April 1998
Date: Wed, 1 Apr 1998
To: k-12sd-@sysdyn.mit.edu
From: k-12sd@sysdyn.mit.edu (k-12sd)
Subject: Re: Systems Thinking in schools
Dear Peter:
I have a suggestion which might prove useful. We have been successful
in
producing manageable mental models of the "continuous improvement
process"
(Deming et.al.) in large schools and small school systems. See
for example: http://llanes.panam.edu/journal/CIPmodel.gif and
a step by step description here:
http://llanes.panam.edu/journal/library/Vol1No1/llanesarticle.html#III
These models were prepared for the purpose of defining a continuous
process
of quality improvement which is synonymous with school reform,
innovation
and the other labels in use.
I've had little difficulty explaining these models to principals
and teachers and working with them to make them more accessible,
understandable and therefore useful to them. In one small rural
school district with three elementaries, one middle and one high
school, the process had been implemented, modified and continues
to be a key element of the superintendent's leadership style.
This school system has improved 400% in four years, raising passing
rates in statewide-test by that amount andconsiderably improving
the community support, parental support and climate in the system.
I believe that only by understanding the model well enough to
modify it can
the educators make them useful.
J. R. Llanes
http://llanes.panam.edu
llanes@panam.edu
Date: Wed, 1 Apr 1998
From: Susan Ragan <sragan@mbhs.edu>
To: k-12sd <k-12sd@sysdyn.mit.edu>
Subject: Re: Stella PC to MAC conversion?
You need to get a program like ResEdit so you can access the resource
fork
of the file. Then, under file info for the model, set
Type: STM2 Creator: STL2
The Mac will recognize it as a STELLA file then.
On Wed, 1 Apr 1998, k-12sd wrote:
> Date: Mon, 30 Mar 1998
> To: k-12sd@sysdyn.mit.edu (k-12sd)
> From: Bill Barowy <wbarowy@lesley.edu>
> Subject: Stella PC to MAC conversion?
>
> Folks,
>
> I have received at stella 5.0 PC file as an enclosure and
would like to
> read it in using stella 5.0 on the mac. Is there an easy
way? I tried
> removing the 3 letter '.stm' extension but this did not work.
What can I
> try?
>
> Thanks in advance,
>
> Bill Barowy, Associate Professor
> Technology in Education
> Lesley College, 29 Everett Street, Cambridge, MA 02138-2790
> Phone: 617-349-8168 / Fax: 617-349-8169
(snip)
>
Susan Ragan sragan@mbhs.edu
Montgomery Blair High School 301-650-6520 (voice)
313 Wayne Avenue 301-650-6692 (fax)
Silver Spring, MD 20910 Maryland Virtual High School Project
Date: Wed, 1 Apr 1998
To: k-12sd@sysdyn.mit.edu
From: Jane Soderquist <jsoderquist@hps-inc.com>
Subject: STELLA PC to Mac conversion
Dear all:
Bill Barowy posed this question to the listserv--about the compatibility
of
PC & Macintosh STELLA models. I thought perhaps more people
might have
this question, so it seemed worth responding to everyone.
STELLA models are completely transferable between platforms. However,
you
do need to identify the models as STELLA files to the respective
platforms.
To move a Mac model to the PC:
Change the model name to 8 characters or less. Add the file extension
.stm
for STELLA models. (e.g. name = model.stm)
To move a PC model to the Mac:
This is slightly more complicated. The Macintosh keeps its file
information
internally so you must use a tool like PC Exchange to designate
the Type
and Creator information for that file. PC Exchange should have
been
included with your Macintosh Operating System. Check under the
Control
Panel for "PC Exchange." The information you will need
to enter is:
Application type: STELLA
Suffix: .stm
Document Type: STM2
Creator: STL2
Note: You must use upper case letters, as shown.
After setting up PC Exchange, the Mac should recognize any file
with the
.stm ending, as long as it is on a diskette. If you received the
model via
email, you will need to put the model on a diskette before the
computer will
recognize it.
Don't hesitate to contact HPS at (603) 643-9636 or support@hps-inc.com
if
we can be of any further assistance.
----------------Jane Soderquist-----------------
High Performance Systems, Inc.
45 Lyme Road, Suite, 200
Hanover, NH 03755-1221
http://www.hps-inc.com * support@hps-inc.com
-----------jsoderquist@hps-inc.com--------------
Date: Thu, 2 Apr 1998
To: k-12sd-@sysdyn.mit.edu
From: David Mayall <dmayall@tiac.net> (by way of k-12sd)
Subject: Re: Stella PC to MAC conversion?
