A novel application of community-based systems dynamics to early literacy reform

• In Event: The impact of developing collective leadership: From student holistic outcomes to systemic change

Proposal

There is growing interest in the field of education reform for systems-based approaches to change that are grounded in systems thinking and collective impact (Fullan 2010, 2016; Mathematica & Public Impact, 2021). Recognizing that previous efforts to transform education through piecemeal interventions at the level of policy and practice have largely failed to dramatically improve education, especially for historically marginalized populations of students, a growing number of researchers, policy experts, foundations, and nonprofits are now embracing more complex approaches that aim to simultaneously disrupt dysfunctional systems dynamics and build the capacity of local community actors to come together in coalition to address educational problems and significantly alter the structures, relationships, and mindsets that uphold the educational status quo (Mathematica & Public Impact, 2021; Ndaruhutse et al, 2019). One of the more promising methodologies for building community capacity to drive systems-level education change and cultivate systems thinking capabilities is community-based systems dynamics (CBSD), which is a highly participatory method focused on engaging community members in the process of understanding and changing systems from a systems dynamics feedback perspective (Hovmand, 2014).
In this presentation, we will report on the results of a pilot where we tested the implementation of CBSD in the Greater Baton Rouge area, led by Teach For America’s Greater Baton Rouge (TFA-GBR) region. Specifically, we will answer two specific research questions derived from this work:

1. How did CBSD support collective understanding of the early literacy challenge in the community and the identification of strategies for collective action?
2. What impact did the CBSD workshops have on participants’ knowledge, relationships, and self-efficacy?

We found CBSD to be a successful approach to build a common understanding of early literacy factors in the community that is grounded on the experience of those closest to the issue and based on a diverse set of perspectives. The process resulted in a complex, but accessible, systems map that was comprehensive of all the factors identified to influence early literacy and their relationships to one another and within the system. The map was also an effective tool in helping a collective group narrow and identify strategies for collective action to improve early literacy. More importantly, CBSD seemed to energize participants to continue to work collaboratively to pursue systemic change. We also found exploratory evidence that CBSD helped participants build their own capabilities to pursue systemic change, by improving their understanding of the early literacy challenge and its complexity, changing the value participants see in working with others and garnering different perspectives, and improving their sense of self-efficacy to pursue change.

Author

• Gabriela Katz, Teach For America