Collaborative Leadership and Practices
Collaborative leadership serves as the relational “glue” that connects and strengthens the other Community School pillars. By developing a shared vision, establishing collective goals, and creating meaningful opportunities for shared decision-making, schools can draw on the expertise of educators, students, families, and community partners.
In practice, collaborative leadership can include professional learning communities, school-based leadership teams, teacher learning communities, labor-management partnerships, and other structures that give stakeholders a meaningful role in planning, implementation, and continuous improvement. In Community Schools, these opportunities extend beyond school staff to include students, families, community members, community-based organizations, local agencies, and other partners.
These collaborative practices can help schools strengthen trust, improve school climate, create shared ownership, and ensure that programs and supports are responsive to local needs and assets. They can also improve coordination among partners and provide opportunities for families and community members to contribute to decisions about school priorities, resources, programs, and student supports.
Source: Community Schools Playbook
Shared Leadership in Action
Collaborative leadership can take many forms depending on the needs and structure of the school community:
- Site-based leadership teams that include administrators, teachers, students, families, community partners, and other stakeholders
- Professional learning communities and collaborative staff teams
- Regular opportunities for families and students to participate in planning and decision-making
- Collaborative needs and asset assessments
- Shared review of student, school, and program data
- Working teams focused on specific priorities identified by the school community
- Coordination between school staff and community-based organizations
- Community School Coordinators working alongside principals and leadership teams
- Regular meetings where partners review progress and identify areas for improvement
- Shared development of school goals, programs, services, and strategies
From Participation to Shared Ownership
An important part of collaborative leadership is moving beyond simply asking stakeholders for feedback. Community Schools create structures in which students, families, educators, and partners can meaningfully contribute to planning, implementation, and continuous improvement. This helps distribute leadership beyond administrators and allows different perspectives and forms of expertise to shape decisions.
