Overcoming the Enemies of Implementation
Most schools have a School Improvement Plan. The challenge is getting the work of the plan done, doing it well, and achieving the results the plan targeted. Why is this so hard?
As we work with school improvement facilitators, whether education leaders, academic coaches or externally assigned school improvement specialists, we have found several Enemies of Implementation. These three top the list:
1. Needs Analysis over Performance Analysis: Needs analysis focuses heavily on what people want or think, rather than what analysis of performance data and evidence point to as gaps in performance and the systemic causes, The resulting solutions fail to close the gap in performance, where we are vs. where we need to be.
2. Development of the Professional Learning Plan to Meet the Title Funding Deadline: Professional learning is supposed to close gaps in skills and knowledge so that educators can perform at their peak levels, meet the goals of the organization, and experience satisfaction in their work. Linking the plan to the funding cycle rather than the School Improvement cycle and individual performance planning cycle results in unaligned learning and working, and wasted PL funds and efforts.
3. Weak Skills in Work Breakdown and Planning: "Getting the doing done" requires breaking the work of the plan down into manageable tasks, steps and actions, with enough specificity and support to get the work done, implement with fidelity and sustain progress and results. A bit of simple project planning and project management training can go a long way towards overcoming the Enemies of Implementation.
Visit www.TIFPIedu.org to learn more about our School Improvement Learning Experiences to help educators get the doing done, and overcome the Enemies of Implementation.
