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Organizational Structure

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Implementing New School ModelsCenter on Innovation & Improvement

An e ec ve system of support addresses three key components of construc ve change: incen ves, capacity,and opportunity (Rhim, Hassel, & Redding, 2008). Incen ves are inducements or mo vators that encouragechange, and capacity is the ability of the district and school to respond to incen ves in construc ve ways thatimprove outcomes. States and districts also need to extend the opportunity to change by providing space fornew schools to be created and new ideas given wings. Examples of opportuni es that allow for the introduc onof new school models are strong charter school laws and state procurement policies that permit districts to hireexternal providerssuch as educa on management organiza ons or charter management organiza onswithproven track records to transform chronically low-performing schools. Examples of new school models includethe Academy for Urban School Leadership, Achievement First, Expedi onary Learning Schools Outward Bound,and Green Dot Schools. Schools adop ng new models will require autonomy (opportunity) to implement innova-

ve learning environments while being held accountable for performance through renewable contracts. Schoolop ons are wide-ranging and include varia ons such as global ci zenship, entrepreneurship, talent, and gender-speci c schools. Other new school model op ons, such as dual language academies, respond to the speci c needfor enhancing student outcomes for second language popula ons. Adop on of proven new school models is a

key component of the Renaissance 2010 ini a ve in Chicago. Research to date indicates that some Renaissance2010 schools are performing on par, others are lagging slightly, and some are performing slightly ahead of theircounterpart schools (Akitunde, 2009). In other words, although there is not evidence of universal success, theschools are on a growth trajectory that appears to indicate movement in the right direc on, and they are provid-ing the district with a laboratory to test established whole school models as well as develop new ones. The les-sons learned from the opportunity to implement new school models inform school improvement e orts acrossthe district. The Center on Reinven ng Public Educa on recently released a new report exploring adop on of mul ple new school models as a strategy to drive district-wide school transforma on and the link supplied belowprovides more informa on.

E ec vely adop ng new school models involves a rigorous selec on process and key autonomies. A bene t of school models is that they incorporate an establish structure and control of the mul tude of variables at play ina school by reducing the range of possible ways of doing things to a focused core, establishing coherence andorder in a school (Redding, 2006). It is not di cult to describe an e ec ve school or to envision space for a newschool. The problem lies in the successful implementa on and in maintaining the integrity of the model. Carefulimplementa on planning is the key to success, and faulty planning is the road to failure. The failure of a schoolreform model to deliver the expected results can be a ributed to three causes, or a combina on of the three:a) the prescribed prac ces are not su ciently powerful to improve student achievement; b) the prac ces are notorganized and presented in a manner that makes successful implementa on likely; and c) the prac ces are notimplemented well (Leithwood, Jantzi, & Mascall, 2002).

Ac on Principles

For State

Revise policy and/or legisla on to remove barriers that would discourage space for new schools and1.

decrease the amount of me it takes to convert/close a school.Provide autonomy for schools to operate more independently, such as with fewer duplica ve repor ng2.requirements.

For District

Develop a rigorous applica on review and selec on process to iden fy promising or established new school1.models.

Include district teams in thorough review of poten al models.2.

Develop a long-term plan to recruit and train school leaders.3.

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