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Transcript of Welcome to Change and Transitions As you are getting settled, please do the following: Read through...
Welcome to Change and Transitions
As you are getting settled, please do the following:
Read through the historical quotes concerning change (the green sheet in your handouts immediately behind the powerpoint slides). Select the one quote that most closely represents your current feelings about leading change Jot down a couple thoughts as to why you selected that particular quote
MANAGING CHANGE AND TRANSITIONS TO IMPROVE
STUDENT LEARNINGA focus on RtI
John Vail, Ed.S.Kalamazoo RESA
September 10, 2009
Primary Sources
• “Diffusion of Innovations – Fifth Edition”– Everett M. Rogers, 2003.
• “Managing Transitions – 2nd Edition: Making the Most of Change”– William Bridges, 2003.
• Balanced Leadership “School Leadership that Works”– Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL),
2006.• “Professional Learning Communities at Work: Best
Practices for Enhancing Student Achievement”– Richard DuFour & Robert Eaker, 1998.
• “Influencer: The Power to Change Anything”– Patterson, Grenny, Maxfield, McMillan, & Switzler, 2008
Reasons for failure?
• The change moved too fast• The change lacked strong
principal leadership• The change was too big• The change was top-down
without buy-in from the staff• Gains were celebrated too
soon – urgency was lost• Schools were unwilling to
change• Leaders failed to develop a
critical level of support
• The change moved too slow• The change relied too heavily on a
strong principal• The change was too small• The change was bottom-up without
the support of central admin.• Gains were not celebrated and
momentum was lost• Schools took on every change that
came along• Leaders mistakenly insisted on
overwhelming support
Based on ideas from DuFour & Eaker
SYST
EMS
PRACTICES
Information
SupportingStaff
Performance
SupportingDecisionMaking
SupportingStudent Performance
OUTCOMES
Social Competence,Academic Achievement, and Safety
Outcomes clearly defined &Communicated
Formative AssessmentsGoals, decisionrules
Researched and EvidenceBased practices
Time, PD, Collaboration
A Brief Overview•Change is a way of life•Change is hard•Not all change is for the better•Not all change is possible•Even the best of changes often have unintended
consequences•There is a predictability to change
in terms of processin terms of people’s response
•There are things you can do as leadership to increase the likelihood of success and sustainability of change
Change is Hard!
“Faced with the choice between changing one’s mind and proving that there is no need to do so, almost everybody gets busy on the proof.”
John Kenneth Galbraith, American Economist
Processing Question
• Scurvy – Why do you think it took so long for a change
that clearly produced desirable outcomes to become a way of doing business?
The rest of the story …
• Why were the authorities so slow to adopt the idea of citrus for scurvy prevention? Other, competing remedies for scurvy were also being proposed, and each such cure had its champions. For example, Captain Cook’s reports from his voyages in the Pacific did not provide support for curing scurvy with citrus fruits. Further, Dr. Lind was not a prominent figure in the field of naval medicine, and so his experimental findings did not get much attention. While scurvy prevention was generally resisted for years by the British Navy, other innovation, such as new ships and new guns, were readily accepted. So the Admiralty did not resist all innovations. Obviously, more than just the relative advantages of an innovation, even when its benefits are clearly demonstrated, is necessary for its diffusion and adoption.
A little closer to home
• The are numerous varied schools across the country who are being extremely successful substantially improving the learning of all of their students (especially the at-risk populations).
• These schools have all made similar substantive changes in the way they do business.
• Leaders in these buildings have succeeded because of an intense and unrelenting focus.
What hill are you willing to die upon?
"The credit belongs to those who are actually in the arena, who strive valiantly, who know the great enthusiams, the great devotions, and spend themselves in a worthy cause; who, at the best, know the triumph of high achievement and who, at the worst, if they fail, fail while daring greatly so that their place shall never be
with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat." Theodore Roosevelt
The “Hill” that is RtI
• Write the title or a brief description in your own words that describes RtI on the worksheet provided
Not all change is beneficial
• Any given change or initiative might– focus on the wrong thing– propose practices that are inefficient or
ineffective
Example from the world of special education services
Intervention Eff. SizeMatch Instruction with
aud/vis strengths +.03
Focus on right brain-
left brain processing +.04
Instruction based on
cultural learning sty. +.00
Intervention Eff. SizeExplicit instruction
and prob. Solving +.70 – 1.50
Comprehension
Strategies +1.00
Formative assessment
and graphing +1.00
Information compiled from Daniel J. Reschly, Ph.D., Vanderbilt Univ.
