Contributions from: Elizabeth B. Kozleski, Gwen Meyer & Philip Ferguson - National Institute for Urban School Improvement
Abstract
Using the systemic change framework as the conceptual organizer, this symposium will showcase two strategies for supporting school renewal efforts to improve the life choices and opportunities for students with disabilities. An initial introduction to the systemic change framework will anchor the National Institute's focus on forging a renewal agenda that blends the assets of both special and general education. The symposium will focus on various elements of systemic change: professional development, teacher education, building leadership and assets mapping. Each paper will be grounded in research in urban schools in the United States. The symposium format provides for an opening presentation of the systemic change framework followed by the individual presentation of two additional papers.
The first paper - The Strategy of Building Leadership Teams - will argue that sustainable school change requires that leadership reside more than just a principal. Since principals change so often, particularly in urban settings, a new strategy needs to emerge that supports sustainable innovation. Building leadership teams (BLTs) represent such a strategy. BLTs empower school professionals to become active participants in shared decision-making so that the rituals, routines, practices, and daily logistics in a building are sculpted by those who are most impacted. BLTs help to organize work efforts and integrate new initiatives with current activities with a focus on efficiency, quality and access for everyone. Further BLTs help to legitimatise new forms of professional development that focus on research and inquiry.
The second paper - Looking for Commonalities and Overlap: The Assets Mapping Process - presents a creative tool for developing a shared roadmap of district, community, and school resources that strengthen the connections and opportunities for improvement between schools and communities. Through Assets Mapping, districts or schools and their communities can develop and sustain active, mutually beneficial partnerships. When aligned with the systemic change framework, (a tool that identifies the components of school renewal at the practice, school and district levels), assets mapping becomes a tool to bring together the human and fiscal resources of a community, externally funded projects and mandates, and the resources that are schools and schools districts contain.
 |
 |