If you have PC Exchange or MacLink Plus on your Mac, you
should be able to convert it to a Mac version. PC Exchange,
which I've used sucessfully to convert PC models to Mac
models, needs to be configured so that Stella 5.0 can read
.stm files. Good luck!
Date: Thu, 2 Apr 1998
To: k-12sd-@sysdyn.mit.edu
From: Lees Stuntz <stuntzln@tiac.net>
(by way of k-12sd)
Subject: Re: Stella PC to MAC conversion?
Bill,
The easiest way I know is with Mac Link Plus.
Use File view, view the file and then edit the Type and Creator
The Type is STM2 and the Creator is STL2. Other useful programs
are PC Exchange or ResEdit or Type Resolve. There is a description
of the procedure( using the other programs) in the Fall 1996 Exchange
(Vol 5 #4) available from the website- http://sysdyn.mit.edu/cle/.
Good luck, Lees
Lees N. Stuntz
Creative Learning Exchange Phone- 978-287-0070
1 Keefe Road Fax- 978-287-0080
Acton, MA 01720 e-mail- stuntzln@tiac.net
http://sysdyn.mit.edu/cle/
Date: Tue, 7 Apr 1998
To: k-12sd-@sysdyn.mit.edu
From: "Jeanne Zimmerman" <jzimmerm@Charity.trinityvt.edu>
(by way of
k-12sd)
Subject: PC and Mac STELLA compatibility
Hi,
We've interchanged many PC and Mac STELLA
models and offer an
additional suggestion:
Models move easily from Mac to the PC. However,
when moving from the
PC to Mac we have found that any text blocks
are affected: The
difference in size, of the text itself, is
such that the
text blocks of models created on the PC will
have to be edited once
they are placed on the Mac (PC text is larger
- takes up more space
than does the Mac version).
This is no big deal - just a "drudge"
chore that must be done when
sharing models.
One more comment:
We simply name all of our files
"something-with-less-than-8-letters.stm"
- This way, they are readily
recognized by either platform.
jlz
Jeanne Zimmerman
Waters Center for System Dynamics
jzimmerm@charity.trinityvt.edu
(802) 658-0337 x353
www.trinityvt.edu/waters
Date: Mon, 13 Apr 1998
To: k-12sd-@sysdyn.mit.edu
From: George Richardson <gr383@cnsvax.albany.edu>
(by way of k-12sd)
Subject: Visiting faculty position announcement
(fwd)
Are there any readers of this list that would
be interested in the
following position at the University at Albany?
...GPR
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
George P. Richardson G.P.Richardson@Albany.edu
Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and
Policy Phone: 518-442-3859
University at Albany - SUNY, Albany, NY 12222
Fax: 518-442-3398
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Thu, 09 Apr 1998 09:21:15 -0400
From: Tom Stewart <ts460@cnsvax.albany.edu>
Subject: Visiting faculty position announcement
Visiting Faculty. Center for Policy Research
and Department
of Public Administration and Policy, Rockefeller
College of
Public Affairs and Policy, University at Albany,
State
University of New York. Rank open.
The Department of Public Administration and
Policy and the
Center for Policy Research invite applications
for a 1-year
visiting faculty position in decision and
policy sciences to
begin on June 1, 1998 (or as soon as possible
thereafter).
This is a 12-month position requiring both
research and
teaching. The successful candidate would be
expected to
collaborate with faculty on ongoing research
projects in the
Center for Policy Research and teach two courses
per
semester in the Department of Public Administration
and
Policy, an interdisciplinary department offering
Masters and
Doctoral Degrees. Teaching responsibilities
will include
graduate quantitative/analytic courses such
as statistics,
research methods, operations research, negotiation
and
bargaining, decision modeling and simulation,
and judgment
and decision making.
The Center for Policy Research maintains an
active research
program in decision and policy sciences. The
visitor would
be expected to collaborate on research with
Center faculty
and would be encouraged to develop at least
one fundable
research project. Field of specialization
is open. Current
projects in the Center involve applied research
in judgment
and decision making, medical decision making,
group process
and group modeling, and system dynamics modeling.
