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In this paper, school reform expert Phillip Schlechty writes about the importance of taking capacity into account when schools begin to install innovations that require systemic change. He begins by clarifying what he means by "capacity," a term that he says is in danger of losing its meaning as more and more people "want to build it." Picking up on a theme that runs throughout his work, Schlechty emphasizes the importance of "purposefully focus(ing) attention on the creation of engaging work for students." Absent such a clear focus, he says, "improvements in test scores will more likely be the result of getting non-compliant students to be more compliant than it will be to getting these students and their already compliant peers to be engaged." Increasing compliance "may be a formula for ensuring that bad schools look better, but it is not a formula for excellence in America's schools."

Sclechty, P.C. (2005). Creating capacity to support innovations. Retrieved from the Schlecty Center 13 May 2008. http://www.schlechtycenter.org/pdfs/supportinn.pdf

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