Facilitator’s Guide: 5A Case Study of a Change-Focused Culture
Sequence of Sessions
Overarching Objectives of this November 2013 Network Team Institute
Overall Learning Objectives of this November 2013 Network Team Institute
New Participants Only:
 I can describe the structure and content of the 3-8 ELA Modules.
Teacher Targets:
 I can describe the relationship between students’ speaking and listening practices and vocabulary development,
reading and writing.
 I can effectively use protocols and the other collaborative classroom structures in the 3-8 Modules develop students’
knowledge along with speaking, listening, reading and writing skills.
 I can evaluate the Common Core Standards related to Speaking and Listening of students’ thinking and talk and
provide feedback to help them improve.
 I can give and receive constructive feedback that supports quality module adaptation.
 I can describe collaborative, change-focused professional cultures.
Leader/NTI Targets
 I can describe collaborative, change-focused professional cultures.
 I can provide focused feedback to support teachers in building collaborative classrooms.
 I can support the development of a collaborative, change-focused culture schoolwide, including ways to manage
counterculture behavior.
 I can give and receive constructive feedback that supports quality module adaptation.
High-Level Purpose of this Session

In this session, participants will read and discuss a case study of a school whose culture and achievement was transformed through the use of
protocols and other collaborative structures.
Related Learning Experiences

Session 6A will build on session 5A and offer more concrete tools for leaders to implement in their schools to support a positive school
culture.
Key Points

Participants will support the development of a collaborative, change-focused culture school wide, including ways to manage the counter
culture.
Session Outcomes
What do we want participants to be able to do as a result of this
session?
 I can support the development of a collaborative, changefocused culture schoolwide, including ways to manage
counterculture behavior.
How will we know that they are able to do this?
By observing participants in protocols and listening to the group
discussions.
Session Overview – 75 min total
Section
School Culture and
Instructional
Leadership
Time
Overview
Prepared Resources
Introduce components of "group
process": communication, functional
roles of group members, group
problem solving and decision making,
group norms, the use of leadership
and authority (Cumings &
Worley,2004)

Participants will read one of two
articles about school culture and
participate in a discussion protocol to
enhance their understanding of the
reading. Participants will be thinking
about how school culture impacts
leadership in curriculum and
instruction.

Participants note how each
component of group process occurs
for their own context/school setting.


Final Word_Session
5A_NTI_112013
School Climate- Missing
Link in Principal
Training?
Why School Culture
Matters
Group Processes
Facilitator Preparation
Review fac. Guide and PPT
Review Final Word Protocol

Participants analyze a case study of a
school using modules, and determine
a course of action for a group
intervention
A Case Study
Analysis
Case study of a change
focused culture
The actual interventions are revealed
and participants compare the
approaches noting strengths and
challenges of each
Closing
Reflection on learning target and closing
Session Roadmap
Section: School Culture and Instructional Leadership
Time: 47
[47 minutes] In this section, you will introduce components of
"group process": communication, functional roles of group
members, group problem solving and decision making, group
norms, the use of leadership and authority (Cumings &
Worley,2004)
Materials used include:
Time
3 min
Slide #/ Pic of Slide
Effective Collaboration Norms
and Guidelines
In order to cultivate a climate where everyone is focused
on ongoing, positive growth and improving student
achievement, use the Seven Norms of Collaboration.
Seven Norms of Collaboration
1. Promoting a Spirit of Inquiry and Balancing Advocacy
2. Pausing
3. Paraphrasing
4. Probing
5. Putting Ideas on the Table
6. Paying Attention to Self and Others
7. Presuming Positive Intentions