Minimum qualifications include a doctoral
degree in a
relevant discipline (e.g., psychology, economics,
public
administration, political science, operations
research,
business) with emphasis on analytic methods;
a strong
interest in applied, policy relevant, research;
excellent
communication skills, demonstrated potential
for excellence
in teaching and research.
Applicants interested in this position should
send a letter,
vita, recent publications, and the names of
three references
to Dr. Thomas R. Stewart, Search Committee
Chair, Milne 300,
University at Albany, Albany, NY 12222.
Email: t.stewart@albany.edu
Review of applications will begin immediately
and continue until the
position is filled.
The University at Albany is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative
Action employer.
Date: Tue, 21 Apr 1998
To: k-12sd-@sysdyn.mit.edu
From: Gustavo Sala Espiell <salaesp@netverk.com.ar>
(by way of k-12sd)
Subject: Introduction
I am an electronic engineer, 38, married with
three children.
I work in a Polypropylene company in Argentina,
as a Control Process Eng.
During a MBA (1995/6) I read the Fifth Discipline,
and I wrote my thesis
with these concept in my Mind.
My hypothesis is that in the future would
be a new way for engineer
services, not an employee nor an engineer
company, I call it a
"servoyee"(a mix between service
and employee).
In these days a professor in a communication
course I took last year ask
me to do a study with him with the ithink
program he bought, applying it
to human behavior.
I am very interesting in doing a deep study
in Dynamic Systems and hearing
about what are the questions that the people
who are working with this
theory have about it.
I will be very grateful if you can help me
in this way.
Thank you very much
Gustavo
Date: Tue, 21 Apr 1998
To: k-12sd-@sysdyn.mit.edu
From: Peter Buesseler <pbuessel@prtel.com>
(by way of k-12sd)
Subject: AgLand-The Game
People may be interested in a new resource
available for groups to learn
about rural land use issues. It is called
"AgLand - The Game" (tm)
<http://www.extension.umn.edu/agland/>.
As educators, policy makers, or
landowners, you know agriculture is much more
than deciding what crop to
grow and when. It's a world filled with complexities
and a wide array of
economic, social, and environmental concerns.
In short, it's a world of
decisions and consequences.
AgLand was developed to help students, local
government officials,
community groups, agency personnel, or conservation
districts learn about
agricultural land-use issues. It is an interactive
activity in which
participants experience the economic, environmental
and social consequences
of their decisions through 20 simulated years
of farming and policy making.
'AgLand' is a simulated region with farms,
rivers, a town, wetlands, and
wildlife. Players taking on the role of farmers
make decisions about crops,
livestock, conservation practices, and participation
in government
programs. Players who take on the role of
the Policy Council can decide to
offer incentives, levy taxes, and impose regulations
to achieve economic,
social, and environmental goals. Although
the farmers and policy makers can
influence each other's results, success also
depends on two factors over
which neither has control -- crop prices and
the weather.
AgLand-The Game is being made available through
the Minnesota Extension
Service. You can find out more by checking
out the AgLand website
<http://www.extension.umn.edu/~agland/>,
University of Minnesota Extension
Service - Distribution Center (800-876-8636),
or contacting Steve Taff at
<sjtaff@umn.edu>.
=====================
"Take Pride in Prairie"
Peter Buesseler, State Prairie Biologist
MN DNR, Scientific and Natural Areas
1221 E. Fir Ave., Fergus Falls, MN 56537
218/739-7497, 218/739-7601 (fax)
Red River Basin Information Network <http://www.eerc.und.nodak.edu/rrbin/>
Great Plains Partnership <http://www.greatplains.org>
Date: Tue, 28 Apr 1998
To: k-12sd-@sysdyn.mit.edu
From: FRobchen <FRobchen@aol.com> (by
way of k-12sd)
Subject: Introduction
I teach at Norwalk High School in Norwalk,
California. We will be
implementing a new program, "Millennium
Project 2001" this Fall. Next year we
will have a biology/technology block of time
and a geometry/technology block
of time. The math teacher and I are sharing
80 students (3 hours between us).
We are looking for software/curriculum to
support a systems approach to
project based learning. We have partners with
other institutions that will
provide resources.
What is the link between systems design and
Stella software and "ithink
workshops"?
I'm very interested in learning about a systems
approach to a biology and
earth/space science curricula. In addition,
technology for gathering data,
communicating, etc. is an important vehicle
and tool.
I hope to learn from those of you with more
experience in a comprehensive
program.
Thank you.
