On the Road to Sustainable School Change: Stories from the Ground

It's one thing to paint a big picture vision for school transformation, but it's another thing to translate that vision into day-to-day strategies and actions at the school and classroom level. To understand common barriers and approaches in teacher and leader behavior change, The Learning Agenda reviewed reports and case studies from multiple education initiatives, and drew from learning community conversations about shifting instructional practice. Some key themes emerged, including four common barriers to sustainable school and classroom change:Attitude and Emotional Factors, such as lack of buy-in and trustProcess Factors, such as lack of coordination, planning and communicationsEnvironmental Factors, such as lack of time and resources, competing demands, policy barriersSkill and Knowledge Gaps, such as lack of experience in the change areaThe Learning Agenda then took the most common barriers and questions from the learning community and asked nine Wider Learning Ecosystem community members and redesign experts to respond with their own stories of struggle and success related to their school change efforts. This guide shares those stories to offer concrete examples and strategies that any school can use to strengthen their change effort