An overview Instructional Leadership, Educator Effectiveness and the Teacher-Principal Partnership. Discover best practices and staff development tools with this in-depth brief on SB-191 implementation Highlights • The importance of Instructional Leadership • Understanding the rubric • Making the shift • The teacher-principal partnership • Developing teacher leaders • Fostering talent • Peer practices

1. ISSUES BRIEF VOLUME 1, ISSUE 2
INSTRUCTIONAL
LEADERSHIP
AN OVERVIEW OF INSTRUCTIONAL
LEADERSHIP, EDUCATOR
EFFECTIVENESS AND THE
TEACHER-PRINCIPAL PARTNERSHIP
DISCOVER BEST PRACTICES AND
STAFF DEVELOPMENT TOOLS
WITH THIS IN-DEPTH BRIEF ON
SB-191 IMPLEMENTATION
HIGHLIGHTS
• The importance of instructional leadership
• Understanding the rubric • Peer practices
• The teacher-principal partnership
• Developing teacher leaders
• Making the shift
• Fostering talent
DECEMBER 2013

2. THIS ISSUES BRIEF WAS
PREPARED BY THE COLORADO
ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL
EXECUTIVES (CASE) WITH
FUNDING FROM THE BILL AND
MELINDA GATES FOUNDATION.
AUTHOR:
Michelle Ancell
EDITORS:
Greg Benchwick
and Bruce Caughey
PEER REVIEW:
CASE, CDE, CEA
and CLF
GRAPHIC DESIGN:
FiG Advertising + Marketing
PROOFREADER:
Becca Blond
and Ryan Harrison
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Michelle Ancell is a freelance writer and independent
communications professional. Her prior experience includes
working in the Cherry Creek School District and Aurora Public
Schools, where she and her colleagues were honored for their
work by the Colorado School Public Relations Association and the
National School Public Relations Association. She was featured as
a Denver Post Voices columnist and worked as a daily newspaper
reporter at the Fort Collins Coloradoan covering education.
The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the
authors and do not necessarily represent those of the Colorado
Association of School Executives (CASE), its donors, members
or departments. The contents of this publication, including all
figures, tables and drawings, are the intellectual property of CASE,
unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved. Removal or alteration
of copyright notices or trademarks is not permitted. Forwarding
or reproduction of this publication or parts thereof for commercial
use is not permitted without the explicit written authorization
of CASE. All program names or services of CASE used in this
publication as well as corresponding logos are trademarks or
registered trademarks of CASE in the United States. CASE does
not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of information, text,
graphics, links or other elements contained in this publication.
This publication is provided without any warranty, whether explicit
or implicit. This applies in part but not exclusively to a warranty of
marketability and suitability for a particular purpose as well as a
warranty of non-violation of applicable law.
Copyright © 2013 CASE/Michelle Ancell

3. TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction 1
Importance of Instructional Leadership
2
Understanding the Instructional Leadership Rubric
4
Making the Shift 6
The Teacher-Principal Partnership 10
Developing Teacher Leaders 15
Fostering Talent 17
Exploring Peer Practices 18
Conclusions 20
Resources 22
CASE Events 23

