EngageNY.org

A Change Focused Culture

Session 5A, November 2013 NTI

Effective Collaboration Norms and Guidelines

In order to cultivate a climate where everyone is focused on ongoing, positive growth and improving student achievement, use the Seven Norms of Collaboration.

Seven Norms of Collaboration

1. Promoting a Spirit of Inquiry and Balancing Advocacy

2. Pausing

3. Paraphrasing

4. Probing

5. Putting Ideas on the Table

6. Paying Attention to Self and Others

7. Presuming Positive Intentions

Learning Target

• I can support the development of a collaborative, change-focused culture schoolwide, including ways to manage counterculture behavior.

“Culture eats strategy for breakfast”

– Peter Drucker

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Cummings & Worley, 2001 South-Western

College Publishing

Organizational Culture

The basic assumptions, values, and norms shared by organization members

Represents both an “outcome” of organization design and a “foundation” or “constraint” to change

Independent Reading

• Read one of the two articles and annotate the text. Highlight key words, phrases or sentences that resonate with you as a leader. In particular, how does culture impact your work as an instructional leader (curriculum and instruction)?

• You will participate in a discussion protocol after you read quietly.

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Final Word Protocol

• Select a timekeeper and a facilitator.

• Each member of the group will act as a “presenter.”

• 20 minutes in groups of 4.

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Read and List

• Read the very top portion of the group processes document and stop to list the different groups in your schools.

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Aspects of Group Processes

• Communication

• Decision Making

• Group Norms

• Group Decision Making

• Use of Leadership and Authority

• Functional Roles of Group Members

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Read and think about your school/district

• This is quiet reflection time.

• Continue to read through the Group Processes Document.

• Use the questions for each component of group processes.

• There is an embedded reflection form to use as you think about your school/district.

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A Case Study

• Read and annotate as you make connections to items in the text.

• Read through “the findings,” but stop before the “interventions.”

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A quote

“Great principals are change agents. As school leaders, principals are the lynchpin of effective implementation of any school-level reform and are critical to student success. Principals account for 25 percent of a school’s total impact on student achievement1and can have a greater impact on all students than teachers because principals ensure effective instruction year to year across the entire school.2”

•1 Leithwood, K., Louis, K. S., Anderson, S., & Wahlstrom, K. (2004). How Leadership Influences Student Learning. New York, NY: Wallace Foundation; Marzano, R.J., Waters, T., & McNulty, B. (2005). School leadership that works: From research to results. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.•2 Branch, G., Hanushek, E. A., & Rivkin, S. G. (2012). Estimating the effect of leaders on public sector productivity: The case of school principals (pp. 45). Washington, D.C.: National Center for Analysis of Longitudinal Data in Education

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Cummings & Worley, 2001 South-Western

College Publishing6-12

Group-Level Interventions• Goal Clarity

extent to which group understands its objectives

• Task Structure the way the group’s work is designed

• Team Functioning the quality of group dynamics among members

• Group Composition the characteristics of group members

• Group Norms the unwritten rules that govern behavior

Cummings & Worley,) 2001 South-Western

College Publishing6-13

Individual-Level Interventions

• Skill Variety The range of activities and abilities required

for task completion• Task Identity

The ability to see a “whole” piece of work• Task Significance

The impact of work on others• Autonomy

The amount of freedom and discretion• Feedback about Results

Knowledge of task performance outcomes

Brainstorm Interventions

• What might you try with this community?

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Read and Analyze

• Independently read the intervention and highlight it for strengths and weaknesses.

• Discuss in triads:

What were the strengths?

Where are the opportunities for improvement?

What other interventions could be used?

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Journal and Reflect

• Quietly journal about your progress on this Learning Target: I can support the development of a collaborative, change-focused culture school wide, including ways to manage counterculture behavior.

• Any new thinking about being a leader of curriculum and instructional change and the impact of school culture on this work?

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