ANALYSIS OF SOUTH LAKE MIDDLE
1
Analysis of South Lake Middle School Using Bolman and Deal’s Four-Frame Model
David J. Mroue
Oakland University
ANALYSIS OF SOUTH LAKE MIDDLE
2
Abstract
After deep analysis there are definite changes that need to be made to properly align South Lake
School’s curriculum to the common core standards. This action plan being proposed for
integrating a vertically aligned well-articulated curriculum analyzes the district through the
structural, human resource, political, and symbolic frames. While teachers are expected to be
aligning their instruction there is no district support in ensuring prompt vertical alignment and
also ensuring all subject areas have an established district curriculum with district supplied
resources. Teachers are attempting to meet the needs of their students but there is no consistency
district-wide. In addition, nothing is done with fidelity because there are no expectations to
complete district assessments to ensure teachers are actually covering their grade level content.
Using the model presented by Bolman and Deal the action plan looks at the district’s curricular
issue through the four distinct lenses to find a balanced solution to the concern and will further
influence the district’s efforts to increase student achievement.
ANALYSIS OF SOUTH LAKE MIDDLE
3
Introduction
South Lake School district is located in the suburban community of St. Clair Shores. The
district has 2000 students in grades K-12. The district has three elementary schools, one middle
school and one high school. There is a superintendent, four directors, 7 building administrators,
125 teachers, three social workers, a school psychologist, and five counselors across the district.
The school district is primarily made up of Caucasian (51%) and African American (39%)
students with small numbers percentages of Asian, Hispanic and Multi-Racial students. The
economically disadvantaged number of students has been on the rise within the past ten years and
has reached 58% of all students. The district’s diversification has been an issue within the
community and it has become difficult to address our educational issues without racial tension
and prejudices causing a shift away from the topics that matter most. The community feels that it
is our school of choice students changing the school district but the reality is that while some
residency issues are present the majority of the students live in our district boundaries. It is
difficult for our longtime residents to accept the fact that the community is diversifying and that
all students deserve the opportunity to have an exceptional educational experience.
According to our 2012-13 MEAP results our elementary schools had 37% of all students
proficient in mathematics and 63% proficient in reading. When the data was analyzed by
demographic testing groups less than 10% of our African American students were proficient in
mathematics or reading. At South Lake Middle School 30% of all students were proficient in
math and 54.5% proficient in reading. When the data was analyzed by demographic testing group
we had 43% of Caucasian students proficient in mathematics compared to only 10.2% of African
American students. Likewise, 67.7% of Caucasians students were proficient in reading compared
to only 40% of African American students. In science, 18.8% of Caucasian students were
ANALYSIS OF SOUTH LAKE MIDDLE
4
proficient compared to only 1.9% of African American students. In a similar fashion, 40% of all
South Lake High School students were proficient in reading and 19.7% of all students were
proficient in mathematics. On the other hand, 16.4% of all African American high school
students were proficient in reading and only 1.6% were proficient in mathematics. Likewise, we
have a transient population of at-risk students and our strong academic students are leaving the
district at the secondary level to attend our neighboring less diverse school districts. The loss of
our high achieving students and large increase in low achieving students from neighboring school
districts is creating a very difficult situation for South Lake Schools. There is a definite concern
in the achievement gap between our Caucasian and African American students in all grades and
subject areas at South Lake Schools. This concern needs to be addressed through integration of
more technology into the curriculum and incorporation of research-based instructional strategies
to promote higher academic achievement.
Bolman and Deal (2008) introduce the importance of reframing and leaders possessing the
ability to think about situations in more than one way. They introduce four distinct framesstructural, human resources, political, and symbolic- each logical and powerful in its own right (p.
6). Leaders must look at all issues from a balance of all perspectives to ensure that the needs of
the organization are properly addressed with each decisions and action taken. It is very common
for people to place blame and have theories of what action is needed to promote success.
