What will turn a PLA school to an effective learning system?
  • Signal the need for dramatic change with strong leadership:
    • Communicating a clear purpose
    • Creating high expectations
    • Sharing leadership and authority
    • Identifying advocates within a staff
    • Building a consensus that permeated the entire staff
    • Analyzed performance data
    • Study the school and its needs


  • Maintain a consistent focus on improving instruction
    • Using data to set goals at three levels:
      • The school level
      • The classroom level
      • The student level


  • What some turnaround principals are doing:
    • Developing targeted goals by analyzing data, such as:
    • Develop systems to help teachers understand and how to use the data



  • Strong leaders:
    • Eliminate the factors that impede change
    • Use outreach to not only sell the school but to also sell the fact that change must and has come to the school