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Long-term transformational change has four primary aspects: scale (the change affects all or most of the school), magnitude (the degree to which it challenges the status quo), duration (the change is incremental at first and then moves to exponential), and strategic importance (how ready the culture is for adapting to change). Yet schools will only see significant change when the change occurs first at the level of the individual educational leader- be that principal, superintendent, or teacher. Real change, transformational change happens when there is personal ownership of the new technologies and concepts. Today's new economy is all about human capital, which starts with the educators in a school and then extends outward to all members of the school community.

Principles for Managing Change 1. People before Things (or test scores) 2. Start at the Top 3. Everyone is a Player in the Change Game 4. Garner Buy-in 5. Can't Give Away What You Do Not Own 6. Communicate and Often 7. Know Your Culture and Predict Possible Impact 8. Expect the Unexpected 9. As the Individual Grows so Will the Collective Wisdom of the Community

"...site provides information about systems theory and describes an effective way to view school systems - by looking at them as consisting of three domains. Using this perspective can help you simplify the complexity of school systems, adopt multiple ways of viewing them, and better understand the interconnectivity of their various parts. "

I think that as educators we often become so engrossed with opportunities to implement change and our own vision of what that change should look like that we sometimes forget that we need to think systemically. How does our vision fit within the school as a whole? And, when we determine what change is necessary...how do we determine how to implement that change in a sustainable way? Too often we become experts in Programs, but have little understanding of Planning and Process. What do you think? Once we identify the need for change and the means to address that need, how do we make that change happen and stick?

"...offers a college preparatory program that focuses on a liberal arts program. The curriculum is designed to accelerate students into college courses at the University of Toledo, beginning with the freshman school year. Students take two years of English, up to three years of mathematics and science and two years of social studies at the high school level. All other courses, including electives and foreign language are taken at the University of Toledo. Students can earn up to 60 college credits during the four-year high school experience. College-level courses and required textbooks are provided at no cost to students. College courses qualify for dual credits, allowing them to be counted for high school and college credits."

(Right-click and open links in new tab.) Thinking about the Semester Online program that is just rolling out I wonder what we could do in Vermont with elements of this school in Toledo in combination with an online component. Vermont does have a Dual Enrollment program, but it is no where nearly as comprehensive as this. And, students still have to pay for a vast majority of their classes. It would seem that a high school would actually come out ahead by paying for college courses rather than for high school faculty to teach a less rigorous...and noncredit earning course.

Ranked 17th out of 3500 schools in Ohio... Even more significant given that the district it is in ranked 708th out of 937 districts.

"Leadership has several aspects, each of which contributes uniquely to school competence and to school excellence. The current focus in leadership theory and practice provides a limited view, dwelling excessively on some aspects of leadership to the virtual exclusion of others. Unfortunately, these neglected aspects of leadership are linked to excellence-a revelation now unfolding from recent research on school effectiveness and school excellence."

Five leadership forces: Technical derived from sound management techniques Human derived from harnessing available social and interpersonal resources Educational derived from expert knowledge about matters of education and schooling Symbolic derived from focusing the attention of others on matters of importance to the school Cultural derived from building a unique school culture.

"Can schools as we currently know them ever accomplish the mission we've established for them? This week Richard Elmore, one of the nation's most prominent educational thinkers, emphatically shared his conviction that they cannot. "

"Clinging to dysfunctional models will actually do more damage to our children in the long-run, and so more dramatic shifts of thinking and practice now seem in order."

Looking at our efforts and our work as Rowland Fellows...are we providing "palliative care" to our schools? When we think about what we do, our work must embrace true innovation rather than "fortifying existing institutions that no longer work." I feel we are on the right track and am humbled by the work that is being done through this foundation.

The idea that a leader responds to undercurrents and tailors changes to anticipate what will eventually rise to the surface proves true in the work of Rowland Fellows in their school systems...The best of our school leaders - teachers, principals, superintendents - listen and look for the groundswell. The beauty of transformation from the ground up is that, like a good undercurrent, the conditions that allow it to spread and then surface are best arrived at when philosophies and practices become invitations to participate and a recognition that there are many unique and valuable ways to be a part of a growing undercurrent - for long-term changes to manifest, a good leader proposes - not imposes.

Debatable, but interesting reforms.  While I may not agree with all of the pieces I do like that they are taking a multipronged approach...and that they are not just talking about transformation, but taking real and decisive actions.

Article based on The Innovator's DNA: Mastering the 5 Skills of Disruptive Innovators Focus on concluding three chapters, People, Processes, and Philosophies, which draw on and offers 15 takeaways for Principals and School-Leaders.

