Schools Can Change

Dale W. Lick - Florida State University Learning Systems Institute and Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies
Karl H. Clauset - National Whole-Faculty Study Groups Center
Carlene U. Murphy - National Whole-Faculty Study Groups Center

Foreword by Carlene U. Murphy

Additional resources:

Other Titles in:
Professional Learning Communities | School Change, Reform, & Restructuring | Staff Development & Professional Learning

November 2012 | 256 pages | Corwin

Build a dynamic system for change!

From No Child Left Behind to Common Core standards, we are inundated with directives for improving our schools. How can we really create lasting change? By applying the Change Creation system!
The Change Creation system produces a creative, collaborative, nurturing school environment—and you can make it happen. The authors use what they have learned over two decades of working with schools implementing Whole Faculty Study Groups to make improvements and refinements that create a more streamlined and effective grass-roots system for measurable and sustainable student growth.

Learning community pioneers Dale Lick, Karl Clauset, and Carlene Murphy show teachers, principals, and schools how to:

Develop the right vision, relationships, and culture to create and sustain change
Create communication networks for sharing that work
Model learning-inquiry cycles for action teams for success
Build loyalty, trust, and responsibility within your teams and across the school

With a free, comprehensive online collection of practical resources including templates, checklists and action team assessment forms, Schools Can Change will become your keystone for school innovation and improved student learning.

"Far too many good initiatives fall short due to lack of planning and exclusion of important stakeholders. The authors tell us how to build a sustainable culture over time. They don't pretend that it is easy, but give the educator confidence that it can be done."
—Eddie Ingram, Superintendent
Franklin County Schools, Louisburg, NC

"This is the most comprehensive book on the topic of school change ever written. The suggested practices and strategies at various stages create a comprehensive, meaningful text. This book helps us gain practical wisdom at all levels in our districts and schools."
—Lyne Ssebikindu, Assistant Principal
Crump Elementary School, Cordova, TN

Available Formats

ISBN: 9781412998741	Paperback	Suggested Retail Price: $42.95	Bookstore Price: $34.36
ISBN: 9781544303208	Electronic Version	Suggested Retail Price: $39.00	Bookstore Price: $39.00

Should you need additional information or have questions regarding the HEOA information provided for this title, including what is new to this edition, please email sageheoa@sagepub.com. Please include your name, contact information, and the name of the title for which you would like more information. For information on the HEOA, please go to http://ed.gov/policy/highered/leg/hea08/index.html.

List of Figures and Tables

Online Resources

Foreword

Preface

Purpose and Need

Who Should Read and Use This Book?

Organization and Contents

Acknowledgments

About the Authors

1. The Change Creation System

School Improvement

School Reforms

The Roots of the Change Creation System

No Silver Bullet, One Brick at a Time

Standards for Professional Learning and Practice

The Change Creation System

Summary

Part I. Fundamentals of Effectiveness

2. Fundamentals of Effectiveness for School Improvement

Understanding the Culture

Culture of Discipline

Culture of Change Creation

Culture of Relationships and Collaboration

Culture of Transformational Leadership

Cultural Change

Summary

3. Fundamentals of Vision and Successful Change

Vision

Change

Success and Failure of Change

Effective Sponsorship in Schools

Change and Resistance in Schools

Universal Change Principle for Schools

Summary

4. Fundamentals for Creating Learning Teams and Professional Learning Communities

Collaboration and Teamwork

Action Teams and Professional Learning Communities

Authentic Teams and Synergy

Comentoring Teams

Learning Teams

Professional Learning Communities

Summary

Part II. The Process of the Change Creation System

5. Introducing the Decision-Making Cycle

Action Teams Decision-Making Cycle

Preparing to Start the Decision-Making Cycle

Summary

6. Identifying Student Learning Needs and Forming Action Teams

Student Learning Needs That Action Teams Address

How to Identify Student Learning Needs

Form Action Teams and Select Student Needs to Address

Selecting Student Needs to Address

Support for Identifying Student Needs and Forming Action Teams

Summary

7. Introducing Action Teams

Action Teams in the Change Creation System

The Work of Action Teams

Purposes of Action Teams

Action Team Principles

Action Team Process Guidelines

Effective Action Team Meetings

Action Teams as a Bundle of Changes

Summary

8. Support for Action Teams

Keep the Focus on Student Learning

Protect Time for Action Team Meetings

Establish Routines

Provide Regular, Frequent, and Constructive Feedback to Action Teams

Understand the Developmental Stages of Action Teams

Help Struggling Teams Move Forward

Develop Communication Networks and Strategies to Share Action Teams' Work and Results

Form Administrator Action Teams

Summary

9. Creating Team Action Plans

Team Action Plan

Creating Team Action Plans

Support for Action Teams on Their Team Action Plans and Logs

Summary

10. Implementing Learning and Inquiry Cycles for Innovation and Improving Student Learning: Parts 1 and 2

Implementing Learning and Inquiry Cycles

Supporting Learning and Inquiry Cycles for Innovation and Student Learning

Summary

11. Implementing Learning and Inquiry Cycles for Innovation and Improving Student Learning: Parts 3 and 4

Implementing Learning and Inquiry Cycles

Supporting Learning and Inquiry Cycles for Innovation and Student Learning

Summary

12. Assessing the Impact of Action Teams and Sharing Results and Best Practices

Assessing the Impact of Action Teams on Teacher Practice and Student Learning

Sharing Results and Best Practices and Applying Lessons Learned

Repeating the Decision-Making Cycle Each Year

Supporting Assessing the Impact of Action Teams and Sharing Results and Best Practices

Summary

Epilogue

References

Index

Key features

1. Built around step-by-step practical 'change creation' approach, beyond anything available today, to build systems with learning teams to generate improvement innovations and to change the culture appropriately for sustaining school successes and student learning achievements.

2. Based on more than two decades of success with the Whole Faculty Study Group approach to professional learning.

3. Free access to a valuable online collection of accompanying practical resources including templates, checklists,action team assessment forms, and an action team rubric.