Instructional leadership: the impact of school principals on the implementation of change

Public schools in the United States are in a perpetual state of change. Despite enormous investments of time and resources in professional development, the bridge from training to practice rarely results in the change intended. The classroom seems to be buffered from the broader context of change. Failing to understand that components in the overall system are held together loosely has led to the misconception that change at one level, e.g., the state, will lead linearly to change at another level, e.g., the classroom. School principals are positioned to overcome these challenges.

This study asked teachers to complete a survey that identified their preferences when implementing change and that identified instructional leadership actions that were associated with higher levels of change at the classroom level. The data from the sample revealed that when engaging in the change process, it is important to teachers to know the rationale for change, to participate in training face-to-face, and to have ongoing modeling and coaching to support their implementation efforts. The data from the sample also illuminated that the following four leadership actions were associated with higher levels of implementation at the classroom level: Ensuring teachers know the rationale for change; Establishing the time and expectation of reflection on the change; Increasing teachers’ knowledge of the instructional practice being implemented; and Systematizing the organizational routine of teacher collaboration. These findings can drive the actions of school leaders when implementing change.