Courage to Lead in the City Schools of Decatur: Leveraging Psychological Safety to Identify Opportunities for Learning

Abstract

The City Schools of Decatur (CSD), located six miles northeast of Atlanta, Georgia, is a high-performing school district. At first glance, high student achievement results are evidence of outstanding teaching and learning for all students within the school district. However, when achievement data is disaggregated, a different narrative unfolds. The achievement data for CSD students who identify as Black is far lower than that of their White counterparts. Some student groups have historically been underserved because educators have not provided them with the tools they need to learn and grow. This has been a matter of fact in CSD for decades. Upon the arrival of a new superintendent in the Spring of 2023, it was time for CSD to find the courage for growth and change. Research shows that school principals have the wherewithal to facilitate change in favor of improved student outcomes. CSD school leaders have the potential to serve all students with support structures in place. As such, tracking and facilitating support could lead to a new CSD narrative. The district and school leadership could become the mobilizers of educational equity, ensuring all students are served according to their learning needs. Surfacing the courage to lead in CSD required a three-pronged strategic approach that served as the basis for this capstone project. All three prongs leveraged school principals as the agent of change in schools. The first prong focused on facilitating canvas walkthroughs for principals to receive instructional feedback from district leadership. The second prong involved the creation of a school leader playbook that clarified the expectations and district supports that sought to ignite courage in CSD school leaders–courage so they may be true vanguards of data-driven instruction and educational equity. The third prong leveraged school support visits and the strategy that comes with an instructional cabinet support tracker. When the district leadership acts in the spirit of true collaboration, support to principals is stronger and more effective. The canvas walkthroughs, school leader playbook, and instructional cabinet support tracker led to changes in adult behavior that impacted teaching and learning in the classroom and to positive achievement results.