This blog post wraps up our in-depth look at the change strategy that the Institute is using to help frame the work of personalizing learning for all students. In previous posts we discussed changes to learning and teaching, and relationships and roles, both of which serve as the foundation for the final area of change: structures and policies.
Structures and Policies
When significant changes are made to learning and teaching, the roles of both students and teachers will change, as will the relationships between them. Organizations will undoubtedly begin to feel pressure as these new ways of learning “bump up” against existing structures such as schedule, calendar, student groupings or grading practices. Stakeholders involved in personalized learning will clamor for the flexibility necessary to truly transform public education into a student-centered environment. This is when conversations about changing existing structures should begin to take place.
These conversations may be difficult because changes to the status quo can be uncomfortable for those involved. However, because the models and modules of innovation were fully explored and tested in the first two phases of change, a solid foundation will have been laid. Those involved will understand that structural changes are necessary in order to make the vision of getting learning right for all students a reality.
Generally it is after structural issues have been addressed that policies are changed, since the strength and purpose of policy is to stabilize a system and practices. In this last phase we will see an innovative system, fully transformed.
