The Center on School Turnaround at WestEd presents this guide, Jump-Starting Instructional Transformation, to assist both those participating in the Transformation Academy and the many principals who are charged with significantly improving their schools, but are unable to attend the academy.
This guide rests on the research and practice base of Four Domains for Rapid School Improvement: A Systems Framework (Center on School Turnaround, 2017). The four domain framework identifies four areas of focus, and key practices in each, that have been shown to be critical for achieving rapid and significant school improvement, including instructional transformation, the focus of this guide. In the approach laid out in this guide, the principal starts down the road to instructional transformation by convening a select group of teachers as an action team (or A-team) that will look closely at how the principal makes time for instructional leadership and how teachers help each other improve their practice. The team, which includes the principal, will examine every aspect of the school’s instructional system, a system that consists of planning, providing, adjusting, and enhancing instruction. The team considers learning obstacles their students might face and how well the school builds students’ capabilities as learners. The guide includes tools and other resources that may be used to support the development of a transformation academy.