Over the past two school years, Oswego Community Unit School District 308 has been investing deeply in its school leaders.

Through a multi-year partnership with the Illinois Principals Association, the district has been implementing the School Leader Paradigm within its Strategic Plan. The Paradigm provides a research-based framework that supports principals in growing their culture, learning and systems leadership.

SD 308 is working to ensure that every school benefits from consistent, reflective and student-centered leadership by aligning districtwide practices to this framework, according to a news release from the district.

This journey began during the 2024–25 school year, when eight schools – Grande Park Elementary School, Hunt Club Elementary School, Murphy Junior High School, Southbury Elementary School, Thompson Junior High School, Traughber Junior High School, The Wheatlands Elementary School and Wolf’s Crossing Elementary School – participated in the first phase of the Paradigm’s implementation.

Principals from these buildings engaged in professional learning and provided valuable feedback to help strengthen the districtwide rollout, the release said.

Principals have described the Paradigm as a “mirror and a roadmap,” a tool that helps them reflect on their leadership while guiding continuous growth.

Recently, Wolf’s Crossing principal Cortnye Russell had the opportunity to share her experiences as a presenter at the Illinois Principals Association Conference.

“I am very grateful to have been part of the School Leader Paradigm pilot with SD 308 during the 2023–2024 school year, and for the meaningful coaching provided through the Paradigm with my evaluator," Russell said.

Building on the success of the pilot, the District 308 Schools Department expanded the initiative to include all principals throughout the district as well as the assistant principals of the pilot schools.

Throughout the expansion of the Paradigm, leaders engaged in activities to identify strengths within their personal “intelligences” and connect these strengths to how they influence culture, learning and systems within their buildings.

This continuous growth work ties each leader more closely to the organization they serve.

Beyond individual leadership development, the Paradigm is shaping districtwide systems – from coaching and supporting current leaders to informing how future administrators will be hired and developed, the release said. Plans are already underway to align the framework with SD 308’s Portrait of a Leader and other ongoing initiatives that define strong leadership across the district.

Through this work, District 308 is building a shared language and vision for leadership, one rooted in reflection, collaboration and continuous improvement, according to the release. By growing its leaders, the district grows its schools, and in turn expands opportunities for every student.