However, it is important leaders can recognize the different views and analyze their strengths and
limitations. South Lake Schools has financially been struggling with a declining enrollment
which has caused cuts in the curriculum department. We have lost our full time director and all
content area leaders who led the curriculum committees. As a result, there is not defined
curriculum K-12 and a lack of resources to teach the content. While teachers are expected to be
ANALYSIS OF SOUTH LAKE MIDDLE
5
aligning their instruction there is no district support in ensuring prompt vertical alignment and
also ensuring all subject areas have an established district curriculum with district supplied
resources. Teachers are attempting to meet the needs of their students but there is no consistency
district-wide. In addition, nothing is done with fidelity because there are no expectations to
complete district assessments to ensure teachers are actually covering their grade level content.
The Structural Frame
Bolman and Deal stated, “The assumptions of the structural frame are reflected in current
approaches to organizational design. These suppositions reflect a belief in rationality and a faith
that a suitable array of formal roles and responsibilities will minimize distracting personal static
and maximize people’s performance on the job” (2008, p 47). This frame deals with what roles
people are placed into and the appropriate relationships within the organization. The structure is
essential because it is the formal distinction of power among administrators and outlines the
expectations of the entire organization and the roles of each member of the organization. South
Lake School’s superintendent Pamela Balint oversees our director of technology and curriculum,
director of business and finance, director of special services, and human resources director. I
could not locate a formal framework of our districts hierarchy of roles and responsibilities. This
concerns me because I am not confident in the competence of several areas of central office
administration. I am not sure that there is accountability and the lack of vision is quite
concerning. South Lake Superintendent does value those within our school district and truly does
want the best educational experience for all students. She has a long history with South Lake
Schools as she moved from classroom teacher to curriculum teacher on special assignment and
then on to our central office where she has worked as curriculum director, human resources
director, and now serves as Superintendent.
ANALYSIS OF SOUTH LAKE MIDDLE
6
I feel that the organization of duties appears to be shared across all departments of central
office; however, my concern lies with the right people in leadership roles within specific
departments. I do believe that each desire to do their best in their positions but the lack of
experience and knowledge in all areas with no accountability when essential responsibilities are
left unaddressed is causing much concern among South Lake teaching staff. We desire a strong
leadership that with provide structure and inspiration during a time of struggle due to decrease
funding and increasingly low academic achievement. Bolman and Deal stated, “The effectiveness
of coordinators who span boundaries depends of their credibility and skills in handling others”
(2008, p. 59). I do not believe that the directors in place of our departments are effective nor do
they have the skills to inspire collaboration or leadership qualities essential to run a school
district. I feel that our Superintendent does have a vision for the district which is not shared and
carried out district-wide. South Lake has been affected by an enrollment decline, political attacks
on education, and changes within our community. However, it is necessary for our leadership
team to create a plan and work to ensure academic success for all students.
To ensure success within any organization it is important that both lateral and vertical
coordination are present. I am not sure that either are currently present within our district because
our building was named a focus school due to our gap between the highest and lowest 30% of
students. We do not feel that our needs are being addressed nor do we feel a plan for success to
work to ensure we improve our academic achievement is being put in place. There is no
alignment within our curriculum K-12 and there are not structured curricular programs that
teachers have professional development to ensure fidelity within instruction of this content. We
have had a director of curriculum and technology for the past three years and none of the areas of
concern have been addressed. The structure of our central office administrative team makes
ANALYSIS OF SOUTH LAKE MIDDLE
7
effective implementation of anything difficult because the decline in enrollment has created a
monetary shortage causing us to lose staff at all levels including within the curriculum office.
While our high school is organized into departments with heads and two administrators leading
them as they coordinate the instructional decisions and create assessments and monitor data. The
middle schools lacks departments with leaders and only have one full time administrator that
spends all her time working with discipline and teacher evaluations and staffing concerns. Our
elementary teachers do meet as grade levels throughout the year but there is absolutely no
direction from the administrative team to ensure that curricular decisions are data informed and
that the curriculum is aligned to meet the Common Core State Standards. Overall, I feel that
things are just continuously pushed further down the road while our achievement shows the need
for immediate curriculum work within all content areas district-wide.