Della Robertson
Date: Tue, 28 Apr 1998
To: k-12sd-@sysdyn.mit.edu
From: DLedingham <DLedingham@aol.com>
(by way of k-12sd)
Subject: Target setting in schools
Readers of the list may have read a recent
posting where I outlined the
culture we are trying to create in our school
which adheres to the notion of
the school as a learning organization.
Our school received today a set of Government
inspired targets for examination
result improvements over the next 3 years.
For example, the percentage of
our 15-16 year olds who gain 5 or more passes
should increase by 6%. There
are a number of similar targets each of which
specifies a minimum
improvement for the school within that 3 year
period.
My problem is that these externally imposed
targets have the potential to
reaffirm teachers perceptions that they are
not in a position of self
determination and that a 'Theory X' style
of management, which regards the
workforce as essentially untrustworthy and
in need of external control, is in
predominance.
I have no real difficulties with the targets
myself and feel confident we can
satisfy them by helping teachers to learn
and grow. However, in moving
from a perceived culture of control to one
where personal commitment drives
the school such an imposed change has the
potential to set our progress
right back to the beginning.
My question is, "How do I introduce the
concept of targets (which are
completely alien to Scottish education) in
a way in which teachers can feel in
control and not react to them in a negative
manner which might then
necessitate an imposition from us, as managers?"
I am coming round to an open appeal to a small
group of Heads of Department
for help in fulfilling our school's commitment.
Perhaps by giving them
some ownership of the problem at the earliest
stages we can create an
atmosphere where management and staff work
together in a positive and
collegial manner. I know some might accuse
me of opting out but I believe
it would actually be easier (in the short
term) to just present the targets
at a staff meeting and then set individual
targets for each department. We
have a staff meeting planned for next Wednesday
where members of the
school's development plan group are to present
the rationale for our long
term stragegy for change within which the
1998 - 2000 development plan is
set. If we can give the staff ownership of
the actions which will be
necessary to overtake the imposed targets
we have a chance of establishing
a change in culture which will go well beyond
the next two years.
I will welcome any observations or suggestions.
Thanks
Don Ledingham
Date: Tue, 28 Apr 1998
To: k-12sd-@sysdyn.mit.edu
From: DLedingham <DLedingham@aol.com> (by way of k-12sd)
Subject: Schools as learning organizations
(Monitor's note: This is 10 pages.)
I was recently appointed to the position of Depute Headteacher
of
SelkirkHigh School, a medium sized secondary school in the Scottish
Borders.Previous readers of the list may have been aware that
I had been
introducingaspects of learning organizations to my previous school,
with
some success.In my new role I have responsibility for devising
the
school's developmentplan for 1998-2000. I have copied a first
draft of
our rationale for our newplan, which includes a long term strategy
for the
next 6 - 8 years. Thosemembers of the list with a knowledge of
Senge's
five disciplines will see ahigh degree of paraphrasing and modification
in
order to make the concepts ofa learning organization more user
friendly to
teachers who might be afraid ofa jargon laden rationale. I would
appreciate feedback and suggestions aboutthe document. The details
of the
actual development plan have not beenattached but they have been
finalised
and will fit into the overall long termstrategy.
All the best
Don Ledingham
SELKIRK HIGH SCHOOL
1998-2000
LONG TERM STRATEGY FOR CHANGE
Review of 1996 - 1998 Development Plan
During January and February 1998 a review of the 1996 -1998 Development
Planwas undertaken. As a consequence of that review it became
apparent
that thedevelopment planning process was in need of revision if
it was to
meet theneeds of all those with a stake in Selkirk High School.
The main concerns expressed in that review were as follows:
· lack of ownership;
· too ambitious;
· unrealistic in terms of funding or development time;
· departmental development plans completed before school
priorities had
beestablished;
· a paper exercise with little positive impact upon the school;
· aspects of the plan were discrete entities rather than
being seen as
partsof a coherent whole;
· not part of a longer term strategy for improving Selkirk
High School;
· lack of clearly defined and measurable criteria for success.
Rationale for 1998 -2000 Development Plan
The 1998 - 2000 Development Plan was devised by a working group
composed of
across-section of the community with an interest in the welfare
of
SelkirkHigh School. Throughout the planning process there was
regular
communicationand consultation with staff, parents and pupils.
