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

Fitting the Pieces: Education Reform That Works - October 1996


Sustaining Reform Efforts


Education reform often requires redesigning organizational infrastructure to support implementation. This may entail reexamining how staff and community members communicate and collaborate, or changing the way resources are budgeted to support reform activities.

Directions: The following exercise asks a number of questions about day-to-day operations within your school. As you proceed, think about how your present organization supports reform efforts, and what might be done to facilitate change in the future.

  • Effective communication can reduce conflict by increasing participant understanding of reform objectives.

    • How is information presently disseminated in your school, and what steps can be taken to improve communication among staff?


     
  • Collaboration can enhance reform efforts by assembling a wide range of players to solve common problems.

    • What opportunities for collaboration presently exist within your school, and how could these be changed to encourage reform participants to work together?


     

  • Parents and communities can be valuable assets to reform.

    • What opportunities are presently available for parents and community members to participate in your school? How could these arrangements be augmented?


     

  • Reform efforts often require the investment of significant capital and human resources.

    • What are some strategies that could be implemented to reallocate or acquire additional resources to support your proposed school reform?


     

  • Periodic self-assessment is an integral part of reform that can help identify weaknesses and provide feedback to improve instruction.

    • What kind of information will you need to collect in order to assess the success of your reform efforts?

 


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[Appendix A: Implementing Reform] [Table of Contents] [Appendix B: The 12 Education Reform Studies]