Based on my analysis of the stages of concern assessment survey results, staff members are mostly concerned with how "Choice Time" will affect their current job roles and duties. The survey asked open-ended questions which allowed for teachers to provide transparent and specific feedback. For example, question two of the survey will assess any individual concerns that a person might have. Since the question is open-ended, they can share specific concerns and also ask specific questions about the change. The third question comes directly from the consequence stage; asking the participant their view of how the change will affect students and the school. This question may be the most important since it welcomes the ideas of others. The question shows participants that this change is a collaborative effort and that every ones voices are valued.Many teachers at my school worried if the change would affect their current role; voicing the concern of more work for minimal results.Thankfully, the program allows teachers to work hand-in-hand with data in order to act as change agents instead of the targets of change. Teachers, students, and parents will have access to daily data reports which will help them to know what the specific next steps need to be!
Implementing policy at the school level is often a complex and difficult task for school leaders so having pre-determined interventions is necessary. I have learned of a few effective interventions that would help address the concerns of staff members. According to Hamilton, one way to provide a clear purpose for the change is helping staff to understand the impact that the proposed change will have on student achievement. Educators come from different backgrounds and have various teaching philosophies, so it is important to connect the proposed change to something that is both concrete and rewarding for ALL educators; improved student performance. Providing a clear purpose for this change will be key in addressing staff concerns. Since students have the choice to work independently, with a buddy, or learn through technology, monitoring the progress of students will not be as challenging. For instance, if students choose from the technology menu, they will engage in an online learning platform that will monitor student learning and adjust instruction in real time. Having students work with a buddy requires students to use reasoning and explanation when resolving a problem or with any reading or writing assignment. The components of this program work as an intervention themselves because they allow students to have more choice over their learning while allowing teachers to become facilitators of learning. Here are each of the levels of use and possible interventions at each level!
Level 0: Non-useI have little or no knowledge of the change, and I am doing nothing toward becoming involved.
Because every staff member will initially register at a level 0,an effective intervention would be to focus on the desired student growth and achievement. This is, according to Hamilton, one way to provide a clear purpose for the change! Helping staff understand the impact that the proposed change will have on student achievement could be the most effective way to move staff from level zero to level one.
Level 1: OrientationI am seeking or acquiring information about the change.
An effective intervention for this level would be to utilize a research-based program for aiding innovation; the Concerns-Based Adoption Model or CBAM. This program offers a way for leaders to understand, then address educators’ common concerns about change. These seven stages of concern should be paired with a more formal way to assessing an individuals’ stage of concerns; having teachers respond to open-ended questions!
Level 2: Preparation I am preparing for the first step in implementing the change.
Since the structure of PLC’s can widely vary, a professional learning community in which teachers ask and answer questions about the change, research the change, and explore ways the change will affect their current position and job duties. Because every staff member will initially register at a level 0,an effective intervention would be to focus on the desired student growth and achievement. This is, according to Hamilton, one way to provide a clear purpose for the change! Helping staff understand the impact that the proposed change will have on student achievement could be the most effective way to move staff from level zero to level one.
Level 3: Mechanical Use I focus most effort on the short-term, day-to-day interaction with the change, with little time for reflection. My effort is primarily directed toward mastering tasks required to do the change successfully.
Hamilton, (2014) explains the skills and abilities that school leaders found to be helpful when implementing educational change. Thus, an intervention at this level could be helping teaches to develop an expanded view of success. Focusing on student growth and achievement provides a clear purpose for staff. Leaders can do this by facilitating weekly or monthly data meetings in which the teacher has time to reflect on student data and plan accordingly.
Level 4A: Routine I feel comfortable with the change. However, I am putting forth little effort and thought to improve the change plan.DeMatthews, (2014), reminds us that theories of distributed leadership provide a rich conceptual framework for posing questions and examining the efforts of a varied group of stakeholders engaged in these efforts. Thus, a possible intervention would be to distribute leadership roles by utilizing the strengths of the staff members.
Level 4B: Refinement I vary the way I implement the change to increase the expected benefits within the classroom. I am working on different implementation strategies to maximize the change effect on my students.
