In
the last two posts, I’ve talked about the inevitability of change and why
changes fails to take root. Lack of explanation, specificity, and communication
put change on a sure-fire path to failure. Another reason changes fail to
achieve the desired outcome is that victory is declared too soon.
Change
is arduous, and sustained improvement requires support. Research shows that
significant change in education takes three or more years. Substantive changes take root gradually, not
suddenly. Not until the third year do teachers realize the full potential
of a change and make modifications in instruction that result in measurably-increased
student achievement. Although targeted innovations sometimes experience academic
improvements quickly, sustained change requires support over time.
Schools and districts often do not meet
implementation goals because they lack perseverance and commitment to the
process.* Despite the best of intentions, schools often get sidetracked
when, “in response to a multitude of pressures from state or district mandates,
they shift from topic to topic, hoping that somehow their actions will add up
to a solution.”** As this research indicates, with a sustained commitment to efforts
in improving instruction, educators can realize the growth in students' ability
that they are under so much pressure to achieve. Change initiatives that
lead to improved student achievement are focused on instruction. To experience success that leads to increases in student
achievement, leaders must develop a multi-year plan for professional learning that
is focuses on instruction. A review of
research indicates that “schools must stay the
course for three years or more to make the improvements that are necessary to
achieve substantial gains in student learning.”***
Although pressures abound in today’s school climate and
initiatives come from many sources, instructional leaders can find ways to
minimize influences of less-important requests and maintain a long-term focus
on the instructional changes that matter most. As the new school year
approaches, it’s important to reconsider initiatives introduced last year and
the year before. Is there momentum for improvement that you can sustain and
support? Starting the year with a solid plan in place for supporting
previously-introduced innovations will ensure that efforts made last year are
not negated by the next new thing that comes along. By evaluating change
initiatives both past and present, you can determine how best to focus your
efforts and the efforts of teachers you support.
* Deshler,
D & Mellard, DF (2006)www.nrcld.org/about/presentations/2006/DeshlerScalingUpCEC2006.pdf
Hatch, T.
(2001). Incoherence in the system: Three perspectives on the implementation of
multiple improvement initiatives in one district. American Journal of
Education, 109(4), 107–137.
** Taylor, B. M., Pearson, P. D.,
Peterson, D. S., & Rodriguez, M. C. (2003). Reading growth in high-poverty
classrooms: The influence of teacher practices that encourage cognitive
engagement in literacy learning. Elementary School Journal. 104, 3-28.
*** Minnesota
Center for Reading Research(2011). http://www.cehd.umn.edu/reading/projects/school-change.html
This week, you might want to take a look at:
Scenarios
to get teachers thinking about room arrangement:
A
podcast about close reading:
Video examples of smooth classroom transitions:
Setting
SMART goals with students:
To
drill, or not to drill – that is the question posed in this blog post:
That’s it for this week. Happy Independence Day!
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