Introduction

Achieving and SustainingImprovement“Ultimately, your leadership in a culture of change will be judged as effective orineffective not by who you are as a leader but by what leadership you producein others.”(Fullan, 2001, p. 137)This chapter of A Guide to Effective Instruction in Mathematics, Kindergarten to Grade 6will be of interest to teachers, principals, superintendents, and board support orresource staff who are collaborating to improve math instruction in Ontario schools.It describes what research has revealed about the methods used by schools and theroles undertaken by educators at various levels that have proved particularly effectivein creating and sustaining improvement in math achievement.The Ministry of Education recognizes that assigning roles in schools and school boards isthe responsibility of district school boards. The following discussion provides boards witha framework within which they may plan for school improvement, and descriptionsof roles they may find useful in supporting and aligning individuals’ efforts withintheir organizations. This framework and the descriptions of roles follow closely theadvice found in the Expert Panel reports on math and reading in the primary and juniorgrades (Expert Panel on Early Math in Ontario, 2003; Expert Panel on Mathematics inGrades 4 to 6 in Ontario, 2004; Expert Panel on Early Reading in Ontario, 2003;Expert Panel on Literacy in Grades 4 to 6 in Ontario, 2004).A Framework for School ImprovementImprovement is achieved and sustained by the continuous, conscious efforts of educatorsto assess their students’ progress, identify areas for improvement, determine theinstructional strategies to pursue in light of assessment data, implement those strategies,measure whether the strategies have been successful in addressing students’ needs,and plan the next step in the instructional process.3