How Strong is your Equity Leadership Acumen?
For middle and high school principals, ensuring that every student receives the support they need to access and grapple with grade level content requires a thorough understanding and implementation of an Equity-Centered Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS). Let’s start off our conversation today with a shared understanding that In the same way that teaching isn’t telling, knowing isn’t the same as doing, and equity-centered leaders need to be able to translate their knowledge of best practices into concrete leadership skills they will use everyday to make those best practices take root and grow in their schools.
In this edition of The Inclusive Ed Leader, we will walk through three key leadership skills necessary for growing proactive and responsive systems of support in your school. Proactive and Responsive MTSS is a best practice for scaling inclusion for students with IEPs in your school. By embedding three key skills into your leadership practice—Data-informed Decision Making, Leading Values-aligned Feedback and Accountability Systems, and Inspiring New Actions within Teams—school leaders will amplify their ability to collect and leverage insights from their current MTSS to surface areas of opportunity that will ensure no student academically or culturally falls through the cracks and school leaders are developing observable skills that will drive their school toward greater success.
Skill #1: Data-Informed Decision Making
Data-informed decision making is crucial for equity-centered leadership because it ensures that decisions are based on current data about the current group of students in front of them, not biased assumptions or outdated beliefs/perspectives. A commitment to Data-Informed Decision Making also positions a school leader to make meaningful pivots when actions or decisions are not yielding the intended or desired outcomes. This skill helps principals identify and address the unique needs of students with IEPs, track their progress, and adjust both student facing and teacher facing cycles of support to ensure all students are receiving relevant scaffolds and support. By using data to inform decisions, principals can create a more responsive and equitable learning environment where grade level content remains accessible to all students.
Self-assessment Questions to Consider:
How am I intentionally and continuously building my ability to effectively use data to identify students' academic, social-emotional, and behavioral strengths and needs, especially those with IEPs?
How am I intentionally and continuously building my ability to effectively use data to identify professional development and coach needs of my staff to support students' academic, social-emotional, and behavioral strengths and needs, especially those with IEPs?
What are my expectations around how often my teachers are using data to inform their planning and instructional decision making?
Suggested Next Steps if Data-Informed Decision Making is an Area of Growth
Implement Regular Data Reviews: Schedule regular meetings with your team to review and analyze academic and behavioral data. Ensure that this includes data from various sources, such as standardized tests, progress monitoring, and behavior reports.
Professional Development on Data Analysis: Provide learning experiences for staff (or source experiences for yourself) on how to collect, interpret, and use data effectively to make informed decisions.
Skill #2: Leading Values-Aligned Feedback and Accountability Systems
Leading values-aligned feedback and accountability systems is essential for equity-centered principals because it ensures that the feedback and accountability mechanisms in place reflect the school's commitment to equity and inclusion. This skill enables principals to create a culture of continuous improvement where staff are held accountable for embedding inclusive practices and are supported in their efforts to do so. By aligning feedback and accountability with the school's core values, principals can foster a more inclusive and supportive environment for all students, particularly those with IEPs.
Self-assessment Questions to Consider:
How do you ensure that feedback and accountability systems, such as classroom observation forms and evaluation processes, align with core values such as accessible grade level content and consistent use of inclusive practices?
In what ways are you communicating progress on your equity-centered MTSS and inclusive practices to all educational partners openly and in easy to understand language? In what ways are you inviting feedback and using it to improve your processes?
Suggested Next Steps if Values-Aligned Accountability Systems are an Area of Growth
Establish Clear Expectations: Develop and communicate clear expectations for inclusive practices and provide regular, values-aligned feedback to staff.
Create a Feedback Loop: Implement a system for regular feedback from all stakeholders, including teachers, parents, and students, to continuously improve your MTSS practices.
Accountability Measures: Set up accountability measures that ensure staff are consistently applying inclusive practices. This can include regular classroom observations, peer feedback protocols, and performance evaluations.
Skill #3: Inspiring New Actions within Teams
Inspiring new actions within teams is vital for equity-centered principals because it encourages a culture of collective impact, collaboration, and a commitment to continuous improvement. This skill helps principals motivate their staff to embrace new approaches and strategies that enhance inclusion and support for students with IEPs. By fostering a culture of collective impact, principals can ensure that their teams are proactive in addressing the diverse needs of their students and are strengthening their belief in the power of their collective impact and shared responsibility for all student learning.
Self-Assessment Questions to Consider:
How often do you explicitly talk to your teachers about the transformative impact they can have when they work collectively to remove barriers to learning for their students?
How are you intentionally providing your teaching teams with tools and experiences to deepen their collaborative problem solving and instructional planning?
In what ways are you holding space to recognize and celebrate the successes and improvements teams of teachers have made in their MTSS implementation?
Suggested Next Steps if Inspiring Action in Teams is an Area for Growth:
Promote a Collaborative Culture: Foster a collaborative environment where team members feel valued and encouraged to share ideas and strategies for improving inclusion.
Provide Opportunities for Innovation: Create opportunities for staff to experiment with new approaches and innovations in their teaching and support practices. Offer support and resources for these initiatives.
Celebrate Successes: Regularly recognize and celebrate the successes and progress made in implementing MTSS. This can be done through staff meetings, newsletters, or awards.
Thinking about how these skills showed up for me when I was a SPED Director, Values-aligned feedback and accountability systems came naturally to me, and in that role Inspiring New Actions within the Teams was my immediate area for growth.
Which of these three skills fall in your Zone of Genius and which skill feels like an immediate area for growth. Let me know in the Comments or message me and let me know!
