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

From the interviews and observations, it was clear that Edgemont teachers were overwhelmed by the volume of change they were experiencing. This feeling was especially acute in connection with the middle school transition, which had a very short timeline. The district was exerting pressure for speedy adoption of all reforms and expected the principal to make it happen. The principal had not been successful in protecting his staff from outside demands or in regulating the pace of the many meetings and reports required as part of the reforms. With reluctant teachers on one side and an insistent district administration on the other, the fragile authority of the principal started to erode. Amidst the turmoil, only minor changes could be seen in classroom activities.

Context Edgemont Junior High School serves nearly 1,000 students, grades 7-9, in a small city that is the hub of a large agricultural and cattle-ranching area. Both the students and faculty are predominantly white. The principal has been at the school for 20 years. Under pressure from the district, he has been unsuccessfully trying to guide his staff toward a transition to middle school. Over the past three years, the school has become involved in a statewide Effective Schools network, begun to participate in a state-initiated restructuring program, undertaken plans to move to a middle school model, and started to implement a series of district-developed curricula that follow the Outcome-Based Education (OBE) model. Individually, each of these reforms has led to some promising changes; in combination, they seem to have swamped the staff in a blizzard of ideas. Outcome-Based Education The adoption of the Outcome-Based Education philosophy is a district-mandated decision. The idea is to change what is taught to match what the district expects students to know, and then to ensure that students reach a mastery level in those skills. This school year, the district has implemented new curricula in mathematics, spelling, and physical education. Other new curricula will be instituted in subsequent years. An important by-product of OBE has been a greater degree of coordination across grade levels and subject areas. The middle school switch is forcing the staff to rethink instructional delivery in anticipation of teaming next year. The principal feels that the staff are lagging behind in developing challenging and interesting tasks and in devising alternative assessment tools for their classes. To date, the school has achievement data only from standardized test information. Top Down Teachers at Edgemont have had little input into the school's reform programs. The involvement with the Effective Schools process constituted the first reform effort. Beginning in 1989, the school became involved in a state-sponsored program as a result of the principal's desire to formalize a planning structure in the school. Committees were formed and a survey was administered, resulting in modest changes each teacher committed to calling two students' parents per week to improve home-school communication. Neither did the teachers initiate the move to the middle school model; it was a district decision to relieve overcrowding. Similarly, Outcome-Based Education was initiated by the district. The Effective Schools teams did give the teachers some voice in the school's agenda. The Edgemont teachers have recognized the rushed timeline for the middle school transition and were successful in convincing the principal and the district to consider a more thoughtful pace. Development by Fiat State restructuring funds have provided Edgemont staff with opportunities to seek new ideas and information. Teachers visited other middle schools to see how they restructured their curriculum. A related priority, Outcome-Based Education, included staff development that resulted in changes in math instruction, spelling, and physical education. In general, however, staff seem to feel overwhelmed with the pace and number of changes expected of them.

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[On the Way: Empire High School]

[Slow Going: The Beginning of Change in Petersburgh Elementary]