Chapter 4

There is a striking parallel between good teaching and good leadership: purpose.
The Learning Walkthrough
Purpose: for individual and collective learning.
Intended outcomes:
develop a shared vision for high quality teaching.
calibrate understanding of the framework
calibrate understanding of best practices
provide principals/teachers with tool to access their own classroom against the
emerging vision of instruction
to begin to use framework language to communicate learning to staff
to develop a school and district culture of public practice
to gather data to identify relevant problems of leadership practice
Walkthrough purpose is guided by the theory that
if leaders spend time in classrooms they will develop a common vision and shared
understanding of high quality instruction
if leaders spend time in classrooms they will have a deeper understanding of high
quality instruction to support teacher improvement
if we are open and transparent about our own learning we will be able to engage in a
model of reflective thought.
Other tips for success
Communicate with staff about the walkthrough (there is a great example of a letter
that a principal sent to her staff)
Model what it means to be a learner
Highlight and celebrate what you want to reinforce
Strategically plant seeds for future dialogue and reflection
Articulate vision for teaching and learning
The Goal Setting and Implementation Walkthrough
Purpose and outcomes guide the goal-setting and implementation walkthrough.
Purposes for Goal Setting:
1. Know the level of implementation and what is needed (think PD) to implement
curriculum with fidelity.
2. Determine how new learnings are being implemented.
3. Determine what else is needed to implement _______
4. Helps set SIP goals
5. Discover patterns throughout the school, grade level, and/or subject.
6. ID teacher goals and support.
7. Monitor student progress.
8. ID problems in leadership practice.

What makes goal setting and implementation walkthroughs different from learning
walkthroughs?
Intentional connection to teacher's professional learning.
Need to monitor level of implementation of new curriculum in order to measure the
implementation.
ID the level to bring differentiated support when necc.
Leaders need to monitor themselves in order to establish app. improvement goals
for other areas of school, etc. along with PD to help meet goals.
Keep in mind: this is SUPPORT for teachers.
Remember:
Communicate with Staff about walkthroughs!!!
Celebrate successes and communicate new expectations based on walkthroughs.
Build collective learning through teacher and principal expertise.
Modify PD
Consider new/additional supports as needed (small groups, coaching, etc.)
ARTICULATE YOUR VISION for teaching and learning!!!!!
Provide ways for feedback and conversation to take place, promoting more
learning.
The Supervisory Walkthrough

Intended to provide feedback and constructive advice to school administrators and

leaders.
Builds opportunities for administrators to develop and pursue focused, meaningful
goals.
Deals with relevant student data to measure and monitor student progress
Identifies specific leadership actions needed to support improvement of teaching
practice
Holds leaders accountable for agreed-upon actions

This supervisory function is characterized by a sustained focus on the schools

mission, goals, and core values. Thus, the work done pertains directly to realizing
those critical concepts.
The supervisory walkthroughs theoretical foundation can be narrowed down to two critical
assumptions:
1. If we carefully examine and monitor student performance data and the quality of
teaching and learning in light of our deepened understanding of powerful instruction,
then we will be able to identify specific leadership actions necessary to improve
practice
2. If we carefully monitor and examine the extent to which agreed-upon leadership
actions are executed, then we can hold leaders accountable for teaching and
learning
Steps:
1. Formulation of the a problem of practice

1. Based on principles of school improvement plan, current data that concerns

the staff, and school-based theory of action focused on all students accessing
and engaging with content and tasks that demand critical thinking.
2. We focus on the three aforementioned principles in building the problem of
practice, because it ensures an efficient, effective use of time.
3. This occurs during a separate meeting with the person(s) being observed.
2.

The Visit
1. Presentation of problem of practice
1. Based on the work and discussion done in step 1
2. Brainstorming of evidence and indicators
1. What will we focus on to indicate the specifics of this problem?
3. Observations
1. classroom visits, look at student work, student interviews, analyzing
student data.
2. Method of observation depends on the nature of the problem
4. Debrief
1. Discussion of what was observed during the observation phase of step
2
2. What resonates? What are the implications? What are some potential
next steps?
5. Reflection

3.

The Summary
1. Summarize what was observed, discussed, and done in the previous steps

4.

Visit Calibration
1. Set the expectations and norms for all participants in the observation.
1. Host Principal
2. Visitors

Possible School Leadership Actions that are parallel and intended to support
reciprocal accountability between school and district:
1. Communicate with staff about the walkthrough
2. Highlight and celebrate what should be enforced
3. Create and communicate new expectations
4. Provide new and additional supports
5. Articulate vision for teaching and learning
6. Hold leaders accountable for agreed-upon actions
7. Assess the implementation of agreed-upon actions on student learning