Effective Leadership Promotes Successful Schools: Strand II of the Michigan School Improvement Framework Focuses on Leadership

In December 2005, the Michigan State Board of Education approved the Michigan School Improvement Framework to provide a cohesive foundation to develop, review, or revise school and district school improvement plans. The framework is based on research that identifies proven practices for effective and continuous school improvement. The framework can be individualized and used in multiple ways to develop, support, and enhance school improvement and increase student achievement. It also supports the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001, Title I, and is a key component of the Michigan school accreditation system Education YES!

Leadership is a key component of ALL successful schools. Effective leaders create a common vision and sustain an environment where everyone contributes to a cumulative, purposeful, and positive effect on student learning. Research data demonstrates a substantial relationship between leadership and student achievement.

The primary aspects of the relationship between leadership and student achievement are contained in the three standards, six benchmarks, and 30 sample discussion questions that make up Strand II—Leadership—of the Michigan School Improvement Framework. The framework is organized into a familiar curriculum development layout with strands, standards, and benchmarks. At the surface, the five “strands” provide areas of general focus. Drilling down from the strands, practitioners move into the 12 “standards,” followed by 26 “benchmarks” that further define the standards within each strand. Each benchmark also contains helpful key characteristics and sample questions that districts and schools can use to guide discussion and increase understanding of the research-based school improvement benchmarks.

“Distributed Leadership” is a primary emphasis of Strand II. Distributed Leadership means shared decision-making, where teachers are part of the school’s governance and/or assume leadership roles. This type of leadership can take the form of school improvement teams, learning communities, grade-level teams, content-area teams, strategic-planning teams, work groups, or any other collaboration. The three standards of Strand II include Instructional Leadership, Shared Leadership, and Operational/Resource Management.

Schools across the state can use the information in Strand II to promote discussion about components of effective leadership. Resources listed in the framework then can serve as tools for schools to dig deeper as they improve the structure and function of leadership within schools.

To learn more about the benchmarks, key characteristics, and sample discussion questions for the standards of Leadership, or any of the other Michigan School Improvement Framework strands, or to download the complete Michigan School Improvement Framework Rubrics for self assessment, visit www.michigan.gov/schoolimprovement.

For more information, contact: Linda Forward, Manager Academic Support Director, Office of School Improvement, Michigan Department of Education, P.O. Box 30008, Lansing, MI 48909, (517) 373-8480, ForwardL@michigan.gov.