Implementation

Is the actual use of an innovation or

what an innovation consists of in
practice. ~ Michael Fullan, Alan Pomfret
 Implementation
Became a major educational concern around 1970,
when scholars began to highlight that the innovations
of the 60’s had one fatal flaw—the ideas were not
finding their way into the classroom!

Goodlad & Klein’s study, Behind the Classroom Door

Million$ of dollars were being spent on curriculum

innovations and not being implemented.
 Implementation
Did you know?
90% of new curriculum fails to be
implemented (Wiles & Bondi)

Why?
Seymour Sarason claimed that much
educational reform has failed because those
in charge of the efforts had little or a
distorted understanding of the culture of
schools.
 Implementation
2 Valuable Ideas on practice of implementation
1. Distinction between fidelity & mutual
expectation
Fidelity- innovation being implemented
faithfully as intended by developers
Mutual adaptation- users adapt or alter the
innovation to meet their own needs

2. An understanding that implementation is

multi-dimensional (consisting of materials,
behaviors, and beliefs)
 Implementation
2 Phases
Phase I 1995-1997- focuses on the
innovation itself (no link to stud.
Achievement)
Phase II 1997- Present- focused on how
curriculum change can be seen as a part of
system reform. (focuses more on stud.
Achievement)
PLANNING FOR CURRICULUM

Careful planning focuses on 3 factors:

1. People
2. Programs
3. Process
 PLANNING FOR CURRICULUM

3 Ways to Persuade for a new curriculum:

1. It could bring some reward

2. Negative consequences of inaction
3. Ways it is similar to the ones already in place
PLANNING FOR CURRICULUM

1. Incrementalism
2. Communication
3. Support
PLANNING FOR CURRICULUM

Types of Support
Characteristics of Professional Support
 VALUE & ROLE OF CHANGE
Implementation should also be considered as a process of change.
Change needs to have purpose, not just political expediency.

Questions to consider :
What happens when change occurs?
What is the value & role of change?
What is the source of change?
Are all the consequences of change beneficial?
Can educators control changes that affect them?
Do different educators engage in change for the same reasons?
Do schools that make major changes actually become the most
innovative and effective?
Is change synonymous with improvement?
 VALUE & ROLE of CHANGE

Activity:
Stand up if you agree with the following
statement…..
EDUCATORS TODAY ARE MORE EXPERT IN
MANAGING CHANGE THAN IN DETERMINING
THE VALUES & BENEFITS OF CHANGE DESIRED
& ACCOMPLISHED
 VALUE & ROLE of CHANGE
Activity:
Stand up if you agree with the following
statement…..
MORE PEOPLE SEEM TO MANAGE CHANGE JUST
TO BE IN COMPLIANCE WITH STATE AND
FEDERAL DEMANDS THAN TO ENACT
CURRICULAR CHANGE THAT WILL ACTUALLY
INCREASE THE QUALITY OF INDIVIDUAL &
SOCIAL LIFE FOR THE BENEFIT OF ALL.
 VALUE & ROLE of CHANGE
Activity:
Stand up if you agree with the following
statement…..
EVEN WITH OUR VALUES IN PLACE REGARDING
EDUCATIONAL CHANGE, WE CANNOT PREDICT,
EVEN WITH LIMITED PRECISION, HOW
SUCCESSFUL THE CHANGE ACTIVITIES WILL BE
FOR THOSE INVOLVED (THE TEACHERS) AND
THOSE WHO EXPERIENCE THE CHANGED
CURRICULUM (THE STUDENTS)
 VALUE & ROLE of CHANGE
• PUZZLE ACTIVITY
 VALUE & ROLE OF CHANGE
5 Guidelines for Change
1. Innovations designed to increase student
achievement
2. Successful innovations require change in the
structure of a traditional school
3. Must be manageable & feasible for the average
teacher
4. Successful change efforts must be organic rather
than bureaucratic. (adaptive vs. strict rules)
5. Avoid the “do something, anything” mode
 VALUE & ROLE OF CHANGE
2 Ways to Change
• 1. Slow
• 2. Rapid