5. INTRODUCTION
Throughout Colorado, and
in many parts of the country,
principals are reflecting on the
expectation that they hone
their skills as instructional
leaders. It has always been a
primary job, but with renewed
focus and attention on results,
the shift is significant.
As we all know, education
is evolving from a century
ago when headmasters or
“principal” teachers ran small,
independent schoolhouses
with few state or federal
requirements to more modern
times when principals are
subject to multiple, sometimes
conflicting demands. How
this shift happens will require
significant training, growth and
effort to manage systems in
new and innovative ways. Most
principals agree it is the right
work, but are struggling with
how to get it all done.
In the era of accountability
and reform, principals are
being asked to redefine
their jobs more and more. It
would be incorrect to say that
instructional leadership is a
new concept for principals,
but with the implementation
of the Colorado Educator
Effectiveness Law, Senate
Bill 191 (SB-191), the stakes
for practicing instructional
leadership are high – so high
that a principal’s performance
review and new job description
are largely dependent on how
they perform as instructional
leaders and how they offer
development so teachers excel
as instructional leaders as well.
As a reminder, the 2013-14
school year is the first year the
new evaluation requirements
are in effect. However, it is very
important to note that this first
year is a hold harmless year
for teachers, meaning a final
rating of partially effective
or ineffective will not count
towards the loss of nonprobationary status. This gives
all educators the opportunity
to adjust to the new evaluation
requirements in a low-stakes
environment. All districts are
required to evaluate all of their
principals and teachers on both
the professional practices (50
percent) and student learning
outcomes/growth (the other
50 percent). Additionally, all
principals and teachers must
receive a final rating combining
both the professional
practices and student learning
outcomes/growth scores into
a final rating of either: highly
effective, effective, partially
effective or ineffective.
The law mandates that all
principals and teachers are
evaluated annually. The great
majority of districts have
adopted the state model
evaluation system or have
provided assurances that
they meet state requirements
of the educator effectiveness
framework. Fifty percent
of a principal’s evaluation
is dependent on student
learning, the other 50 percent
is dependent on six
professional standards. On
those professional standards,
principals earn a professional
practice score based on the
rubric. Next year that score
and the measures of student
learning scores are combined
to determine an overall
effectiveness rating.
While it’s understandable on
paper, it gets complicated
when trying to figure out how
the framework expectations
translate to a principal’s dayto-day work in a school, with
budgets to submit, bells
ringing, parents calling, staff
concerns, students winning
awards and students being
disciplined. No doubt the
principal’s job is demanding
and complex.
This paper is an opportunity
to dig deeper into educational
leadership and exchange ideas
on applying best practices in
school buildings to maximize
student achievement.
1

6. IMPORTANCE OF INSTRUCTIONAL LEADERSHIP
Principals who get high marks
from teachers for creating a
strong climate for instruction in
their schools also receive higher
marks than other principals for
spurring leadership in the faculty,
according to the research from
the Universities of Minnesota
and Toronto.
Now there are common
definitions and expectations. It’s
no longer ambiguous.”
Sirko served as a consultant to
guide the content development
for CASE’s Leadership Academy
for Principals. The new learning
academy provides skill-based
training for school principals
to better understand what is
With the passage of SB-191,
expected of them and how to
Colorado has clearly defined
improve their practice in each of
what Instructional Leadership
the Principal Quality Standards.
means for educators in this state.
The content focuses on those
“When I look at the instructional elements in the rubric that
The professional quality
leadership rubric, it’s not
offer the highest-leverage for
standards provide a structure,
content that needs to be
improving student performance
definition and expectation for
sold,” says Diana Sirko,
educators regarding Instructional superintendent of Roaring Fork Mike Gradoz, director of
Leadership and other facets of
School District. “Principals
initiatives for the Colorado
what is expected of an excellent buy into it. Teachers buy into
Legacy Foundation (CLF), has
educator.
it. It helps by creating a more
worked closely with Districts
organized context and construct and Boards of Cooperative
Educators describe the
for instructional leadership.
Educational Services (BOCES) to
2
leadership rubric as an
opportunity for clear
understanding, a roadmap
for careers in education and
a mechanism for elevating
the profession of education.
It forces principals to advance
as leaders of instruction in
their schools while they put
additional knowledge and
responsibility into the hands of
teachers to elevate their roles as
instructional leaders as well.

7. support the implementation of
the new evaluations.
“From educators in our pilot
schools I am hearing that, for
the first time, all principals
and teachers have actionable
feedback,” says Gradoz. “They
engage in targeted, meaningful
conversations that help them
to understand where they need
to improve, what skills they’ve
mastered and the blueprints
they need to follow to reach the
next step.”
Gradoz, echoing the goals
of CLF, says he believes
implementation of instructional
leadership will translate to an
increased number of students
showing growth over time
as a result of more effective
principals and teachers. The
standards are based on data,
research and best practices.
provides educators with a
roadmap that explains what
is expected of them and how
“We believe that educators
they can advance and grow
who are meeting the standards in their careers,” she says.
will result in an improved
“The focus of this system is to
education for our students,”
grow, support and expand the
Gradoz says. “It’s an exciting
capacity of educators.”
and important time for
education in Colorado.”
Anthes says district leadership
is the lynchpin for making the
Katy Anthes is the Colorado
new systems work.
Department of Education’s
Executive Director of Educator “If done incorrectly, the
Effectiveness. She works to
standards and elements
create, define and implement
could be just a checklist for
Educator Effectiveness
compliance,” Anthes says.
statewide.
“But the goal is to increase
quality, increase capacity to
“It is important to remember
yield improved results from
that Educator Effectiveness
kids and teachers. Strong
is more than an evaluation
leaders are essential in
system. It is a professional
changing the norms and the
development system that
culture of school buildings.”
3

