Transcript School Development Planning

Planning for Change
Implications for partnerships
Catherine Hennessy
SMEI
Drumcondra Education Centre
2nd December 2006
International context
• Globalisation
• Knowledge economy
• Technology
• Science/Maths graduates
• Accountability
• Societal changes
• Family structures
• Role of religion, politics
• Culture of choice
• Substance abuse
Irish educational context
 Revised curriculum
 Legal requirements
 Partnership
 Accountability
 National initiatives
 Disadvantage - DEIS
 Other…
Understanding the change process
is exceedingly elusive
Fullan, 2001
Change needs to be viewed as a
permanent
characteristic
of
organisational life, an essential
component of effective educational
management.
Dalton et al., 2001
Change process
• Initiation
• Consultation, discussion, agreement to proceed
• Implementation
• Putting change into practice
• Continuation
• Success or failure to embed the change into the
structure of the school
Fullan, 2001
Leadership
Teaching
and
Learning
Managing
change
Effective
planning
structures
Collaborative
culture
• Principal
Leadership
• Leader and facilitator of change
• Vision to attract commitment and enthusiasm
• Gatekeeper of change
• Dealing with multiple innovations
• Needs to assess proposals for benefit to teaching and
learning
• Distributed leadership
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In-school management
Class teachers
Support staff
Parents
Pupils
Collaborative culture
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Respect for all members of staff
Team approach
Positive climate for innovation
Delegation of tasks
Democratic processes for decision-making
Accountability
Effective use of time, resources, services
Effective planning structures
• Clear goals
• Defined roles and responsibilities
• Supportive behaviour
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Trust one another
Offer constructive criticism
Share the workload
Cooperate with each other
• Communications system
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Circulation of information
Regular meetings
In-school management
Inclusion of all staff
• Procedures to implement, monitor and evaluate changes
• Access relevant external support agencies
Teaching and learning
• Educational organisations that give high priority to
learning, and which maintain a culture to support it
at all levels, are the ones most able to react
imaginatively to and meet the challenges of an
uncertain world.
Coleman and Earley, 2005
• Moral purpose of the highest order is having a
system where all students learn, the gap between
high and low performance becomes greatly reduced,
and what people learn enables them to be successful
citizens and workers in a morally based knowledge
society.
Fullan, 2003
Time
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Legislation
Curriculum – inservice, implementation
Literacy and Numeracy concerns
Administrative policies
Special needs
International pupils
Induction of newly qualified teachers
Partnership
Accountability
Collaboration v teaching/learning time
Time is also related to class size, with its
increasing demands for assessment,
differentiation, record keeping and
reporting, all of which multiply teacher
time per individual pupil.
MacBeath, 1999
Resources
• Personnel – pivotal resource
• Equipment
• Materials
• Selection
• Management
• Funding
Case Study
What are the conditions that support the
implementation of change in one primary
school?
Case study
• Urban school in disadvantaged area
• Junior infants to 6th class
• 24 on teaching staff
• Changes in personnel
Findings
• Majority feel change is managed well
• Key leadership role of principal
• Roles clearly defined
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Chairperson Board of Management
HSCL teacher
Parents
Teachers
Support staff
• Effective planning structures
• Good system of communications
• Efficient utilisation of time, resources, supports
Leadership
Supports Resources
Time
Vision
Principal
Internal structures
– building capacity
Positive climate
- cultural conditions
Leadership
• Agreement that principal provides the vision to lead
and sustain change within the school
• Has clear goals - improve learning outcomes for
pupils
• Offers support, encourages initiative and delegates
responsibility
• Applies pressure as well as support when required
• Added burden due to staff turnover – dependency of
younger members of staff
• Challenge of working in a disadvantaged community
School climate and culture
• Healthy relationships based on respect for all
• Positive role of principal identified by
teachers, chairperson BoM, parents, support
staff
The ways in which leaders relate to members of
the school community help establish the
norms of behaviour desired for others.
Dimmock, 2000
School climate and culture
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Cooperation – good working relations
Collegiality – being members of a team
Supported by principal and each other
Induction programme for new teachers –
mentor, social activities
• Resources provided
• Teachers involved in evaluation process
• Opportunities for staff development
Board of Management
Principal’s perspective:
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BoM have a positive role – involved in a meaningful way
Consultation/opportunities to contribute
Good working relationship with chairperson and Board
Challenge to get parents to become Board members
Chairperson’s perspective:
• Acknowledges key leadership role of principal
• Support for school community
• Challenge to improve communications and interactions
between Board and teachers
• Teachers’ perspective:
• Undecided or insignificant supports provided by BoM
Parents
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Role of principal
Home School Community Liaison teacher
Welcoming atmosphere
Parents’ committee
Activities/Courses – personal development, ...
In-school work – Maths for Fun
Teachers’ viewpoint: little contact in senior
classes, issues around homework, assignments
Planning structures
• Communications system – circulation of
information/journals/courses, staff notice board
- daily and weekly updates, newsletter
• Monthly staff meetings – active participation,
democratic decision-making
• Consultation with in-school management team
• Class teachers meet regularly to plan
Planning structures
• In-school planning days well organised
• Tasks clearly outlined
• Groups
• work ethic
• motivation
• commitment
• Successful outcomes – encourages greater
collaboration
Time
• Principal regards the amount of time needed
to deal with administration, legislation and
curriculum reform, social issues, families in
crisis as being a major concern
• Majority of teachers feel that time is allocated
and used effectively to implement change
Implications of study
Support for the school community
• Selection, training and ongoing support for
principals
• Aware of trends and influences that impact on
education
• Implement policy
• Administer the work of the school
• Engage in human resource management
• Leader of teaching and learning
• Board of Management – role, skills training,
ongoing support
• Support for teachers – CPD, induction, in-career
Support for the school community
Schools in areas of disadvantage
• Teacher retention
• Literacy and Numeracy
• Attendance
• Home-school links: encourage involvement
through additional supports for most
disadvantaged families
• Multi-agency approach: co-ordinated delivery of
supports to address social and family issues
A snapshot of the
change process in one school
“To illuminate the general by looking
at the particular”
Denscombe, 2003