Align The Design: A Blueprint for School Improvement

225 Pages·2008·2.59 MB·English

by  Nancy J. Mooney

Education
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In Align the Design, Mooney and Mausbach are emphatic about the leader’s main task: to align the fundamental
elements of improvement in the service of better instruction. They provide a practical and compelling treatment L
of those critical elements: an authentic vision, clear curriculum expectations, common assessments, classroom I
walkthroughs, and the use of data to monitor their impact on learning. This book is full of clear, helpful advice. G
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—Mike Schmoker, author of Results Now
A L I G N
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E D E S I G N
“This is our THIRD school improvement plan! • Create successful school improvement plans S
Why aren’t we seeing any results?” • Implement valuable professional development I
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sessions and workshops
“We have all of this data,
• Use effi cient supervisory techniques N
but we don’t know what to do with it!”
• Foster leadership for school improvement
“What does this workshop have to do with

the goals we set for our school?” A
Each chapter also includes personal refl ections from

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the authors and lists of touchstone texts that have l
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Many of today’s school leaders have all the latest inspired their efforts. ep
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tools, techniques, and programs for school in
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improvement. Unfortunately, some leaders fail to At a time when school leaders are trying to translate f A Blueprint for School Improvement
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create real, sustainable results for their schools urgent calls for higher achievement into actions that r

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because they use one or two “fl avor-of-the-month” work, Align the Design provides expert guidance and c
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strategies without connecting all the pieces together practical tools that will help educators work more o YYY
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for real improvement. purposefully together to create better schools for l I LLI
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school improvement processes to increase staff consultant on topics of school improvement, school t
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capacity, improve student achievement, and develop leadership, and communication arts. She has 20 AAAAAAAAA
effective schools. The authors show school leaders years of experience as a school administrator.
Nancy J. Mooney •
how to use “power tools” to Ann T. Mausbach currently works as a central offi ce M
administrator in charge of teaching and learning for o NN
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• Make the most of their school’s data school administrator for 14 years.

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Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development
Alexandria, Virginia USA
STUDY
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A L I G N
the
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A L I G N
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A Blueprint for School Improvement
Nancy J. Mooney | | | Ann T. Mausbach
Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development
Alexandria, Virginia USA
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Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development
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Copyright © 2008 by the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD). All rights reserved.
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Mooney, Nancy J.
Align the design : a blueprint for school improvement / Nancy Mooney and Ann Mausbach.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-4166-0625-3 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. School improvement programs--United States. 2. Academic
achievement--United States. I. Mausbach, Ann. II. Title.
LB2822.82.M66 2008
371.200973
2007041371
18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10 09 08 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
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Acknowledgments ....................................................................................................... vii
Introduction ..................................................................................................................ix
1. Developing Curriculum Leadership and Design ..........................................................1
2. Aligning the Design for School Improvement ...........................................................26
3. Making Sense of the Data ......................................................................................42
4. Providing Accountability for the Data ......................................................................61
5. Working the Plan for School Improvement ...............................................................79
6. Developing Powerful Professional Development ......................................................93
7. Supervising Teaching, Learning, and People .........................................................123
8. Creating Leaders for School Improvement ............................................................148
Appendixes ...............................................................................................................166
References ................................................................................................................190
Index ........................................................................................................................194
About the Authors .....................................................................................................201
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I acknowledge with deep gratitude the blessings of faith, family, and friends. The
infl uence of each on my life and work is without measure.
Many educators contributed to and infl uenced the school improvement work
discussed in this book. The central offi ce administration of the St. Joseph School
District in St. Joseph, Missouri, past and present, put a high priority on teaching
and learning, and supported my part of the team’s efforts to raise achievement and
grow leaders. I treasure the friendship and contributions of my closest central offi ce
associates. The elementary and secondary principals in St. Joseph are the backbone
of my work, and I am grateful beyond measure for their friendship and commit-
ment to improving schools. Without the teachers in St. Joseph, none of this work
would be possible, so I extend to them recognition for their dedication to teaching
and willingness to make changes along the way.
During my years in the central offi ce, Brenda Elifrits and Rhonda Hoselton
served as administrative assistants. Many of the documents and professional devel-
opment experiences that form the framework of this book would not have been
completed without their able assistance. I am especially grateful to colleagues from
districts outside of St. Joseph who have graciously embraced and contributed to the
school improvement processes in this book, particularly Rita Fisher, Kevin Daniel,
and my respected co-author and friend, Ann Mausbach. ASCD gave wonderful sup-
port from the beginning of this project through its completion. The staff, particu-
larly Scott Willis and Leah Lakins, helped this book become a reality.
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Align the Design
Finally, I acknowledge my family, who surround me with encouragement and
hope. I owe deep gratitude to Frank and Marjorie Fletcher, who taught me to live
by faith and value education. I thank Joel and Jennifer Mooney, Isabela, and Fina
for the joy they bring to my life and their encouragement all along the way. Above
all, I am forever grateful that I married Russ Mooney. His steady and unwavering
support means everything. Without him, this book would be a dream never lived
or written.
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I would like to acknowledge several people who helped make this book a real-
ity. First, I want to thank the “gang at the ERC.” Their behind-the-scenes support,
patience, and organizational skills allowed me to do the work outlined in this book.
Thanks also go to the Liberty School District administrative team in Liberty, Mis-
souri. These dedicated individuals understood that learning is the real mission of
schooling and were always open to new ways to get the job done. Special thanks to
Dr. W. Scott Taveau. His support and leadership gave me wings, and I will forever
be indebted to him for that gift.
Most importantly, I would like to thank “my boys,” my sons Jack and Mark, for
their unending source of inspiration, and my husband Tim, for being my greatest
fan. Their love, faith, and support have made all things possible in my life.
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IInnttrroodduuccttiioonn
Many of you know how it feels to be on a diet and not be successful. You stick to
your diet plan during the week, but you fi nd yourself bingeing on the weekend or
special occasions. After you successfully lose the weight, the minute you go off the
diet, you gain all of the weight back and then some.
One of the major reasons that diets fail is that individuals don’t do all the things
that are necessary to lose weight. Successful dieters must look at all the principles
that make weight loss attainable, such as setting goals, sticking to a realistic eating
plan, exercising consistently, and joining a support group. A lack of attention to any
of these processes will yield diminished results, dieter frustration, and, ultimately,
abandoning the diet.
Diet failure also occurs because so many people view diets as a quick fi x rather
than a lifestyle change. Dieting can’t be something that occurs fi ve days a week and
then thrown out the window whenever the mood strikes. Long-term, sustainable
weight loss is a result of rethinking what and how you eat and increasing your daily
physical activity. It has to be a lifetime commitment and a lifestyle change.
Why are we discussing diets in a book focused on school improvement and
student achievement? The lessons learned from unsuccessful diets provide insight
into why school improvement efforts for many schools and districts have failed.
School improvement efforts can often feel like the latest diet fad. It is not uncom-
mon to see school administrators implement programs that they think will make a
difference, only to abandon them a year later because of a lack of results, commit-
ment, or follow-through. It is also not uncommon to see principals and teachers
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