ABSTRACT
Educational researchers and practitioners are increasingly interested in continuous improvement as a systemic approach to improving student outcomes at scale. System leadership is among the most crucial factors in conditioning the uptake and integration of continuous improvement methods across a local educational authority or school district. Scant research exists, however, to shed light on the role of system leaders in creating district-wide conditions for continuous improvement. This chapter examines literature at the intersection of the fields of quality improvement, education, and leadership to synthesize current research-based knowledge about leadership behaviors that create the conditions for systemic continuous improvement in school districts. We develop an initial conceptual framework and then draw on relevant case studies and literature reviews, using an adaptation of the systematic review method of framework-based synthesis. Our review highlights how successful leaders of continuous improvement think, what they do, and where they focus their efforts to address complex, systemic challenges. The chapter concludes with a discussion of key themes, an elaboration of the initial conceptual framework, and proposed questions for research on leadership at the district level for systemic continuous improvement.