Teachers in this stage will also benefit from distributed leadership! Formally distributing decision-making responsibility is a great way to engage parties that are most directly affected by these decisions! Continuing to provide teachers with the confidence to make decisions is a great way to prepare teachers for the collaboration that is required at the next level.
Level 5: Integration I am combining my own efforts with related activities of other teachers and colleagues to achieve impact in the classroom.
Teachers at this level should have many opportunities to collaborate and share ideas with one another. Ask staff how they could contribute to the improvement of the current change. This can initially be done through the form of a PLC, google docs, or a quick survey. Berry, (2016) confirms my own experience; teachers’ greatest source of frustration continues to be their lack of authority to determine how to best meet the many demands of being a classroom teacher.
Level 6: Renewal
I reevaluate the quality of use of the change, seek major modifications of, or alternatives to, present innovation to achieve increased impact, examine new developments in the field, and explore new goals for myself and my school or district.
There is a growing movement to transform the profession with teachers serving as the agents of change rather than the target of change. Teachers in this stage should be given the authority to make necessary changes and decisions that would best meet the needs of their students. This will give teachers the opportunity to explore new goals for themselves and their schools. Since several researchers have found a strong link between teachers leaving the profession and a lack of professional decision-making influence, this intervention should be on-going and at the forefront of a leader’s thoughts!
One way I plan to monitor the levels of use throughout the implementation of the change is by continuing to gather monthly survey's about the change, as well as implementing committee's in which everyone is able to join the discussion; even the students! Planning activities that require collaboration is a great way to keep a gauge on participants level of use. Conducting Professional Learning Committees and parent councils where frequent decision making is distributed is the most powerful. Allowing students and parents to discuss the progress and monitor the success of the change is a great way to distribute leadership and help every one feel connected to the change.This can engage all of the parties that are mostly affected by the change by welcome their honest ideas and suggestions on a consistent basis.
References:
Berry, B., & Farris-Berg, K. (2016). Leadership for teaching and learning: How Teacher-powered schools work and why thy matter. American Educator, 11-17
DeMatthews, D. (2014). Principal and teacher collaboration: An exploration of distributed leadership in professional learning communities. International Journal of Educational Leadership and Management, 2 (2), 176-206
Hamilton, D. (2014). Making Educational Reform Work: Stories of School Improvement in Urban china. Journal of International Education and leadership, 4 (1).
Stages of Concern Survey Link:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe0_qeQO5BsauGMo-q-giYu-RHcnU9bcdBgQOX31CeS4cjHCA/viewform?usp=sf_link
Implementing policy at the school level is often a complex and difficult task for school leaders so having pre-determined interventions is necessary. I have learned of a few effective interventions that would help address the concerns of staff members. According to Hamilton, one way to provide a clear purpose for the change is helping staff to understand the impact that the proposed change will have on student achievement. Educators come from different backgrounds and have various teaching philosophies, so it is important to connect the proposed change to something that is both concrete and rewarding for ALL educators; improved student performance. Providing a clear purpose for this change will be key in addressing staff concerns. Since students have the choice to work independently, with a buddy, or learn through technology, monitoring the progress of students will not be as challenging. For instance, if students choose from the technology menu, they will engage in an online learning platform that will monitor student learning and adjust instruction in real time. Having students work with a buddy requires students to use reasoning and explanation when resolving a problem or with any reading or writing assignment. The components of this program work as an intervention themselves because they allow students to have more choice over their learning while allowing teachers to become facilitators of learning. Here are each of the levels of use and possible interventions at each level!
Level 0: Non-useI have little or no knowledge of the change, and I am doing nothing toward becoming involved.
Because every staff member will initially register at a level 0,an effective intervention would be to focus on the desired student growth and achievement. This is, according to Hamilton, one way to provide a clear purpose for the change! Helping staff understand the impact that the proposed change will have on student achievement could be the most effective way to move staff from level zero to level one.
Level 1: OrientationI am seeking or acquiring information about the change.
An effective intervention for this level would be to utilize a research-based program for aiding innovation; the Concerns-Based Adoption Model or CBAM. This program offers a way for leaders to understand, then address educators’ common concerns about change. These seven stages of concern should be paired with a more formal way to assessing an individuals’ stage of concerns; having teachers respond to open-ended questions!
