This document summarizes research conducted on schools that participated in the first cohort (Cohort A) of Western Michigan University's Learning-Centered Leadership Development Program from 2010-2013. The research examined the implementation and sustainability of data-informed decision making (DIDM) renewal activities in the schools. The study found that most schools were able to sustain DIDM activities like data discussions, professional learning communities, and data notebooks. For some schools, the activities evolved over time as contexts changed. For example, some schools modified data walls or changed data teams to instructional leadership teams. Most schools incorporated the renewal activities into their school improvement processes to help sustain them. Factors that facilitated sustainability included staff participation and leadership support

1. by:
Walter L. Burt, PhD & Patricia Reeves, EdD
Learning Centered Leadership Development Program
Lansing Community College
28 February 2014
Lansing, Michigan

2. INTRODUCTION
NCLB and RTTT legislative fiats have placed tremendous
pressure on school staff to improved student achievement.
In an era of increased accountability, the role of the
principal has evolved from that of a manager to an
instructional leader (Hargraves, Moore, & Manning, 2001).
A body of research shows principals have a significant
influence on improving student achievement (Hallinger &
Leithwood, 1996; The Wallace Foundation, 2013).

3. INTRODUCTION
As instructional leader, the principal is responsible for
behaviors and responsibilities that will lead to improved
student achievement. (Marzano, Waters & McNulty, 2005;
Shen, 2005).
Developing leadership capacity to improve school
conditions is difficult work - few educators have the
background and experience to do this important work
(Fullan, 2001, 2005; Wayman, Midgley & Stringfield, 2006).

4. INTRODUCTION
An increasing number of studies suggest excellent
schools have excellent principals (Hallinger &
Leithwood, 1996; Leithwood, 2003).
Principals must not only focus on student achievement,
they must also support the intellectual and emotional
work of teachers (Hargraves, Moore, & Manning, 2001).

5. WMU LEARNING-CENTERED
LEADERSHIP GRANT
In 2010, the USDE awarded a five-year grant to
WMU’s Educational Leadership, Research and
Technology (ELRT) Department
The grant purpose was to develop and implement a
Learning-Centered Leadership Development
Program for practicing and aspiring principals.

6. WMU LEARNING-CENTERED
LEADERSHIP GRANT: Cohort A – 2012/13
In the first round of the grant project, 25 school teams
comprised of a practicing and an aspiring principal, plus
two teacher leaders, participated in a series of workshops
on the seven dimensions of leadership that are
empirically related to improving student achievement.
Next, the school teams engaged other stakeholders in
examining the schools’ unique context, identifying
renewal priorities, and developing renewal activities
within the framework of the seven dimensions.
The teams, then, set about implementing the renewal
work in their schools

7. WMU RESEARCH ON
SUSTAINABILITY
Now, with the combination of Cohort A and Cohort B,
we have approximately 50 school buildings from 15
school districts that are involved WMU’s LearningCentered Leadership Program
As we began to work with Cohort B, the WMU Project
Team collected data from Cohort A to determine the
extent to which the first round of schools have been able
to sustain their renewal activities over time
We also collected data to determine what factors
enhanced implementation and sustainability of the
renewal activities and what factors created barriers

8. The Research Design
We surveyed 22 of the 25 schools that were involved in
Cohort A from October 2010 to March 2013. Cohort A
principals were surveyed in November 2013 –eight
months after they had completed the Program
Of the 22 principal contacted, 16 (or 72.7%) completed
and returned the questionnaire
In addition to the survey, we conducted a case study
with one participating school. The purpose of the case
study was to contextualize the findings from the survey

9. THE STUDY FINDINGS
First, we looked at responses regarding
the implementation and sustainability
of renewal activities that involve
Data Informed Decision Making
(DDIM)

10. FINDINGS OF STUDY – IMPLEMENTATION
OF DIDM ACTIVITIES

11. FINDINGS OF STUDY –
IMPLEMENTATION OF DIDM ACTIVITIES
DIDM ACTIVITIES
RENEWAL ACTIVITIES EVOLVE
Data Discussions
Modify the Use of Data Walls
PLCs
Included more time for PLCs
Data Teams
Changed Data Leadership Team to
Instructional Leadership Team
Data Notebooks
Use data Differently – Created “Power
Hours”
Data, Assessment Focus Teams and
Data Walls
Incorporate Renewal Activities into the
School Improvement Process

12. FINDINGS: Sustaining means
“continuing as is”
Respondent
Excerpts
#1
"... informed decision making based on DIBEL's data....“
#2
"Data discussions with all staff.“
#6
“Data informed decisions are made utilizing the
systematic strategies developed through WMU.”
#8
“We incorporated all our renewal activities into our
school quality plan along with the methods for
measurement.”

13. FINDINGS: Sustaining means
“continuing as is”
Respondent
Excerpts
#10
“All teachers participate in Professional Learning Community
(PLC) meetings. These meetings are scheduled to allow grade
level and multi-grade level teachers to meet and plan
instruction using data. These meetings are held once per
week.”
#11
“Our school continues to use the Data Team process for units
of instruction.”
“Decisions are made based on student need. We use data
notebooks w/intervention notes. All staff are using.”
#12
#15
“Data, Assessment Focus Team, and Data Walls will start backup for 2nd Semester . These strategies are embedded in our

14. FINDINGS: Sustaining means “evolving
given the changing context”
Respondent
Excerpts
#5
“We have decided to not push Data Walls as much as we
have in the past. We do look at data monthly at Grade
Level Meetings and have a clear overall picture which we
use to drive our instruction for that month. We no longer
feel the need to post the data in our classrooms.”
#9
“We are currently structuring our grade level PLC's to
include more time allotted to at least an hour. Providing
this extra time really allows our team to analyze the data
and develop a plan of action.”

