas help us work with educational leaders to identify their strengths, assess where growth is needed, and personalize support based on context.
Let’s walk through them.
The Five Areas of Change Agent Development
Image description: An infographic outlining the five areas that an educator should focus on to develop as a change agent within their school or district community. The 5 areas listed are 1) Mindsets 2) Leadership 3) Adult Learning 4) Approach to Transforming Schools 5) Change Management
1. Mindsets
Effective change begins with the beliefs that shape our actions. A change agent operates from a deep belief in the brilliance of every student, including those from historically underserved communities. Developing this mindset means holding high expectations for all learners and staying grounded in hope and possibility, even in the face of long-standing challenges.
We support educators here in examining their own identities and beliefs, so that they can build the self-awareness needed to lead with authenticity and humility. This includes reflecting on the impact of race, culture, language, and lived experience, and understanding how these factors intersect with systems of oppression in public education.
It also means helping leaders move from theory to practice, whether that’s planning culturally responsive lessons, using disaggregated data to spotlight disparities, or creating space for courageous conversations. When leaders embrace these mindsets, they model a way of being in schools that is rooted in justice, curiosity, and deep respect for the communities they serve.
2. Leadership
This area of development is about learning how to inspire others, set a shared vision, and create the conditions for growth. When we work with leaders on leadership development, we focus on their ability to communicate urgency and possibility, set clear expectations, and maintain a relentless focus on equity and excellence.
We also acknowledge that leadership means being reflective and self-aware. Our coaching helps leaders understand their impact, seek out feedback, and practice resilience in the face of complexity. Importantly, we support leaders in sharing leadership, empowering others, distributing responsibility, and making space for new voices. In practice, this might look like co-creating a school vision, establishing clear roles on an instructional leadership team, or building a culture where every educator feels seen, supported, and responsible for student success.
3. Adult Learning
Improving outcomes for students depends on shifting adult practice. Change agents must be able to guide and grow the people around them. That’s why we focus on developing coaching skills, facilitation strategies, and professional learning design that meets the needs of diverse adult learners.
This work can include learning how to lead high-leverage coaching conversations, offer actionable feedback, and support team dynamics that promote collaboration and equity. Leaders also build their ability to design professional learning that is engaging, culturally responsive, and aligned to school goals. Whether someone is working one-on-one with a teacher or leading a schoolwide training, they need the tools to support adult growth that leads to measurable student outcomes.
4. School and District Transformation Approach
Equity-focused change requires more than good intentions. It requires a clear and disciplined approach to transformation. We support leaders in using data, setting goals, creating actionable plans, and aligning systems that lead to lasting improvement.
This includes guiding teams through disaggregated data analysis to uncover root causes, supporting them to set SMART, equity-centered goals, and helping them build plans that are aligned to instructional priorities. Leaders also learn to create coherence across curriculum, assessment, and instruction—and to design structures, like instructional leadership teams or PLCs, that reinforce this alignment. With this kind of approach, schools are better equipped to monitor progress, make timely adjustments, and stay focused on what matters most.
5. Change Management
Even the best strategies won’t gain traction without thoughtful implementation. Change agents must be able to navigate the complexities of human behavior, resistance, and system-wide dynamics. That’s why we coach leaders on how to build momentum, communicate effectively, and manage projects that involve multiple moving pieces.
This might involve identifying early adopters to lead a new initiative, creating communication plans that keep staff informed and engaged, or developing systems for two-way feedback. Leaders also learn how to attend to school culture, respond to resistance with empathy, and stay flexible while keeping a long-term vision in sight. The goal is not just to launch a new program, it’s to build the collective will and skill to sustain meaningful change.
The Stages of a Becoming a Change Agent
Image description: The stages of becoming a change agent listed in order: 1) Not started 2) Awareness of change agent practices 3) Exploring change agent practices and designing learning for others 4) Applying change agent practices consistently and starting to model for others 5) Transforming and improving schools consistently with using change agent practices.
At Partners in School Innovation, we believe that becoming a Change Agent is a journey of continuous growth, not a box to check. The Change Agent Framework lays out a clear path for this development by outlining specific practices across five key areas of leadership. These practices—like leading courageous conversations, building high-performing teams, or anchoring decisions in disaggregated data—are all essential to transforming schools and improving outcomes for students.
But no one masters them all at once.
That’s why the Change Agent Framework includes five developmental stages to help leaders understand where they are now and what growth could look like next. These stages are based on how consistently and effectively a leader is applying the practices in their work, how well they understand them, and how confident they are in using them across different contexts.
Here’s how we describe those stages in practice:
Stage 1: Not Yet Started
At this stage, the practices involved in being a Change Agent practice isn’t yet part of someone’s daily work. That might be because it hasn’t come up as a priority, or because the leader hasn’t had exposure to it yet. And that’s okay. Our goal here is to acknowledge what’s true without judgment, and to help each person consider when and how they might want to begin this work.
Stage 2: Awareness
In this stage, leaders are just starting to build familiarity with what it means to be a Change Agent, and how strengthening their skills within this framework could be beneficial to their school or district community. While they aren’t using the practice regularly yet at this stage, they’re developing the foundational knowledge that will eventually support implementation.
Stage 3: Exploring
Educational leaders at this stage are trying out the practice in real time. They understand why it matters, and they’re beginning to apply it in their own role, even if it might still feel new or inconsistent. They’re asking questions, testing strategies, and reflecting on what’s working. When we coach leaders at this stage, we focus on experimentation, helping leaders connect intention with impact, and building confidence in the process.
Stage 4: Applying
Here, the leader is using the practice intentionally and with increasing consistency. They can describe what it looks like in their school or district and are starting to make real progress. Our support here focuses on refining the quality of implementation and supporting them with staying aligned to outcomes. Here, the leader is also starting to prepare to model the practices of a change agent for others, so that these practices are amplified across their school or district to make a wider impact.
Stage 5: Transforming
At this stage, Change Agent practices have become a regular part of how a leader operates. It shows up consistently and with a high degree of skill. Leaders at this stage are adapting it to meet the needs of their team, mentoring others, and using data and feedback to make it even more impactful. They are leading with vision and helping others grow in their own development too.
Resources For Your Change Agent Journey
At Partners, we created the Change Agent Framework to support educators like you in doing some of the most meaningful and challenging work there is: leading real, equity-driven change in schools. This framework lays out the core areas and skills that matter most for transformational leadership, like developing strong mindsets, growing your leadership, supporting adult learning, driving instructional improvement, and managing change in thoughtful, people-centered ways.
It’s based on years of research and experience working side by side with educators in schools and districts across the country. And it’s designed to help you reflect on your own growth, see where you’re strong, and identify where you might want to go next.
Free, Online Change Agent Course
If you're looking for a place to start, check out our free, on-demand course: The Role of a Change Agent. It walks you through the key mindsets and skills change agents need, and gives you practical ways to lead and support others through improvement.
If you want to explore how we can work together more directly, reach out to us. We’d love to hear about your goals and talk about how we can support your team.
