The leadership category explains how the educator creates and sustains clear and visible quality values along with a management system to guide all activities of the classroom toward educational excellence. Also examined are the commitments of educators to cooperate with other groups and how the classroom projects its quality values and practices into the community. The classroom leadership system is the educator and might include team teachers, students, parents, and building level leadership.

Those with a strong commitment to and applying best practices of the leadership category will be able to explain:

• The process for involving students in developing and improving a classroom mission statement aligned to the School Improvement Plan.
• How they align all classroom decisions, instructional strategies, and planning to the mission to facilitate highest student achievement.
• The process for displaying and communicating progress toward goals.
• The PDSA cycle used to improve daily operations.
• How they work with parents, other people in school, and members of the community to accomplish goals.
• How they facilitate students leading and owning key school processes.

Examples

Using PDSA to Work Your School Improvement Plan
Tips for Effective School Improvement Plan Deployment
Teacher Survey
School Leader Survey
Linkage School Check
Future Planning Sheet
Expectations and Assumptions
Building a School Culture