The Instructional Leadership Cycle

The Instructional Leadership Cycle introduces a multifaceted model for continuous school and system improvement, founded on an adaptable set of professional practices for K-12 leaders. Daniel Allen draws on a breadth of education system experience, spanning from classroom to top office, to outline a flexible framework--the Instructional Leadership Cycle--that supports school leaders in advancing equitable, high-quality instruction. In this comprehensive and deeply practical work, Allen mentors leaders through the framework's cycles of implementation, analysis, reflection, and improvement, which are anchored in the rhythms of the annual school calendar. As Allen counsels readers on the application of the Instructional Leadership Cycle, he also explains the genesis of the framework, which has been successfully implemented in more than sixty California schools, resulting in dramatic annual student achievement gains. With ample real-world examples, Allen demonstrates how leaders can move beyond strategic planning to fulfill the promise of organizational change. Incorporating elements of universal design for learning, multi-tiered systems of support, and key performance indicators, Allen's approach encourages leaders to develop an instructional vision for their institution and then set it in motion. This clear-sighted work guides equity-focused school leaders to reliably bring about instructional transformation, moving toward positive learning outcomes for all students. "Allen provides a clear, concise, practical roadmap by which to guide district and site leaders to work collaboratively to set a vision for learning, identify problems of practice, design equity-based solutions to close the opportunity gap, and celebrate student success all while sharing lessons learned through the process. This is a must read for instructional leaders focused on school transformation efforts on all levels!" --Alfonso Jiménez, Superintendent, Hacienda La Puente USD "Daniel Allen's practical guide is a wonderful blend of theory, practical wisdom, and personal experience. We learn that instructional leadership begins in the summer when there is time for 'slow' thinking, that the 'vision speech' at the beginning of the school year must count for more than good feelings, and that a few key structures interact with the day-to-day influence of school leaders." --Rick Mintrop, Professor, University of California, Berkeley, and author of Design-Based School Improvement Daniel Allen is the general director for the Lincoln School in San Jose, Costa Rica, one of the largest private international schools in Central and South America.