Members of
the planning groupwere:
Evelyn Bustard Sixth Year pupil
Ian Cooper Principal Teacher of Biology
Alasdair Forsyth Principal Teacher of English
Lillian Henry School Office
Atholl Innes Member of the School Board
Don Ledingham Depute Rector
Margaret McKinney Principal Teacher of Modern Languages
Yvonne McCracken School Adviser
Neil Purves Sixth Year pupil
Robin Ross Teacher of English
Catrina Steenberg Teacher of Modern Studies/History
The Development Planning Group established some guiding principles
at
theoutset of the planning process. These principles were:
· all actions identified in the action plan should be connected
with
enhancingteaching and learning;
· to establish three or four well-judged and focused aims
which can be
readilyrecalled and to which all aspect of the development plan
can be
related;
· define activities in ways which are free from jargon and
accessible
tostaff, parents and pupils;
· attempt to reinforce the inter-connections between different
parts of
>thedevelopment plan;
· keep the development plan realistic, in terms of the number
of
>actionpoints; the cost (time and funding); and the targets
which are
established;
· link overall school plans with departmental plans as part
of coherent
longerterm strategy; and
· to be explicit about all actions and reasons for action.
LONG TERM STRATEGY: A Starting Point
The planning group were concerned that the development plan for
1998
-2000should be part of a longer term strategy in which Selkirk
High
Schooldevelops. In recognising that there are no OEquick-fixes‚
in
education, thegroup propose the following long term strategy for
the
school which will shapedevelopment plans until 2004 and perhaps
beyond.
A suitable starting point for describing the long term strategy
for
SelkirkHigh School might be to describe what we want to create
as a
consequence ofour actions. Firstly, we recognise that the core
activity
of Selkirk HighSchool is to educate children. The professional
responsibility for thateducation lies with the staff, who work
in close
partnership with pupils,parents and other organisations. However,
this
long term strategy will focusupon those who follow their vocation
in
Selkirk High School and the culture wewish to establish and promote
within
the school.
Before describing the culture which we wish to engender in the
future, it
isimportant to reflect upon the past and the present, in order
to ensure
that wedon‚t suffer from a "throwing the baby out with
the bath water"
syndrome. Aspart of that review it is important here to recognise
that
OEperceptions‚ areas valid as OEfacts‚, in that people‚s
attitudes and
behaviours are influencedby their perception of reality. In reading
some
of the following identifiedstrengths and weaknesses of Selkirk
High School
it will be necessary toreflect upon that important distinction.
In an exercise led by Stewart Bell, Personnel Manager at Viasystems
(Selkirk),the following were identified as being the key strengths
and
weaknesses ofSelkirk High School. Additional data was collected
by D.
Ledingham (DeputeRector) in a series of interviews with all heads
of
department.
Strengths
¨ pupils
¨ staff/pupil relationships
¨ teachers
¨ sense of community
¨ commitment to the school
¨ resources
weaknesses
¨ team work
¨ negative attitudes
¨ lack of direction
¨ communication
¨ complacency
¨ fear of change
Our proposed strategy must therefore attempt to build upon our
identifiedstrengths and address our identified weaknesses.
STRENGTHS
Pupils
As regards the strengths of Selkirk High School it is clear that
we
arefortunate with the type of pupil whom we teach. They can be
characterised asbeing typically well-mannered and well-behaved.
They
generally respect theirteachers and show a willingness to complete
tasks,
although perhaps not highlymotivated to initiate work for themselves.
In
the learning process they willinteract well with teachers but
once again
can be said to adopt a passive rolein their own learning, with
a tendency
to expect their teacher to OEspoonfeed‚. Pupils care about
the school and
have a pride in belonging thecommunity.
Staff/pupil relationships
Pupils enjoy very good relationships with staff. Staff are able
tocommunicate with pupils an open and friendly manner which makes
the
learningatmosphere in the majority of a classes a pleasant and
productive
experience.Staff/pupil relationships are certainly enhanced by
the Exodus
programme andthe range of extra-curricular activities which are
available.
Sense of Community
Good relationships and a sense of belonging extend beyond the
staff and
pupilsand include non-teaching staff, parents and members of the
wider
community whomake use the courses and facilities available at
the school.
Commitment
The teaching staff at Selkirk High School are very much committed
to
theschool and the welfare of the pupils. A great deal of work
goes into
preparingand marking work to ensure that pupils experience success
in
externalexaminations. There are many innovative and outstanding
teachers
in theschool who do not get the opportunity to share their expertise
with
otherteachers.
