Changing for Good : Sustaining School Improvement

by Melissa Evans-Andris

• ISBN13: 9781412968690
• ISBN10: 1412968690
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2009-11-13
• Publisher: Corwin Pr

Summary

'This important work identifies the critical elements of sustainability-the necessary goal of systemic reform-which requires a long-term commitment to change for the benefit of students' - Lois Adams-Rogers, Deputy Executive Director, Council of Chief State School OfficersThe recent emphasis on educational reform has lead to many books on initiating school improvement, but relatively few on how to sustain reform efforts so that improvements have a lasting impact.Changing for Good offers a detailed examination of current schoolwide reform efforts and identifies strategies for introducing, managing, and sustaining successful school renewal programs. Based on a six-year study of 74 schools, the book provides a model for generating the necessary district support, schoolwide leadership, teacher commitment, and performance outcomes to cultivate improvement that lasts. Applicable at all levels, this model helps readers:- Align reform efforts with educational standards and accountability guidelines- Create a research-based improvement plan- Support change by developing a shared vision- Promote distributed leadership- Celebrate gains to encourage cooperationThe most beneficial school improvements are the ones that endure. With this exceptional resource, educational administrators and leaders can create a school environment that embraces meaningful change, sustains positive reform, and ensures successful learning outcomes.

Table of Contents

List of Tables and Figures	p. ix
Acknowledgments	p. xi
About the Author	p. xiii
Introduction	p. 1
Comprehensive School Reform	p. 2
Purpose and Focus of the Book	p. 3
Researching Reform Sustainability in Schools	p. 5
Organization of the Book	p. 6
Sustaining Change in Schools	p. 9
Two Decades of Reform Policies	p. 10
Comprehensive School Reform	p. 12
No Child Left Behind	p. 13
Effectiveness of Comprehensive School Reform	p. 14
Sustaining Reform	p. 16
Organizational Capacity and Sustaining Change in Schools	p. 17
Toward a Model of Sustainability	p. 19
State Infrastructure	p. 19
District Support	p. 19
School Leadership	p. 20
Faculty Commitment	p. 20
Gains-Perceived and Real	p. 21
Setting the Stage for School Reform	p. 23
School Reform and State Infrastructure	p. 25
High-Stakes Testing	p. 26
Low-Performing Schools	p. 27
Opportunity for Improvement Through Comprehensive School Reform	p. 28
Opting Out of Reform	p. 28
Poising for Reform	p. 30
Establishing Goals for Change	p. 30
Shopping for Models	p. 31
Buying In	p. 32
Funding Announcements	p. 33
Implementing Models	p. 35
Core Knowledge (CK)	p. 37
Success for All (SFA)	p. 38
America's Choice (AC)	p. 39
National Writing Project (NWP)	p. 40
Community for Learning (CFL)	p. 41
Issues Related to Model Selection	p. 42
Discussion of the State Context for School Reform	p. 43
Supporting Change in Schools	p. 47
Waterton County	p. 49
Reforming Schools	p. 50
District Staffing and Support Through Shared Vision	p. 51
CSR and School Autonomy	p. 53
Advocacy and Networking	p. 54
Preparing to Sustain Reform	p. 55
Burkett County	p. 56
Reforming Schools	p. 57
Support Through District Staffing	p. 57
District Strategies for School Improvement	p. 57
Support for School Reform	p. 59
Preparing to Sustain Reform Through Financial and Instructional Expertise	p. 59
District Support for Sustaining Change in Other Schools	p. 60
Discussion of District Support for Sustaining Reform	p. 62
Promoting Distributed Leadership	p. 65
Leadership for Change	p. 66
Distributed Leadership in Tipton Middle School	p. 68
The Principal	p. 68
The Instructional Team	p. 69
Developing Distributed Leadership in Greely Elementary School	p. 70
The Principal	p. 71
The Program Facilitator	p. 72
Principal Leadership for Reform	p. 72
Reform Facilitation	p. 74
Reform Facilitation and Administration	p. 74
Reform Facilitation and Teaching	p. 74
Boundary Maintenance and Work Overload	p. 76
Negotiation of Tasks and Responsibilities	p. 79
Managerial Tasks	p. 79
Collaborative Duties	p. 80
Supervisory Responsibilities	p. 80
Networking	p. 81
Addressing Broader Changes	p. 82
Preparing to Sustain School Reform	p. 83
Leadership and the Challenge of Change in Other Schools	p. 84
Discussion of Distributed Leadership and Sustaining Reform	p. 86
Gaining Teacher Commitment	p. 89
Control of Teachers Versus Workplace Autonomy	p. 90
Forestview Middle School	p. 92
Professional Development in Forestview	p. 93
Poising for Sustainability in Forestview	p. 95
Littleton Middle School	p. 96
Gaining Teacher Cooperation in Littleton	p. 96
Commitment for School Improvement in Littleton	p. 98
Teacher Commitment to Reform	p. 98
Common Planning	p. 99
Faculty Voice	p. 99
Model Modification	p. 100
Teacher Commitment in Other Schools	p. 101
Professional Development, Instructional Strategies, and Rapport	p. 102
Lack of Commitment Among Individual Teachers	p. 103
Lack of Teacher Commitment to Reform in Other Schools	p. 105
Dissatisfaction With Programs and Providers	p. 105
Organizational Conditions Undermining Commitment	p. 108
Discussion of Teacher Commitment and Sustaining Reform	p. 110
Celebrating Gains	p. 113
Comprehensive School Reform and School Performance	p. 114
Reform and Test Scores	p. 116
Perception of Gains and Commitment to Reform	p. 118
Tangible Resources and Supplies	p. 121
Contributions to School Culture	p. 122
School Climate	p. 123
Student Engagement	p. 125
Spillover Effects From the Grant Experience	p. 127
Grant Savvy	p. 127
Professional Growth	p. 127
Catalyst for School Improvement	p. 127
Community and Parental Involvement	p. 128
Discussion of the Effects of Reform and Sustainability	p. 129
Changing for Good	p. 131
Sustaining Comprehensive School Reform	p. 132
Sustainability With Funding	p. 134
Commitment to Sustainability Without Funding	p. 138
Forestview Middle School	p. 138
Tipton Middle School	p. 139
Greely Elementary School	p. 141
Sustained Momentum for Improvement and Innovation	p. 143
No Sustainability	p. 144
Discussion of Patterns of Reform Sustainability	p. 145
Reforming Reform	p. 149
Patterns of Sustainability	p. 154
A Model for Sustaining Change	p. 156
State Infrastructure	p. 156
District Support	p. 157
Leadership	p. 157
Teacher Commitment	p. 158
School Improvement	p. 158
What Happened to CSR?	p. 159
Recommendations for Educators	p. 161
At the State Level	p. 161
At the District Level	p. 163
At the School Level	p. 164
External Reform Providers	p. 165
Resource: Methodology	p. 167
Design of the Study	p. 167
Research Questions	p. 168
Selection of Schools	p. 168
Data Collection Methods	p. 169
Gaining Access to Schools	p. 169
Establishing Rapport	p. 172
Observation	p. 174
Interviewing	p. 175
Documents	p. 175
Exiting the Field	p. 176
Flexibility	p. 176
Reliability and Verification	p. 176
Data Analysis	p. 177
Ethical Considerations	p. 178
References	p. 179
Index	p. 189
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