ON POINT

The Building Leadership Team

 The mission of the National Institute for Urban School Improvement
is to partner with Regional Resource Centers to develop powerful networks
of urban local education agencies and schools that embrace and implement a
data-based, continuous improvement approach for inclusive practices.
Embedded within this approach is a commitment to evidence-based practice
in early intervention, universal design, literacy and positive behavior supports.

The Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), of the U.S. Department of

Education, has funded NIUSI to facilitate the unification of current general and
special education reform efforts as these are implemented in the nation’s urban
school districts. NIUSI’s creation reflects OSEP’s long-standing commitment to
improving educational outcomes for all children, specifically those with
disabilities, in communities challenged and enriched by the urban experience.

Great Urban Schools: Learning Together Builds Strong Communities

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ON POINT SERIES

The Building Leadership Team

National Institute for Urban School Improvement
University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center

In Collaboration with:
The Colorado Department of Education
Peak Parent Center
The Silc Road

©2005 NIUSI
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sharing leadership and processes for professional development.

They help keep the focus on a few specific
What is a Building Leadership Team? targets and work with the building principal to
A Building Leadership Team (BLT) is a assure that administrative structures support
school-based group of individuals who work the instructional program.
to provide strong organizational process for
school renewal and improvement. BLTs Do BLTs replace principals? Principals
orchestrate the work of school professionals, are like conductors. They can’t make music
administrators, families, and students through without their musicians but they lead the
the school improvement process. This process process of performing. Principals are
includes the examination of current, successful responsible to the central administration and
practices and also those areas that are of ultimately to the School Board to ensure that
concern to the school community. In addition, the policies and processes established for the
BLTs plan for progress, achievement, and risk. district as a whole are implemented in their
buildings. They must assure that the safety
Team leadership helps to facilitate rapid and and security of students and staff alike are
sustained change. Often, circumstances such maintained. Principles are accountable for the
as high turnover, classroom isolation, and overall academic achievement of all learners
limited executive authority make it difficult in their building. Evaluation and mentoring of
for schools to make the decisions needed for school professionals in the building is a vital
improvement. Leadership teams then can and time-consuming part of each principal’s
provide a context for decision making. The role. Because of these responsibilities, the
use of BLTs emphasizes the need for clear principal plays a critical role in shaping the
sanction and participation from other school agendas for each building leadership team.
staff, reasonable delegation of responsibility
and authority from the district office and What’s the commitment? BLT members
board, and resources for the team’s work. are committing themselves to the equivalent of
about an hour and a half per week of meeting
The BLT meets regularly throughout the time. Meetings may occur weekly, every other
school year to ensure that both planning for week, or when a team is well-established
school improvement and the implementation monthly. BLT members are also committing
of those plans is on course. When necessary, the themselves to work completed between
BLT works to develop or change building meetings. In addition, the BLT will have at least
policies so that policies, procedures, and one retreat at the beginning of each year to
activities work together to support the work of establish a working plan. Teams may also choose
educators and students. BLTs are responsible to meet at the end of the year to assess progress
for collecting data in order to identify topics and complete an annual review of progress. BLT
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members will have the opportunity to network The following are process roles that the team
with other school BLTs via electronic mail and might find helpful to the overall efficiency of
face-to-face at conferences and meetings. a meeting (these jobs are often rotated):

