A Teacher's Guide for Getting Serious About the System
- D'Ette F. Cowan - Southwest Educational Development Laboratory
- Stacey L. Joyner - Southwest Educational Development Laboratory
- Shirley B. Beckwith - Southwest Educational Development Laboratory
December 2012 | 96 pages | Corwin
The Working Systemically approach is a multidimensional process for school improvement focused on key components of the system that must be in place to support student achievement. In order to ensure that the improvement is sustained for the long term, the Working Systemically approach targets multiple levels of the system. By simultaneously addressing the components and competencies at multiple levels, the approach results in systemwide improvement that increases achievement for all students. Four key findings drive this work: Improvingástudent achievement requires a district to concentrate its efforts on aligning curriculum, instruction, and assessment to state standards Instead of trying to address every problem with a unique solution, work on the underlying issues that are impacting the system Focusáimprovement plans on activities that are small enough to be manageable but large enough to make a difference in student achievementLeaders at all levels of the system (including teacher leaders) need to support the selected focus of the improvement effort so that the resources of time, personnel, and energy are targeted on that focal pointIn short, sites that focused their attention on alignment and approached their improvement work systemically were more likely to show gains in student achievement. This guide is printed in two separate volumes. One volume provides a brief overview of what it means to work systemically, offers a brief rationale for a systemic approach based on research, and outlines the five phases in the process. The primary audience for this book is district and school staff, including teachers, who will be engaged in the improvement efforts. A second volume provides district and school leadership teams with the tools and resources they need to lead the systemic work.á
SEDL’s Working Systemically Approach: A Process Grounded in Research
The Working Systemically Approach: Levels, Components, and Competencies
Levels of the System
Components of the System
Competencies for Working Systemically
The Working Systemically Approach in Action
Working Systemically Phases
Phase I: Understanding Systemic Improvement
Phase II: Analyzing the System
Phase III: Planning Action
Phase IV: Taking Action and Monitoring Progress
Phase V: Assessing and Reflecting on Outcomes
Getting Serious About the System: What It Takes
Sample Materials & Chapters
Introduction to Systemic Improvement
Chapter 1: The Working Systemically Approach