Our structural frame needs some changes to put people in leadership roles who have the
ability to get tasks accomplished and inspire leadership within all levels of staff. Currently our
structure is far too loose and needs some leadership to guide us through some essential changes.
We are in need of creative solutions to issues due to our lack of finances to provide further
staffing or implementation of expensive intervention programs. However, if we do not properly
address the needs of all students we will be faced with further problems as a result of our low
achievement. Our Superintendent needs to step up and demand consistent communication
between all directors and if they are unable to meet the demands of their positions they need to be
replaced. The Superintendent is held accountable for effectiveness within all departments of the
school district, and if the directors are not fulfilling their responsibilities it is a poor reflection on
them.
Human Resource Frame
ANALYSIS OF SOUTH LAKE MIDDLE
8
Bolman and Deal (2008) stated, “Our most important asset is our people. The human
resource frame centers on what organizations and people do to and for one another” (p. 117).
South Lake Schools is responsible for the education of 2000 students and employs over 150
teachers, secretaries, and support staff. Over the past ten years, South Lake Schools has struggled
financially with enrollment decline and political changes in education. As a result, our
administrative team has been forced to make difficult decisions that affected both the students and
staff dramatically. I feel that the district worked tirelessly to ensure that the students’ education
remained the primary focus and they maintained the things necessary to guarantee their success.
However, our administrative team has made choices and implemented procedures and things that
staff feel shows a lack of appreciation. I have seen a decline in the family devotion that had once
been present in South Lake Schools and I think it has caused for a decline in staff morale. I do
not always feel appreciated nor supported in what I do as a teacher which makes our difficult
times seem even worse as a result.
Most South Lake teachers have a master’s degree or beyond and demonstrate true
dedication to their profession of educating students. Their continual hard work and time seem to
go unnoticed and yet all of the blame seems to be placed on what teachers need to do to improve
our student achievement. The relationship with administration seems tolerable at best and the
strain is evident anytime committees or meetings are held to make decisions. The administrative
team feels the teachers are just complaining yet the teachers feel unsupported and lacking
inspiration and leadership.
There has definitely been a shift towards competing with the rest of the world regarding
education and student achievement. As a result teachers have been faced with growing demands
of evaluations and analysis of student growth data. There are so many things in the lives of our
ANALYSIS OF SOUTH LAKE MIDDLE
9
students out of our control that substantially impact their ability to learn. However, we have seen
very little support in maintaining programs to assist us in meeting the emotional needs of our
students. Often our teaching staff feels we are treated like children and the mistakes of a couple
result in punishment for all teachers. As we search for ways to implement strategies to ensure
increased achievement and help secure the future of the district the relationship between personorganization must be addressed. Many staff members feel the desire to leave the district if they
can without sacrificing the welfare of their family. South Lake Schools needs to invest in their
staff to make them feel valued and inspire them to work collaboratively to meet growing needs of
our students.
In a similar fashion, it is important that as we look at our problem with curriculum we hire
the right people and keep the teachers who are valuable assets to the district. We have seen so
many teachers leave the district in recent years and this has also had a negative impact on student
achievement because of the years necessary for teachers to master teaching the content to best
meet the needs of the students as they are expected to master the content. Our human resources
director has put the financial resolution on new teachers for the past two contracts and frozen
steps which has led a large number of new staff members to leave to go to neighboring districts
where the cuts are shared across all levels. If you want teachers to feel valued you must reward
their hard work and by unfairly balancing a budget on the backs of a few is not the best way to
build morale amongst all staff.
Lastly, it is important that South Lake Schools works on establishing a more collaborative
approach. We are in need of a common mission, vision, and goals to help ensure that our
leadership can provide the staff with direction and commitment to excellence. Bolman and Deal
(2008) stated, “Though leadership is essential, it need not come from only one person” (p. 186).