• Facilitator: Guides the meeting process and

building the team remains objective.
• Timekeeper: Keeps track of how much time
Who should be a member? Membership has been spent on an issue. Advises group when
on the team should be diverse. You’ll want to time allotted for an agenda item is up. Helps
consider students, practitioners, family and to ensure equitable floor time for speakers.
community members, and administrative staff. • Scribe: Takes notes.
Because a leadership team must be sustainable • Doorkeeper: Sits near the door and fills in
over time, consider staggering the terms for latecomers with the current status of the
members, thus ensuring a smoother transition meeting and what has been discussed so far.
for new members and less disruption to the • Temperature taker: Monitors how the group
team’s work. Ensure that as many people as is responding to each other.
possible of selecting members for the team.
What is the purpose of a BLT? Part
Decide on a process for how members are of building the team is helping people focus
selected or nominated for the team. These on outcomes. Revisiting these purposes
questions should be considered: and outcomes periodically provides the
opportunity to reassess team processes.
• At the elementary level, is each grade level Each team establishes its purpose. Some
represented? possibilities are listed below:
• How are special education members included?
• At the secondary level, should members • Provides leadership for setting school
represent teams? Content area? Grade level? targets and accomplishments and presents
• Do parents represent the diversity present evidence to central administration of the
in the school community ( i.e., second plan for school improvement each year.
language learners)? • Organizes workgroups that will accomplish
• Will students directly participate or will tasks related to school improvement.
there be a process to include their voices in • Insures that the building engages in a
decision making? variety of evaluation tasks­—those that help
determine the goals, those that help inform
Who does what? Part of “building the progress and change, and those that
team” is sharing the responsibilities that benchmark success (i.e., student
accompany the running of any meeting. achievement, school climate, etc.).
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• Based on data, determines the areas of need each item. It will be important for BLTs to have
and provides leadership for professional time to make decisions as well as dialogue. Some
development within the building, take members of your team will disengage unless
leadership for ensuring that the entire the team accomplishes its agenda. Remember
building (staff, parents, community members, to create agendas together. Make sure that
and students) become a learning community. everyone gets an opportunity to place items on
• Understands and works within the policies the agenda and that these items are legitimized
and guidelines of the district. through discussion and actions. Rotate the
responsibility for convening meetings and the
What can members expect? As a role each member plays at the meeting. Post
team member, you can expect: the agenda at least a day before the meeting as
a reminder to your team members. Label items
• Own solutions and not just problems on the agenda as informational, discussion, and/
• Challenge the way things are or action. Ensure that the principal has a time
• Reach out to unexpected constituencies slot on the agenda for announcements. A sample
• Be willing to learn, change, take another’s agenda can be found in the appendix.
perspective
• See your role and the role of your team as a What are the norms? People who work
part of a larger ecosystem together need to be explicit about a set of
• Understand the change will bring norms for their work, since people have
unexpected side effects—try to anticipate differing sets of expectations and skills for
the ripple effects of change meetings. Not everyone feels comfortable in
• Understand the system that you work in these formalized structures, so new groups often
• Understand the strengths that you and your lean towards informality to ease the comfort
team members bring to the work level of the participants. As a result, meetings
• Assume a role of collaborative leadership may not be as productive as they need to be to
• Avoid negativity—this is not an event but a sustain the group over time. It is important to
new way of working with others have a conversation among your team members
• Empower yourself early on to establish a way of working
together. Some norms might include using
written and verbal input, keeping minutes,
making meetings sharing limited time to talk by creating time
productive limits for contributors, being on time, and
having a process to inform team members who
Why set an agenda? Remember that must miss a meeting. Another item to discuss
people have limited amounts of time. At the might be how to offer solutions rather than
beginning of the meeting, set time limits for critique the worth of others’ contributions.
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How should a meeting be group can arrive at consensus on these

