Active Learning Consultants, Richard Bernato Ed.D.

School and Organizational Improvement

Improving Schools cannot take place without consciously using a high involvement model that welds Wohlstetter's elements of high involvement with Senge's assertions of systemic infrastructure.

Commitment: Is the mission clear? Is the intent to meet the mission aligned with the organization's values? Will the organization "go to war" to keep its commitment?

Structured Planning Processes: Do the participants have the analytical and interpersonal Knowledge based skills and dispositions to plan and implement properly?

Evaluation tools: Is a culture of data based evaluation in place to assess whether the mission is met?

It may take a village to raise a child, it does take collective
competence to raise a school / organization.

Iacocca said "when you stop trying to get better, you stop being good." In a school or organization where its clients are dissatisfied this premise becomes even more powerful.

Senge's 5 Disciplines of a learning organization are the fundamental building blocks.. A learning organization is one that commits itself to continuous development and improvement. School / organizational reformers must work to infuse or renew these practices for sustained excellence:

Systemic Infrastructure: Where sub groups within the larger system continuously examine how their individual or group actions affect other sub systems and adjust for what they foresee.

Examples: Extending the school day for remediation purposes will impact transportation, extracurricular, staff development, financial resources, etc. Using the internet to promote sales will impact technology infrastructure, training of staff, publicity needs, etc.

High Involvement Behaviors: Ensuring, per the Wohlstetter high involvement model, that these principles are in place assures the premise that all involved can meaningfully contribute to the organization's vision..

Examples: Implementing a new homework policy requires the knowledge, input, and connection to goals of all who may be affected by the change. Considering changes in billing procedures requires the knowledgeable input of those most affected by and responsible for the change.

Pulse Taking Culture: Senge calls this notion PDSA, Plan, Do, Study, Act. Systemic, high involvement thinking is essentially connected with using data, information, perceptions, to measure whether the implementation has had the desired effect. If, in checking on the plan, the data suggest otherwise, the change must be studied, adjusted or and re-acted upon.

Examples: If a homework policy were put in place and there were no way to connect its effects with an improvement in student achievement the school decision makers would have erred in not checking on or answering for whether the policy is working. If an automobile manufacturer puts a new model out for sale without checking to see if it had any defects that would affect consumers' interest, it would not be in business for very long.

Long Term Success: The organization is responsible for ensuring its long term survival and success by continuously infusing it with the building blocks of the Improvement Pyramid by measuring itself against its vision, beliefs, and mission.

Examples: The organization must continuously reflect its mission in all its actions!

What can Active Learning Consultants do for your school or organization?

help you use your data to assess systems and high involvement plusses and minuses

help you identify the root cause issues at stake

help you formalize processes of input and exchange among all stakeholders

help you upgrade or create new systems for organizational health

help you create clear, targeted SMART plans for long - term sustainable success

For more information, contact us at richber1@optonline.net