Leading Successful School Turnarounds: Learning from Research and Prac7ce. Bryan Hassel September 2010

Transcription

1 Leading Successful School Turnarounds: Learning from Research and Prac7ce Bryan Hassel September 2010

2 Overview Turnarounds Happen Growing Research Base Common Elements of Success Leader Ac?ons Leader Competencies The District Role September 2010 Public Impact 2

3 Turnarounds Happen Drama?c improvement: 2 viable modes Star?ng fresh Classic turnaround with new leader September 2010 Public Impact 3

4 Turnarounds Happen MacArthur Middle School (Berkeley, IL) Four years of data Percent of Students Mee?ng or Exceeding Standards in Reading and Math Reading Math Source: Breaking the Habit of Low Performance: Successful School Restructuring Stories (CII 2009) September 2010 Public Impact 4

5 Turnarounds Happen Westwood High School (Memphis, TN) Four years of data Percent of Students Mee?ng or Exceeding Standards in Reading and Math Reading Math Source: Breaking the Habit of Low Performance: Successful School Restructuring Stories (CII 2009) September 2010 Public Impact 5

6 Turnarounds Happen PickeZ Middle School (Philadelphia, PA) ONE YEAR of data Percent of Students Scoring Proficient & Advanced in Reading and Math Grade 7 Grade 8 Grade 7 Grade 8 ELA Math Source: Mass Insight analysis of Pennsylvania System of School Assessment Results (2009) September 2010 Public Impact 6

7 Turnarounds Happen NYC Police Department September 2010 Public Impact 7

8 Turnarounds Happen Con?nental Airlines September 2010 Public Impact 8

9 The Growing Research Base IES Prac?ce Guide: Turning Around Chronically Low Performing Schools (2008) Based on a collec?on of case studies examining prac?ces across 35 low performing schools that improved student achievement in one to three years Recommenda?ons: Signal the need for change with strong leadership Maintain a consistent focus on improving instruc?on Provide visible improvements early in the turnaround process ( quick wins ) Build a commized staff September 2010 Public Impact 9

10 The Growing Research Base The Big U Turn (Educa&on Next, 2009) Based on research and case studies about organiza?ons across sectors that rapidly and drama?cally improved performance Findings: Turnarounds require a strong leader to drive change and influence stakeholders to support drama?c transforma?on Effec?ve turnaround leaders follow a consistent pazern of ac?ons that spur drama?c improvement Turnaround leaders work in an environment that gives them the big yes September 2010 Public Impact 10

11 Successful Turnarounds Share Common Features Consistent PaZern of Leader Ac?ons The District Role Turnaround Leader Competencies September 2010 Public Impact 11

12 Turnaround Leader Ac7ons Focus on a few early wins Drive decisions with openair data Get the right staff, right the remainder Push rapid fire experimenta?on Break organiza?on norms Lead a turnaround campaign September 2010 Public Impact 12

13 Turnaround Leader Ac7ons Focus on a few early wins Choose a few high priority goals with visible payoffs Early improvements can rally staff around the effort and overcome resistance (IES) Use early success to gain momentum September 2010 Public Impact 13

14 Turnaround Leader Ac7ons Get the right staff, right the remainder Release, replace, or redeploy staff who are not fully commized to turning around student performance (IES) Bring in new staff who can help organize and drive change For remaining staff, change is mandatory, not op?onal September 2010 Public Impact 14

15 Turnaround Leader Ac7ons Break organiza?on norms Depart from organiza?on norms or rules to deploy new tac?cs needed for early wins Discard failed rules and rou?nes when they inhibit success September Public Impact

16 Turnaround Leader Ac7ons Lead a turnaround campaign Signal the magnitude and urgency of drama?c change from the status quo (IES) Help staff personally feel the problems customers feel Work through key influencers Silence cri?cs with speedy success September 2010 Public Impact 16

17 Turnaround Leader Ac7ons Push rapid fire experimenta?on Press a fast cycle of trying new tac?cs, discarding failed tac?cs, and inves?ng more in what works Con?nually reassess student learning and instruc?onal prac?ces to refocus goals (IES) Resist tou?ng mere progress as ul?mate success September 2010 Public Impact 17

18 Turnaround Leader Ac7ons Drive decisions with open air data Choose ini?al goals based on rigorous analysis Use data to set goals for instruc?onal improvement (IES) Report key staff results visibly and ogen Require staff to share results in open air sessions September 2010 Public Impact 18