facilitated? Adhering to formalized activities. Then, your frequent meetings can
meeting procedures builds a strong, productive provide an opportunity for status reports
team. Teams will need to decide on several (information items) and decision making based
factors, one of which is designating a facilitator on the work of small workgroups. Build your
or chairperson. This position can be delegated calendar of activities on at least a semester-by-
to one person, shared by two team members, or semester basis. Make sure that the roles and
shared among the group. The responsibilities of responsibilities of each group member are
a facilitator might include the following: spelled out (facilitator, decision taker, convener,
guiding the team through the agenda, keeping etc). Ask for status reports by activity at each of
the agenda rolling, recognizing obstacles and your meetings. Make sure that the tasks that you
assisting with the decision-making process. work on have buy-in from your whole group.
Finally, be sure to end your meetings on time! Document your decisions so that team members
have access to them. An Activity Planner is
How do we encourage productive included in the appendix. This document is
dialogue? Productive dialogue is essential designed to help keep targets in focus.
to effective team meetings. Some ideas
include using round robins (asking each How do we handle the minutes?
individual to offer up to a two-minute opinion Minutes are important artifacts that help the
on the subject) to tie up discussions. You can team keep track of decisions, discussions, and
also ask people to write down their top three topics. They should be kept for each meeting
ideas on a topic so the no one’s ideas are lost. and reviewed at subsequent meetings.
In a group of 10 or more people, you might
ask pairs to dialogue about an issue for two Post the decisions of your last meeting in a
minutes and share their merged ideas with the conspicuous place, such as right in front of
group. Make sure that the questions that elicit your building’s copy machine(s). Post when
discussion require more than yes or no and where the next meeting will occur.
answers. For instance, “To what extent are our Remind faculty about your meeting at least
students feeling supported by the faculty?” two days before it is held.
Rather than “Are our students feeling
supported by the faculty?” Ask them to reflect Use the print and e-mail to keep your
on what they are learning. Periodically, take faculty and staff informed. Make sure that
the time to summarize a conversation. BLT members have a venue to share
information from the BLT meeting. This
How do we accomplish the work? could be in the form of a grade-level team
Take the time in your retreats to plan ahead, meeting, where meeting minutes could
assigning specific tasks and time lines. The help remind people of the work done.
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decision-making processes all of the decision-making steps are followed.

There may be occasion, however, when
How do we assure Collaborative conflict arises during the process.
decision-making? Decisions made by
Building Leadership Teams should represent How do we honor dissent?
the collective judgment of the school Periodically, teams may experience times
community. Each member of the BLT has when a decision cannot be reached and
a responsibility to act as the voice for a resolution is delayed. If the team is unable to
group of stakeholders they may represent. reach consensus on an issue after a period of
Collaborative decision making allows for each time, several options or concessions may be
team member to state their views. Consensus considered by teams. These include:
is reached after thoroughly discussing the
problem or issue and represents the best • Use a neutral, third party to facilitate
decision of the group as a whole. The results of through the impasse record
this process are that members must agree to • Post dissenting viewpoints in the minutes
live with the decision of the group and commit • Determine a probationary term to test
to carrying out the decision or solution. implementation of the decision

How can we reach consensus? A When is voting appropriate? Most

consensus decision is either unanimous or a people are familiar with the use of the
majority decision that the entire team, including democratic method of decision making. Voting
dissenters, will work to implement. Steps to can set up teams to take sides. The result may
assist the team with reaching consensus include: be resistance to implementing decisions that
a few individuals do not agree with. There are
• Define and clarify problem or topic times, however, when voting can expedite
• Determine who will be impacted by decision consensus decision making. Early in the stages
• Gather information, including feedback of problem solving, voting may be used
from those who will be affected to narrow choices. These decisions are made
• Discuss problem or topic, generating according to the vote of the majority of a
alternative solutions pre-determined percentage of BLT members.
• Discuss differences and agreements
• Make the decision What is an example of decision
• Determine an evaluation process making? Initial school profile information
• Implement the decision collected by Crest Middle School indicates
that over the past three years there has been a
Typically, BLT members will find that they significant increase in student tardiness. Two
have little difficulty reaching consensus when work groups from the Building Leadership
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Team have been involved in collecting BLT’s work in six-month increments. This
in-depth information from students, teachers, helps to ensure a number of things:
administrators and parents about the issue of
tardiness and compiling the latest research on • Timely planning for upcoming projects/data
best practices and effectiveness of interventions. collection, etc.
The data collection work group found that • Delegation of responsibility to a broad
teachers experienced consequences of selection of team members
tardiness in different ways. Student • Efficient use of team members’ time
information suggested that several classroom • A structure from which to maintain the
clocks were off by a few minutes, which was team’s focus
problematic when moving from a class where • The Path Process has been used with
the time was off to one that was set differently. schools to plan for systemic change. This
The research practices work group shared planning is included in the appendix
several strategies, including, hall monitors,
cueing students with a short bell when there are How to keep on track? Several ways to
only two minutes left to hall passing, and hall help keep people on track are:
“sweep”. After discussing the possible reasons
behind the increasing tardiness, BLT members • Honor individuals for any good deed,
discussed the pros and cons of each strategy action, or contribution. Pay attention to
shared by the researched practices work group. each team member’s work.
The team came to consensus on three decisions: • Keep the focus of the meeting on agenda
1) a tardy policy needed to be developed for items by adhering to the norms set by the
all teachers to follow; 2) this policy would be group.
reviewed by students and parents for input; • Honor people’s commitment by beginning
and 3) a two-minute warning bell would be and ending meetings on time.
sounded toward the end of the each passing • Revisit the goals and outcomes regularly.
period. The BLT set up a time line of one • Watch for unexpressed issues and feelings.
quarter to determine if implementation of • Look for who is speaking and who is not.
these strategies worked or would need revising. • Ask for contributions from silent members.