What do we know about RtI?
• Is RtI necessary?– What’s the evidence?
• Is RtI effective?– What is the evidence?
• Is RtI efficient?– What is the evidence?
In small groups, please discuss and develop the answers to the questions above on your worksheet.
Not all change is possible
• Any given change or initiative might– not be supported/communicated/held
accountable to results– be one more in a series or combination of
initiatives (Christmas Tree Schools)
Not all change is possible.
“Changes of any sort – even though they may be justified in economic or technological terms – finally succeed or fail on the basis of whether the people affected do things differently.”
Bridges, 2003
Does RtI
• Have commitment from leadership?
• Have the resources (or at least the potential for the resources) to be successful?
Take a few minutes to identify the evidence that the commitment and resourcesexist. Identify any competing initiatives that may detract. If the answer is “no” to either, how might you set the stage for success?
Howdy Pardner“This school ain’t big enuf for the both of
them.” Dealing with the issue of competing
intiatives.
Find a partner from another district or location. Use the question guide to “interview” your partner. Take notes to share.
Unintended consequences
• Technology– Snowmobiles, computers, and cell phones
• Environment– Tortillas, eggs, and global warming
• Education– Your examples
Unintended Consequences and what to do
• Before committing to an initiative, do your homework– Invite multiple perspectives– Try to think in terms of secondary impacts– Perform cost-benefit analyses– Determine proven effectiveness for your specific
needs
• Once decided, move decisively but realize that unforeseen consequences are just that…unforeseen. Be flexible.
Looking ahead
• What are the possible “unintended consequences” of implementing RtI?
Take a few minutes to jot down anything you might have to watch out for.
Predictability in the Change Process Stages of Innovation-Decision (Rogers, 2003)
People who are a part of the change need …
1. Knowledge
2. Persuasion
3. Decision
4. Implementation
5. Confirmation
Knowledge
Individuals consciously or unconsciously avoid messages that are in conflict with their existing predispositions…
Selective Exposure(Individuals) seldom expose themselves to
messages about an innovation unless they first feel a need for the innovation … perceive it as relevant and consistent with their attitudes and beliefs.
Selective Perception
Rogers, 2003
Knowledge
• Awareness Knowledge – information that an innovation exists
• How-to Knowledge – information necessary to use an innovation properly
• Principles Knowledge – information dealing with the functioning principles underlying how a principle works
Knowledge
“Change agents could perhaps play their most distinctive and important role in the innovation-decision process if they concentrate on the how-to knowledge.”
“Consideration of a new idea does not go beyond the knowledge function if an individual does not define the information as relevant to his or her situation, or if sufficient knowledge is not obtained…”
Rogers, 2003
Persuasion
• At the persuasion stage, people seek messages that reduce uncertainty about an innovation’s expected consequences. (Rogers, 2003)
• Sometimes it is necessary for change agents to create a demand for the change by creating a discontent with the current reality and developing a vision of a more attractive reality.
(McREL, 2006)
Decision
• Individual or group engages in activities that lead to a choice to adopt or reject an innovation
• Most individuals do not adopt an innovation without first trying it out on a probationary basis to determine its usefulness in their own situation.
• A demonstration or pilot site can be quite effective in speeding up the diffusion process.
Implementation
• Involves overt behavior change as the new idea is actually put into practice
• Reinvention (changes or modifications to an innovation by the users) – Pros
• Faster rate of adoption• Higher degree of sustainability
– Cons• Loss of integrity of implementation• Could lead to ineffective practice in terms of outcomes
Confirmation
• Humans often seek to get rid of the discomfort of change by confirming their new direction or behavior.
• Data can serve as the evidence that the change was either positive or negative.
Activity – The Principal as the Change Agent
Read the scenario.Find evidence of each of the five stages of the innovation-decision
process.