Resources
There is a recognition that resources have been well managed by
the
Rector.The fabric of the building is conducive to high quality
education
andinnovative means of generating additional funding have ensured
that
SelkirkHigh School is well resourced.
To summarise our strengths, many of which were noted by the Inspectorate
in1995, Selkirk High School is a place to which people enjoy coming
to
work andto learn. It is a comfortable environment, where people
can
experience asense of belonging, both within the school and within
the
context of the widercommunity. Staff have a commitment to the
school and
to the pupils in theircharge.
WEAKNESSES
Bearing these significant strengths in mind, it is of value to
consider
ourperceived weaknesses with a view to formulating strategy.
¨ lack of direction
¨ team work
¨ negative attitudes
¨ complacency
¨ communication
Lack of Direction
If we take the first of these weaknesses as being a lack of direction.
It
isdifficult to immediately identify what is meant under this heading.
However,after discussion it became apparent that it was linked
to
leadership at Headof Department level and ,more particularly,
at Senior
Management level. Itwould appear that staff would welcome a clearly
articulated vision of thefuture of the school, by the Senior Management
Team, towards which staffcould make contributions/amendments and
share
eventual ownership.
There is no doubt that one of the biggest perceived problems has
been
thenumber of Depute Rectors at Selkirk High school in the past
ten years.
Each ofthese individuals has brought their own particular interests
and
perspectiveto their role as development plan co-ordinator. There
is now a
clear need todevise a strategy for the school which is not dependant
upon
a singleindividual but which can be sustained by the staff and
supported
by the SeniorManagement Team over a significant period of time,
e.g. 6 - 8
years.
The leadership function of the Senior Management Team must therefore
take
on amore active supportive role to enable the agreed development
plan to
beachieved. That role will be described in more detail later in
this
document inrelation to the management behaviours which the senior
management team willendeavour to live up to.
Teamwork
The notion of team work can be a difficult concept to define in
terms of
thedevelopment of a school. However, teams involve people in working
towardsachieving a common goal. The sporting analogy is perhaps
the most
common onewith which to exemplify our idea of teamwork as any
successful
sporting teamis composed of people who fulfil different roles
and who
have differentstrengths. The collective strength of the team is
greater
than sum of itsparts. In schools there are many groups but few
real teams.
We would contendthat Selkirk High School has many groups but few
teams.
If teams could bedeveloped, whereby staff could learn from each
other,
share experience andknowledge and generally share that common
bond of
working toward a commongoal, then Selkirk High School has much
to gain.
Negative Attitudes
Negative attitudes do not suddenly develop. They are often a consequence
ofrepeated negative experiences. These experiences could take
many forms,
i.e.lack of promotion; poorly communicated reasons for decisions
which
impingeupon the individual; lack of recognition/praise; lack of
support in
disciplinematters; lack of control; lack of professional development
opportunities;rate of externally imposed change; increased paper
work.
Whatever the reasonfor individuals developing negative attitudes,
there
can be no doubt that anegativity will be damaging to the school
but, more
importantly, will bedamaging for the individual. The management
of the
school must endeavour toeliminate many of the reasons for teachers
feeling
negative towards theschool. However, if the school is to make
progress
teachers themselves mustadopt a new outlook towards the development
of the
school and themselves.Such a shift in mind will involve a significant
degree of trust between theindividual teacher and the management
team.
Complacency
Selkirk High School enjoys a good reputation within its immediate
community.Its examination results are above the national average
and a
significantnumber of our pupils go on to further education. There
is a
very low truancyrate and the exclusion rate is one of the lowest
in the
Borders. The SchoolBoard gives strong support the school and have
no
apparent concerns about thequality of education being provided
by the
school. The High schoolAssociation work closely with the school
and
supports a range of events. Ourrelationships with our primary
schools
are excellent and we receive very fewcomplaints from parents about
the
quality of teaching or matters relating tothe welfare of their
children.
Our Exodus programme is renowned throughout theBorders and is
the envy of
many other schools.
All in all, it could be said that Selkirk High School does not
need
astrategy for change but a strategy for stability. However, that
would be
toignore three key questions for facing any school:
1. Have we reached our optimum potential as a school? (if the
answer is
nothen we have an obligation to our pupils to find ways of improving).
2. Does Selkirk High School exist within a vacuum? (or are there
externalforces and initiatives in force which will place new demands
upon
schools?).
