Description of the School District
The Marion County School District is the analyzed unit. It is located in Marion County, a part of the Pee Dee region of South Carolina. It is a comparatively big area that consists of four school districts (these are Marion One, Two, Three, and Four); however, in 2001 districts Four and Three merged and formed District Seven (“About our district,” n.d.). The central purpose of the given district is to encourage students and inspire them to be citizens that contribute to the development of the society and its improvement (“About our district,” n.d.). The school district utilizes traditional bureaucratic patterns that are considered outdated today because of the shift of priorities towards the creation of a learning organization promoting academic achievement and guaranteeing better results.
New Model
For this reason, a new model that will replace the outdated one is suggested. The selected policy is focused on the reconsideration of the approach to leadership and cooperation between all stakeholders. It cultivates the collaborative and supportive atmosphere to align trustful and beneficial relations between staff members and students (Daniels & Tenkasi, 2017). The use of specific modes of leadership is one of the central aspects of the suggested policy as it contributes to the enhanced interaction between all participants of the teaching process and helps to achieve better results by reconsidering outdated patterns. In such a way, the selected policy contains two central steps which are the use of a collaborative approach instead of the bureaucratic one and utilization of efficient leadership strategies.
Historical Perspective
Traditionally, school reform policies have faced numerous barriers arising from the complexity of the sphere and multiple approaches used to evaluate the efficiency of particular methods and results they guarantee to educators. Public education has always remained a central task of the states and school districts responsible for the utilization of diverse approaches and their implementation (Klinge, 2015). For this reason, the majority of school reforms had been adopted across the state to improve the quality of education. The suggested policy can be considered regarding the historical discourse as it is one of the attempts to replace outdated methods and introduce new ones that meet the existing requirements and will help students to achieve success.
Effective Leadership Strategies
Concerning the central aspects of the policy, leadership should be given significant attention. Researchers determine it as a central component of a learning organization, which means that the choice of appropriate practices is critical (Klinge, 2015). The first effective approach is to challenge the existing process by asking educators to do everything in unusual ways (Klinge, 2015). It will help to eliminate outdated practices and attain better results. Another strategy is the cultivation of the shared vision of positive future changes that can be driven by working within the learning organization and utilizing new, more efficient approaches (Daniels & Tenkasi, 2017). Finally, modeling the path practice that should be used to transform the organization is another method that can be used to attain appropriate results.
Modifications of School Reform Policy
Implementation of the proposed policy is one of the central steps towards the attainment of better results. For this reason, it should be followed by some modifications of the existing school reform policy. First of all, it should be more focused on the cultivation of independence among educators and students (Klinge, 2015). Being a part of a learning organization, they should be able to face challenges and think creatively, which is impossible without a high degree of freedom. Second, collaboration should be promoted and encouraged by officials and authorities (Daniels & Tenkasi, 2017). It is a fundamental aspect of the learning organization; for this reason, the transformation of the selected district will demand these changes in the reform policy.
Ways to Implement
The given changes can be implemented in several ways. First of all, the reconsideration of the existing bureaucratic and hierarchical patterns should be accomplished. Collaboration between colleagues and students should rest on mutual respect and benefits that might be achieved due to the utilization of new methods to communicate and attain desired goals. It can be done only if local authorities support this incentive (Klinge, 2015). The second way to implement the desired changes is to revise the existing curriculum to guarantee that the needed qualities are cultivated to create the appropriate learning environment and replace the bureaucratic forms with new more efficient ones (Daniels & Tenkasi, 2017). Finally, the focus on leadership styles should be introduced. It will help to transform the district and ensure the successful implementation of the policy.
Stakeholders
Nevertheless, the successful implementation of the new approach demands support from the central stakeholders who should cultivate new practices and facilitate their integration. That is why their role should be reconsidered to function regarding the learning organization. First, students should be explained new conditions of their study and the focus on cooperation with their teachers instead of following their instructions to improve results and guarantee their engagement. Parents should also be demonstrated the benefits of the new policy to involve them in the process and gather their support. The role of teachers should be reconsidered to make them partners that cooperate and help students to generate knowledge. As for principals, central office staff, school board, and superintendents, they should be assisted in shifting their priorities from outdated bureaucratic to innovative practices by providing patterns that could be used while communicating with other teachers and students.
Moreover, these very stakeholders will support the planned transition. Students will facilitate the development of learning organizations by participating in innovative activities and discussions with tutors to make the transition faster and promote new practices. Parents can also take part in the process and avoid using hierarchical patterns peculiar to outdated methods. As for teachers, their role is crucial in the process. They should facilitate collaboration by using new ways of communication that presuppose cooperation and a shared vision of success. Finally, principals and central office staff can contribute to the better transition by utilizing leadership models mentioned above to promote change and introduce new collaborative practices.
Learning Organization Models Impact
Altogether, the central difference between the bureaucratic model and learning organization is the improved collaboration and teamwork that replace bureaucratic patterns that presuppose hierarchical patterns and subordination (OECD, 2016). For this reason, the creation of the learning organization will have a significant positive impact on students. The staff and school will create an environment that facilitates cooperation between all individuals and contribute to better creativity, independence, and achievement levels. At the same time, trustful relations with teachers peculiar to the learning organization model will stimulate the desire to learn and achieve success in various fields (OECD, 2016). For this reason, the transformation of the existing patterns used in the district is critical for the improved results and achievement of better socialization levels in students who learn who to cooperate with multiple persons, which is one of the key success factors.
References
About our district. (n.d.). Web.
Daniels, G., & Tenkasi, R. (2017). Can we survive? A case of culture change and learning. South Asian Journal of Business and Management Cases, 6(1), 1-11.
Klinge, C. (2015). A conceptual framework for mentoring in a learning organization. Adult Learning, 26(4), 160-166
OECD. (2016). What makes a school a learning organisation? Web.