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You
are here: Leadership for Democracy in Schools:Charting a Different Course
in Times of Uniform Standards and External Accountability
School improvement and accountability movements have challenged schools and districts to develop plans for how they will produce better results. Our buildings are faced with the challenge of prioritizing results from a wide variety of sources and methods from an even wider menu of choices. Schools that were accustomed to great autonomy in their methods and minimal reporting of performance are now faced with intense scrutiny of their performance and programs by parents, communities, and various levels of government. Scores are reported in newspapers and many parents have become more sophisticated in comparing schools and pressuring for increased choices.
Many schools choose the path of least resistance and adopt an approach that has worked for other schools. There are numerous lists of "proven" programs published by government agencies and educational organizations. Adopting a program or approach is not a guarantee of success. Now the seal of approval is programs that are supported by scientifically based research. The movement to define what is acceptable research has narrowed to definitions that meet federal standards (Feuer, Towne, & Shavelson, 2002). As schools engage in their work they make critical decisions that have lasting impacts on their performance, climate, and relationship with their community.
Choosing an approach outside of the approved and sanctioned methods creates an additional set of challenges such as meeting performance standards and justifying their direction. This paper shows a different method of improvement and the potential effect on the students and school community. Greater staff, student and parent involvement, learning together, and sharing leadership characterize the chosen method. These concepts are the foundation of a democratic learning community. They result in a school with a common, shared sense of purpose. The community works together towards putting this vision into practice. In theory, a democratic learning community sounds wonderful. The reality of putting these concepts and ideals into practice is challenging and viewed as unconventional in the current political climate.
A school that chooses to pursue a course where the result is developed by articulating the values and interests of the local community (students, staff, parents) and the method is a more democratic, reflective process. This approach is not always seen as an "acceptable" response to the accountability systems that are being developed both formally and informally. The formal systems of accountability are the district, state, and national systems that are steadily increasing their scope and impact. Informally schools are being evaluated by parents and community based on their reputation, scores, and the experience of students and parents. Choosing a more democratic process that involves students, staff, parents, and community in determining the standards and approach of a school is an approach that requires more communication and patience to be successful. It is not a quick fix that is easy to implement and promote.
We often look at schools that are performing well by the measures of the day and try to trace back what they have done to achieve their results. Another common approach is to identify characteristics and attributes of effective schools. Less frequently you will find case studies or stories that document the journey schools have taken to find their way to success. A school that commits to improvement needs to have a full picture of what it will take to sustain the growth over time. The nurturing of a sustainable community is an often-overlooked component of school reform efforts. Development of a community with a common purpose is shown to be an effective means to creating better learning environments for students (Joyce, Wolf & Calhoun, 1993).
A deeper look at the process and result of a democratic learning community illuminates the complex work of this type of school improvement. It also may serve to validate the notion that a democratic school with broader aims than achievement on state assessments is a viable option in the current educational and political climate. The environment and culture of the school does produce effects on how well it functions and how students perform (Reynolds et al., 2002). Too often a school is examined for what it has done to produce quality results for students and little attention is given to how it has accomplished success. Another area of school improvement that is often overlooked is student involvement. Students are not merely passive consumers of education. They are active participants in the effort to improve the functioning and performance of a school. Meaningful student involvement also creates a whole different perspective on what is important in a school and how it conducts its business. "Students' view of being successful learners differ markedly from the high standards currently espoused by school staffs, parents, and communities." (Hord and Robertson, 1999, p.39)
A project that supports schools in developing this type of learning community is the Leadership for Learning Network led by Cambridge University in England. This network has some framing concepts that are central to their work on school improvement:"Our concept of leadership is democratic rather than hierarchical. While naturally including school principals we see it as extending to teachers, students, and to others who may play a role in making their schools better places for learning. Our concept of learning is a democratic one. We see learning as shared enterprise, as crossing the boundaries of classrooms and subjects and traditional divisions between "teachers" and "learners". We are interested in how teachers learn and how students can act in an instructional role. We are aware of the explosion of information and the fact that in some knowledge areas students know more, or are more skilled, than their teachers." (MacBeath, 2002, p.1)The continuum below illustrates the framing concepts that would map the movement of a school in becoming a more democratic learning environment.
Continuum of School Development
The question remains an open one whether the realities and politics of reform and accountability will allow for democratic schools. Will schools be given sufficient time to develop a sustainable community or will they be compelled to choose from a menu of pre-approved strategies? Will leaders who promote democratic ideals be dismissed as unrealistic? What is at stake in this debate is the fundamental purpose of schools in our society.
References
Feuer, M.J., Towne, L., & Shavelson, R.J. (2002). "Scientific Culture and Educational Research." Educational Researcher, 31(8), 4–17.
Hord, S.M. & Robertson, H.M. (1999). "Listening to Students." Journal of Staff Development,20(3), 38-39.
Joyce, B., Wolf, J. & Calhoun, E.F. (1993) The Self-Renewing School. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
MacBeath, J. (2002) Leadership for Learning. A paper presented at the 15th International Congress for School Effectiveness and Improvement, January 2002.
Reynolds, D., Creemers, B., Stringfield, S. & Schaffer, G. (2002). "Creating world class schools, What have we learned?" In D. Reynolds, B. Creemers, S. Stringfield, C. Teddlie, & G. Schaffer (eds) World Class Schools: International perspectives on school effectiveness. London: RoutledgeFalmer, 276-293.
Sizer, T.R. (1992). Horace's School. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin.
Andrew Rogers is the principal at College Place Middle School in the Edmonds School District. He has been at the school for five years. Prior to that he was an assistant principal and teacher in the Shoreline School District. He holds B.A.Ed. from Pacific Lutheran University and an M.A.Ed from Western Washington University in School Administration. He is currently enrolled in the Leadership for Learning Ed.D. program at the University of Washington.
To contact the author: rogersa@edmonds.wednet.edu
For more information about the Leadership for Learning Project:
http://www.l4l.net/
http://www.educ.cam.ac.uk/lfl/index.html
© August 2003 New Horizons for Learning
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