School districts are scrambling to embrace “systemic change” in predominantly black, urban schools across America. The pressure of education reformation lies on the shoulders of District Superintendents like never before. Federal dollars have been targeted for professional development, educators are going through transition after transition, neighborhood schools are shutting down due to low enrollment.
In a study paper published in 1993 titled “Principles and Actions: A Framework for Systemic Change”, a model was shared ‘to help school districts evaluate themselves during the implementation of systemic change’. This report is still relevant to the community-wide, aggressive change policy makers are pushing from the steps of Washington.
Excerpt below…
Data on nine participating school districts were obtained from interviews and site visits. Twelve systemic change principles emerged from the data: (1) the purpose must be clearly articulated and widely “known and owned”; (2) the purpose must be based on a consciously developed philosophy and rooted in shared theory; (3) the need for change must be understood and accepted; (4) the “top” must demonstrate the envisioned change; (5) significant new investment must be made in educating/training prospective participants in the new philosophy/theory and relevant skills; (6) participation in the new processes and approaches must be voluntary and active; (7) power sources and relationships must be visibly altered; (8) partner-customer-supplier relationships must be consciously developed; (9) individual affirmation must be balanced with collaboration; (10) processes at all levels must be emphasized over end results; (11) communication barriers must be eradicated; (12) data-based decision making must be required and enabled; and (13) efforts to learn and improve must be total, dynamic, and generative.
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