Administrator as a Change Leader: Concept @ Work

District Cadre Teams Participate in Staff Development Program on Student-Involved Classroom Assessment

A select group of teachers formed a cadre from each district involved in receiving the first level of training in Student-Involved Classroom Assessment. At the end of the first week of training, teachers completed the Stages of Concern Questionnaire. The purpose was to identify the concerns so the school improvement consultants from the area educational agency could provide appropriate follow-up support and plan for future training sessions. Individual profiles identifying peak concerns and recommendations for professional development were given back to the teachers. Group (cadre) profiles identifying the peak concerns of the teachers were given to the school improvement consultants and building principals.

Concerns are influenced by participants' feelings about Student-Involved Classroom Assessment, by the individuals' perception of his/her ability to use different classroom assessments, by the number of other changes the person is involved in, by the setting in which the change occurs, and by the kind of support and assistance the person receives during implementation (Hord et al., 1987).

Profile of Stages of Concern

Stages of Concern Questionnaire (SoCQ) is a 35-item questionnaire with statements relevant to concerns of implementation of Student-Involved Classroom Assessment. The responses are classified into the following seven Stages of Concern: Stage 0, Awareness; Stage 1, Informational; Stage 2, Personal; Stage 3, Management; Stage 4, Consequence; Stage 5, Collaboration; and Stage 6, Refocusing. The statements with the highest frequencies were identified and percentages calculated to determine peak concerns. Figure 1 provides an example of a teacher's profile of Stages of Concerns related to implementing Student-Involved Classroom Assessment with a written interpretation and recommendations for professional development.

Figure 1. Teacher's Profile of Stages of Concern

Figure 1: Student-Involved Classroom Assessment

Peak Stage of Concern: Stage 2, Personal

The individual profile indicates a high concern in Stage 2, Personal. Personal concerns may be related to feelings of uncertainty about what is expected or self-doubts about one's ability to succeed with what is expected. The uneasiness about implementation of Student-Involved Classroom Assessment may reflect the individual's current knowledge, skills, and/or attitudes about using different classroom assessments. It is important to also note the tailing-up on Stage 6, Refocusing. This indicates that the individual has some of his/her own ideas about how to do things differently. There might be some resistance due to not enough information at this time or being uncomfortable with the process.

Professional Development/Interventions that might be helpful:

Problem solve to address personal concerns immediately.
Connect with teachers who are supportive.
Implement changes progressively over time.
Give self permission not to know immediately all about Student-Involved Classroom Assessment.
Share own knowledge and skills about different classroom assessments.

Recommendations for District Implementation

Each administrator received the coded teacher profiles and a group (cadre) profile with a list of recommendations for follow-up support to assist with implementation.

		Figure 2: IC Map/Practice Profile: Leadership Role in the Change Process

		Figure 3: IC Map/Practice Profile: Implementation of Student-Involved Classroom Assessment

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Review individual and group profiles. Look specifically at the statements identified on the matrix to identify major concerns and ideas for possible professional development opportunities or interventions.
Give teachers their individual profiles and encourage further discussion, either one-on-one or in small groups about their concerns. Specifically identify through these discussions the professional development opportunities needed.
Clarify for both administrators and teachers that implementation of Student-Involved Classroom Assessment involves the change process and there is no right or wrong stage. Facilitation of change should involve providing information, resources, and support that are aligned with each individual's concerns.
Focus on the major concerns identified: getting students excited about student-involved classroom assessments, clarifying time commitments and expectations, and continuing to develop knowledge and skills in assessment literacy.
Focus on individuals with personal concerns or those with a tailing-up on Stage 6, Refocusing. Clarify what might be causing their uneasiness or resistance toward implementing Student-Involved Classroom Assessment.

IC Maps

An IC map is a tool used to describe how the program looks in actual practice. Within the innovation configuration (IC) map are components, which are the major operational patterns of the program. Based on a variety of data collected over a three-year period of implementation, two IC maps were developed with input from administrators and teachers to assist schools with implementation as cadre members began training on Student-Involved Classroom Assessment within the districts. Five components were identified for the leadership role in the change process, which include leadership, change process, professional development, resources and a supportive environment, and monitoring implementation. Figure 2 identifies the IC map for the leadership role. Eight components were identified for overall implementation of Student-Involved Classroom Assessment, which include leadership, collaboration, resources, learning targets, quality assessment, student involvement, self-efficacy, and change process. Figure 3 identifies the IC map for implementation of Student-Involved Classroom Assessment at the school level.

Administrator as a Change Leader

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