Innovation Leaders Academy: District-Wide Strategic Teaming That Improves the Implementation and Sustainability of Innovative Reform Programs in High-Need Districts

• In Event: Empirical and Conceptual Views of Organizations, Actors, and Practices

Abstract

Reform efforts over the past decade indicate increased accountability and mandated school reform programs often result in an absence of clear or sustained student achievement improvements. Some researchers point to a need to add district and state-level leadership to frequently unsustainable building-level reform attempts and consideration of unique contextual variations in districts. A systems analysis during and subsequent to innovation or reform seems necessary if sustained change to the school and it's culture, and a continuance of the resulting student achievement gains, is to remain a viable goal. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to develop and then study the effectiveness of a district-level, disciplined inquiry process for implementing and sustaining innovations and building innovation capacity in needy districts.

Authors

• Thomas L. Alsbury, Seattle Pacific University

• Andy Overstreet, North Carolina State University

• Margaret R. Blanchard, North Carolina State University

• Jason W. Osborne, Old Dominion University

• Braska Williams, North Carolina State University

• Jennifer L. Albert, North Carolina State University

• Meredith Kier, North Carolina State University

• Rebecca R. Reed, North Carolina State University