BLT Leadership Domain: Culture of Shared Leadership

Schools' building-level leadership teams (BLTs) assist principals and other members of the school administrative team to ensure that all instructional personnel are prepared to assume leadership roles and are given the opportunity to do so.

Characteristics of Effective Practice by Districts and Their Schools Acceptable Implementation Acceptable Scale

1. Distribute leadership
  • The school's building-level team helps the principal develop school-wide opportunities for shared leadership.
  • In league with the principal, the school's building-level team helps ensure that all professional personnel are involved in school leadership teams.
  • The school defines “instructional personnel” broadly to include teachers, intervention specialists, paraeducators, related services personnel, librarians, counselors, administrators, and so on.
  • The school provides opportunities for all instructional personnel to serve on teacher teams.
  • The school ensures that membership on the school's building-level team enables all teacher teams to have representation.

2. Prepare all instructional personnel to serve on leadership teams
  • The school's distributed leadership structure helps the principal prepare all instructional personnel to use effective leadership practices.
  • The school's leadership team coaches new members in the use of effective leadership practices.
  • At least 75% of instructional personnel receive some type of leadership training (or coaching) each year.

3. Promote a school culture that values support and accountability
  • The school expects its leadership team members and other school colleagues to adhere to high standards of ethical conduct.
  • The school's leadership teams hold their members and other school colleagues accountable for follow-through with agreed-upon plans and practices.
  • The school's building-level leadership team helps the principal promote the health and well-being of all school personnel.
  • All teacher teams expect their members to adhere to high standards of ethical conduct.
  • All teacher teams hold their members accountable for follow-through with agreed-upon plans and practices.
  • All teacher teams work to support the health and well-being of their members and other colleagues.