ANALYSIS OF SOUTH LAKE MIDDLE
10
It is important for leadership to be shared and for teacher leaders within the district to step up and
offer assistance in their areas of expertise. If our district is to improve its effectiveness and
improve student achievement we desperately need leadership that inspires everyone to work
together to make the changes necessary. It is also important that our central office administrative
team hold leaders and staff accountable and ensure effectiveness at all levels.
Political Frame
Bolman and Deal (2008) stated, “Viewed from the political frame, politics is the realistic
approach of making decisions and allocating resources in a context of scarcity and divergent
interest” (p. 190). While looking at the curricular issues present within South Lake Schools it is
evident that there are some political issues when considering how to approach the issue. Finances
are tight and South Lake is currently experiencing difficult times. This means that difficult
decisions need to be made to ensure that the district is moving in a direction focused on what is
best for students and their educational experiences. It is hard to determine who will get what
when everyone claims to need more.
The political attacks on education within Michigan have created an environment that is
constantly reactive due to the constant changes in budgets and laws affecting schools. The attacks
on public education have made significant changes to the ways things are done and the support
that teachers and school districts. Much of these things are out of our control and while we
cannot influence the legislature being passed the effects they have on the climate within schools is
significant. Teachers and administrators across the states have faced cuts in wages, benefits, and
loss of some collective bargaining rights. These changes on top of a district that is financially
struggling and faced with low achievement has teachers in a tough position.
ANALYSIS OF SOUTH LAKE MIDDLE
11
When looking to address the curricular needs of the district I think that it is important for
teacher and administrators to work on a plan to align the curriculum K-12, search for resources
and programs to accomplish these goals, setup a budget for purchases of materials, and allocate
time and budget for professional development to ensure implementation is done with fidelity
district-wide. This means that tough choices will need to be made to prioritize what subject or
subjects are most important. With budgetary restrictions it will be necessary to look at what
resources are needed and what we would like to purchase if money is available. I feel that the
curriculum director and business directors need to figure out how to make these purchases happen
once the department committees come up with the curriculum and necessary resources for the
new Common Core Standards. It will again come down to establishing our common district
mission, vision, and goals as we work to build our district aligned curriculum.
I think that there will need to be some difficult decisions made at all levels and teachers
will be faced with conflicts over units and how they best be taught. It is difficult to have all
teachers agree on resources and strategies, but I think the more discussion and thought
collaboratively as grade level PLCs the better to give all teachers a voice in the decision. The
committee then will be responsible for taking the needs of all teachers into consideration when
advising the curriculum director regarding units and resources necessary to teach the content.
Conflict is going to exist during this process and it is important that the committee structures the
conversations in a professional manner to ensure positive outcomes.
Symbolic Frame
Bolman and Deal said, “Symbols and symbolic actions are part of everyday life and are
particularly perceptible at weekly, monthly or seasonal high points. Symbols stimulate energy in
ANALYSIS OF SOUTH LAKE MIDDLE
12
moments of triumph and offer solace in times of tribulation” (p. 252). There is an expectation
that schools follow a curriculum and students have textbooks and resources that will help students
to master this curriculum to ensure their success. South Lake is experiencing a time of tribulation
and I think that providing staff with an aligned curriculum is necessary to maintain teacher
efficacy and ensure student success. It is important that South Lake Schools comes together to
ensure their students are getting the best educational experiences that will provide them with
mastery in the content necessary to achieve on the Smarter Balance Common Core annual
assessment each Spring.
Our superintendent needs to inspire administrators and directors to guide teachers through
the difficult task of aligning curriculum and prioritizing purchases in resources and professional
development. The district needs to come together and work collaboratively to perfect our district
curriculum which will increase student achievement. It is especially important to monitor
integration of research-based teaching pedagogy that will increase student learning and mastery.
