A Framework for Understanding and Assessing Systemic Change.

The education system, like most organizational structures, needs fundamental changes to keep pace with the social and economic conditions of an increasingly complex global society. Taking an aerial view, this paper describes the topography of systemic change to provide multiple stakeholders a better vantage point for communicating and making decisions about their own systems. Education systems are shifting away from: learning based on time spent in the classroom; teaching done mainly via information delivery; a hierarchical, control-oriented organizational structure; and a system operating separately from other youth services. The shift is toward systems dominated by: (1) learning determined by demonstrable skills, knowledge, and habits focused on higher level understanding, communication, problem solving, decision making, and teamwork; (2) an instructional approach that actively engages students and employs teachers as coaches, critics, and learning facilitators; (3) an organizational structure stressing participative decision making and supportive leadership, and (4) an education system more connected with other youth-serving systems. Six stages of change characterize these changes: maintenance of old system, awareness, exploration, transition, an emerging new infrastructure, and predominance of the new system. Six key elements that are emerging across the country as being particularly important in helping states, districts, and schools move from an old system to a new system are: vision, public and political support, networking, teaching and learning approaches, administrative roles/responsibilities, and policy realignments. (MLH)