SESP Faculty

James P. Spillane

Faculty Profile

James P. Spillane is the Spencer T. and Ann W. Olin Professor in Learning and Organizational Change at the School of Education and Social Policy at Northwestern University. He is also professor of Human Development and Social Policy, professor of Learning Sciences, professor (by courtesy) of Management and Organizations, and faculty associate at Northwestern’s Institute for Policy Research.

Spillane has published extensively on issues of education policy, policy implementation, school reform, and school leadership. His work explores the policy implementation process at the state, district, school, and classroom levels, focusing on intergovernmental and policy-practice relations. He also studies organizational leadership and change, conceptualizing organizational leadership as a distributed practice.

Recent projects include studies of relations between organizational infrastructure and instructional advice-seeking in schools and the socialization of new school principals. His work has been supported by the National Science Foundation, Institute of Education Sciences, Spencer Foundation, Sherwood Foundation and Carnegie Corporation of New York.

He has authored several books including Standards Deviation: How Local Schools Misunderstand Policy (Harvard University Press, 2004), Distributed Leadership (Jossey-Bass, 2006), Distributed Leadership in Practice (Teachers College Press, 2011) Diagnosis and Design for School Improvement (Teachers College Press, 2011), Navigating the Principalship: Key Insights for New and Aspiring School Leaders (ASCD, 2019), and numerous journal articles and book chapters.

In recognition of his contribution to educational research, he was elected to the National Academy of Education in 2013 and to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2020.

Policy implementation; educational policy; organizational change; school leadership; relations between policy and teachers’ and administrators’ practice.

Distributed Leadership Study

Principal Policy and Practice Research 

• 2020 American Academy of Arts and Sciences
• 2013 – Ver Steeg Research Fellowship
• 2013 – Elected to the National Academy of Education
• 2006 – Outstanding Professor Award, SESP

Spillane, J. P., Shirrell, M., & Hopkins, M. (2016). Designing and deploying a professional learning community (PLC) organizational routine: Bureaucratic and collegial structures in tandem. Les Dossiers des Sciences de l�Education, 35: 97-122.
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Spillane, J. P., Hopkins, M., & Sweet, T. (2015). Intra- and interschool instructional networks: Information flow and knowledge production in education systems, 12. American Journal of Education: 71-110.
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Spillane, J. P., Harris, A., Jones, M., & Mertz, K. (2015). Opportunities and challenges for taking a distributed perspective: Novice school principals’ emerging sense of their new position. British Educational Research Journal.

Spillane, J. P. (2015). Leadership and learning: Conceptualizing relations between school administrative practice and instructional practice. Societies, 5,: 277-294.
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Spillane, J. P., & Lee, L. C. (2014). Novice school principals’ sense of ultimate responsibility: Problems of practice in transitioning to the principal’s office. Educational Administration Quarterly, 50(3): 431-465.

Hopkins, M., Spillane, J. P. (2014). Schoolhouse teacher educators: Structuring beginning teachers’ opportunities to learn about instruction. Journal of Teacher Education, 65(4): 327-339.
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Spillane, J. P., & Anderson, L. M. (2014). The architecture of anticipation at the intersection of individual, organization, & institution: Novices’ emerging understandings of the principal position. Teachers College Record, 116(7): 1-42.
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Spillane, J. P., & Hopkins, M. (2013). Organizing for instruction in education systems and school organizations: How the subject matters. Journal of Curriculum Studies, 45(6): 721-747.

Hopkins, M., Spillane, J. P., Jakopovic, P., & Heaton, R. M. (2013). Infrastructure redesign and instructional reform in mathematics: Formal structure and teacher leadership. Elementary School Journal, 114(2): 200-224.

Spillane, J. P., Kim, C. M., & Frank, K. A. (2012). Instructional advice and information seeking behavior in elementary schools: Exploring tie formation as a building block in social capital development. American Educational Research Journal, 49(6): 1112-1145.