Administrators will be responsible for ensuring that the new curriculum, resources, and teaching
strategies are implemented with fidelity to ensure district cohesive curriculum is followed and
data is collected and monitored to address any areas concern. It is also important that staff
celebrates their success as they learn from the data and make changes to both teaching strategies
and at times resources unsuccessful with teaching content necessary for students to master.
The culture within the schools needs to improve to ensure that student learning is the
priority for all staff district-wide. The lack of curriculum and resources creates frustration
because it makes teachers feel unsupported and ineffective because they are faced with so many
challenges with decline in enrollment, increase of at-risk students, decline in behavior, decrease in
staff and administrators to support student concerns. There is a strong symbolic importance to
ANALYSIS OF SOUTH LAKE MIDDLE
13
providing staff with a vertically aligned curriculum with the professional development and
resources necessary to enable them to do their best to ensure all students achieve academic
excellence. This effort shows that the administration supports teachers and is willing to provide
them with the resources and development necessary for them to be successful.
Conclusion
Overall, South Lake Schools needs to establish a set of common goals and use the
district’s common mission and vision to guide the decisions made with close attention to what is
best for all students. Our problem of aligning district curriculum and implementing strategies to
ensure fidelity in teaching all subjects K-12 with common resources and assessments to drive
instructional decisions and consistent assessment of curriculum. Using Bolman and Deal’s four
frame model I analyzed South Lake School’s curricular deficiencies and approached the issue to
establish an action plan that addresses the strong issue while considering the structural, human
resource, political, and symbolic frames.
When approaching the issue from a structural perception it has become evident that we
lack a defined organization of responsibilities and power over decisions. I believe that it is
essential that the superintendent expects the district to maintain a vertically aligned curriculum
with necessary professional development and resources to support the teachers to ensure student
achievement. This means that the directors of curriculum and finance must work together to
prioritize the needs of the district while maintaining the budget to ensure academic success of all
students. In addition, I think that there needs to be department heads at both middle and high
school levels to work on alignment and common assessments through the use of our professional
learning communities. It is difficult for teachers to make decisions or ask staff to do things
ANALYSIS OF SOUTH LAKE MIDDLE
14
without providing them with the authority necessary to make requests of their fellow teaching
peers.
From a human resource perspective I believe that our director needs to work on
establishing a better working relationship with teachers and ensure that teachers and
administrators feel valued and supported through the process of aligning curriculum and
implementing non-negotiable instructional strategies district-wide that will increase achievement
with the implementation of a common curriculum that covers all of the required content expected
to be mastered at each grade level.
It is imperative that this curricular concern is addressed
collaboratively and all human resource decisions should be made with careful attention to how
things impact the morale and culture of our school district. It is important to bring the staff
together and empower teachers to work together to encourage all students to succeed and achieve
academic excellence.
From a political perspective it is imperative that the board ensures that our district is
prioritizing their funds to provide the funding necessary to secure both resources and professional
development to ensure adoption of curriculum and programs with a plan of implementation and
the necessary development to ensure fidelity in the instruction district-wide. The directors of
curriculum and finance will need to seek the input of a committee of staff to ensure that the
decisions being made are keeping what is best for students to ensure increases in student
achievement.
Lastly, the school culture and symbolic importance of the school district providing the
teachers with a well-articulated curriculum that is aligned vertically to meet the rigorous common
core standards and ensuring that teachers are given both resources and professional development
ANALYSIS OF SOUTH LAKE MIDDLE
15
to help provide teachers with the strategies and content necessary to make students successful.
South Lake Schools always took pride in being a small close family that works together to ensure
the success of all students. The struggles within the district with enrollment declines, changes in
demographics, and political attacks on public education have strong impacts and it is essential the
district comes together to do what is necessary to provide our students with the educational
experience that they deserve.
ANALYSIS OF SOUTH LAKE MIDDLE
16
References
Bolman, L. G., & Deal, T. E. (2008). Reframing Organizations. San Francisco: John Wiley and Sons, Inc.