Standards need 'critical friends'

By Stephanie Hirsh

Results, March 2004

For years I have been suggesting to participants in NSDC standards workshops that they follow-up on what they learn in the workshop by becoming the "critical friend" of the NSDC standards in their school or district. To prepare for writing this column, I reviewed the literature on the subject to learn what others believe is involved in serving as a "critical friend."

In a 1993 article, Arthur Costa and Bena Kallick defined critical friend as "a trusted person who asks provocative questions, provides data to be examined through another lens, and offers critique of a person's work as a friend. A critical friend takes the time to fully understand the context of the work presented and the outcomes that the person or group is working toward. The friend is the advocate for the success of that work."

Roland Barth refers to building critical friend relationships when he writes about the importance of reflective practice. Barth describes a critical friend relationship with his school psychologist and two teachers: "Our Wednesday get-togethers were sacrosanct. We religiously maintained our commitment to them for six years … no small commitment for a teacher, psychologist, or principal" (p. 40).

In his study of effective professional development in schools, Stephen Gordon refers to using critical friends to assist schools in developing readiness for change. Gordon (1999) defines critical friends as "experienced volunteers from outside the school community who are available on request to lend their expertise." He adds that "it is important the critical friend be highly trusted by the school community. ... At the readiness stage, the critical friend gathers data and provides feedback on the current state of readiness, asks tough questions, and critiques readiness efforts" (p. 51).

Then I asked Hayes Mizell, NSDC distinguished senior fellow, for his view. Mizell offers the following: "The critical friend has to understand that the appropriate definition of 'critical' that applies to his or her role is 'exercising or involving careful judgment or judicious evaluation' rather than merely being a negative critic."

Based on these insights, I offer the following suggestions for "Critical Friends of the NSDC Standards."

1. Offer to serve as a critical friend. Do not act as a critical friend without a group's permission. Trust is essential if the critical friend is to have impact. A key word in the phrase is "friend" because it is usually easier to accept "criticism" from a friend.

2. Listen more and speak less. Remember that most people aren't ready to listen until they feel they have been fully heard.

3. Bring a perspective that is not otherwise present. The critical friend adds value through his or her powers of observation, judgment, evidence, analysis, or insight.

Here's an example. Assume the school improvement council is planning "back to school" staff development days. A teacher suggests a speaker she heard at a conference as a way to get everyone excited about the school year. While the speaker will cost $5,000 and take most of the staff development budget, she is very persuasive. Everyone acquiesces. As the critical friend, you offer another perspective: While the motivational speaker may have everyone feeling really good by the end of the day, the staff would be better served by planning an agenda aligned more closely with the school's goal to improve student literacy. After a longer conversation, the group agrees to rethink the agenda and put the motivational speaker on hold. The critical friend did her job well.

REFERENCES

Barth, R. (2001, Summer). Stepping back. JSD, 22(3), 38-41.

Costa, A.L. & Kallick, B. (1993, October). Through the lens of a critical friend. Educational Leadership, 51(2), 50.

Gordon, S.P. (1999, Winter). Ready? How effective schools know it's time to take the plunge. JSD, 20(1), 48-53.