Promises and pitfalls

Principals using short-cycle school improvement plans to optimize organizational change

Bibliographic Data

ID21591568
AuthorsCoby V Meyers (0000-0002-0394-2613, University of Virginia), Tiffany S Aaron (0000-0003-2215-5794, University of Virginia), Tiffany Aaron, Dallas Hambrick Hitt (0000-0002-1801-4035, University of Virginia), Bryan A VanGronigen (0000-0001-8352-8473, University of Delaware), Bryan VanGronigen
Year2023
Volume37
Issue4
Pages846-862
Publication date2023-07-19
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueInternational Journal of Educational Management (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0951-354X • E-ISSN: 1758-6518
PublisherEmerald (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1108/ijem-07-2022-0256
OpenAlexW4382876973
LanguageEN
Citations received3
References cited32

Purpose School improvement planning has been a central part of school improvement initiatives for decades. Evidence suggests, however, that traditional planning processes are regularly superficial. In the USA, some principals have begun developing short-cycle planning designed to encourage school leadership teams and staff to develop, monitor and adjust plans throughout the academic year. Design/methodology/approach In this study of eight schools in one urban district, the authors analyzed multiple rounds of short-cycle improvement plans and principal interview data to assess the progress schools made implementing plans over the course of a semester, the ways in which plans were monitored and adjusted and the extent to which principals embraced short-cycle planning. Findings The authors found that many tasks from first semester plans were completed, which informed the development of plans for the second semester. Observational data were primarily used to monitor plan completion, although principals engaged in monitoring but relied on their leadership team to do so. Principals reported regular engagement with plans throughout semester, but plans were seldom adjusted within a semester. Originality/value The findings suggest that short-cycle planning is potentially a viable alternative to traditional annual planning as principals communicated being more engaged and adaptive. Still, the evidence also indicated that old habits might be hard to break as school leaders did not monitor and adjust plans frequently enough to guide improvement efforts in relative “real time.”

Creativity · Geography · Management · Medical education · Operations management · Originality · Political science · Public relations · Time management · Computer Science · Educational Assessment and Improvement · Engineering · Evaluation and Performance Assessment · Medicine · Psychology · Teacher Education and Leadership Studies

Tools

Open DOI