ERIC ED450476: Design-Based Assistance as a Cornerstone of a School Improvement Strategy. Getting Better by Design, Volume 1.

19 Pages·1998·0.33 MB·English

by  ERIC

DOCUMENT RESUME
ED 450 476
EA 030 910
AUTHOR
Glennan, Thomas K., Jr.
TITLE
Design-Based Assistance as a Cornerstone of a School
Improvement Strategy. Getting Better by Design, Volume 1.
INSTITUTION
New American Schools Development Corp.
SPONS AGENCY
Annenberg Foundation, St. Davids, PA.; Education Commission
of the States, Denver, CO.
PUB DATE
1998-00-00
NOTE
lip.; Volume 1 in a series of 7. For others in the series,
see EA 030 911 to 030 916.
AVAILABLE FROM
New American Schools, 1560 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 901,
Arlington, Virginia 22209. Tel:
[phone]; Fax (703)
908-0622.
PUB TYPE Information Analyses (070)
-- Opinion Papers (120)
MF01/PC01 Plus Postage.
EDRS PRICE
*Academic Achievement; *Academic Standards; Accountability;
DESCRIPTORS
Behavioral Objectives; Education; *Educational Change;
*Educational Improvement; Educational Innovation; Elementary
Secondary Education; Improvement Programs; Learning
Strategies; Performance Factors; Public Schools
*New American Schools
IDENTIFIERS
ABSTRACT
In this interview with New American Schools (NAS) editors,
the author explains how design-based assistance to schools works and suggests
reasons why it might help schools become more successful in teaching all
students to high standards. Questions cover such areas as the features of the
NAS effort that distinguish it from other well-known models; definition of
"design;" differences between design-based assistance and traditional means
of school reform; and means of providing professional development.(DFR)
Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made
from the original document
New American Schools
Design-Based Assistance
Cornerstone of
as a
a
li
School Improvement Strategy
Thomas K. Glennan, Jr.
Few people outside of New American Schools know
as much about the initiative as Thomas K. Glennan, Jr.,
whose research at the RAND Corporation has traced the
progress of New American Schools (NAS) and
provided insight into the effectiveness of design-based
PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND
school reform. In this interview with NAS editors,
DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL HAS
BEEN GRANTED BY
J Kovar
Dr. Glennan explains how design-based assistance
to schools works and suggests reasons why it might help
TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES
INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC)
1
schools become more successful in teaching all students
to high standards.
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Office of Educational Research and Improvement
EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION
CENTER (ERIC)
2
WiThis document has been reproduced as
received from the person or organization
originating it.
Minor changes have been made to
improve reproduction quality.
Getting Better by Design
Points of view or opinions stated in this
document do not necessarily represent
official OERI position or policy.
Volume
New American Schools
New American Schools (NAS) is a dynamic coalition of teachers, administrators, parents,
community and business leaders, policy makers, and experts from around the country
committed to improving achievement for all students by dramatically changing America's
classrooms, schools, and school systems.
Unlike many reforms that are add-on programs or isolated projects, NAS designs aim to
improve the whole school, from curricula and instruction to funding and community involvement.
Recognizing that one size doesn't fit all schools and communities, NAS offers a choice
of different designsblueprintsfor helping all students achieve at high levels. (For information
on each design, turn to the inside back cover.)
New American Schools has clear and consistent goals:
O Establish supportive and assistance-oriented school systems.
O Develop school and teacher capacity to teach all students to high academic standards.
O Spend resources wisely with an eye to student results.
O Build broad and deep community support for education improvement and excellence.
O Make America's public schools places where all students excel.
New American Schools is results-oriented.
In a short period of time, NAS has generated impressive results. In many schooN using a NAS design:
O students are producing higher-quality work, achieving at higher levels, and showing
improvement on standardized tests and other measures of performance;
0 discipline problems are down and student attendance and engagement are up;
O both teacher enthusiasm and community involvement are on the rise; and
O student achievement is improving quicker than conventional wisdom suggests is possible.
New American Schools helps partner districts restructure.
To overcome traditional barriers to school excellence, NAS provides focused assistance to its
district partners in five key areas:
O rethinking school finance, including investment funding and resource reallocation strategies;
O revamping professional development infrastructures to support whole-school transformation;
O setting high academic standards and linked assessments;
0 giving schools authority to make decisions about curriculum, staff, and spending as well as
holding them accountable for results; and
O engaging parents and the public in improvement efforts.
