Friday, October 23, 2009

Asking the Right Questions


It is School Improvement season in Pennsylvania!  I have been reading Edie Holcomb's book, Asking the Right Questions.  In her book, Holcomb frames the change process in these five questions:
  1. Where are we now?
  2. Where do we want to go?
  3. How will we get there?
  4. How will we know we are (getting) there?
  5. How will we sustain focus and momentum?
Working with a district team this week, we began the process of answering question 4.  Once the team begins to implement their action plan, how will they know they are moving in the right direction?  We spent a great deal of time thinking through the process of developing indicators of implementation and evidence of effectiveness. We agreed that it was important for all stakeholders to participate in a conversation that examined the observable behaviors and artifacts that would result from implementation of their plan.  What would implementation look like?  Sound like? What would teachers be doing? Students? Administrators?  By working through these indicators, teams would be developing a common language that promotes understanding, consistency and commitment to the plan.

Holcomb, E.L. (2009).  Asking the right questions:  Tools for collaboration and school change (3rd ed.).  Thousand Oaks, CA:  Corwin Press.
Photo retreived October 23, 2009 from people.exeter.ac.uk/nkjdatta/photos/uk/dartmoor/.

1 comment:

  1. Hi Lori,

    I just met with a team yesterday and we discussed implementation. They have a very good plan, but did not have specifics laid out on what teachers would be required to do after a PD session. I asked the team if the PD was a choice or an expectation. If it's a choice fine... but if there are expectations that teachers do X or Y, then it is only fair to be transparent about it. They plan on going back to the teachers and collaboratively deciding on the expectations... another great way to build buy-in..

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