Lessons Learned/Gow/NAIS 2001

LESSONS LEARNED

(Pay no heed if your interest is not in

thoroughgoing reform)

Peter GowNAIS 2001

Lessons Learned/Gow/NAIS 2001

Real curriculum development is forever. Realize this, develop a standing mechanism to

direct how your programs will change, and nourish

it.

Lessons Learned/Gow/NAIS 2001

If you are committed to meaningful curriculum

reform and development, you can’t do a

meaningful curriculum review in a year, package

it as a scope-and-sequence, and consider

yourselves done.

Lessons Learned/Gow/NAIS 2001

The “review” may be done, but your programs will

continue to change. Make this happen strategically,

not randomly.

Lessons Learned/Gow/NAIS 2001

MISSION AND STRATEGIC LESSONS

•If it’s not connected to mission, forget it

•Without Board support, forget it

Lessons Learned/Gow/NAIS 2001

Beware the “tyranny of good ideas.” Maintain

focus, and don’t jump into something that looks really

hot without thinking through the mission and strategic implications.

Lessons Learned/Gow/NAIS 2001

Use self-studies, such as that for accreditation, as

opportunities for real self-examination and

growth.

Lessons Learned/Gow/NAIS 2001

Connect the pieces: mission to strategic plan to program to student life to professional evaluation

to program evaluation.

Lessons Learned/Gow/NAIS 2001

CURRICULUM REFORM

Driven by enthusiasts

Driven by Strategic Plan

Admininstrative Support

Administrative Mandate

Enthusiastic reception

Enables non-participants

Requres accountability

WHERE DOES THE IMPETUS

COME FROM?

Lessons Learned/Gow/NAIS 2001

IT’S BIG

Lessons Learned/Gow/NAIS 2001

Curriculum reform is not about a few eager

adopters in isolated classrooms, their odd

ideas tolerated by colleagues and celebrated as examples of a school’s commitment to innovative

curriculum.

Lessons Learned/Gow/NAIS 2001

Curriculum is everything you do. Initiatives in

technology and diversity are completely

intertwined in curriculum work.

Lessons Learned/Gow/NAIS 2001

The sooner you recognize the links between

curriculum and pedagogy and your diversity work,

the further ahead you’ll be in creating curriculum that

is about

Lessons Learned/Gow/NAIS 2001

high expectations and high standards, thoughtful assessment, and more

meaningful and engaging feedback for every

student.

Lessons Learned/Gow/NAIS 2001

IT’S HARD FOR EVERYONE

Lessons Learned/Gow/NAIS 2001

A tightly focused and mission-driven approach to curriculum and pedagogy is in some conflict with the

traditional autonomy afforded independent

school teachers.

Lessons Learned/Gow/NAIS 2001

You need to be up front about this or risk a

relatively high level of attrition—they won’t

necessarily go away mad, but they may feel the “urge for going” a bit

more strongly.

Lessons Learned/Gow/NAIS 2001

FIRST THINGS FIRST

Lessons Learned/Gow/NAIS 2001

Build in accountability for progress from the outset; don’t enable resisters or opters-out. Somebody may have to play the

heavy.

Lessons Learned/Gow/NAIS 2001

Address the hardest issues first—go straight at ’em. Address the issue of depth versus breadth, of

coverage, of standardized curricula and testing at

the outset.

Lessons Learned/Gow/NAIS 2001

Beware of overload. Do a few things well, and

contain strategic goal-mongering to a do-able

level.

Lessons Learned/Gow/NAIS 2001

STRUCTURE AND RESOURCES

Lessons Learned/Gow/NAIS 2001

Creating an administrative structure that mirrors

strategic goals related to curriculum reform is much

harder than you might think but a very important

idea.

Lessons Learned/Gow/NAIS 2001

You need buy in from your sales force: admission and college counseling. Make sure development “gets

it.” The more experienced they are, the harder it may be for them to promote a “different” kind of school.

Lessons Learned/Gow/NAIS 2001

Look at your resources: people, space, time. In case you didn’t already know it, TIME is of the

essence

Lessons Learned/Gow/NAIS 2001

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Lessons Learned/Gow/NAIS 2001

Start with broad-based and comprehensive

discussion and training. Everyone must be equally engaged in the learning and in the process from

the beginning.

Lessons Learned/Gow/NAIS 2001

Then develop structures that allow individuals to concentrate on specific ideas in small, focused,

and ongoing professional development structures.

Lessons Learned/Gow/NAIS 2001

Protected time for discussion and

development is great, but awfully hard to find. Make

it possible for departments or other

affinity groups to retreat for a day or an afternoon.

Hire a permanent substitute.

Lessons Learned/Gow/NAIS 2001

Make sure that your ongoing professional

development plan—and your system of

professional evaluation—is based on the goals of

your reform program, and on your mission.

Lessons Learned/Gow/NAIS 2001

AGENTS OF CHANGE

(The Good Guys)

Lessons Learned/Gow/NAIS 2001

Don’t let your agents of change get lonely,

because inevitably they will.

Lessons Learned/Gow/NAIS 2001

Identify and reward your agents of change, but

don’t celebrate them to the exclusion or perceived

undervaluation of the established educational

leadership.