Shared Vision: A shared set of goals, commitments, and practices
enacted throughout the school. The shared school vision serves as a
basis for decision-making and change (i.e., "How does that decision fit
with what we believe in?") and gives individuals an enhanced sense of
purpose. They make individuals part of a bigger cause, a cause beyond
one’s self. Sergiovanni (2001) emphasizes that "the vision of a school
must reflect the hopes and dreams, the needs and interests, the values
and beliefs of everyone who has a stake in the school: teachers,
parents, and students" (p. 149).
Glickman’s (1993) "convenant"
for teaching and learning embeds the vision at a deeper level to
provide a framework for core learning principles that are manifested in
daily school practices. Core learning principles focus on teaching and
learning and what teaching and learning should look like in the
classroom, and consequently guide decisions about student learning and
school practices (Glickman, 1993, 2003).
Professional learning
communities develop a shared vision with a focus on student learning
and cultivate a culture to support the vision for school improvement
(Hord, 1997). Schools with a shared school vision for student learning
have more positive results than schools with multiple programs and
little coordination (Lee & Smith, 1994; Newmann, Smith, Allensworth
& Bryk, 2001).