19 Successful Turnarounds Share Common Features Consistent PaZern of Leader Ac?ons The District Role Turnaround Leader Competencies September 2010 Public Impact 19

20 Turnaround Leader Competencies Qualifica7ons: Cer?fica?on Degrees Knowledge & skills Teacher prac?ces Adapted from The Iceberg Model in Spencer & Spencer, Competence at Work, p. 11. Competencies: Recurring pazerns of thought and ac?on Example: Achievement Drive September 2010 Public Impact 20

21 Driving for Results Achievement Ini?a?ve and Persistence Monitoring and Direc?veness Planning Ahead Achieve outstanding results quickly Set ambi?ous goals Persist in the face of numerous obstacles Have an excep?onal drive to succeed Clarify expecta?ons of others and check to ensure follow through Priori?ze and plan ac?vi?es to get highest benefit rela?ve to inputs September 2010 Public Impact 21

22 Influencing for Results Impact and Influence Influence the percep?ons, thinking and ac?ons of others to help the organiza?on get bezer results Get the support of key influencers Team Leadership Work through others to influence opinion and get things done Build and manage effec?ve teams Developing Others Increase the effec?veness of other people September 2010 Public Impact 22

23 Problem Solving Analy?cal Thinking Analyze mul?ple data sources and determine what is important and how it relates to achieving goals Make plans that logically and sequen?ally deploy significant resources and involve large numbers of people Conceptual Thinking Iden?fy cri?cal issues and communicate them clearly to all stakeholders Connect desired changes in ac?ons to the learning results needed September 2010 Public Impact 23

24 Showing Confidence to Lead Self Confidence Strongly believe that he or she can get needed results Take significant risks to achieve success Take responsibility for both successes and failures Follow up on mistakes with analysis and correc?ve ac?on September 2010 Public Impact 24

25 How are Competencies Useful? Best for Selec?on Difficult to train for highest levels of competencies Can also be used for Recruitment Development and Training Evalua?on September 2010 Public Impact 25

26 Successful Turnarounds Share Common Features Consistent PaZern of Leader Ac?ons The District Role Turnaround Leader Competencies September 2010 Public Impact 26

27 The District Role Commit to Success Develop a Pipeline of Leaders Give Leaders the Big Yes Priori?ze Teacher Hiring Hold Leaders Accountable for Results Build Demand for Change September 2010 Public Impact 27

28 Commit to Success Turnarounds are one of very few proven ways to quickly fix a failing organiza?on They can be very difficult and controversial Stay the course even when some first azempts are unsuccessful September 2010 Public Impact 28

29 Develop a Pipeline of Leaders Engage in targeted: Recruitment Training Selec?on Placement To build a pool of leaders with: Specific turnaround competencies Ability to engage in consistent set of ac?ons September 2010 Public Impact 29

30 Give Leaders the Big Yes Staffing Autonomies Authority over hiring and dismissal Waivers from tenure and seniority protec?ons Opera?onal Autonomies Scheduling Budget decisions Programs and professional development September 2010 Public Impact 30

31 Priori7ze Teacher Hiring Early recruitment Special recrui?ng fairs Performance incen?ves Pool of qualified replacements September 2010 Public Impact 31

32 Hold Leaders Accountable for Results Short?meline for results Ongoing monitoring and repor?ng Rapid retry Many drama?c improvement azempts will fall short Retrying major change rapidly is the only way to achieve high cumula?ve success rate September 2010 Public Impact 32

33 Build Demand for Change Iden?fy and use change supporters to build demand Provide a stark look at current failure Show that far bezer student success is possible Publicize early wins to gain support September 2010 Public Impact 33

34 Final Considera7ons Turnarounds happen Successful turnaround leaders engage in a consistent pazern of ac?ons Ac?ons are more likely when leaders have high levels of specific competencies District environment is cri?cal to success September 2010 Public Impact 34

35 Resources Turning Around Chronically Low performing Schools (IES 2008): hzp://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/pdf/prac?ceguides/turnaround_pg_04181.pdf Public Impact resources on turning around failing schools: Successful School Turnarounds: Seven Steps for District Leaders (CCSRI 2009): hzp:// Star&ng Fresh in Low Performing Schools (NACSA 2006): hzp:// Northwest turnarounds: How Five Schools Made Big Jumps in Student Achievement (NWREL 2009): hzp:// 03/ Try, Try, Again: How to Triple The Number of Fixed Failing Schools Without GePng Any BeQer at Fixing Schools (2010): hzp:// try again/ September 2010 Public Impact 35

36 Bryan Hassel Co Director