The Power of WE: Establishing District Champions to Strengthen Collaboration and Support

Outline

Welcome and Introduction (10 minutes):
Activity: Introduce the session with a brief overview of the intended outcomes.
Discussion Prompt for Pair-Share: What does “service” mean when using it in the context of central office “service” support?
Objective: Set the tone for the session and connect participants with the theme of “service-oriented leadership.”

Setting the Stage: One District’s Story (15 minutes)
Activity: Presenters will showcase their work of District Champions using a mix of video clips, testimonials, artifacts, and data.
Participant Reflection: Using a note-catcher, participants will reflect on how this approach differs from or is similar to their district’s practices.
Share Out: Volunteers will be asked to share some of their reflections.

Deeping the Learning: District Champions (20 minutes)
Activity: Break into small groups. Each group receives a case study or scenario describing a challenge Champaign faced and how the District Champions addressed the challenge.
Small Group Task: Groups analyze the case study or scenario and then discuss the role of the District Champion and how it served as a bridge between the school and the central office.
Share Out: Groups share their insights with the larger group, sharing specific ways the District Champion addressed the challenges. Ideas shared will be captured on a slide.

Interactive Application: Develop or Enhance Your Own District Champion Model (30 minutes)
Activity: Each participant or district team develops a draft plan for adapting or implementing a similar District Champion role in their own district or context.
Identify a District Champion's key characteristics, including what it is and is not.
Define roles and responsibilities.
Create an action plan to take back to their district.

Gallery Walk: Getting Ideas and Giving Feedback (10 minutes)
Activity: Display plans around the room. Have participants do a gallery walk. With sticky notes, participants will leave feedback, questions, or ideas for consideration.
Reflection and Next Steps: (5 minutes)
Reflection Prompt: What is one action you will take to emphasize “serve” in your work based on today’s session?
Activity: Participants share one key takeaway and how they will apply it to their role.

Supporting research

In a study commissioned by the Wallace Foundation, Honig et al. (2010) identified key tenets of central office transformation that resulted in increased student achievement in school districts across the US. Among these key tenets was strengthening the support between central office leaders and principals and maintaining a laser focus on teaching and learning. Inspired by these findings, Champaign’s deployment of District Champions aims to spark its central office transformation efforts. District Champions serve as a key link between the central office and their principals, helping to identify opportunities to strengthen teaching and learning and channeling ideas, resources, and tailored support to schools to address those opportunities.

Honig, M. I., Copland, M. A., Rainey, L., Lortan, J. A., & Newton, M. (2010). (rep.). Central Office Transformation for District-Wide Teaching and Learning Improvement (Ser. The Wallace Foundation’s Learning for Leadership Improvement). Seattle, Washington: Center for the Study of Teaching and Policy.