Spillane, J. P. (2012). Data in practice: Conceptualizing the data-based decision-making phenomena. American Journal of Education, 118(2): 113-141.

Spillane, J. P., & Kim, C. M. (2012). An exploratory analysis of formal school leaders� positioning in instructional advice and information networks in elementary schools. American Journal of Education, 119(1): 73-102.

Spillane, J.P., Parise, L.M. & Sherer, J.Z. (2011). Organizational routines as coupling mechanisms: Policy, school administration, and the technical core. American Educational Research Journal: 48(3): 586-620.
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Spillane, J. P., & Healey, K. (2010). Conceptualizing school leadership and management from a distributed perspective. The Elementary School Journal, 111(2): 253-281.

Spillane, J.P., Pareja, A., Dorner, L., Barnes, C., May, H., Huff, J. Camburn, E. (2010). Mixing methods in randomized controlled trials (RCTs): Validation, contextualization, triangulation, and control. Educational Assessment, Evaluation and Accountability.
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Spillane, J.P. and Zuberi, A. (2009). Designing and piloting a leadership daily practice log: Using logs to study the practice of leadership. Educational Administration Quarterly: 375-423.
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Spillane, J.P. and Diamond, J. (2007). Distributed Leadership in Practice. Teachers College Press.

Spillane, J.P. (2006). Distributed Leadership. Jossey-Bass.

Spillane, J. P. (June, 2015). Leading and Managing Instruction in Education Organizations and Systems: Leadership in 3-D. Keynote address given at Redesigning Pedagogy Conference, National Institute of Education. Singapore.

Spillane, J. P. (May, 2015). Liderazgo Distribuido. Presentation given at Diego Portales University. Santiago, Chile.

Spillane, J. P. (February, 2015). Leading and managing instructional improvement: A distributed leadership perspective. Workshop given for the Australian Council of Educational Leaders. Australia.

Spillane, J. P. (February, 2015). Designing educational infrastructures for collaboration: The real challenge of instructional innovation. Presentation given at the Queensland Principals’ Conference. Brisbane, Australia.

Spillane, J. P. (February, 2015). Leading and managing instructional innovation in education organizations and systems: Leadership in 3-D. Presentation given at the Queensland Principals’ conference. Brisbane, Australia.

Spillane, J. P. (July, 2014). Diagnosing and Designing Organizational Infrastructure: Using a Distributed Perspective. Presentation given at the Rice Education Entrepreneurship Program, Jones Graduate School of Management, Rice University. Houston, TX.

Spillane, J. P. (May, 2014). Policy & Practice: Implementation, Infrastructure, & Instruction. Presentation given at the Curry Research Lectureship Series, Curry School of Education, University of Virginia. Charlottesville, VA.

Spillane, J. P. (March, 2014). Leading & Managing Instruction in Education Organizations and Systems: A Distributed Perspective. Presentation given at the Conference for the Development of Pedagogical Leadership in the �D�col�ge!� Community. Ministry of Education and CERI/OECD. Belgium.

Spillane, J. P. (March, 2014). Government Policy, School Administration, & Teaching: Policy Implementation and Infrastructure. Presentation given at Belgian Association of Educational Researchers Seminar, Fondation Universitaire. Brussels.

Spillane, J. P. (February, 2014). Researching & Developing Organizational Leadership (and Management): The Entailments of a Distributed Perspective. Master Class on Leadership at the Royal College of Surgeons. Dublin, Ireland.

Spillane, J. P. (February, 2014). Leadership in 3-D: Diagnosis and Design from a Distributed Perspective. Leadership Symposum 2014: Leadership and Trust: Challenges and Opportunities for Professional Practice. Presentation given at the National University of Ireland. Maynooth.

Spillane, J. P. (January, 2014). Distributed Leadership. Keynote address at Asia Leadership Summit 2014. University of Malaya. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Spillane, J. P. (January, 2014). The practice of improvement: Designing organizational infrastructures for sustainable school and system improvement. Keynote address given at International Congress for School Effectiveness and Improvement (ICSEI) conference. Yogyakarta, Indonesia.