1. Knowledge2. Persuasion3. Decision4. Implementation5. Confirmation
What is needed for RtI?
What knowledge will people need in order to accept and implement an RtI model in your schools?
What is needed for RtI?
• What is needed to support a decision to try?
• What possibilities can you create for trial runs or pilot sites
What is needed for RtI?
• What kinds of data/information will be needed to confirm the effectiveness of the change?
Predictability in the people:People and Their Responses to Change
The Innovators
The Early Adopters
The Early Majority
The Late Majority
The Laggards
Categories by Rate of AdoptionEverett M. Rogers
Innovators
2.5%
Early Adopters
13.5%
Early Majority
LateMajority
Laggards
34% 34%
16%
TIME
Brief Characteristics by Innovator Type
• Innovators – venturesome, tend to be out of the local circle of peer networks, able to work with a high degree of uncertainty about an innovation at the time they adopt
• Early Adopters – considered by many to be the “person to check with”, respected by peers, role model, maintains central position in the communication networks of the system, listen to and seeks out research and experts.
Brief Characteristics by Innovator Type
• Early Majority – deliberate, interact frequently with their peers but seldom hold positions of opinion leadership.
• Late Majority – skeptical, pressure of peers is necessary to motivate adoption, system norms must favor an innovation before they are convinced to adopt.
• Laggards – traditional, tend to possess almost no leadership opinion, point of reference is what has been done in the past, tend to be suspicious of changes and change agents.
Things to keep in mind
• Categories are specific to the innovation being initiated. People can change categories for different innovations.
• Innovators and Early Adopters tend to seek out experts and listen to research.
• The early and late majority look to the early adopters, and not the experts, for their reasons to change.
Where are You?
On the Graph provided, identify where you would place yourself at this point in time in regards to RtI.
Magnitude of change
• A change is defined by the implications it has for the people expected to implement it and/or those who will be impacted by it.
• Important!!– The same change can be perceived
differently by different stakeholders!
• Leaders sometimes underestimate the impact and reaction to change or do not manage the transitions well.
Order of Change (McREL, 2006)
• First order changes are changes that are perceived to be a continuation and refinement of existing beliefs and practices. They can be implemented with current knowledge, skills, and resources.
• Second order changes are changes that are perceived to be a significant break from current practices and will require new knowledge, skills, beliefs and/or resources.
First or Second Order?
• Based on the list created at the beginning, can you identify people for which your particular change would be… – A first-order change (i.e. an extension of what they
already do, are, believe in …)? Why?– A second-order change (i.e. a significant break from
what they already do, are, believe in …)? Why?
Add this information to your worksheet.
Predictability in the Transition Process:The Three Phases
• To start, you must end
• A time of uncertainty is to be expected and embraced.
• The new beginning is a time to establish focus and a new sense of purpose.
Three Phases of TransitionWilliam Bridges
The New Beginning
The Neutral Zone
Ending, Losing,Letting Go
Time
Understanding Transitions
“I have learned how self-defeating it is to try to overcome people’s resistance to change without addressing the threat the change poses to their
world.”
Change is situational, transition is psychological. It is the transitions that will do you in.”
Quotes from “Managing Transitions – 2nd Edition”William Bridges
The First Phase – The Ending
Letting go of the old was and the old identity people had
William Bridges: “Managing Transitions”
“The failure to identify and get ready for endings and losses is the largest difficultyfor people in transition … leads to more problems for organizations in transition thananything else.”
How to get people to let go
• Identify who is losing what
• Accept the reality and importance of the subjective losses
• Don’t be surprised at overreaction
• Acknowledge the losses openly and sympathetically
William Bridges: “Managing Transitions”
How to get people to let go
• Expect and accept the signs of grieving
• Compensate for the losses
• Give people information repeatedly
• Define what is over and what isn’t
William Bridges: “Managing Transitions”
How to get people to let go
• Mark the endings
• Treat the past with respect
• Let people take a piece of the old way with them
• Show how endings ensure the continuity of what really matters
William Bridges: “Managing Transitions”
How to get people to let go
• Finally, whatever must end, must end! Don’t drag it out. Plan carefully, allow time for healing, but make sure that the action is large enough to get the job done!
