Effective Change-Making in Independent Schools Why do some large-scale changes at schools take off and solve problems while others fall flat or create new headaches? Scott Bauer onsider this situation: Your school’s solutions that stick and are appreciated by enrollment is dwindling and you need faculty, staff, students and families. C to attract more students for certain Bauer and Balzano’s “root cause grades. Do you assume that marketing analysis” consists of five steps. First, and recruitment efforts are inadequate? define the performance gap. Second, talk Perhaps you need to hire a consultant with those in your school community and or specialist? Yet the real cause could schools like yours to gather information lie elsewhere, in your school’s academic about possible causes. Third, see what reputation or lack of extracurricular academic research has to say about the offerings — any number of factors. problem. Fourth, hypothesize possible Education researchers Scott Bauer and causes and determine which ones can Anne-Marie Balzano Anne-Marie Balzano believe that too often be tackled. Fifth, rank the order in which the school schools spring for silver bullet, one-size- should address sources of the problems. fits-all solutions and neglect to study the Different causes carry different weights, root cause of their problems and their and not all may need to be addressed. particular contexts. Another common Furthermore, not all causes are under WHO: pitfall is failing to consider potential a school’s control, said Bauer and Scott Bauer and barriers in implementing change. When Balzano. Conducting extensive research this happens, not only do old problems Anne-Marie Balzano, into root causes and carefully weighing fester, but sometimes new issues spring up professors at different options are time consuming in their wake. but worthwhile, as the resulting changes George Mason This is why Bauer and Balzano dwell are much more likely to work and save a on the process of change at schools. University school resources in the long run. “We are maniacal in our insistence that Bauer and Balzano have developed [school] teams spend time developing this process through conducting their a deep understanding of the problems own research at schools and advising WHAT: they identify, a step often omitted in the graduate students who lead school Business Officer Breakfast interest of rushing to solutions,” they said. teams in the process of implementing (by invitation only) They have found that the better school change. They said a huge part of their leaders understand the root causes of students’ learning experience is working problems in their institutions, the more with “the messiness and complexity of WHEN: likely those leaders are to implement change involving teachers, students and Wednesday, March 1 “We are maniacal in our insistence that 7:30–10 a.m. [school] teams spend time developing a deep understanding of the problems they identify, a step often omitted in the interest of rushing to solutions.” 42 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017 NETASSETS.ORG SCHOOL TOURS Tuesday, February 28 8-11:45 a.m. A popular feature of every NBOA Annual Meeting, school tours take attendees on guided tours of local independent schools. These five tours are all within 3.5 miles of the Omni Shoreham. Bus transportation is provided. Each tour can accommodate 50 attendees and is on a first-come, first-served basis. Georgetown Day School Beauvoir and National Founded in 1945 as Washington’s first Cathedral Schools integrated school, GDS is a preK-12 school with Situated on the 59-acre grounds of the 1,075 students across two campuses four miles Washington National Cathedral are Beauvoir, families in organizations that have power apart. This tour features the upper school’s The National Cathedral Elementary School, structures, resource issues, legal and five-acre “open” campus. By 2020, GDS seeks a co-ed, preK-3 school with almost 400 policy-related constraints” — in other to unify the school by building a lower/middle students, and the National Cathedral School, words, business officers’ everyday life. school on former commercial sites adjacent to with 580 girls in grades 4 to 12. (St. Alban’s, a Effective change-making processes are the existing upper school. To generate revenue high school for boys, is also on the grounds.) far more than abstract ideas; they have a allowing it to remain affordable to as many Highlights include Beauvoir Outdoors, which real impact on schools’ ultimate missions families as possible, the school plans to lease transforms the school’s outdoor space into to educate students. “Research suggests or sell portions of its land to a developer. a vital learning environment, and, on the that effective leadership is second only to campus of 117-year-old NCS, a state-of-the quality teaching in terms of factors that The Lab School of Washington art athletic center and renovated learning schools can control that impact student This innovative, arts-infused learning spaces that include a moot-court debate learning,” said Bauer and Balzano. Careful environment serves 377 students in grades classroom and digital art spaces. inquiry into root causes pays off. 1 to 12 with learning differences and disabilities. Celebrating its 50th birthday in Sidwell Friends School 2017, the Lab School has two campuses. FURTHER READING Founded in 1883, Sidwell Friends School is a Tour-goers will see the Reservoir campus preK-12, co-ed Quaker day school with 1,149 Five Reasons Change Is So Hard for Schools — (grades 5-12), built around a castle that is students on two campuses. Features of the and What Can Make It Easier home to the administrative offices. A $12 15-acre middle and upper school include the go.nboa.org/2dqvuKx million capital campaign helped fund a new meeting house, where the Quaker morning high school building and supports plans for service is held, a bi-level underground parking Cecily Garber is NBOA’s manager, editorial a new center for the arts and an expanded lot and a semi-underground bi-level athletic content, and the assistant editor of middle school. center with indoor and outdoor tracks. As Net Assets. Leah Thayer is NBOA’s vice with GDS, Sidwell also seeks to unify the president, communications, and the editor Maret School school in a single campus by expanding onto of Net Assets. With 635 students on one campus, this K-12 an adjacent property it purchased. school is in a residential neighborhood less than a mile from the Omni Shoreham. Founded in 1911, Maret is committed to embracing different cultures, interests, perspectives Below: Sidwell Friends School, Washington, D.C. and talents. The school is now undergoing a Its middle school was the first k-12 school in multiphase $10 million building program to the world to receive a LEED Platinum rating. improve and enhance the functionality of the historic campus while retaining the student-centered educational experience. For information and to register, visit nboaannualmeeting.org. [email protected] JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017 43.