Capturing Transformation

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Capturing Transformation
Professor Alma Harris
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What is Transformation?How Does it Happen?
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Transformation Change(Caldwell, 2007)

• Sustained change that secures student success.

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Transformation for Learning

• Is about securing success for each student in
  each setting

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Nothing stops an organisation faster than people
who believe that the way they worked yesterday is
the best way to work tomorrow
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Turnaround Companies

• Look outwards
• Pay attention to their competitive advantage
• See change as a resource
• Avoid complacency
• Change direction quickly

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Jumping the CurveSalk and Salk
Discontinuity
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Leading Transformation

• Going from failure to failure without losing
  enthusiasm
• Winston Churchill

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Capturing Transformation?How Does it Happen
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Project Objectives

• To explore the process of sustainable school
  transformation
• To identify the various components of successful
  transformation

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Methodology

• Stage 1 Extensive Literature Reviews exploring
  previous and current research
• Stage 2 Developing indicators for case
  selection and initial case study site interviews
• Stage Three Intensive Case Study

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Sample

• 20 secondary schools
• Mixed contexts
• Geographically Spread

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Indicators for Inclusion

• Sustained performance over a five year period.
• Success that is well documented and verified
  through performance indicators and reputation.
• Range of contexts and backgrounds
• Strong indications that current success will
  continue.

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Initial Findings

• Leaders of turnaround organisations actively seek
  out challenge and thrive on it
• A clear vision is vital - ensuring that everyone
  is working toward the same goal is essential for
  turnaround
• Culture is key  - getting the culture right is
  the first step  to sustainable transformation
• Shaping structures to deliver organisational
  aspirations rather than moulding aspirations
  around existing structures

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Initial Findings

• The right people in the right places ensuring
  that staff are able to do what they do best (that
  may mean moving staff around, up-skilling staff
  or replacing them)Decision making and
  accountability at the lowest possible responsible
  level within the organisationSimplify and
  clarify lines of communication constant drumbeat
  of the core message

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Levers of Success

• Structure
• Distributed Leadership
• Use of Workforce Reform
• Re-structuring of organisation
• Process
• Relentless focus on Teaching and Learning
• Use of Data
• Mentoring
• Student Voice
• Content
• Differentiated Curriculum
• Use of ICT
• Vocational pathways

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Heads Comment

• the work of building and sustaining self renewal
  is never ended.
• organisations can drift downwards if they are not
  constantly rejuvenated by innovation and inquiry.

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Headlines

• Constant Reinvention
• Horizon Scanning
• Engaging with latest ideas
• Internal accountability
• Culture that reflects and supports aspirations

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Blocks to Transformation

• Clarity
• Communication
• Culture

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Sustainable Transformation is

• Internally generated not externally prescribed
• Learning rather than results focused
• Innovation rich and intervention poor
• Is self renewing

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Abandonment(Schumpter 1942)

• Transformation does not mean continually adding
  new developments it also means abandonment

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Pause for Thought

• Are you working in a self-renewing organisation?
• What are you planning to abandon and why?

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Transformation Impacts on Deep Learning

• Student
• Staff
• Organisational

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Transformation is a people intensive process
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Distinguish Between

• Activity loops rather than meaningful cycles of
  change

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Transformations not rational or linear

• It is complex, messy and ultimately unruly
• Fire, ready, aim

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Transformation can mean means Loss

• Personal
• Positional
• Professional

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Vision
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Structures
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Scrutiny
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Internal Accountability
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Networking
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Closing gaps
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Diversity
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Deep Learning
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Transforming Schools

• for learning
• through learning
• about learning

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Be Optimistic
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a.harris_at_ioe.ac.uk