Harnessing the Power of Collective Inquiry

Superintendents collaborate in a network to share candidly their leadership challenges and tap into colleagues’ practical insights

A group of 15 superintendents is seated around a large conference table on the University of California Davis campus discussing how they might end the practice in their respective schools of referring struggling students to special education classes. They are engaged in a unique professional development model that uses a problem of practice and theory of action case study protocol to address current leadership challenges in their school districts.

The particular case study’s problem of practice, or POP, on this day is dealing with a frequently shared issue of equity: How can school districts increase the instructional capacity of teachers to effectively address the needs of low-performing students so they aren’t so routinely referred for placements in special education classes?

The theory of action, or TOA, presented in the case study is this: “If the district provides research evidence to teachers on the impact of multitiered supports for students and provides professional development in effective pedagogy, while principals examine student performance data from teachers to support in-classroom instruction, then more students will be successfully served in general education class-rooms and referral rates to special education will be reduced.”

For most superintendents, this is an onerous and complex problem. Rather than frustration, there is a palpable feeling of engagement in the room. The candid discussion has focus and a complete sense of safety and trust. As the participants, who lead suburban, urban and rural school districts across northern California, probe optimal answers, realistic resolutions and potential pitfalls of the case, the discussion is both supportive and deep. The superintendent who has been presenting the case, based on actual experiences in his 1,800-student district, then reflects on the insights gleaned from the discussion. He agrees to share progress in future meetings with the group of 18 colleagues.