"Becoming" Effective: Lessons From One State's Reform Initiative in Schools Serving Low-Income Students
Titel:
"Becoming" Effective: Lessons From One State's Reform Initiative in Schools Serving Low-Income Students
Auteur:
Johannesen Brock, Karen Groth, Cori
Verschenen in:
Journal of education for students placed at risk
Paginering:
Jaargang 8 (2003) nr. 2 pagina's 167-190
Jaar:
2003-04-01
Inhoud:
Inadequate attention has been paid to the process by which schools serving low-income students change to become more effective. This article presents findings from a longitudinal case study of 50 low-income and racial, ethnic, or language minority schools that participated in a state-funded school improvement program. Using a framework for analyzing organizational change, the authors found that schools in which the adults in the building perceived a real opportunity to improve the academic circumstances of their students were able to transform their schools in more substantial ways than those schools in which the adults perceived little hope for increasing student learning. This perception is fostered by 6 key factors: (a) ongoing professional development, (b) a high degree of staff involvement, (c) a strong focus or vision of the school based on improving student learning, (d) continuous monitoring and evaluation of both program and student achievement, (e) reallocation of resources to support the school-wide plan, and (f) strong principal leadership. Initial findings indicate that a comprehensive approach to school reform that addresses the organizational structure is most effective at improving student achievement. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.