Center for Model Schools Evidence Base

The Center for Model Schools works shoulder-to-shoulder with district and school leaders to focus on three domains that are essential to improving student outcomes: vision and strategy, culture, and teaching and learning. Within each of these three key domains are three transformational leadership priorities. If leaders focus on these nine priorities, then they are engaged in the technical and adaptive leadership needed to create the conditions for every child to be in a Model School. The Center for Model Schools Research Evidence Base paper establishes the evidence base for each of the Transformational Leadership Priorities:

• Create and communicate a bold and compelling vision to drive system-wide coherence
• Collaborate to transparently enact a shared vision, core values, and the strategic plan
• Leverage continuous improvement methods to measure progress and accelerate the vision
• Generate trust by leading with ethics, equity, and according to professional norms
• Ensure that services, activities, and resources cultivate safe, supportive, and inclusive environments
• Drive ownership and engagement through reciprocal relationships and transparent decision-making
• Establish evidence-based curriculum, instruction, and assessment systems that yield measurable growth
• Structure learning opportunities that build capacity and collective efficacy among teachers and staff
• Monitor key indicators of success and well-being to continually refine systems of teaching and learning

The Center developed the Transformational Leadership Priorities based on many years of experience in helping leaders improve their schools and systems as well as an extensive evidence base, including the work of improvement science, technical and adaptive leadership skills, the 5Essentials^®, and the Professional Standards for Educational Leaders. After establishing the evidence base for the key domains of vision and strategy, culture, and teaching and learning, this paper discusses how the Center delivers through Leadership Consulting, Transformational Leadership Networks, and the annual Model Schools Conference.

_{*5Essentials is a registered trademark and is the Intellectual property of UChicago Impact and the University of Chicago.}