Final Word_Session 5A_NTI_112013
School Climate- Missing Link in Principal Training?
Why School Culture Matters
Group Processes
Script/ Activity directions
2nd
This is the first session of the
day. Please return the norms that were established on
day one and ask participants to reflect on how they did as an individual, and then as a
group. Ask for a couple of volunteers to share the “evidence” from day of one of the norms
at play.
GROUP
Whole
group.
Table
groups
1 min
Learning Target: I can support the development of a collaborative, change-focused culture
schoolwide, including ways to manage counterculture behavior.
Whole
group
4 min
Share slide about organization culture.
Have them discuss with a partner the second bullet and what they think it means. They
can replace the word “organization” with school if they like. In particular, being an
instructional leader of a school/district.
Pair
After time to discuss make the point that a school’s culture has an impact on the
“outcome” which is supposed to be student achievement. You may ask the group ‘what is
a school’s intended outcome’ before they discuss.
28 min
Request volunteers to share from the audience how they related this second bullet to
schools. Make the point that culture is everything. “Culture eats strategy for breakfast” is
one of my (CF’s) favorite quotes. All outcomes will reflect the culture in which they were
produced. If a culture does not believe in high quality work, it will not get high quality
work form students. If a culture does not believe that everyone can learn, not everyone
will learn. Etc.
Participants will read one of two possible articles and annotate the text. While annotating
be thinking about how school culture impacts the work of being an instructional leader.
Participants will read and annotate for 8 minutes independently to prepare for the Final
Word Protocol (20 minutes in groups of 4)
Solo, then
groups of
4
3 min
Participants read the very top portion of the group processes document and stop to list
the different groups in their schools.
1 min
Show slide with the aspects of group process: communication, decision-making, group
norms, group problem solving, use of leadership and authority, functional roles of group
members. State that these are the components found to exist in group processes by
behavior theorists and those who study this type of work. Explain that by attending to
these, organizations are able to make significant changes to culture. Let them know they
will reflecting on these aspects for their own context and will leave with ideas about what
they may choose to do at their own schools should they find something useful here.
7
They then use the questions for each component of group process to reflect on their own
school situation. There is a recording form for support. Request silence and uphold it best
you can. If participants are sitting with others from same school let them know they will
lots of time for discussion but it would be more interesting if they completed this on their
own before sharing. Encourage them to think about specific instance and try to zero in
one meeting they experienced to think of specific examples of behavior, rather than over
generalizing in their thinking. This is why picking one “group” they are a part of is really
helpful.
Section: A Case Study Analysis

Time: 23
[23 minutes] In this section, you will guide participants as they Materials used include:
analyze a case study of a school using modules, and determine a Case study of a change focused culture
course of action for a group intervention
solo
Time
Slide #/ Pic of Slide
Script/ Activity directions
GROUP
5 min
Participants read Case Study of a Change Focused Culture. They may annotate it with
connections if they feel something sounds familiar to an experience they have had or
witnessed in their own context. They may take notes, really, as they please. They should read
through “the findings” but stop before “the intervention”
solo
10 min
Share quote about school leaders being change agents. Explain that if this feels like “change
management” material, it is because that is exactly what school leaders are – change agents,
or managers of change. So we want to build their knowledge and tools in this area.
triads
Then show slides that describes the difference between an individual level and a group level
interventions and briefly explain each.
Then have tables brainstorm interventions they might try with this school community. Make
sure they go back to the handout about group processes and discuss the components of
group process when they are brainstorming: communication, decision-making, group norms,
group problem solving, use of leadership and authority, functional roles of group members.
4 min
Participants now read the intervention that used – and annotate it for strengths and
weaknesses.
solo
4 min
Participants discuss their thoughts about the case study intervention in their triads.
 What were the strengths?
 Where are the opportunities for improvement?
 What other interventions could be used?
triads
Section: Closing

Time: 5 minutes
[5 minutes] In this section, you will reflect on the learning target for
this session and journal.
Time
3 min
Slide #/ Pic of Slide
Materials used include:
Journal
Script/ Activity directions
Quietly Journal about your progress on this Learning Target check in: “I can support the
development of a collaborative, change-focused culture schoolwide, including ways to manage
counterculture behavior.”
Any new thoughts on how culture impacts your ability to be a leader of curriculum and
instructional change?
GROUP
Closing
2 min
Turnkey Materials Provided
●
●
●
Facilitator’s Guide and PPT
Final Word Protocol
Professional articles read in this session
Additional Suggested Resources
commoncoresucces.elschools.org