Districts conducted whisper campaign with school leaders. Districts provided school leaders with talking points and presentation materials to ensure consistent communication with school staff. Teachers and instructional leaders conveyed and reinforced key messages. Leadership District and school leaders were actively involved in developing awareness among teachers. Contestability of the reasons for change Credibility of the sender/messenger Circulation of misinformation involves principals and teachers, describing change and how it aligns with the vision of the district or school, timeline, and potential impact. Describe risk of not changing. Communicate frequently and consistently. Creating Desire to Support and Participate in the Change Leadership Leaders were active and visible. Leadership was distributed on both district and school teams. Teacher Involvement Teachers were given an active role on design and planning teams. Initiative Alignment Frameworks implementation was aligned with other key initiatives (e.g., educator evaluation). Intrinsic or personal motivators of individual Personal situations of individual Nature of the change (i.e., “What is in it for me?”) Organizational context, culture, and history Participate actively and visibly throughout the change process. Assess risks and manage resistance. Equip key staff to lead change. Engage more staff in the change process. Clarify and communicate alignment with other initiatives and how they will support each other (and not increase burden on teachers). Developing the Knowledge to Make the Change Teacher Learning Teachers were provided professional development on content and instructional shifts. On-site coaches were available in schools. Instructional Resources Districts led coordinated, vertical curriculum planning across schools. Model instructional units were provided to teachers. Current knowledge base of individuals Capability of individuals to gain additional knowledge Available resources for education and training Existence of and access to required knowledge Assess knowledge gaps in teachers. Provide hands-on, interactive learning opportunities. Provide one-on-one coaching. Create forums for teachers within a school or across a district to share their experiences and how they handled challenges.
Districts created curriculum maps and other aligned materials. Districts developed repositories of high-quality resources and materials. Fostering the Ability to Apply New Knowledge and Skills Teacher Collaboration and Learning Teachers were given common planning/prep time. Schools formed teacher- or PLCs. Teachers participated in peer observations. Teachers presented best practices to other teachers. Instructional Resources instructional units were provided to teachers. Districts developed repositories of high-quality resources and materials. Psychological blocks Physical and intellectual limitations Time needed to develop the needed skills Availability of ongoing support for the development of new abilities Provide hands-on opportunities during training. Make coaches and expert consultants available to teachers. Monitor performance to determine knowledge gaps and information Reinforcing and Sustaining Change Collaborative meetings continued to maintain common Schools publicized student work and successful teacher practices. Grade-level standards were posted in each classroom. District and school leaders looked for high-quality implementation during walkthroughs. Schools leaders held open conversations the frameworks and implementation. Association between reinforcement and accomplishment Absence of negative consequences Accountability system Meaningful rewards and incentives Collect regular feedback from teachers to understand where change is taking hold and where there are challenges. Celebrate successes, exemplary classroom practices, and innovative teaching. Continue leadership/planning team(s) with broad representation to sustain momentum.