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Managing Change

NCREL. Critical issue: Leading and managing change and improvement. Retrieved on 19 November 2004 from http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/educatrs/leadrshp/le500.htm

This North Central Regional Educational Laboratory (NCREL) article draws from the work of Fullan, Sparks, Senge and others to consider critical issues concerned with the processes of leading and managing change. It is argued that successful school improvement requires a clear educational vision and a shared institutional mission, with teachers, parents, community and business partners, administrators and students involved in sharing leadership functions. 'The principal's role must change from that of a top-down supervisor to a facilitator, architect, steward, instructional leader, coach and strategic teacher' (p.1).

Six critical components of schooling are said to underpin successful change.

  1. Clear, strong, collective educational vision and institutional mission.
  2. Strong, committed, professional community within the school.
  3. A learning environment that promotes high standards for school achievement.
  4. Sustained professional development to improve learning.
  5. Successful partnerships with parents, health and human services agencies, businesses, universities and other community organisations.
  6. Systemic planning and implementation process for instituting needed changes.

The paper provides a number of action options for facilitating change, including:

  • becoming familiar with the school improvement cycle, the stages of the change process and change models
  • learning more about the complexities of change through reading, talking with experts and attending seminars
  • accepting change as a positive process to be understood and embraced rather than feared and avoided
  • bringing in experts to develop the capacity of school staff to lead change
  • becoming a leader of leaders
  • forming partnerships with parents, businesses and other community agencies
  • reflecting on your leadership style
  • celebrating success.

The article provides links to case studies and interviews with principals. Finding a balance between top-down and bottom-up change, between systematic and informal, spontaneous change are continuing dilemmas.