Think Systemically, Act Systematically
Author: Parsley, D., Galvin, M.
Publisher: American Association of School Administrators
Publication Date: 2008, Winter
Journal: AASA Journal of Scholarship and Practice
Journal Volume: 4(4)
Pages: 4-10
Full text available online at: http://www.aasa.org/files/PDFs/Publications/JSP/Winter08FINAL.pdf
Abstract (written by WestEd)
School leadership teams contemplating improvement processes can feel daunted by the prospect of addressing multiple issues. An alternative approach is to focus on bringing about real measurable gains in a short amount of time. The authors of this article use the term “fractal improvement experience” to define such a project, which “[encapsulates] all the required procedural parts of a major school improvement initiative.” By allowing the school to experience a small success, the fractal experience boosts staff morale and commitment, strengthening their belief that future improvement initiatives can succeed. The article explains the step-by-step process in a fractal improvement experience that raised the level of student writing and provides a list of tips for designing and implementing a fractal improvement experience.
This article appears in the American Association of School Administrators’ Journal of Scholarship and Practice issue on systems thinking in the administration of school districts. Please also see the abstract for another related article in this publication, “One District Account of System-wide Renewal."
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From WestEd.org
Nine Lessons of Successful School Leadership Teams
"The lessons described in this book are powerful, clear, detailed, and supported by great case studies." — Kent Peterson, Professor of Education, University of Wisconsin
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