Jane Vincent has a real dilemma, but nothing that all of you haven't faced at this point in your careers. She leads in the effort of the Math Department to standardize the grading policy and then she is faced with dear Willie who is soooooo close to an "A." She would give him a "B," but her chummy principal (whose known her since she was a child) strongly suggests that she give Willie the "A" so as not to discourage him. Should she "spot" him the percentage points, as Tom suggested? Should she strictly enforce the policy, as AnneMarie recommended? Our class was divided on the issue. But we did agree that the situation requires careful maneuvering between the principal, her colleagues, Willie, other students, and perhaps Willie's parents. Relative to curriculum change and systemic educational change, it might be useful (as Glynnis mentioned) to develop a Math Task Force to figure out how the policy might be altered as it is implemented. And that's one of Fullan's main points. . . that the challenges of initiation are very different that those of implementation. Rarely are policies NOT in need of alteration once issues related to implementation surface (think No Child Left Behind). It's how we navigate these bumps in the road that make all the difference in whether change is successful and sustained. Fullan also says that it doesn't matter who initiates the change as much as it does what happens during the process of change. Think of a new program that was recently implemented in your school? How was it received? How is its implementation playing out? Is there tension and resistance? Or can all stakeholders "role with the punches" and realize that change takes TIME?! Or perhaps the resistance stems from the perception that the proposed change does not meet a real need? (Check your CAP Statement). . . . Consider the differences between coming up with an idea (INVENTION) and the widespread use of that idea (INNOVATION). Although Orville and Wilbur Wright first flew successfully in 1903, it wasn't until 1935 with the DC3 that flight became an innovation. In sum, it's the change PROCESS that we need to focus on. The map/diagram I distributed in class will hopefully scaffold your thinking towards sustained and systemic change.