New American Schools believes in shared accountability.
The foundation of NAS is a strong partnership built on shared responsibility for results. Clearly
defined roles link partners to one another and to results. All stakeholders in a NAS community
teachers, administrators, district leaders, parents, NAS Design Teamsare expected to take
responsibility and to be held accountable for helping to improve student achievement.
NAS partners also commit to regular and rigorous assessment of their performance, resulting in
the sound business practice of continuous improvement. The RAND Corporation is the independent
evaluator of the New American Schools' effort.
3
Getting Better by Design
Design-Based Assistance
Cornerstone of
as a
a
School Improvement Strategy
Thomas K. Glennan, Jr.
: Dr. Glennan, New American
Schools is one of several school-
reform initiatives being implemented
in the United States today. What
distinguishes the NAS effort from
other well-known models?
The NAS initiative focuses on
A:
school-by-school change coupled with
Thomas K. Glennan, Jr.
modifications in district policies that
Thomas K. Glennan, Jr. is Senior Advisor for
support this change. NAS believes that
Education Policy in the Washington Office of the
high-performing schools have a design,
RAND Corporation. His research at RAND has
that most schools need assistance to
spanned a wide variety of policy planning issues
implement a design, and that school juris-
in such diverse areas as education, manpower
dictions must provide the incentives and
training, energy, environmental enforcement,
support necessary for such schools to
demonstration program management in health
develop and survive. The distinctive
and human services, and military research and
feature of NAS's reform effort is this combi-
development. He is currently leading RAND's ana-
nation of intense concentration on school-
lytic support to the New American Schools as well
level change, guided by designs, coupled
as an examination of potential national and fed-
with district-level changes needed to make
eral policies in support of the use of technology
this change possible and long-lasting.
in elementary and secondary education. He is a
co-author of books on the management of
research and development and the use of social
: What do you mean by "design"?
experiments in policy planning. Dr. Glennan
served as Director of Research and Acting
Assistant Director of the Office of Economic
A design is a comprehensive blue-
Opportunity for Planning, Research and Evaluation
A:
print for a schoolnot simply unrelated
before becoming the first Director of the National
pieces of theory and research, but a
Institute of Education in 1972.
designs as guides for school development
thoughtful package of strategies, methods,
rather than prescriptions for specific prac-
and practice. A design articulates a school's
tice seems more likely to lead to the
mission and goals. It guides the instruc-
school-level ownership necessary for
tional program and shapes the selection
success on a broad scale.
of the staff and the work environment.
It establishes expectations for behavior,
performance, and accountability among
: Why is design-based, school-
students, teachers, and even parents.
wide restructuring likely to be
And it provides the criteria for regular
effective?
self-evaluation that are essential for
continuing improvement.
A: For me, the most persuasive reason
is that it is likely to produce schools with
: Are NAS designs prescriptions
coherent, schoolwide programs that are
for practice?
understood and agreed to by students,
teachers, school leaders, and parents. Such
schools seem likely to be clear about their
A: No. NAS designs are starting points
goals, knowledgeable about where they are
for the development of effective schools',
failing to achieve those goals and where
but they are not expected to serve as
they are succeeding, and resourceful in
"cookie-cutter" specifications for schools.
improving performance.
NAS includes eight different designs with
These qualities were hinted at early in
significant differences among them. Most
RAND's research. In the first year of the
don't prescribe curriculum and instruction-
demonstration and testing of the NAS
al practice in detail, and
designs, RAND teams visited schools to
only two have their own
"A design is a comprehensive
interview teachers and principals to learn
defined standards and
what progress had been made. In dis-
assessments. While most
. It
blueprint for a school.
. .
cussing the benefits of working with the
propose principles con-
Design Teams, principals and teachers
cerning governance and
guides the instructional program
often reported that:
organization, they do not
and shapes the selection of the
narrowly specify a single
The design provided a vision for what
right way to do things.
the school should be and thus gave
staff and the work environment.
The range of designs and
purpose and direction to the entire
their adaptability to indi-
reform effort.
It establishes expectations for .
