This article argues that the most effective strategy for achieving school improvement is building the capacity of school personnel to function as professional learning communities, rather than conventional reform methods. It provides evidence that strategic planning in schools in the 1980s was overly complex and difficult to implement, monitor, and assess outcomes. In contrast, focusing on short-term improvement cycles and having teachers collaborate in teams to continuously achieve small wins leads to greater success and engagement over time. When teachers frequently discuss teaching practices and plan, design, and evaluate instruction together, it results in higher quality solutions and remarkable achievement gains.

1. EDUC9707 SUMMARY
Based on the work of:
Schmoker, M. (2004): Tipping Point:
From Feckless Reform to Substantive Instructional
Improvement. Phil Delta Kappan, 85(6), pp.424-
432
Presented by Jan Carey
Week 7

2. This article presents the view that the most promising
strategy for achieving school improvement is
‘building the capacity of the school personnel to
function as a professional learning community’
It presents this view through:
1. Evidence against conventional reform and
improvement methods
2. Evidence for the use of learning communities
Overview of main points

3. In 1980’s Strategic Plans were : comprehensive,
systemic plans including : vision, mission, belief
statements, setting goals, action steps, objectives,
resources needed, people responsible, evaluation,
timelines… etc (pg 426)
Resulting in overwhelming difficulty to monitor or control
Difficulty with clarity and coherence of plan
Outcomes often based around activities rather than student
learning
Too many goals - unachievable
Evolution of strategic plans

4. One school example …

5. …cont

6. ‘Looking back, it is clearer to me now that these
plans – for all their seemingly tight, logical
connections between mission, goals, actions,
responsibilities and evaluation – were like
beautiful but badly leaking boats.’
Schmoker, Pg 426
Looking back…

7. Promotes a focus on hasty commitment to long term
goals, initiatives & projects rather than thoughtful, smart,
short-term cycles of action, assessment and adjustment.
That initiatives often selected for political or personal
reasons (trends) rather than due to their direct proven
success (pg 427)
Often presumes thinking is done by ‘planners’ in the school
before the year starts rather than by practitioners
throughout the year
Why does strategic planning fail?

8. Most productive thinking is continuous, targeted,
short term cycles of improvement.
The ‘Magic of momentum’ and ‘win small, win early,
win often’ …keeps engagement of teachers high &
leads to greater success over a year
Importance of systematic recognition and celebration
Focus on creating conditions for teachers (in teams)
to continuously achieve short term wins (pg 427)
Short term vs annual plans...

9. Planning can impact on staff morale, creativity and
enthusiasm
‘overload’, ‘too much to do’, disjointed’ (pg 428)
Too much involvement of parents & community can
dilute and complicate the improvement effort & use
precious time of principals
Under the illusion we can affect ‘whole school
reform’ through planning (pg 429)
Impacts of planning…

10. Unfocussed menu of workshops
No follow up support or implementation monitoring
‘whims, fads, opportunism’ prevail
Focus on ‘hot topics’
Evaluating participation rates and opinion data
Experts who ‘deliver’ knowledge
Learning as individuals (not teams)
Feckless (ineffective) staff
development…

11. School improvement is most surely achieved
when teachers:
engage in frequent, continuous, concrete,
precise talk about teaching practice…
Plan, design, research, evaluate and prepare
teaching materials together’
(Little, J. pg 430)
Why learning communities?

12. Higher quality solutions to teaching problems
Increased confidence
Greater ability to support each other and improve
More supportive for beginning teachers
Access to a greater pool of ideas and practices
= ‘remarkable gains in achievement’ (pg 431)
Benefits of PLCs…

13. Connection with what Schmoker presents… and
Leading change in the digital age...
1. What does ‘planning’ for ICT improvements
(technology/ pedagogy) currently look like in your
context?
2. What impact would Schmoker’s suggestions have on
leading improvement of ICT / digital technologies in a
school? Record using : Positive, Minus, Interesting
Discussion questions

14. Despite the evidence and consensus about the
effectiveness of learning communities …they are still
rarely used / or to their full effect
Momentum in schools needs to reach a ‘tipping point’
where the value and use of PLCs is identified as more
effective than using plans
Conclusion… the tipping point

15. Creating ‘over-detailed’ plans are ineffectual to the
improvement focus of a school
Giving time and commitment to teachers and staff
working and learning in collaborative inquiry teams
produces higher results and better morale
Reflection... Is balance the key?
Conclusion...cont

16. One school example…

17. Schmoker, M. (2004): Tipping Point:
From Feckless Reform to Substantive Instructional
Improvement. Phil Delta Kappan, 85(6), pp.424-432
Prospect Primary School – Site Improvement Plan
(slide 15)
References

18. Thank you

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