Converting a large, comprehensive high school into several small schools requires a commitment to equity and high expectations and outcomes for all students. New small schools challenge familiar models of leadership, teaching, learning and system structure. Small schools are designed to create personalized, equitable environments where students and adults are actively engaged in rigorous, meaningful learning.
Although school conversion is not a linear process, these six stages frame the work:
The work of school conversion is complicated and success relies on the commitment of school staff, students, parents and community members. The key roles and responsibilities of those leading the effort are outlined below. The specific names of these groups may differ from school to school, but the roles and responsibilities described are common to the success of any conversion effort. The membership of these groups often will overlap.
Principal
During the conversion to small schools, the principal continues to play a critical role in school leadership, however, he does not lead alone. In successful schools, the principal empowers others by modeling collaborative processes, sharing leadership responsibilities, and by providing training for those assuming leadership roles. School visioning is a process that engages the entire school community. The principal communicates the vision and supports and holds staff and students accountable to designing and implementing programs and strategies that align with the vision. A governance and decision-making model must be identified, communicated to all stakeholders, and followed by all. Although the effective principal facilitates and participates in team-based decision making, there will be times when she makes unilateral decisions.
Change Coordinator
The Change Coordinator believes firmly in the benefits of small schools for students, staff and the community and is able to communicate that message to a variety of audiences. This person is widely respected in the school, is knowledgeable about effective teaching and learning, is a creative problem solver, and has the perseverance to guide and facilitate the long, complex conversion process. The Change Coordinator is responsible for:
- Acting as the point of contact for the conversion
- Keeping the focus on equity and high achievement for all students
- Staying current with small schools research
- Understanding the change process
- Coordinating and facilitating the activities required to make the conversion happen
- Engaging district staff and community groups to ensure support
- Using reflection and feedback to inform the design and implementation process
Leadership Team
The Leadership Team consists of the Change Coordinator, the principal, and school and district staff. The work of the Leadership Team is to:
- Develop a common set of core agreements and/or guiding principles for small school design
- Design the strategies and processes for small school development and implementation
- Facilitate the process for assessing and allocating resources
- Lead small school development and implementation
- Communicate with and engage stakeholders
- Apply appropriate consensus building and decision making strategies
- Coordinate and support Small School Design Teams
- Coordinate and support ad hoc committees and follow-up on their findings and recommendations
Small School Design Teams
The Design Teams consist of representatives from all stakeholder groups. Their purpose is to design a small school based on core agreements including equity and high achievement for all students. The responsibilities of the Design Teams are to:
- Build a shared understanding of small school models and instructional approaches
- Define the mission, vision and beliefs that will be the norm
- Define the small schools’ curriculum, instructional practices, and graduation requirements
- Identify staffing needs and related roles and responsibilities
- Communicate with students, parents, community members and staff, and solicit their feedback on issues
- Design and implement an evaluation plan for the small school
Ad-hoc committees
Ad-hoc committees are made up of different groups of stakeholders, depending on the issue being addressed. These committees research complex issues related to the conversion, such as: rigorous curriculum, graduation requirements, equitable practices and outcomes, and leadership development. Recommendations are submitted to the Leadership and Design Teams. Ad-hoc committees are formed, meet and are disbanded throughout the conversion process.
Prior to the actual opening of the small schools, campus and small school leadership and governance structures will need to be redefined. Key roles and responsibilities are outlined below.
Small School Leaders
Small school leaders may be administrators or teacher leaders and act as principals. These leaders have a range of responsibilities, including:
- Setting agendas and facilitating staff meetings
- Assessing professional development needs and providing training opportunities
- Ensuring that teachers use adaptive and effective instructional strategies
- Ensuring that teachers develop, revise and implement standards-based curriculum
- Engaging the community in school decisions regarding curriculum, operations and programs
- Providing on-going and timely communication to stakeholders
- Documenting the work of the small school and recording and reporting student progress and achievement
- Representing the ideas and interests of the small school to the building council and relaying communication from the council to the small school staff
Campus manager
In small schools that share a building, a campus manager, often an administrator, is responsible for building-wide issues. The campus manager plays an important role in monitoring each school’s decisions regarding operations, curriculum, and programs to ensure no aspect of one school’s operation hampers the success of another. Additionally, the manager ensures that the schools are able to operate in ways that are consistent with their visions, missions and beliefs by overseeing decisions regarding space, services and safety.
Building Council
The Building Council consists of the Campus Manager and Small School Leaders and other staff as needed. Council members review issues and make decisions on topics that affect more than one small school. These decisions are then communicated to each small schools’staff via its Small School Leader. The Campus Manager monitors the success and effectiveness of each decision.
The Change Process will be under construction for the next few months, and additional content, tools and resources will be added. Check back for more detailed information, tools and resources to carry out the work of converting to small schools.
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