Developing Instructional Leadership

A Foundation of Research on Leadership and Teaching Effectiveness

Teachscape Walk and the Teachscape Classroom Walkthrough process provide principals, assistant principals, coaches, and teachers with a shared understanding of classroom learning, which forms the basis for meaningful reflection focused on improving academic outcomes for students. Teachscape's Classroom Walkthrough process is informed by the work of leading researchers on leadership and school effectiveness and reflects core beliefs about school leadership. These beliefs include:

• Leadership, guidance, and support by principals are key to affecting change in classrooms (Fullan, 2001; Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium Standards for School Leaders, 1996).

• Direct participation as the instructional leader of the school means identifying themselves as the lead learner in the community and in actively facilitating the learning community (DuFour, 2002; Darling-Hammond, 1995; Marzano, Waters, & McNulty, 2005).

• A focus on content-specific instruction and developing action plans should be informed by data on teaching and learning (Reeves, 2004; Spillane, 2005).

Classroom Walkthrough Hallmark of In-service Leadership Programs

What are the essential elements of good school leadership? What are the features of effective in-service leadership development programs? The School Leadership Study: Developing Successful Principals was a major research effort commissioned by The Wallace Foundation and led by the Stanford Educational Leadership Institute to examine exemplary program models that develop strong school leaders. Classroom Walkthrough emerged as a hallmark of exemplary in-service leadership programs.

The following studies, commissioned by The Wallace Foundation, report on preparing and developing effective school leaders for successful schools:

School Leadership Study: Developing Successful Principals 

Preparing School Leaders for a Changing World: Lessons from Exemplary Leadership Development Programs

Teachscape Classroom Walkthrough Research Basis

Classroom Walkthrough offers a coherent structure and iterative process for instructional leaders to gather focused information about a school's instructional strengths and weaknesses. The CWT process and the design of Teachscape Walk are rooted in three areas of research:

• Research on leadership, school effectiveness, and reflective practice
• Research on adult learning and effective professional development
• Research on instruction and learning

Monroe Township School District Case Study

Learn how the Monroe Township School District's use of Teachscape’s Classroom Walkthrough helped the district ultimately raise student achievement. View Case Study

Archdiocese of Philadelphia Case Study

Learn how the Archdiocese of Philadelphia used Teachscape's Classroom Walkthrough to improve teachers’ instructional practices, increase communication between teachers and administrators, and improve students' higher-order thinking skills. View Case Study