A r c h i v e d I n f o r m a t i o n

School-Based Reform--Lessons From A National Study-1995

Section II - Practical Advice: Key Features of Successful Reform Strategies

The schools studied orchestrated their reform efforts in many ways. The catalysts for change, key actors, problems addressed, strategies attempted, and resources used varied dramatically. Although each school's story unfolded in unique ways, some common elements were discerned. This section extracts from the case studies of 32 schools lessons that reform-minded schools might consider incorporating into their improvement efforts. It is important to note that in many schools that considered themselves involved in reform, little change was taking place. In other sites, though, school-based reform has involved fundamental changes in the daily lives of school staff. Yet, change in some schools was not necessarily positive. Without clarity of purpose, commitment, collaboration, support, and leadership, reform efforts may sputter and die. Without sustained nurturing, enthusiasm may fade to burnout. Therefore, the practical advice provided in this guide is drawn from the schools in which changes were both significant and effective.

In general, the successful school-based reforms studied had three key features:

challenging learning experiences for all students
a school culture that nurtured staff collaboration and participation in decision making
meaningful opportunities for professional growth

The first feature, challenging learning experiences, tended to emerge from four coordinated elements. First, teachers held high expectations for all their students, breaking the vicious cycle of watered-down curricula for low-achieving students. They shared a vision of what their students could achieve and how the school would promote success. Second, these innovative programs presented challenging curriculum, often in integrated, interdisciplinary curricula. Third, the schools were exploring an exciting variety of alternative configurations of students and teachers. Fourth, some of the schools were beginning to use a range of alternative measures to track students' progress. Although it is too soon, for the most part, to measure the impact of these reforms on student achievement, schools were beginning to document different, more productive interaction patterns among students and teachers in the classroom. Schools were also beginning to report changes in equity and access for all students to high-quality instruction.

The second key feature observed is that the most successful school-based reforms developed effective techniques for nurturing staff collaboration and participation in decision making. The schools created cultures of collegiality by finding ways for staff and the community to work together on significant changes needed in their schools. Time and funding to support working groups' access to it were cornerstones of successful school-based reforms. Equally important to shared decision making was the reformulation of the roles and authority exercised by teachers and administrators. Some principals welcomed teachers' contributions; others gave up control grudgingly. These new divisions of labor and clout created new responsibilities and obligations for school staff but also strengthened professionalism and morale. Leadership for these change processes came from a variety of sources: teachers, principals, and district or state personnel. The advances in staff collaboration and participatory decision making were often achieved by an array of creative changes in staffing patterns and allocations of resources, time, and space.

Providing meaningful opportunities for professional growth is the third major feature shared by successful school-based reforms. In these schools, teachers set staff development priorities keyed to their vision of the reform goals in their schools. Typically, staff development topics related to technical areas such as curriculum, instruction, and assessment, or to managerial areas such as schoolwide planning or collaborative decision making. In some instances, teacher teams developed strategic plans that selected staff development topics and methods allowing sustained, coherent immersion in an area. Forsaking a grab bag of one-session workshops, teachers sought the expertise and time necessary for the school staff to acquire, implement, and reflect on innovations on an ongoing basis. The methods used for staff development ranged far and wide. Trainer-of-trainers models created cadres of teacher experts in the school; teaming and coaching arrangements allowed school faculty to learn from experts and from each other; visits to classes in their own and other schools allowed teachers to see new ideas in action; alliances with universities brought expertise to the schools and opportunities for growth and advancement to teachers; some schools pooled resources to share training expenses and personnel.

Descriptions of lessons learned from the 32 schools open with a view of one school's successful integration of the three key elements. Following this complete portrait of one school, the guide "zooms in" to sets of focused vignettes that illustrate variations of these elements found in a number of schools during the 1991-92 school year.

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[Introduction]

[A Portrait of South Mission High School: Building on the Effective Schools Model]