Abstract:

Bill Ferriter, a North Carolina NBCT, describes the six steps that Transforming Schools identifies as necessary to continuous improvement: identifying and clarifying core beliefs, creating a shared vision of what those beliefs look like in practice, collect accurate data and use its analysis, identify innovations to close gaps, develop and implement an action plan, and “embrace collaborative autonomy.”

Citation: Kline, E., Kuklis, R. & Zmuda, A. (2004). Transforming schools: Creating a culture of continuous improvement. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Full Text:

By Allison Zmuda, Robert Kuklis, Everett Kline
2004 (195 pp., paperback)
Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development
ISBN: 0-87120-845-8
$26.95 ($21.95 for members)

Reviewed by Bill Ferriter
Salem Middle School
Cary, North Carolina

"The auditorium seat initially resists and then emits a long, piercing screech when Susan pushes it down to sit. 'That about sums up how I feel this morning,' she mutters to Maria and Rob, who are seated next to her. Before the principal kicks off the year's staff development program, the three teachers still have time for a few moments of conversation. 'Prepared to be a continuous improver today, Rob?' Rob flashes a smile back and holds up the morning's newspaper and a large cup of coffee. 'How about you Maria?' Maria rolls her eyes and displays the 'more important matters' at hand, namely her class roster and a brand new grade book."

So starts an interesting new book, Transforming Schools: Creating a Culture of Continuous Improvement. which shares the story of a fictional school working through the process of continuous improvement. The authors examine the common pitfalls for any school based reform program and explore the steps they believe are necessary to make change a common and accepted practice within a building.

Zmuda, Kuklis and Kline begin by noting that most school-based staff development programs are met with resistance. Teachers often see new innovations as temporary changes with little or no impact on their own work within the classroom. "Many educators have learned from experience that 'each time a new wave of reform threatens'...they can wait for it to pass over so they can get about doing what they were hired to do."

And in reality, this assumption is not far from the truth. Schools have often taken a "flavor of the month" approach to improvement, quickly moving from one innovation to the next with little reflection or systemic thinking driving decision-making. In order for real change to occur, the authors write, schools must embark on a path of continuous improvement by working through the following six steps:

1. Identify and clarify the core beliefs that define the school's culture.

2. Create a shared vision by explicitly defining what these core beliefs will look like in practice.

3. Collect accurate, detailed data and use analysis of the data to define where the school is now and to determine the gaps between the current reality and the shared vision.
4. Identify the innovation(s) that will most likely close the gaps between the current reality and the shared vision.

5. Develop and implement an action plan that supports teachers through the change process and integrates the innovation within each classroom throughout the school.

6. Embrace collective autonomy as the only way to close gaps between the current reality and the shared vision, and embrace collective accountability in establishing responsibility for closing the gaps.

Transforming Schools discusses each of these steps in detail from the eyes of Joan, a fictional school principal who is desperately trying to reform her school, seeing herself as an instructional leader but questioning the impact that she has been able to make in this area during her tenure. Maria, Susan and Rob, teachers who are at once skeptical about the likelihood of real change and motivated by the potential to see shared vision and accountability brought to their building, join her.

Together, these characters work to bring change to their school's culture. Through their eyes, readers can see the challenges involved in continuous improvement and examine questions that any school is likely to face when going through such a process. Each "Conversation" that the fictional school employees have is followed by an "Analysis" from the authors where decisions and actions are reviewed and supported by research from the field of school improvement. Questions that the fictional characters must address in their school improvement process as well as questions for the reader to use when evaluating their own schools are provided at the end of each chapter.

This title's real value comes in its ability to put a face on the school improvement process. While much research has been done about the importance of developing shared vision and collective accountability, this research may have seemed unapproachable to teachers and administrators unaccustomed to the importance of such practices. The challenges of understanding new ideas about school improvement are often enough to prevent well-intentioned professionals from pursuing change. "How do we do this" can be an overwhelming question and an impassible barrier.

Many of these fears will be allayed as readers are engaged in the story of Joan, Maria, Rob and Susan. Typical questions and issues are raised and successfully addressed. Teachers and principals alike will be able to relate to the personalities and work of these fictional peers, and will be able to visualize what continuous improvement can look like within their building. Practical directions and steps are provided and supported with research on best practice.

In the end, it is the unique ability to combine fictional reality with well-founded research that makes Transforming Schools a must-read.

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