A Superintendent Pathfinder for Improving District-wide Instructional Practice & Student Learning
This O-DWW Superintendent Pathfinder is designed to support superintendents, deputy superintendents, and other district leadership in preparing for and using the Ohio Improvement Process (OIP) to fully implement agreed on evidence-based practices that improve instructional practice and student learning on a district-wide basis. It is not intended to duplicate existing OIP and Ohio Leadership Advisory Council (OLAC) resources. Rather, it attempts to “lift out” and connect the most essential leadership components for superintendents to use in guiding their district’s improvement efforts on behalf of all adults and students. Of particular importance is the emphasis on the role of the superintendent in setting the stage for and requiring the effective use of data to support data-based instructional decision-making, including the use of major OIP tools such as the Ohio Decision Framework (DF).
Assumptions Underlying the O-DWW
Superintendent Resource
Superintendents set the stage for the development and continual refinement of the district as a learning organization. What superintendents do matters! The research on superintendent characteristics and what matters most in improving student achievement identified five leadership responsibilities, all of which relate to setting and keeping districts focused on teaching and learning goals (Waters & Marzano, 2006, p. 3). Making clear the nonnegotiables and holding all staff accountable for following through in the implementation of agreed-on evidence-based practices are key actions of effective superintendents.