8. UNDERSTANDING
THE
INSTRUCTIONAL
LEADERSHIP
RUBRIC
ELEMENT B: Instructional Time
Principals create processes and schedules
that maximize instructional, collaborative and
preparation time.
ELEMENT C: Implementing High-Quality
Instruction
Principals promote school-wide efforts to
establish, implement and refine appropriate
expectations for curriculum, instructional
practices, assessment and use of data on
student learning based on scientific research
and evidence-based practices that result in
student academic achievement.
One of the six professional standards,
Quality Standard II, requires that,
“Principals demonstrate instructional
leadership.” The elements outline specifics
of the instructional leadership expectation.
ELEMENT D: High Expectations for All Students
Principals hold all staff accountable for setting
and achieving rigorous performance goals for
all students, and empower staff to achieve these
goals across content areas.
STANDARD II
Principals demonstrate instructional leadership.
ELEMENT E: Instructional Practices
Principals demonstrate a rich knowledge of
effective instructional practices, as identified
by research on best practices, in order to
support and guide teachers in data-based
decision making regarding effective practices to
maximize student success.
ELEMENT A: Curriculum, Instruction, Learning
and Assessment
Principals promote school-wide efforts to
establish, implement and refine appropriate
expectations for curriculum, instructional
practices, assessment and use of data on
student learning based on scientific research
and evidence-based practices that result in
student academic achievement.
LEADERSHIP STANDARDS ON PROFESSIONALISM
Add professionalism to teaching, and in
many cases, offer leadership opportunities
and/or advancement for teachers that
don’t require them to leave the classroom
altogether.
Inspire a renewed concentration on the
practice of teaching.
4
Provide a focus for professional
development.
Create a common vocabulary, which
transcends schools, districts and titles.
Create a “road map” for all to
understand goals and expectations.

9. RELATED STANDARDS
key to
INSTRUCTIONAL LEADERSHIP
Goals
Professional Development
and Learning Communities
School Plan
Manage Staff
Leading
Change
Teacher and
Staff Evaluations
Distributive Curriculum
QUALITY
STANDARD I
Principals demonstrate
strategic leadership
QUALITY
STANDARD IV
Principals demonstrate
human resource leadership
Other parts of the Principal Quality Standards Rubric also focus on Instructional Leadership. For
instance: Quality Standards I and IV also encompass the idea of the principal as the instructional
leader, who will delegate with distributive leadership and who will help grow and foster
excellent teachers.
Source: Colorado Department of Education
5

10. School leadership is
second only to classroom
teaching as an influence
on pupil learning.
– The Wallace Foundation
MAKING THE SHIFT
Diana Sirko, superintendent of
the Roaring Fork School District,
says the public’s demand for
increased accountability has
“shone a brighter light” on
instructional leadership.
The way she sees it,
instructional leadership means
providing teachers with the
information, knowledge and
support they need so they have
the tools to do their jobs.
In order to make that happen,
the role of a principal is shifting
6
away from that of building
manager and toward that of
learning leader. Much of their
time will need to be spent in
classrooms observing teachers.
The shift in responsibilities
for a principal is forcing them
to practice more distributive
leadership, where more staff
members in the building are
taking on responsibilities that
were formerly the sole job of
the principal.
Sirko says each and every
principal needs to know what
quality instruction looks like as
it’s being practiced. “Take a
checklist of the tenets of good
instruction into classrooms
along with a clear idea of what
you are looking for as they go
into classrooms,” she says. “If
principals spend 80 percent
of their time on instructional
leadership, they’ll get the
most bang for their buck.”
“Instructional learning is the
leading activity of being an
instructional leader. Everybody
should be in the peoplegrowing business, students
are learning, teachers are
learning, and principals are
continuing to learn,” Sirko
says. “High-quality principals
have to be the ones leading
the charge of being a student
of the game.”
She also recommended
taking an inventory of all that
is taking place in the school.
What is the impact of those
efforts? Make sure time is
being spent on work that truly
makes a difference for kids.