How to commit to homework?

working important topics Depending on how often the BLT meets, it is
likely that some work will need to be done
How do we create a plan for the outside of meeting times. This might include
first six months of work? In order to data collection, data analysis, reports, readings,
maintain the focus for the team’s work, it is etc. BLT members need to ensure that
important to create a plan that lays out the homework or additional duties do not
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encumber members, while at the same time

acknowledging that time outside the regular
school day may be required of the team.
References
Anderson, B. T., Brown, C., & Lopez-Ferrao, J.
How to remember your (2003). Systemic reform: Good educational
constituencies? Keeping the school staff practice with positive impacts and
and community informed about that decisions unresolved problems and issues.  Review of
and activities of the BLT are critical to Policy Research, 20(4), 617-628.
maintaining and enhancing its leadership role. To Fullan, M. (2001). Leading in a culture of change.
that extent, it is important to develop a feedback San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
loop that keeps constituencies informed. Fullan, M. (2003). Change forces with a
vengeance. New York: RoutledgeFalmer.
The following questions may help focus how McLagan, P. A. (2002). Success with change.  T
your team accomplishes this: + D, 56(12), 44-53.
Senge, P. (2000).  Schools that learn: A fifth
• What process will team members use to discipline fieldbook for educators,     parents,
communicate BLT decisions to the rest of and everyone who cares about education. 
the faculty? New York: Doubleday.
• How will input be sought from others, Squire, K. D. & Reigeluth, C. M. (2000). The
including school personnel and community many faces of systemic change. Educational
members? Horizons, 78(3), 143-152.
• To what degree will there be student Tosti, D. T. (2000).  Systemic change.
involvement? Performance Improvement, 39(3), 53-59.
 gREAT URBAN SCHOOLS:

v
Produce high achieving students.

v
Construct education for
social justice, access and equity.

v
Expand students’ life opportunities,
available choices and community contributions.

v
Build on the extraordinary resources that
urban communities provide for life-long learning.

v
Use the valuable knowledge and experience that
children and their families bring to school learning.

v
Need individuals, family organizations and communities to
work together to create future generations of possibility.

v
Practice scholarship by creating partnerships
for action-based research and inquiry.

v
Shape their practice based on evidence of what
results in successful learning of each student.

v
Foster relationships based on care,
respect and responsibility.

v
Understand that people learn in different
ways throughout their lives.

v
Respond with learning
opportunities that work.

Great Urban Schools: Learning Together Builds Strong Communities

 ON POINT

National Institute for

Urban School Improvement
AriZOnA stAte uniVersitY
pO BOX 872011
teMpe, AriZOnA 85287-2011

PhOne : 480.965.0391
FAX: 480.727.7012

EMAiL: niusi @ Asu.edu

WWW.niusiLeAdscApe.OrG

Funded by the U. S. Department of Education

Office of Special Education Programs
Award No. H326B020002
Project Officer: Anne Smith

in collaboration with:

The Colorado the peak

Department of silc parent
education road center

Great Urban Schools: Learning Together Builds Strong Communities