Level 2: Preparation I am preparing for the first step in implementing the change.
Since the structure of PLC’s can widely vary, a professional learning community in which teachers ask and answer questions about the change, research the change, and explore ways the change will affect their current position and job duties. Because every staff member will initially register at a level 0,an effective intervention would be to focus on the desired student growth and achievement. This is, according to Hamilton, one way to provide a clear purpose for the change! Helping staff understand the impact that the proposed change will have on student achievement could be the most effective way to move staff from level zero to level one.
Level 3: Mechanical Use I focus most effort on the short-term, day-to-day interaction with the change, with little time for reflection. My effort is primarily directed toward mastering tasks required to do the change successfully.
Hamilton, (2014) explains the skills and abilities that school leaders found to be helpful when implementing educational change. Thus, an intervention at this level could be helping teaches to develop an expanded view of success. Focusing on student growth and achievement provides a clear purpose for staff. Leaders can do this by facilitating weekly or monthly data meetings in which the teacher has time to reflect on student data and plan accordingly.
Level 4A: Routine I feel comfortable with the change. However, I am putting forth little effort and thought to improve the change plan.DeMatthews, (2014), reminds us that theories of distributed leadership provide a rich conceptual framework for posing questions and examining the efforts of a varied group of stakeholders engaged in these efforts. Thus, a possible intervention would be to distribute leadership roles by utilizing the strengths of the staff members.
Level 4B: Refinement I vary the way I implement the change to increase the expected benefits within the classroom. I am working on different implementation strategies to maximize the change effect on my students.
Teachers in this stage will also benefit from distributed leadership! Formally distributing decision-making responsibility is a great way to engage parties that are most directly affected by these decisions! Continuing to provide teachers with the confidence to make decisions is a great way to prepare teachers for the collaboration that is required at the next level.
Level 5: Integration I am combining my own efforts with related activities of other teachers and colleagues to achieve impact in the classroom.
Teachers at this level should have many opportunities to collaborate and share ideas with one another. Ask staff how they could contribute to the improvement of the current change. This can initially be done through the form of a PLC, google docs, or a quick survey. Berry, (2016) confirms my own experience; teachers’ greatest source of frustration continues to be their lack of authority to determine how to best meet the many demands of being a classroom teacher.
Level 6: Renewal
I reevaluate the quality of use of the change, seek major modifications of, or alternatives to, present innovation to achieve increased impact, examine new developments in the field, and explore new goals for myself and my school or district.
There is a growing movement to transform the profession with teachers serving as the agents of change rather than the target of change. Teachers in this stage should be given the authority to make necessary changes and decisions that would best meet the needs of their students. This will give teachers the opportunity to explore new goals for themselves and their schools. Since several researchers have found a strong link between teachers leaving the profession and a lack of professional decision-making influence, this intervention should be on-going and at the forefront of a leader’s thoughts!
One way I plan to monitor the levels of use throughout the implementation of the change is by continuing to gather monthly survey's about the change, as well as implementing committee's in which everyone is able to join the discussion; even the students! Planning activities that require collaboration is a great way to keep a gauge on participants level of use. Conducting Professional Learning Committees and parent councils where frequent decision making is distributed is the most powerful. Allowing students and parents to discuss the progress and monitor the success of the change is a great way to distribute leadership and help every one feel connected to the change.This can engage all of the parties that are mostly affected by the change by welcome their honest ideas and suggestions on a consistent basis.
References:
Berry, B., & Farris-Berg, K. (2016). Leadership for teaching and learning: How Teacher-powered schools work and why thy matter. American Educator, 11-17
DeMatthews, D. (2014). Principal and teacher collaboration: An exploration of distributed leadership in professional learning communities. International Journal of Educational Leadership and Management, 2 (2), 176-206
Hamilton, D. (2014). Making Educational Reform Work: Stories of School Improvement in Urban china. Journal of International Education and leadership, 4 (1).
Stages of Concern Survey Link:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe0_qeQO5BsauGMo-q-giYu-RHcnU9bcdBgQOX31CeS4cjHCA/viewform?usp=sf_link
