Getting Started

When creating change in school systems, the analogy of the rider and the elephant is a helpful one. When we want to lead change, we must appeal to both the rational side (or “rider”) and the emotional side (or “elephant”). The rational side requires an understanding of where we are going and how to get there, but we cannot bring someone on this journey of change without also motivating them emotionally. No matter how skilled the rider, the elephant and rider will not move forward if the elephant has decided to dig in its heels. Change will not happen if you only lay out a great plan but fail to acknowledge and address emotional responses to it. (Episode 7 of CCEE’s Leading Forward Podcast discusses this topic.)

Change is hard, so here are some ways to ensure success as your team embraces a new way to support students: 

• “Direct the rider” (set the direction): Include your team from the very beginning, when envisioning the end result and setting goals. This work plan will walk you through the following steps (briefly summarized below) for you and your team to work through together.
  • Get clear on what accelerating learning is and isn’t. As a team, review the Core Beliefs overview and TNTP’s report “The Opportunity Myth.” 
  • Identify your ideal future state (North Star). The work plan contains an exercise you and your team can use to brainstorm, identify, and synthesize a succinct statement about your desired future state that frames it as a SMART goal (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, time-bound). Whether you take language and the infographic from this playbook or create your own, make sure you can clearly and succinctly articulate what you want to see for your students, what your philosophy is, and how it will improve outcomes. And say it often. 
  • Unpack your assumptions about the future state. As a group, work together to describe the environment, in every sense, that is required for the successful creation of the future state. For each of the supporting conditions and structures in this playbook, list what must be true in order to reach your desired state.
  • Define your current state. Describe the current state of each of these components. To the extent possible, rely on data and observable measures. Audit your existing intervention programs. Look through your MTSS framework, pull a list of all remediation and intervention programs, and look at intervention trainings for staff. Where are you filling gaps and where are you building bridges? Is your system adequately designed to eliminate the need for remediation by giving students access to grade-level content?
  • Map the future state. Check for alignment and dissonance. Where do your ideal future state and your current state align and where are they out of sync? Make sure to check existing intervention programs, policies, handbooks, your communication with families, policies, programs, curriculum, and training. For each of the enabling conditions and support structures, compare the current state to the future state. Together, make a list of where you see alignment (and celebrate it with your team) and where you see dissonance. Where there is dissonance, identify which areas need the most work to reach the desired outcome and which are the most important.
  • Identify needed resources. As a group, brainstorm what your functional, human, and organizational needs are to reach the desired state. Take into account how you will structure the school day and instructional time, how you will use and leverage community-based organizations, how families can contribute to learning acceleration, and how you will engage in continuous improvement. In terms of financial resources, FutureEd offers a whole playbook with tips on how to use relief funds.