Running head: PLANNING FOR CHANGE 1

Planning for Change- Final Analysis Paper

Jennifer Van Deusen EDU 715 Organizational Theory & Strategic Planning Instructor William Smith August 16, 2010

Running head: PLANNING FOR CHANGE 2 Abstract Using the strategic planning research of Peter Senge, I observed and analyzed the process set-up and execution of educational plans that work towards making change evident within school cultures. Using three of the five disciplines for organizational learning (personal mastery, shared vision, and team learning) made it possible to further observe a problem relating to PLC groups within South Elgin High School. These three disciplines can easily be weaved into the PLC community and offer much improvement to the growth and success of the school environment. The strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats were also studied to ensure all avenues were analyzed during the planning process. Conducting this observation allowed for growth and reflection to occur; both vital elements within the planning process. Team learning was then picked as the driving force; in which, goals and objectives revolved around this discipline. A S.M.A.R.T goal was created to provide appropriate benchmarks merging team learning with the objectives set for improving PLC groups in attempts at achieving best practice methods.

Running head: PLANNING FOR CHANGE 3 Strategic Analysis South Elgin High School is a relatively new school, founded in 2005 and serves to roughly 2,600 students. SEHS is one of five high schools within School District U-46, which serves as the second largest school district in Illinois. As the years pass by the communication within academic departments becomes less and less. Many attempts have been made to improve the communication within the school environment. For the first four years, Interdisciplinary Groups (IGs) were formed. These groups were changed yearly and were composed of ten teachers from various content areas. The first year of establishment these groups accomplished on the surface, what appears to be nothing. The second year groups were given meeting agendas and times and had to turn in minutes from their discussions- again nothing concrete surfaced from this set-up. During year(s) three and four the group was to adopt a research element, conduct research on it, and present findings to fellow staff members. This was a step in the right direction, but

lack of focus among groups, being forced to work as a group, and not sharing the same compassion caused for another failed attempt. After its fourth year the IG group was no longer in existence. A few content areas attempted to form what is known as PLC (Professional Learning Communities) groups, but again a lack of organization and follow up left these groups directionless and skeptic. The problem with establishing a productive PLC group at South Elgin High School lies within the organization and execution of underlying goals and benchmarks. The primary focus of a successful PLC group revolves around the element of communication. Within this communication many ideals can be established and initiatives passed that will lead to the success of the group. The need for PLC groups derives from a common occurrence of mis-direction and choppy transitions between grade levels of the same content area. With the groups in check, teachers are made aware of best practice for the grade level they teach and will also understand the material that the grades below and above focus on. This Running head: PLANNING FOR CHANGE 4 will help to ensure that students are being challenged, academically pushed, and receive a well rounded education that will help prepare them for future endeavors. Although establishing success through a PLC group involves being a team player, much is needed to establish success using reflection of oneself. In order to productively give to a group, the individual has to first be well versed and insightful. Peter Senge discusses in his writings the importance choice has in education. In order to weave Personal Mastery into the success of the strategic plan

understanding and implementing the process of choice is a vital element. In terms of PLC groups or any school committees or groups for that matter it is important to introduce choice when thinking of the success of the initiative. By including choice the vision will become part of you- wherever it may lead (Senge, 2000, p.65). This is so important when establishing a PLC group in that the members of the group will latch on to the responsibility if they feel they are a stakeholder. In order to ensure this feeling they need to have freedoms and responsibilities to bring in their talents and ideas. Giving individuals these freedoms allows them to find a compassion and drive to continue pushing and working towards the success of the plan. The needed direction for PLC groups at SEHS within each grade level of each content area requires all aspects of the content area to be covered. For example a freshmen English PLC group would need individual to cover the following areas and take them under as their designated assignment to bring back lessons, ideas and research to ensure best practice and growth is being observed: Punctuation, test preparation, grammar, literature, reading strategies, vocabulary, etc Allowing choice in this aspect allows staff members that are a part of the PLC to choose the area they feel their talents can be fully executed. Another aspect of choice can be seen in the establishment of the group as it is. Groups that are made up of faculty that is forced to be involved increase the risk in their immediate failure. For the plan to implement PLC groups at SEHS in all content areas in all grade levels it will be done by a voluntary basis. Those that want to be involved will get so much out of the Running head: PLANNING FOR CHANGE 5 experience and hopefully transpire the choice to others to want to be a part of the

