Conversational Routines and Instruction-Specific Talk in a Network of District Superintendents

• In Event: Roundtable Session 26
  In Roundtable Session: Leadership Development for District Superintendents

Abstract

This paper reports on a study of a school superintendents network intended to foster the development of instructional leadership through deepening participants’ knowledge of instructional practice and student learning. A core practice of the network is instructional rounds visits to schools, which include classroom observations and analysis of the observation data. By analyzing network discussions of different formats and on different topics during the rounds visits and in other network meetings, the study demonstrates that conversational routines vary in their effectiveness in supporting conversations that are specific, evidence-based, and instruction-focused. The paper includes recommendations for professional learning practices for superintendents.

Authors

• David Allen, College of Staten Island - CUNY

• Rachel Roegman, Purdue University