. .
vidual school needs and
Because the restructuring dealt with
interests is important. Our
accountability among students,
the school as a whole, there was less
research, as well as that of
divisiveness than is often associated
others, shows that highly
teachers, and even parents."
with reforms that focus on only a few
prescriptive designs for
classrooms or a single subject area.
education programs are not
The professional development offered
only seldom sustained in schools where
by the Design Team was shaped by and
they're put into place, but also are rarely
aligned with the design's vision, and it
replicated in other settings. Viewing
2
was directly tied to students achieving
consciously set out to provide a diverse set
higher standards.
of design-based assistance options from
which schools can choose and has made
The reform had been pushed forward
investments in Design Teams to allow them
by demanding timelines imposed by
to develop instructional materials, assis-
the Design Team and NAS.
tance organizations, manuals, and other
While these observations were based on
materials intended to help schools under-
early experience during the testing of the
stand and use designs.
designs, and the progress observed might
have been partially attributable to addi-
tional resources made available to the
Q: So NAS Design Teams are the
schools during the test, I find the teachers'
centerpiece of the NAS school
and principals' testimony very persuasive.
improvement strategy. How do they
begin their work?
Q: NAS says that design-based
assistance is its principal product.
Because each Design Team has a dis-
What do they mean?
tinctive design and strategy for providing
design-based assistance, the first step is to
provide schools and school districts with
When NAS began, it emphasized the
high-quality information concerning both
development and testing of designs. As
the designs and the
RAND and NAS staff visited the field, it
Design Teams. This infor-
became clear that designs alone were not
"The distinguishing feature of the
mation is intended to help
enough to help most schools transform
school communities make
NAS effort is that NAS has consciously
themselves. Important parts of the changes
an informed choice about
accomplished were due to the assistance
set out to provide a diverse set of
which design best meets
and professional development the Design
their needs and which
Teams were providing. My colleague, Susan
design-based assistance options from
team will be most able to
Bodilly, has argued that the capacity to
help them achieve their
deliver such assistance was a critical part
which schools can choose and has made
student performance
of the NAS program and coined the term
goals. This information is
design-based assistance to describe these
investments in Design Teams to allow
particularly important
activities.
because implementing a
them to develop instructional materials,
While the phrase may be new, the con-
design is a three- to five-
cept is not. Many organizations have pro-
assistance organizations, manuals, and
year process requiring
vided assistance in the context of a design
substantial investment by
for an individual program, such as a math
other materials intended to help schools
the school and district.
or reading reform program. Several organi-
Conveying the extent
zations, for example, the Accelerated
understand and use designs."
of these requirements has
Schools Project or the Comer School
proved to be one of the
Development Program, have provided assis-
most difficult tasks the Teams and NAS
tance in the context of a concept of the
have faced because the activity is largely
school as a whole. The distinguishing fea-
without precedent. Principals, teachers,
ture of the NAS effort is that NAS has
to
3
After a school chooses a design, the next
and district staff have not normally chosen
designs and associated assistance that
steps vary according to Design Team. Some
rapidly begin to help schools implement
entail substantial staff time and financial
portions of their design. Typically these are
investments over a period of years. For
designs that include concrete curricular
their part, the Design Teams had been used
materials and some specified instructional
to working with a small
methods. Others focus on helping schools
number of hand-picked
"School staffs have had to learn how to
do self-assessments that permit them (with
schools. School staffs
the assistance of the Design Team) to
have had to learn how
decide which design and Design Team
establish benchmarks for their implemen-
to decide which design
tation of the design. Still others begin with
and Design Team best
best meet their needs. Design Teams, in
week-long retreats that allow all faculty in
meet their needs.
a school to develop an understanding of
Design Teams, in turn,
turn, needed to learn how to present
the design's goals and principles and the
needed to learn how
process the Design Team expects them to
to present information
information about themselves and to
use to implement the principles and meet
about themselves and
work with schools to help them under-
the goals. Intensive summer retreats also
to work with schools
to help them under-
allow school faculty to begin to develop
stand the consequences of adopting a
stand the conse-
plans for implementing the design. An
important issue in a school's choice of
quences of adopting
schools in a
. Once some
design. .