3. Have we reached our potential as professional educators? (if
not then
wehave to find ways in which that development can continue throughout
ourcareers).
In our deliberations as a planning group we were unanimous that
our answer
toeach of the above questions was an unequivocal "no".
We therefore have to recognise that although much of what we currently
do
isvery good, we can improve and that we must change to keep up
with many
of theexternal changes taking place in society.
The "boiled frog syndrome" is a useful analogy to bear
in mind
whenconsidering the dangers of complacency. If one places a frog
in a pan
of coldwater and sets the pan on a slow heat of a cooker, the
frog feels
safe andmakes no attempt to escape from the pan. As the temperature
increases slowlythe frog doesn‚t notice the change until
it is too late by
which time it isunable to escape from the pan. However, if you
put a frog
into a pan ofboiling water it jumps out immediately. The moral
of the
tale being thatgradual deterioration of an environment is not
immediately
recognised by thosewho inhabit the environment. We are not suggesting
here that Selkirk HighSchool is a dangerous environment but that
we must
guard against complacencyor the "here‚s tae us wha‚s
like us" attitude.
Communication
Concerns about communication within the school have been a major
issue
ofdevelopment over the past eighteen months as a consequence of
the
inspection.A range of steps have been taken to improve the quality
and
efficacy ofcommunication within the school. However, the perception
still
exists thatcommunication is an area in need of improvement, particularly
between seniormanagement and the staff.
LONG TERM STRATEGY: a vision of the future
It is clear that the most important resource in the school are
the
teachingstaff, for it is the quality of interaction between teachers
and
pupils whichdefines the success of the school. With a total annual
salary
bill of nearly£1 million the investment in teaching staff
dwarfs any
other budget headingat Selkirk High School. It is therefore the
key
responsibility of SeniorManagement to ensure that staff are effectively
deployed and that theconditions for teaching are as conducive
as possible
for consequent pupillearning. Similarly the non-teaching staff
play a
vital role in supportingthe teacher to practice their professional
craft
to greatest effect andmanagement have an important role to play
in
ensuring that non-teaching staffsupport roles are as effective
as possible.
The Senior Management Team have two extreme alternatives open
to them
inrespect of managing the school. In the first model the Senior
Management Teamcould operate on the premise that teaching staff
basically
don‚t like theirwork and that they consequently require a
rigid form of
>management hierarchyto oversee their work. Without this active
intervention by management,teachers would be passive - even resistant
- to
whole school needs. Such amodel perceives the school as a machine
which
is dependant upon structures andmechanisms for persuading, controlling,
monitoring and checking staff, who, ifleft to their own devices,
would
find ways of avoiding work. This model alsoperceives the teacher
to be
someone who dislikes responsibility, is inherentlyself-centred
and
indifferent, or even antagonistic, to whole school needs.
In the second model, the Senior Management Team believes that
teachers have
aprofessional commitment to their role as a teacher of children
and that
theyfundamentally enjoy their work. Within such a culture, teachers
are
not seento be passive or resistant to whole school needs (but
that they
may havebecome so because of experience in schools). Teachers
are
therefore perceivedto have the motivation, the potential for development,
the capacity forassuming responsibility and a desire to support
the needs
of the school. Insuch a culture it is the responsibility of management
to
make it possible forteachers to recognise and develop these human
characteristics for themselves.This is a process of creating
opportunities, releasing potential, removingobstacles, encouraging
learning and growth and providing guidance.
The practice at Selkirk High School would, in common with all
other
schools,be somewhere on the continuum between these two alternative
approaches tomanaging the school. Depending on one‚s personal
experience
and role withinthe school, the actual placing of Selkirk High
School on
that continuum maydiffer.
However, there can be no doubt that the Senior Management Team
wish to
promote such a culture within Selkirk High School.
The key strategic statement for the future of Selkirk High School
istherefore:
"It is not a matter of making people become something, it
is about creating
anenvironment where people can learn and grow."
Such a perspective sees the school as being a place in which a
culture
oftrust, mutual respect, collaboration and professional reflection
takeprecedence over rigid and mechanistic structures which are
designed to
controland monitor behaviour. It is recognised that movement towards
such
a culturewill be slow and will require some modification of attitudes
by
management andstaff.
What are we working towards?
If we are successful in creating such a culture we would see Selkirk
HighSchool as being a place where we:
· recognise that the development of the school depends on
the development
ofthe individual.