11. BECOMINGD
LEA
THE
ADULT LEARNER
I want principals to start by thinking
differently about what their role is.
And the first things I would take
away from them are those tasks that
are not directly related to student
learning in the schools.
In my view as I have said earlier, their
role is to be the lead adult learner in
the school community, a person who
is concerned about the impact that
all the other adults are having on
student learning in that community.
– John Hattie, “In Conversation, Know Thy
Impact: Teaching, Learning and Leading.”
7

12. One issue to consider is the
increased amount of time it
will take for superintendents
to more thoroughly evaluate
principals and for principals to
do the same for teachers.
“Especially at first,” Gradoz
says. “The good news is
that those in pilot districts
have reported that the time
it takes to conduct the new
evaluations has decreased
with time as staff has become
more familiar with the
process.”
Prioritizing will be key. On
the top of a principal’s “to
do” list should be visiting
classrooms to obtain the
information needed to provide
frequent meaningful feedback
to teachers. This is a major
adjustment for principals in
8
terms of their time. Under the
former system, they evaluated
one-third of the teachers in
their building each year. Now
they are expected to evaluate
every teacher every year and
accomplish that by visiting
classrooms frequently.
It is going to take real
leadership for the
superintendent and principals
to make this shift. The
principals must feel supported
by the central office. If they
are to be instructional leaders,
then they must be able to
spend time in classrooms.
“It is overwhelming,” Anthes
says. “It’s a huge change. But
we don’t want people to feel
so overwhelmed that they’re
paralyzed. There are resources
out there to help, also district
central offices will need to be
supportive and understanding
about how much time this
will take. It’s a momentous
undertaking.”
Durango School District
9-R is part of the BOCES
that was selected by the
Colorado Legacy Foundation
to implement Educator
Effectiveness. Teacher
leader Greg Loft says school
leaders worked closely on the
implementation timeline of
all facets of the professional
quality standards. “There are
some hard shifts in place,”
he says. Together the staff
and administration needs to
consider how they will be able
to accomplish all of the new
requirements for leadership
while balancing the managerial
needs in a building.

13. “Ultimately, it comes down
to scheduling,” Loft says. A
plan should be in place that
delegates responsibilities with
clearly defined expectations and
deadlines.
easily attainable when the
administration has undergone
a fundamental shift. Principals
typically wear many hats, from
being the disciplinarian to the
building manager. Now the
top priority is that of academic
Center Consolidated School
leader, which means knowing
District is a CDE Pilot District.
the curriculum and having a
Pilot Districts were selected as
deep understanding of what
part of CDE’s work to implement comprises good teaching
SB-191. Pilots have operated
practices.
the State Model Evaluation
Systems for principals and
To help make the shift and
teachers since 2011, and are
further provide training on
providing feedback to the state instructional leadership, Roaring
about the systems. Just over
Fork School District assistant
600 students are enrolled in
principals, principals and district
Center, which is located in the
administrators gather for a halfSan Luis Valley. Susan Banning is day each month to focus on
a veteran middle school teacher. various aspects of leadership.
in Center.
Sirko said they’ve had a positive
response to the trainings.
Banning says success with
“We collect feedback from
instructional leadership is more evaluations so then we – like
teachers – monitor and adjust,”
Sirko says.
Taking all these elements into
account, we see that principals
need to make a concerted effort
to make the shift from a building
manager to instructional
leaders. To achieve this, they
need support from both their
staff in the building and from
the district-level administrators.
It’s not going to happen right
away and principals will need to
have the freedom and flexibility
to explore how the shift in
responsibilities will look. The
principal may hand over a set
of responsibilities and discover
one particular piece should
not be delegated, or maybe a
different staff member in the
building is better suited for that
piece. It will take time to find
the right balance.
9