.
designs should be which of these strategies
a design.
is most consistent with the school's exist-
NAS and its partner
district have begun implementing designs,
ing capabilities and readiness for reform.
districts and states
have tried a variety
other schools can investigate a design by
In the early years of NAS operations,
some schools and districts have chosen
of strategies. Some
visiting and talking with the staff of those
have held fairs where
to go slowly, focusing on planning. A few,
particularly high schools, have implement-
the Design Teams have
schools. Actually visiting an implement-
ed a design in a part of the school or at
described their designs
specific grade levels with the expectation
and implementation
ing school seems to be the best way to
of expanding to the whole school over a
strategies to interested
representatives from
period of years.
convey what it means to adopt and
We do not yet know the effects of these
schools. Others have
implement a particular design."
varied ways of initiating the implementa-
distributed information
to schools and then
tion of a design. I personally feel that bet-
ter results are likely if the whole school is
brought Design Teams
involved from the beginning and if there
to the district to follow up with interested
are clear expectations concerning how the
schools. Once some schools in a district
design will be implemented in the school
have begun implementing designs, other
over time. Experience will help us under-
schools can investigate a design by visiting
stand this issue better.
and talking with the staff of those schools.
Our research is very clear on one point
Actually visiting an implementing school
seems to be the best way to convey what it
about initiation, however. Individual
means to adopt and implement a particular
schools must clearly choose and commit to
a design. Schools that feel the design was
design.
4
teachers develop the con-
chosen by their district and pushed on
tent of such expeditions
them without their full concurrence find
"I personally feel that better results
for their students and cri-
ways to evade implementing the design.
are likely if the whole school is
tique one another's expe-
dition plans. In addition
involved from the beginning and
to helping teachers create
: Can you give some examples
these interdisciplinary
of Design Teams in action?
if there are clear expectations
learning expeditions, the
Design Team emphasizes
concerning how the design will be
A,
principles that have been
. Sure. Audrey Cohen College helps
important to Outward
implemented in the school over time
create schools that infuse students with a
Bound's long-standing
sense of the purposes for which they are
Individual schools must clearly
missioncommunity,
acquiring knowledge and skills. Its Design
. . .
mutual dependence, and
Team assistance focuses on implementing a
choose and commit to a design.
reflection. In some
curriculum framework that helps teachers
schools, teachers go on
organize their lessons around the purposes.
Schools that feel that the design
Outward Bound expedi-
Its initial training activities help teachers
tions to develop a deeper
use these frameworks to develop lesson
was chosen by their district and
appreciation of these
plans as well as help their students develop
pushed on them without their full
principles.
meaningful projects that use this purpose-
centered knowledge. An important part of
concurrence find ways to evade
the initial training is working with teachers
: How do
to help them identify community resources
implementing the design."
Design Teams decide
that can be tapped by their students in
where to focus their
carrying out their projects.
priorities?
The National Alliance's vision focuses
heavily on school operations, helping
schools continually examine student per-
A.
To some degree, the character and
formance using rich and demanding stan-
timing of the assistance depend on the
dards. It provides schools with training in
vision inherent in the design. Teams such
analyzing current student performance and
as ATLAS and Modern Red Schoolhouse
school improvement planning. It engages
believe that school-level governance is
teachers in training to help them develop
paramount. Their work, therefore, starts
curriculum matched to the school district's
there. On the other hand, Roots and Wings
standards. In addition to analyzing perfor-
and Audrey Cohen College focus on cur-
mance data and devising strategies for
riculum and instruction. Roots and Wings
improving results, the Alliance's work
begins with the school's reading program
marshals school, district, and community
and moves quickly to change classroom
support and resources.
practices, dealing with school governance
Expeditionary Learning Outward Bound
issues only as they arise. In contrast, the
envisions education as a series of intellec-
National Alliance begins by working with
tual, geographic, and social expeditions. An
school leaders to develop their ability to
important element of its activities is the
analyze performance against standards and
use of mini-sabbaticals during which
5
to build a system for improving perfor-
have frameworks for benchmarks that
mance. An important component of the
individual schools tailor and elaborate to
Alliance's support involves creating
suit their needs. Both of these Teams help
district or state "field teams" organized
schools understand their progress against
around the Alliance's five design
the benchmarks through "critical friends"
components.
visits: staff working in other schools using
As the Design
the design visit a school, provide construc-
Teams have gained
tive peer assessment, and offer suggestions
"Teams help schools understand
experience, I have
for improvement. While "recipient" school
the sense that they
staffs with whom we have talked are nearly
their progress
. through 'critical
. .