3 Types of Change
• 1. Planned
• 2. Coercion
• 3. Interaction
• (4. Random)
 RESISTANCE TO CHANGE
Factors of Resisting Change
1. Inertia (the lack of desire to change)
2. Status Quo (people are satisfied with what they
already have in place)
3. Rapidity of Change (always the next new thing)
4. Teacher’s lack of research knowledge (lack of
time to read)
5. No financial or time support
 RESISTANCE TO CHANGE
Thomas Harvey’s List on Change Resistance
1. Lack of ownership
2. Lack of benefits
3. Increased burdens
4. Lack of administrative support
5. Loneliness
6. Insecurity
7. Norm incongruence
8. Boredom
9. Chaos
10. Differential knowledge
11. Sudden wholesale of change
12. Unique points of resistance
 CHANGE AS A PROCESS
Factors to Consider
• The “lifeworld”
• The key players involved
• Teacher’s roles (‘see’ through different identities)

Stages of Change
1. Initiation- sets the stages, gets the school receptive
2. Implementation- presenting the innovation & getting
people to try it out
3. Maintenance- monitoring of innovation
 MODELS OF CHANGE
ORC-Overcoming Resistance to Change
*Rests on the assumption that the success or failure of planned organizational change basically depends
on leaders’ ability to overcome staff resistance to change

Guidelines for this model:

a. Address peoples’ fears & doubts

b. Takes their values & perspectives into account

c. Gives school administrators & teachers equal power- involved in discussions and decisions

Stages for this model:

1. Unrelated Concerns- no relationship between myself & the suggested change

2. Personal Concerns- How will this change affect me?

3. Task-Related Concerns- How do I implement it? How much time will it require? Materials?

4. Impact-Related Concerns- How will it impact my students?

KEY PLAYERS: Administrators, Directors, Teachers, Supervisors

 MODELS OF CHANGE
OD-Organizational Development Model
*Emphasis is on teamwork & organizational culture

(Schmuck & Miles~ post-modern ideas)

7 Characteristics of this model: (French & Bell)
1. Emphasis on teamwork for addressing issues
2. Emphasis on group and intergroup processes
3. Use of action research
4. Collaboration within the organization
5. Organization’s culture must be considered
6. Those in charge serve as consultants & facilitators
7. Appreciation of organization’s dynamics in a continuously changing environment.
KEY PLAYERS: Administrators, Directors, Supervisors
 MODELS OF CHANGE
CBA-Concerns-Based Adoption
*Based on the belief that all change originates with individuals. (Individuals change, and through their
changed behaviors, institutions change.)
*This model addresses only the adoption (implementation) of curriculum, not development and design.
THE FOCUS IS ON ENABLING TEACHERS TO ADOPT THE CURRICULUM & TO VIEW IT AS THEIR
OWN.

*Stages for this model:

1. Awareness of innovation
2. Awareness of informational level
3. Concern for self
4. Concern for teaching
5. Concern for students
*In this model, curriculum is not implemented until teachers’ concerns have been adequately addressed.
Teachers are expected to be creative with it and modify where necessary, tailoring it to their students.

KEY PLAYERS: Teachers

 MODELS OF CHANGE
SYSTEMS Model
*This model is based on the idea that the school is an organization of loosely coupled units:
departments, classrooms, and individuals. These parts have flexible relationships. The belief is that
most schools have little centralized control, especially over what occurs in the classroom. For this
reason, it is difficult for curricular change to be implemented as an edict from central office
Wisdom for Promoting Change within this model:
1. Progress from certainty to ambiguity
2. Allow for some chaos in your order
3. Look beyond the person to the behavior
4. Realize that people who feel victimized resist change
5. Use your fallibility to build your credibility
6. Be sensitive
7. Upgrade permanent to temporary
8. Have humor
KEY PLAYERS: Administrators, Directors, Teachers, Supervisors
 EDUCATIONAL CHANGE MODEL:
(Michael Fullan)
FACTORS AFFECTING CHANGE
1. Characteristics of the change
2. Characteristics at the school-district level
3. Characteristics at the school level
4. Characteristics external to the local system

KEY PLAYERS:
Administrators, teachers, students, school board,
community members, government
 CONCLUSION

Curriculum implementation is much more

than handing out new materials for courses
of study.
It requires an understanding of the
program’s purpose, the roles people will
play, and those who are affected.
The process must be planned, but not
rigidly.
It requires continued fine-tuning.
It requires a community of trust.