Spillane, J. P. (December, 2013). Leading & Managing Instruction in Education Organizations and Systems: A Distributed Perspective. Keynote address at Learning Leadership Conference, Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Barcelona, Spain.

Spillane, J. P. (March, 2013). Distributed Leadership. Closing remarks given at Asia Leadership Roundtable. Shanghai, China (People’s Republic).

Spillane, J. P. (March, 2013). Rethinking instructional improvement: A distributed perspective on school leadership and management. Keynote given at the Institute of Educational Leadership at the University of Malaya. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Spillane, J. P. (February, 2013). Policy, School Administration and Teaching: Implementation and Infrastructure. Keynote address at Math and Science Partnership Program (MSP), National Science Foundation. Washington, DC.

Spillane, J. P. (November, 2012). Diagnosis and Design for Instructional Improvement: Formal Structure & School Work Practice. Keynote address at the World Association of Lesson Studies conference. Singapore.

Spillane, J. P. (November, 2012). Infrastructure & Practice: Government Policy, School Administrative Practice, & Teaching. Presentation given at the Institute of Education. Hong Kong.

Spillane, J. P (November, 2012). Distributed Leadership: Re- thinking Instructional Improvement Practice. Keynote address at launching ceremony for the Hong Kong Principals Institute. Hong Kong.

Spillane, J. P. (March, 2012). Leadership and Learning in Asia Pacific: Challenges in Research and Practice. Keynote address at Asia Leadership Roundtable. Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

Spillane, J. P. (September, 2011). Networking about instruction in schools: Personal, professional, and organizational considerations. Keynote address at the School Leadership Symposium. Zug, Switzerland.

Spillane, J. P. (April, 2011). Leadership practice for improvement: Cultivating a diagnostic & design mindset. Keynote address at New Zealand Principals’ Federation Annual Meeting. Wellington, New Zealand.

Spillane, J.P. (March, 2010). Policy in Practice: Instruction and the School Administrative Infrastructure. Plenary opening session at the National Association of Research on Science Teaching . Philadelphia, PA.

Spillane, J.P. (March, 2010). Education Policy and Classroom Practice: Rethinking School Administration. Annual Lecture in Leadership at the London Centre for Leadership on Learning at the Institute of Education, University of London. London, United Kingdom.

Spillane, J. P. (July, 2009). Distributed leadership: A conceptual tool for diagnosing practice and designing for its improvement. Paper presented at the Rice Education Entrepreneurship Program, Jones Graduate School of Management. Rice University, Houston, TX.

Spillane, J.P. (November, 2008). The Practice of Leading and Managing: Taking a Distributed Perspective. University of Pennsylvania, School of Education. Philadelphia, PA.

Spillane, J.P. (October, 2008). Leading and Managing Our Schools: Taking a Distributed Perspective. University College Cork, National University of Ireland. Cork, Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Spillane, J.P. (October, 2008). Engaging Practice: School Leadership & Management From a Distributed Perspective. Solution Tree International Summit on School Leadership. Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Spillane, J.P., Hunt, B. & Healy, K. (September, 2008). Managing and Leading Elementary Schools: Attending to the Formal and Informal Organization. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the European Educational Research Association. Gottenburg, Sweden.

Spillane. J.P. (September, 2008). Classroom Instruction, School Administrative Practice, and Government Policy: Taking a Distributed Perspective. Institute of Education, University of London, England. London, Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Spillane, J.P. (March, 2008). Using Qualitative Methodologies and Mixed-Method Analysis Techniques to Study Change in Principal Expertise: The Promises and the Problems. Paper presented at AERA annual conference. New York, NY.

Spillane, J.P. & Hunt, B. (March, 2008). School Principals� Work Practice: Days of Their Lives. Paper presented at American Educational Research Association Conference. New York, NY.