are adjusting their
unanimous in their praise for this assis-
activities to reflect
tance, the visitors also find this a very
friends' visits: staff working in other
the initial capabilities
useful form of professional development.
schools using the design visit a school,
of schools with which
they work. For exam-
provide constructive peer assessment,
: So the Design Teams provide
ple, if a school already
has an effective site-
professional development?
and offer suggestions for improvement.
level council, a Design
Team that has a gover-
While "recipient" school staffs
nance component is
A: Absolutely. Design-based assistance
with whom we have talked are nearly
likely to adjust its
is, at its heart, a comprehensive strategy to
assistance to enhance
provide quality professional development
unanimous in their praise for
the functioning of the
for teachers. It seeks to overcome many of
existing council rather
the problems that critics have raised with
this assistance, the visitors also
than creating a new
what too often passes for professional
one that emulates the
development todayone-shot, isolated,
find this a very useful form of
specifics originally
"one -size- fits -all" seminars that teachers
envisioned in the
attend alone with no follow-up evaluation
professional development."
design.
of how (or whether) they put the informa-
tion they gathered into practice in the
classroom.
: How do schools judge their
NAS Design Teams offer entire school
progress in implementing a design?
staffs the opportunity to receive profession-
al development assistance that is tied
directly to the goals and philosophies of
A: NAS has encouraged all of the Design
the design. Coaching provided by Design
Teams to develop benchmarks that will
Team staff or by teachers from other
help schools measure their progress. Roots
schools using the design provides teachers
and Wings, for example, provides check-
the feedback and follow-up they need to
lists of behaviors concerning teaching and
translate knowledge into practice.
learning it expects to see in classrooms.
When implemented effectively (which
Its facilitators give detailed feedback to
requires a joint effort by schools, Design
schools. On the other hand, Co-NECT and
Teams, and districts), NAS professional
Expeditionary Learning Outward Bound
development involves giving teachers time
4
6
to plan collaboratively, to participate in
more complete and lasting changes in
professional networks, and to work togeth-
the school.
er in engaging all students in the process of
Coupling assistance with the design
achieving higher standards. Although most
may lead to implementing a new, more
teacher networking currently takes place
effective and efficient use of profession-
at national conferences and via on-line
al development resources than is the
discussions, the most important network-
case in the current system.
ing activities may ultimately be established
Schools with clear and widely agreed-
within an individual school district or in
to designs and an association with a
compact geographic regions as more and
highly regarded outside group might
more schools participate.
have more ability to
sustain their perfor-
"Design-based assistance is, at its
mance through
: While more coherent and
changes in personnel
effective professional development
heart, a comprehensive strategy to
leadership and district
is obviously a potential advantage
environments that
provide quality professional devel-
of design-based assistance, do you
inevitably occur.
see other advantages?
opment for teachers. It seeks to
It is important to note
A
overcome many of the problems
that these are conjectures
I think I have already suggested
:
on my part. RAND's field
some other potential advantages. They
that critics have raised with what
work has provided hints
include having a clearly delineated design
that some of these bene-
for the school, support from trainers expe-
too often passes for professional
fits have been seen in
rienced with the design, and access to
development todayone-shot,
some school sites, but a
helpful colleagues in like-minded schools.
broader understanding
I think a jurisdiction might also reap sever-
isolated, 'one-size-fits-all' seminars
of them awaits further
al additional benefits when design-based
evaluation.
assistance is an effective focal point of its
that teachers attend alone with no
reform effort. For example:
."
follow-up .
The pressure to choose among con-
.
: You have just
crete, competing designs might actually
cited important poten-
help schools converge more rapidly on
tial advantages of using design-
a vision for themselves than if they
based assistance. Are there disad-
were left to their own devices.
vantages that you see in using such
The clear focus provided by the design
a strategy?
might help school faculties discontinue
unnecessary or ineffective programs
that are peripheral to the design and
A: Calculation of advantages and disad-
redirect those resources to develop
vantages requires a point of view. From the
more coherent instructional programs.
perspective of many personnel in a typical
Intense, total immersion in a guided
school system, design-based assistance's
school transformation may result in
biggest disadvantage is that for the most
to
A
7