Abstract
Instructional leadership is the most influential lever principals and supervisors have to improve teaching and learning, yet managerial demands often limit sustained classroom engagement. This qualitative participatory action research study explores how leaders can reclaim instructional leadership by embedding focused observation tools and instructional conversations into routine supervision without adding time burdens.
Using Community Learning Exchange methodology, four teachers and a principal engaged in a 14-month community of practice at a rural Title I early college high school. Through three inquiry cycles, the study examined how evidence-based tools and data-informed dialogue shaped teaching and leadership practices.
Findings revealed two outcomes central to reclaiming instructional leadership: (1) the use of targeted instructional tools enabled efficient, high-leverage classroom observations that clarified instructional priorities and reduced subjectivity; and (2) instructional conversations grounded in these tools led directly to changes in teacher practice, including increased rigor, equitable participation, and student-generated discourse. The findings indicate that reclaiming instructional leadership does not require additional time, but rather a reorientation of supervision toward precision, shared tools, and focused instructional dialogue. This study contributes to a replicable model for principals and supervisors seeking to remain in instructional leadership roles while navigating daily demands.
Recommended Citation
Britt, Lyndsay and Militello, Matthew
(2026)
"Reclaiming Instructional Leadership: Using Evidence-Based Tools and Conversations to Change Classroom Practice,"
Journal of Organizational & Educational Leadership: Vol. 12:
Iss.
1, Article 6.
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.gardner-webb.edu/joel/vol12/iss1/6