Response to the First Thread
School districts in the US realize the need to redesign their approaches to improve learner outcomes. This thread based on Karen Avery's case study, highlights some of the barriers that curriculum developers face when they attempt to change school systems. Notably, most of the school districts operate within traditional models, which are rigid as they do not promote feedback from concerned stakeholders. Razik & Swanson (2010) assert that most school districts operate partially closed systems which pave the way for mistrust between stakeholders and community members. The thread does a credible job of highlighting some of the issues that need to be addressed to facilitate adopting new models that embrace open systems. Lunenberg (2010) emphasizes the need for open school systems, considering that they "provide an excellent framework for analyzing the process of education and the role the school administrator plays in that process" (p. 1). This assertion aligns with the views expressed in the thread since open systems allow for partnerships that help improve each child's learning path.
The thread synthesizes crucial information from Karen Avery's case study, thus providing educational stakeholders with a roadmap for implementing changes. Notably, the thread provides a balanced perspective on the key strengths and weaknesses of the proposed school system and strategies for implementing these changes. The new model would be a practical framework for dealing with the broken relationships between the school district and community members, considering that it is centered on feedback from parents and guardians. Shute et al. (2011) affirm that parent involvement and supervision are associated with academic achievement. This role is captured in Proverbs 29:17 "Discipline your child, and he will give you rest; he will bring you happiness." Regrettably, the thread warns that despite parental involvement new model may fail due to pushbacks in funding. Nonetheless, the proposed model is practical as it would translate to more accountability in ensuring that learner-centered and individualized instruction and assessment are provided.
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References
Lunenberg, F. C. (2010). Schools as open systems. Schooling, 1 (1), 1-5.
Razik, T.A. & Swanson, A. D. (2010). Fundamental concepts of educational leadership and management (3rd ed.). Allyn & Bacon.
Shute, V. J., Hansen, E. G., Underwood, J. S., & Razzouk, R. (2011). A review of the relationship between parental involvement and secondary school student's academic achievement. Education Research International , 12 (3), 23-39. https://doi.org/10.1155/2011/915326
Response to the Second Thread
This thread reiterates the need for school districts to respond to questions that external stakeholders and parents raise regarding finances and students' performance. Karen Avery's case study is one of the attempts to redesign school districts to ensure that they are more accountable to address the issues that are being raised. The case study highlights the need to create a task force that would bring together various subgroups that would study, develop and recommend changes to exist school systems. As much as this recommendation appears practical, it is not logical considering that there is a probability for producing marginal results, especially if they operate with a closed system (Weber & Waeger, 2017). Notably, the insistence on aggregated approach characterized by various subgroups dismantles the concept of a system that the case study emphasizes. This assertion aligns with Matthew 12:25 "Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand" (NIV). However, if all the stakeholders collaborate to form an open system that insists on cooperation and communication, there will be ease in implementing the new school system.
The thread does a credible job in assessing if Karen's model would succeed or not by focusing on various components. Notably, the new model emphasizes the need for feedback which is crucial, considering whether a system will fail or succeed (Wisniewski et al., 2020). While feedback from all the stakeholders may be used to establish if the new school system helps meet short and long-term goals, it is not enough due to other intervening variables. The writer of the thread categorically argues that over time the initial excitement about the new system may face while parental involvement may wane, thus plunging the model into chaos. This assertion means a need to keep stakeholders engaged, considering that it is associated with the likelihood of intervention success and greater public acceptance (Haddaway et al., 2017). A focus on some of the barriers that would hamper the implementation of the new school model makes this thread a practical reference point for stakeholders.
References
Haddaway, N.R., Kohl, C., & Rebelo da Silva, N. (2017). A framework for stakeholder engagement during systematic reviews and maps in environmental management. Environmental Evidence, 6 (3), 11-33. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13750-017-0089-8
Weber, K., & Waeger, D. (2017). Organizations as polities: An open systems perspective. The Academy of Management Annals, 11 (2), 886-918. DOI:10.5465/annals.2015.0152
Wisniewski, B., Zierer, K., & Hattie, J. (2020). The power of feedback. Frontiers in Psychology, 11 (3), 20-35. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.03087
