Whole-School Reform: 7 Conditions that Support Implementation

One of the comments most frequently made by ISA partner districts and schools is, “We could never have done this without your continuous guidance and support.”  A key commitment that ISA makes to its partners is to fully support them in creating and sustaining the conditions that make transformative, sustainable change possible.  The ISA team does not just provide technical support around reorganizing time, space and resources.  It helps schools and districts tackle the deep, complex issues surrounding school culture and context that can accelerate or impede the achievement of successful academic outcomes for all students.  The ISA team of experienced practitioners works hand-in hand with school staff to ensure that the following conditions for the effective implementation of the ISA whole school reform model are in place and functioning at a high level.

Conditions that Support Whole School Reform

1. Trusting, respectful relationships among staff, students, and community to increase transparency, sharing of ideas, and the continuous flow of knowledge, information, and ideas among all stakeholders
2. A collaborative climate that makes it possible to reach consensus on shared expectations, values, and beliefs
3. Agreement on clear, measurable goals
4. Creation of a learning organization that assesses the extent of implementation and progress toward goals on an ongoing basis and continuously improves by making real time adjustments based on formative data
5. Strong leadership that supports/protects reform efforts during periods of transition or crisis and helps secure the necessary funding, time, staff, and space for the reform efforts to succeed
6. Coherent, non-fragmented implementation of strategies and practices across all areas of the school
7. Building capacity of teachers and staff to function as highly effective communities of practice that are mutually reinforcing and provide a culture in which colleagues share best practices; work together to design curriculum, instruction, and assessments; and use data to inform and improve their practice