Preparing Administrators to Construct and Lead Systems of Equal Educational Opportunity

• In Event: 68.060 - Roundtable Session 29
  In Roundtable Session: 68.060-1 - Reframing Theories in Leadership Development

Abstract

Systems reforms are popular amongst educators hoping to create equal educational opportunities for our nation’s children. Research demonstrates the consistent support of leaders is critical for implementing and sustaining systems reforms. Unfortunately, few leaders know how to champion systems reforms in their schools and districts. Further, recent drafts of the NELP Standards call for preparation programs to help leaders develop this capacity. The purpose of this paper is to examine what knowledge is lacking but needed in administrators’ practice to construct coordinated instructional systems. Building on the concept of sensegiving from organizational studies, which examines how leaders shape others’ sensemaking, I study administrators’ sensegiving in their efforts to actualize a systems reform.

Keywords: systems reforms, sensegiving, implementation

Author

• Lok-Sze Wong, Northwestern University