movement towards success. In order to move a strategic plan from the planning stage to the actual implementation it requires a shared vision. It requires those involved to have a centralized goal that they are working towards attaining; it also needs the respect and devotion to foster the plan to realization. Catalyzing peoples aspirations doesnt happen by accident; it requires time, care, and strategy (Senge, 2000, p. 72). In order for a shared vision to be an effective part of the planning process many elements need to be in place: clear objectives, set responsibilities, attainable benchmarks, and clean communication- just to name a few. For these elements to grow- the shared vision must be vocalized and its participants should feel a responsibility and a freedom to declare their input. This shared understanding of mission, vision, values, and goals represents the very foundation of a PLC and is embedded in the hearts and minds of people throughout the school (DuFour, 2004, p. 3). Further stressing the importance a shared vision has on the planning process, especially when looking for a progressive change within education. The PLC plan for SEHS will need to have a shared vision and strong forms of communication in order for the plan to surpass benchmarks and make a difference within the school culture. The discipline involving team learning directly affects the dynamic of a PLC group in that it establishes the groundwork involved when working with a group or committee. The basic structure of the PLC is composed of collaborative teams whose members work interdependently to achieve common goals. People who engage in collaborative team learning are able to learn from one another and thus create momentum to fuel continued improvement (DuFour, 2004, p. 3). In Senges work he describes two core pieces that go into team learning- the first being alignment- resulting around the organization of the process, and the second

involving communication or dialogue. It is obvious how

Running head: PLANNING FOR CHANGE 6 essential these two attributes are to the success of team learning, and how that success can further drive a strategic plan to greatness. The alignment of team learning in terms of PLCs at SEHS will be structured by grade level and content area. Each grade level will discuss areas that fit to their specific grade and specialization. For example in a freshmen PLC one person would be in charge of reading strategies. It is their responsibility to bring to the table- news, lessons, ideas, concerns, etc Although they are working on this portion individually they are bringing it to the table and helping to push forward the freshmen curriculum in attempts at attaining set goals by the PLC group. Even though people retain their individuality, their efforts will naturally move in a common direction (Senge, 2000, p. 74). In order to ensure proper organization and an effective establishment of team learning communication serves as a building block to ensure that benchmarks are being achieved. According to Senge it is best practice to first invite people to communicate (again offering them that aspect of choice- will allow them to practice their freedoms in passionately accepting the plan), he also reminds group members to think openly when in a group setting- as narrow minded thinking creates mental blockades which detour progressive movement of the plan. Lastly, and most importantly is the element of questioning, not only welcoming questions, but being able to actively ask them of other group members. This allows for creative ideas to be generated while constant reflection can still occur.

Setting Strategic Direction To successfully move forward in the world of education clear observations must be made in terms of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats when it comes to implementing a PLC group for all grade levels in all content areas. In bringing this new initiative to SEHS it will highlight much strength: individually, collectively, and as a school community. Teachers will get the opportunity to be a part of a group that they feel passionately about, and work on improving best practice teachings to improve the learning community. Individual also will find the ability to voice their concerns and make a Running head: PLANNING FOR CHANGE 7 difference first hand. They will develop essential leadership skills: voice, perseverance, understanding, and unity- just to name a few. Progressively reaching benchmarks and working towards attaining objectives will boost morale and re-gain the sense that it can be done and success is attainable. It will also allow for ideas to be shared and generated increasing the creativity of learning practice within the classroom. Upon reaching success various grade levels will have an understanding of what other levels are doing and can feel confident that progressive and challenged learning is occurring. Trying a new initiative or planning for a change can bring about much insecurity and highlight weaknesses within the plan. These can be detrimental to the overall completion of the plan and the success of the initiative. The PLC plan for South Elgin High School needs someone to organize and set up the building blocks for the initial plan. Many times this creates tension between co-workers when

communication appears demanding or too severe. However, if the weaknesses are heavily reflected upon and team learning is effective individuals and groups can learn from the weaknesses and alter the plan so they can be surpassed or revised. The whole reason change is implemented is for the endless possibilities that can come from it. Opportunities that arise from establishing a PLC system at SEHS would increase school growth. First, it would strengthen departmentally and eventually improve the entire school culture. By working together teachers can utilize brain power and creativity to seize best practice techniques. They can explore various avenues within their content area, and further prepare students for success within their academic career(s). Once the plan can change the various content areas it can begin to be modified to change cross categorically. Teachers of different content areas can work together to improve test scores. For example an English teacher and a science teacher can work together on reading strategies to improve test scores on the science portion of tests. It is commonly known that nonfiction reading requires a different array of reading tools than fiction reading does. They can work on lessons or ideas Running head: PLANNING FOR CHANGE 8 on best practice and in the long run- improve test scores. There is also an opportunity for growth at the district level. If success is seen in a building then it can be seen between two buildings. Eighth grade teachers can work with freshmen PLC groups to help bridge the transition between the two levels. Senior level PLC groups can meet with college level professors or TAs to ensure that students are prepared. PLC groups are a very powerful commodity if fostered correctly- the

