For schools that have not had a history of working collaboratively, developing the vision for the school may initiate the creation of a collaborative culture at the school.

According to SEDL program manager Shirley Hord, vision refers to mental pictures of what the school or its parts—programs and processes, for example—might look like in a changed and improved state. She acknowledges, "It is a preferred image of the future."

In The Hero's Journey, Brown and Moffett write,

"[V]ision becomes the guiding and informing field that brings order and purpose to the complexity that challenges organizations...."

According to Peter Block,

"A vision is strongly value-laden, alluding optimistically to possibilities of 'greatness.' It's a 'dream created in our waking hours of how we would like the organization to be.'"

Again and again, research cites the principal's role in setting vision for the school as a high priority, but as Michael Fullan, dean of the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, observes, a good principal does not singly create a vision nor does he or she impose it; he or she must build a vision with other participants and stakeholders in the school organization. In this way "it becomes common ground, the shared vision that compels all involved."

Similarly, in Fitting the Pieces: Education Reform that Works, authors Steven Klein, Elliott Medrich, and Valería Perez-Ferreiro note,

"When participants perceive that the reform objectives reflect many of their personally held beliefs about education, they are more willing to join in the process."

Reaching consensus means school leaders must work with diverse groups to come to agreement as to what the school should accomplish. It is important for school leaders to realize that these diverse groups may include teachers' unions or other teacher organizations as well as students, teachers, parents, and community members.

According to Brown and Moffett, without stakeholder involvement, visions become "mandates without meaning" and stakeholders feel discounted and marginalized. They write, "The result is a lack of understanding and commitment from those whose support we need most." Unless there is consensus among teachers, administrators, parents, and the community, the reform process may be difficult to sustain.

Once the vision has been agreed upon, it is the principal's role, however, to keep reminding stakeholders of the vision. School leaders must communicate and articulate "compelling images of what an organization wants to create, sharing pictures of the future that foster genuine commitment."

Dennis Sparks says, "Throughout the school year and around the school building there should be continual reminders of the mission—of high levels of student learning that the school is working on. You should see that displayed in hallways, you should hear it in faculty meetings, you should hear it at parent meetings. There should be continual reminders of the mission of high levels of student learning that the school is working on."

The vision must also be translated into plans and actions. The values and goals articulated in the vision will determine how staff members spend their time, what problems they solve, and how resources are distributed.

Researchers Karen Louis and Matthew Miles write, "The process of spreading the vision, is however, less dependent on the articulateness and persuasiveness of the individual than on his or her willingness to structure opportunities for all interested faculty to discuss their aspirations for the change program and the school, and to be patient in trusting that staff members will take on the collective responsibility for refining the vision through shared action." They also observe, "Visions become strong not because faculty believe in the principal, but because they believe in themselves and their ability to really change schools for the better."

Developing and Communicating a Vision: How did Sierra Vista and Sunrise Measure Up?

One of the major problems at Sunrise was the lack of a vision. Although a vision had been established at one time, recent changes in leadership left teachers feeling adrift.

At Sierra Vista, there was definitely a vision for change, and one that reflected input from parents as well as faculty. The fact that most teachers were able to discuss the vision easily is evidence of how it was kept before them. Teachers acknowledged that the school's goals were based on the vision and several teachers mentioned that the staff reflects on the statement each year, sometimes making amendments, ensuring that the vision is an evolving one.

The importance of a shared vision cannot be understated. It is the foundation for the school's future. All decisions regarding instruction, resources, and professional development should be held to the test: Does this decision help us reach our vision?