Investigating the Role of Instructional Rounds in the Development of Social Networks and District-Wide Improvement

In this article, we explore how organizational routines involving instructional rounds—collective, structured observations and reflections on classroom practice—might contribute to the development of social networks among administrators and support a common, district-wide focus on instruction. Building on work on communities of practice, we consider some of the mechanisms through which rounds might contribute to the development of the relationships, common language, and shared understanding integral to building social capital. Our analysis focuses on the evolution of social networks among administrators in three districts. While this initial analysis does not find a consistent association between engagement in rounds and the development of social networks that have the characteristics of communities of practice, it points to several key factors that need to be taken into account in order to use rounds strategically to support the development of connections among administrators who may not normally come into contact with one another.