15. FINDINGS: Sustaining means “evolving
given the changing context”
Respondent
Excerpts
#10
“Last year our school had a data leadership team which met
to discuss the various data that was used to plan for school
improvement in reading, math and behavior. This year our
leadership developed the idea of using an Instructional
Leadership Team to help guide the best practices and
teaching learning that would drive increased student
achievement by using data. The ILT meets once per month
and then filters the information to the PLC's.
Administration monitors the progress and the ILT is in
constant position to adjust best practices as needed to
address any concerns as cited by the school data.”

16. FINDINGS: Sustaining means “evolving
given the changing context”
Respondent
Excerpts
#11
“We are beginning to use our data in different ways now.
Teachers and teams are creating "power hours" or "team
time" to better meet the needs of our students based on
what our data tell us.”
#13
“... we are now using data in different ways, including a new
initiative called Power Hour. We also are deeply committed
to Professional Learning Communities (or Critical Friends
Groups) which is a big part of school improvement and
professional growth.”

17. FINDINGS: Sustaining means “incorporating
into the overall school improvement process”
Respondent #13: “EVERYTHING is based
on data”
respondents #8: “We incorporated all our
renewal activities into our school quality
plan”

18. FINDINGS OF STUDY

19. FINDINGS: Changes attributed to the
Grant Project by the respondents
61% mentioned that “we now decide
school improvement goals based on
student and school data” and they
attributed the change to the grant project.
64.3% indicated “we now decide school
improvement strategies based on student
and school data.”

20. Additional Changes attributed to the
Grant Project by the respondents
60% indicated that they now engage stakeholders more
in school decisions
60 % indicated that their SIP process now builds upon
previous efforts, rather than starting from scratch
53.3% indicated that their school improvement process is
more focused on improving student achievement
53.3 % indicated that they now have a process in place to
ensure that SIP work is continuous

21. Additional Changes attributed to the
Grant Project by the respondents
46.7 indicated that their school improvement
strategies are more coordinated and aligned with
one another
40 % indicated that more of the impetus for change
comes from teachers as well as external forces
40% indicated that they now monitor the progress of
their school improvement initiatives more and adjust
as needed

22. FINDINGS: Facilitators and Barriers for
Sustaining Renewal Activities
Facilitators
“Staff participation, collaboration and
commitment”
“leadership effort to put a structure in
place”
“coordinated and aligned (SIP)
strategies”

23. FINDINGS: Facilitators and Barriers for
Sustaining Renewal Activities
Barriers
Leadership and staff turnover
Time availability to follow through
District level factors, e.g. finances,
support, and focus
“Re-allocating” or “micro-managing”
Staff commitment – “not all on board”

24. SUSTAINABILITY – LESSONS LEARNED FROM
THE LITERATURE AND WMU RESEARCH
Big Idea 1: Sustainability is a
by-product of high fidelity
implementation

25. SUSTAINABILITY – LESSONS LEARNED FROM
THE LITERATURE AND WMU RESEARCH
Big Idea 2: High Fidelity
Implementation requires ongoing
monitoring and adjusting

26. SUSTAINABILITY – LESSONS LEARNED FROM
THE LITERATURE AND WMU RESEARCH
Ten Things That
Support Sustainability
(From our findings
and other Studies)

27. ELEMENTS TO SUSTAINABILITY
1. Clear and Compelling Vision
2. Systems Alignment
3. Development and Use of Capacity
4. Sustained and Committed Leadership
5. Clear Definitions of High Fidelity Implementation
6. Clear Indicators of Success
7. Progress Monitoring
8. Aligning Resources
9. Communication and Transparency
10. Culture of Safety and Innovation

28. TALK TOGETHER: Which of
these have worked for you?
How?
1. Clear and Compelling Vision
2. Systems Alignment
3. Development and Use of Capacity
4. Sustained and Committed Leadership
5. Clear Definitions of High Fidelity
Implementation

29. TALK TOGETHER: Which of
these have worked for you?
How?
6. Clear Indicators of Success
7. Progress Monitoring
8. Aligning Resources
9. Communication and Transparency
10. Culture of Safety and Innovation

30. SHARE: 1-2 points from your
conversation
What insight about getting to full, high
fidelity implementation can you share?
What insight about sustaining an
important school improvement initiative
can you share?

31. NEXT: Two Cohort A Schools will
share their story of implementing
and sustaining renewal activities
While you listen to our guests from Cohort A:
Listen for examples of the Ten Elements of
Sustainability in their stories. While you may not
hear all Ten Elements in each of their stories, you
will hear some interesting examples of many
elements. Make notes about what you hear.

32. THANKS: To our guests from
Cohort A
We appreciate hearing your
stories of renewal

33. THIS AFTERNOON
After Lunch:
School Teams will have the time to
Review your renewal activities
and
Have conversation about how you will
achieve full implementation and
sustainability