The “Strong Start” Playbook
A Tool to Launch the School Year for Success
Q&A with Rebecca Utton, Senior Dean, National Academies at Relay Graduate School of Education
What is your role in the National Principal Academy Fellowship (NPAF)?
I am the Managing Partner for NPAF and the National Principal Supervisors Academy (NPSA), which means I plan and facilitate professional development sessions as well as coach a few school and system leaders. I love seeing leaders’ passion for their students’ success and how they use the Relay levers to support their teachers and thus increase student achievement!
What is a Playbook, as it relates to school leadership?
Playbooks enable leaders to align their daily work to their long term student achievement and culture goals. The basic cycle is to Plan, Act, Monitor (i.e. observe student learning to determine gaps), and Respond (i.e. adjust the plan). Through creating and using Playbooks, school leaders keep themselves and their teams focused on the actions that will help achieve their priorities.
How do you use Playbooks as part of NPAF?
During summer intensive, NPAF (and NPSA) participants attend a day-long PD session on creating a “Strong Start” Playbook. This is a plan for starting the year with a culture of learning that is safe, structured and inclusive for all students. One key step is aligning the work across the school leadership team, so that everyone is working with the same focus.
When we come back together for our first intersession in October, the Playbook session shifts to a focus on rigor. This is where leaders focus on what students are learning, what there are student learning gaps, and what are the contributing gaps in teacher practice - then, how to close those gaps. Finally, towards the end of the year, we ground our work in a Strategic Planning session, the big step back of looking across the school and thinking where are we strong and where do we need to grow to ensure every student is achieving their dreams.
Throughout this process, participants collaborate with their leadership teams, get insight from peers in other districts, and receive coaching from program facilitators - all experienced school and system leaders themselves.
What have you seen school leaders get out of the Playbook process?
Leading a school is hard. Much of the time school leaders get caught up in just putting out fires. A strong Strategic Plan and set of Playbooks help school leaders build energy with their teams and collaboratively create a cycle of learning across the school, so the adults can get better and better every year - all in the service of student success!
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National Principal Academy Fellowship
NPAF is a year-long fellowship program that cultivates exceptional instructional leaders who transform their schools. Through coaching, peer networking, and hands-on practice, school leaders further develop their skills in data-informed instruction, coaching, strategic planning, centering equity, and more. NPAF is just one of many Relay Leadership Programs for every level of leader.