Synopses & Reviews
The primary purpose of this study is to learn from the experiences of schools across the U.S. that are engaged in a largely process-oriented reform strategy. Schools vary in their capacity for productive self-reflection. The authors examine the process of self-assessment that many schools engaged in during this time of widespread public attention to the equlaity of schools. The schools examined in these cases reveal a complex interaction between the nature of the self-reflective activity the schools were engaged in (in this case, a National Education Association school review process entitled "KEYS to Success in Schools"), the contexts that shape the school, and the readiness on the part of school staff to engage in systematic reflection around issues that affect teaching and learning. The act of self-reflection in schools may not provide, by itself, a source of new ideas, alternative models, and a sense of what might be possible for the school to accomplish. Some external agent can often provide the impetus for (or constrain) the actions of school staffs in examining their programs and capacity for renewal. The acts and outcomes of self-reflection are inevitably guided and/or constrained by various contexts (including the school's history, culture, structure, and supports and pressures provided from communities, districts, and states).
Synopsis
The authors examine the process of self-assessment that many schools engage in during this time of widespread public attention to the quality of schools. The schools examined in these cases reveal a complex interaction between the nature of the self-reflective activity the schools were engaged in (in this case, a National Education Association school review process entitled "KEYS to Success in Schools"), the contexts that shape the school, and the readiness on the part of school staff to engage in systematic reflection around issues that affect teaching and learning.
Synopsis
The authors argue that given the right supports, a process-driven reform strategy can be a tool for school renewal, although the process is difficult, complex, and takes time for change to occur.
About the Author
BRADLEY S. PORTIN is Associate Professor, College of Education, University of Washington.LYNN G. BECK is Dean of the School of Education at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Washington.MICHAEL S. KNAPP is Professor of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at the University of Washington.JOSEPH MURPHY is the William Ray Flesher Professor of Education at the Ohio State University and is President of the Ohio Principals Leadership Academy.
Table of Contents
Preface
KEYS and the Larger School Reform Movement in the United States by Joseph Murphy et al.
The KEYS Initiative in Memphis City Schools: A "Jump-start" on the Journey to School Restructuring by Linda Bol and Sam Stringfield
Unions, Politicians, and Educators: The Case of KEYS in River Bluffs Elementary, Minnesota by Lisa M. Jones and Karen Seashore Louis
Building a School Community using KEYS: The Shoreview High School in Maryland by Saundra Murray Nettles
KEYS in California: The Case of Robert Wallace High School by Lynn G. Beck
Finding Meaning in the Mirror: Self-Reflective Improvement in Two Washington State Schools by Bradley S. Portin and Michael S. Knapp
Buried Beneath the Churn: Walter Rumsey Elementary School in Illinois by Mark A. Smylie
The KEYS Case Study in Mississippi: A Failed "Graft" of One School Reform onto Another by Charles Teddie
Florida and the KEYS by Kathryn M. Borman
Implementing School Reform in a High-Stakes Testing Policy Environment: The Case of an Urban Elementary School in Texas by Pedro Reyes
The School and Self-Reflective Renewal: Taking Stock and Moving On by Bradley S. Portin et al.
Appendix A: A Methodological Note
Appendix B: The 35 KEYS Indicators
Appendix C: The KEYS Instrument