Effective School and
School Systems

Session 1
Learning Outcomes
Participants will:
Enrich their understanding of the McKinsey
report, specifically the three most important
actions of the best performing school systems;
Be aware of the system level leadership actions;
and
Increase their understanding of the effective
leadership actions at the school level.

High Performing School
Systems
In the chat box, finish this statement in one sentence.
The most interesting action associated with high
performing school systems is ……
If you are viewing the archived version, pause the video
and note your response.
.

High Performing School
Systems
1. Get the right people to become teachers;
2. Develop them into instructional leaders;
and
3. Ensure that the system delivers the best
possible instruction for every child.

Getting the Right People in the
Role
“ The quality of an education system cannot exceed the
quality of its teachers.”

Quality looks like…

High Quality Teachers
Think about an effective/high quality
teacher that you work with and in the
chat box, post one characteristics of the
teacher.
If you are viewing the archived version, pause
the video and note your response.

Quality Teachers

Reflection
As a school leader, how can you foster
and/or support “willingness to learn” and
“motivation to teach”.
If you are viewing the archived version, pause the
video and note your response.

Developing Teachers into Instructional
Leaders

Leaders create a ..

Leaders provide opportunities for
teachers to develop best practices
…

Reflection
Consider Marzano’s Instructional Strategies
and post in the chat box the two instructional
strategies that you believe have the most
impact on student learning.
Range is from 45% to 22%

Marzano’s Research on
Impact
• Identifying similarities and differences 45%
• Summarizing and note taking 34%
• Reinforcing effort and provide recognition 29%
• Homework and practice 28%
• Non- linguistic representations 27%
• Cooperative Learning 27%
• Setting goals and providing feedback 23%
• Generating and testing hypotheses 23%
• Activating prior knowledge cues and questioning 22%

Reflection
• Think about your current school and the
teachers’ level of awareness and use of
these instructional strategies.
• Reflect on the instructional strategy that
you believe is effectively used in your
current school and the instructional
strategy that requires attention.
• As a leader, share one action that you
may take as a result of this information.

Leadership Actions…

Deliver the Best Instruction for Every
Child

Reflection
This week, participants were asked to select
and read a specific section- Developing
Teachers into the Best Instructional Leaders or
Delivering the Best Instruction for Every Child.
Briefly share one action of your school or
school district that acknowledges the need for
and addresses one of these priorities.

Final Thoughts
• Reflect on the McKinsey report and the three
things that matter to high performing school
systems.
• As a school or system leader, what will you
do with this information?
• Share your response in the chat box or in the
webinar discussion area.

Session 2
Learning Outcomes
Participants will:
 Increase their understanding of Opportunity to Learn –
Time on Task as one of the processes associated with
leading effective schools;
 Understand the leader’s role in implementing first and
second order change; and
 Enrich their understanding of the Knowing- Doing gap
and the implication for leaders;

Lezotte
In this week’s video clip, Lezotte spoke about
the importance of the leadership of the school
embracing the correlates and the need for the
team to invite the initiative in !

Effective Schools

Opportunity to Learn – Time
on Task

Reflection
Think about the three time concepts and identify the
concept that you believe warrants further exploration
in your current situation- classroom or school. What
immediate action can you take to address this
important component of an effective school?
If you are viewing the archived version, pause the
video and think about your response.

First and Second Order
Change

Leading Change
Adapted from : School Leadership that Works: R Marzano, T. Waters & B. McNulty

Reflection
“The leader of second order change must be energetic, exude
idealism and enthusiasm and be willing to live through a period of
frustration and even anger from staff members. This can take a
personal toll on the leader and might explain why many promising
practices regarding improved student achievement have ultimately
been abandoned.” Fullan
Reflecting on Fullan’s quote, how will you as a leader of second
order change maintain your focus, optimism and resiliency during
this process? Post one action in the chat box.
If you are viewing the archived version, pause the video and think about your
response

Creative Tension
“Leaders create creative tension that being the
gap between the vision and reality.”
Think about this quote. What are some of the ways
that a leader creates creative tension in building an
effective school? Post your response in the chat
box.
If you are viewing the archived version, pause the
video and think about your response.

Knowing- Doing Gap

Commitment to Learn
“Effective leaders need to tap people’s commitment
and capacity to learn at all levels.” Senge
Think about a time in your experiences when you were part
of a team, committee or school that was lead by a person
who tapped into your commitment to learn. What did this
leader do that encouraged this commitment to learn? Post
your response in the chat box.
If you are viewing the archived version, pause the video and
think about your response.

Final Thoughts

Session 3
Learning Outcomes
Participants will:
 Increase their understanding of the interconnectedness
of the School Effectiveness Framework (SEF);
 Understand the purpose of the framework in aligning the
system level priorities and school actions;
 Reflect on at least one specific indicator within each
component of the SEF; and
 Consider the value of a self assessment tool as a key
lever in school improvement.

Coherent Alignment – “The
Skinny”
The Principal
Source: Ontario Ministry of Education- School Effectiveness Framework 2013

Design of the Framework
Source: Ontario Ministry of Education- School Effectiveness
Framework 2013

Purpose of Assessment
Lorna Earl – Assessment for, of and as Learning
http://www.edugains.ca/resourcesAER/PrintandOtherResources/Ea

Assessment for, as and of Learning
1.1 Assessment is connected to the curriculum, collaboratively developed by
educators and used to inform next steps in learning & instruction
Traditional Assessment Current Assessment

Reflection
What has changed in assessment practices in
your classroom or school in the past three years
or what would you like to see changed?
If we walked in to your classroom or school,
what would we see and hear that would reflect
the change. Post your response in the chat box.
If you are viewing the archived version, pause the video and think
about your response.

