SUMMARY

The importance of all individuals and groups having a common vision should be apparent from this example. The common vision made it possible for the committee, the director of the regional laboratory, and the receptive teachers and principals in the district to arrive at common solutions with relative ease. Contrast this with the new superintendent, who has not had the time to reach the same vision or goals as the others (or might have a very different vision). With common vision, coordination among people, institutions, and groups—such as that between the committee and the regional educational laboratory—becomes possible. When coordination occurs, the resources of both organizations are most effectively used,

and time is not wasted trying to reconcile differences. The ultimate indicator of coordination is the allocation of resources in support of a common vision. Consider how the effectiveness of the professional development of teachers in the district could have been improved if the faculty at the local university had shared the vision of the outstanding teachers on the committee.

None of the events in this scenario could have occurred if the individuals involved had not taken personal responsibility for working patiently toward standards-based reform. Coordination and the allocation of resources do not happen on their own; individuals acting in a distributed leadership capacity must take responsibility to work together to fulfill the vision of the Standards.