In taking possession of a state, the conqueror should well reflect as to the harsh measures that may be necessary, and then execute them at a single blow…Cruelties should be committed all at once.
Niccolo’ Machiavelli, Italian Political Philosopher
It doesn’t work to leap a 20-foot chasm in two 10-foot jumps.American Proverb
William Bridges: “Managing Transitions”
On your worksheet
• Write a statement describing what is changing, what practices need to stop and what practices will take their place.
• How will this be communicated clearly and repeatedly?
Keys to Responding to Resisters(DuFour & Eaker, 1998)
• Assume good intentions• Identify specific behaviors essential to the
success of the initiative• Focus on behavior, not attitude. Monitor
behavior.• Acknowledge and celebrate small victories• Confront incongruent behavior with
specific concerns and communicate logical consequences.
Behavior – Attitude Interaction
• There is a large literature base demonstrating that attitudes follow behavior. People accept new beliefs as a result of changing their behavior.– Pfeffer and Sutton
Behavior – Attitude Interaction
• Attitudes in this world are not changed abstractly … attitudes are partly the result of working, attitudes are partly the result of action. You do not fold your hands and wait for attitude to change by itself.
Dealing with Resistance
Please read about Henry in “A Story”
Identify what the principal did to move Henry from a resister to a participator.
Willingness to Lead
• A common failing of leaders at all levels is the failure to be emphatically assertive when necessary. Abilities to persuade, build consensus, and utilize all the other arts of influence are important – but they don’t always do the job. Sometimes it simply comes down to using the power of one’s position to get people to act.– Daniel Goleman
The Second Phase – The Neutral Zone
The psychological no-man’s land between the old reality and the
new one
Dangers of the Neutral Zone
• Anxiety rises and motivation falls• Productivity suffers• Old weaknesses reemerge with a vengeance• People are overloaded and get mixed signals.• People become polarized (poorly managed, this
can lead to terminal chaos)• Organization is vulnerable to attack from the
outside and sabotage within
Helping people through the Neutral Zone
• Normalize
• Redefine
• Create temporary systems
• Strengthen communications and relationships
• Use the time creatively (leaders should model this – start with yourself!)
The Third Phase – Launching a New Beginning
A start can and should be carefully planned. Starts take place on a schedule as a result of decisions
The Four P’s
The Four P’s
• Purpose– Clarify and communicate
• Picture– Give them a vision
• Plan– This is not a plan for the change but a plan for the
transition (should be detailed, person-oriented, and step-by-step)
• Part– Integrate and show people how they fit into the new
scheme
“Influencer”Patterson, Grenny, Maxfield, McMillan, & Switzler, 2008
• The influencing process– Find Vital Behaviors– Changing Behavior/Changing Minds– Make the Undesirable Desirable– Surpass Your Limits (training)– Harness Peer Pressure– Find Strength in Numbers– Design Rewards and Demand Accountability– Change the Environment
Vital Teacher BehaviorsThe Story of Ethna Reid
Please read the story of Ethna Reid.
What are the vital teacher behaviors Dr. Reid determined to have the largest impact on
student learning?
Be Very Clear in Your Direction
• If you cry, “Forward,” you must make it clear the direction in which to go. Don’t you see that if you fail to do that and simply call out the word to a monk and a revolutionary, they will go in precisely the opposite directions.– Anton Chekhov, Russian Writer
Reinforce the New Beginning
• Rule 1 – Be consistent
• Rule 2 – Ensure quick successes
• Rule 3 – Symbolize the new identity
• Rule 4 – Celebrate the success
Something to Consider
“Schools that take the plunge and actually begin doing the work … develop their capacity to help all students learn at high levels far more efficiently than schools that spend years preparing … through reading or even training”
DuFour et.al. 2006
Another Thought
“Disjointed starts and stops involving too many discrete and disconnected initiatives seldom make a significant or long-term impact. They do, however, keep everyone busy and create the illusion of motion.”
DuFour et.al. 2006
Identifying Next StepsLooking at what you have written on your “Planning for
Change Worksheet,” please identify …
the first thing(s) that you must do to increase the chances for success of RtI in your schools/district.
the resources or support that you believe would be most helpful.
BE READY TO SHARE.