Effective Leadership Teams in Practice? I’m not clear how this would fit with the rest of the lesson, so I’m not sure where to put it. It seems abrupt.
Maybe add in an intro paragraph before you get to the question below. Talking about the connection between the leadership team and the change process.
What should a leadership team know about the change process?
In initiating a school improvement process, administrators and leadership teams should have an understanding of what changes may or may not be needed to move the school in a positive direction. Focused school improvement involves identifying desired outcomes and whether or not getting there would be the result of performing certain practices better (first order change), or implementing a completely new practice or strategy (second order change). First order change is typically an extension of past practices and focuses upon doing a better job at what is already being done. A second order change, however, is related to change that goes beyond existing paradigms and requires the acquisition of new knowledge and skills. Below are characteristics of both first and second order change.
First Order Change
- Adjustments within the existing structure
- Doing more or less of something
- Reversible
- Restoration of balance (homeostasis)
- Non-Transformational
- New learning is not required
- Old story can still be told
Second Order Change
- New way of seeing things
- Shifting gears
- Irreversible
- Often begins through the informal system
- Transformation to something quite different
- Requires new learning
- New story is told
Listen to hear Eric Johnson (principal of Columbia Hickman High School) as he shares an example of a second order change within his school and how his leadership team is working to address this change. Following the video, either individually or with a team, consider a desired outcome in your school, and whether or not it will involve a second order change to achieve the desired outcome.
Activity: Consider a recent change you have implemented at your school. Would you categorize it as first order? Second order? Perhaps it was approached as first order change, and it evolved into second order change. Were you satisfied with its implementation?
