“The times, they are a changin”, and our country’s school systems will soon be in the middle of big changes. Almost everyone I talk to that is touched by public education (or opts out) has ideas about reforming education. Our country’s new Education Secretary, Arne Duncan, has ideas too.
The nation’s schools are going to be challenged to do things differently, very differently. How can instructional designers support district staff in their efforts? This week I read about the Step Up to Excellence model that serve as a blueprint that instructional designers can use to help educational leaders navigate the sometimes treacherous waters of change.
The Step Up to Excellence (STUE) process methodology (Duffy, 2002, 2003, 2004) offers answers to the question of prerequisite conditions for district change. Dr. Duffy tells us that two conditions must be in place First, the district’s leaders should possess a clear vision of the future and sufficient communication skills to bring others along in their management of the change process. Dr. Duffy also feels that the leadership must develop a plan to bring in extra funding to sustain the change effort, rather than using accounting tricks which rob from Peter to pay Paul.
The STUE model gives instructional designers a solid process to follow once changes are identified. The model does not discuss the front-end analysis that is required to identify which changes to make. The instructional design professional, trained to conduct a variety of anlayses, will be instrumental in this phase of school-district change.
Image by Rebecca Vaughn
The professional community of instructional designers needs to engage the white house and state educational officials to discuss their place in the reform of the public education system. Instructional designers, especially those who have experience in the K-12 school system, possess a unique skill set that compliments President Obama’s vision for education,
At this defining moment in our history, preparing our children to compete in the global economy is one of the most urgent challenges we face. We need to stop paying lip service to public education, and start holding communities, administrators, teachers, parents and students accountable.