14. THE TEACHER-PRINCIPAL PARTNERSHIP
Because of the more rigorous
expectations brought about
by Educator Effectiveness,
teachers and principals are
finding their relationships
are changing as well. To be
successful, principals need to
rely on the knowledge and
professionalism of teachers in a
way they never have before.
Teachers, in turn, are
seeing their roles elevated,
which means increased
responsibilities, a more
collaborative environment,
and more interaction
between themselves and
administrators. This may be in
10
the form of meetings, classroom
observations or continuous and
constructive feedback.
In Center, veteran teacher
Banning says she and
fellow teachers have grown
accustomed to being observed
frequently. Newer teachers
can expect 32 classroom
visits a school year. Banning is
observed 16 times each year.
Staff has worked hard to fine
tune the observation process.
At first, observers walked into
classes during the middle of
a lesson and students turned
their heads away from teachers
to focus on the observers. The
other issue that arose is that
some observers would talk
amongst themselves during
class, further disrupting the flow
of the lesson.
“It’s a big learning curve for
all involved,” Banning says.
“Teachers, students and
administrators, we are all
learning how to improve and do
this right.”
Center has been gradually
transitioning to the new
Educator Effectiveness model
for about four years now.
Frequent classroom visitations
have become the norm.

15. Banning says the relationship
between teachers, staff and
the principal has become
more collaborative. Teachers
and administrators are talking
more frequently and more
in-depth about what great
teaching, academics and data
look like.
“Our principals have been
superb, but now they can
provide feedback that is much
more specific. They are in my
classroom so frequently that
discussions include details
that they have seen in my
class,” she says. “I consider it
a great success.”
But how does this apply in a
larger district? Jennifer Stern
works as the Executive Director
of Teacher Performance
Management for Denver
Public Schools (DPS). She says
that regardless of whether a
district implements the state
model or creates its own
system, it is imperative to work
collaboratively.
“Administrators, teachers and
human resources staff must
take the time to engage in
important discussions. With the
many changes taking place,
staff will have some serious
concerns about how their jobs
should be done,” she says. “Take
time to listen to those concerns,
review your operations and refine
details.”
Leading Effective Academic
Practice (LEAP) is Denver
Public Schools’ system for
evaluating teacher performance
and supporting the growth of
teachers. It is a custom-built
system that adheres to the
framework of SB-191.
“By the time SB-191 was passed,
we were already well-invested in
our system,” Stern says. “We had
the resources to create a system,
and we had already invested a
11