Curriculum, Teaching and
Learning
4.3 Teaching and learning in the 21st
century is collaborative, innovative and
creative within a global context.
Source: Ontario Ministry of Education
– 21st
Century Learning

Reflection
“ Harnessing the capacity of technology” is
one of the skills identified in the research.
What does this quote mean to you in the
context of student learning? Share your
response in the chat box.
If you are viewing the archived version, pause the
video and think about your response.

Pathways, Planning &
Programming
5.1 Comprehensive education and career planning programs that meet the
learning needs , interests and aspirations of all students.
Source: Education and Career/Life Planning Framework: A Four-Step
Inquiry Process – Creating Pathways to Success – Ontario Ministry of

Reflection
Thinking about the Pathways, Planning and
Programming conceptual framework, share an
activity that you or your school team does that
connects to at least one aspect of the
framework. In the chat box, share the grade
level and the activity.
If you are viewing the archived version, pause the video and think
about your response.

Home, School & Community
Partnerships
6.2 Students, parents and community members are engaged and welcomed as
respected, valued partners in student education.
Source: Ontario Ministry of Education- School
Effectiveness Framework 2013

Reflection
Think about your school or school system. What are
some of the obstacles that inhibit the full range of
parent/community involvement as identified by
Epstein. Share your response in the chat box.
In the chat box, share how your school team has
engaged community partners in your school beyond
traditional career day presentations.
If you are viewing the archived version, pause the video and think about
your response.

Student Engagement
3.3 Students are partners in dialogue and discussions to inform programs and
activities in the classroom and school that represent the diversity, needs and
interests of the student population.
Nine Student Voice
Indicators
Source: Ontario Ministry of Education - Principals Want to Know-
Student Voice – Issue 4

Think about….
The opportunities that are currently available for
students in your school to give feedback about their
learning experiences. Whose voices are heard in the
school? Share your response about current practice
or an indicator that you would like to provide
leadership in developing further.
If you are viewing the archived version, pause the video and
think about your response.

Source : Ontario Ministry of Education: Student Achievement
Branch
School & Classroom Leadership
2.4 Job-embedded and inquiry – based professional learning builds capacity, informs
instructional practice and contributes to a culture of learning.

Reflection
Let’s look more closely at the Reflect stage of the
Professional Learning Cycle that identifies examine, analyze
and evaluate results as key actions. Despite the efforts of
the team members, success is not always attained at this
point. How would you as a team leader or participant
maintain focus, refocus and provide support to the team.
If you are viewing the archived version, pause the video and think
about your response.

Session 4
Learning Outcomes
Participants will:
 Increase their understanding of Senge’s characteristics
of effective learning organizations;
 Understand the significance of systems thinking in school
improvement; and
 Reflect on their role as a school leaders in fostering,
leading and supporting the characteristics of learning
organizations.

The Learning Organization
According to Peter Senge, learning organizations
are organizations where people continually expand
their capacity to create the results they truly desire,
where new and expansive patterns of thinking are
nurtured, where collective aspiration is set free,
and where people are continually learning to see
the whole together.

Why ?

Why not?

The Learning Organization

Senge’s Five Disciplines

Building Shared Vision

Reflection
Senge says that genuine vision- beyond
the vision statement is about building
commitment rather than compliance. In the
chat box, share some actions of leaders
that will build commitment.
If you are viewing the archived version, pause the video
and think about your response.

Mental Models
“Mental models are deeply engrained
assumptions, generalizations or even
images that influence how we
understand the world and take action” P.
Senge

Digging deeper…

Reflection
Senge states that one important component of mental
models is to be able to balance advocacy with inquiry. As a
school or system leader, how would you lead discussions
that balance advocacy with inquiry?
If you are viewing the archived version, pause the
video and think about your response.

Systems Thinking

Systems Thinking
In the Minds On video clip, Peter Senge talks about the
importance of collective intelligence. Think about an
experience when collective intelligence surpassed the
intelligence of the individuals on the team. Share one of
the reasons why you think this happened?
If you are viewing the archived version, pause the
video and think about your response.

Personal Mastery
“Organizations learn only through
individuals who learn. Individual learning
does not guarantee organizational
learning but without it no organizational
learning occurs.”
P. Senge

Reflection
Describe the educator who is open to and
continually learning. Share your thoughts in
the chat box.
If you are viewing the archived version, pause the
video and think about your response.

Team Learning
“The process of aligning and
developing the capacities of the team to
create the results its members truly desire.”
P. Senge

Dialogue and Discussion

Reflection
Keeping in mind that there are times when discussion is the
process of choice and also understanding the importance of
dialogue in a learning organization, how would you as a
school or system leader structure meetings that foster
dialogue.
If you are viewing the archived version, pause the video and think
about your response.

Leading the Learning
Organization
P. Senge

Final Thoughts
Principals and school leaders create an
environment where teachers continually
learn.
System leaders hire teachers and school
leaders who demonstrate and support
continual learning.