The Work Before the Work
Forty years of research establishes what makes schools improve. Most leaders — and the programs that prepared them — have never been taught how to collectively create it. Culture.
THE MISSING PIECE OF SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT
Heavily Invested in Leadership and Instruction. Underinvested in What Makes It Stick and Last.
Is your school built for compliance or commitment?
THE CORE DISTINCTION
Culture-First
Shared purpose and responsibility endure
Trust, clarity, and support are strengthened
Meetings reinforce purpose and priorities
Systems strengthen alongside expectations
Continuous improvement becomes part of the culture
Compliance-Driven
Improvement rises and falls with individual leaders
Trust and coherence vary across teams
Meetings focus on logistics and mandates
Initiatives outpace organizational capacity
Improvement feels episodic or externally driven
PRACTITIONER RESOURCES
Research-grounded tools for schools ready to make the shift. All documents are freely available.
The Full Framework
About Rich Sinclair
ABOUT THE WORK
Rich is an educator, school leader, and doctoral researcher focused on the organizational conditions that help schools sustain improvement over time. In 2009, after leading the collaborative turnaround of three schools, K-12, he became increasingly interested in a question that followed him across schools and systems: Why did improvement efforts so often depend on changing leaders, programs, initiatives, and mandates rather than a coherent framework for continuous improvement? That question ultimately led to the development of Leading Schools Forward (LSF) in 2016. Since then, Rich has worked across classrooms, schools, districts, and states, continuing to refine the framework.
The People Behind the Work
PARTNERS & INFLUENCES
Gayle Watson
Co-founder of People Ink and organizational culture specialist. Her guidance during LSF's early development helped shape its emphasis on shared purpose, values, and organizational health.
Ann Rhoades
Founder of People Ink and internationally recognized culture strategist. Her pioneering work on values-based organizations significantly influenced the principles reflected throughout LSF.
Dr. Charles R. Coble
Internationally recognized authority on teacher preparation, educator development, and educational leadership. Through years of conversation and challenge, he has helped shape LSF's value proposition.
Christopher T. Cross
Nationally recognized education policy leader whose work has influenced American education for more than five decades. A strong advocate for LSF's distributed leadership approach.
Dr. Neil Hawkes
Oxford-educated educator and international consultant pioneering values-centered school culture. His encouragement and guidance have shaped the continued development of LSF.
Martin Terrell
Martin Terrell is an author and community leader who reflects the power of growth and contribution. As a longstanding influence in Rich's life, his values and beliefs are reflected throughout LSF.
Interested in how the framework developed and evolved over time? Explore Evidence & Learning →
Research & Publications
Coming in 2027: Leadership Before the Leader - dissertation in progress