· recognise that learning means changes in behaviour;
· see learning as a continuous process;
· provide people with and encouraged them to seek, new experiences
from
whichthey can learn;
· encourage people to question the school‚s underlying
norms, policies
andprocedures - from which the school can learn;
· encourage people to question their own practice - from
which they and
otherscan learn;
· promote a high level of personal feedback to aid learning
(up, down
andacross the school);
· encourage creativity, innovation and the use of initiative;
· accept that some mistakes will occur but that we will learn
from them;
· avoid blaming others for problems;
· encourage people to share their ideas and experience in
a spirit
ofprofessional teamwork.
Once again it is important to reinforce that any change in culture
must
bedone with a clear eye on the bottom-line, i.e. all this should
result in
animprovement in pupil learning!
Devising a Strategic Framework
In recognising that the school is a place which inhabited by human
beings
,asopposed to machines, we can begin to appreciate the complexity
of
thedevelopment planning process. For too long development plans
have
beendevised as if schools were rational places where all the variables
can becontrolled and outcomes predicted. Unfortunately schools
are very
complexplaces in which there are a multitude of conflicting pressures
andexpectations.
The Development Plan Group would therefore like to promote a more
realisticview of the development planning process which sees change
to be
an organicprocess. This differs from the pseudo-scientific approach
which
treats variousparts of the plan as discrete entities which can
be
OEsorted‚. In order togive that organic growth some shape
it will be
necessary to identify four keyelements which can be used as a
supportive
framework for the development of alearning culture.
The first element of the proposed strategic framework is:
SEEING THE INTERCONNECTIONS
The organic approach promotes a view that all the parts of the
school(possible elements of an action plan) are interconnected
and that
growth inone part affects and is affected by other parts. If we
can begin
to identifythese interconnections and understand how change in
one part of
the school canhave an impact upon another part of the school,
then we are
more likely tohave a more realistic and permanent impact upon
the school,
as opposed to thealternative approach which often results in temporary
and
superficial changes.
The second element of the strategic framework is:
PERSONAL GROWTH
As was made clear in the description of the proposed culture we
intend to
worktowards, a key element is the development of the individual.
This
obviouslyrelates to a coherent staff development programme but
we would
also like tosuggest that it goes far beyond a formalised programme
of
staff developmentactivities. As we indicated earlier learning
means that
behaviour must change.We would like to focus very much on our
behaviour as
teachers (It is importantto reinforce that we are not using the
word
behaviour here in connection withnotions of discipline) and managers.
If
we can promote a culture whichencourages us all to examine and
reflect
upon our behaviour then we cantranslate that knowledge into new
ways of
behaving. We recognise that many ofus have developed particular
ways of
behaving in schools with which we feelcomfortable. However, whilst
change
may be threatening in the first instanceit has the potential to
allow us
to improve our effectiveness as teachers andmanagers and to make
our lives
in school more fulfilling and professionallyrewarding.
The third element of the strategic framework is:
A SHARED UNDERSTANDING
Earlier in the description of the alternatives facing the management
of
theschool we indicated that there existed a continuum from a tightly
controlledculture to an open culture in which people were valued
and
trusted. As wesuggested, people might have very different perspectives
about where theymight place the current culture at Selkirk High
School
depending on theirexperience and role within the school. By promoting
a
shared understanding ofwhat the school is and where it is going
we hope to
ensure that staff andmanagement are pulling together in the same
direction towards a common goal.An important aspect of promoting
a shared
understanding will be the effectiveidentification of
issues/policies/practice in which there is not a sharedunderstanding
of
either the present or the future.
The fourth and final element of the strategic framework will be:
TEAM BUILDING
By team building we mean that we will take every opportunity to
learn
asteams. These teams may be departments, faculties, groups of
teachers
with acommon interest or task, management team or non -teaching
staff.
Teambuilding is very closely related to the development of a shared
understanding, in that without a shared understanding of where
a group is,
and where it isgoing, there is little likelihood of it ever being
effective. It will be amajor responsibility for all team leaders
to
attempt to promote a sharedunderstanding and to encourage members
of the
team to contribute theirparticular strengths towards their common
goal.
It should be borne in mindthat all teams within the school are
members of
the larger team which is theschool itself. Similarly, the school
is part
of a community and localauthority and should not attempt to isolate
itself
>from its wider context inpursuit of its central purpose.
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