16. tremendous amount of time
and energy collaborating with
our teachers and principals to
develop LEAP.”
Stern says that creating their
own system was the best
approach for DPS. “We created
a system that fit our unique
needs,” she says. “Now we can
say, ‘this is what it takes to be
an effective teacher or effective
principal in DPS.’”
educator and author Rick
DuFour. Principal Kelly Reed’s
instructional team includes
himself, the assistant principal,
a representative from each
core subject in each grade
level, a representative from
each elective, a counselor and
parent representative. Reed
recruits his team with a call
for volunteers each spring.
Volunteers commit to serve for
three years.
As is typically the case with
change, the staff was initially
skeptical, Stern says. But now
the majority of DPS teachers
report that they believe LEAP is
helping them to become better
educators.
“We find that if there is an area
where we are falling behind
or there’s some sort of gap,
we bring in our instructional
leadership team and work
together to devise strategies to
get back on track,” he says.
DPS brings teachers and
principals together in various
forums and trainings to review
the system collaboratively.
A LEAP outreach manager
makes contact with hundreds
of educators at schools
throughout the district to listen
to feedback from teachers
with the goal of bringing those
insights to the LEAP team to
recommend adjustments to the
system. The district also offers
a training video series, ensuring
that administrators and staff are
on the same page.
Reed admitted that at times,
his staff has felt like their
voices aren’t always heard
even though they’re at the
table. “I believe it’s especially
challenging in an era with
budget cuts,” Reed says. “I
don’t always feel like we have
the luxury of time or staff to
collaborate in a way that’s ideal.
It’s something we continue to
work on.”
Redlands Middle School
is one that operates as
a Professional Learning
Community – a collaboration
of parents, students, teachers
and administrators who
work together to seek out
best practices, test them in
the classroom, continuously
improve processes and focus
on results – according to
12
He added that administrators
throughout the state need
more time and resources for
professional development.
The good news is that
Redlands is making progress.
The school was recently
named one of the Professional
Learning Community’s “Schools
to Watch”
“Instructional leadership is
difficult to transition into,
but with time and practice
everyone starts to get it, and it
becomes part of the vernacular,”
Reed says.
Linda Barker works as the
Director of Teaching and
Learning for the Colorado
Education Association. She says
the association has invested a lot
of energy and focus in training
teachers and principals on
Educator Effectiveness to help
them understand the system and
the intention behind improving
the evaluations.
“It’s changing conversations in
school buildings,” Barker says.
“I tell teachers, ‘it’s not about
you personally, it’s about your
practice.’ When that concept
clicks for them, it’s a whole
different conversation and they
seem more open to feedback
and to reflecting on their
practice.”
CEA found that trainings where
both principals and teachers
were present seemed to be
the most effective. Together
teachers and principals review
specific elements of the
standards and target an area
that needs more attention.
Durango teacher leader
Greg Loft says that climate
has changed with Educator
Effectiveness and the
instructional leadership
component. The staff
appreciates the constant,
consistent dialogue about their
craft. They can look
to a standard – and the related
standards – and understand
the full context. It is offering
a process for all – including
administrators – to improve their
professional practice.

18. Teacher Leaders know how to analyze trends in the
environment as well as in classroom data, articulate
and inspire a vision for change, foster collaboration
and communication, and develop curriculum,
instructional and evaluation strategies.
Teacher Leaders are devoted to improving the
effectiveness of their teaching practice. Developing
these skills will allow you to meaningfully affect
change to improve student learning in your
classroom. But it will also allow you to lead change
outside of your teaching role as the leader of a
professional learning community in your building.
– Fort Lewis College
14

19. DEVELOPING TEACHER LEADERS
To help principals with the shift
in responsibilities and to build
the capacity of teachers, Denver
Public Schools developed a
Teacher Leader program. It’s
a mechanism for giving more
responsibilities to teachers
while encouraging them to
advance their professional
knowledge by successfully
completing classes, mentoring,
attending cohort meetings and
enlisting in additional training.
The district offers varying levels
of compensation for those in
their teacher leader program. It
can range from a small stipend
to .25 release time, which
allows teachers to take time
from their regular assignments
to work on instructional
leadership in some way.
“Our best investment is our
principals and teachers,”
Stern says.
In Durango, principals are
putting together formal
leadership teams that include
administrators and teachers,
and delegating more to other
staff. The leadership teams
are still a work in progress and
their responsibilities are being
formalized, says Greg Loft.
“It takes time to move through
the process and make decisions
on roles and responsibilities, but
we’re getting there,” he says.
CEA’s Linda Barker agrees.
She says there are various
opportunities for leadership
under this system, adding that
it is an incredible opportunity
for teacher leaders because
they can take a strong role
since these systems are new for
everyone.
15

20. A University of Washington study employed a
musical metaphor to describe three different
leadership approaches by principals. School leaders
determined to do it all themselves were “one-man
bands;” those inclined to delegate responsibilities
to others operated like the leader of a “jazz
combo;” and those who believed broadly in sharing
leadership throughout the school could be thought
of as “orchestral leaders,” skilled in helping large
teams produce a coherent sound, while encouraging
soloists to shine. The point is that although in any
school a range of leadership patterns exists –
among principals, assistant principals, formal and
informal teacher leaders, and parents – the principal
remains the central source of leadership influence.
– The Wallace Foundation
16