effect they have on students, staff, community, and learning is endless. As with any plan- the what ifs take over the confidence and can cause plans to go into submission until they resurface at a later point in time. In terms of PLC groups the leader or facilitator will worry that since the group is organized on a volunteer basis- staff might not show an interest and it will lead to immediate failure. There are thoughts that groups like this have failed at SEHS in the past and it could happen again. There is also the worry that the more people involved increases the risks for something going wrong: people jumping ship, losing direction, not pulling weight, etc On the surface it appears that the risks outweigh the strengths, but educators have to remember that without taking risks change cannot occur. Thus is the whole purpose for strategic planning to make an organized change. Action Planning Realistically setting the initial goal of all content areas and all grade levels to have a productive and effective PLC group in place is asking for failure to occur. With this realized it is best to start on a smaller scale and utilize modeling- so that other grades and content areas can see the progression, benefits, and success a PLC group can have on the staff, students, and curriculum. By utilizing team learning as the major discipline driving the planning process; it allows for a comfortable and progressive plan to derive and success to occur. To establish team learning goals need to be communicated and organized. This should be done at the initial meeting and these objectives will serve as the driving force that further develop

Running head: PLANNING FOR CHANGE 9 benchmarks. In order to make these goals specific for the PLC group at SEHS it will be developed around the freshmen English curriculum and staff. The goals will be based around the areas of punctuation, grammar, reading strategies, testing, and literature. For punctuation teachers will work on making sure it is used properly and can be identified as being used properly- in both reading and writing. Grammar will be based around the same fundamentals. Reading strategies will be taught in lesson format so that students can understand its purpose and use them during appropriate times- students will work on reading at the appropriate freshmen level or higher. Testing goals will be to improve scores in various areas by designating mini-lessons to work on areas of interest. For literature goals students are expected to read with fluency and understanding while understanding characters, plot, themes, and symbols at the appropriate level the curriculum has established. To make these goals measurable the PLC group will use a variety of techniques to branch communication. Not only communication between group members, but communication between teacher and student(s) is essential here as well. The group must allow for organization so that everyone feels they have a voice to stress their opinions, concerns, and questions. In terms of measuring the success of particular benchmarks like punctuation and grammar this can be seen in student writing- whether the sentences and marks are placed and used correctly. This can also be tested on standardized tests where questions ask students if sentences are correctly displayed. The freshmen MAP test is taken twice a year once in the fall and again in the spring. These allows for teachers to observe scores and make for a perfect opportunity for a PLC group to study scores, commonly

missed questions, areas of concern and devise a plan to ensure that scores go up in particular areas by springtime. Building communication and organization amongst a PLC group is attainable, but both elements must be in place. A facilitator needs to be established so that mediation and fundamental organization Running head: PLANNING FOR CHANGE 10 can occur. Once established opening the doors to communication can allow for goal setting and objective reaching to occur. By starting small and using one grade level and one content area it allows for a model example to be established and for other content areas and grade levels to shadow. The goals of the PLC plan are realistic in that it has been whittled down to a more attainable and initial structure. The issues that the PLC groups are trying to solve are real in that students need to be college and workforce ready and many of the students are receiving lapsing education as it currently stands. With the communication opened it allows for the necessary changes to be made. Once implemented at the freshmen level it can then be introduced to other levels within the content area of English. Communication is essential in utilizing team learning within the PLC group. A timeline of a year would need to be established in order for the plan to be fully executed. Extra summer months would be needed to reflect and review the strengths and weaknesses of the plan and its objectives. The group would meet ideally on at least a monthly basis to share ideas and findings. Once other groups

are established within the content area findings can be shared on a quarterly basis with all groups together. This would allow for groups to see what other levels are doing and examine further how to transition into new teachings. Information can be shared with staff during professional development and in-service days and also at faculty meetings. Once groups in other content areas have been established they can begin meeting either after every semester or quarterly- depending on the success of the plan. Conclusions Strategic planning is such a vital component to education. The Senge discipline of team learning can be weaved and fully utilized in the organization and communication of establishing a PLC group. As education is not once size fits allneither can classroom learning be categorized in such a manner.

Running head: PLANNING FOR CHANGE 11 Growth and change must occur in order for educators to keep up with the ever changing minds of today. It will bring staff together, challenge students, and

heighten the curriculum. It is important for staff to take the planning process seriously and actively in order for change to occur when risks are taken.

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Resources DuFour, R., DeFour, R., Eaker, R., & Karhanek, G. (2004). Whatever It Takes: How Professional Learning Communities Respond When Kids Dont Learn. Bloomington, IN: National Educational Service. Senge, P., McCabe, N. C., Lucas, T., Kleiner, A., Dutton, J., & Smith, B. (2000). Schools That Learn: A Fifth Discipline Fieldbook for Educators, Parents, and Everyone Who Cares About Education. New York: Doubleday