Archived: Chapter 6 - Capacity Building and Systemic Reform

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

Systemic Reform - October 1996

Chapter 6
Capacity Building and Systemic Reform

Having all students meet more challenging expectations for learning is a major goal of current education reform. To date reform efforts have focused primarily on articulating high standards for students and aligning other policies with these learner goals. Although some may believe that a combination of standards and assessment is sufficient to yield the desired results, most reformers are increasingly concerned about the capacity of the current education system to respond to the new expectations. Many reformers now recognize, for example, the tremendous changes the new standards demand of teachers--in what and how they teach and in their role in their classrooms and schools. These changes require teachers not only to learn new content and skills but to unlearn previous, less effective ones. Prior research, supported by the findings of this study, has documented how difficult and protracted this change process is (e.g., Fullan, 1993; Cohen, 1990).

Yet the changes demanded of teachers are only the tip of the iceberg. If all students are to learn to new standards, administrators, teacher educators and other participants in the education of our youth must also change their roles and expectations (David, 1993). And they and teachers must do so at the very same time those roles and expectations are being defined and redefined. Indeed, what is being asked of the educational system is not simply more effective implementation of known strategies and goals but the simultaneous creation and implementation of a new conception of educational achievement and of instructional practice. Put another way, if our youth are to be prepared as complex thinkers and problem solvers, our teachers and schools must become problem solvers on a scale never before imagined. Will they be able to do so?

Educators, researchers, and policy makers are beginning to address this question and to explore different ways to enhance the ability of the system and its teachers to improve student learning. But before they can design effective policies, policy makers must determine what capacities are needed and what mechanisms and strategies might foster their development. The purpose of this chapter is to contribute to these fledgling discussions by suggesting a framework for thinking about the concept of capacity and capacity-building strategies and policies.
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[Chapter 5 Conclusion] [Table of Contents] [The Dimensions of Capacity]