21. FOSTERING TALENT
Barker is excited by what she’s
seen come out of combined
principal/teacher training.
“We put the teacher and
principal rubrics side-by-side,”
she says. “We remind all
present that we are re-culturing
the conversations we see in
school buildings. The rubrics
are a roadmap to improve and
reflect upon your practice. “
Throughout her career, Barker
says she’s never experienced
the depth of conversations
like those that are now taking
place between principals
and teachers. In many ways,
she says, the rubrics are
conversation starters. Educators
can pull out specific elements,
drill down to the details,
and study the pieces that an
individual may need to give
more attention to.
“We’re doing a better
job working as partners in
improvement,” she says.
In the Roaring Fork District,
Sirko recommends fostering
talent by accessing the
resources already in your
building – excellent teachers.
For instance, if one teacher is
experiencing difficulty engaging
the entire classroom, a principal
can provide an opportunity for
that teacher to observe another
teacher in the building who is
particularly adept at that skill.
“That way they are seeing
someone who is being successful
in their building, with the same
population of students,” Sirko
says. “Oftentimes you have
different skill sets from one
teacher to the next. Teaching can
be very isolating, but it doesn’t
have to be. They can learn from
one another.”
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22. EXPLORING PEER PRACTICES
Nothing in the principal’s role is more important for
ensuring successful student learning than effective
instructional leadership. School principals who focus on a
vision for their schools nurture the leadership capabilities
of their teachers. Additionally, if their schools are moving
in the right direction, they model effective leading and
learning. Combining these efforts while using data
appropriately, as well as monitoring what takes place
at the classroom level, will increase the likelihood that
schools will achieve their goals for student learning.
– Qualities of Effective Principals, by James H. Stronge,
Holly B. Richard and Nancy Catano
What are some strategies that
principals can adopt to launch
into instructional leadership?
Kelly Reed, principal of
Redlands Middle School in
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Grand Junction, suggests
reading the Professional
Learning Communities at Work:
Best Practices for Enhancing
Student Achievement, by
Richard Dufour and Robert
Eaker. He says that the attributes
of Professional Learning
Communities complement
those of instructional leadership.
Reed also suggested visiting
a Professional Learning
Community-practicing school
for a day or two. In turn,
invite an educator from a
practicing Professional Learning
Community school to spend a
day in your building. “Watch
the interaction amongst faculty,
spend quality time in their
building and don’t recreate the
wheel – copy, steal, cajole!”
Reed says. “The hands on
experience is so important. It
provides real-world exposure.”

23. FIVE ATTRIBUTES OF A STRONG
PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITY
The literature on Professional Learning
Communities repeatedly gives attention
to five attributes of such organizational
arrangements.
1. Supportive
and shared
leadership
2. Collective
creativity
3. Shared values
and vision
4. Supportive
conditions
5. Shared personal
practice
Published in Issues ...about Change Volume 6, Number 1, Professional
Learning Communities: What Are They And Why Are They Important?
Prepare teachers for the
changes that are occurring,
says Katy Anthes from CDE.
Teachers will need to adjust to
having a principal – or a group
of administrators – open the
classroom door, step in and
observe a lesson. This can
be a major distraction for the
teacher and the students, and
not to mention – intimidating.
Educators in pilot districts report
that this grows better with time
and practice, but it can be a
challenge to get accustomed to.
The simple act of giving feedback won’t result in improved
student learning – the feedback has to be effective.
– Know Thy Impact (Hattie, Educational Leadership, September 2012)
Teachers should also expect
feedback based off of those
classroom visits. The feedback
is not intended to be punitive.
Teachers are observed and
offered recommendations on
how they can improve their craft
and how to become masters of
their profession. The essence
of instructional leadership is
frequent actionable feedback,
conversations, adjustments and
improvement.
“Giving and receiving feedback
has not necessarily been
comfortable, but we need
to evolve to the point that
feedback is just a part of day-today life. It should be embedded
in the way we all conduct
business,” Anthes says.
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24. CONCLUSIONS
Educators know that
instructional leadership is a
concept that has ebbed and
flowed in emphasis over the
past couple of decades. But
with SB-191 and Educator
Effectiveness, there is a defined,
structured rubric attached to
instructional leadership. It is
now a formal expectation and
part of how principals’ and
teachers’ job performance will
be evaluated.
School leaders seem to
be embracing the idea of
enhancing their roles as
learning leaders of the school.
The expectations of deeper
collaboration, more frequent
professional development
and spending more time in
classrooms are ones they
welcome. It’s a matter of how
to balance those exercises
along with the other competing
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demands of being a principal, a
topic that will be explored with
more depth in upcoming CASE
Issues Briefs.
For most, becoming an
educator was a calling. And
instructional leadership can
help them to become better
at their jobs, which should
result in higher achievement for
students. In a classroom, at the
end of the day, what does that
look like? It looks like a child
learning how to read. It looks
like an aha-moment in algebra
class. It looks like a young adult
feeling confident about his
school performance.
As an instructional leader you
ask yourself, what is going to
make the biggest difference for
students in my school?
Diana Sirko, superintendent at
Roaring Fork, says she knows
the job is overwhelming. The
new laws, new standards and
making changes in the way
schools do business, “it’s a
lot. I know it’s a lot to take in.
But then I ask my staff, ‘what
would you leave out? Which
standard would you toss by the
wayside?’”
The answer is always the same.
None. They’re all important. “It’s
hard, hard work,” Sirko says.
“But it’s important.”
A big piece of success is a
willingness to win. “I call it the
Peyton Manning Effect, the
willingness to do whatever
it takes,” Sirko says. “Every
master teacher I’ve seen has
a relentless focus on positive
outcomes for kids, a dogged
determination to make a
difference.”

