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Theories and hypotheses abound about how to improve schools. Current theory and law support a comprehensive model of school development and reform with a broader scope than the previous mastery-learning, competency-based, skill-based, and improve-the-parts models. Business and education leaders now believe that while improving individual parts of a system may be effective for those parts, isolated improvements do not necessarily lead to an increase of overall achievement. System planners generally see this as the difference between analysis (how the parts work separately) and synthesis (how the parts work together). Comprehensive school reform does not ignore the individual parts of the system but focuses on synthesis: improvement of the whole by aligning the parts toward a common goal. This series of articles, Understanding Comprehensive Reform: An In-Depth Look at Eleven Essential Components, attends to the dual needs of analysis and synthesis and aids in providing understanding about the need for, the promise of, and the use of the eleven essential components in increasing the effectiveness of our schools. After identifying their needs for improvement, schools explore alternate programs or practices to address these needs. Solutions may come from published reform models, or the school may design its own program. The Comprehensive School Reform program, on which this series of web articles are based, suggests a combination of both approaches. The resulting school improvement/change process is typically thought of as comprising several stages:
While these stages may be stated rather glibly, doing them is complex and difficult. Implementation is often given short shrift and lack of adequate attention. This lack of attention is epitomized in the approach of those who mandate new programs and policies. This approach assumes that the adoption of a new program is routinely followed by student gains. The graphic below illustrates this “giant-leap” mentality.
The empty chasm in the middle represents the implementation stage in the school reform process and what is typically provided for its success—not much. Yet the process of school improvement is grounded in the assumption that there will be change, requiring people to change from what they’ve been doing to new behaviors. The crux of the matter is in the implementation*in the learning of new skills by teachers and all others involved in using or supporting the new program. We can map this process in this way:
Fortunately, there is a large knowledge base that can inform the implementation stage of the reform process. Research studies have given keen attention to this stage and the strategies for guiding and supporting the process of change. Strategies include articulating a clear vision of the adopted program implemented in classrooms in a high-quality way, planning and providing resources for executing the plan, investing in professional development to reach the vision of changed practice, monitoring progress, providing assistance, and creating a context conducive to change. The goal is to help the implementers as they go about learning how to use new programs in their classrooms with their students for the benefit of the students’ successful learning. Understanding Comprehensive Reform: An In-Depth Look at Eleven Essential Components elaborates on these research-based strategies and is an excellent school-improvement resource. The articles can assist school planners in arriving at helpful answers to complex questions surrounding comprehensive school reform and development. Understanding Comprehensive Reform: An In-Depth Look at Eleven Essential Components is written for front-line school improvement teams and those close to the action. It is also useful for policymakers, district- and state-level decision makers, and those who have the power to increase the financial support for both schools that receive funding to enable them to adopt national models and schools that have decided to build their own. Readers are encouraged to use this web publication as a tool to stimulate discussion and build the competence in those engaged in comprehensive school reform and development. |
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