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. The work shows how the process circles back to a few key tenets: ensure that all educators have access to a common set of tools to use in support of instructional improvement, effectively measure progress with school data analysis, and leverage organizational learning.

This clear-sighted work guides equity-focused school leaders to reliably bring about instructional transformation, moving toward positive learning outcomes for all students.