26. RESOURCES
COLORADO LEGACY FOUNDATION’S SB-191 TOOLKIT
The Colorado Legacy Foundation’s toolkit supports districts in implementing requirements of the
state’s new evaluation system. www.colegacy.org/initiatives/educator-effectiveness/evaluation/
ELEVATE COLORADO
An online inter-rater agreement training system developed in partnership with My Learning Plan.
This online system helps evaluators develop a deeper understanding of the professional practices
embodied the Colorado State Model Evaluation System’s teacher rubric. www.mlpelevate.com
CASE LEADERSHIP ACADEMY FOR PRINCIPALS
The CASE Leadership Academy for Principals is the first job-alike academy under the Education
Leadership Institute. It gives site administrators and their evaluators critical knowledge and skills to
ensure strong leadership in their schools, providing administrators with a path to transfer knowledge
into practice through post-course learning support. The courses are made available at in-person
events and through innovative platforms like the CASE eLearning Portal.
The CASE Leadership Academy for Principals also offers an ongoing seminar on Supervision and
Evaluation for participants who are fulfilling the administrative licensure requirement, practicing
administrators desiring to update tier understanding of evaluation and educator effectiveness, and
educators without an administrative license who may be identified as “designees” under SB-191.
www.co-case.org
QUALITY STANDARDS REFERENCE GUIDES
The Teacher and Principal Quality Standards guide from CDE provides a common vision of great
teaching and school leadership. The guides highlight the critical aspects of great teaching and school
leadership. To access the guides and many other CDE resources including Colorado State Model
Evaluation system training tools or the educator effectiveness video series. www.cde.state.co.us/
educatoreffectiveness/resources
COLORADO EDUCATION ASSOCIATION
A number of online resources explore the Teacher Quality Standards, rubrics, measures for success
and more. www.coloradoea.org/TeachingLearning/EdEffective.aspx
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27. CASE EVENTS
CASE WINTER LEADERSHIP
CONFERENCE
2014 LEADERSHIP ACADEMY FOR
CASE SUMMER LEADERSHIP
PRINCIPALS: SUMMER BOOT CAMP CONVENTION
FEBRUARY 5-7, 2014
JUNE 9-13, 2014
JULY 21-25, 2014
Connect with education leaders
throughout the state with over
25 breakout sessions and an
inspiring keynote from
best-selling author, Chip Heath.
This intensive week-long
seminar connects principals
to share best practices and
explore new initiatives.
CASE’s 45th Annual Convention
will be held in Breckenridge.
www.co-case.org
www.co-case.org/bootcamp
www.co-case.org/
2014winterleadership
23

28. Colorado Association of School Executives
4101 South Bannock Street
Englewood, CO 80110
www.co-case.org