29 - Enhancing School Improvement Strategies Through Collaborative Evaluation

Abstract Information: School improvement strategies can be enhanced through the use of collaborative evaluation within teacher professional networks. The Model for Collaborative Evaluations (Rodriguez-Campos and Rincones–Gomez, 2013) is composed of elements (components and subcomponents) that influence each other and, as a consequence, the overall collaborative evaluation. To accomplish a comprehensive collaborative evaluation, the interactive use of the MCE elements on a rotating and remixing basis is recommended. However, there is a benefit of utilizing the individual MCE component Ensure Open Communication and the subcomponent Ensure Active Participation. When applied in this manner, the MCE can support and enhance the implementation and monitoring of school improvement strategies. Teachers who engage in collaborative professional networks provide a unique perspective about the existing culture and communication for school improvement planning. Social Network Analysis (SNA) was used in the featured case study (Bauman, 2019) to tell this school’s story and create visual representations of teacher professional networks. These networks were driven by collaborative relationships, and exemplify the opportunities for the application of the MCE to ensure open communication in school improvement.

Relevance Statement: This poster presentation will apply the Model for Collaborative Evaluations (MCE) within the school continuous improvement process utilizing a case study investigating teacher professional networks. It tells the story of one school that demonstrated its commitment to student growth and achievement through a leadership culture where teachers perceived they had a voice in school improvement and instructional implementation. It will include an overview of the MCE, with a focus on the component Ensure Open Communication and the subcomponent Ensure Active Participation. This presentation is aligned with the AEA Guiding Principle Systematic Inquiry, and seeks to integrate the MCE with the emerging technologies and evaluation applications of Social Network Analysis (SNA) in order to accurately and ethically identify and communicate with key stakeholders. It is also aligned with the AEA Evaluator Competency Domain Context, which emphasizes the importance of determining evaluation context, including power and privilege, for all stakeholders. Incorporating the structured Model for Collaborative Evaluations into school improvement planning and implementation can kindle stakeholder involvement, increase meaningful use of evaluation by stakeholders, and contribute to knowledge-based decision making. The poster will include visual representations of teacher professional networks within a school as revealed through Social Network Analysis. Implications for the use of collaborative evaluation in school improvement processes will be discussed. For school improvement to be successful, stakeholders must be invested in the process, including developing and maintaining systems to encourage open communication for improvement. Motivating and engaging stakeholders in the process of school improvement causes stakeholders to feel more invested in the initiative. Many contemporary studies of teacher leadership focus on the role of the principal and the conditions administrators create that support or inhibit teacher leadership (Poekert, 2012). Another perspective to take is looking at the networks that teachers develop within a sphere of professional influence. “Leadership resides, not in individuals, but in the spaces between and among individuals” (Taylor, Goeke, Klein, Onore, and Geist, 2011, p. 921). Less research has been undertaken to record and analyze the quality and quantity of the networks that occur as a result of collaborative practice (Pitts & Spillane, 2009). Encouraging teachers to have a voice in their schools can have an impact on school improvement (Smylie, Conley, & Marks, 2011). The professional networks revealed through Social Network Analysis within this case study indicate that teachers within this school communicate, both formally and informally, about instructional practices, improvement and innovation. Telling the story of established professional networks within this school setting could be a source of insight to identify and overcome potential barriers to fostering and maintaining open communication in similar settings for school improvement.