Change Leadership Group: Transformational Improvement Process in Schools

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Generating momentum for change can be innovative or challenging. The Change Leadership Group believes the successful leadership of transformational improvement process in schools and districts require sharpening capacities in two quite different directions at the same time:

1) Leaders need to see more deeply into why it is so hard for our organizations to change, even when there is a genuine, collective desire to do so. More than just seeing why, leaders need to learn how to take action effectively to help our organizations actually become what they need and want to be.

2) Leaders need to see more deeply into why it is so hard for individuals to change, even when individuals genuinely intend to do so. Beyond this merely diagnostic self-understanding, we as leaders need to learn how to take action effectively to help ourselves become the person we need and want to be in order to better serve the children and families of our community (Walter, et. al, 2006 p.xvi).

The Change Leadership Group (2006) have identified three categories of organizational tendencies- reaction, compliance, and isolation with its opposite respectively purpose and focus, engagement and collaboration. The three negative categories can be draining to the momentum of change. In order for change to take place we must transform each of the negative into the positive.

Reaction Transforms to Purpose and Focus

In schools today there are many demands from the community, school level, state level and federal level. Each of these entities has put high demand on schools and teachers. They want the school to be high performing and this is currently shown through mandated testing. “These conditions have caused many educators to move beyond responsivenes...

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...t is to take place. There must be an expectation that change is complex and will require everyone to work in a collaborative manner. Teacher must believe this change will improve student learning. Teachers must feel supported through training, materials and leadership support. Change is not linear and there will be many ups and downs, but if everyone is on board the change will happen.

Works Cited

Fullan, M. (2001). Leading in a Culture of Change. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Marzano, R. J., Waters, T. & McNulty, B. A. (2005). School Leadership that Works: From Research to Results. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Wagner, T., Kegan, R., Lahey, L., Lemons, R.W., Garnier, J., Helsing, D., Howell, A., Rasmussen, H. T. (2006). Change Leadership: A Practical Guide to Transforming Our Shcools. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

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