What You Can Do to Become Stronger Innovation Leaders in Your School: 1. Own as Principal the role of Innovator-in-Chief: You can't delegate innovation. 2. Make your practice of "active innovation" visible. 3. Create complementary teams in school leadership. 4 . Observe closely what other principals and schools are doing. 5. Arrange for employee swaps. 6. Ask "Why?" 7. Seek people who had invented something, held deep expertise in a particular knowledge area, and demonstrated a passion to change the world. 8. Remember that innovators want to work with and for other innovators. 9. Embed innovation as an explicit, consistent element of performance reviews. 10. Develop formal and informal processes to facilitate knowledge exchanges. 11. Network externally. 12. Practice Beta testing and Prototyping. 13. Build many small, diverse teams. 14. Communicate and reinforce that Innovation is everyone's job. 15. Make innovation an explicit core value of your school. 16. Give more time for innovation. 17. Create "a safe space for others to innovate. 18. Model your risk taking and your learning from failure.

The book is framed around the Five Core Skills of Innovators, a framework highly valuable for ourselves and our students: What are we doing to do more of and become better at *Associating, *Questioning, *Observing, *Networking, *Experimenting.

Article that makes me question how schools and classrooms are physically designed. This is a direct reflection of how we do what we do. Would you try to play tennis on a beach volleyball court? If we really are going to change the sport we need to change the venue too.

Leading School Transformation (EDLP 380) is a graduate-level course that brings together educators who are leading transformation efforts in Vermont schools. The course will build on the Rowland Foundation Transformation Conference at the University of Vermont through professional dialogue, personal refelection, and related readings. EDLP 380 will help participants develop school-based projects based on the latest research related to school transformation. Participants will read The Big Picture by Dennis Littky and Drive by Daniel Pink and develop strategies to lead change at their schools.

"The Rowland Foundation: Teacher Workshops 2011-2012" In order to sustain and extend the conversations from the Conference on High School Transformation, The Rowland Foundation will offer the following workshops during the 2011-2012 school year. By limiting enrollment to about 20 participants, these workshops are designed to provide more participatory discussion and greater detail than that which was offered at the Sept. 22 conference. In each case the host school and its Rowland Fellow will be able to illustrate in practice the principles being discussed. These workshops are offered in two parts: a session in fall and one again in the spring to enable participants to engage in conversations while working to implement changes in their own schools. We look forward to furthering the conversations that were started in Burlington.

"...at the structural level, companies need to be constantly reflective, assessing their relevance... And they should expect to constantly change without fear of their own identity--because it's better to be an adaptive (school) than a well-recognized fossil."

"The best way to promote change is to constantly challenge talent. And the only way to do that is to never act like the learning process is done."

"...by all means ask a team to do something new. But right when you do, make sure to call in experts for roundtable lunches to answer questions. People will be less afraid of change if they know it's expected, and if the (school) provides the right resources to enable it. And those old habits? Let them die.

The greatest challenge to change in learning is our reticence to simply take action: - change the space - change the program - expect high outcomes.

13 schools categorized by area of focus / innovation.

It would be a great resource for the Vermont ed community to put together a categorized list of schools such as this. Sometimes the most innovative practices are happening right down the road. (And, sometimes right down the hall)

Here's a brief description of a 3-credit UVM course to be offered this summer with links to the 2nd Annual Rowland Conference on School Transformation. This intensive, one-week institute will bring together leaders of school transformation in Vermont schools and connect current transformation initiatives from around the state with the latest research. You can choose the time and location by enrolling at UVM's Summer U here (choose EDLP from the drop-down menu): http://learn.uvm.edu/courselistsummer/index.php EDLP 380 (61346) Jun. 18-22 at Rutland H.S. with Adam Rosenberg EDLP 380 (61348) Jul. 30-Aug.3 at UVM with Mike Martin

"At the core of the project is building collaborations among schools, businesses, and nonprofit organizations as a means to get everyone working together."

"The report argues that our national strategy for education and youth development has been too narrowly focused on an academic, classroom-based approach.Other advanced industrial nations are succeeding with an approach that places greater emphasis on career and technical education and work-based learning. Pathways to Prosperity contends that in order to regain the educational leadership we held for more than a century, the United States must build a more comprehensive network of pathways to serve youth in high school and beyond."

"This thoughtful paper makes a strong case for the development of multiple pathways leading from high school to post-secondary education or career training. Those of us who support a single-track system through high school need to carefully consider the questions raised in this provocative report." Phil Bredesen, Governor of Tennessee (2003-2011)

"Writer and educator Mike Martin has been thinking about the future of schools and is looking forward to the Rowland Foundation's School Transformation Conference at UVM this week, where educators will consider the importance of innovation. (Martin) Estonia is one of the European Union's smallest countries, but it's where Skype comes from."

Nice piece on VPR by 2009 fellow Mike Martin.